Recalling back before this happened, Andrew and Kara were about to face off.
They were standing in a very distant deserted district shop. The two boys standing face to face holding their only weapon.
Andrew gripped his sword while taking his stance and clad his body with a blue aura.
While Kara was using his arms that turned into monster-like arms with a horn on top of his forehead.
The wind blew around them, and they finally started moving.
*SWOOSH*
They dashed to one another, Andrew lifted his sword and Kara raised his fist.
*TING*
Then Andrew swung his sword and Kara swung his fist as well, causing a large clashing shockwave to appear around the area.
After that, Andrew's sword bounced off along with Kara's fist, causing them to step back.
"Kugh–"
Andrew gripped his sword tightly so he didn't let go of it before he swung it towards Kara's left side.
Kara, whose balance was off now, quickly recovered and swung his other fist.
*TING*
And their sword and fist clashed once more.
Andrew somehow felt a familiar presence coming from his opponent, 'Ughh...from what I see...this strength and this pressure, it's the same like that monster.'
*SWOOSH*
Kara then used his unoccupied fist to strike him where his sword still kept him busy.
But Andrew managed to move his head aside, then deflected his fist that was holding him on the side, then swung his sword towards his neck.
*SWOOSH*
But Kara instinctively dodged it by bending his body, and let his sword slip through.
Yet, Andrew's [Battle Sense] skill managed to keep up by connecting his sword and flip his body to swing his sword at Kara's back while he was about to recover.
*SWOOSH*
Once again, Kara dodged it by jumping up to his back and above Andrew before he flipped his body in the air and swung his fist down at him.
*BOOM*
His fist crashed on the ground as Andrew managed to dodge it by jumping away.
'Huff...he managed to keep up with my [Battle Sense]...how strong was his reflex and instinct to be able to do that?!'
Andrew thought while sighing as he kept his distance away while Kara pulled his fist out from the ground.
"Wow, you are amazing...I never thought a B-class like you could dodge all of my attacks so swiftly like that." Kara spoke.
That made Andrew wary of him, "You knew about me?"
"Well our leader just briefly talked about you all, so I cannot remember each of your names...but when we fought, I just remembered your face." Kara explained.
"Leader? Does that mean you are not alone?"
"Perhaps, but I wouldn't say that much...I'm not dumb enough to let any information slip." Kara shrugged with a smirk.
"But I can tell you something that I know..."
"About what?"
"About you."
"Huh–"
"Well I didn't read much about your info, but I do know you have a relationship with two women."
"What are you getting at." Andrew's grip on his sword was getting tighter, as one certain emotion rose up.
"I'm saying...if you die, I will take care of them for you~"
Then the string that held onto his patience were cut off.
*SWOOSH*
Within high speed, Andrew charged at his opponent with his blue aura. From his emotions that fluctuate, his aura slowly changed and it awakened a certain trait.
*BZZZTT*
Lightning.
Kara, who provoked him on purpose, didn't expect such an awakening would happen.
*TING* *ZAAPP*
Andrew swung his sword that was clad in lightning like aura, and it clashed against Kara who used his fist to block such an attack.
'Ugh–Lightning?!–Is his element affinity Lightning?!'
Kara could feel the monster skin on his fist start to get scorched because of the affinity element that Andrew possessed on his aura.
'Dammit...it was my mistake to provoke him, to think there's someone who would awaken it in such a dire moment like this?!' Kara thought while still holding on.
'Is he some sort of protagonist in a story!'
Yet Kara misunderstood that part.
"Heh, to think you would awaken your element affinity at this moment...but nevermind that, I shall show you the real power that I have!" Kara came up with another plan despite seeing such a development on his enemy.
And that is...
"[Stealth]." When Kara disappeared from his sight, Andrew immediately felt his sword pass through him.
Andrew widened his eyes, '[Stealth] isn't that...a Scout job skill?!'
A skill that came from [Scout] type of Job, Andrew saw it several times when he was working together with Fang's team that had a scout in it, which is Ruru.
[Scout] or [Ranger] is a job that possesses a skill to scout their enemies and their surroundings, which means they need to be stealthy to slip into any kind of environment.
From forest, land, cave, and even city, they can hide their presence and take any information they could have by simply hearing and seeing.
That is...a [Scout].
*SWOOSH*
*BAM*
The time when Andrew realized his enemy had a [Scout] job, he immediately got punched on his stomach's right side by Kara who appeared there.
"Ack–"
*SWOOSH*
Sending Andrew to fly, but he immediately recovered from the air and landed on the ground with his feet.
Andrew felt the stinging pain on his right side and could see the armor he was wearing was bent by a single punch.
"Ughh..." Andrew forgot that his enemy wasn't a monster but a human being like him.
'Dammit, to think I forgot such things...since his body turned into a monster, I thought he was a monster that used human skin.'
'Human skin?...wait–does that mean?!' Until he realized something was wrong.
'Does that mean he is originally human?!'
"You...what are you?" Andrew asked while still gripping his sword.
Kara stood there smiling after he landed his first strike, "Finally, you are asking such a question~ well you should know...I am a bona fide human being like yourself."
"Human? Are you joking with me?"
"No, I'm not...it's just that I want you to know that I am partly human now, considering this thing is caused by a fortunate accident that allowed me to be this strong~" Kara spoke, giving him some hint, but of course Andrew didn't know what he meant.
"Well it's fine if you didn't get it..."
*SWOOSH*
"...Because I'm not planning to say anything more about it, for our Goddess~"
Kara immediately jumped at him, swinging his fist once more at him.
*BOOM*
His fist crashed to the ground since Andrew managed to dodge it by jumping back.
'An unbelievable speed, a strength that matched those Ogres, and stealth skill that made him hard to detect...how am i supposed to defeat him!' Andrew thought while landing on the ground again and facing this enemy.
'What will Crimson do in this situation?' While gritting his teeth, Andrew tried to imagine what Rei would do in this situation.
And that one word showed up in his mind.
[Stay calm and adapt into the situation].
So, instead of getting anxious and nervous from this fight, he took a deep breath.
Kara was surprised that his opponent immediately calmed down, resulting in another smile to appear on his face.
"Hah! Now struggle as you die by my hand!" Kara mocked and jumped towards him.
Andrew, who had finally calmed down, confronted him again with his sword but this time he lowered his body a bit further to the ground and grabbed something with his left hand.
Kara swung his fist straight towards Andrew's face.
*SWOOSH*
In that short moment something was thrown at Kara's face which made him lose his focus and dodged it by tossing his head to the side.
'Huh?!–a rock?!'
When Kara noticed such a thing was thrown at him, Andrew used this chance. The fist that was thrown at Andrew missed him by a hair and then...
*SWOOSH*
Andrew swung his sword horizontally...
*SLASH*
And slashed towards Kara's stomach on the left side, injuring him as he went past him.
Kara widened his eyes after he felt stinging pain on his stomach when Andrew's sword striked his side.
'Tsk...too shallow.'
Although the injury wasn't big, it still caused a big shock for him.
"You–how dare you–!!! bugh–!!"
When Kara turned around at him, he was greeted with sand thrown at his face.
"Such...bleh, dirty tricks!–"
*SWOOSH*
Andrew swung his sword and this time struck Kara's body in a single line.
But Kara managed to step back and dodged the attack, although his sword still managed to injure his body a bit from that swing.
That reminded him of his training with Rei.
******
"How to fight against opponents that are stronger than you?"
A question was given to Rei who is training Andrew and Fang while they were on the ground, exhausted.
"Y-yeah...I've been wondering about that."
"Well the only thing I can say is that...a fight cannot be determined whether your opponent is strong or not."
"But the one with the desire to survive the most is the winner." Rei spoke to them.
Both looked at each other in confusion.
"But…how?"
"Simple...you need to fight dirty."
They gave him a weird look, "Eh?–dirty?"
"Ummm...Crimson, I thought you wanted to become a Knight?"
"Yes? So?"
Their expressions were getting weirder and weirder.
"Uhhh...don't Knights fight with honor without using any dirty tricks?"
"Who said they couldn't?"
"Ehhhh..." Their heads couldn't comprehend what he meant.
"A Knight is still human, we desire to survive...to protect someone we love, we need to be more despicable, more tricky and dirtier than ever."
"I mean our opponents are much stronger than we are, so a desperate situation needs desperate action."
"So remember these words I am telling you...if you want to survive, you need the resolve to do it."
******
Remembering those words, Andrew decided to do it.
[If there's a rock throw it towards your enemy and distract them]
He started by throwing a rock to distract his enemy.
[Grab sand under your feet and throw it towards your enemy's face].
Then he used sand to blind the enemy for a moment.
[After that, strike with all you got]
Then swung his sword at the right moment.
Rei's words continue to ring into his mind as if they were instructions on what he must do. Andrew knew that this was not a good way but knowing that his opponent was this strong.
He needs to know how to survive.
*SLASH*
Kara got injured twice from such an unexpected attack from this young man.
Not because of the awakening of his aura.
But the fact he used dirty tricks…the idea never once came into his mind.
"Damn you–!!" That angered Kara and caused him to release some of his power that he stayed hidden.
A purple aura began to envelop his body, creating a strong shockwave that caused Andrew to step back.
But he was calm and let his body be enveloped in his aura. After taking a step back, he dashed at him to take his chance, remembering the words of his leader.
[Don't get intimidated and take that chance to strike your enemy]
Andrew swung his sword at the enraged Kara.
[Don't give your enemy a chance]
Kara didn't expect him to come at him after releasing such strong pressure.
*SWOOSH*
But Kara managed to dodge his sword immediately.
While Andrew unconsciously followed the instructions he was given through his mind, the advice from his leader.
But in that moment, it was the moment he let his guard down.
[Remember to dodge!]
That was when he woke up and found himself with a fist flying towards his face.
*TING*
Andrew immediately lifted his sword up, blocked that large fist flying towards him but he barely managed to prepare himself.
*SWOOSH*
And so his body was sent into the air.
"How dare you..."
Kara suddenly appeared above him with his face filled with angry veins.
"HOW DARE YOU!!"
*BUGH*
Then Kara stomped on Andrew's stomach and sent him down, crashing to the ground.
"Ack–!"
As if it wasn't enough, Kara landed on the ground on Andrew's side.
He grabbed his face and swung his body around, thrashing him and throwing him away…
*BOOM*
…to crash towards a building.
Andrew was found sitting on the ground with his back stuck on the cracked wall caused by that attack.
*COUGH*
Andrew coughed out blood due the damage he received, 'Ughh...I let my guard down.'
Kara landed in front of him, and looked down.
"I guess I played too much, and ended up underestimating you."
"To think you could injure me just by using dirty tricks like that."
"If those guys knew about this shame, your death wouldn't be enough."
"But it seems like this is your limit." Kara spoke while staring at Andrew who was about to get up with his sword.
"Indeed, I don't think...I can fight anymore..."
Andrew spoke while trying to stand but for some reason his smile stayed there, as if he was trying to act tough.
But in the end he ended up falling on his knees.
"Ugh..."
Kara continued to stare at him, pitifully, "Any last words?" Kara spoke while lifting his hand and clenched his fist.
"Well...I do have one."
Kara then stretched his arm where he was about to swing his fist.
"You forgot...that I'm not alone."
When Andrew spoke that, Kara swung his fist at him.
*BOOM*
His fist caused a large explosion that destroyed the building in front of him.
But his eyes widened when he felt something off, 'Huh–my fist...didn't crush his body?!'
When the dust from the destroyed building began to dissipate.
Andrew was standing right in front of him, with his fist that stayed on his left side near his face.
"You–?!"
His sword was clad in a blue aura and it slowly turned into electricity.
*BZZZTT*
While his body was enveloped with green light.
Kara immediately looked to his right side where he found someone standing there holding a staff.
"A-[Advance Heal]!"
It was the Priest girl–Lena who stood there and casted her healing magic from a distance.
Andrew's body began to heal because of her magic and his fatigue and pain vanished without traces.
"Damn you–!!!"
*SLASH*
Without further ado, Andrew swung his sword that was clad in a lightning aura of his, slashing Kara's body and blood spurted out from the diagonal cut.
"Ack–!"
******
At the Northern side of the wall.
*TING* *TANG* *TING*
A clashing sound could be heard.
*BOOM*
Followed with a large explosion caused by these two people.
*SWOOSH*
Fang jumped away from the dust from the explosion and landed on the ground.
*SWOOSH*
Someone chased him, the Leader of the group who invaded the Elf Kingdom, Hera who showed up with a portion of her body turned into some sort of beast-like body.
Both of her legs and arms were covered with fur and claws like a beast, not only that she had two pairs of cat-like ears on top of her head and a tail of a beast.
She jumped through the dust, lifted her right fist and swung his fist at Fang who was just taking his position.
*TING*
Fang managed to block her fist, but since he was in an advantageous position where his body remained on the ground, it gave him a boost in strength to push Hera's fist aside.
*TING*
But Hera didn't stop at that, she swung her left leg to perform a kick in mid air.
Fang immediately clad his right arm with his aura.
*BAM*
And blocked the kick with his right arm which sent him flying in the air.
'Ugh–'
Soon he landed on the ground with his bruised forearms because of that kick.
'Dammit...to think a [Martial Artist] can be this annoying.' Fang thought from his experience battling her.
'Dirty tricks, feints, head-on fights, even hit and run tactics don't work since she is much faster.'
'Not only that she is an aura user as well, so almost all kinds of methods that I have tried couldn't damage her body.'
'...thanks to her body that turned into some sort of beast, her physical power, stamina and speed seems to have increased.'
'I have never heard of such a skill, is it magic? Or is she a [Werebeast]?'
All kinds of thoughts running through his head as he observed Hera who stood there after she kicked him away.
"Ohhh~ all out of tricks already?~" Hera spoke as if she noticed his nervousness.
Fang grinned widely as a response to her words, "Unfortunately yeah...to think you are such a difficult woman to handle~"
"Ara~ I told you to just surrender and it won't be this difficult~"
"Sorry, like I said...you are not my type~"
The two of them spoke sarcastically, but Fang seemed to be trying to buy some time for him to recover from that injury.
"Then don't mind if I'm getting serious now!~"
Hera's aura suddenly began to spike up.
'Serious?!–does that mean she wasn't at her fullest??'
Fang panicked a little as he gripped his sword tightly and got into his stance.
"Here we go!~"
*SHUUSTH*
Hera immediately disappeared into thin air.
*SWOOSH*
Then Fang felt something approaching.
'[High Sense]!' Fang increased his capabilities to sense things around him, until he found himself standing still...
with a claw that approached his face.
*TING* *TSSSKKK*
Fang immediately lifted his sword, and it made contact with the claw that appeared in front of him.
"Hah~!" It was Hera's indeed, she increased her speed to the point that she made it look like she disappeared.
Her claw that struck his sword, created a shockwave that almost pushed him a step back from his spot.
Even with his aura, he is struggling against this woman's strength.
'Such monstrous strength!–can I defeat her in this fight...I could run but the soldiers might be her next target.'
'She seems to want to ask a question about something...so rather than running, I need to buy more time for them!' Fang increased his strength that caused Hera's claws to be pushed back.
'Ara~ is he thinking that he could buy more time? How foolish…and what a shame~'
'That you have to die soon~' But then instead of getting pushed back, she fought back by pushing him as well.
Causing them into equal footing, no–right now she managed to push him back instead.
'Ughh...what should I do...' Fang couldn't think of anything in this kind of situation he was trapped in.
Until suddenly…
[It's easy].
Fang widened his eyes when those words came through his mind.
[Every enemy has their own weaknesses, if there's no weaknesses...then you have to create it].
It was a familiar voice, a voice he always heard.
.
.
.
.
And it came from his leader that he looked up to.
He regained his composure and he smiled all of a sudden.
Causing his opponent to be confused to see him smiling when he almost got overwhelmed.
Fang moved his sword, causing her claw to slip and slide through his sword that made her go past him.
After that he jumped away to create a few distances away from her.
'Heh, that's easy for you to say...leader.' Fang thought as he kept his smile while getting into his stance again after taking a distance.
'Somehow...his words slowly calmed me down.'
Hera on the other hand was confused at the sudden change of her opponent. Her high sense made her able to tell what her opponents were feeling just by a glance.
'From the start...he looks nervous since all of his tricks come to waste, but now...how come he regained his composure and confidence in such a short moment!'
That was shocking for her, who didn't know such fate could bring these people to change after they met this one person.
'It must be just a coincidence...but this is dangerous.' Hera concluded as she stretched her claw.
"Sorry, I must kill you right now!~" Hera then jumped at him with full force, 'I still have those soldiers around to be questioned! So die for my Goddess sake, cutie!~'
Fang was still calm as he firmly gripped his sword, 'This might be my last one...sorry for having this incompetent sub-leader, Crimson.'
Until...
*BOOM*
Something fell in between them when they were about to clash, causing the dust to appear and blinding their vision.
'What happened?!–' They thought the same.
Then something came out from the dust.
*SWOOSH*
A fire that seemed to be all too familiar for Fang.
'It can't be...is it you?!–'
Fang recognized him somehow as he felt hope rising in his heart.
When the dust slowly dissipated, the figure that fell down from the sky was revealed.
"Crim–...son?'
A man with blond hair, and red eyes was holding a black sword in his hand.
"Who are you?"
Hera asked as she looked at this person who stood in between them, 'Why do I seem to recognize him.'
"Don't worry..."
Fang was shocked to see this person was coming here.
"Since I, Albert Dragh Welford had come to aid you!"
'Ah–I totally forgot about him.'
To be continue...