“I can’t fucking believe this!” Chae Nayun shouted as she ran towards a smirking Olivia, who had her two daggers ready, while three of her knives floated around her.

“Oh, poor you…” Olivia mocked her as Nayun ran towards her. “Not feeling on top condition?” She said with a chuckle, just before the three knives shot towards the running Nayun, who clenched her teeth as she was forced to stop and parry one of the knives, while the others took the opportunity to circle her and attack from behind.

She would normally try to rush through with her sword, parrying the bothersome knives away, but she learned her lesson once the same knives she parried rushed to her from behind.

“Stop using tricks!” Chae Nayun shouted as she tried her best to parry the knives that came at her from different directions.

“What tricks?” Olivia yawned. “I’m just fighting as I normally would.”

“You damn bitch!” Chae Nayun shouted, the magic power covering her sword shone brightly as she swung her sword, sending a crescent-shaped wave of magic power directly toward Olivia, dispersing two of the knives that were constantly circling and attacking her.

“He.” Olivia snorted, and a second later, disappeared from her spot, appearing a couple of dozen meters away from where the wave of magic power passed through. Her knives, still in midair, stopped for a couple of seconds, before they started to move once again. “You should manage your temper more~” She sang while waving her finger, a smirk ever present on her face.

“Oi… Is this the same Olivia we knew of…?” On the sidelines, looking at the spar, Yi Yeonghan asked as he gulped hard.

“...” Suho couldn’t even answer, seeing the big gap between what they remembered and what they were seeing. After all, Olivia playing around with Chae Nayun was something no one around expected. Or at least, no one that wasn’t Hajin or Cristopher.

“Tch.” Cristopher on the other hand frowned and clicked his tongue, getting Yoo Yeonha, and although he would deny it, Shin Jonghak’s attention. “That idiot.”

“Mm? Is there something wrong?” Yoo Yeonha asked, her eyes once again back on the duel.

“Ha…” Hajin sighed. “You’re being too harsh with her, man…”

“That could cost her her life in a real fight.” He simply said.

“Am I missing something here…?” Yeonha asked with a frown, shooting a questioning glance at Cristopher. But, surprisingly, the one to respond to her wasn’t him.

“Her knives. They stopped for a couple of seconds.” Shin Jonghak said as he stared at the fight. As much as he hated it, he could only recognize that woman’s ability. Even then…

“Ho… Look at that. Not that stupid after all.” Cristopher smirked as he looked at Jonghak, who only snorted back.

“They did?” Yi Yeonghan asked as he tried to remember such a thing happening. Not like he could tell he was shocked and awe-struck when Olivia basically disappeared from her spot.

“Yeah.” Hajin sighed. “After performing Quick Step, she lost most of her control over the knives. She’s kind of working on that.”

“Tch. After all this time, she still loses connection to her knives.” Shaking his head, Cristopher said.

“W-Well… It isn’t that bad… Her control over the knives is impressive after all. And her speed is something else.” Kim Suho said with an awkward smile. “She’s improved quite a lot.”

“Of course she did.” Cristopher snorted. “I’m the one in charge of her training, if she didn’t improve, then she would have to be brain-dead. At least she still has some merits, for a complete idiot, that is.” He chuckled, tilting his head as a knife flew at high speed right through where his forehead was. “You should focus more on your fight, idiot.” He laughed, bending a little bit forward, just in time for the knife to pass over his head.

‘Does he have eyes at the back of his head!?’ Was the thought that everyone, except for Hajin, had at this moment.

“How can she even move that fast?” Yeonha asked again. “It’s like she Blinks every time she moves…”

“Well, it’s not that far from Blink.” Cristopher shrugged. “In a sense, we could say that is the version of Blink for Heroes.”

“Is that so.” Suho nodded. Even he had trouble following her movements. As Yeonha said, Olivia seemed to blink every time she moved. “It’s amazing.” He nodded.

“Well, somehow, she still has to improve her timing, and the loss of connection with her blades every time she uses it.” Cristopher sighed.

Back to the fight, Chae Nayun was currently panting. But she wasn’t the only one. While it wasn't that obvious, Olivia was slowly reaching her limit with the flying knives.

“Stop running and fight me head-on!” Chae Nayun shouted at her, strengthening her grip on her sword.

“Are you stupid? I’m a sharpshooter. I attack from afar.” Olivia snorted, before spinning her daggers. “But! You got my curiosity.” She smirked and went in with Quick Step.

“Finally!” Chae Nayun raged as she swung her sword toward the appearing Olivia. With a crossed guard, Olivia stopped Chae Nayun’s magic-empowered blade, getting into a strength struggle with her. “Now what!?” Smirking, Chae Nayun asked.

“So she’s a bigger idiot than Olivia…” Cristopher muttered though the rest could still hear him clearly. And unfortunately for Nayun, she forgot Olivia’s main weapon wasn't the daggers she held.

“Shit-FUCK!” She screamed as a flying knife cut through her leg, slightly freezing it. With a shout, she pushed the grinning Olivia back as she turned to defend herself from another incoming knife, only for a third one to hurt her back, once again, slightly freezing the injury. “STOP FIGHTING WITH THESE THINGS!” She shouted, stress clearly building up on her face.

“You’re definitely stupid. Why would I abandon one of my advantages? Or what? Are you telling me that in a real fight you’ll ask a fucking Djinn to drop the weapon because she’s beating the shit out of you?” She scowled, and for a second, Cristopher could notice a small hint of hate in her eyes.

“Tch.” Angry, Chae Nayun clicked her tongue. After all, as much as it angered her, Olivia’s statement was true. “HA!” So, swallowing up her anger, she decided to push forward with her sword, forming a 4-meter magic blade and slashing in a wide arc toward Olivia.

Snorting, Olivia went towards Nayun’s side with Quick Step and, before Nayun could complete her swing, kicked her in the shin, making her lose balance before kicking her stomach and shooting her towards a building’s wall, embedding her in it. A moment later, three knives were floating around Chae Nayun’s neck.

“That’s enough.” Kim Suho said sternly, before letting out a sigh as he stood up to go pick up the injured Chae Nayun. “This was just a spar, you both went too far.” He said as he passed by Olivia, who just snorted.

“If she can’t handle it, then she better abandons her idea of becoming a Hero.” Olivia said, before walking towards Cristopher, under an intense glare from Shin Jonghak.

“Is that so?” He said as he stood up. “Why don’t you and I spar then? Let’s see how much you’ve improved.”

“Shin Jonghak, that’s enough.” Yi Yeonghan stood up and frowned at him. “She’s already exhausted because of the fight. You can pick any of us for a spar.”

“Shut up.” Olivia said, glaring at Yi Yeonghan. “I’ve never asked you to intervene in my business. And you…” She then turned to Shin Jonghak, smirking. “Fine! Let’s spar.”

‘W-What? What happened here!? How is it that things got so tense so suddenly!?’ Yeonha and Hajin thought at the same time. But before things escalated, even more, a deep sigh reverberated through the place, followed by a slight pressure.

“Now, now.” Cristopher said as he leaned on the wall. “You guys better stop fighting among yourselves. We still have some bastards to take on in order to get back home, so why would we waste our time trying to fight each other? Hmm?” He asked, lazily glancing around.

“...” The rest, including Suho who came back with Chae Nayun, quieted down.

“Olivia. You just won once against the brute. Don’t let it get to your head.” He simply said, much to the annoyance of both Chae Nayun and Olivia. “Jonghak. Why the hell are you even mad? It was a spar, and you were not in it. And Suho. It’s just a spar. Nayun’s not a fucking porcelain doll. She can take a beating.” He said before standing up. “Anyways, it’s almost time to eat. Hajin, Olivia, let’s go. We’re in charge of food for now. The rest, I would recommend you guys keep sparring between yourselves in order to adapt to the current magic power. It'll also help you improve.”

With a sigh, Hajin stood up and followed him, while Olivia just clicked her tongue. She, of course, still followed him. The three of them went inside the hideout under the stares of the others. Moments later, the rest began to spar and train under Yoo Yeonha’s guidance who, for the record, was slightly annoyed, judging by the glare she sent toward Nayun.

An hour later, you could see everyone grouped again, eating under the heavy, awkward silence that permeated the air, although it wasn’t enough to stop some glares around the makeshift table.

“Alright guys, listen up.” Breaking the heavy silence with a clap, Hajin gathered everyone’s attention, with the exception of Cristopher who kept eating. “We’ve spent a week here, which was enough for everyone to build back your magic power and adapt to it. It’s time to start poking out our enemies in the upcoming days.”

“Do you have a plan?” Nodding at Hajin, Kim Suho intervened. He took the chance to break the awkward atmosphere that built during their lunch, not paying attention to the idea that he contributed to the problem, no matter how small his contribution was.

“Yes.” Hajin nodded back at him. “In four days, we’re going to attack two of the spots where the crystals are being kept. Northeast’s Water Tower, protected by Kim Mingyo, and south’s Steel Tower, protected by Joo Parang.”

Yoo Yeonha frowned for a second, nodding at the idea. From what Hajin has told them, those two members of Asura’s group are the weakest of their generals. “Are we separating into two teams?”

“Yes.” Hajin nodded. “Team one, consisting of Shin Jonghak, Olivia, Cristopher, and me, will target the Water Tower. The rest, namely team two, will attack the Steel Tower.”

“Why do I have to go with you?” Shin Jonghak said as he glared at Hajin.

Sighing, Hajin stared back at him. “I’m not asking your opinion on this. You’re just more suited to fight with us. Besides, knowing that guy, he’s probably not going to fight, and just watch.” Hajin nodded toward Cristopher, who was lazily drinking from his usual bottle. “So we need you to get the crystal.”

“Oi, that’s not-” Shin Jonghak tried to refute, but was interrupted by another voice.

“Why can’t we just attack today?” Chae Nayun asked as she raised her hand.

“I’m sure you guys already noticed it, but coming here is an opportunity for you all.” Hajin answered. “We’ll take these four days to train, and then we’ll attack. That way we’ll be making use of the situation we’re currently in.” The five cadets nodded at his statement, after all, it didn’t take long for the recently arrived to notice the benefits of this place. “Well, that’s it. It’s better if everyone focuses on training during these four days.” He said as he stood up.

*****

“...What’s our plan?” Yi Yeongha asked as the members of team two gathered slightly far from the steel tower.

“Hmm…” Yoo Yeonha, meanwhile, looked at the top of the steel tower, where a magic cylinder contained a shining purple crystal. ‘I can’t snatch it from afar with that magic cylinder protecting it…’ She thought while slightly tapping the whip on her waist. She stared down, looking at the enemy’s group. ‘Around forty people, maybe? If they’re at the level of Cube’s cadets… it’s going to be hard…’

After a little bit, she turned towards Kim Suho. “Kim Suho, you need to draw their attention as much as possible. Most of them will chase after you, but they’ll keep a small number back to defend.” She said before turning to the other two. “The three of us will then suppress them and slowly lower their numbers.”

“What?” Chae Nayun said. A slight hesitation could be felt in her tone. “Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“No, I think that’s for the best.” Kim Suho intervened, nodding at Yeonha’s plan with a light smile. “Then, I’ll get going.” Gathering magic power in his legs, he shot forward like a bullet, his branch held tight in his hand as he struck a patrolling guard.

“Urgh!” The patrolling guard collapsed in pain, but his attention quickly switched to Kim Suho. “E-Enemy ambush!” He shouted, gathering the attention of the remaining guards before Kim Suho knocked him out.

Most of the guards, looking at that, rushed towards Kim Suho, while the three cadets rushed towards the ten or so remaining guards.

“W-What!?” 

“Argh!”

One of them had his head locked by Yi Yeongha’s enormous physical strength, while another one was smacked by Chae Nayun’s magic power, which was currently covering her sword. Meanwhile, one of the guards lost consciousness as Yoo Yeonha choke him with her whip.

“Hmph.” She snorted as she poked him with her foot, confirming that he was out of service. As she turned around to look for another target, a sword shot toward her. Fortunately for her, she could duck in time, and instead of her neck, her hair was what ended up being cut. “Y-You!” She growled at the swordsman, enraged, as she swung her whip, catching the guy in the process, and strangling him. “Do you have any idea how much effort I put into growing it!?” She shouted at him as she tightened the whip around his neck.

As the man’s face turned into different shades of red and purple, Yoo Yeonha stared at the hair on the ground, turning to look at the now shortened section of her hair. “Argh… this is going to be hard to fix!” She growled, eyes now fixed on the choking man, as she gritted her teeth. After a moment, she sighed and pulled back her whip, letting the now unconscious man fall to the floor, still alive though. “Pray to not find me again…” She growled at him before moving to help the others. She heard Kim Hajin say that they weren’t exactly real people, but she still felt that killing them would leave a bad aftertaste.

“Hey, Yi Yeonghan!” Yeonha could hear Nayun shouting. “You handle the steel tower! Yeonha and I will go help Kim Suho!”

“Okay!” Yeonghan answered back as he knocked out his current opponent, before running towards the now deserted steel tower. Yeonha turned to look at Kim Suho, but she thought that maybe he didn’t need any help as, from the thirty or so people that were chasing him, only five remained. “Ugh! Hey!” pulling her attention back, Yi Yeonghan's desperate shout reached her ears, and turning to look at him, she noticed why. “Help me! Not Kim Suho! Joo Parang is here!” Not wasting time, she rushed to him in an attempt to help. Kim Suho and Chae Nayun had it under control.

*****

“Oi.” Moments ago, while team two was planning their attack, at the northeast water tower, Shin Jonghak stood as he put his spear on the shoulder. “Wasn’t this too easy?” He asked Cristopher, who was lazily leaning over a tree as he drank from his water bottle.

“This was just one of the places. The main force is always on the City Hall.” Cristopher shrugged.

“Even then…” Jonghak frowned. “Aren’t they afraid to lose these crystals?”

“Beats me. They might just be too self-confident.” Cristopher said. “Which still makes me think they’re too stupid. After all, for months we’ve been fighting them in waves.”

“Could it be there’s something we’re missing?” Jonghak asked.

“Who knows…” Yawning, Cristopher answered him. “By the way…” After a little while, he broke the silence that fell between them. “Why the hell are you talking so casually with me now? I thought you hated my ‘commoner’ guts or something like that.” He smirked at Jonghak, who simply snorted.

“Whatever.” Jonghak walked away towards the parked bikes.

“We’re done here.” Hajin says as he came back from grabbing the stone from the top of the water tower with Olivia.

“Finally, I’m starving…” Cristopher sighed as he moved away from the tree. “Let’s go back and start cooking.”

“We’ll wait for the others before cooking.” Hajin asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Fuck no.” Olivia snorted as she moved towards Cristopher’s bike.

“Yeah, they can heat their food later with magic.” Cristopher said, following Olivia. “Knowing those guys, they’ll probably take a while more to finish their fight.”

“Ha…” Hajin shook his head as he went towards his bike, where Jonghak was waiting.