Absolute Soul
80. Pick up Heru

"Vergs! Verg broke through the city barrier!" Someone shouted with the sound of a special Verg siren ringing loudly commemorating the entire city. Thanks to the cry and sound of the siren the entire Adele was struck by panic.

"Damn, our guess didn't miss." Jack clicked his tongue while hitting the floor hearing the sound of Verg's special siren as well as the exclamation.

Haikal also felt indignant to find this completely unexpected situation, he wanted to curse Blackout but there was no point in just cursing without doing anything.

"For now we have to hide in a safe place" Jack said after calming down, "Before we have to pick up Cecil and Heru in the treatment room first, then go together."

Jack suggests that they split into two groups, Jack with Verna while Haikal with Salvia. Cecil and Heru were treated in different treatment rooms in this arena so it would be more effective if they did so.

The group formed is also based on factors that have known each other's styles so that they are better able to work together when meeting Blackout or Verg members.

Haikal, Verna, and Salvia nod slowly agreeing to Jack's plan. They then agreed to regroup in the first-class building after successfully picking up Cecil and Heru.

"It's possible to avoid conflict and fighting, but don't hold back if you have to" Jack said, noting that their condition was not excellent after a grueling match before.

Haikal smiled cynically in response to Jack's words, "Without your reminding us we intend to do so."

"Well, if so." Jack floated a cynical smile back at Haikal.

After saying so the four stepped in the opposite direction. Jack with Verna, while Haikal with Salvia.

"Haikal, don't be so rash!" Verna exclaimed before running after Jack from behind.

Haikal laughed wryly as he scratched his cheek at Verna's cry, "You too!" He then ran the other way to the treatment room where Heru was treated with Salvia.

Both of them ran at normal speed without using soul energy down the arena hallway, considering their own conditions were not prime. If they were to waste soul energy right now just to run, when dealing with an enemy would be less likely they were to win or at least get away.

The distance between Haikal and Salvia's place with Heru's current treatment room was at least more than 400 meters due to the vastness of the arena. Running non-stop in such a distance would not make Blazer tired even without soul energy, but in the present situation it seems impossible.

"That's them!"

"They're Haikal and Salvia!"

"Oh, when there was not a minute after it started to move," complained Haikal smiling wryly as he saw some people running towards him from the opposite direction.

It was not clear who anyone was and on which side they were, but it was likely that they were Blackouts. It could be seen from their Soul Arc that had been deployed.

"Let me face them." Salvia clicked her tongue for a moment intending to create some snow around her while running, but not yet a single snow circle created Haikal asked Salvia to retreat.

"After all, your snow skills are more versatile than mine. It's better to just conserve your soul energy" Haikal asked before going forward intending to face them all alone.

Salvia wanted to say that Haikal could not take care of all of that alone with his current condition, but the next incident left his mouth silenced with nothing to say.

"He's advancing alone?"

"A first-class Blazer candidate dares to face us all alone? Is he stupid or too confident?"

"Huh, maybe being a tournament finalist made him overconfident."

Haikal smiled faintly hearing himself being belittled, but he ignored him instead feeling grateful these people underestimated him.

"It's true that I'm only a first-rate Blazer candidate, let alone that I'm a loser who can't even awaken the Soul Arc yet" Haikal muttered as he gathered a house of soul energy on his right arm, "But, a loser has something too."

Haikal pushed his fist with all his might forward, then in an instant created a gigantic, slightly transparent red arm that moved straight towards everyone blocking his path, inflicting no small amount of damage.

The sight succeeded in making Salvia who was behind Haikal stunned. Not only was it able to defeat a few official Blazers in a single strike, but also the giant red arm made from pure soul energy was unbelievable.

"Void Palm, Berserk Plate, Void Breaker, Giant Arm... What else next?" Salvia may have seen the embodiment of her father's soul energy several times, but none of it was so real and big as Haikal did.

Though Haikal is not from a special family Blazer, but he can develop so far alone. He could not imagine how terrifying it would be if Haikal was a descendant of the Blazer family and trained early on.

While thinking so, Salvia could not stop looking at Haikal with a look of admiration.

While daydreaming about it, Salvia realized as soon as Haikal called her and asked her to hurry. Salvia nodded slowly before running back to follow Haikal from behind.

On the way to Heru's treatment room, the two meet some other enemies. Most were Blackout members, but not a few small Vergs like Insect-class came to them.

Although against Verg, the cooperation between Haikal who became the main attacker and Salvia who provided assistance from behind using his snow looks so smooth and invincible.

Even though Haikal and Salvia's cooperation looks so good and smooth, still their stamina is limited, especially Haikal who had just fought against Jack some time ago. Its power has decreased considerably compared to its prime condition.

"You all right, Haikal?" Salvia asked to see Haikal's condition which looked exhausted.

Haikal just nodded slowly answering Salvia's question without making a sound, making Salvia frown. He could tell that Haikal was not doing well at the moment.

Haikal's breathing rhythm sounded so chaotic because of the enemies that kept coming nonstop so he had to take advantage of every second that existed in order to recover his stamina and breathing even if only a little.

Salvia, who saw Haikal force herself to sigh while shaking her head, she then put some snow on Haikal and lifted her body a few centimeters from the floor to surprise the young man.

Haikal had not yet spoken, Salvia had already raised her voice first, "Don't push herself too much. I know you've been exhausted from fighting Jack before."

"Ta—"

"There is no buts" said Salvia insisting on looking at Haikal with a gentle smile rarely seen from Salvia, "Once in a while let me walk in front of you, I don't want to always be left behind."

The smile seemed to bewitch Haikal, leaving him stunned for a while, but at the same time Haikal could see something faint behind his smile, as if harboring a certain kind of sadness.

He was eager to ask about the matter that had plagued Salvia since the defeat in his last match against Verna, but Haikal once again undo the intention considering now is not the right time to talk casually.

"Well, if so." In the end Haikal let out a deliberate sigh of surrender not wanting to argue. He relaxed his body letting Salvia's snow prop himself up in the air, "Give it to you."

After saying so Haikal's eyes immediately closed and snored slowly. It made Salvia laugh less than expecting Haikal to fall asleep in a matter of seconds, "You're pushing yourself too hard, you fool."

Salvia pulled the snow that brought Haikal closer to her, then whispered a sentence near the earlobe of the young man who was snoring, "Thank you, Haikal."

"That's it! Sage Volksky!"

"He brought Haikal Aldra! The opportunity!"

"Catch 'em!"

Not even a minute after Haikal fell asleep, some people who seemed to be members or at least on the Blackout side appeared to block their path.

Salvia sighed for a moment before exerting a certain amount of snow that immediately formed several slender pointy spears, he aimed his snow spears at those who blocked his path with a burst of soul energy that managed to make his opponent hesitate even for a moment.

"This time let me protect you" Salvia murmured inwardly as she thrust a dozen of her spears forward.