God's Avatar

Gunslinger vs Duelist

The sky turned dim, thunderclouds began forming up in the sky. Nearly everyone struck their heads up to the sky to see the sudden change.

“Rain?”

Alexander muttered doubtedly, the troops behind them began chattering about the weather.

It was a perfect morning and rain was not likely yet...

“Don’t move…”

Ian warned everyone, his hands raised, stopping the march of the troops.

“What’s the matter?”

Alexander asked…

A smell of lightning pierced Ian’s nose, his eyes gazing in the sky as if he was looking for something.

His eyes widened, he now saw someone descending upon them at instantaneous speed.

“Get out of here…” Ian shouted, making everyone even more confused.

“Just what is it?” Alexander urged.

Ian ignored the noisy Alexander, he grabbed the sniper tucked on his back and aimed it at the dimming sky.

-Booom.

An ear-piercing noise resounded throughout the forest as Ian shot [Incendiary shells] up in the air.

-Booom.

An explosion occurred mid-air, the shells hit its mark—

“Look out!”

Panicked briefly, Ian kicked Alexander out from his horse as the streak of lightning from above started cutting the flame and descended from the skies at incredible speed.

The sword cuts through the air, making the air howl but it misses its intended target.

[Rapid Fire]

Ian pulled out his holstered dual pistols and fired successive shots at the swordsman,—no he knew who that was.

The swordsman sidestepped and dodge the bullets, deflecting the rest whose impossible to evade.

He clicked his tongue and jumped off from his horse and started chasing the swordsman who was moving at sonic speed…His aim was on the spot, calculating and simulating its every move.

Bullets fired from his dual pistols pierced through trees and rocks as if they were made of paper.

And the last shot…

“...Argh…”

It let out a small groin as the last shot managed to hit his shoulder, blood gushed out of the deep shoulder and dyed its wuxia traditional clothing black red.

“What are you doing, Jasper?” Ian demanded an answer as his dual pistols aim mercilessly at the bleeding swordsman.

“I should be the one asking you that, why are you protecting the invaders and going along with them?” Jasper replied standing up on his feet.

“What do you mean invaders? They are from the Kingdom of Bethia and Captain Ethan is expecting them—don’t tell me...he didn’t tell everyone about this?”

Ian realized what was going on whilst talking to Jasper, Ethan was the type of captain that doesn’t disseminate information to his members every time. He needs to be reminded from time to time by the managing and coaching staff about it and thus spreading the announcement. But to see his carelessness and his neglect of duty. It led to this.

“Jasper, I’ll explain to you, they are from the Kingdom of Bethia to get the princesses, I already told our captain about this so if you—”

“Shut up”

Jasper looked more irritated, his deadly aura emanating throughout the deep forest, making everyone present shudders.

“Ever since we were transported in this world, you are the first one who manages to injure me first, and it f*cking hurts...Now, forget about it, and let’s continue our duel…”

“You’ve gone mad, Jasper. We have no time to waste on such trifling tasks such as duels…”

“Shameless, you can just tell me that you’re scared. After all, my class counters yours.” Jasper proudly declared and started pointing his taichi intently at Ian. It was a declaration of a duel.

Then the system prompted out of nowhere…

[Will you accept Jasper Ramos’ duel?] (Yes or No)

Ian looked at the floating words in the air. He scratched his head with his left hand as the other one pointing towards Jasper.

“Shameless? Interesting, Jasper you are aware of the fact that I am ranked 3 in the world rankings? What do you think is the reason?” Ian said as he let out a deriding smile.

“Hmm, maybe because you’re always playing ranked while I’m just enjoying life—”

“You’re wrong,” Ian debunked, “It’s because I’m stronger than you…Do you really think that a class match-up would make such a huge difference or even worked in this world? This is our real world now.”

“Then, why don’t we find out about it ourselves.”

Jasper tightly gripped the taichi in his hands as lightning became cloaking its sharp-end.

He activated his passive skill called [The Thunder Blessing], increasing all lightning attributes, attack power, movement speed, and critical chance in a short amount of time. It was an overpowered passive skill that received so much nerf after the Duelist God exploited it.

That’s right, Jasper is the Duelist God in the AEON.

“So I’ll take it as your readiness huh? Then”

“[Vessel of Earth plus Vessel of Fire]”

Ian buffed himself with skills.

Then a showdown commenced, Alexander and his troops are shivering on the bloodlust released by the two competitors of the duel, even by just looking, they knew that both of them were powerful and strong. Their intuition and their sense are telling them not to interject in their battle as they will receive instant death if they do so…

So, they can only watch the battle that will happen at any second.

Jasper slowly breathed out some air, the electric-swathed taichi responded to his voice and started gleaming furiously with power. The surrounding area was vibrating and even the air felt heavy.

“[Thunderclap Strike]”

As he thought of those words in his mind, Jasper dashes forward at blinding speed, his light-speed movement mimicked lightning ripping the air that will decapitate any opponents in its path—.

Time slows down, Ian sees Jasper moving at him even though he is moving at lightning speed. It was thanks to his senses or maybe because of his avatar’s stats.

A normal human wouldn’t be able to see through Jasper even without blinking.

But to Ian, it’s a child’s play.

“...What?”

Jasper saw a floating grenade between them. To think that Ian reacted swiftly in his blinding attack...but he paid it no heed as he slashed the grenade in half…

-Boom!

An explosion that shakes the earth banged in the forest...sending Jasper flying in the forest, hitting the trees with his body, shattering the trees and stones that came in contact with his body.

The knockback didn’t do so much damage but the explosion does. He was certain of it because his health points decreasing right after the explosion.

“How...dirty…tsk”

In an instant, a torrent of bullets rained down Jasper.

-Slash

-Swing

-Swish

The fluid movement of his taichi deflects all the incoming bullets at him. He doesn’t even have an idea of where Ian was after the explosion, leaving him in a disadvantageous position.

The only clue that he has is the trajectory and the movement of the incoming bullets.

Incessant rains of bullets were coming at Jasper at blinding speed, he can’t ascertain the location of Ian. Once a gunslinger gets a vantage point. They will be hard to trace and you need to check every inch of the forest to do so.

He can only deflect, parry, and block the bullets. Leaving him no choice but to use something.

Deflecting the last round, Jasper struck the ground with his swords and shouted:

“[Lightning Rod!]

The blade acting as a conduit, a thunderclap strikes the ground, producing a thunderous noise as it destroyed everything in its radius, leveling the terrains and the surroundings.

The troops who were spectating this match were blown away by a great shockwave, trees were uprooted, rocks and solid ground were turned into dust at the might of thunder.

Now, there is no hindrance that blocks his view as the unlucky trees were disintegrated at the great lightning, he now has a clear view of Ian.

Unfortunately, he was not among the trees and rocks. He was in the high-mountain looking down at him. His sniper aiming directly at him with murderous intent.

“YOU WERE THERE IN THE ENTIRE TIME!!!” Jasper shouted at Ian.

“Always has been,” Ian muttered and fired one powerful shot enough to pierce a mountain. Jasper parried the powerful sniper rounds.

“Two!” The sniper c****d loudly the used rounds were thrown as the new rounds took their position, it fired again.

“Three!”

“Four!”

This time, the rounds were even more powerful, magical power was condensed in this final round.

-Bang!

The bullet traveled at blinding speed. Hitting Jasper, producing a huge explosion that can be seen from afar.

“You lose...Jasper.”

Ian calmly declared and sheathed back his sniper—.

Shudder!

A murderous intent appeared behind him.

‘Too late

Ian realizes this as he saw Ian's sword which was traveling at light speed coming in his nape.

He couldn’t evade, no—he wasn’t able to. It was fast and his body can’t move in such a small amount of time.

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves...Ian!”

-Slashed

The sword sliced his neck, but instead of being beheaded, it gushes a lot of red blood. Ian's health points turned from 85% to 10%. It was a critical hit since Jasper was able to hit one of his vital points.

“That was your mistake..., Ian, that’s why we lost one game in Iceland”

As Ian was struggling to stand up, Jasper with his cold eyes kicked Ian in his solar plexus, sending him flying into the forest and rolling to the ground.

His health point turned 10% to 7% percent.

“You...are you going to kill me?” He loudly voiced his frustration at Jasper who landed in front of him, blood dripping from the tips of his blade.

“Lol, I don’t even know if you can die in this world...so Ian, why not you demonstrate it for me? For sure we will gain important information about death, don’t we? I mean in-game, we can revive ourselves by casting a resurrection spell. But since you accepted the duel in which the winning condition is to make your enemy health points in 1% means that you can’t possibly die. So, whoever reaches 1% health points loses the duel…”

Jasper fluidly explained the duel mechanism, Ian grunted in pain as he stood up once more to fight.

“As if I’m going to accept that, Jasper! You’re the one who’s going to demonstrate it…” He points his index finger at him, leaving Jasper dumbfounded.

“What’s that supposed to d—sh*t”

The two of them jumped out, an explosion occurred in their location.

“A turret?” Jasper immediately found out, one of the sniper turrets placed and installed by Ian in every direction fired at them.

“You!” Angered and infuriated, Jasper sprinted at lightning speed around the forest. Cutting and dicing all the sniper turrets that he can find.

Destroying the last one, Jasper dashes at Ian…

“You’re finished!” Jasper declared…

“No, you’re the one who’s finished,” Ian muttered calmly, declaring his victory in his mind.

He armed his sniper again and aimed at the incoming lightning.

“Take this! [Pierce of Heavens]”

A crimson aura coiled around his sniper, converging at one specific location.

-Bang!

A piercing shot that can pierce through the clouds of the heavens was fired from his gun.

The piercing round hits the lightning, Jasper falls to the ground, blood gushing out from the gaping chest.

[Winner: Ian Alcantara!]

The system prompted again, announcing the winner of the duel.

The gaping hole in his chest started to disappear as Jasper gulped five health potions. All the lingering pain from all over his body recedes.

“That was my first near-death experience…” Jasper chuckled slightly—.

“Eh?”

Ian offered his hand to Jasper, smiling wholeheartedly.

“It was one hell of a fight...Even if you’re a meathead, you are still one of my comrades and brothers. Now, let’s wrap these things out and escort the troops of Bethia.”

“Yeah, it was a good fight. It saddens me that you can one me with your level 100 skills. It rarely happens in-game…”

“So I was just lucky then?”

Both of them chuckled.