Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal echoed around the lane as the two warriors clashed with each other over and over again, Kurona unrelenting in her rapid assault. Every connected slash sent shockwaves of energy rippling in all directions, shattering windowpanes and cracking wood from the sheer force of them alone. The ground cracked with every exchange, the blows crackling like thunder in the clear afternoon sky. If the pink haired woman had been going for a silent end to the skirmish, she had already passed up the opportunity to do so as she continued her onslaught. The only thing left to do was to put down the deviant and make it clear whose fault the damage to the surroundings had been.
Of course, that was much easier said than done.
A full minute had passed since their little skirmish started and in that time, Kurona had learned only one sure thing about her opponent throughout that whole time. A small fact that threw a wrench in her plans.
(("He's faster than me,")) Kurona grit her teeth in frustration as she slashed her sword once again, only to be parried with the flat side of a dagger. (("And just as strong."))
Though the hooded stranger had been playing defense for the entirety of the fight, the way he ran and just how casually he manipulated his blades to block and deflect showed the enormous skill gap betwixt them. His fluid movement and unorthodox fighting style were unlike anything Kurona had seen before, flaunting attack patterns and evasive maneuvers that seemed impossible but were executed flawlessly. It was as if she had returned to her toddler days training with the veteran Knights, just learning how to properly handle a wooden sword. In terms of pure swordsmanship, the thief was undoubtedly in a class of his own. When paired with his superior speed and rivaled strength, the young maiden wasn't feeling too good about her own decisions.
If it wasn't for the glowing eyes beneath the deviants hood, indicating an active skill in use, she would've been forced to change tactics.
(("Moves quickly. Specializes with daggers. Great at taking evasive action.")) Kurona leapt onto the side of a nearby structure and followed the cloaked man onto the roof of one of the two story buildings making up the street. (("Must be an Assassin Class. No Knight or Hero worth their title would downgrade their weapons, let alone steal groceries from civilians."))
"So, can we stop this?" The figure asked, his boyish voice carrying a polite tone. "I really do have somewhere to be. If you'd just listen for a second, we can clear up this obvious misunderstanding."
"There isn't any need for talk. We're well past that point." Kurona lifted her black sword up into the sky, pointing the tip straight upwards. (("I'll have to use magic to even the playing field."))
"And here I thought she'd actually be reasonable," The man muttered to himself as he readied his daggers. "Damn Hero."
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Hero Class
Tier 2 Lightning Magic - Blue Coat Lvl 5:
Covers the users weapon in a magical current to increase striking speed by 200%. Can cause paralysis so stabbing yourself is not recommended. Continuously drains mana while active.
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"I call upon the heavens to answer my call," Kurona raised her free hand and gripped her wrist as visible arches of bright blue electricity began to encircle her blade. "Encompass my sword, grant me your power and allow me to bestow justice upon those who have wronged the innocent."
Slashing downwards, the sword erupted into a dazzling display of bright blue sparks. Strips of lightning flickered and danced around the blade, tendrils of energy tickling the air surrounding it.
"I shall be the one to smite those who are unworthy." Kurona glared in the deviants direction with glowing eyes, the blue light from the sword giving her a much more menacing appearance. "Lightning Magic- Blue Coat!!!"
(("I should have a full minute left with Fortification. I have more than enough time to activate another spell.")) Kurona held the sword at the ready and burst forth with as much acceleration as she could muster. (("I just need to keep him on his toes for a few seconds in order to complete the chant."))
Without a second to spare, the pink haired warrior closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. This time around, she didn't bother thinking about anything other than the fight at hand and swung her blade downwards.
Crack!!! The roof beneath them shook as the sword stopped just shy of connecting with the top of the building. Having felt no contact, Kurona quickly stopped her attack and switched direction, swiping upwards in a diagonal line. This was once again met with air as the figure nimbly dodged, narrowly making contact with the sword as it passed.
"Oh, that's very good." The masked man said in approval, his tone clearly filled with amusement. "Looks like a lvl 4. That's quite impressive considering its a Tier 2."
The female grit her teeth and exhaled, willing herself to go faster. Pulling her sword in, she thrusted in rapid succession, aiming for every open vital point on the opponents body. It was clear that she had completely forgone going for a mere arm and was now out for the man's life, her desperation taking hold and pushing her to complete the task before her time eventually wore out.
"No, not a lvl 4," the man said as he quickly dodged the succession of strikes, no longer using either one of his daggers. "A lvl 5? Okay, that's actually pretty insane, even for a Hero."
Kurona let out a sigh of relief as she finally managed to finish her preparations, exactly when the deviant was busy talking. A smile spread across her visage as she pulled her sword back for a split second.
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Hero Class
Tier 2 Lightning Magic- Electric Aura Lvl 3:
Increases the users movement speed by 300%. Drains mana continuously while active. Has a 30% chance of self-paralysis upon deactivation.
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Almost immediately, Kurona felt her body get three times lighter as thin arcs of blue light flickered around her body.
"A dual casting???" For the first time, the hooded youth sounded slightly unsure and a bit shaken. The laid back persona instantly switched to one of caution as he raised his daggers. "Did you do a whole ass chant in your own head? Do you know what could've happened if you messed that up??"
Zap! Disappearing from her spot and reappearing in front of the deviant, Kurona drove her sword towards the man's chest. "Who cares."
"Well I do."
The pink haired maiden didn't even blink during that final transaction, and she still missed what had happened in that singular instant. One moment she was there, about to plunge her lightning coated sword into the thief's chest, and the next she was standing there with a black dagger pressed against her throat, the blade piercing naught but the cold afternoon air. There had been no sound nor any indication of him moving the slightest bit. It was as if he teleported from one spot to another, moving far faster than any eye could possibly make out. If he wanted to, all the deviant would have to do is press and pull the knife and Kurona's journey would officially be over. Just like that, the fight was over before it could even register.
"Sorry I had to do that to you," The deviant said, holding the knife against the Hero's neck as she deactivated the lightning surrounding her sword. "You just really caught me off guard with that spell and I activated my ability on reflex."
Kurona couldn't even form a full thought, let alone speak as she slowly sunk to her knees, the strength leaving her body as her time finally ran out. The once glowing blue eyes dimmed and the black sword she carried clattered to the cracked stone roof. In every sense of the word, she had been completely decimated, in skill, swordsmanship, and magic. Though the boy continued to speak to her, she couldn't hear anything except her own heart drumming in her ears, her eyes seeing only red.
"But look. If it's not too much trouble, I'm gonna head out," The youth deactivated his own skill, the glow beneath the hood disappearing as he retracted the two daggers. Quickly resheathing them, he hastily backed away. "I'm not fond of leaving you alone out here after what just happened but I'm running very late. This time, I'll let the guards help you and I'll make it all up to you some other time."
Kurona fell onto the floor, exhaustion taking over, her eyes quickly closing as she fell into a deep sleep.
"I'm sure we'll meet again Hero," the figure said to himself as he turned away. "I'll see you at the Academy."
Without another word, the user disappeared into the darkness, vanishing without a trace.