Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 123: Duel Between Brothers

CH123 Duel Between Brothers

***

"Die!" Kurt roared.

Charge!

Using a momentum-gathering movement technique, Kurt surged towards Alex like a battering ram. His entire form became focused, every muscle loaded with intent as he locked on to Alex with murderous precision.

"Die? Know your place, brat!" Alex barked back, readying himself to receive the blow.

Beast Intimidation! Killing Intent!

Spiritual Force surged from Alex’s ruby-red eyes as he launched a bo of mental attacks. The pressure tore through the air like a silent scream, aiming to shatter Kurt’s mental lock-on and strike directly at his mind.

But the moment the attack reached the edge of Kurt’s Mindspace—

Flash!

—a sudden white light pulsed outward. A powerful artefact activated, erecting an unyielding barrier.

Alex’s mental assault dissipated like smoke hitting a wall.

In that split second, Kurt was upon him. Emboldened by his secret necklace artefact, he roared,

"Your petty tricks won’t work, you waste. Die!"

He leapt, descending with a brutal overhead slash, his massive greatsword howling through the air.

Backstep!

Alex didn’t try to take the blow head-on. He retreated just two steps—small, calculated movements—timed perfectly to intercept the sword closer to its tip rather than the middle or base.

The result?

The immense force of the blow was partially diffused. The sword’s full power, especially that due to gravity, didn’t land squarely.

The centripetal momentum was also redirected instead of transferred.

Alex angled his metal rod into an arched guard above his head, letting the blow glance off while he rode the momentum backward.

But Kurt wasn’t a rookie.

He knew that if Alex rode the arc and retreated cleanly, he’d open himself up to a counterattack. With a heavier weapon, Kurt’s recovery was naturally slower—any lag could cost him.

So he adapted.

Infusing Internal Energy into his arms, Kurt shifted his grip mid-attack. One hand slid from the lower hilt and grabbed the mid-grip between the dual hilts of the Zweihander.

Then—

Boom!

—he twisted his hips, channelled power, and redirected the unfinished downward arc into a vicious diagonal slash.

Battle Intuition!

Alex’s instincts kicked in.

Even as he staggered from the first blow, he twisted his torso and brought the rod across his flank just in time.

Clang!

The blade crashed against the rod with bone-jarring force. Alex’s arms trembled from the shock, but the sturdy metal rod held—just barely.

Kurt was relentless.

Before Alex could recover, the taller warrior lunged forward with an arched downward thrust—aimed to impale him outright.

Alex reacted.

He grounded his stance, toes digging into the arena floor, and stepped forward with a lowered centre of gravity. With one hand, he drew his rod up along the line of his shoulder and spine—angled to guide, not block.

Rather than meet the thrust with brute force, he let the blade slide along the rod’s body, deflecting its path downward like a chute guiding a falling spear.

But Kurt wasn’t about to let him escape so easily.

In the same motion, he leveraged the Zweihander’s unique dual-grip design, pulling back the blade like a rower yanking a paadle to redirect the aborted thrust into a powerful diagonal sweep—forcing Alex’s upper body forward.

At the same time, Kurt’s leg shot out in a wide arc.

Sweep!

It caught Alex cleanly at the ankle.

Alex tumbled to the ground.

Kurt wasted no time. He spun with brutal precision, raising his blade and bringing it down with savage intent—again and again.

Wham! Wham!

Alex barely parried the onslaught, each block deflecting only just enough force to avoid a fatal blow. He rolled with the momentum, using the impact of each strike to shift his body, squirming for a clean escape path.

Finally, he managed to break free and regained his footing—but only barely.

Kurt wasn’t finished.

As Alex staggered upright, Kurt closed in and slashed upwards in a vicious, rising arc.

Alex knew he didn’t have the stance or balance to properly block it.

So—he didn’t try.

Bang!

Metal slammed into metal once more, the impact echoing across the entire arena. Alex’s body was flung backwards, soaring through the air as if launched by a cannon.

He had met the attack not to resist it, but to ride it—using Kurt’s own force to propel himself away.

The gap between them widened instantly.

Before Kurt could press the advantage, Alex turned on his heel and dashed further away, maximising the distance.

Kurt growled in frustration, his momentum lost.

He gave chase, but it was already too late.

Though Kurt was the stronger and more powerful warrior, the difference in their weapons mattered. The Zweihander was heavy, requiring forceful swings and minor recovery delays. In contrast, Alex’s metal rod was light, fast, and precise—optimised for agile bat.

What’s more, Alex had been taught a clever trick by Jared.

Rather than use any flashy movement technique, he adopted a deceptively simple stance:

He held the rod backhanded against his back, the length pressing flat along his spine as he ran.

The rod’s position and weight helped reduce his drag slightly—nothing groundbreaking, but enough to aid his acceleration a bit, something that added up over short bursts.

That was why Kurt—a peak Intermediate warrior enhanced by Internal Energy—couldn’t catch up to Alex, a mage fighting with a handicap.

Alex regained his stance just beyond sword range, turning slowly to face his opponent again.

Kurt didn’t charge blindly. He stopped, analysing Alex with a cold glint in his eyes.

A brief staredown menced.

All the while, the arena—previously caught in stunned silence—exploded with sound.

ROAR!!

The crowd erupted as they processed what had just occurred.

Back-and-forth blows, rolling dodges, surprise thrusts, and near-fatal slashes—everything had unfolded in mere heartbeats, but every movement had burned itself into the crowd’s minds.

"Kurt! Kurt! Kurt!"

"Alex! Alex! Alex!"

Cheers rang out on both sides. Unexpectedly, the support for Alex was nearly on par with Kurt’s.

Kurt gritted his teeth, his fury boiling over.

Alex saw this... and smiled faintly.

Expressionless, he spoke:

"Ah, that was close, brat. Not only did you point your blade at your superior, you’re really trying to kill me, huh?"

Veins popped across Kurt’s face and neck.

The staredown ended.

They charged again.

***