TRAILING SHADOWS

The wind rustles gently, sifting through the trees and vegetation about and almost quenching the fire that burned quietly while two pieces of roast stuck into two sticks lean in close to them.

Ibiyemi stood, her eyes fierce looking at the two mercenaries that she was told to deal with. Behind her stood Elias, Elisa and the Fate practitioner, Tobias, all in their masks.

All it needed for the battle to ensue was for some actions on either part. And as it was, Ibiyemi had no intention of letting that action come from them.

"Abele Iruju." Ibiyemi chanted softly, weaving the signs and condensing the energy required for the appearance of her illusionary blade technique.

Without a second lapse, her feet tear through the air, dashing with fierceness as she got into range of the two rogue mercs.

And as she did, her mind immediately sped into action, building an attack pattern for to use. 

Divide and Conquer, it whispered and she acted on it immediately.

But the two mercenaries were faster. Just as she got into range, they jumped off and away into opposite directions, leaving the heir to the house in the open.

"Now." The slim mercenary yelled.

"Law of Lightning: thunder bolt." The spiky hair Irunmole yelled and in his left hand appeared a large crackly bolt of lightning, large enough that his hands could not fit it completely.

Still in midair, the Irunmole twisted in the fraction of a second, hurling down the bolt at the slower Ibiyemi who had just come to realize that her opponents escaped.

"Oh... No, you Don't!" Tobias yelled.

"Stay out of this." Elisa tried to stop him by holding his arm.

However, her actions are a nano-second late as Tobias floats up into the air and right to the center of everyone, including the mercs and Ibiyemi, his legs crossing into a lotus position.

"Law of Fate: Pyramid Hierarchy."

But even that is a little late as the bolt hits home, shattering dust and earth about. Still, the attack failed as Ibiyemi is just a little afar, on her fours, baring her teeth behind her the cracked mask.

"She... She dodged it?" Elias muttered, his voice containing surprise.

"That's our Heir to the house. Give them hell." Elisa's response is cheery as she clapped her hands high up in the air. 

"Looks like she didn't need you, after all, Tobias." She called out to Tobias who still floats in the air.

"Uh... No... No... No..." The two rogue mercenaries scream out as they attempt to flee towards opposite sides. 

Ibiyemi looked up, wondering what the cause of their sudden behavior is but what she sees makes her eyes widen for up above is Tobias.

And around Tobias are three stretching beams of energy that are speedily zooming down to the earth, taking the formation of a Pyramid and about the pyramid is a sheath of whitish energy rolling about like waves in the sea.

The mercs reach for the sides but even they are late as the three energy beams slam deep into the earth, locking everyone within the ethereal looking pyramid.

"Curse you!" The slim Irunmole yells, getting to his feet after he had crashed headlong with the pyramid walls.

"Oh boy, now? putting everyone on the same class as you or halving their energy considerably in other cases. Mehn, that is cruel, Tobias." Elisa pointed an accusing finger at Tobias but her voice contained a smile nonetheless.

"Now, girl, the field had been evened out. Get set." Elias spoke up, giving a thumbs out to the downed Irunmole.

"In battle, you should not only rely on your weapon, but also on your reflexes. Never stun yourself in any fight no matter what move your opponent pulls on you. Stand up!" Mayowa's voice, her tutor's, floated into Ibiyemi's ears as she forced herself to stand up.

She sighed, remembering that if she had been any second later, then, she'd be toast flesh now. And that she could not afford to be.

"Ayyyaaaaa...". A punch came sailing from her left. She stepped back immediately but she misjudged because am elbow kick hit in the stomach, sending her sprawled away.

She crashed landed down beside the fire, her hair almost getting singed. Just then, another bolt of lightning came zooming in.

And like before, she tried to flip herself over in a tumble roll except, she was rolling away from the strike.

But still, it was a misjudgment as the smaller scaled lightning bolt zapped the fire and an explosion of heat and flames erupted, throwing her off balance, crashed on her head.

She g.r.o.a.n.e.d, pulling off the remnant of the shattered mask on her face edge and with shaking hands, she tried to rise from the ground.

"Damnit. My lightning bolt has been greatly diminshed. It's almost like the lightning streak technique." The Spiky haired Irunmole cursed, his body in a throwing pose.

"Don't be stupid. You know how Pyramid Hierarchy works. Any attacks higher than the soul class of the caster is halved and right now, our soul ranking has be devolved down. Try it, check your soul class." The thin Irunmole said, flexing his arms. "This means that currently, we are about the level of Elite." 

"Damn. That's true. I'm Elite Classed now. From Lord to Elite. Gwwaahh..." The Spiky haired Irunmole gagged, falling on fours as he vomited essence.

"Are you alright" His partner asked, alarmed, looking to the side.

"I am... that thunder bolt took a lot of Agbara so I'm suffering the backlash."

"This is bad. A technique you easily pulled off in Lord Class. Just how potent is this Pyramid Hierarchy?" The slim Irunmole with the red belt looked up to Tobias.

"We'll have to take him down." 

Meanwhile, while the two debated amongst themselves, Ibiyemi coughed, her c.h.e.s.t heaving visibly while the rest of her body shook considerably.

And at the opposite side of her were the gold sprinkled booted Irunmoles watching with their emotionless masks.

"Uh? Heir to the house? What? You're out so fast? Don't you know that despite the Pyramid Hierarchy, this people still have enough oomph to make you bleed? Gee... And even without Agbara imbued attacks, they can still easily knock you out in melee. Are you this weak already?." Elisa taunted, her smile hidden by the mask she has on.

"Stop it." Elias countered. "This is already beyond her. We should go in."

"Oh, you're no fun. Besides, the young miss needs all the experience she can gather now, right?" Elisa turned her face from Elias and looked to Ibiyemi who still is on the ground.

"So, stand up. Heir to the house. You cannot be a weakling. If those two attack Tobias in his vulnerable position, any advantage you hold here would be lost." Elisa pointed at the two rogue mercenaries who were already leaping up, their movements aimed at Tobias with his closed eyes.

"That's right. I refuse..." Ibiyemi yelled out. 

And in front of her, an ethereal image of her mentor, Olukoni Mayowa appeared.

"The Abẹfẹlẹ iruju is not just any ordinary skill like Imole Mo. No. It is quite renowned for the ability to create Illusionary strikes like the name suggests. Here!" Olukoni Mayowa extended her hand to Ibiyemi who took it promptly as she stood up.