"Third round! Begin!"
"Come!" Julian shouted while showing off his magical power to everyone. Joshua hesitated for a moment, but he had decided not to back down. He gripped his swords really hard and used Blitz Dash and Wind Dash at the same time. To support those two spells, he also used Light Feet, Body Reinforcement, and Speed Buff. Lastly, all those spells were tied together with Magic Overlay. A spell that was commonly used to use multiple spells at once, lessening the side effect of using too many spells but at the cost of more mana consumed.
{'Fast!'} Julian thought. {'But not fast enough!'} His torso twisted to the right with his hands swinging the sword he held toward Joshua. However, Joshua suddenly ducked down and rotated his body as he passed Julian.
{'What?'} Julian was astonished at Joshua's speedy reaction. He looked down and saw his magic that coated his legs got chipped away. He looked back at Joshua, who was standing up in a stance.
{'Not bad,'} Julian grinned. While he did say he would fight seriously, he actually wouldn't pour all his might into it and just paid attention to Joshua carefully. But it seemed like he had to be really serious.
Julian and Joshua faced each other again, and Joshua made the first move. He used Speed Buff and Light Feet to increase his speed. It wasn't as fast as when combined with Blitz Dash and Wind Dash, though.
Joshua swung his swords, and Julian blocked them efficiently while keeping his sword close to him. Despite the disadvantage of having a big sword and only one at that, he could keep up with Joshua's ferocity. After exchanging bouts, Joshua realized a frontal attack at the moment wouldn't result in anything.
{'Then, how about this?'} Joshua gathered wind on his right arm and the sword he held the moment he made a thrust as he spoke the chant. Once the wind fully gathered, his arm and the sword propelled fast toward Julian.
Julian was prepared for the incoming thrust, but he didn't expect the sudden increase in speed. His sword couldn't react faster, but his body could. Julian leaned forward to the right and, by hair breath, avoided the thrust.
At this moment, Joshua was astonished since his special attack was avoided and Julian took a chance. He kicked the ground and blasted off, bashing Joshua away with his sword.
Joshua was thrown away to the back, but he quickly recovered and assumed his position. He watched Julian, who rushed over. Julian's speed is by no means slower, but that was not the scary part. He swung his sword down and Joshua had to dodge to the right immediately. Upon the sword making contact with the ground, it caused an explosion and created a crater. Joshua skidded on the ground and took this chance for a counter. He couldn't be bothered by what Julian did to the ground.
Just as he was about to swing his sword, Julian suddenly let go of his sword and turned his body toward him. His left fist clenched hard and launched toward Joshua.
{'Shit!'} Joshua put too much speed and he couldn't stop at the right time. Dodging was possible, but it would hurt a lot and his spell would be broken. For that, Joshua kept pressing his attack and horizontally swung his sword.
The fist collided with the face, and the sword collided with the stomach. Joshua was sent flying while Julian had a wound on his stomach. Joshua sprawled to the ground and landed on his stomach, while Julian staggered back while holding his wound.
{'I did it!'} Joshua grinned despite having his nose bleed.
{'That hurt,'} Julian grimaced while trying to recover his wound momentarily.
Joshua quickly got up, he couldn't miss this chance. He had to keep pressing Julian and didn't let him have a chance to fight back. For that reason, he used the Lightning Tunnel.
{'It can't continue like this. I guess I have to use it early,'} Julian gripped his sword and channeled his mana.
Joshua went like a flash toward Julian, his surroundings became dark and the only thing he could see was what was in front of him. But this was something he got used to. He readied his sword and was about to swing it…. Or so that was supposed to happen.
{'W-what?'} Joshua couldn't keep up with what had happened. His body flew away to the left side and bounced several times on the ground before he stopped. He felt his right side was hurt. His magic armor had been broken, and while there didn't seem to be any wounds, it was really painful for him. He thought his bones would break any time soon.
Joshua slowly got up and saw something different from Julian. A red aura like boiling water came out of his body.
{'That is not normal,'} Joshua gulped. He didn't know what had happened exactly, but he knew Julian did attack him during his Lighting Tunnel phase, which he thought was something impossible.
But his question was answered when Julian boldly rushed toward him faster than before. Joshua quickly moved away and saw that Julian's sword, which hit his previous location, made a long crack on the ground. But that wasn't the end of it. Julian quickly pulled his sword and chased Joshua again.
Each time Julian attacked, Joshua went for a dodge. Each time the attack missed, the ground became the victim. However, Joshua realized that Julian kept getting faster and stronger.
{'Faster and stronger ... but he seems to be like a mad bull,'} Joshua thought. Julian only focused on him and each of his attacks was a powerful one but unrefined. It was clear Julian attacked him blindly.
{'This is bad,'} Joshua thought. He felt his mana and stamina depleted just for dodging only. He also felt his body become painful each time he moved. Julian's previous successful attack seemed to wreck his body from inside.
He knew he couldn't go on like this. He did not know for how long Julian could keep this up either, it was something he couldn't gamble on. If by any chance he got hit by Julian again, his defeat would be assured. Endurance fight wasn't possible, so his only chance of winning was to defeat Julian here and take the risk.
{'While you are strong …. You are not as fast as Ninia!} Joshua dodged and got closer to Julian for an attack. His sword grazed Julian's magic armor and it made Joshua realize that Julian didn't even bother to dodge. {'He is abandoning his defense for absolute power and increase in speed. He is a berserker,'} someone with a lack of conscience but an insane amount of strength, that was what a berserker was.
Joshua kept attacking and dodging, he was slowly chipping away Julian's magic armor and closer to wound him. However, as he progressed, Julian's reaction speed became faster and it was getting harder to attack properly without getting hit.
"Kuh!" Joshua ducked down to avoid a slash. Had he not dodged faster, his head might be flying away.
{'I have to end this!'} Joshua used the Lightning Tunnel and made a distance between them.
"Magic Overlay!"
"Light Feet! Wind Dash! Blitz Dash! Air Burst! Lightning Tunnel!" Joshua vanished, he moved toward Julian at the speed closer to Vyn.
{'For the last attack!'}
"Wind that roams free! Gather around me and lend me your strength. Give me the power to surpass everyone and cut every obstacle⎯"
A sword descended and hit Joshua. He was smashed to the ground and created a deep crater. Above the crater, Joshua laid with his left side touching the ground. As for his right side, it was protected by his sword which shattered not long after that.
{'It hurts!'} Joshua screamed internally. When he sensed Julian suddenly attacking him, he quickly blocked it with his sword, but it didn't do much. His sword got shattered, and he felt his right arm was broken as well, along with the unbearable pain that spread across his body.
{'H-how did he react to my speed?!'} Joshua was sure that Julian wouldn't be able to react to his speed but it seemed his confidence was only a stupid arrogance.
Unfortunately, Joshua didn't have time to ponder since Julian had not yet finished. Julian walked toward him and swung his sword down.
"Shit!" Joshua rolled away and barely avoided the attack. He desperately went to get up and then used Wind Dash to make a distance, but Julian was able to catch up with him by kicking the ground.
"No!" Joshua avoided an attack but it was not the end, another attack came and sent him flying.
"Ugh," Joshua was rolling on the ground once landed while accumulating the injuries he had. He stopped rolling but the pain kept increasing.
{'Am…. Am I going to lose?'} Joshua looked up at Julian who began to walk toward him. Desperation, fear, despair, and panic swelled inside him.
...…..
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Author: Aida Hanabi
Proofreader: Lola
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