The Outergod's Avatar-Chapter 71: Twisted Fate (2)

"Then I guess we have no choice," Izikel said firmly, his voice barely above a whisper but brimming with resolve.

"You are not leaving?" Lyzah asked, her brows knitted in concern, eyes searching his face for doubt, but yet holding a little hope.

"You know I can’t leave you on your own," Izikel replied, managing a shaky smile. "What kind of training instructor would I be if I abandoned you?"

He tried to inject some confidence into the grin that tugged at his lips, but even he could feel the tremble at its edge. Inside, he was bracing for what was to come.

’Besides,’ he thought grimly, ’Raynoel might be right. With what I’ve read about Fate trials... if Lyzah really did receive one, then it might be her Fate to kill Raynoel.’

It was a terrifying idea, but it wasn’t the only thing giving him hope.

"Sophia told me he can only use his blessing of invisibility at night," Izikel continued, more to convince himself than her. "Plus, he’s injured. That gives us an edge. Maybe we can actually pull this off."

He turned his gaze fully to her, meeting her eyes with intensity. "But if we’re going to do this, I need to know you’re not going to freeze up on me."

Lyzah nodded without hesitation. "You don’t have to worry about me."

Their eyes remained locked on Raynoel throughout the conversation, their focus unshaken. Every twitch of his hand, every shift of his foot was studied with deadly attention. And Raynoel, in turn, watched them as well. Three figures caught in a triangle of tension.

Raynoel was mostly wary about Izikel’s weapon, just with that brief encounter he could tell that it might be dangerous if he got too close.

And then there was the girl.

Raynoel’s eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her.

’For most people, being wary of children would be absurd,’ he mused. ’But the fact she received a trial... that’s more than concerning.’

His fingers flexed at his side.

’Fate trials for Druids were always different— spiritual, introspective, and peaceful. They were about connection to nature, not combat. They never involved violence.’

And yet...

’From the looks of things, she received a trial of slaughter against me... how? How can a Druid receive a trial of slaughter?’ 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

It didn’t make sense. But then again, Fate never did. And Raynoel, for all his strength, knew better than to ignore what he didn’t understand.

"I don’t know why you’re doing this," he said at last, his voice calm but laced with disdain. "You know it’s not compulsory to complete a trial. Another one will come along eventually. Look at me, for instance. I tell people I haven’t received a trial since I reached the second stage of Divinity."

He gave a dry chuckle, almost amused by his own confession.

"But the truth is—I’ve had two. One against a horned beast. The other against a Bloodmoon warrior. And both times... I barely escaped with my life."

He took a step forward, his eyes darkening. "Fate trials don’t always mean you’re meant to survive. In fact, most people die during their trials. I know it’s tempting to see it as an opportunity—but it’s more like a wall that’s nearly impossible to climb."

"I don’t care," Lyzah replied quietly, her voice unwavering. "I’m not going to run from you. I’m going to climb that wall... and grow stronger."

Raynoel blinked once, slowly. Then he chuckled, a cold sound.

"I never imagined I’d hear words like that from a Druid."

He stepped forward again, blades glinting faintly in the low light.

"An imposter child with mysterious powers... and a Druid girl with the will to fight. You’re both a sin to our world. And I’ll take pleasure in ridding the world of that sin."

His feet moved with slow, deliberate menace.

"So," Lyzah asked softly, barely audible over the crunch of Raynoel’s footsteps, "what’s the plan?"

"I’ll attack him first," Izikel said. "Then you support me from behind."

She glanced at him. "Wouldn’t it be better if you attacked from far away? Your weapon is long-ranged after all. And I’m physically stronger and more skilled up close—maybe I can handle him."

"Maybe?" Izikel gave her a sharp look. "Your skills are nowhere near his. And you don’t even have a weapon. My weapon can serve as a distraction—especially if I get close. At the very least, it’ll raise the stakes for him."

He stepped forward, just a little, then added more quietly, "What I need from you... is to find an opening and finish this."

"But how?" she asked, doubt creeping in.

"With your powers," Izikel replied. "When we were training, I told you—don’t go for quantity. Go for precision. One vine at a time. With that you might be able to control and change the size. Even adjust the flexibility and hardness. That way you’ll be able to increase the speed and the strength of the vine"

He exhaled. "It’s the only option we have right now. Just don’t take too long. I won’t be able to hold him off for too long"

Lyzah nodded, her fists clenched. The green aura around her fingertips began to pulse.

’I can do this,’ Izikel told himself as he began to take slow, cautious steps forward. ’I have to do this. If I fail... we’re both dead.’

Raynoel tilted his head slightly, watching him advance.

"You could’ve possibly made it out of here," he said, amusement dripping from his tone. "If you had just left her behind. Not that I’m complaining, of course. But if that’s what she wants, to die, then maybe you should’ve let her."

"Shut the hell up," Izikel growled, his hands trembling slightly as he gritted his teeth.

Raynoel felt his muscles tense at the outburst.

’Why did this little bastard have to be the first?’ he thought. ’If it was the girl, I’d know what to expect. But him... I have no idea what kind of miracles he is performing. That weapon, and the shield...’

Raynoel charged forward, twin blades glinting.

Izikel didn’t hesitate. He fired.

Raynoel dodged with a side step, the bullet grazing air as he closed the distance. In a blink, his blade swung diagonally.

Izikel shifted his gaze just in time, blocking with the invisible armor that shimmered briefly on contact. Without breaking eye contact with the blade, he fired again.

Raynoel twisted his head, the bullet barely missing. He stepped back—then immediately lunged again, blades crossing in a deadly arc.

Izikel ducked low, the metal slicing inches above his head—but Raynoel followed with a knee strike to the gut. The impact knocked Izikel off his feet and sent him crashing to the ground a short distance away.

Raynoel didn’t pursue—he stood, eyes narrowed.

’That was the first time he didn’t block me, he realized. He dodged. And his shield... it didn’t stop my kick’

A sinister grin tore across his face, "interesting,"