With a flicker of movement, Daisuke darted forward, his silver hair trailing behind him like a comet's tail. Vesper mirrored his speed, their bodies blurring as they clashed in a flurry of strikes and parries.
In the soft glow of the mana crystals, their daggers wove a deadly dance as they tested each other's skill and resolve. Sparks flew as their weapon's clashed, each strike stoking the flames of Daisuke's animosity even higher.
Suddenly, Magic Chains shot out from several small portals, their golden glow mirroring the intensity of their master's eyes. Before Vesper could be constricted and wrung dry like a wet cloth, he effortlessly cut through the mana-forged restraints with a mocking grin.
"Did you truly think such cheap tricks would work on me?" he scoffed, swiftly weaving through a sequence of hand seals to launch his own counterattack.
Daisuke's eyes flickered from left to right as he found himself suddenly flanked by two Vespers, each charging at him with deadly intent, blades poised for attack. But he didn't panic. Vesper registered his calm demeanor as something entirely different and swiftly advanced to deliver the lethal blow.
"That's right!" he exclaimed with twisted amusement. "Like all the others who've fallen to this technique, just accept your fate!"
CLANGG!
Instead of triumph, Vesper's eyes widened in shock as his opponent shifted his body to intercept the attack coming from the right. As for the other assailant, his strike simply slipped through Daisuke's body like a mirage before he faded into nothingness.
"You!" Vesper hissed, the sparks from their clashing blades highlighting his exasperated expression. "How did you see through my Shadow Clone Technique? That wasn't just a fluke; you knew I was the real one!"
Daisuke's gaze caught his eye—not the hatred and malice they harbored, but the ancient power that lay within. "…Your eyes," Vesper exclaimed, "the color's changed since we last met. Don't tell me! The legendary Evil Eye?"
Daisuke frowned at the man's astute observation.
"I don't know how you managed to acquire such an extraordinary power," he snarled, his face twisting eerily with greed. "But I'll make it mine… just as soon as I've parted your head from your shoulders!"
The man's threat wasn't to be taken likely, but Daisuke's sixth sense had already warned him of the danger long before the ominous words were uttered. As expected, another copy of Vesper silently advanced behind him, his weapon raised to deliver the promised blow.
Time seemed to slow as Daisuke assessed the apparition his dagger was still interlocked with. A three-layered trap, he mused inwardly, dissecting the intricacies of the plan. The first clone was merely an illusion while the second one, despite being considerably weaker, undoubtedly possesses a physical form. It cleverly distracted me by pretending it was real, all while the real body maneuvered himself to deal a fatal blow. Smart, but you'll have to do way better than that to take me down.
Exerting his strength, Daisuke deflected the clone's weapon, sending its arms shooting upwards. With a steely gaze, he aimed his dagger directly at its face, his voice firm with authority as he uttered the incantation, "Magic Missile."
BOOOM!
Employing Professor Bayley's visualization teachings, Daisuke channeled mana through his arm into the tip of his blade. The clone faded into mist as an explosion engulfed its face, rendering it to nothingness.
Unperturbed by the loss of his decoy, Vesper remained focused on his goal, driven by the desire to vanquish his prey and claim a new source of power. With a savage cry, he leaped forward, his daggers descending like a miniature guillotine, intent on delivering the final blow to the vengeful nuisance.
"Die!"
SWISHH!
To Vesper's astonishment, instead of muscle and bone, his blades cleaved through nothing but empty air. His target had completely vanished from sight and sound, courtesy of the Stygian Abyss mask and the Dash skill.
"You seem very confident in your speed," Daisuke said tauntingly as he whipped around the chamber, his narrow passes making Vesper visibly nervous. "Try to keep up," he challenged, a smirk playing on his lips.
"You fucking coward!" Vesper's voice reverberated with venom, his frustration boiling over. Barely able to make out a blur of movement, he unleashed his words with seething intensity. "Why don't you stop playing games and fight me like a true warrior!"
DING!
[The Swift Leather Boots' option effect has been activated, invoking the Haste skill. Speed and Agility surge by 50% for the next 30 seconds.]
"You seem to be under the wrong impression here," Daisuke's voice, modulated and ominous, rumbled through the chamber like the primal roar of a menacing beast. "This isn't a friendly duel… it's an unglorified slaughter."
Vesper's eyes widened in alarm at the dark declaration. When the blur he was once able to perceive disappeared, he panicked, hurling kunai and a barrage of shuriken in all directions, yet none found their mark. In a last desperate attempt, he chucked a smokescreen to the ground, studying the billowing smoke intently for any sign of movement.
But it was futile.
Before he could react, Daisuke fell upon him like a bloodthirsty gargoyle, clutching his face in an iron grip and mercilessly driving it into the unforgiving ground. A guttural gasp escaped Vesper's lips as searing agony surged through his body, his eyes rolling back in a haze of excruciating torment.
But Daisuke wasn't satisfied. He dragged the villainous swine across the hard ground, carving a path of destruction in his wake. Finally, he brought him to the small fountain where he had been seated earlier, a grim determination burning in his eyes.
"Your mouth must be dry after spitting on me while I was down," he said sadistically, shoving the bastard's face into the water. "Here, let me do something about that."
As Vesper desperately fought to escape, Daisuke remained eerily composed as he dropped a Flarial Seed into the pool. With chilling detachment, he observed as the water swiftly transformed into a seething cauldron of agony, heralding an agonizing fate more terrifying than death itself.
When Vesper's anguished cries faded into silence and his frantic struggles ceased, Daisuke retrieved his stolen coin purse from the motionless body, his actions devoid of remorse or hesitation. With a final glance at the now still form, he turned away, leaving behind only the echoes of justice served.
Petula was too mortified to speak. Keeping her head down, she simply trailed behind him. The icy aura emanating from his body sent shivers down her spine, similar to the bone-chilling winds of the northern tundras.
DING!
[Vesper has been defeated!]
[Ancient coin has been acquired.]
[Reinforcement Tablet x2 has been acquired.]
[Mana crystal has been acquired.]
[Iron Ingot has been acquired.]
[Antarctic Balm has been acquired.]
[207 gold has been acquired.]
***
The Florian attendant had cried herself into a daze, her body slumped in the far corner of the room.
…PSSHH!
…PSSHH!
…PSSHH!
Casimir's fists crashed down, one and then the other, ecstasy contorting his portly face despite his fatigue. Hot breaths escaped his parted lips in jagged bursts, his body flushed and shiny with sweat.
With a perverse grin, he reveled in the rush of dominance and authority coursing through him, his knuckles slick with the crimson evidence of his violence. He was drunk on the intoxicating sense of control and power he derived from his cruelty, his cock hard-forged steel beneath his bulging belly.
Reeza lay sprawled helplessly beneath the savage predator, her once-beautiful face now a grim canvas of blood and swelling, twisted beyond recognition. With each merciless blow, the weight of her past wrongs bore down on her mind like lightning amidst a tempestuous sky, each strike a painful reminder of her darkest moments.
She reflected on the tragic demise of Zephyr and Daisuke's unfortunate descent into a vengeful force of nature. She recalled the countless players she had swindled or gotten killed, as well as the many properties she had trespassed upon and plundered.
Her single-minded pursuit of liberating her mother had blinded her to the horrible collateral damage left in her wake. As the weight of her transgressions settled upon her, she acknowledged the ceaseless cycle of her wrongdoings, recognizing herself as the architect of countless tragedies, whether by intention or circumstance.
With a heavy heart, she resigned herself to her fate, accepting it as a rightful consequence for the havoc she had wrought upon others. As if detecting her resignation and submission, Casimir halted his assault, his eyes wide with a frenzied intensity. A twisted grin split his face as he panted heavily, his gaze raking hungrily over her petite form.
"Aghh," he groaned amorously, the sight of her shattered spirit pushing him dangerously close to the brink. "I can't hold back any longer."
With exuberance, he positioned himself between her small legs, his large, calloused hands exploring the delicate curves of her thighs. A single tear slipped from Reeza's swollen eye, yet she remained still, refusing to writhe or utter a sound.
Casimir was salivating, his anticipation reaching a fever pitch as he reached for the fabric that stood between him and a delectable feast. But just as his fingers grazed the puny cloth, poised to tear it away, a boot connected with his jaw, sending him and several teeth flying.