"Ascend forth! Neptune's Agility!"
Fargil brought out his astral spells and manifested the celestial essence of Neptune into his being. His legs grew strong and firm, his limbs were more compact and his waist's brimming in an ephemeral burst of the shimmering stars, which he leap forth faster than the speed of light.
"So fast!" Maqirele remarked, spinning herself in the same direction where Fargil was running around revolving around her 10 times per second.
Had not she kept her momentum following Fargil sprinting forth below the stalactites on the wall, the chains caught on her shoulder bone would brack and twist, rendering her arm that keeps her shield up useless in an instant.
"An Astral Guardian... An enchanter-type support class that can harness the perpetual power of the stars. The game reviewers and streamers already confirmed that class as weak, yet here you are using its ability to the fullest."
Whether she liked it or not, Maqirelle found herself in a state of countdown stalemate. She can't move nor perform a rush counter-attack since the crescent hook remains stuck on her.
Retaliating means she had to take the hook and hope she can survive Fargil's frontal assault, which normally is a death wish even for a high-ranking tank paladin. She had attained her rank by charging forward with her over-the-top defensive status, but Fargil's Astral Guardian's passive says otherwise.
"Come. Take me on the same as how you wreak enemy base during sieges!" Fargil mocked her for not moving an inch from her initial position, but she was well aware that a wrong move would mean her defeat.
"Hey, I read the class description too! Your class is a cheat because it has a passive that completely ignores shields, armors, and defenses! My armor negates projectile yet your pesky hook got on it! Unfair!" Maqirelle glares at him, her tongue rolled out indignant.
"Says the Top Player of Alfahim ganging on a rookie support alone!" Fargil also brought out his tongue and joined in her escapade.
"Ahh! Forget it! Just do whatever you want!" And with a swift turn of the calm breeze, Maqirelle halted spinning and redirected her momentum upward. "Blaze the heavens and seer the earth; Cyclone!"
"Shit! Jupiter's Shelter!"
In an attempt to cast a barrier around himself, Maqirelle had already dispelled the velocity he's accumulating and struck him head-on offering everything that she has, to which Fargil took this chance and pulled the chains towards his direction, glazing her in a burst of celestial light.
"Celestial Burst!" Fargil showered Maqirelle in her debuff skill that lowers movement speed and overall defensive status, wearing her out since he can basically penetrate her HP any time he wants.
The only reason he's acting cautiously during his incursion is that Maqirelle can efficiently deflect his strikes. Even across all of Arkmeria's countries and kingdoms, Maqirelle's formidable counter onslaught is known and far-reaching in the four corners.
They fear her prowess to the point they call her the 'Unstoppable Mountain of Alfahim' aside from her title as the Dark Maiden.
Despite her talent, fame, and position as the one who stands atop the kingdom of green, Maqirelle still believes Fargil could potentially have reached beyond what she's currently capable of with all she has.
"I'd rather not let you tarnish my reputation as the Top Player! I came here to test you remember?!" With the tip of her blade shining through, Maqirelle flashed her the sharpness of her blade and pushed her left hand carrying her shield, absorbing the meager fraction of light that imploded from Fargil's hands.
"Is that...?!" Blunder could always follow the foolish they say, and Fargil was no exception. The very instant Maqirelle showed her signature move to Fargil, he knew he had made a mistake.
"You thought it was my armor and gear that does the deflection? You are mistaken, Fargil. I am the reflection itself! So take this!"
The very same cosmic energy that's shackling Maqirelle became the medium for her power, causing Fargil to unhook the chains away from her.
He threw his hook over the stalactites above and pulled himself away from danger, but he was too late as Maqirelle's shield releases the accumulated energy she stored, causing a massive explosion that shook the cave and the surface.
"Argh...!" Fargil was propelled upward, his HP decreased so fast when a sharp protruding spike on the cave pierced his back down his abdomen.
In his speculation, Maqirelle's signature move that allows her to counter-attack greater than anyone else was that Fargil thought she was casting enhancement-type spells on her gears and weapons so she can effectively deflect any incoming strike.
With the help of his passive that ignores tangible defensive attributes, Fargil has been striking her physical form so that Maqirelle wouldn't be able to absorb his cosmic spells.
However, Fargil had made a huge mistake as the reflection itself doesn't occur on her weapons or gears, rather; Maqirelle can deflect incoming physical and magical attacks as naturally as she breathes.
The way she deflects isn't the same as traditional tank classes by countering the force in real-time. She throws her adversaries off balance by gathering the type of force she receives and redirecting the accumulated energy to where it came from.
As Fargil descend on the cave's ceiling, flopping over the level's threshold, he turned his head and the tip of Maqirelle's blade slightly slitting his neck.
"Checkmate, Fargil. You have lost and failed the test."
"Fail...?" He muttered.
"Yes, so you must join my party and–"
In an unexpected turn that even Maqirelle couldn't foresee, instead of surrendering, Fargil smirked and grabbed Maqirelle's blade, pushing down his throat and immediately killing him on the spot.
"What in the hell...? Just how badly do you want to play solo!? I'm offering myself as your duo! Hmph... Fine! Die there and let Alfahim be called the weakest kingdom! Jerk."
Maqirelle facepalmed in disappointment. She turned around thinking she can just persuade him next time since Fargil will respawn in the base and he'll definitely find a hideaway to keep her out of his sight.
Though, as she leaves the scene, Maqirelle glimpses Fargil's loot pillar missing; an indicator that a player that was killed can be looted. It was missing and she was sure she killed him, except; it was her mistake for thinking she could kill him that easily.
"Hey, hey... I thought this was a test? We're just starting really... Though, this time, I will be the one testing you!"
"Ha... You are full of surprises, Fargil! Let us dance once more and see if you're up for it!"
And the two clashed together like no more. Fighting on equal footing in a neverending barrage of strikes and deflection until one of them emerged victorious in their fight that lasted for the rest of the day.