"Just how bad is my cover? This is the second time someone's figured out I'm masking my true level!" Lloyd's thoughts raced.
"Ah—no time to dwell on that now," he muttered to himself, shaking off the distraction as he refocused on the battle at hand.
Across from him, his opponent, Li, executed a decoy animation, a technique drawn from the Tang Clan's Hidden Arts catalog. This was no ordinary skill; it required a minimum level of a 4-star aura or at least three magic circles to even attempt. The mere fact that Li could perform it hinted at his formidable strength and mastery.
"He's around mid-4-star at best," Lloyd mused, analyzing the aura radiating from Li. "This should be manageable."
A confident smirk spread across Lloyd's face as he licked the edge of his lips. In a bold move, he stopped masking his level entirely, allowing his full power to surge forth. The sheer intensity of it was enough to make even Li flinch, if only for a second.
"Holy—just how strong are you? I thought we were on the same level," Li exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.
"Oh? It seems you're not as good at guessing as you thought," Lloyd replied, his voice dripping with playful mockery.
The clash of their weapons was thunderous, each strike sending sparks flying across the park. The force of their blows reverberated through the air, creating a cacophony that echoed off the surrounding trees.
"Switching weapons now, are we? Not confident in sticking with just one?" Lloyd taunted, his tone light but his eyes sharp.
"We'll see who's lacking confidence," Li shot back, determination etched across his face.
In a swift motion, Li discarded his knives, opting instead for a thin steel wire. He spun it in tight circles, creating a deadly trap as he tried to ensnare Lloyd. But Lloyd was too quick, his movements fluid as he dodged the wire with ease.
"Don't think you can catch me with something so basic," Lloyd remarked, his voice laced with a mix of amusement and disdain.
Despite Lloyd's attempts to provoke him, Li remained unfazed. Realizing that his taunts were having little effect, Lloyd decided it was time to stop playing games. It was time to fight with the full seriousness that the situation demanded.
'Feather Step!' he activated the technique with a burst of energy.
In an instant, Lloyd's movements became impossibly smooth, his footsteps light as a feather. He darted forward with incredible speed, rapidly closing the gap between himself and Li.
*Clang!*
Lloyd's sword, gleaming like the surface of a polished moon, collided with the blades that extended from Li's gauntlet. The impact sent a shockwave through both combatants.
But Li wasn't done. With a swift kick, a blade shot out from his shoe, aimed directly at Lloyd's torso. Lloyd barely managed to dodge, twisting his body to avoid the strike. The narrow escape created a brief gap between them—just long enough for Li to hurl the steel wire at Lloyd once more.
This time, though Lloyd managed to avoid the wire himself, his sword wasn't so lucky. The wire coiled around the hilt of the blade, and with a sharp tug, Li wrenched it from Lloyd's grasp, leaving him unarmed.
Seizing the advantage, Li lunged forward, dagger in hand, ready to deliver a decisive blow. But Lloyd was quicker. He reached out and grabbed Li's arm, halting the attack in its tracks.
"Since when did close combat become an assassin's specialty?" Lloyd asked with a smirk, his grip tightening around Li's arm.
With a flourish, he activated his next technique. 'Hands of Odin!'
The air around them seemed to pulse with power as Lloyd prepared to unleash the full extent of his abilities.
Lloyd's fist connected with Li's chest, the impact reverberating through the air as Li was sent flying across the park, crashing into the opposite side.
"Arrgh!" Li groaned, visibly in pain from the powerful punch. The force of Lloyd's blow was immense; if it weren't for the armor protecting him, Li would have been coughing up blood by now. The armor had absorbed the worst of the impact, but the pain was still sharp and lingering.
Lloyd wasted no time. He quickly retrieved his sword, his eyes locked onto Li, who was struggling to regain his footing. Without hesitation, Lloyd rushed forward, his speed a blur as he closed the distance between them.
As Li stood, still reeling from the blow, Lloyd didn't give him a moment to recover. He pointed the tip of his sword directly at Li's heart, his stance firm and unyielding.
"Looks like I claimed the first victory," Lloyd declared, a smug look on his face.
"I already knew it wouldn't work," he added, his confidence.
Li, despite the pain, managed a determined grin. "It's only round one. We've got the whole night ahead of us," he exclaimed, the fire in his eyes reigniting.
And so, the two continued their intense sparring throughout the night. The moonlight illuminated their fierce battle, with the clashing of their weapons echoing through the empty park. Each round was a test of skill, endurance, and willpower.
By the time dawn began to break, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange, the scoreboard was overwhelmingly in Lloyd's favour. The final tally stood at 8-2. Eight victories for Lloyd, showcasing his dominance in the battle, and two hard-fought wins for Li.
The sun had begun to show up on the horizon realizing that people would be coming anytime now they got out there all tattered and bruised but at least both of them felt content.
Lloyd had gained the most out of the situation since he had ended up gaining a friend after doing barbaric activities the whole night.
"So, where will you go now?" Lloyd asked as they were heading back to their hotel.
"I don't I will keep on travelling and duelling people for the next two years I will go back one I am long enough. Now, that I have no purpose to serve here I will most likely head to the east," Li said.
"East? I will be heading there too! Why don't you accompany me?"
*****
Sorry wasn't able to post because It's been raining heavily here everyday and constant power outages due to heavy rainfall. Some area of my town are flooded badly because an nearby earthen dam broke luckily my part of city hasn't suffered much. Half of my city is submerged in water as I am writing this.
Please donate so I can pay off these EMIs and focus on paying off my college fees. EMI instalment is around 85$ a month. I would appreciate it if I could get half of that amount from donations that would help me tremendously.
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