The guard to his left saw an opening and dove in, hacking toward him. Benedict saw everything perfectly and intercepted. With a sharp clang, the two clashed. His other two opponents did not let up. One from the left, center, and right, this instantly forced him into a dire situation! This was no honorable fight. They would not fight one by one. Benedict grimaced as he threw off the blade on his left to face the other two. He pivoted and slashed sideways. The attack forced the two to pull back, giving him precious breathing room.
Benedict did not hesitate to jump back as well and widen the distance between them. If possible, he wanted to flee. He was not an arrogant person, nor was he ignorant. He understood his limits perfectly well and this was clearly not a fight he could win. Even if he fled, his success would be short-lived. They could simply call out for reinforcements to surround him. Worse yet, Elizabeth's situation would spiral out of control. That said, he had no idea whether Elizabeth was here or not… so one could say that Benedict's situation was already out of control!
I'll have to bide my time and wait for the perfect opportunity! Benedict was grim.
That was his best chance. He would have to feign weakness, allowing his enemies to gain confidence. This would, in turn, lower the chances of them calling for help. Then, he could strike out with fearsome force to end the battle in one shot! This was a psychological game! Truthfully though, he did not have to pretend. Facing against three opponents simultaneously, was it so easy? He was stretched thin, multi-tasking three separate fronts at once!
Moreover, their combat standards were not weak either. They might be a shade weaker than the guards Elizabeth faced, but those guards were responsible for the Lannisail's secret floor. Those guards had to be a notch stronger. On the other hand, the ones before Benedict were responsible for protecting the Lannisail Household estate. Algard was considered mostly safe, yet for the sake of appearance, they could not look too meek. Therefore, his opponents hovered around the Fundamental Realm Adept level, the same as himself! It was a dire situation!
The three advanced as one, their coordination was impressive! One took the lead in attacking, while the other two assisted from the side. Benedict was forced to fight defensively, taking a one-sided beating! By relying on the Hawken Style, he could barely keep his head above water. He did not expose any weaknesses. But his opponent sneered. Benedict's foundation in swordsmanship was rocky at best. With two stances barely mastered, his flexibility and control were incapable of lasting. If he did not show any weaknesses, then his opponent just had to make one!
They clashed once more, sending sparks flying. Suddenly, his opponent twisted his wrist, sending his blade down. He forced Benedict's sword to follow him! This opened a massive hole in Benedict's defenses! He grimaced as the other two guards swooped in like birds of prey. There was no time to think. Thankfully, he was prepared. The first stance of the Hawken Style! He shifted his body weight with his feet to leap back. His reaction time was excellent. Unfortunately, his execution was not. The first blade narrowly skimmed his chest, but the second pierced into his thigh!
He winced as the blade left his skin, drawing blood. Although the blade had not penetrated far into his skin, merely putting pressure onto his leg aggravated his wound further. He could not use his leg so easily now. Benedict despaired while his opponents chuckled. His first stance relied heavily on footwork to control the flow of battle. It was by far the easiest stance to learn, and also the one he mastered the most. He used it in nearly every previous battle! Comparatively speaking, the second stance relied on excellent eyesight and prediction to counter! It placed a huge emphasis on perception with a combination of offense and defense. Defensively, it was weaker than the first! Benedict had no choice but to switch to the second stance.
He moved quickly, regaining his demeanor, as his sword changed positions. He swept the ground with his feet, brushing away any debris. Suppressing the pain in his leg, the glint in his eyes deepened. His concentration shot towards the peak! Everything entered his senses! The second stance! The three guards exchanged a glance and nodded. They dashed forward with their sword. They planned to end it! Once more, a triple-pronged attack! Benedict held his breath and watched everything intently. Every step, every muscle, every glance, every breath, and every swing… A vast swarm of information drowned his mind. The three entered his range at nearly the same time, but that gap was as clear as day to him!
There was no time to think. His sword moved instinctively! Benedict swung down on his center, with impeccable timing and speed. Using his momentum, he curved into his right then to the left with a single smooth motion. He blocked all three strikes successfully! The battle did not pause, and the blows rained down like a storm. Because they were in a semi-secluded area and the attention of everyone was drawn to the main gate by the arrival of the Alzar Kingdom's forces, their fight went unnoticed! Benedict's mind was frazzling as he could barely keep up. Every fourth or fifth slash would land on him. His arms were practically flying in every direction! His chest, his arm, his leg, his face… Everything was sliced. Some were deep and bloody, while others were grazes.
There was no chance to counter. He took a brutal one-sided beating! Like balancing on a deadly tight rope, every single second, he could be killed! However, there was a strange rhythm. He moved strangely methodically in a dance. At the start, his actions with the second stance were still stiff. As his brother once remarked, Benedict was like a rough diamond. With proper stimulation, his skills could elevate to the next level! And that was happening right now. These three guards were like whetstones, slowly sharpening his mastery. His proficiency in the second stance was shooting up!
Thirty seconds, a minute, two minutes, three minutes… The three guards became increasingly astonished. At the start, they were dominating the fight! Benedict had no choice but to accept his defeat. Yet, he preserved! He was not a lonely boat on the sea anymore. He was becoming the reef that broke the waves! Although half of that could be attributed to Benedict's potential, it was also because these three's teamwork was imperfect. As long as that were true, then their coordination would inevitably expose flaws. Benedict managed to survive through these tiny flaws!
Suddenly, Benedict saw his chance! He gritted his teeth and dove forward. The third stance! This stance relied on overwhelming speed and decisiveness: to kill in a single strike! It was a purely offensive art that reaped lives whenever it was used! He wanted to kill the one in front of him! Yes, he did not think about going lightly on anyone. The second they clashed swords, then someone was guaranteed to lose. In a three on one, could he hold back? It was impossible. The two enemies on his left and right responded, hacking down viciously.
Benedict timed it perfectly and twisted his body. One sword skimmed his ear, while the other crossed his back. His pain levels were nearly enough to knock him clean unconscious and he saw his vision fading. But he forcibly persevered! That sheer determination and suicidal aggression startled his opponents. It was incredibly rare for someone to burst out with such resolve. He was like a corner beast, clawing out before dying! For once, these guards wondered… Was this really a common thief? A thief would have run by now! Who would stand and fight? Everything happened so fast that they did not realize it until now. And that split-second hesitation was all it took! Benedict's sword landed and directly pierced into the man's chest! It burst through his organs and killed!
While the two guards were still shocked, Benedict's sword never stopped. However, his eyes turned warmer. He reversed his blade and using the flat side, he knocked them out consecutively. Although the battle grew out of his control and he had no choice but to kill one, he gained the initiative at the end. He was not a bloodthirsty nor a vengeful person. He understood these guards well. Sure, they might be employed by the Lannisail Household which had ties with the Whispering Shadow. But they were simply doing their job. How could he fault them? Therefore, he decided to let the other two live.