Clang!

What the hell!? So much force!!

Viers didn't expect Jarret’s strike would overpower his own so greatly. Gritting his teeth, Viers managed to avoid the broadsword’s path and successfully evaded the first strike. But the hasty evasion made his posture thrown out of order and Jarret kicked him on the chest.

“Megaton Kick!”

Viers conjured a water barrier by reflex, a feat that saved a great chunk of his HP.

Using his left hand, Viers pulled a knife with a magma-like blade and jammed it into the knee, at the joint of Jarret’s armor.

It’s harder than I thought!

Viers expected to make Jarret’s knee severely injured but Jarret seemed fine. Viers curbed the pain of cracked ribs by using Pain Tolerance Arte once again.

“Your aura… you truly are a Level 2. So young and already on that Level, impressive. Horisso Rhino Strike!”

Jarret charged at Viers like a rhino, his broadsword was like a rhino’s horn. The Victa put into the attack was incredible, the tip of the sword was glowing with metallic gray light.

Water Sleet!

Unlike the other people, Viers didn’t shout the name of his Arte while releasing it.

“Gah!?”

Jarret slipped because his footing suddenly turned wet and slippery. Viers reposed Jarret’s superior Arte and momentum by using a tiny bit of terrain adjustment.

Cut the Crap!

Viers swept his sword to the fallen Jarret’s neck without hesitation. Striking an enemy when they were down!

Clang!

Instead of seeing a splash of red, Viers heard the sound of metal hitting metal. Viers felt the sensation of hitting a metal telephone pole on his sword arm.

“Porcupine Form!”

All the metal on Jarret’s person changed shape into sharp needles 30 centimeters long. Viers was forced to jump back and he dashed towards the narrow passage.

Viers was running away!

Power, speed, endurance, skill, he’s harder to kill than I thought. The wiser action here would be to leave him in the dust.

“I knew you would do that, Iron Cage of Honor!”

Metal bars rose from the ground, entrapping Viers and Jarret in a cube of metal. The length and width were ten meters and the cage prevented anyone caught inside from climbing over it.

WWE’s steel cage? Shit!

“I have been preparing this Arte for hours. Now you won’t be able to get away. And reinforcements are coming. As long as I keep you here, my victory is assu-”

“Cut the Crap!”

Viers attacked him midsentence, he had no patience of listening to his bullshit while he was on the clock. Viers slashed Jarret’s neck once again, at the same spot from earlier. This time, there was a chink on the metal.

Juggernaut Armor was damaged? I really can’t underestimate him. I must go all out!

Jarret didn’t expect a water Pathseeker which wasn’t known for their attack power would be able to pierce his defenses but the fact showed otherwise.

“Iron King’s Valor!!”

Jarret’s power and speed went up a notch, suddenly unleashing an upward rising slash.

Fast!

With a hair’s breadth, Viers dodged.

Tluk.

But his Hannya mask was cut at the string, dropping to the ground.

“Only a coward hides behind a mask,” Jarret said.

Viers’ eyes turned sharp, like a lion challenging a tiger. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll soon be dead,” he replied.

They both resumed their dance of death. In a cage of metal, both men clashed blades. Sparks of fire were created when they traded blow by blow with their weapons. Fast yet delicate footwork as they traversed the limited space to achieve superiority against their opponent. Each side threw magical Artes into the mix, making the chaotic situation more unpredictable.

A single mistake would be fatal.

In the beginning, they were about even but the balance didn’t last long.

Jarret slowly achieved dominance over the other, because of Iron King’s Valor Arte.

Pathseekers raised their physical capability by coursing Victa to their body. Iron King’s Valor was a technique a step above that. It was a body strengthening Arte, which Viers didn’t have.

He didn’t have the time! Viers was currently on the run and there were so many things Viers had to do. Viers wasn’t superhuman, his time and energy were limited so he had to make a judgement call on what he should prioritize.

Creating a water body strengthening Arte was not at the top of his list.

In addition of body strengthening, was metal Artes durability. Combined, a straight-up battle was very disadvantageous for Viers. His water Artes couldn’t really pierce Jarret’s defenses.

Fuck! So hard! It’s like hitting a rock with bare hands. I’m really at an elemental disadvantage here. Viers realized he was on the back foot.

In other stories, against hard opponents like these, water users would use a water cutter technique. A high-pressure stream of water that able to cut diamond… but I can’t do it yet!

Viers knew the theory but to put it into practice was another thing entirely.

First, there was no body of water in the vicinity, limiting his options. His sword contained water but the amount was not much, about two barrels tops, which kept dwindling as he used them to empower his Arte during the fight. Second, Viers simply didn’t have the skill to create a water jet cutter at the moment.

Clang!

Viers lost his sword, blew away by Jarret's strong strikes. His hand was numb from parrying too many of Jarret’s attacks.

This is the end!! Jarret was convinced of his victory.

A powerful head-butt hit Jarret on the nose. Viers was bleeding from the forehead instead of Jarret.

Iron King’s Valor also provided the user’s body the hardness of metal.

“It’s useless,” Jarret taunted.

“So what?”

Viers gave a stronger head-butt. Again, and again, and again.

Viers didn’t stop even after his face was covered by a great amount of blood. Defying all expectations, Viers used his flesh and blood to hit the metal face of Jarret’s.

Viers’ head-butts weren’t useless, Jarret was reeling.

Amazing will and drive. His battle sense is incredible, combined with that ruthlessness of his, truly a formidable opponent… but I will be the winner!

“Megaton Strike!”

Jarret countered with a head-butt of his own. The strike made Viers’ vision spin.

They were grappling at close-range, Jarret big broadsword was unsuitable at such range so he abandoned it. Both hands free, Jarret placed them on the outlaw’s neck as he drove Viers to the cage’s metal bars.

“Khhhkh!” Viers’ back was hurting.

Jarret tightened his grip on Viers’ neck. The thought of capturing him alive was no longer in Jarret’s mind. He was intending to choke Viers to death.

Viers tried to break free, hitting Jarret’s arms from above but Jarret was stronger than Viers. Despite both of them using Level 2 Victa, Viers was at the losing end.

There were three reasons for this. The first was Jarret was physically stronger than Viers. The second was despite similarly being a Level 2, Jarret progressed further as a Pathseeker than the newly advanced Viers. The third was Jarret used a body strengthening Arte while Viers did not.

Don’t fuck with me!!!

Viers jammed his left hand’s index and middle finger on Jarret’s right eye.

“CAAAAAAAAIIIN!!”

Arte — Metalgigas Slam.

With a primal and pain-filled roar, Jarret smashed Viers to the solid ground whilst still choking him. The force was so great it made a deep crater.

“Ghakh...”

Viers coughed blood. His inner organs were injured. Jarret wasn't letting up; he raised his metal right fist, ready to send it down to Viers’ face. Blood streaming down from his right eye. The look on his steel face was of focused hate.

“For Franc-”

“Shut the fuck up and die!”

Blood covering most of his face, Viers’ expression was no less intense. But his was not of hate, it was the expression of a deep calculating predator from the netherworld.

When the first syllable entered Jarret’s ears, Viers already invoked his Arte.

His first self-created soul attribute Arte.

Viers made a rectangle with his thumb and index finger on both hands. Viers peered from the other side of that metaphorical lens and unleashed might!

Arte — Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror!

Jarret was blinded, engulfed by a flash of brilliant white light.

“UUUAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Jarret's earlier scream was because the pain of the body, now was the pain of the soul. The latter was far, far, more excruciating. The metal Pathseeker fell backward, unconscious. His eyes were wide open, showing only whites.

A single photo fell to the ground while Viers was coughing, desperate for air.

What a strong bastard…

Viers was taking a few seconds to catch his breath. He wanted to move immediately but his body wouldn’t listen to him. Lying on the ground, Viers saw the cage of iron was dissolving because Jarret was unconscious.

He’s… still alive.

Viers was struggling to get back on his feet when he heard the sound of other people.

Huff, huff, reinforcements? I’ve got to run! Urh…

Viers took his sword, mask, backpack, and that photo before limply moving through the narrow pass.

“Look! That’s Captain Jarret!”

“He’s still alive!”

“Give Jarret some healing. The rest of you, go after Cain. He must be injured after fighting Jarret,” Roy led a dozen men through the pass.

Cain was nowhere in sight, not even his shadow.

A red sun had risen, as if signaling their defeat.