Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey-Chapter 404: The Selection [12]

The battle had taken a drastic turn.

[Your teammate Joe has died.]

...Or so it seemed—for about a minute.

After Evelyn's last strike, it felt like the fight was about to end then and there. She was sure she had Yuri cornered. But to her surprise, he was far more stubborn than she had anticipated.

Not only did he refuse to go down, but he also started fighting back with a newfound ferocity. His strikes became faster, sharper, and more relentless. It was almost as if he had become an entirely different person.

Of course, Evelyn quickly realized why.

It was all thanks to his G-rank skill—Light Berserk.

[Light Berserk – G-rank.

Temporarily enhances the user's physical capabilities for one minute. During this time, all fatigue is nullified.]

For that brief window, Yuri moved with superhuman speed and power, closing the gap between them. His tired limbs no longer weighed him down, and his blows carried far more force than before.

But it was only temporary.

As soon as the minute passed, the backlash hit him like a freight train. His movements slowed, his steps grew unsteady, and his swings lost their sharpness. The fatigue he had ignored came crashing back in full force, leaving him sluggish and vulnerable.

Evelyn instantly noticed the change. Her sharp eyes didn't miss the slight tremor in his legs or the way his chest heaved with labored breaths. She knew this was her moment. Without hesitation, she pulled out her hidden dagger—a sleek, thin blade designed for a swift, silent kill.

In one fluid motion, she flicked her wrist and sent the dagger flying straight toward Yuri's heart.

The throw was flawless. The blade cut through the air with deadly precision.

But just before it could pierce Yuri, a figure lunged into its path.

"Joe?!" Evelyn's eyes widened in shock.

The very teammate she thought had fallen moments ago was now hurling himself between Yuri and the dagger. His bloodied, battered body slammed into the oncoming blade, the sharp tip sinking into his side. A pained grunt escaped his lips, but despite the searing pain, he didn't stop.

With a desperate kick, Joe sent Yuri flying out of the dagger's range.

Yuri hit the ground with a heavy thud, gasping for air as he clutched at his chest. His eyes, wide with confusion, locked onto Joe—barely able to process what had just happened.

Joe, trembling and barely standing, turned his head slightly toward Yuri and managed a faint smile.

"You're... not going down that easily," he muttered through gritted teeth, his voice weak but defiant.

Evelyn's hand, still outstretched from the throw, slowly clenched into a fist. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Joe. The reckless fool had not only survived but had also ruined her perfectly timed strike. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The battlefield was silent for a brief moment, save for the heavy, ragged breathing of the combatants.

Yuri remained on the ground, gasping for breath, his chest heaving with exhaustion. His entire body ached, but his hands clenched into fists, trembling with determination. He could barely believe he was still alive—saved only by his teammate's selfless sacrifice.

Clenching his teeth, Yuri forced himself to ignore the flashing blue text in his vision and the searing pain coursing through his limbs. With a sharp inhale, he activated his movement art, pushing his weary body beyond its limits.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, he appeared right next to Evelyn. Without hesitation, he thrust his spear toward her chest.

Clang!

"Huh?!" Evelyn's eyes widened in shock.

At the last possible second, she managed to block the strike with her bow, but the force behind Yuri's attack was overwhelming. Her arms buckled from the impact, and her body was sent flying backward.

BAM!

She slammed into the cold, unyielding wall with a dull, bone-jarring thud. The air was knocked from her lungs as she crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain. Her bow slipped from her grip, clattering to the floor several feet away.

"Ugh…" Evelyn winced, her fingers twitching as she struggled to move.

Blinking dazedly, she spotted her bow lying just out of reach. Gritting her teeth, she weakly stretched her hand toward it. But before she could grab it, a heavy boot came down on the weapon, pinning it to the ground.

Scrape.

Yuri coldly kicked the bow aside, sending it skidding far out of Evelyn's reach.

Her heart sank.

No…

"It's over," Yuri said flatly, his voice devoid of any warmth.

Her eyes slowly lifted to meet the tip of his spear aimed directly at her throat. She froze, her breath catching in her chest. A sharp pang of helplessness stabbed through her. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut—she had lost.

Defeated, Evelyn slowly lowered her head. Her fingers curled weakly into the dirt beneath her, trembling slightly.

She felt a heavy lump settle in her throat.

Damn it…

She had been too arrogant. Too complacent. She had let her guard down, convinced of her superiority. She hadn't even considered that her opponent would sacrifice a teammate just to take her down.

Her own hubris had cost her the match.

If this had been a real battle… she would've died.

Her eyes stung with frustration, but she kept them shut, unwilling to meet her opponent's gaze. She waited, resigned, for Yuri to finish her off.

Yuri, however, was no longer paying attention to Evelyn. His sharp eyes flicked toward the other side of the battlefield, where his remaining teammates—Hora and Volt—were still locked in combat. Though they were holding their ground, they were clearly being overwhelmed.

He exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on the spear. His knuckles turned white from the pressure.

His lips curled into a grimace.

Enough.

With a slow, deliberate turn, Yuri shifted his attention back to Evelyn. Her eyes were still closed, her breathing unsteady. For a brief moment, he stared down at her, expressionless. Then, his voice rang out, firm and unyielding.

"Do you get it now?" he asked coldly, his voice steady but sharp. "You thought you were untouchable. That your skills made you untouchable. But you were wrong."

His eyes narrowed, his voice hardening with each word.

"You see, we may not be as talented as you…" he spat bitterly, lowering his spear slightly, "but we know what it means to struggle."

He took a slow step forward, his boots crunching against the dirt.

"We fight with everything we have. We don't rely on natural talent or gifted skills. We survive because we have to. We're the ones who scrape by, who get knocked down and get back up again. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

He stared down at her, his expression a mix of scorn and pity.

"You? You fight as if you've already won. Like it's a given. But here you are, beaten. On your knees."

His voice was low, almost a growl.

"Because you forgot what it means to fight."

Evelyn's fingers twitched slightly, but she didn't respond. Her eyes remained shut, her breathing ragged.

Yuri's grip on his spear tightened, his knuckles turning white. Letting out a slow, deliberate breath, he shook his head slightly, a cruel smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"No one's going to save you here," he sneered, his voice low and menacing. "Not Aric. Not the rest of your pathetic teammates. After I'm done with you…" His eyes gleamed with malice. "They'll be next."

Without hesitation, Yuri raised his spear high above his head, the tip glinting ominously under the artificial light. His gaze locked onto Evelyn, who lay on the ground, her chest heaving with labored breaths. Her dagger arm trembled slightly, weakened from the previous exchange. She gritted her teeth, eyes narrowed in defiance, but she knew she was in no position to fight back.

Yuri's lips curled into a wicked grin. This was it—the perfect moment to finish her for good.

But then, something unexpected happened. Something Yuri hadn't accounted for.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted in the distance, the shockwave making the ground beneath them tremble. Dust and debris billowed into the air, momentarily obscuring his vision. Yuri's eyes narrowed in confusion as he instinctively turned toward the source of the blast.

And then, through the settling smoke, a figure emerged.

Lucas.

With his usual infuriatingly calm smile, he strolled forward, flanked by Hora and Volt. His black combat uniform was slightly scuffed, and faint traces of blood speckled his gloves, but he seemed completely unfazed. If anything, he looked amused.

At the same time, a crisp system notification flashed in front of Yuri's eyes.

[Your teammate Noll has died.]

Yuri's expression hardened. His jaw clenched as he processed the message.

What?!

He snapped his head toward Lucas, glaring daggers at him, but Lucas simply cocked his head slightly. His gaze lazily drifted between Evelyn and Yuri before his eyes settled on the latter. With an almost playful smirk, Lucas casually tilted his head and asked,

"Hmm… am I interrupting?"

His tone was light, almost bored, as if he were merely making idle conversation. But the glint in his eyes—the slight upward tug at the corner of his lips—told a different story. He was mocking him.

Yuri's eyes narrowed into slits, his knuckles tightening around the spear. His heart pounded in his chest, but he forced his breathing to steady. He couldn't show weakness—not now.

Evelyn, still on the ground, let out a shaky breath, her eyes widening slightly at the unexpected appearance. Relief flickered across her face, but she quickly masked it, forcing herself into a guarded expression. Her fingers twitched slightly around the hilt of her sword, already prepared to strike the moment an opening presented itself.

Lucas's gaze briefly flickered toward her. Their eyes met. No words were exchanged, but in that brief glance, Evelyn knew—Lucas had no intention of letting Yuri walk away from this fight.