Death's pov:
every other kid looked really serious while I probably have a 'where's the fire?' face and ready to fall asleep.
I was tired because of what kept me awake, I hadn't slept so I'd sleep in class, having 45 minute naps since I am death, eternal, I had centuries to learn everything and gods created so I knew what they did so it was a lot.
we were lead to our starting sector by a teacher and stood on a sort of in ground elevator, being below the arena right now.
I turned to the watch built into the wrist protection of the armour, we had six hours to get the attributes and get to the middle... shouldn't be too hard.
the ground shook as the elevator pushed us upward as the ground split above us and when the elevator stopped moving I saw we were in a forested area, the ground muddy and sticking to my boots right as I stepped in it.
I touched my necklace, I knew I was still powerful enough to do amazing feats but what worried me a lot was I couldn't access my lists and see is Max risked death, even if by accident... I will need to trust my instincts.
"lets get going" she said, almost stepping of into the muddy ground, sinking half an inch in like I had but she didn't seem surprised, well all these school teach their children to see this as normal as she must have been in here a lot.
"sure" I said with a smirk, ready for it all.
"no Eath, lets get going as in each of us in her own way, I work better alone, splitting us is the best choice and meeting up in the middle is the goal" I didn't like her idea but before I could speak she ran off, using her own shadow to create solid ground under her feet.
I watched her go and sighed, slapping my forehead for agreeing to her plan as I didn't chase after her... I'll get a few attributes and go find her so she can have her fun alone.
Max's pov:
I know games are meant to be conquered in teams but I work alone best as I never had a partner so she'd just slow me down no matter how strong she is.
I stopped running and crouched down as I heard voices, sneaking up to a bush and pulling the branches away, with was a duo with red armour, kids blessed with fire.
I used shadows to lunch me up in the air, coming down with a kick right on top of ones head and flinging the other at a tree with his own shadow before I even touched the ground.
I searched their bodies and found the three matches each had before laying them on their side and sparking a bit of just pure power into the small area that was a 'send help', if affected by pure power it would send a destress signal the teachers would pic up and come get them soon enough.
after I did that I continued running and did for a while.
suddenly the ground underneath my feet was was no more before it launched up, smashing into my chest, forcing my in an involuntary flip and crash land on my back.
I coughed heavily from the direct hit but flipped myself on my feet and stood up, back now covered in mud.
two dressed in blue stood to my left and two in green to my right, earth and water... I am a bit fucked aren't I?
if they are teaming up to take me out that's really not good and since they aren't attacking each other I assume that's the case, this is not good.
I bent my knees as I shifted my legs apart, ready to jump in any way, one arm held up in front of me with my palm facing the ground, the other hand in a fist and bent down next to my hip, ready if they were.
I wanted to take a step forward to blue's to threaten them but I felt something grip my leg, I glanced down to see the mud having solidified into dirt around my foot, immobilising it.
I crossed my arms over my chest as a jet of water slammed into them, shattering the earth holding me and smacking my back against a tree.
"shit" I cussed softly, standing up with the help of the tree.
I sprinted forth, both hands held out and gripping the air, yanking them the the left and the shadows of the blue player falling to the left with great force as their shadows were pulled aside.
I dug my feet in the ground to stop myself and avoid a punch by leaning back before spinning my body and kicking the brow player in the side before jumping backwards, out of the way of many sharp shards of rock sent at my by his female acolyte.
I threw my hand up at the sky, four black dust circle appeared around me on the ground and from each rose an undead knight with their weapons already out.
"take them out" I ordered, pointing at my enemies.
unfortunately one jet of water to the knights made them all focus on the water duo while I would have loved it if they went for the earth ones, shit!
I was used to fighting against two but not four and they knew it.
I rushed the earth duo as even is I was the summoner the knights still had some of their own mind.
I spun on myself and hooked a foot before the girl's leg and yanked it out while I grabbed her face and slammed her head down as she fell, throwing myself in a side tumble to avoid a block of stone being flung at my by her partner.
as I got up to my knees but felt the mud on me turn rock solid shit!
I felt my summoning turn my to the black dust as they were destroyed.
I broke my arms free from the mud that was turning to stone to cover my face as a mixture of dirt and rock was launched at me, I can just hope it will not break a lot but I know it will break something if that touched, I cannot avoid it I'd need more time that I have not to free myself.
I heard the projectile smack something and fall to pieces... but weirdly I felt nothing, did they miss?
"tsk tsk tsk, if I were you I would think twice before doing that" I opened my eyes at that voice and saw the back of the same reaper Eath had once summoned and she was sitting on its shoulder... welshe said it was a he, so sitting on his shoulder.
I fell back on my ass as the stone holding me cracked away, the ones trapping me now concentrated on what was in front of them, I couldn't stand up out of pure shock and relief.
"stay back with her and guard her or I'll make a party out of killing you" she said to the reaper and hopped of him, cracking her fingers and neck.
"wait you cannot take them alone" I tried to stand but her smile made me relax, all doubt leaving me.
"don't worry about me Max, I would do anything you were to ask of me" I gulped at the undertone that may or may not be there, anyhow I turned red and if this was not reality I'd have smoke rising from my ears.
I watched with baited breath as the first jet of water was launched, just missing her and she rushed over and spin kicked him in the jaw.
"one down, three to go" she said, all of us taking a few seconds to look at the kicked boy out cold from one devastating kick. "come at me if you dare children"
I watched in awe as this continued, Eath not once using any of her power, almost dancing between the opponents attacks none touching her and hitting each other accidentally as when she could gave them a hit with her strength only, she was extremely light on her feet as if it wasn't in mud that she was spinning and jumping around in.
she approached one and elbowed him in the side of the head, right in the temple and they collapsed from the shake it gave his head.
"two down, two to go" I side stepped a punched and brought her knee into his parts before headbutting him hard.
"three down, one to go" I ducked under a blast of water and stood side by side with the girl, hitting the side of her hand against her neck, knocking her out cold "zero"
she is terrifyingly strong, that smile on her face as she stared at the blood on her gloves was not reassuring either.
she turned to me with a far more normal smile as she approached.
"can you walk?" she asked
"I don't really know"
"doesn't matter, reaper pick her up" I almost had a heart attack as the winged reaper grabbed me with with his bones arms, a hand in my back and the other behind my knees, I was so concentrated on Eath that I forgot he was here. "so how many attributed have you gotten?"
"the fire team's matches" I said.
"so we have five teams' attributes in total"
"how many?!"
"yeah our own, the water and earth team, the fire you took out and the lightning I took care off while I searched for you, more then half and we have two hours still to get to the middle"
"oh.... true"
there was silence as we moved on from the area after getting the teacher's be notified two teams were out.
I couldn't help but observe the reaper, how could she control it so log? just how strong is she to have so much control of the helper of death?
I just stared at it, never thinking I'd get so close to death or more like to a creation of death.... tho I didn't know death was literally by my side.