"Hahaha…"
Laughing awkwardly while looking at The Lady, I continued, "Did it sound like that? Well, that wasn't my intention in the first place,"
"It did sound to me,"
Valen had muscles on her pale smooth skin. Her eyelashes perfectly outlined her gorgeous face. Even though she practice swordsmanship, it didn't affect her whole The Lady aura appearance.
"I'll cut to the chase, please train us,"
"And why would I?"
"I'll pay you,"
"Do you honestly think that you could buy everything with money? How funny, so would I take your provocation as some sort of declaring you are my enemy?"
"I do but I guess not on the likes of you," I replied, ignoring the second part of her sentence, calmly suggesting something, "So how about this. We'll get trained by you if we show what we have,"
"What you have?" Valen asked with a mix of curiosity and doubt.
"Yes. Let's fight,"
Hearing it as if she wasn't surprised, Valen replied, "Let's do it. That answer of yours is already within my expectations,"
"Oh, and if we win, there will be no pay for the training. You'll have to do it for free," I added and saw Valen's smile turning wicked.
"Sure thing." She curtly replied just like that before staring intently in my direction, "I can't wait to beat the shit out of you,"
"Yours too,"
I let out the most arrogant smile I could do but in reality… I absolutely have no fucking way to deal with this lady.
…
"All right, you two can fight against me," Valen said calmly as we moved into the inner parts of the library where she made us follow her underground.
Surprisingly, the underground of this library is enormous which is really suited for training.
This is what led to the provocation I had done. Everything happened so fast that I even found it unbelievable.
"Let's get it started,"
I confidently said, crackling my head and arms before seeing the viciousness on Valen's face which made me freeze.
'I've all got it planned… I'll just have to do it. And don't give me that kind of look… it's giving me the chills ma'am,'
Clang—!
My movements were sluggish while I carried the sword. Isaac beside me just hold it well while we stand a few meters away from Valen, who was looking at us with an amused face.
Throughout the conversation, he didn't raise questions or did something that disturbs me. He agreed without any hesitation and believe I had planned something.
"It's not my fault if you go back to your father crying, all right?"
"Aha, that's a shame. I wasn't planning on crying, really. If there's a way, I would like to avoid it,"
"Huh? What's that mean?" Valen looked at me with a suspicious gaze before concentrating on her sword, readying herself.
Isaac was also positioned properly and I was there beside him.
Nobody moved yet, probably waiting for someone to make a first move to see the opponents' movements.
10 seconds later…
30…
45…
55…
59…
All the silence broke out the moment the minute was up as... I started to run, not onto Valen but outside of this damn ring where we were supposed to fight.
"…"
Since I've been training with my legs, I was delighted with the results I have. It sure felt tiring but given half a minute of time, I was able to leave.
"Hah! That sure is exhausting," Wiping the sweat formed on my forehead, I gave Isaac a thumbs up and loudly said, "I know full well that you can topple her again and again! Be strong and fight everything with all you've got! Ahaha… what am I to say this…"
"..."
Hearing the bullshit reason I came up, the two wore deadpan expressions as they stared blankly as if what I have done was beyond their expectations.
It wasn't even part of that.
Saying all those words and provocation earlier just to… run? It's below the lowest strategies out there. And coward would only do that which I don't have any counterarguments.
"You son of a bitch!"
Isaac shouted as he focused his gaze on Valen, who was still looking at me with a blank face, seemingly trying to understand what had just happened.
He then continued, "I'll beat you out myself later!"
"Yeah sure but you'll have to get yourself beat up first," Replying humorously, I continued, "Just so you know, the tactic I did wouldn't be available. It's not like there's an unknown barrier but… that person wouldn't make that happen,"
-Tak!
"You are fun…" Valen spoke solemnly after retracting her gaze back, "I don't know why you've done this… I was supposed to enjoy beating you up but—"
Flinch!
I can't help but shiver.
She paused while looking at Isaac, "But I guess you are the only one now,"
Whoosh—!
Ending the chit-chat, Valen lunged forward and easily positioned herself mid-air, making contact the moment their sword clashed.
Clang—!
…
Isaac was pushed back by the impact but not too much.
He knew Valen sense him trying to do the same tactic he had done which is escaping this arena. Whatever the deal he made with her, it was only solely directed to her and him.
'Not unless…'
Isaac can't help but glance and saw the grinning Noelle as if he was amused by what was happening to him.
Readjusting himself in a proper stance, he carefully analyzed his surroundings. Knowing he couldn't get out of the arena, Valen would most likely keep their battle in the middle to render Isaac on using the same stunt.
'Tsk, I don't need to use the system. I can get strong by myself and… I can defeat this lady,'
With serious eyes, Isaac looked at the next incoming attack. Instead of avoiding it, he confronted Valen and in just a second, their sword clashed once more.
Clang—!
Their ways of the sword talked to themselves. They fully focused on defeating their opponent at their fronts.
Clank—!
At one point, when Isaac attacks and missed, Valen would take the opportunity and lunged forward to inflict a heavy attack. The same could be said for the other party.
'Uhm, why are they so serious? They might actually kill themselves in the process…' Noelle mused inwardly, his face turning grim.
Clang—!
Exhausted and gasping for air, the fight continued for at least half an hour and it wasn't stopping any moment.
Isaac defended himself against a sword that was directly aiming at his head by blocking it with his sword.
"You are good, kid," Valen spoke with a delighted tone.
"You too…" Isaac grunted as he replied.
He grew exhausted as they stayed in that position. He was waiting for Valen to remove the sword but she didn't seem planning that.
"How long have you been training your swordsmanship?"
"Why do you care? Enough… chit-chat and let's get into it,"
"Break free from this first. Why do kids so rude these days? And here am I being nice hahh..."
Clang—!
It was at that moment that The Lady backed down her sword and moved a few steps back. It made Isaac weirded out as soon after that, she stayed in her position without doing anything.
That's what he thought for the time being but that changed when Valen's posture changed completely different.
'Hey… that…' Nolle, who was watching everything on the sidelines, shivered violently while looking at the scene with shocking eyes, 'No way she's going to use 'that'! It would really kill him,'
He wanted to shout and wanted to smack Valen on her head for trying to kill the mc or at least she intended to.
It was his plan for Valen to take an interest in Isaac, not grow hostility toward each other which is why he deliberately provoke her so that all her hatred would be only directed at him.
With that being the case, Noelle thought a result where he will make the two become acquainted as fast as possible.
But if she were to kill Isaac now… Noelle couldn't even imagine the horrors that would come in the future.
If he entered the arena, he might be swept away by what Valen would be doing. He will die for sure.
There's still one chance though and it wouldn't come to him but to Isaac,
'Isaac…! Seek help on your system Don't be stubborn now…! You'll—'
Noelle could only shout inwardly, regretting this so-called acquaintance plan since he knew the moment Valen made that move, she is serious.
Yet amidst what was about to happen, Noelle's eyes suddenly started to move in a weird way, as it was turning white by itself!
[Unknown Danger Incoming]
[Unknown Danger….]
[Unknown…]
Isaac looked strangely at the screens popping out from his front. It was annoying to look at but he never concentrated on them since currently, most of his attention was directed to Valen.
'if the system is even saying it… then this might be true,' Isaac mused inwardly before clicking his tongue.
He readied himself.
He didn't try to escape since he knew it was futile. He had the gut feeling that he will get caught by it.
Soon after, he felt his hair standing up as a much gloomier aura was being emanated from Valen.
'What a weird day to die,' Isaac mused inwardly before finally seeing Valen making a move towards him at a fast rate.
Swoosh—!
'Fuck…'
He couldn't react fast.
It was only a matter of seconds before she could come and the thoughts of defending the attack quickly disappeared as he knew he couldn't defend it or even block it.
"Finisher…"
Whoosh—!
In just a second, Valen muttered silently as she knew just now, her sword would make contact with Isaac.
Bang—!
Clouds of dust covered the whole area, preventing from anyone seeing what had actually happened.
Valen tried to move her body but all of a sudden, she felt her movements become restrained. She then realized that she was unable to move.
The froze Isaac was also left stupefied as the moment the clouds of dust scattered around, giving him a clearer vision, he saw Noelle looking at him with a deadpan expression.
For some reason, Noelle felt different.
His hands hands and fingers were in some kind of stance, looking like he was doing something that couldn't be determined with normal eyes.
[Unknown Danger Incoming!]
But that was all gone a moment later when Noelle bowed his head down, consequently, his hands were also down. He looked like a person who just slept, standing in the middle of the two.
Valen could finally move once more and the struggle she felt earlier was gone as if it wasn't real in the first place.
At the same time, the notification on Isaac's front which only he could see also disappeared.
"…"
The arena came back from its silent state. Everyone was waiting for someone to break it but the two couldn't do so.
Well, not until someone did as he raised his head and looked at the two in his front with frightened eyes.
"Why… am I here?"