Luca glanced at him. "Opponent?"
Tisane chuckled in amusent.
"Now you can’t refute. Let’s have a duel, farm boy."
He turned back to her with an arched brow.
’How does she know... no, wait.’
His gaze shifted to a red haired that had been standing behind them for a while.
’Thalia. Is she the one pushing for this? Does the Ardenthal Household have my personal information?’
"Alright, I accept." He brushed past her into the grounds.
Tisane followed closely while Torquad and Thalia stood afar and watched.
They weren’t the only ones.
Tisane materialized and Luca did the sa as they located an open spot.
"I’m going to enjoy exposing everything about you."
"Talk less. Act more."
He rolled his shoulders.
"Didn’t you know talkers are liable to die?"
Tisane’s expression turned ugly.
"You an smokers."
"Hah, guess you weren’t dumb, after all."
Luca didn’t like jabs. In fact, he was the type to avoid speech conflicts since they did more harm than good.
But if it ca hard at his face like this or he was simply frustrated, he would throw words at whoever dared to start it.
Tisane’s mouth opened then closed.
It seed like she was out of words... and perhaps she was.
Instead, she readied her stance and Luca did the sa, though as usual, riddled with the sa laxity and holes.
’It doesn’t make sense. How is he able to fix his movents after standing in such an awkward position.’
Tisane began to decipher the boy carefully.
’There are holes in his stance... I should be able to land a proper attack easily.
Damaging even major organs.’
The image of Luca’s previous duel and the boy who lost his leg in the process replayed in her head.
’But... is it more than that?’
anwhile, Luca had other things on his mind.
He had chosen to avoid using it until now, but his identification talent clicked as he willed it.
[3RD STAGE, EXPLORER]
’I thought so.’
He postulated that she may even be nearer to the fourth stage.
’I can feel the difference in the purity... she’s a strong opponent.
The strongest I’ll be facing so far.’
He ignited his form imdiately.
A command that sent a soft flow of energy throughout his body.
Imdiately, he checked out everything.
His heartbeat. Bloodflow. Muscle contractions.
Even without knowing their functions, their constant fluctuations during adrenaline- induced monts were evident.
Luca was now in control.
Tisane felt the shift almost imdiately.
But even with how deeply she stared, she couldn’t figure out the cause.
’Wait... is it perhaps a–
"Begin."
The two kicked the floor with a sonic boom.
The earth compressed as their feet lifted off, followed by a blur of golden and black.
Sword t sword in a rain of flickering lights.
Luca’s gaze narrowed as a deep exhale escaped his lips.
’My opponent is soone who’s had proper training since she was born.
The Valestryn Household is a Noble Household under the Ardenthals with more Knights than any other archetype.
If I want to win this... I will have to pay attention. Always.’
"Hey, shortie, why don’t we make this interesting?"
Luca looked up as their blades dug into each other. A tug-of-war between domination as their muscles strained from the constant push.
They leaned into each other briefly, before suddenly jumping backwards and lunging at each other once more.
The air rippled and a loud clash echoed.
Their swords turned into white whisks that crashed into each other with brutal efficiency.
The atmosphere grew heavy and the ground quaked.
"I’m listening."
Tisane suddenly swung from beneath– an undercurve that Luca dodged by taking a step back.
Their blades struck, and the rebound sent them sprawling back.
But Tisane suddenly moved.
She flowed with the force of the rebound in the direction her sword had been knocked to and spun to the side.
Luca groaned and leaned downwards as the blade sliced through the air.
"I’m not really gaining anything from this Duel, am I? If I lose, you’ll take my place as 11th, so why not add a wager on your part?"
Luca rolled to the side as Tisane’s sword ca crashing down with a solid crack.
Earth and sand jolted into the air as stones fell down her path.
Her hair danced with the erratic motion of her movents and her face bead with excitent.
She charged at Luca once more.
"Don’t keep waiting."
Luca stood to his feet as their blades crashed with the weight.
The ground descended, but Luca was completely fine.
He slid to the side with the sa chanical precision and aid for a side slice.
Tisane sensed it.
She caused her sword to curve backwards and block.
The impact was rattling.
A force that sent her pushing forward.
Luca leaned and lunged.
She imdiately rotated with the sa montum, dodging Luca’s lethal thrust, and dragged her sword along the air current as it ca down for a strike.
"Beco a retainer to Lady Thalia."
The words startled Luca, but he was too far gone to let it hinder his stride.
His sword stabbed into empty air while his form hinted at an unsteady gait.
With the incoming sword and the impossibly difficult angle, anyone would have considered this the end.
But not Luca.
His form surged.
A violent rush of Ego rolled out of his body as he forced his entire body to the edge of the blade. Her sword cut through his clothes and into part of his flesh.
He skidded as the force sent him much further than expected, nearly colliding with a group of Cadets who quickly left the area.
With a sigh, his gaze locked onto the widened eyes of Tisane.
’The way she moves is like water. Every rebound is transford into energy which she manipulates in whatever direction she wishes to counter.’
He narrowed his eyes.
’Is this one of them? Fighting Styles.’
Fighting Styles were the core of battle Archetypes.
Fist techniques, movent techniques, palm techniques, sword techniques, Shield techniques. These were all techniques distinct from one another within different Fighting Styles... and Luca was certain she was using one of them.
’Not one of those basics... but a rarer one.
Perhaps the technique of her Household?’
Tisane slowly walked towards Luca with her sword hanging loosely in her grasp.
While Luca calculated his next course of action and the Fighting Style she used, she was critically breaking down the boy she fought.
’It doesn’t add up. He’s stronger and faster than his synchrony score.
No, it’s more than that. Even his Ego.’
She bit on her lower lip.
’He’s becoming more absurd by the minute... the kind of genius that fits perfectly in our plans.’
"So, what do you say?"
Luca flinched slightly on hearing her question, but then he shook his head.
"Sure, I don’t really care since I’ll be winning this either way."
Tisane laughed awkwardly.
"I like your confidence at least."
At that, she had seriously considered using a high-level Fighting Style.
One Luca would be incapable of following.
’Well, let’s just get this over with.’
She blitzed through the air in a dark blur, appearing next to Luca who still stood in place. His head whipped in her direction as his sword ca next.
A snap. Then a sonic boom.
The sound erupted in sequence as their blades struck. Ego flared upon contact.
A thick murky black violently attacked a pale, golden shade and a fist fight of energy began.
’Seven tis strength applies to everything for . aning no part of hasn’t been reinforced sevenfold.’
It had been a problem at the back of his mind.
The limitations of his trait.
And frankly, he had yet to find it.
Even now.
’Let’s see what happens when I fight at full throttle!’
The change was instant.
A sudden eruption of golden energy blasted out of Luca’s body. His hair flared and his eyes darkened with a devilish hue.
Tisane didn’t need to feel it this ti since it occurred right in front of her.
’More?!’
Her thoughts froze as she quickly brought her blade to her face.
A fist ca crashing into it, blasting her back with a solid force.
She groaned.
But charged imdiately.
The next series of actions was filled with complex movents, precise Ego Control and a duel of the century.
Tisane was an unstoppable viper.
Every motion led into the other.
Her actions– which stemd from her Fighting style, were an elent of wonder.
She had yet to use her form, but she was a force Luca respected.
The young farr boy followed with clinical counters and solid strikes.
Gone were the holes they saw as it was replaced by sothing else– precision.
Their blades t with solid strikes.
Their counters caused the sand to rise and the earth to carve from the force.
Tisane had charged at him with a thrust.
The edges of their blade t and a firework of sparks blasted from the impact.
Suddenly, she rose into the air, spinning sideways with her sword crashing down like a continuous wheel of doom.
Luca countered with his sword.
Striking with the sa speed she spun.
His sword struck hers at every interval until she landed.
At so point, they had beco a blur to everyone else around them.
All except those strong enough to follow the duel.
Then Luca swung his leg out.
Tisane groaned as she blocked with her arms.
His leg collided with it and she was forced to skid down the earth.
Panting heavily, she looked up to find Luca already upon her.
’Shit.’
She swung with the sa frenzy as her heart began to flicker with a thought that had found its way to her head.
’Am– Am I going to lose?’
User Comments
0 comments from readers