「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
I leap to the side, unsure of what to do. My senses were much more sensitive than before, leaving me confused and overloaded with the surrounding information.
The knight's sword misses, then he glared at me. Even through his helmet, I could feel the scrutiny and bafflement that he must be feeling right now.
I had forsaken our duel on my first move; that must have been a huge blow the knight's pride.
I had not meant it, more of an instinct than a decision. I was confused by my current situation, causing my judgement to be clouded and my determination to waver.
But not anymore
I fix my stance, copying the knight.
The knight noticed my sudden change and fixed his own, positioning himself like before.
Once again, we were face to face, about fifteen feet from each other.
This was my mistake, and I should not use it as an excuse to forsake our duel.
I clear my mind, reaching for that sense of clarity. It was hard, incredibly so, in fact. I could feel my mind splitting as my tired brain desperately tried to work a concentration technique and mind-reinforcement at once.
Still, I held on
Reaching further and deeper, I find that blank space again. The world disappeared, leaving me and my thoughts alone. With my mind-reinforcement, I could feel the abyss writhe, the invisible still present in the never-ending darkness.
Even if I could not see it, they were still there.
Then, the knight was there: standing, waiting, calculating his next move. Doing everything he can to keep to his code and eliminate the threat before him at the same time.
I ready my sword and focus on the sole presence before me. Then, activating 「Quick Step」 and focusing 「Reinforcement」 at the same time, I take a step forward.
The knight did the same, albeit a bit slower than me.
Sparks flew.
Our blades met, clashing and crashing against each other. I swung again, and the knight did the same. I swung once more, and the knight met my blade as if in response.
The knight responded to every single one of my strikes, as if he knew where and how I would strike and what purpose that strike would have. Sparks flew everywhere as it did, lighting up the abyss before being swallowed by the darkness.
The knight read me like a book, almost as if he had known me my entire life.
It was a weird feeling, being read and understood this much. Even the witch did not know me this deeply.
Then the knight threw me a curveball.
Amidst the knight's ironclad defense, I spot an opening. Without wasting a second longer, I dove straight in, aiming for a fatal strike.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
A chill from my spine made me choose retreat, the warning seeping into my nerves. With 「Horizon Oath」 active, the feeling was even more present than it could ever be.
Still, I was too close to back away now, and forsaking our duel would just further tarnish both of our prides.
I persisted, too stubborn and prideful to back away.
The knight reeled his sword back, cancelling his strike.
A feint…
Though I had already expected it, I still felt shock and surprise overcome me. It was only for a brief second, though.
The knight reeled his sword back holding it horizontally with one hand. Despite 「Horizon Oath」 being active and using my concentration technique, the knight still moved with the same practiced efficiency and experienced fluidity like he always did.
My steps brought right in front of the point of his blade.
Dammit!
I curse inwardly, though this was a conscious decision I made while knowing fully that I would be betraying my 「Instinct」, I could still feel anger and fury welling up inside of me.
I change my stance slightly, almost tripping over myself. I needed to divert where I would get hit to minimize the amount of damage I would take.
This was no easy task, of course. I was stuck mid-strike, and so any wrong move I made could spell my doom.
Twisting my body and tightening my muscles, I push heat into my arms. My arms felt like ripping apart from the force I exuded and with 「Horizon Oath」 active, I could feel every muscle and nerve strain just trying to handle my body so as not to explode from the force.
Fuhhhhh…
I exhaled, releasing all the pent-up energy.
The knight did the same, sending mana to his longsword. The blade glowed in bright blue hue, the light overpowering the darkness. Then, the light converged, not on the blade, but within it. It rested there, traveling on the blade's edges, heightening it's sharpness. The blade let out a low hum as the condensed mana filled it with power. Then, like I did, the knight released it.
The abyss crumbled under the light's influence, revealing the damp pit. I ignored both and focused solely on the enemy in front of me.
*clang*
Our blades met, and a spark larger and brighter than ever before bloomed.
….?!
Then, as if it was natural, my blade flew. It soared and arched through the air, leaving my grasp.
I was left dumbfounded. Even with everything I had, I was still inferior to the knight.
I had better mana control and higher speed. My strength was only a level below the knight's, and while I was lacking in defense, I made up for it in agility. And yet, I had lost.
It was just that one thing, that simple, stupid thing.
The sword
The knight was clearly leaps and bounds beyond me in the way of the sword. His insight, instincts, experience, will, determination, confidence, trust, and even his nature was all for the sword he held.
Though I was nothing more than a newbie when it came to such matters, in the brief time I had met blades with the armored knight, I could feel the overwhelming aura that told of his trials and the time he spent perfecting his weapon.
He was clearly beyond me, both as a knight and as a warrior.
I look back at my assailant, the enemy that I could never overcome. Though I could win with better circumstances, the fact that he was better than me and had a much higher purpose would never leave me
Respect
The knight remained still, unmoving despite his awkward stance. I stayed wary, expecting a blow to come any second to finish me off.
I could hear the shouts of the surviving Night Beasts behind me, but I remained still.
Is he…
I look at my assailant, examining him. Then, I noticed it.
The knight's flame was gone, extinguished by his own powerful strike.