The sudden ambush the former Lord Grim "planned" to execute did not go as well as he had hoped for or expected. The black-scaled Granian, along with his three companions were welcomed to the sight of the Bastion currently swarming with Ethisian soldiers waiting for him and his fleet to survive.
Just like that, Grim’s attempts went down the drain once he witnessed how prepared the Ethisians were. They were ready for an attack and were ready to do whatever it took for them to win.
To make matters more interesting, one of the strongest Eneraflux-wielding Ethisians was present, a female whose frame was quite lean compared to the normal Ethisian. What this Ethisian lacked in size, she made up for it in pure, raw strength, fighting prowess, and energy.
"Lord Grim, glad to meet you once again," the Ethisian, currently throwing hands with Grim, smirked as she conversed with him, her black and purple eyes piercing into Ace’s soul.
Previously, Ace’s system dared him to test his strength and gauge how close he was to the Ethisian in terms of strength. However, that decision was soon regretted once the enemy sprung from the Wall—which was meters away from Ace—to Ace in just a blink of an eye.
At such speeds, Ace was more than certain that he wouldn’t be able to dodge and he was right. By the time the Blood Bishop thought of moving, the Ethisian was only an arm’s length distance from him. However...
"You will not win this fight, Human. Your skills are needed elsewhere." Grim stepped in at the last moment as he matched the Ethisian’s energy output. The two powerhouses clashed with each other while the Blood Bishop just stood there.
’Just how strong are the other Granians? Huntress. One Horn. Gravax. Grania. How much of their strength are they hiding?’
"Get out of your thoughts, human!!" Grim grunted as the Ethisian’s body started to push his back. "Go elsewhere and assist, before your Blood Army’s decimated."
"Oh, right..." Ace snapped out of his dazed-like state and then checked his remaining Blood Mana. Just as Grim said, the Blood Bishop’s Scarlet Army was getting slaughtered. At this pace, Ace was surely going to lose all of his Blood Mana. Latest content publıshed on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡✶𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚✶𝙣𝙚𝙩
He needed to do something, something to turn the tide before backup arrived. He didn’t know how long it was going to take so whatever he needed to do, he needed to do it quickly while making sure it would hold out long enough.
"...I’ll be on my way."
"Leaving already?" the Ethisian sulked and then swerved past Grim. With its tail, the Ethisian grabbed Ace by the arm and then pinned him down. "I haven’t introduced myself yet, Blood Mutant."
Just as she was about to claw Ace’s throat, Grim stepped it again with a roundhouse kick to the Ethisian’s head. The Ethisian was knocked back, allowing Ace to pick himself up and escape.
"Grim, Grim, Grim. What am I going to do about you?" she asked while massaging her jaw. "Your Blood Mutant has aroused my interest. Why’re you trying to get in our way?"
"You’re not fooling anyone," Grim growled as Ace made a run for it, "that Blood Mutant’s the only one that stands a chance at beating yours so I can’t let you take him out just yet, Elyssara."
"Oh, you flatter me by saying my full name," the Ethisian laughed and then lunged for Grim’s neck. The Granian retaliated by swinging his black tail, hitting the Ethisian’s jaw once again but he wasn’t finished.
While still airborne, Grim grabbed the Ethisian by her arm and thigh and then slammed her back on his knee.
"Lousy!!" she scoffed and then punched Grim’s chest hard enough to knock the wind out of his lungs, stunning him momentarily.
"I can’t imagine I’m saying this," Elyssara, Ely for short, massaged her back as she stood over a temporarily stunned Grim, "but you’ve gotten weaker. When we first fought, you beat me badly but let me live. I took that as a sign to grow stronger and clearly, I did.
"We fought again but you still beat me horribly and yet you let me live. Now look at me, I took that double defeat as a catalyst to grow stronger which I clearly did again but you...you’re still the same Grim I fought years ago. The only difference is, you’ve grown weaker, so weak that I’ve knocked the wind out of you.
"So pathetic, so weak. This isn’t the Grim that my people fear and loathe." While speaking, a red, shining glint of light twinkled in the Ethisian’s eye, drawing her attention to Ace whose body flowed with a red energy. "First, I’m going to kill your Blood Mutant and then, I’m going to come for you, Lord Grim.
"Just as you did for me, I’ll beat you badly but will let you live so that you grow stronger. Your ancestors certainly were but you...pathetic, Granian."
With a maniacal cackle, the Ethisian shot up from where she stood with her attention given solely to Ace. Speedily, the Ethisian moved across the battlefield and was now directly above Ace.
While hovering, the Ethisian’s eyes narrowed with a grin growing on the corner of its lips. The Ethisian began to chuckle and began undermining the Blood Bishop’s strength and yet for some reason, it wanted to see just how far it was able to go.
"Blood Mutant," she called out before slamming into the ground, right next to Ace. As she stood, Ace’s gaze narrowed while he summoned his Scarlet Army back into his arm. "I want to see what you can do. All of you, stand down."
She commanded her soldiers who obeyed immediately. Now it was just her versus Ace, Ethisian versus Blood Bishop, High Grade versus Crimson Lord.
"Grim holds you in such high light meaning you must be strong. So show me. Show me your..." While blabbing, the Ethisian’s body was met by a sharp, stinging pain growing from her back.
Shortly after that, another painful, burning sensation enveloped her arms, followed by a heavy weight pulling her down. Immediately, the Ethisian soldiers aimed their weapons at the ones attacking Ely—Lord Grim, Ace, Skyler, Cion, and the Blood Warrior, Enoris.
"Cockiness in battle leads to a warrior’s death, Grim muttered while Enoris pushed her weapon deeper into the Ethisian’s back as Ace smeared dead Ethisian acidic blood across her arms and legs. "This time I’ll make sure to kill you."
While Grim and his team held Ely hostage, the tide of the War turned in his favor for at that moment, three Bastion Ships darkened the skies with hundreds of smaller ships delivering soldiers to the planet’s surface.
At last, Grim’s fleet arrived and they were ready to flatten the Bastion and leave no Ethisian alive.