Pick The Second Male Lead

09.16 - Cyde

"Ahhh!"

A woman's angry scream echoed throughout the mirror lake. Some of spectators were amused – most were surprised. Just moments ago, the man with the fox mask was having a hard time dealing with the frail looking woman. It was clear that he had been foolishly hesitating in dealing with the woman. But then all of a sudden, he burst forward and hit the woman in the face with a wind sphere, knocking her down. Before the woman could get up, Nilo held her down by the throat with one hand while the other aiming a long wind blade to her face.

"Don't! Please..." The woman begged with tears.

"Do you give up?" Nilo questioned.

"Yes. Please don't kill me." The woman said weakly.

Nilo let her go and turned to leave.

"Nilo! Watch out!"

Nilo was able to hear Alexis' voice because the woman had admitted defeat. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean the battle was over. In Kien – for Qui beings, the battles are never over. But how could the naïve and upright Nilo knows just ruthless rules of the world. He only realized the truth with the ball of fire hit his back, burning through his robe and left a scar that he'll never forget.

"Die!" The woman whose face now bruised due to the wind sphere, stood with deadly smirk as she continued to aim a fire arrow at the fallen Nilo.

But before the arrow hit Nilo, a burst of wind extinguished the fire arrow while a gentle gush of wind created a thin layer against the surface of the lake – catching Nilo before he dropped into the lake.

"Ahhh!"

Unlike the angry scream from before, the woman cry was filled with pain as an undistinguishable force of power aim right at her. Her face had been bruised before but was still able to heal – but now, the invisible wind needles had destroyed her face.

"How dare you interfere, fox?" A woman in deep red robe that hang loosely on her body, stood and glared venomously at the woman in black who was floating calmly down into the surface of the lake.

Myka ignored the angry fire snake who was also a Qui master. But since the fire snake was not as powerful as the nine-tails fox, Myka gave her no attention while securing the fox mask back onto the unconscious Nilo. Because of the fire ball, Nilo robe has been burned off, leaving only his pants. While the front of his chest was unscathed, the back was completely black. The flames had utterly scorched through his skin. No one could see through Myka's thoughts as she silently stood in place while using the wind around her to lift Nilo up to where her disciples where.

"Take him back." Myka was strangely calm.

Two of her disciples knew without their master's instruction to take care of the injured Nilo so quickly left with the unconscious young man.

"Now..." Myka turned to the crying woman on the lotus flower.

The crying woman was on her knees while covering her damaged face.

"Shall we end this?" Myka simply lifted a hand and move it casually to one side.

Using the wind, she manipulated the lake to engulf the crying woman. The woman didn't even have a chance to beg for her life as the water swallowed her down in the bottomless lake. Silence spread as the ripple scattered against the surface of the lake. In that very moment, a large jet of fire in form of a red snake was shot at Myka from behind. Without turning around, Myka lifted the same hand to create a wind shield behind her. When the fire snake hit the shield, Myka turned around and used her other hand to slice the snake in half – creating two now colorless fire snakes. What surprised everyone was how Myka used the wind to manipulate the fire snakes – aiming it back at the woman in the red robe. In anger and humiliation, the woman in red created a shield of fire to deflect Myka's power. But the colorless fire snakes stopped before they hit the shield and flew back to Myka's side.

"Shameless fox!" The red snake glared as she watched the two snakes float above Myka's palms before she closed her hands into a fist, extinguishing the colorless flames.

"Who is shameless?" Myka stood carefree, her feet barely touching the lake, while playing with her long hair. "A loser behaves just like a loser. Just like her master, aiming at the back. Such cowards."

"You!" The red snake glared with murderous eyes. "Who are you calling cowards?"

"The one asking such an obvious question."

"You!"

"Why are you so upset?" Myka feint innocent as she continued to play with her hair. "Not only did I help you get rid of such a useless and coward disciple, I gave a good lesson to your other disciples not to be a loser like their leader sister. Hmph, instead of thanking me, you're angry?"

Shameless! Everyone – especially the red snake screamed inside their heart and soul.

"Not only did you break the trial rules, you stand there and spout nonsense? Don't think you're the strongest Qui here in Kien." The red snake calmed herself before turning to the other Qui masters. "By law, she should be killed."

"Hey-hey, don't talk about law and rules with me." Myka pouted, fully using her charm and beauty as a fox. "Especially since I didn't break any rules."

"You_"

"Tell me, did your disciple not beg my disciple for mercy? Did she not admit defeat? Did the Oracle not clear the shield and end the trial? Was my disciple not heading back to his station?" Myka turned with her hands to her back, not caring to look at the fire snake. "Also, who could be so cruel to kill this beautiful nine-tails fox? I would like to know."

Myka smile was enchanting – stirring many hearts.

"You shameless_"

"What? Didn't you teach your disciples the same method?" Myka glance at the red snake and smile, flashing her pretty dimples. "My foolish disciple fell for it, didn't he? Fortunately, he's not a complete fool and came out as a winner."

"If you did not interfere, he would have died and my disciple would have won!"

"Aren't you twisting facts? Your disciple clearly begged for mercy. I saw it. Everyone saw it." Myka looked at the red snake as if she spoke nonsense.

"She's clearly lying!"

"Oh? She was?" Myka feint surprised. "Oh my, she's very good. Even this fox was deceived."

"You_"

"Look, even the Oracle was deceived. If not, why did it release the shield and end the trial? I have to say, you taught her to lie very well."

The red snake had enough of Myka was about to explode when a calm voice spoke out with irritation.

"Enough." The water dragon looked at fox before lifting his eyes to the snake. "There are still more trials ahead."

The water dragon clearly express his annoyance at the delay due to the snake and fox bantering. In his mind, both the fox and snake are wrong. It's only the snake isn't at good as the fox at arguing.

"Don't waste my time." The water dragon eyes were unsympathetic and hard.

The water dragon wasn't the only Qui masters who didn't care about the trial results between the fox and the snake disciples. The red snake bit her lip as if suppressing her anger, while the fox floated back up to her area and sat lazily on her chair with a carefree smile.

"Yes, let's not waste the all mighty water dragon's time." Myka spoke sweetly with a pretty smile. "Continue Oracle"

If the Oracle has a physical body, it would bow down to Myka. Everyone present at the decuplet trial truly believe so.