[Fourth Match Flame has been deactivated.]
With that, the match began. Asher set pessimistic thoughts aside, letting go of his emotions and doubts. It didn't matter if he could win.
'But hey, will this training even help me??'
[Yes. Although your statistics are regulated by the System, combat experience will still improve your fighting capability.]
With the System's reassurance, Asher's focus sharpened to another level.
Seeing as Salvador had no intention of moving first, Asher gladly took the opportunity to close the gap between them in an instant.
A loud clash rang out as both knives slammed into Salvador's sword at once. As expected, the Captain's sword did not budge at all despite its unfavorable length.
However, Asher was not done yet. He immediately crouched to the ground, abandoning his knives in favor of a vicious leg sweep.
Salvador leisurely backed a step, and Asher's arms snapped up to catch the two knives in midair before they could fall another inch.
Yuna let out a tense breath from the sidelines. Though Sophie's movements were slow compared to her level, she found Sophie's strange twisting motions hard to predict. Yuna realized why her Captain wished her to observe this fight.
Asher, on the other hand, was unaware of Yuna's thoughts. He grinned as the adrenaline of battle pulsed in his veins.
"Sir, I don't mind if you fight back. Give me a ch-"
Asher's face snapped to the side as Salvador's blade brushed past his ear. He yelped instinctively, flipping backwards until he reached the edge of the ring.
'Holy shit!' Even though Salvador was using a wooden sword, Asher could feel a small cut run down his cheek where the blade's wind sliced him.
Asher closed his eyes. Salvador's booming laugh echoed in his ears. The man was definitely not taking him seriously. Though he had all the right not to, Asher still felt a bit vexed.
Asher's joints creaked as he activated [Puppet Movements] to its fullest extent, more than he ever had before.
His arms dangled limply by his sides. His legs seemed to grow a few joints that weren't originally there.
Some perks of his new body were immediately revealed as he drew his arms forward. The sheer tension building in his flesh was insane; he felt like with a single twitch he could break apart the floor.
Asher lowered his body into an impossibly warped, animalistic stance. Like a predator before the hunt.
*BOOM*
With a stomp of his foot, all the energy in his body was released into a single forward 'blink'. Yuna gasped as the girl's speed doubled, and perhaps even tripled. She could still follow Sophie in her eyes, but it was surprising nonetheless; that attack might have even pressured her a little.
And of course, Salvador was not phased. In the instant before Sophie reached him, he shifted his sword point slightly. If Sophie continued to rush forward, she would be neatly skewered on his blade.
But Asher's new body solved the problem that would have originally killed him. He instantly stopped with a screech of his shoes, redirecting all his energy into another low kick as he leaned downward to dodge the sword point.
However, the kick was merely part of his ruse.
As Salvador stepped back, as expected, Asher let his low kick flow naturally into a backhanded punch.
And when his backhanded punch swished into the empty air again, he stabbed forward with the knife in his other hand, twisting his body in an instant.
These chained movements, although inefficient in a normal fight, could be strung together perfectly by Asher's puppet-like body.
'...What the fuck.'
Salvador just stood there, smiling at him as he successfully dodged each attack with ease. Even Yuna's face held a glimmer of shock.
But why was Salvador's expression so plain?
"Is there really such a difference between Grade 4 and 5?" He was so surprised that he spoke the words on his mind aloud.
Yuna wiped her expression quickly, seeking to explain to him.
"Captain was a veteran of the Smoke War; his reactions are much higher than Grade 4. Even so, yes, the difference from one grade to another is anywhere from two to ten times. I can hardly match a tiny fraction of Master Salvador's power."
"Hoho, little Yuna knows how to exaggerate my dusty skills... Still, do you wish to continue, dear Sophie?"
Without a word, Asher twisted his arm behind him, unwinding his arm and throwing the knife in his left hand with searing precision.
However, Salvador did not get distracted as Asher hoped. The man fixed his eyes on him, using the flat of his blade to deflect the knife right back at him, with an even more ludicrous speed.
"Ow!" Asher yelped as the wooden knife slammed into his arm, bruising it badly from the impact. His joints creaked as he leaned back further and further from the force of impact, before suddenly twisting themselves back with a snap, which shot him to his feet.
He panted roughly as he massaged his forearm.
"Sir, do you think there's any way I can improve? It's like you can see through all of my movements..."
Salvador blinked, surprised by his strange question.
"Dear, not all training revolves around fights, you know? Firstly, have you ever tested the key limits of your body?"
Asher shuddered as the memory of his Fixer examination with the Overseer, where he swung his arms repeatedly until they screamed in pain.
But that didn't seem like what Salvador was referring to. The man grasped Asher's pale arms, one of his hands on Asher's bicep and one on his forearm.
"By limits, I mean this."
Salvador bent Sophie's arm against its joint. Yuna screamed, but soon she noticed something off. The girl wasn't flinching at all, even when the back of her hand laid flat on her breast.
"This is simple enough for you, right?"
Asher nodded. Salvador released his arm, and Asher bent it against the joint a few times to prove his 'limit'. But Salvador tutted, shaking his head.
"See, this is where you are subconsciously restricting your movements. You've limited yourself to the same plane of movement as ordinary human beings. Your arm again, please."
Asher placed his arm back into Salvador's hand, unsure where this was heading.
"Dear, this is called... a 'ball and socket' joint." Asher's eyes widened in surprise as his arm bent sideways, completely disregarding the 'hinge' on his elbow that he had always assumed that he had.
As Asher fully rotated his arm around his joint in amazement, Salvador chuckled.
The old man glanced to the side where Yuna was undergoing some sort of mental breakdown.
"B-But, Master- That's flesh right there! I-It's not, it's not supposed to bend like that! That's real blood and flesh! There's no... augments on it..."
Salvador ignored Yuna's sputters. She was too green, too spoiled by his Office to know the powers that existed outside augmentations.
"Before you fight recklessly, dear, it is best to find your limits first. Are you used to the movements now?"
Yuna excused herself as Sophie's bones twisted and bent in various disgusting ways, as her head rotated and spun, as each of her finger's joints weaved together.
Bleh. She could face the cruelest monsters and handle the most disgusting gore, but something about this just unnerved her.
After a few minutes of warmup, Asher felt leagues more comfortable with his body than before.
In fact, it was almost to the point where he wouldn't mind using [Puppet Movements] in daily life, simply due to its flexibility.
"I'm ready to continue. You can attack as well, sir."
Before he finished his words, Salvador appeared behind him, attacking with a downward cleave.
Whereas this sudden attack would have previously caused him to panic, now Asher was different. He didn't waste a single movement by trying to turn around; he merely 'flipped' his arm bones and blocked the blade using both of his knives.
This time, Salvador went on the offensive. Though the man still wasn't using his full strength, Asher knew by some instinct that Salvador was not holding back on technique.
The wooden sword slashed exclusively at his vital areas. There were no feints or extraneous swings, only surgeon-like precision. Eye, heart, knees, chin, ankles, fingers, lungs. All places that would either cause extreme pain, maiming, or death when struck with a real sword.
Dodging the assault costed Asher a hefty portion of his stamina. Even with his puppet body's near reflexive dodging instinct, and even with absolutely no extra movements, it was a monumental task.
'Before I run out of stamina, I have to pressure him back.'
Asher twisted to the side as a sword thrust neared his heart. Taking advantage of the blade's polished and dull edge, he wrapped his arm tightly around the blade like a snake.
Unexpectedly, Salvador did not try to pull away. The man slipped behind him, grabbing the far end of the sword with his other hand to lock Asher's arm in a pinned position.
Asher smirked. Salvador hadn't listened to the advice that he himself gave. The man, through his decades of experience, had subconsciously limited his opponent's movements to the plane of ordinary movement.
-
Sophie's arm popped and cracked as it dislocated itself. Usually, the way Salvador pinned her arm would leave no room for movement. Not in this case.
Salvador's eyes widened as Sophie's knife touched his neck. The girl's arm was bent at an impossible angle for ordinary people. Her arm was bent sideways; her wrist was stretched to a hair-raising extent as well.
"Hoho~ I have lost." The man's face lit up as he smiled. Even with all his years of experience, only that monster of the Ruins and the girl in front of him had used these sorts of movements. Since he never faced the monster properly, he was able to be tricked by Sophie like that.
A clatter near the doorway alerted them to a presence.
"Whaaaahht??!" Philip had dropped his sheathed sword, and now he was staring at Sophie as if she was some sort of god.
Behind him, even Yuna had her mouth slightly ajar in shock. She had never seen her Captain in an unfavorable position before.
"Hello, Philip."
Sophie smiled sweetly, but it had no effect on the strange atmosphere of confusion.
Philip sighed, letting his hands fall in defeat. What point was there in sparring with Sophie if she could beat his Captain?
Although sparring rules were applied - Salvador was probably only using a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of his true power - that only made Sophie's technique and skill more impressive. Overcoming a previous Grade 1 Fixer in a contest of technique? Unheard of.
The boy's thoughts were interrupted as Sophie untangled herself from Salvador. She stepped lightly towards him, the hint of a smile crossing her lips.
"How did I do?"
The girl looked up at him expectantly. She flinched as Philip unconsciously patted her head.
"How did you do? You did great!" Philip grinned, more happy for his friend than anything else. Although he was a bit jealous of her strength, he was mature enough to not be fazed by it. For him, his friends' happiness was his happiness.
Sophie giggled under her breath.
"Then, how was your mission?"
Philip froze as what he was meant to be doing was reminded to him.
"R-Right! Master Salvador, Urban Legend 'Red Chomper' has been terminated, with no casualties and one moderate injury. Target escaped ambush and perished in frontal assault. However, there were signs of fresh, grievous wounds on the body, like a strange sigil or brand." In the blink of an eye, Philip's tone turned serious.
Salvador hooked his sword back on the rack, silently flicking his finger for Yuna and Philip to join him. As the old man passed Sophie, he put his hands on her shoulders.
"We have to finish a report now, dear. It should take quite a bit, so you can head home. Do you remember the advice I gave you?"
"Yeah. Accept the invitation tomorrow."
Salvador smiled.
Before the three Dawn Fixers left, Philip glanced back.
"See you, Sophie!"
...
By the time they were gone, she had disappeared as well.