Chapter 302 - The Ark Of Lights Out

The fire! It had cut off her entire side view so that she would only look straight ahead. The tunnel was dark but if one has a light source near their eyes, it would be harder to make out things in the dark. Especially if the light is not shining in that particular area.

Rie hardly had any way of countering or dodging before it was lights out for her. Mavislin, within a fraction of a second, grabbed Rie's head and did a Smackdown with it. With her entire body on the floor and her face in the ground, Mavislin sighed with relief.

"So, what's the next move?" asked Bryan, sheathing his weapons.

"To interrogate her. I have to use my hair as a binding tool since that is the most durable thing around here," replied Mavislin, staring at the buŧŧerfly who had her face part of the ground.

"Why did you cut the battle short? That attack didn't do you in."

"Are you kidding me? I lost an entire arm, heart, and lung. If I was a normal Mage, I'd be joining the rest of my family in the other realm!"

"That doesn't answer my first question."

"She was beginning to bore me. Hell, the whole fight was boring. I wanted to stop it earlier, but I thought differently when you pulled out that seed. I knew you were bound to use a cancellation, but I was willing to see what it could do," said Mavislin, cracking her knuckles.

"It was such an easy poison to get rid of. And one of the easiest knockouts I ever did against a non-human."

"If it was that easy, why did you play out with her?" asked Bryan as he dusted himself.

"Because I wanted to see if she could master all spells. Since her last one is a bit unstable, there was no need to continue. And her close combat is lower than the recruits so I decided to end it now. But, I still have to keep her alive."

Mavislin was in the middle of dragging Rie towards the walls of the tunnel. She then paused to look at Bryan and continue her sentence.

"Besides, without my interference, you were prepared to use Stars Of Gemini to create a double explosion, right?" asked Mavislin, smiling.

Bryan shook his head as he smiled back. His eyes looked slightly shocked yet he had expected his own boss to predict his movements. Perhaps he was very predictable after all. He gazed at Mavislin, thinking if he should ask how he should change his ways to be more erratic like her.

Lost in his own thoughts, he had completely forgotten about his wound. Or the fact about humans needed to breathe. Bryan collapsed to his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His hands were the only thing that prevented him to break his chin onto the stone ground.

Meanwhile, Mavislin had sliced off part of her hair and was braided into a small rope. She then tied the buŧŧerfly's arms behind her back and legs together. That's when Mavislin heard Bryan coughing and wheezing.

"I was wondering how long you were going to hold your breath for," said Mavislin, laying Rie down onto the ground.

"I'm surprised that you don't know how to regulate your breathing. It's a must-have technique to fight for long periods of time. And an important necessity to have when against Mages in my Ark," explained Mavislin, as she went over to Bryan's side.

Bryan couldn't say anything but took in more gulps of air. She carefully supported him to regain his proper posture. At such an angle, there was no way to get full capacity and use of his lungs. It was like someone choking him.

"Looks like I have to train you in terms of your lung capacity and breathing techniques. You'll be surprised to know that some humans have larger lungs than most new Mages. And some can even hold their breath longer than most sea creatures."

"The fact that you have a vast amount of Elemental Energy but don't know how to use it to your advantage shows how new you are to Magecraft. Quite fairly, I am slightly disappointed that you don't know such basic knowledge."

Bryan inwardly cursed at himself. He was such a noob in front of his boss. Looks like he has done nothing to earn the ranks of her Pillars. He was a disappointment. Somehow, that feeling wasn't alien to him. He had evoked those words being said to him, a long time ago.

Though he could hear that disapproving voice overlapping with Mavislin's words, it was the Valkyrie's hands grabbing his hands that shocked him out of that memory. It was his only fear, to be disapproved by someone that he respected.