Julien was a heartbeat away from jumping onto the field, and surprisingly, Purple looked more disturbed than she should be. It was as though she was genuinely scared for Scar.
But their hands were tied. Duel law was clear: no interference until the match concluded or one party surrendered. Breaking that rule would only make things worse.
Scar's anxiety had diminished, oddly enough.
He didn't believe he could win, under normal circumstances, he'd stand no chance. But Luccy's words had given him something else to focus on.
She was just a puppet. Dain's instrument to keep Scar terrified until his return. The realization hit Scar: she couldn't actually kill him. Not even if she wanted to.
'But she can injure me.'
His senses stretched thirty meters out. He felt everything, down to the breeze pushed by Luccy's radiating energy.
But what good was perception when he couldn't speak? He needed his voice back and needed to end this, to forfeit.
The lightning coursing through and around Luccy blazed with terrifying intensity. The packed sand cracked under the energy's weight. A storm formed in miniature, circling her like a living thing.
"Let's end this with one strike, shall we?"
She wore a big grin.
"Emotional State, second form, paralyzing wings."
Scar trembled.
He channeled most of the Blessing directly to his throat. The cost was immediate: his limbs went slack, paralyzed without the energy sustaining them. His sword fell from nerveless fingers, his legs locked in place.
Fighting back didn't matter. All he needed was to say one word: forfeit.
The attack building for him would break him, he was certain.
She was escalating to Emotional State's second form while he could barely handle her Ordinary State. That kind of power would leave him paralyzed for weeks, possibly months, upon contact.
The Emotional State's second form differed fundamentally from the first.
Where the first form let users borrow an ability to supplement their Ordinary State, the second was a pure Emotional State: a single body part enhanced by an ability entirely fueled by one emotion.
Luccy embraced it completely. She hovered above, smiling, her wings towering, brilliant constructs of yellow lightning that pulsed and snapped, nearly twice her own height.
The arena had mostly cleared, with students fleeing to escape the collateral damage. Some hadn't made it in time.
Julien and Purple were barely holding themselves in check, waiting for that single word from Scar. Mingle had abandoned any pretense of impartiality, his eyes never left Scar, willing him to find his voice, to say anything at all.
All Scar could do was pray. His throat stayed clenched shut. The Enforcement technique wasn't to blame, he knew that now.
It was his predecessors' fear. Generations upon generations of it; piled up over centuries, pressing down on him like a physical weight.
With nothing but willpower and savage energy that made his throat feel like it was tearing and blood pouring from his nose, he forced himself to speak.
"I forfeit!" The words came out hoarse and broken. But audible.
Soon realized he was too late.
For Scar, time seemed to halt.
He registered everything in crystal clarity: Mingle began to call the match for Luccy, Julien was breaking free from the stands, and Purple's threads were already weaving through the air to intercept Luccy's attack.
But within that same second, Luccy also spoke.
"Wings clap!"
She clapped her wings together in one fluid motion.
The combined energy erupted as a massive lightning bolt, hurtling straight at Scar. Less than a second. That's all he had.
His body was useless. He had paralyzed limbs and no weapon.
And yet his mind worked faster than ever before, thoughts crystallizing with unnatural speed. Perhaps his predecessors had decided to help rather than hinder.
When reality caught up, Scar found his sword back in his hand, already absorbing part of the incoming lightning.
Mingle had declared the match over. And Julien had thrown himself into the path of the attack, a massive shield forged from his blood blocking the majority of the strike.
When his heart hammered in the second that followed, it was with relief. He couldn't see what had truly happened, but thanks to his ability to sense anything within thirty meters, he had a fair idea.
Julien was fast, but even with enhanced speed, he wouldn't have reached Scar in time. The save only worked because of Purple's threads and Scar's sword, each playing their crucial part in those final milliseconds.
Purple managed to disrupt Luccy's stance with her threads, shifting the lightning's path by inches, just enough. Julien's shield caught most of the redirected blast. His sword handled the rest, absorbing every remaining volt.
Dark flames wreathed the blade, but even that didn't explain how it had deflected and consumed lightning.
What was more baffling: Scar hadn't actually grabbed it. His body had been locked. All he'd managed was the thought, the desperate need for the weapon. The sword had moved itself into his hand.
'Black Sun is meant to be the weakest of Mikeal's four weapons… so how is this even possible?'
While Scar remained dazed, his mind struggling to catch up with events, Julien hurried over and began checking him for injuries.
"You walking earthquake, don't you dare die on me! Say something before the ground shakes itself to pieces!"
Concern filled Julien's voice, but Scar simply smiled. Before they could continue, Luccy cut in, looking oddly cheerful despite her frustration as she scratched her head.
"What a bummer… tsk. That move killed the last guy who took it. I was curious, but you pests had to ruin the fun."
As soon as the words left Luccy's mouth, Purple began moving toward her. Her face was its usual mask, revealing nothing. But no one needed to guess why she was closing the distance…
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Luccy's stare dripped with contempt, but Purple remained deadpan. Without acknowledging it, she turned to the others. Mingle and Julien had Scar between them, moving him toward the infirmary.
Luccy turned to Scar and yelled:
"No need to worry, Scar. The paralysis will wear off in a few hours."
Purple felt insulted but still managed to keep her cool.
"I asked you a question. Why do you want us dead?"
Luccy's expression darkened but shifted into something cheerful barely a second later.
"Wait… Purple Vey? Meh. Nobodies like you aren't my concern. I came for Scar Rover. You're aiming at the wrong person, babe."
Luccy began leaving the arena as soon as she spoke.
Purple exhaled.
"It can't be her. Dain sent her, surely. But she must know the one behind this. Could it be Dain? Then why target Julien and me as well?"
She frowned.
"Could Scar's Inheritance be dangerous enough to ensnare anyone in its hunt? …No, that doesn't make sense. If that were the case, I might know who it is. I have to be careful."
She wore a daunting smirk. Her thoughts definitely weren't pleasant.
"Scar, huh? Such a beautiful individual. I think we might make more than good friends, after all… no, we've become best friends already."