Chapter 162: Scorching Light.

With the information Emilia gave in mind, everything started to fall into place. It was still, only half, perhaps even less of the whole picture, but it was enough to make a few assumptions. Those being, first, the police weren’t in as bad as a state as they seemed to be. At the same time, it wasn’t like they were in a good spot either.

The police’s core strength remained, mostly, untouched after the blood moon. Assuming what Emilia said was true. Yes, the loss of the lower ranks, the beat cops, those that primarily patrolled was a big blow, but it was true, they could recover given time.

Had Grim died during the blood moon, though, I doubt she would have died had I not intervened. I’m certain she had something else under her belt. A final move, a trump card. I’d also say that even though they targeted Grim, I highly doubt they planned to succeed.

The operation on the other side was unlikely to be bloodless as well. Even if the police took heavy losses, it is highly probable that the Dragon Gang or Tartarus had similar losses as well. Which meant, unless the Dragon Gang was stupid, the current state of the city was to plan. After all, on the surface they had apparently accomplished all their goals.

Now… what did that mean exactly?

I couldn’t begin to understand what they were doing, or how they were doing it. I did know how I’d do it.

With the police undermanned, and the city streets now available, I’d ramp up drug production and distribution. Use that to create more chaos, while also generating more funds. Then, according to Emilia, I’d mass produce drugs, pass them out to recruit.

Which would explain the pistols. It was entirely possible they were made to make the leader of the gang into a possible asset. And not just a normal gang leader, but someone valuable, or even vital to their plans.

Now, would the Dragon Gang go after me specifically for closing that den? Unlikely. If anything, they’d probably already cut off the gang as soon as they learned they had a breach. Even if Grim, or the police hadn’t moved, the Dragon Gang would have likely purged them at some point.

Not unless the breach was part of the plan, but I didn’t think it was.

The rapid expansion, and recruitment drive would benefit them in two ways, first, it would obviously increase the Dragon Gang’s strength. Second, it would serve to make the city more inhospitable, and force the police to overextend, or outright abandon neighborhoods.

The two sides were in an arms race as of right now. Both were attempting to secure and lock down areas they could both use. Likely, future patrols would reflect that. I expect that future patrols will put me in the path of other drug labs, or even gangs trying to expand. Especially as the rapid expansion gives magical materials and tools to groups and people that had no business handling them. Thus, causing the situation to spiral further out of control.

For the time being, there was no issue siding with the police. If anything, it was a good time to take advantage of the arms race. Both sides were pumping resources into taking control. Resources in the form of pay for patrols, which were getting more lucrative as the streets grew more dangerous, and also in the form of loot, since so many new groups were being sponsored to create labs.

The greater issue was when exactly would the arms race transition into a war? Exactly, how long did I have to take advantage of this conflict? And when would I get dragged into it?

All were pertinent questions, and really, I didn’t have an answer for any of them. Fortunately, it wasn’t an issue yet. And like any venture, it was important to keep my eyes and ears open for the opportune time to pull out.

For now, my concerns are elsewhere. After the rest of the week rolled by, it was now time for the weekend. Talia had finished the last-minute work on setting up possible options for her new totem, and we were going to go over it after we met with Éclair and got her opinion.

And it wasn’t Just Talia and I visiting Éclair, not this time. This time we brought along Shi, and we had Liche and Joan coming along. I made sure to check in with Éclair ahead of time, and she was more than willing to see them all.

We met outside the Lower District and went right for the Wizard Gang’s base. There was a bit of shuffling as both Liche and Joan were shocked by just how organized this whole thing was. Like there was a whole other city just within our city.

We faced no issues, and soon enough met up with Éclair and Nyx inside the stadium, or more precisely, inside a training room inside the stadium.

There, Éclair greeted us, me.

“Finally settled in? Honestly, from what I hear, the third tutorial event can be quite the doozy.” She said.

“About…” I answer her inquiry, and ask, “Do dogs not have a tutorial?”

“Nope, we’re given the lowdown of what we need to do and let loose.”

There were grumbles at that, though, nobody argued with whether or not that was fair or not. After all, we did benefit immensely from the event.

“Now, let’s get a good look at you all. Why don’t we start with… you.” She points at Liche. “We can save the wildcard for last.” She followed up with, eyeing Joan.

With those words, Liche stepped forward with a nervous smile.

“Prima has told us a bit about you.” She said.

“Has she now, anything good?”

“Just that you’re a bit impulsive, but clearly experienced.”

“That it? I don’t know why I expected more…” Éclair said with a sigh, “Anyway, let’s get started. Go ahead and transform, and I’ll put you through your paces and we’ll see what we’re working with.”

And just like that, the pair fought. It dragged on for a bit, mainly because Éclair was taking her time and stress testing Liche as much as possible. She said nothing as Liche collapsed, having exhausted her energy. Though, it looked like Éclair had quite a bit to say.

“Next.” Was what she said instead of whatever else she had in mind.

Talia went next, and, well, Éclair didn’t look happy by the end of it. The fight with Shi was, mild at best. Éclair was notably gentler with Shi, still it resulted in Shi getting beat down and exhausted. Not to mention hungry.

Joan went next, only this time, “Joan, right?” Éclair asked for some reason.

“That, yeah, that’s my name.”

“I’m told you unlocked your uniform.”

Joan reluctantly nodded, “I did.”

“Right, and I’m told you also don’t like transforming?”

Joan thinks for a moment before shaking her head. “I don’t. I don’t ever want to transform again if I don’t have to.”

“Mm, is that so? Well, let’s just see how you do, and just a warning, if you hold back, you might die.” and before Joan could even respond to that, Éclair shot forward.

It wasn’t as fast as when she faced off with me, but it was still fast. Fast enough to take Joan by surprise and yet, just before Éclair could hit, Joan managed to move out of the way of her strike.

It seemed incidental, almost like whenever I managed to surprise Joan, but… when Éclair continued to press. Constantly missing Joan by the barest of margins, what seemed incidental quickly became something else.

Rapidly, it became clear that Joan was shockingly good at taking hits. Even blows or strikes that I wouldn’t be able to dodge, even with my ice, were easily redirected or avoided. Not just that, but it became clear it wasn’t an accident, but a conscious act on Joan’s part.

All too quickly, the pair were moving fast enough that even with the ice, it became difficult to keep up. Whereas everyone else found themselves at a loss as the pair blurred around. Unfortunately for Joan, Éclair, she was barely even warmed up.

For the first time, Éclair’s fist slipped through Joan’s guard. It connected solidly with her body and punched the air from her lungs.

“Joan!” Liche shouted and made to move, but my hand clamped down on her shoulder and pulled her back.

Liche glared at me, and I responded back, “Joan’s fine. She managed to block the blow with her magic.”

Liche blinked and glanced back. Joan was panting but still standing. Having been punched back, it became clear that she had indeed blocked the attack. Familiar motes of golden light glittered around her stomach, remnants of a barrier.

“You’ve got some skill.” Éclair says, and Joan, she frowns but chooses not to respond. A smart decision as Éclair immediately bolted for her.

By this point, Éclair was connecting just about every strike. Only, each time, it was offset or absorbed by a small golden barrier. They were made with pinpoint accuracy. Perfectly placed to absorb Éclair’s blows at the opportune time.

Honestly, I didn’t even know Joan could do that. Except, when thinking on it, she was always rather good at making barriers. Always placing them right where they were needed, and rarely were they elsewhere.

Even then, it became clear that sooner than later, that shell of Joan’s would crack. Yes, she was saving an immeasurable amount of energy by creating smaller barriers to absorb each blow at the point of impact, but that didn’t change the outcome. Not at all.

With each passing second, Éclair was hitting fast and harder. It was only a matter of time until…

“You can’t just keep defending forever!” Éclair shouted and wound up a singular powerful blow.

Joan’s face changed. A ripple, barely discernible glint in her eyes followed by resignation. And something happened.

A crack, an echoing snap. However…

“Huh…” Éclair muttered, having missed Joan by the barest of margins. The aftershocks of her strike had battered into Joan, but layers of golden barriers had completely offset the blow. Leaving Joan unharmed.

As for Éclair… “She’s bleeding?” Liche muttered, confused. Having not seen what had happened. Me though, I had barely seen it. In that moment Éclair had made her declaration, Joan had resolved herself. Her stance had changed, and she’d not only moved around the blow, flowing with the strike, but managed to strike out just as her weapon finished materializing. Leaving a long gash on Éclair’s cheek.

Éclair paused to assess the wound, tongue darting out to lap up the dribbling blood. Her finger, ran along the wound, gauging its depth, and where the finger passed, flesh hissed and sealed shut.

“A piercing attribute, is it?” Éclair muttered, “How interesting, but how useful is that really?” And like that, she once more engaged with Joan.

This time, however, was different. Joan was no longer on the defensive. Her body moved with ease and practice even I would have had trouble keeping up with. Easily avoiding blows and granting her chances to leave cuts and marks along Éclair’s body.

I remembered a little factoid my master had told me about knife fights. There is no winner in a fight knife, only a survivor. And Joan was proving this true as she took any and all chances to strike, leaving Éclair bloody. Not that Éclair cared.

What did cause Éclair to pause, was when she realized another little issue. Every strike left a mark of gold. And every strike after caused those marks to glow and even expand the wounds on Éclair’s body if she didn’t heal them.

When she noticed it, as the marks slowly grew in size, it gave her pause. When she stopped, Joan did not press. Instead, Joan kept her distance and caught her breath.

“Huh, it seems to be reducing my healing. Shared damage as well? Makes previous wounds worse… The light expands, worsening the effect…” Éclair was muttering, her wounds hissing as she charged electricity through them to speed up her natural healing.

Only, even with all the wounds healed, the light remained. It seemed to pulse in tune with her heartbeat, and it became clear that the light was slowly diminishing with each beat.

“This is…” Éclair finally said after a moment of contemplation. “An execution skill?” She eyed Joan.

Joan, nodded. “It is… which is why, please, stop. If we keep going…”

Éclair laughed at Joan’s concern. “Please, you think this is enough to take me out?” And with those words, I heard it. Her heart thumped and beat in her chest. Her skin went red, sweat beaded out of her pores. Steam came out of her mouth.

I had no idea what she was doing on a technical level, but the light covering her body rapidly dissipated as her heart rate spiked.

“How is she…” Talia was the one to speak up.

“Do you know what she’s doing?” I ask, as I watch Éclair bewildered. Hell, everyone one, including Joan.

“She’s accelerating her heart rate, but its more than that. She’s simultaneously strengthening her cardiovascular system to handle the extra load, and overclocking her organs… The control and precision needed for that…” Talia went quiet, and I couldn’t blame her.

After all, all I could think of was that damn lightning lizard, the one that cooked itself alive during the third and final tutorial event.

It didn’t take long for Éclair to purge the golden light from her body. By the end of it, she was dripping wet with sweat. Like she’d just stepped out of a sauna. Her already damp shirt was dripping. Even her boots squelched a bit when she moved.

“Hoh, been a while since I had to do that… Now, are you going to keep holding back?” Éclair taunted, leveling her hammer in Joan’s direction.

Joan didn’t immediately respond. Her face went through a myriad of emotions, and I didn’t blame her for that. I’d be conflicted too… She likely thought her weapons so called execution, or whatever the hell it was, though, I imagine it had to deal with how she finished off the elder. That, and the name was rather telling. Regardless, knowing that her trump card fell through, what other choice did she have?

There was no way Éclair would stop here, no, I understood completely what Éclair was trying to do. After all, if Joan was strong enough to never need a uniform, then she wouldn’t need to use it. But right now? In this moment? She wasn’t strong enough.

Eventually she sighed. Her shoulders slumped. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Joan says and starts her transformation. Her body begins to burn away, slowly transitioning into her uniform.

Éclair doesn’t respond, not to mock or dismiss, instead, she keeps her eye on Joan and waits out her transformation.

The moment Joan’s transformation finishes, the world goes white. Golden eyes, like a pair of golden suns, bleaching all in her sight. Her very presence radiates burning light that made my skin itch.

Éclair squints. “That’s a lot of juice your wasting with that little light show miss lightbulb.” She advises, in response, Joan charges. A flash of light hides her charge, making it impossible to follow her movements, but…

Metal on metal, the sound of a deafening clang echoes out. Éclair, with her eye’s screwed shut, was smiling like a maniac, and Joan, she looked shocked.

“How?” She asked, her voice seemed to emanate from the oppressive light.

“I’m a lightning magic user, I can feel your presence, obviously.” Éclair answers and pushes her back. She then follows up with a strike, that gets blocked by barrier of oppressive light. It shatters on impact, but…

“Oh, retaliatory damage?” Éclair mutters as her skin burns, but undeterred she presses on. Pushing Joan back and back, forcing her to block more and more. The few strikes Joan makes are quickly negated as Éclair ramps up her heart rate to disperse Joan’s magic.

Quickly, it becomes clear that Joan is completely outclassed. Realizing this, Joan’s light visibly dims and gathers in her outstretched hand. Éclair makes no effort to dodge as the gathered light is loosed, bathing the entire area in light that literally bleaches away color. Making the white floor a dull gray.

No real damage is done to the room, and as for Éclair.

“Oh, a magic purge? Unfortunately, my magic use is all internal!” Éclair announces, her skin smoking, but otherwise, she seems completely unbothered.

Shocked, Joan barely manages to dodge Éclair’s next strike. A few more quick follow-ups rapidly corner Joan until…

A final sound fills the space. A muffled thud, a sharp crack. The ground crackled under Éclair as she hit Joan dead on, this time, right through the barrier she had placed. Instead of stopping, Éclair followed through, throwing Joan across the room.

She hit the ground with a wet, wheezing cough. With each rattling breath, flecks of blood left her lips, dribbling to the ground as she tried to stand on shaking legs.

I felt Liche tense again. Only my hand, still grasping her shoulder kept her in place.

As for Éclair? She seemed unbothered, no, if anything, the successful hit only seemed to fill her with more energy as she smiled and said, “That was pretty good, where’d you learn to fight like that?”

Joan looked up, let out a wet, bloody cough, “My father…” She muttered, voice hoarse and yet, it carried well enough Her eyes looked over to us, her mouth moved, but paused, hesitated, “He was in the military, when I was young, we’d wrestle, and we’d play with rubber knives. He taught me everything he knew, how to avoid grapples how to stab, kill…”

“Neat.” Was all Éclair said, and Joan started to chuckle.

After Joan collects herself, she asks, pleads, “Is that it then? Are we done?”

“Yeah, this is good enough. I’ve got an idea of your skills. So, I’ll give you a rundown later.”

Grateful, Joan nods and gets up, dismissing her uniform in the process. Her wounds vanished, but her feet were still wobbling. Her face was still pale.