TRAILING SHADOWS

"NOW... GOOOO...!!!" Ibiyemi's voice boomed out. Her very words tearing through the air like needle thin lances.

A sign that she was pushing at her very best.

The voice jolted Wole and Shola, who had been engrossed in watching the match between Ibiyemi and the warriors. They sighed involuntarily as they leapt down to the ground in one smooth motion.

Bending low, Shola shot his group leader a look that seemed 'Now what?'

Wole did not reply. Instead he flung his legs into action, throwing both hands behind him as he raced. Taking initiative, Shola followed after him, as they jumped around bushes.

They soon arrived at an orb in no time. Hiding behind a small bush, they squatted. In front of them was a male Irunmole with semi transparent wings.

A Pseudo-demigod Classed Irunmole.

They both cursed.

"What next? " Shola asked, his eyes darting about.

"Well, hold. This Irunmole seems to be in charge of this whole operation. But I wonder why he would want to use an energy orbs to shield out the place, instead of using direct Agbara." Wole remarked, a hand on his chin and another drawing in the air.

"Well, he simply didn't want to waste his energy perhaps?" Wole replied , carefully.

"His aura. It doesn't linger. Something is not right"

"Who cares! Let's just shut this place down." Shola whipped his head back. He dropped his hand into a pocket by his left t.h.i.g.h and pulled out an apple.

"Wahh... You're really going to eat, now of all times?" Shola queried, his eyes widening in disbelief. Immediately he reached out for the apple, gripping it before Shola could make a move for it.

"Heyyyy... Give it back..." Shola voice rose up.

"Has to be the result of being engrossed in the academician fight over there." He muttered, folding his hands across his c.h.e.s.t.

"Umph... His senses are not at the best. Otherwise he wouldn't have come to that hasty conclusion. And this gives us a chance at best.

We can take him down..."

"Heh...are you CRAZYYY??" Shola yelled, shaking all over.

Immediately, the air became tense, compressing itself into one point. The atmosphere itself shivered, as energy flunctuations reverberated through it.

And then.

BOOM...

"Yaaarrggh.."

"Aaahhh..."

They both crashed, plummeting down to their faces respectively.

Footsteps rushed through as other Irunmoles began to turn around, trying to ascertain the cause of the explosion.

Before them was an Irunmole heaving, holding a hollow tube to the ground. The semi transparent wings around him suddenly vanished, removing all airs of a Pseudo-demigod.

"Taylor, what was there?"

"Oh Taylor, why did you have to use the Canon here. "

Taylor this, Taylor that reverberated in the air as a small group gathered about. The Irunmole who was referenced to as Taylor stood up now, holding his tube over his shoulders.

He spoke without turning back, watching in disbelief as two bodies shimmered into nothingness.

"Intruders were here... Uh... Whaaaa..." He blinked, but yet the bodies were no more there.

"It was a-an illusion??" He gulped, his face losing color as scolding of the other Irunmoles came in.

'Well, it's worth it after all.'

The Irunmoles were divided, some watching Captain Moyo's performance while some gathered around Taylor. Activating his sense of perception, Wole rushed for the next orb, pulling out two saarins one more time. And with a slash, the orb exploded.

The explosion was minute, so it was noticed by the Irunmoles. After a short while, the shield began to collapse, after having one side of it inactive

They rushed in,running and bending their backs to the grounds as low as they could. Their legs hit against the ground in one silent motion as Wole glanced about. And from the side of his eyes, he spotted something.

A groaning Irunmole.

What the heck‽

Even if the mission had stated that they were to render aid to injured Irunmoles.

As many as they could find. But that was practically impossible as the High Council would have dispatched teams to render aid immediately. This one's here were only securing the perimeter. Which means, they were waiting for the land to respawn, probably under the influence of some high end Agbara technique.

So for an injured Irunmole to show here, suddenly and unnoticed, showed that this whole thing was a set-up.

Wole sighed signalling for Shola to stay back. He moved closer, clutching a Saarin in the hand.

"Hey, I'm here to help." He spoke, bending down.

"Wole, down nn..." Shola shouted from behind, slamming into Wole. The duo crashed down headlong into the softening rock soil.

Just then, the air suddenly heated up as a laser whip of light shot through it. The 'injured' Irunmole had attacked.

But it failed to connect.

'Just as I thought. There is no one here for us to rescue. And even if we find anyone, it's all a set-up.'

The whip slashed down again, into the ground, scattering the heap of Basic Classed Irunmole heap to divide as they each rolled off.

"Two, it takes to tangle." The Irunmole with tattered clothes spoke, a fiendish smile spreading across his reddened face.

The Irunmole rushed forward, two thin slices of wind slashing into the air in form of an X. The two rolled further but the wind slash followed after them.

"Aaargghh..."

"Umpgh..."

Instinctively, they jumped to their feets, grabbing two saarins each. Wole grinned.

This was the real mission. To overcome an Irunmole warrior.

He glanced briefly at his partner. The latter nodded, as he got the picture.

"Let's do this." Shola responded.

"By all means, please!!" The attacker curtseyed.

Raising a leg and an arm up, he formed the imagery of martial artist posing before launching an attack.

His mouth moved while his eyes fixed themselves on the two teenage Irunmole in front of him. Almost as if he was trying to focus on them both.

"Ogun Agbara: Collision Blade"

"No..." Shola and Wole's eyes widened immediately.

It took great effort for one to control Creation Essence in it's dilute form of Aspectual laws. Even so, an Elite was only able to grasp the tip of laws and was Captain of using them to coat their weapons.

While an Omni Classed could do that more easily and convert energy into objects that came in sparingly. The Aspectual law became more easier to reach with the Ascension of Classes. In so much that, a Lord Class Irunmole was capable of turning the Agbara into moving and transporting techniques. Only until Omega Class, could an Irunmole be more at easy, using law imbued techniques.

And the process of it was tedious.

It was why most Irunmoles had been content with mere Elite Class. But right before them, was an Irunmole that ad attacked them with light energy.

And the next second, he was clinging to the energy of war‽...

This was a cheat! Definitely.

It was rare to find Irunmole mastering another aspectual law. After all, Even The Elder was only a practioneer of 'Ino Agbara'. And this was due to the fact that each irunmole had a concept biology that allowed their soul fully attune with the Aspectual law of their patron Orisha.

Hence, it was tedious to master another law. As even their body would kick against the foreign law. Resulting in a backlash that would most likely break their soul. Soul decline, in the end or at best, a soul that was unable to ascend.

Only geniuses had been able to do that and exist unscathed. And this Irunmole before them, was a heck of a genius.

Their attacker rushed forward, slashing arcs into the air with his b.a.r.e arms at the duo.

Wole was stunned.

He stood blinking!! This Irunmole could even use his own body to channel the attack‽ He had to be an Omega at best.

How unfair! Wole grumbled.

Just then, his survival instincts jumped in. And he leapt, folding his legs to come clean of the slashing thin arc of energy.

In midmotion, he watched as Shola, bent over on his back allowing the attack to pass unhindered over him.

Quickly, his hands reached for the ground and with a groaning, Shola lifted his legs up, turning a complete flip.

By now, Wole had landed.

And as he did, he lunged forward with one hand to stab while the other came as support. But his attack did not connect.