Chapter 77: Stalling Tactics

Ash: “*Heavy breathing*.”

Ash took a look around; Nathan had already taken out the other members of TwinMoons and from the looks of him, with little difficulty.

Ash: “*Mumbling* At least make it look hard.”

No sooner did he take his eyes off her, Hilda launched an attack.

Ash: “Tsk!”

Ash swung his blade, but Hilda ducked under it. Hilda thrust her blade forward; Ash turned to the side avoiding it and at the same time swung his second blade down. Hilda raised her shield, but that was exactly what Ash had wanted.

Ash: “Haah!”

Ash activated ‘Blunt Blow’, in ability made specifically for destroying defense. Hilda must have caught on to his intention, for in the last second, she elevated her shield, to ward off some of the attack force. Sparks flew as the sword ran the length of the shield and smashing into the ground, but the impact with the shield was enough to break Hilda’s stance.

Ash: “We’re Not Done!”

With one more smack from his other sword, Ash successfully knocked the shield away leaving Hilda open for attack. Ash swung his blade for a decisive blow, however even with her footing lost, Hilda brought her blade up clashing with Ash’s blade. Using the force of Ash’s attack colliding with her own, Hilda let herself be blown back, getting injured, but gaining some much-needed space. Hilda was now without her shield, her hands felt numb from Ash’s attacks.

Ash wasn’t in a good state either, using ‘Blunt Blow’ consecutively took its toll on his mana. It wasn’t too bad, he had to be careful.

Hilda at a higher level, she had more mana in reserve, so she was better off, but she didn’t understand how he was able to clash with her for so long. Ash was notorious around Loegrey, never in a party for more than a few months, before being kicked out. She had witnessed him duel no more than three weeks ago and his movements was completely different. She was sure he never showed such skill before, yet he was able to hold his own against her.

She glanced over to Nathan, he hadn’t moved since he took out the rest of her team. She thought Nathan must be the reason; she was a component swordsman, so she understood he was strong. If he was to join the fight, she was sure he would lose. In comparison, she was a better swordsman, but it was the way he moved that she feared. As if predicting every attack, she witnessed him dance circles around her sisters. She would need all her strength to take him down, she couldn’t waste time on Ash anymore.

Nathan watching the battle, but something felt off about Hilda. Her sword seemed un-natural, but he couldn’t figure out why, it felt like an impediment. On the other hand, he was wondering what Ash was doing, he was struggling way too much.

Nathan: “(What is he doing?)”

Veronica: “What a fool, this will be over quickly.”

Nathan: “What?”

Ash: “Hey, how about we call it even, even if you beat me you still have to fight him.”

Hilda: “…………….”

Ash: “Not talking huh…then guess we’re doing this.”

Hilda took her sword in both hands, then for a moment disappeared, from Ash’s sight.

Ash: “Woah!?”

*Clang*

Ash brought his sword out just in time to catch Hilda’s, however Hilda began forcing him backwards. Ash jumped back to get some room, but Hilda easily caught up with him and attacked before he was ready.

Ash: “GAH!”

Ash stumbled from the blow, falling backwards and then Hilda was over top of him, bringing her sword down. With cat-like dexterity, Ash placed his hand to the ground and forced himself to spin himself to the side avoiding the finishing blow. Ash quickly got to his feet, just as she began a relentless assault, Ash barely able to meet her blows head on, even with his two-blade advantage. She effortlessly met him strike for strike. Ash was baffled from the sudden change, he knew that she was ranked higher than him, but only moments ago, they were somewhat on equal terms, then her attacks had suddenly become sharper. Nathan, watching the clash, noticed as well. Hilda seemed like a different person. Each strike faster than the last, it was as if she had been holding back the entire time.

Nathan: “What’s going on here?”

Veronica: “It is as you see; she is no longer handicapped and able to show her true power.”

Nathan: “Handicapped, Ah?”

Nathan understood what she meant and why, her blade looked unnatural. It was a two-handed sword, but she was swinging it with one-hand, but with the shield gone it was now being used correctly. With her true skill, Ash could do nothing but defend.

Nathan: “It’s that much of difference without a shield?”

Veronica: “Hilda only uses a shield upon my request; she was originally a vanguard for our party, until we lost a member. In a one on one duel like this, your friend has no chance.”

Nathan: “That’s fine (Were stalling for time anyway, but if Ash just let go, he wouldn’t be having this problem.)”

Ash was tired and pissed off, oddly enough ‘Hyper Reflexes’ didn’t seem to be working. He didn’t feel any sort of enhanced dodging ability, just his own. It was taking everything he had to keep her from getting a solid hit, instead she was slowly chipping away at his health.

Hilda, on the other side, kept pouring on attack after attack, though the attacks were becoming significantly weaker. Ash was constantly using his ‘Blunt Blow’ with his strikes and with every passing moment, Hilda felt her arms growing numb. It had advanced to a point, where she couldn’t even tell how hard she was gripping the sword. Still, she continued attacking, disregarding her weakening strikes.

Ash jumped back as Hilda slashed at him, gaining some distance, his ability must have taken its toll because Hilda did not chase after him. She needed a bit of time to regain some feeling in her hands. Ash, noticing this, decided to end the fight. Activating ‘Critical Strike’, he readied himself, Hilda noticing the surge of mana and did the same. Ash didn’t need to find a weakness while fighting another person, the neck was without a doubt everyone’s weak spot. However, in order for him to do it he had to disregard his defense.

Everyone watching could tell from their stances, this would be there final clash. For a moment they watched both, the tension growing ever thicker. Then with an unknown signal, the two took off at one another. Drawing every closer, the two raise their weapon to strike, however Hilda’s attack was just a little bit faster.

*Bam*

A loud sound resonated through air. Moments later a sword flipped through the air, before smashing into the ground. Hilda dropped to the ground, there was no blood, but she still felt some pain. She could not understand what had just transpired, she was sure she had him dead too rights and yet, with all said and done, Ash stood over her victorious. Her sword had reached him first, but in that last moment, Ash had made some godlike movement, completely avoiding her attack.

With that, TwinMoons were defeated and the duel had ended. Nathan walked over to Ash, who was standing there motionless, looking back and forth between himself and Hilda, he couldn’t understand what had just happened. Nathan smacked him on the back, releasing him from his thoughts.

Nathan: “Nice going there; for a second I thought I was gonna have to fight.”

Ash: “W-What just happened, she had me.”

Nathan: “What?”

Ash: “I’m sure her blade got to me first, I was sure I was hit…….but I wasn’t.”

Nathan: “What, so you didn’t figure it out, it was a fluke?”

Ash: “Figured what out?”

Nathan shook his head and placed a hand on Ash’s shoulder.

Nathan: “Hyper Reflexes” you weren’t using it.”

Ash: “I was trying to use it, but it wouldn’t.”

Nathan: “No you haven’t, from what I could see, you’ve only been using ‘Threat Detection’. It looked like you were fighting against Hyper Reflexes.”

Nathan explained his abilities to Ash, Ash listening and going wide eyed hearing how to utilize it correctly.

Ash: “So because I decided to ignore my defense and put everything into my attack-”

Nathan: “’Hyper Reflexes’ moved you accordingly, it will help you avoid most attacks, as long as you fight the urge to dodge yourself. You’re so used to avoiding attacks, using your own instincts, that you continued to do so the entire fight.”

Ash: “Tell me things like that sooner.”

Nathan: “Sorry, I thought it would suit your fighting style, seeing as how you use two blades.”

Ash: “It’s too difficult to utilize, I don’t know how you fight the urge to avoid an attack.”

Nathan: “It really is hard right?”

Ash: “You’d have trouble using it too.”

Nathan: “Sometimes, like you said, it’s hard to fight the urge to avoid a potentially dangerous moment.”

Melissa: “Hilda…are you alright?...”

Ash and Nathan’s attention was brought back to the TwinMoons; helping there sister up from the ground. Hilda nodded that she was alright, as Melissa helped her stand. The dueling sphere aura was disappearing, allowing them to leave.

Hilda smashed her hand against the ground in frustration, throwing Ash a death glare. Veronica rested a hand on her shoulder, grabbing her attention.

Veronica: “Hilda you were marvelous, I proud of you.”

Hilda nodded to Veronica as she rose to her feet. Nathan approached the group, licking their wounds from the latest defeat.

Nathan: “Hey you lost…where’s the money?”

Veronica sucked her teeth and looked away, as did her sister.

Nathan: “What, don’t tell me you don’t have it, you were that confident in your victory that you bet a hundred thousand without having he money?”

Veronica: “We will get you your money, the terms of the battle never specified that we had to give you the money immediately.”

Nathan: “What…? How under-handed, using loopholes to weasel your way out.”

Ash: “(Even though we’ve being doing the same thing all morning)”

Veronica: “We plan to give you your money, just be patient or I just might spill your little secret.”

Nathan: “Secret, what are you talking about?”

Veronica approached Nathan and Ash, to make sure no one could hear her.

Veronica: “I mean, you wouldn’t want anyone finding out, I’m not the only one betting what I don’t have, right?”

Ash and Nathan jumped back in surprise, cold sweat running their faces. Veronica smiled deviously, seeing their reactions, her sister along with the crowd, wondering what she had said to garner a reaction from the two victors.

Nathan: “How?”

Veronica: “That doesn’t matter, will you be patient?”

Nathan looked to Ash, who nodded and defeat.

Nathan: “W-We’ll be patient.”

Veronica: “Good, good, glad you see things my way.”

Veronica walked back over to her sisters.

Veronica: “We’ll be withdrawing for now, but we will meet again. The glorious TwinMoons will shine even brighter and next time we do battle you will be thoroughly mooned. A mooning so glorious, you will go blind from its intense light.”

Nathan: “Pffftt.”

Ash, held Nathan’s lips, preventing him from laughing out loud again. The girls of the TwinMoon stared daggers at the two, but they were too tired to continue their fight, plus they had to wait an entire forty-eight hours before they could fight them again. Without another word they turned and left, supporting each other as they disappeared into the crowd. Once they were a distance away, Ash let Nathan go.

Ash: “You can’t help yourself, can you?

Nathan: “Nope.”

Ash: “*Sigh*”

Nathan: “Well, that’s that…let’s go, while Iris is doing her thing.”

Nathan took off running again.

Ash: “Wait…can’t I catch my breath first.”

Nathan: “Sure, let ask those adventurers who were watching us fight, if we could take a breath?”

Ash: “Point taken.”

Ash took off, behind Nathan, a few adventurers even given chase, but most had given up after witnessing the fight with the TwinMoons.

Ash: “By the way, what was so funny about the TwinMoons?”

Nathan: “Well, I don’t know about this world, but, where I come from, mooning someone means something else.”

Ash: “What?”

Nathan moved over to Ash and told him what it meant on Earth.

Ash: “So every time they said it, you were thinking that?”

Nathan: “Yup.”

Ash: “Your world is so weird.”

_

_

Virgil casually strolled down the road, humming to himself as he walked. He hadn’t been in such a good mood in a long time. After receiving the letter from the guild leader, he immediately left to meet them. It was a long walk from his home to the guild, it was basically across town. However, he didn’t care, it was worth the walk.

He did notice there was a buzz going on around town, something was happening, and his ears wondered from conversation to conversation. Apparently, someone in town was attempting to complete a quest worth a Jade coin. News like that would have perked his interest two years ago, but once becoming a Hero his activities as an Adventurer had ceased, no, were forbidden. The church doesn’t allow their hero’s to do any guild work, only Hero like work that they assigned. Virgil honestly wished he had known such a thing before he agreed, he loved adventuring, but it was far too late for regrets.

As he left the nobles district, the identity of the adventurer was confirmed. The Lycanian, which had been the talk of the city, was the adventurer currently dueling all over the city, but something didn’t seem right. From what he heard the adventurer was headed in the exact opposite of the noble’s district. The street he was walking down, was the only one that lead toward the district and yet it was calm.

He could think of only one valid reason why, the Lycanian was leading everyone on a wild goose chase. The item he was trying to return wasn’t with him, he was having it delivered some other way.

Virgil looked around; no one seemed out of the ordinary or in any particular hurry.

*Smash*

*Squeeeeeeaaaak*

Virgil: “What on Leseres?”

Virgil looked next to him; a stack of boxes next to him suddenly fell over and made the strangest of noises. Then something tumbled out from the pile, its eyes spinning from the collision.

Virgil: “A mouse?”

Virgil stood over the confused thing, a browned-furred large-eared mouse, with a patch of white on the top of its head and stomach. The mouse shook its head, regaining its composure from the crash.

Virgil had been living here on the noble district for two years, not once had he ever seen a rodent running the streets. It was always clean and vermin-free. Virgil pulled out his knife, he didn’t really care if it got away, but it could very well make it way to his house.

*Squeak*

The moment Virgil pulled out his weapon, the mouse turned his way bared its fangs.

Virgil: “What!?”

Virgil was shocked to see a rune circle suddenly appear in front of the Mouse. Then a moment later, several fireballs were heading straight for him. His ‘Gale Force’ circling him he, prevented any attack or anyone from attacking him head on. The fireballs were in blown away, by the spiraling winds, but a second later the earth began to shake. Virgil leaped away as jagged stone spires rose up from the ground, threatening to impale him. The attack only lasted a moment, but when Virgil had turned around, the mouse was no longer there.

Virgil was awestruck; there were creatures out there that could cast spells, but never in such quick succession. More than that, the mouse fired its first spell, then immediately switched to a spell that could counteract his wind. It analyzed him in seconds and acted accordingly and the moment Vigil was distracted, it escaped. Virgil smiled, a feeling came over him, excitement. He had a prior engagement, but this was too good an opportunity. He was in-the-market for a new pet and this would be crime to pass up.

Virgil looked around, ignoring the passerby’s who had witnessed the event. He had lost track of it. He scattered the winds surrounding him, acting as a sensor, the wind blew through the area looking for even the smallest of un-natural movements. Nothing on the ground, but as the winds traveled higher, for a fleeting moment, something had, caught his attention and with that he leapt high into the air to go investigate.

Virgil: “Will find out what you truly are.”