The Martial Unity

His last words drew a raised eyebrow from Misha and a hint of discomfort from Siliscia.

”I understand your passion, but not all of us are in love with Ria,” Misha spoke with a tone that was uncharacteristically stiff. ”I don’t want to risk my life for a teammate that I made just yesterday. Especially against an opponent that we stand no chance against.”

Runark suddenly grew bashful, despite the severity of the situation. ”L-Love? Don’t say nonsense! I’m not in love with anybody.”

The silence that followed was so deafening that it appeared not even -o—o-o believed him.

Runark shook his head vigorously, reminding himself of what was important. Saving Ria came above all else.

”It’s because she’s your teammate that you should do what you can for her,” Runark replied, never taking his eyes off the stationary homoarachnoid. ”That’s what Ria would do for you.”

”I’m not entirely sure about that,” Misha replied with a level-headed tone. ”You two may share that bond, but again, we are just strangers. If this was an ordinary opponent, I would gladly fight to save her life. But this one…”

She gestured to the homoarachnoid.

”Crushed a Martial Sage just earlier today.”

Her expression sharpened. ”I’m not suicidal enough to fight a creature that strong head-on for the sake of a temporary teammate I met the day before.”

Her words came off as detached, but it was difficult to blame her. There was nothing wrong with what she said on paper. Her words crushed the morale among the group. Indeed, they were essentially strangers to each other. It was unreasonable to expect each of them to fight for the other to the death.

”I want to fight for her.”

Siliscia’s voice was uncharacteristically filled with determination and clarity. She glared at the homoarachnoid alien with her emerald eyes, clenching her little fists. ”I don’t want to give up on my teammates, even if we have just met. After all, we have entrusted each other to have her backs. How can we do that if we are not willing to fight for each other, even if it means risking our lives?”

Misha appeared to be bewildered by the emotional line of logic, as if it didn’t compute to the level-headed young lady.

But she wasn’t alone.

”I want to fight for Ria as well,” Sternon spoke with a determined expression. ”She’s more than just someone I met. She’s… my first friend.”

She was also the only one who had defended him.

Misha saw the mood in her team, heaving a sigh. ”Very well then.”

It was more dangerous to move alone in a battlefield as chaotic as the one they were in than it was to take an injured homoarachnoid. She directed her cybernetic eyes towards the creature as her white pupils began to gather crucial data on the creature’s wounds.

”His flesh has not healed yet,” she remarked. ”Hence the dense webbing. His durability is a tiny fraction of what it was earlier.”

She realized that it wasn’t an insurmountable goal.

”He’s also not as active as he was in the first battle, where he was extremely aggressive,” Sternon noted with a thoughtful expression. ”I think… I think he might be within our ability to handle.”

That realization made the air less perilous. Runark’s green eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

”Let’s go. Ria is fighting alone. We don’t have time.”

He didn’t know what condition Ria was in, but he knew that he didn’t want to delay returning to her side as soon as possible. It didn’t matter if it was very difficult for him to participate in the same battle as her when she didn’t hold back, but it would still bring him greater comfort nonetheless.

In order to get her to her, he needed to make it past the obstacle before him. -o—o-o appeared displeased by their commitment to reach the universe-eyed girl.

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK

”If. You. Choose. To. Back. Down. Now. You. Will. Be. Spared.”

The creature’s six eyes sharpened.

CLICK CLICK CLICK

”Else. I. Will. Sever. The. Web. Of. Life. Within. You.”

Even if Runark could understand the creature’s words, he wouldn’t have stopped.

”Sternon and I will go close quarters,” Runark remarked. ”Misha and Siliscia will go long range; we fight on different diagonals, got it?”

It was as good a plan as any. The two groups shifted away from each other at a ninety-degree angle between them at the point of the homoarachnoid in order to ensure that they didn’t get in each other’s way.

Runark’s green eyes sharpened.

”Here we go.”

WHOOSH!

Runark and Sternon rushed forth towards the creature at a high speed. Sternon managed to keep up with Runark despite not specializing in speed anywhere near as much as Runark simply because of his superior evosapien physiology. The two of them arrived before the homoarachnoid in the blink of an eye.

Only to find themselves face to face with a wild haymaker swing from the injured homoararchnoid.

WHOOSH

Runark fell to his knees, skidding underneath the attack while Sternon took it head-on.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

The devastating impact shattered a bone or two in the young man’s body, but he simply gritted his teeth, withstanding the pain as he clung to the homoarachnoid’s furry arm, refusing to let go.

Runark’s knuckles turned into bullets as he riddled the homoarachnoid’s torso with numerous attacks that peppered his unhealed but covered flesh. -o—o-o click-snarled in pain as he swung at Runark with his other arm.

But Siliscia had prepared for that.

RUMBLE!

CRACK CRACK CRACK!

Numerous vines erupted from the ground, capturing the arm and insectile legs of the homoarachnoid. Misha emerged from behind the creature with the biggest plasma hemocannon she could muster.

BOOOOOM!!!

She unleashed a destructive beam of blindingly bright plasma, scalding the creature’s back as she began to burn through the web, allowing the plasma to burn the unhealed flesh of the creature.

BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM BOOOM!!!

The battle between the four of them and the injured homoarachnoid commenced as they exerted a tremendous amount of force to vanquish -o—o-o.