[Third Person POV]
While conversing with Grade about these topics, something suddenly hurled towards Kaizer as if teleported.
Although the speed was astounding, Kaizer's reflex kicked in fast.
[Kaizer!]
'I know!'
Kaizer steeled his body into the ground and spread his left palm forward to take hold of the object, but surprisingly, a slender but strong fist got caught in his grasp.
"Hoo…you just woke up from a coma and could block that? Am I mistaken about the state of the body of a coma patient?" A calm, melancholy voice reached Kaizer's ears as he remained stunned to be confronted by a beautiful woman with lavender hair and emerald green eyes.
The woman adorned black track pants for fluent movements, her posture elegant, the contrasting white shirt she wore, crafted from a luxurious silk blend that cascaded down her torso in a rich burgundy hue.
She draped a black overcoat, reaching her knees.
The sleeves, ending just above her wrists, revealed the skin kissed by moonlight, adorned only by a hint of glistening jewelry that shimmered with each fluid movement.
Looking at Kaizer, her expression held a spark of curiosity and interest.
Her sun-kissed lips were adorned with a small smile as she looked at my hand holding her fist.
Amidst Kaizer's admiration, the woman swiftly hurled her left leg toward Kaizer's right side in an arc.
Kaizer retracted his left palm and brought his forearms together to cover his right side while backing away simultaneously.
The kick connected on Kaizer's forearms as he got pushed ten steps back.
Kaizer felt his bones creak as the numbness gradually settled in.
"You should have realized my kick would be more powerful than my first punch. Blocking was a mistake; backing away would have been the correct decision. But you selected both. That was more stupid."
'Who the fuck is she? Lavender hair and emerald green eyes … Wait, is she-'
[Kaizer, Focus!]
'Fuck'
Kaizer's momentary distraction cost him his footing as the woman's figure blurred in his eyes, and he felt a jolting pain in his right ribcage.
Kaizer rolled back as the pavement scratched his clothes and skin.
Kaizer clutched his right side as he struggled to stand up.
"Spacing out amid a battle? Was I expecting too much after you blocked my first hit?" The woman said as she looked at Kaizer's crawling figure disappointedly.
"Fiona Liebert…The Legendary SS-rank Mercenary Awakener," Kaizer muttered under his breath as he stood upright, bringing his hands up to guard his front.
"Huh? You know me?" a confused voice escaped Fiona's lips as she realized Kaizer's knowledge about her.
Fiona Liebert, the infamous Mercenary Awakener.
She is famous for her unparalleled strength among all the SS-ranked Awakeners of the world.
She suddenly emerged one day as a mercenary and took over the ranks.
Some even consider her a veteran despite only being a mercenary for six years.
No one knows what life she lived before and how she achieved her strength.
She currently holds the title of being the Youngest SS rank Awakener.
In the novel, she is briefly mentioned as a preview, but the information about her isn't significant enough.
'In the research I did in the library about the Awakeners and households to be careful of, she takes a high enough position as a threat to me because she is infamous for impulsively making decisions.'
Kaizer organized his thoughts as he carefully raised his guard and took a defensive position.
His posture was precise despite his body's numbness, and his eyes turned cold as he avoided Fiona's question.
"That look? You won't respond to my question and have that arrogant look in your eyes?" Fiona growled as her face contorted in disgust.
'She is suppressing her rank aura because I would already be tasting cement on the pavement if she wasn't. Swirl Vision.' Kaizer ignored her words again as he activated the Swirl Vision skill.
[Tasting dirt in the ground.]
"Let me give you a beatdown for ignoring me." Fiona rushed towards Kaizer, her face contorted in anger at being ignored.
'I wasn't expecting much from swirl vision in combat, but this is much better than I thought. I can see the trajectory of her attack. Right hook, huh? No, that's a feint. She is going with a kick to my right rib.'
Kaizer lowered his guard, protecting his ribs as he backed off promptly.
Kaizer and Fiona further exchanged five more attacks, and Kaizer stayed defensive until the end.
Kaizer dug his feet in the garden every time he got pushed back.
The garden was gradually filled with cracks because of the battle.
The area around the water fountain was destroyed as well.
"You saw my feints? But your blocks are so clumsy. Why don't you die if that's how you block an attack." Fiona sarcastically said.
Although initially surprised, she didn't stop and followed up with another kick.
Contrary to his previous passive attitude, Kaizer rushed toward Fiona as well.
"Can you shut up?" Kaizer displayed anger as his voice trembled.
"Rushing in again?" Fiona replied in a disappointed tone as she assumed Kaizer's blind rush was agitation.
'Was I expecting too much? I shouldn't have entertained the request.' Fiona thought as she rushed to end this little charade in the next blow.
The momentary disappointment gave the opening Kaizer had been waiting for.
"You fell for it." Kaizer grinned as he stopped his rush and punched the ground with all his might.
The ground caved in as the fountain collapsed.
"What?!" Fiona exclaimed as she suddenly lost her footing and lost her posture.
"You only looked at me after I disappointed you for rushing in blindly. You should also pay attention to your surroundings. You didn't do it, that was stupid." Kaizer mocked her as he rushed behind her back and launched a kick.
The kick was precise and powerful, pushing Fiona as she rolled due to her lost posture and footing.
She fell face flat into the ground as Kaizer rushed in again.
[You used deception of being weak and disappointing her while simultaneously positioning your retreats to destroy the surroundings and creating cracks to destroy the fountain. That was clever, but I am disappointed in you for not caring about the environment, you know, sometimes I wonder why you are even alive-]
'Would you shut up and stop telling me your intrusive thoughts?' Kaizer replied as he rushed to approach Fiona.
"Well, well, well, I guess the shoe is on the other foot, isn't it, Fiona?" Kaizer grinned and said as he tried to kick her again but immediately backed off.
'I would have died if I had taken another step.'
He broke out in a cold sweat as his body became stiff, his breathing rough as the air around him turned heavy.
[I think you fucked up when you mocked her. I feel sorry for you, man.]
'I think so, too.'
[It's okay. The most that can happen is that you will die. It shouldn't be that bad.]
'If I die, you die too, so we are in the same boat, fam.'
[Oh, Well. It was fancy knowing you, Kaizer.]
Kaizer and Grade's banter stopped when Kaizer felt the hand grabbing his neck.
"Since you are so confident in your strength, you wouldn't mind me using a bit more of my strength, would you, Kaizer Aster?" Fiona questioned in a ghastly whisper, bringing her lips closer to Kaizer's ear.
[He most certainly will mind it.] Grade shouted at the behest of Kaizer, only to be unheard by anyone.
"…" Kaizer tried to reply, but the pressure from the hand grabbing his neck intensified.
He brought his hands together, grabbed Fiona's hand, and tried to dig in his nails.
"You are pretty stupid if you think you can hurt me by digging your nails." Fiona grinned as she saw Kaizer's futile struggle.
"You genuinely surprised me by creating that situation, and I am interested in training you, but I think I might have to tone that arrogance down a bit. I hope you definitely take this to your heart." Fiona said in an alluring tone as she slammed Kaizer to the ground.
[Ouch, that might have hurt. All the best; I will try to look away, but I am sorry if I laugh. I find you getting beat up hilarious.]
'Shut up, Grade.' Kaizer shouted in his mind as he struggled to crawl away from Fiona.
"Don't break all my bones. I need to recover fast. Besides, I just woke up from a coma." Kaizer said to Fiona in a weak voice with an indifferent tone.
"Don't worry about it. I will only hit you where it hurts the most while ensuring you can take this beating every day starting tomorrow." Fiona replied with a grin.
Fiona continued her relentless assault as Kaizer's weak body swayed around the premises.
After breaking three walls, four fountains, and probably two bones, she finally let go of Kaizer, who was conscious throughout the whole ordeal.
[Kaizer, I think I discovered my kink. I loved seeing you get beat up. I guess you find out new things about yourself every day. Maybe you will come out as a masochist after this? Honestly, I think I am very weird. Should I try therapy?]
'If you had a physical body, I would have ripped your head off already." Kaizer growled in anger as he squirmed in pain.
[Nah, I don't want to come out as a masochist like you.]
******
[A/N: Hey, Readers, how have you all been? I apologize for not uploading; I had been busy with my Midsems, so I couldn't write new chapters. I will try to increase the quality and frequency of the chapters. I would appreciate it if you could add the novel to your collection. I also want to thank the person who added both my novels(the same novel…lol) to their collection. I am grateful to you for doing that. I want more people to read my book, and someone adding both of them to the library made me happy because I felt supported. Thank you so much. I will make sure to increase the frequency of the chapters.]
Please add the novel to your collection and donate power stones if you like!
Also, comment regarding anything you like or hate.
Have a wonderful day ahead :).