The Basics
1145 Words
I didn’t actually expect him to accept. The code of honour most knights and nobles have would make them accept any request to duel as it is a matter of pride, but for them, it’d usually just be to first blood and in addition, this unwritten rule only applies from noble to noble. Not when challenged by some stranger. Sir Agarde here has no reason to do this. There’s nothing but downsides to this, if I win, he fails completely. If I lose well, yeah he didn’t need to do anything or risk anything besides himself, while this is a benefit, his main purpose here is to be a reminder of what happens if you defy the nobility.
Not putting a fair amount of the city to the torch and the sword? Unthinkable in his position. Even if he dislikes hurting commoners, not having a rampage here would get him punished when he gets back. So, why is he doing this? Unless there’s a superior he wants to piss off… is that worth risking his career and status for? I descend slowly down to the ground as I see a very excited massive metal man. His size actually rivals Zards, is he even human under that armour? I can’t tell, there are no signs of horns or different eyes, but the Knights of the Hammer do not show personal features as a sign of anonymity and power.
He raises his large shield up to protect himself as my feet finally touch the ground. I’m confused for so many reasons. Can I win this? I thought I was going to intimidate him but I’ve been forced into one on one conflict yet again, if he’s a B-Ranker, maybe I can edge a victory even if temporarily like I did with Yarul but if he’s an A-Ranker, I’m pretty much boned. Wait, thinking about it, he’s an A-Ranker for sure, it’d be stupid if he wasn’t. Four B-Ranks perished the day before. An A for an A would be the proper risk assessment for the Hammer to take.
Shit. I’ll be beaten instantly in an upfront melee. Even if I pull out every trick in the book, can I even last more than a few exchanges? I’ll doom him and wait for his time as always but I’ll need some way to keep him at bay. I drag my new weapon out and grip it hard in my right hand. Tha hatchet begins to eat away at my vitality. This might help me turn the tide. I have to mess with this guy and then smack him down until the last second.
“Supreme Spell: Doom.” A pulse of energy as the usual timer burns itself into my right hand. There’s a tiny and nearly unnoticeable shock from Agarde as he realises what I just did to him, but it is nothing but a moment within a moment. He is not a lesser warrior, he knows hesitation is death. He bounds forward and swings with his blade from the right and slams with his shield from the left, trying to scissor and capture me within his large frame. I cast a minor float and jump. I kick off his shield and send myself a fair distance back. Doing this against an A-Ranker is insanity. I only pull it off by making an accurate prediction of where the shield will be.
Trying to react in real-time to what he’s doing is impossible for me. I need to predict his movements and preempt them for any sort of chance. I cast a screen of fog with the second I just bought. It’s not like the day before, it’s just my own magic, so it only causes the bizarre visual effect of being seethrough fog but hopefully, the paradoxical nature will be enough to mess with his head just a bit more. Every second I get counts, that’s the new mantra of my life. Timing is everything. I can’t mess it up.
Agarde has paused. Doubting what he sees. The knights behind him murmur as well. No matter who, when they see this trick for the first time reacts the same way. They don’t quite comprehend what they see straight away. I use that blindspot to strike back. “Supreme Spell: Cataclysmic Eruption!” I release a way of molten lava from my left hand, it stretches out like a serpent intent on devouring everything in its way. Agarde side steps the seemingly deadly conjuration of flame while his subordinates clear away, presuming this fight to now be way out of their depth and now there shouldn’t be any chance of them interfering if they think I’m incredibly powerful. Shouting out my spells as Supreme class; which they technically are, while silly provides me with this psychological advantage.
My adversary charges at me with his shield raised to take on any incoming attacks and his sword poised to fall down upon me yet again. I use all my movement spells again. Floating, acceleration, slowdown, time alterations, gravity changes, all with tiny effects, but every little helps in my circumstances. I continue to predict his moves correctly and dodges his repeated swings. The gale pressure from his attacks feels like it could slice me in two if he was just a bit closer. Whenever his blade touches the ground, the earth cracks and crumbles just from the weight being pressed on it. This guy is A-Rank in power for sure…
Yet, I can predict all his moves. They are so incredibly honest. There’s nothing flashy. No magic, no reality-defying techniques, just pure direct power and proven movements. He’s not trying to do anything special. He just tries to corner me with basic moves. Why? Why is he doing this? Does he really think that’s the best way to deal with me? Or is he holding back on purpose? That’d be insane. His life is on the line. Is he trying to bait me? Make me think he’s weak, and then when his time is almost over he’ll smack me down with his true strength? Trying to end it in that particular instant? I have no idea. I can read his body like an open book but his mind is a mystery. What is it? What is he doing…? It feels like something is creeping down my neck. Something bad is going to happen. I can’t shake away this uncertainty…
- Writer
