Chapter 15: A world within the soul (3)
The killing intent in which Benjamin's reflection flickered could only mean one thing.
Moon was done with Benjamin's games.
As much as it warmed his heart to be an object of such ambition and killing intent, Benjamin's childhood dream still blazed within him. He put the head of the clone on the top of his bare feet and tossed it up, shooting a different kind of a football in Moon's direction.
This time, however, he wasn't aiming for the background behind the wolf priestess but at her!
Feeling that intent, Moon leaned forward and darted at him, her blade halving the hurtling arrow threatening to slam into her head. Before two pieces dropped into the crimson lake, Benjamin had kicked around ten heads more, of which all were cut into two pieces by Moon's splendid swordsmanship.
He smirked, his muscles tensing.
With his hands out to properly shift his weight into his style, Benjamin keenly awaited Moon's approach while coming up with various scenarios to defeat her. Shortly after his brain squeezed up three plans, Moon lifted her swords at Benjamin and lowered them down to hack at his chest.
Raising his feet to interrupt her, Benjamin struck the intersection of two swords with a sole of his feet, taking head on the acute blades. His feet, of course, hadn't bled at all.
They halted for less than three seconds, with each pressing their weight and strength against the other while meeting their gazes. However, only Benjamin had seen through Moon in that short time due to his Investor's Eye capitalizing on his rich experience.
Also, Moon was so intoxicated by her killing intent that she wasn't thinking at all.
Their stalemate naturally broke, and two of them entered a dance of martial artists. Benjamin once again showcased his footwork and experience by gliding around Moon's swords, not giving her a chance to cut his vital points.
Since he wasn't limiting himself, his movement often turned too unpredictable and absurd, as Benjamin could easily fall to the ground and get up before Moon caught up with his schemes.
At times, he would also jump so high that his heel came from above. Moon, however, was experienced in martial arts enough to block those attempts to defeat her with her swords. That was when Benjamin's experience kicked in, and he shifted his balance and trajectory so well that his heel seemingly teleported and appeared next to her little head, threatening to strike her temple.
Which Moon blocked with her forearm.
Benjamin had been aiming for that since the start. That exposed side was more than he could have asked for, and he instantaneously lifted his other foot, no longer touching the ground at all.
Hanging mid-air, Benjamin twisted his waist and threw his arms to the side, balancing his body and shifting all his weight into one direct kick, which perfectly landed on Moon's torso, breaking her out of her flow.
The strength behind that move made her stagger on her two, and she was compelled to take a few steps back.
Meanwhile, Benjamin casually landed on his left hand and got to his feet before Moon's composure returned to her.
He glided forward to her front and invaded her space before elbowing her stomach. That drew a loud groan from Moon and snatched all air from her chest. Benjamin was not done, however, and used the back of his hand to smack her chin.
Moon's head twisted behind.
Having his other hand free, Benjamin threw it behind and shifted his weight there before slamming his palm into her stomach, sending her flying. She flew like a broken doll and caved into the mansion's wall.
The avalanche of debris caused by the power behind Benjamin's move drowned her painful cries along with her entire body, as though already preparing a grave for her.
'What a waste… she isn't using her muscles to their extent, wasting so much energy,' Benjamin inferred, his mind recalling Moon's thighs, which she had exposed in her revealing kimono.
Though thinking about thighs during a battle was odd, Benjamin had grown disappointed and amazed by this woman, mainly because of that alluring part of her curves.
From the positive point of view, she wasn't going all out against him, only because of her befuddled state, so it meant she was much stronger in a proper condition and had much more room to grow in strength. She could also be more clever and not so simple-minded in her style.
After all, Benjamin could read her just fine.
The problem came from her mindset. Of course, he didn't discount the presence dwelling within her and her origins, but Moon had lost against her, which meant that she had either surrendered or her personality was unbecoming of a swordsman.
Nonetheless, that killing intent and ambition within those violet eyes was what Benjamin would bet on and believe in.
This woman had a lot of potential.
Benjamin tilted his head, "Oh, right. I forgot about you."
The clones leaped out from the shadows and rushed in Moon's direction. It was clear to the naked eye that they would dig her out from this makeshift grave to kill her.
Benjamin wouldn't let those thwart his plans.
He rushed in before those clones could fulfill their mission and began a one-sided massacre. All clones had their heads either beheaded or exploded.
The latter happened whenever Benjamin decided to play his solo football game, treating the other decapitated heads like footballs.
Before the last clone fell, however, the foreign presence had finally loomed over Benjamin.
Leveraging the force of inertia that no martial artist could go against, that presence wanted to interrupt Benjamin's game and flow of his style to strike his vital point when he couldn't protect himself. Humans couldn't easily stop their bodies once they were thrown into motion, after all.
Blood spurted from Benjamin's side.
His lips curved into a sneer.
"Did you believe I would forget about you amidst my fight and fun?" Benjamin looked over his shoulder, locking his eyes with the foreign presence that aimed to take over Moon's body.
Her expression twisted into an ugly smile, "That I did."
"Has my little lie worked?" Benjamin chuckled. He had never forgotten about the clones.
The hideous smile widened, "It has."
The woman had indeed managed to hit Benjamin and draw his blood.
She, however, had failed to attack his vital point.
That much meant he was fine to go all out against her.
His words also insinuated that… she had swallowed all his baits!