Everything in my vision was practically white with light-grey streaks, before I got a visual on my surroundings. Visually, everything was blurry, and the ringing in my ears, and other factors gave me a sense of nausea. However things slowly began to wind in place and my vision was slowly reverting to normal.
I struggled but managed to stand up, and I could vaguely identify my location as some forest as what appeared to the spruce wood bark trees scattered my surroundings, however this was not the forest I was in, I couldn't recognize it looked more like a pine tree forest, I'm lost...
"...*cough* Wha- What was-" My sentence was cut off. As if I had a premonition, I immediately manoeuvred backwards without hesitation, just missing the collision between two different blades. A gust of forced wind traversed the air.
"!" I was wide eyed at what occurred, and I quickly stood back up again. To see the hooded figure and the girl having just clash their swords together, they continued to fight.
I couldn't just stand there, just from Appearance I can partially tell both of them are equal in terms of combat capability, this may end up as a battle where both die, but the other dies much later, especially in this dense forest. Back then I felt sorrow after what occurred in albatros, tens of hundreds killed, even though two aren't enough to compensate. It was common decency to not get involved with girl fights (unless they are Karen's who need to to be taught a lesson), But I wasn't thinking that, I was hoping that I would at-least do something that doesn't involve death for once.
"H-Hey..." I struggle to speak Out fluently, as I begin to hurl distortions into the air to try and temporarily immobilize both of them to prevent them from killing each-other, both of them kept dodging.
"Hey!" I eventually yelled out, after a narrowly avoided a crossbow arrow from the hooded figure.
"Stop getting in th way!" The girl yelled, as she created several spheres seemingly created out of Electricity and fired them pretty in a manner similar to bullet hell, the Spheres in question managing to damage the hooded figure, and destroying her crossbow. Two projectiles hit me too, though I managed to create a deflective-distortion to block other projectiles.
"How about No, and how about you two 'Stop'..." I muttered out, as the hooded figure composed herself and wielded er sword, both of them dashed towards one another, narrowly avoiding each-others blows, while trading hit after hit that will always be blocked.
"I said... STOP!" I eventually yelled out, manipulating the surrounding air particles to knock both of them back, and throw away their blades, they were pinned against the trees of the forest, both attempted to grab a different weapon only to realize they are unable to move any of their body parts.
Both of them managed to look at me. Raising both hands my left towards the hooded figure, while the right towards the girl.
"What do you think you're doing!?" The hooded figure yelled.
"I think... I'am Preventing you two charlatans from Dislocating both of your Cerebral stems."
"That was what I was exactly trying to do, so let me go right now!" The girl said
"No." I replied bluntly, with an unbiased expression.
"Why!?" She yelled
"I have said my reason earlier, and I should be the one asking why you two are clashing each-other like a lesbian couple who's relationship broke down."
"Let me go!" The hooded figure yelled.
"I was defending myself from this betrayer!" The girl yelled
"I'm just trying to get my earn from the bounty!" The hooded figure countered
"Betrayer...? And... Bounty- Okay, Okay, Slow down, Sisters. Start from the beginning."
"Why should We tell you!?" The hooded figure yelled at me, her face obscured by shadow from her partial-triangular-styled hood (which reminded me of Six from little nightmares), preventing me from seeing her expression, but I believe she was scowling.
"Because right now, I'm the only one here who has the advantage, since I pinned you both into to your respective trees telekinetically."
The Girl gritted her teeth in anger, while I still couldn't pin what expression the hooded figure is making.
I said 'telekinetically' because I didn't want to reveal that I have the ability to manipulate and distort matter, and I don't think they would believe that sub-atomic particles are what make up all solid, liquid, or gaseous states.
Everything remained in silence, before the girl sighed and explained what occurred.
They were two close individuals, practically acquaintances, only they were two Unaligned Assassins, Mercenaries that have no side and only hunt when a job caught their attention. The hooded figure suddenly attacked her when she was in a weakened state. They continued to give chase for more than a day, until they ended up where our dispatch was.
Her explanation took about 5 minutes to finish, I just summarized everything, whatever she said must be nostalgic as both seemed to have calmed down, but that doesn't mean the tension is gone.
"You are...-Were acquaintances... Is that right?"
"...Yes..." The hooded figure looked away as she replied
"Not anymore..." The girl continued, with a tone filled with hints of apathy and depression.
"Care to explain? And there really is no other option other than to explain, as I can keep you two here for a long period of time."
"..." she remained silent for a few moments.
"I needed the money, after seeing her bounty price..." too the hooded figure replied.
"And What were your exact motives...? According to her, You have known each-other for a long time, why would to turn your back?"
"What am I supposed to do...? She has all the happiness she has even before she met me, while I'm stuck in the shadows scrounging for resources and bodies to make a living off of it. She has things, That I don't. It makes me... Angry. I couldn't think straight... I really couldn't... That was greed and envy."
"...Senka..." the girl muttered out, was that the figure's name?
"Do you have any-?" Ignoring the mutter, I continued but she spoke before I finished
"Family, friends, connections? No... Not anymore. I'm a lost cause ...by this point. That's why I was so desperate... But Of course like I said, I was also very envious."
I've seen situations like this before, Jealousy struck in a relationship. All because she lost so many things... I did too, but she lost all her family and friends? That is... Far beyond pitiful, it is tragic...
"You have lost many things that you cared about, You do realize that if you even managed to kill her or failed, you would've lost your last and possibly only friend."
"..."
"Envy, Even If you do get it replaced by relief after killing her, do you think it would end there? You will continue to fall helplessly."
"...I..." she failed to continue, and her head dropped, again all fell to silence.
"I just wanted something good in my life... She has everything, while I lost everything, while she was my friend. I couldn't think straight, after all those times she kept talking about her personal life as a friend to me, there was always that feeling of loneliness and resentment building up in my heart. When she received a bounty on her head, I unhesitatingly, and without any second thoughts, thought I could simultaneously fix both of my problems... But, You're right... I Just received one problem equivalent to Five or Ten with that.
"Senka..."
... ... ...
"Y'know What? Go ahead, You can Kill me... I have lost everything, over a bounty."
"You haven't lost 'Everything'... You just need to fix the damage."
"What?" She questioned
I ignored that confused remark, and eventually turned my attention towards the other girl.
"You are also kinda at fault here, But don't get me wrong. She is a friend, and while I don't have a clear picture, it seems that you persisted on giving her details of everything you have. As a friend you shouldn't just dominate over her in a conversation, without knowing her misfortunes."
"That's... That's true..."
"I just want you two to reconcile, You need take into account how your friend feels. She has nothing left but you. And Senka, That was your name right?, You should also consider what you do, your last friend would've been lost to your hands, if I didn't stop you."
They didn't reply, but both looked at each-other.
"..." I remained silent before I reluctantly released both of them from my distortions and they ended up on the ground, sitting across from each-other. When I let go everything felt quite numb, as I used my matter manipulation, It is likely this was a side-effect from what I could only assume as a warp, occurred.
"Senka... I... Sorry..." The girl replied.
"..." Senka only fell deeper into dejection, Either this was regret or fear after what just occurred.
'Man... I should've applied as a Relationship Therapist. What a waste...'
We were all abruptly stopped, before anything else transpired, by a distant Howl, or rather multiple, from behind me, instinctively I turn 180° around, and into the foliage of the forest
"...What was that?" I asked
"..."
"Dire wolves..." Senka eventually Uttered as if recognizing the sound like a Vietnam War flashback, looking to the direction I'm looking at. Moments later figure emerged from the foliage
'Why Mother Nature, Why...?'