Rufian's lungs burned with the effort of sprinting. He had been running nonstop for longer than he thought possible. It seemed fine on paper, but running the long path from the bottom forest to get the buff from the cavern to the top lane was a long, bloody way.

The power coursing through him made it worthwhile, as he had been able to savage the swordsman for the pain he had caused Bruchts. The slow effect of the buff, meaning he couldn't run away from Rufian's fury, and even better, Bruchts hadn't needed to use a cooldown to help him secure the kill, so that he would be in an even better shape in the lane.

The middle lane was in even better shape than he hoped when he arrived. The spearman had been dragged under the turret and would go down in a few good punches. He was frustrated that he had to use his Lock-on Ars, but he wasn't letting the spearman escape again. He needed to be nullified so he couldn't drag Rufian's teammates out from under the turret.

As his right fist landed with a thunk against the back of the spearman's head. He was glad he had taken Iron Fist, punching people's skulls hurt.

*An Enemy has been Slain*

Not stopping to celebrate the kill, he made a sharp left towards the slinger. The man hadn't joined his ally in the brush and was several steps into a headlong sprint to the tower for safety.

"Not worth chasing Rufi." Palinus echoed the rational side of his head, and Rufian had to work to calm the bloodlust coursing through him. He wanted another kill.

Breathe

Taking control of the rage through his breathing, he rushed off towards the bottom lane. This was the pivotal moment. If they could avoid a death then the Cinderborn would be in the clear. Vesuvia had estimated that they would need to stack five kills or a similar wave advantage in each lane before the Nexus would have the resources to respawn their avatars. He had set up Bruchts and Palinus to reach that point, but if the girls died here without claiming at least an even trade, then it was all over. The team might be able to claw their way back, but it would be nearly impossible and would probably mean some or all of them wouldn't make it out of the rift.

Imagining returning to his body, knowing that one of his teammates wouldn't, it felt like a dagger to his chest. Rufian couldn't let that happen. He pushed down his bloodlust and found the energy to keep running. This time, he could take the direct route, and he was going on the offense.

Rushing through the patches of tall grass in the middle of the rift, he knew he was closing in and began to slow his sprint. Stalking through the final patch of brush, he forced himself to delay for a moment to understand the situation.

Just like last time, he could see the Stoneman witch standing amongst the minions; she stood proudly as if taunting Vesuvia and Seline, who were standing together as far away from the tall grass on the side of their lane. They had done well to stall out the wave, and it looked like they had managed to hit level one and avoid being killed.

As he watched the lane, Reinvar popped out of the brush to monster one of the minions that was near death to claim some essentia. Immediately reacting to his appearance, Seline switched to peppering him with arrows.

Frustrated with the attacks, Reinvar roared as he threw his axe at Seline. It was time to pounce.

"I am coming in!" he told the team as he launched into action.

Running out from the brush, Rufian cut a path as far left as he could to come out from behind the stonewitch. He was glad he had warned the girls because they didn't react as they continued to fend off Reinvar as they managed their minions.

His grin a wolfish snarl, Rufian made it within a few paces of his target before she turned. Her proud expression drained as she shrieked and lifted her staff to try to attack. But she was too late, Rufian lunged with his left fist to strike her in the arm, and he began to combo attacks as quickly as he could.

It seemed like the ice floor ars she used was on cooldown as she couldn't counter his attack other than moving toawrds the brush and reinvar as she tried to blast him with her staff when she could. The big boy had reacted instantly to the witch's cries, and he was on his way. His bellow of rage sent a chill down Rufian's back as he hoped that Seline had saved her cooldowns. If he wasn't slowed, he would close on Rufian in moments, and Rufian didn't have enough health left to survive both avatars' attacks.

A streak of green shot out from Seline's bow. Rufian panicked as he noticed that it hadn't targeted Reinvar. Not understanding what she was doing, Rufian grimaced as he considered running if she had just missed or had made a mistake; he could get away, and it would be fine. He let the bloodlust from the Sanguine Curse flood his senses to wash away that cowardice. Seline knew what she was doing; she had made this plan, he just needed to focus on his fists rhythmically smashing into the witch's flesh.

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Green roots sprang out of the minion Seline had fired into. As if they were watching a time-lapse of a plant growing towards the sun, they reached out and grasped at Reinvar as he tried to run past. The roots curling around his waist and legs, the tip of the savage plant wrapping him, then plunging into his flesh like a writhing spear.

Pushing through the obstruction of the roots, Reinvar kept running. The roots interrupted his movements, and he had to haul the weight of the minion along with him as he ran. Rufian found himself grinning as he continued to dismantle his target. She was down to a quarter health already, but the battle was on a knife's edge; she was edging closer to the brutish Reinvar and if the big boy got his axes onto Rufian, he would quickly lose the remaining health points he had and would risk the nexus not returning him to a new body.

Two steps and three punches later, he hit the point of no return and peeled off. The witch had cast and ars to dispel the grasping effect on Reinvar and both of them eyeballed Rufian as if he looked tasty.

Taking the hint to get as far away as possible, Rufian turned to run towards the tall grass along the side of the lane. If he could break the line of sight, he could mitigate the damage of the witch's staff. He kept an eye out over his shoulder, and he was glad he did when he spotted Reinvar pulling his right arm back.

As the axe whistled towards him, it's wicked edge flying towards his legs empowered by an ars which would slow him down, Rufian swung his left arm around his body. Desperately hoping he had read his ars correctly and that could time it perfectly he battled the instinct that told him this was a terrible idea and he punched at the axe that was flying towards him.

His left fist made a clanging sound as it struck the axe out of the air.

Checking his avatar quickly, he cheered as he kept running. He had taken no damage from the axe, as he sprinted the few paces into the brush, he smirked as he noted the slow effect hadn't taken hold.

The two enemy avatars couldn't say the same as Seline had been quick to use her area root ars. With Seline slightly behind, Vesuvia had taken it on herself to finish off the witch as another shot from her staff did the job.

*An Enemy has been Slain*

With his ally slain, Reinvar only got wilder as he charged after Rufian as soon as the short root effect ended. He was still slowed by the carpet of roots on the ground around him, but he appeared to be putting everything into securing the kill as his face went red with the effort.

Standing in the tall grass, Rufian checked his remaining health points again.

Rufian Ramuro 121/662 | Level 1

Enhancer - Fighter / Bruiser

He would be courting death if he let Reinvar hit him more than once or twice.

Reinvar appeared to know that as he ran on an oblique angle towards the exit point of the brush, Rufian was standing in, he timed the run perfectly to cut a fleeing Rufian off exactly as he exited the brush at the exact time as Reinvar exited the root effect which ended his slow a moment later.

But Rufian hadn't run.

Nearly laughing as the brute stepped into the brush with a swipe of his axe, he stood and waited for the idiot to catch on. Vesuvia stepped into the brush beside where Rufian had simply stood and waited, and with Seline standing ready in the lane, Reinvar was completely cut off and he knew it as he stood panting in the brush.

"You shouldn't have come back to the rifts, stupid Sylvanman." Rufian jeered.

"I came back to find you and your little friends!" Rienvar spat back and they were all surprised when he spoke Erulean. "We will rip out your throats and drink your blood!"

"That doesn't seem likely from where I am standing."

"I will take you with me then!" Reinvar promised as he charged towards Rufian.

Vesuvia's healing ars felt like a cool breeze and a refreshing drink of water as the wounds from three fifths in a row closed some what and Rufian ran to meet the giant axeman.

A flurry of axe blows and fists followed as Vesuvia assisted with her staff.

*An Enemy has been Slain*

Getting into the groove and launching a flurry of fists, Rufian smiled as they danced. The axe bit into his flesh, and a fist responded. There was no skill, no feints or dodging, it was pure brutality as they tried to end each other's lives as quickly as possible. The Sanguine Curse coursing through each of their essentia pathways sang as they let their most bas, most savage instincts take over. It was going to be close, there was less than a blow difference with Reinvar's axes simply doing more damage despite the speed of Rufian's strikes, he hadn't empowered his damage yet through an ars and it showed.

As the penultimate strikes were thrown, a straight right racing a backhand axe slash, Rufian suddenly knew that he wasn't going to be fast enough. He prepared to take the strike that would finish the avatar off, and he hoped that the nexus had enough essentia to revive him.

Suddenly, an arrow thudded into the back of Reinvar's head. It pierced the skull and seemed like it nearly came out the other side. The brute fell forward limply against Rufian, blood dripping out of his eye, as his avatar collapsed in a wave of essentia motes.

*An Enemy has been Slain*

A voice sounded from the other end of the brush. " I couldn't let you take all the kills, Rufi."

Seline poked out her tongue as she laughed. They abandoned what professionalism they had cultivated as the girls ran over to give Rufian a big hug.

"You did so well, thank you, Rufi!" Vesuvia gushed.

"Great job, Rufian!" Palinus chimed in.

"Well done, all!" Bruchts agreed.

Enjoying the moment for a few seconds Rufian caught his breath, but he sould see the conflicted expression on Seline's face and he laughed as he knew what she wanted to say.

"It's not over yet," he replied to the team, enjoying the look of shock on Seline's face. "Stay focused and finish this off cleanly. We've got more of these to go before we take the village."

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