Chapter 500: Growing Madness

As one song came to its well-expected conclusion, another one has just reached its zenith, its highest note.

Taking up the central section of the battlefield, the heated battle between the royal siblings, Scarlet and Drake and the Silver Howl's nimble sisters seemed all but concluded, and this victory seemed to be in favor of the swift and surprisingly ferocious nimble sisters.

They were like black whirlwinds, fearsome tornadoes covering their opponents, constantly chipping away their defense and stamina. 

It was clear even from a single glance that unless the siblings had something up their sleeves, it was only a question of time when they will be forced to concede their individual fights. 

Even though they each had their own trump cards still tucked behind their respective sleeves, they couldn't truly utilize them if they were to honor the terms of this mock training exercise.

The crazed battle lust, the Maiden's Mayhem as Scarlet would refer to it from time to time, was an ability similar to one's drunken rampage, knowing no friend, only for whilst the user's mind is clouded with stupor. They would wreak havoc without hesitation, rip and tear flesh, skin, and bones without any thought of whom they would plunge the tip of their blades into.

As for Drake, his connection with Mort, his artifact sword could only be fully used if he were to stop holding back and care for his opponent's survival. Like every other artifact weapon, its lingering soul would revere once it would be baptized in blood, replenishing its spent power whilst also unleashing more and more of its might with each subsequent swing and thrust.

Unfortunately, they couldn't use any of these skills even if these constantly flipping and jumping acrobats were driving both of the siblings to the edge of madness. Each of their attacks or flips was followed by a smug, taunting grin, driving their anger, pushing their rage ever so-closer to that dangerous threshold.

Because of these, their fight was like a mirror to that of the amazon's, only that this time the siblings took the place of the poor, unlucky warrior instead of their friend. Forced to a passive, defending position all throughout the fight, both Scarlet and Drake could only grit their teeth and do their best to find a chance to reverse their respective predicaments.

*Clink!* *Clink!*

The sounds of metal clashing against metal, steel hitting the sharper side of another steel could be heard in their surroundings, covering them as if an invisible, sonic veil, gently tucking them in and nudging them further into the depths of their misery. 

The blade was humming in an annoyed, displeased noise, sending its mental waves to communicate with its master. 

Listening to his sword's woes, Drake could only sigh and mutter in an just as equally annoyed, frustrated tone. 

"I know, I know. I also hate this situation, but what can we do? We can only endure, and use this chance to temper our resolve. We will have countless opportunities for fulfilling that endless thirst of yours… you glutton." Drake whispered as he raised his blade once again, to thwart the approach of a frontal strike sending another clink into the air around them.

Next to him, Scarlet was under similar pressure, but unlike her brother, she was growing more and more frustrated due to her helplessness. As a slave and gladiator, Scarlet was forced onto the golden sands of the arena only to paint it red with the blood and gut of his opponents, be it another slave, or a beast.

She grew up in such environments, and like the dogs protecting Lily and Galina, she too knew nothing about the notion of 'holding back'. Each of her hits, her swings, and strikes had to be done with the full intent to not just to mutilate her opponent but to kill, sniff out the very root of life as well. She didn't have the luxury to ponder or care about the other side, they would not care about her either.

Although she had been freed for a while now, she still found herself struggling to ease back into the relative normalcy of reality. She had difficulty holding herself back, and not aim for the girl's vitals. Every time she struck, Scarlet's eyes honed in on her sides, she felt her gaze pulled towards her undefended organs. 

As yet another high-rise strike came crashing down towards her, she could already see the 'correct' course to take. She would just step to the side, nimbly evading the attack without any effort, then whilst the girl was still in the finishing curve of her launched attack, Scarlet would just plunge both of her fangs, the daggers in her hands deep into the side of her abdomen and her lungs thus giving her a fatal counter in one swift motion.

Unfortunately, she couldn't possibly do an attack like that, at least not now and not against her own teammates. So with a frustrated-looking frown, she did the most she could and evaded the attack in the last possible second before launching a simple kick to throw the girl off balance.

Caught off-guard by the perfectly executed evade, Scarlet's kick connected without issue, sending the girl to stumble several steps to the left, before she regained her stance. Unfortunately, such an attack would do little to nothing, and only served as further fuel to the flames of her ire and growing contempt. With a scowl contorting her face, the mercenary girl didn't waste any time to once more lounge her body in the air and somersault towards Scarlet. 

As she crossed the meager distance in an instant, her blade was already slicing the air, aiming towards this annoying redhead's neckline. Unlike Scarlet, the mercenary twins had no issue in dishing out fatal damage and even crippling their opponents if needed. They were already way beyond their mental limits with all that happened today. The failed trap their captain set, the pummeling two of their friends have received, the shame and humiliation they were all suffering in the hands of these greenhorns, these brats… They needed to enact some sort of vengeance, they needed a victory to present to their captain…

They needed to know that they weren't completely worthless.

As the melee continued going on, both sides were slowly but surely falling into their own respective mental pits. Whilst Scarlet's frustration was eating away the last bastion of her defense and was close to unleashing the unfettered beast, her opponent was just as maddened to dish out that so-desirable victory and make her captain, her team, and sister happy… but most importantly, herself satisfied.

With that she no longer held back, she unleashed her full killing intent as her strike sliced across the air, flying closer and closer towards Scarlet's neck. Her eyes were lost in the lust of madness, her dreams…

…her corruption.

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