"Stay still!" Ferris shouted, squeezing his thighs around her skull so he wouldn't fall off.

"No, you stay still!" she barked back before suddenly kicking her head back onto a building nearby.

However, Ferris avoided being squashed by moving around her head to her neck, then clinging on like a monkey.

Due to the lack of a medium for his sword essence, Ferris lifted his arm high, so he could gain as much momentum as he could. The strike needed to be fast and heavy enough to pierce through her scales and reach the nerves running along her neck—any less, and it would barely scratch her.

But just when he was about to deliver his finish, that audible clap came to his ears once more.

His entire perspective shifted as he found himself standing behind Artemis from a good distance away, then he saw Executor latched tightly onto Artemis's neck, his arms locked around her like chains, just like he was before.

Seriously, that blessing... Ferris lamented, but he had to adapt or die.

Not only did Executor get him once, but thrice. Each time Ferris didn't see it coming.

I need to start predicting when he'll use it.

Ferris considered his options, but he chose not to engage, preparing to make a run for it now that he was in an advantageous position to escape.

But before he even took one step, Ferris paused as he stared at both of them.

Executor climbed on top of her neck and posed in victory. "I saved you! Will you start respecting me now—huh?"

Unfortunately, with her horn gone, the sharp, relentless pain overwhelmed Artemis's senses, drowning out every sound that reached her ears.

Because of that, she dropped flat to the ground, curling up and shielding her head and neck with her arms like a cornered beast.

Her massive wings folded forward, forming a barrier around her head and neck as she began channeling her essence. A low rumble followed inside her throat followed before a burst of fire erupted.

But with her own wings blocking the flames, all that power was forced into the confined space around her head area, scorching everything nearby.

Unfortunately for Executor, it was already too late.

A rose glow emerged from the membrane of her skin as the air around it became hazier to the eyes.

He's cooked... Literally. Ferris pursed his lips, seeing the unbelievable sight. Is this even a two versus one? Their teamwork communication is terrible.

Ferris genuinely began to question whether he should stick to his stalling tactic or fight them head on.

But just as he was about to reach a conclusion, Artemis ceased her devastating flames.

There was a bit of wear and tear on her wings, but compared to her previous fire breath, the temperature wasn't enough to destroy them.

Unfurling her wings—still glowing red-hot and hot enough to ignite the air—Artemis revealed Executor, who was somehow still standing despite the blast.

His body was scorched completely, yet he remained upright for a moment before leaping down from her back.

Once on the ground, he shook off the charred material clinging to him like a dog shaking off water. The movement sent small flakes of burned material scattering through the air.

Executor patted his skin, which had lost its shine, there were also tiny pinkish bubbles forming from the burns, but overall he did not seem to mind.

What kind of constitution do you have? Ferris thought. He imagined the only way to put down Executor was to kill him outright.

A body that doesn't yield to anything except mortal wounds.

That's definitely a hard opponent to fight, especially when outnumbered like this.

I can't believe I thought I had a chance at winning against these two back at the water park...

I need to get my senses checked by a physician. Ferris silently jested.

Well, anyway... any smart person would choose to keep running.

Ferris repeated his usual routine of stalling for time and running away. However, there was that audible clap from Executor once again.

"There's simply no escape, swordmaster. Our battle isn't—

Slice!

"Gotcha," Ferris smiled at the warrior.

From the very beginning, he had anticipated Executor's strange ability. That was why he'd deliberately run in the opposite direction, making it seem like he was retreating once again.

When the inevitable switch happened, Ferris was already in position.

He managed to deliver a deep cut on Executor's stomach, deep enough that Ferris could somewhat see the pinkish insides.

Ferris could've gone for the head, but because of the nature of his plan, he had to deliver a blow as fast as possible.

But that thought saved Executor, instead of falling down, he simply staggered backward while holding his abs.

"Woah! You got me," Executor exclaimed, but not a hint of discomfort could be heard in his voice.

With a heavy 'hmph', Executor tightened his muscles around the cut, effectively sealing it from seeping.

Ferris was right, this man would simply not die that easily.

But unexpectedly, Executor chose not to counterattack. "Time out."

Clap!

Executor triggered his blessing, swapping places with Artemis. She froze in surprise for a split second but quickly recovered, releasing a focused beam of fire straight toward Ferris.

Ferris reacted instantly, slipping out of the way just before the flames scorched the ground where he stood.

By now, he knew running was useless, escaping was impossible as long as Executor could swap positions at will. Ferris had no choice but to fight head-on.

He steadied his stance and prepared to strike, but before he could even swing, Executor descended from above, launching a sudden ambush that caught him completely off guard.

Ferris dodged again, then changed the flow of his blade toward Executor.

Clap!

Once again, Ferris's position swapped with Executor's, throwing off his balance mid-motion.

Bam!

Before he could react, a crushing blow slammed into his side—Executor's fist connecting cleanly with his liver. The impact sent a wave of pain through his body as he was blasted away.

Clap!

Switching Ferris with Artemis, Ferris was attacked again by Executor, but it was ineffective.

As for Artemis, who inherited the new momentum, she was thrown away like a spinning wheel.

"Stop doing that! It's so damn annoying!" she complained loudly, enough to freeze them for a second.

"Battle sister, we should be in sync!" Executor advised.

but when that happened, Ferris went in to stab him in the same wound he inflicted a moment ago before pulling his hand out, blood trailing his motion as he did so.

Unfortunately, the surface was too slippery due to the blood and fluids, so Ferris wasn't able to take anything inside Executor's digestive tract.

"Y-you're quite ruthless, I'll give you that," Executor blurted out.

Then he looked up to the skies to see Artemis, who was already high above. Executor smiled and raised his open palms.

He's gonna do it! Ferris pushed forward in an instant. He'll make me switch places with Artemis, so I'd fall from the sky!

Taking the gamble, Ferris lunged and locked his arms around Executor, tackling him with full force.

He can't swap my position with hers if I'm this close, Ferris reasoned, tightening his grip.

If Executor activated his blessing now, he'd end up materializing inside Artemis's much larger body and that would crush him instantly.

At least, that was the theory. Ferris had no way of knowing how precise Executor's ability truly was. For all he knew, the man could control the exact coordinates of the swap.

But such assumptions didn't matter in the end.

Executor still brought his hands together and clapped.

Then almost immediately, the freezing winds high above bit into their skin like a thousand needles as both of them were teleported to where Artemis was previously at.

He has that much range? Ferris figured out another clue, but more importantly, he figured out something else.

"You're crazy, man..." Ferris had no choice but to say it out loud.

A cold breath exited from the vents of Executor's helmet. "Then let us dance like mating falcons."

"...Are you kidding me?" Punch!

It was a clean punch right on the point. But without any ground to use for footing, all they could do was clumsily weave and attack each other as they spun around in free fall.

The entire airtime felt like forever due to the high-intensity dogfight.

But they were about to hit the ground in the next couple of seconds.

"This is fun!" Executor shouted before slamming his forehead into Ferris's.

"…Can't say I share the feeling," Ferris muttered with a smirk, blood dripping from the corner of his forehead.

Right after that, Ferris noticed a buildup of essence below them, it was Artemis charging up her fire breath.

Reacting instantly, Ferris wrapped his arm around Executor's neck, locking him in a chokehold and twisting their bodies midair until Executor faced the incoming attack.

But Ferris didn't stop there. With his free hand, he pressed tightly against the narrow slits of Executor's helmet.

"What's wrong?" he said through gritted teeth. "Can't teleport, can you?"

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