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"I think I overestimated you... Unsheathe your sword. Let me show you how it's done... Kael," Kitbushi stated, pointing his sword directly at Kael.
Kael rose to his feet and unsheathed his sword, the bright light from its blade competing with the illumination in the room.
"That's a royal sword. I'm sure you stole it... After all, we are both intruders," Kitbushi chuckled.
"No, you're mistaken. This sword is a gift from a friend of mine. It bears the emblem of the royal empire, and your blood will be the first it tastes," Kael said, placing his left foot on the wall while staring hard at Kitbushi.
"Let's see you try," Kitbushi replied, tightening his grip on his sword and assuming a defensive stance.
In a split second, Kael charged at Kitbushi with incredible speed, his movements a blur. Kitbushi was swift to dodge the initial attack, sidestepping just as Kael's blade sliced through the air where he had been standing.
[Notice: An attack is coming from both sides.]
Kael heard the systematic voice of Alexa and bent forward, dodging an incoming slash, then rolled backward to evade another. He sprang up, his eyes sharp and focused on Kitbushi.
"You caught my trick... You should be an interesting opponent, boy. Let me show you what a true fight is," Kitbushi taunted, his voice dripping with confidence.
Kael gritted his teeth, thinking, 'I'm not really that good at sword fighting. I have to stay alert, or this swordsman is going to defeat me before I even know it.'
Kitbushi lunged forward with a quick thrust aimed at Kael's chest. Kael parried the attack, the clash of steel ringing out, but Kitbushi was relentless. He twisted his wrist, redirecting the momentum of his blade to strike from the side. Kael barely managed to block the attack, the force pushing him back a step.
Kitbushi advanced, his sword a blur as he unleashed a series of rapid, precise strikes. Kael struggled to keep up, parrying and dodging with all his might. Each time he thought he had an opening, Kitbushi would shift his stance and counter, forcing Kael back on the defensive.
Kitbushi swung his blade in a wide arc, aiming for Kael's head. Kael ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as the sword passed over him. He used the momentum to pivot and slash at Kitbushi's midsection, but Kitbushi leaped back, the tip of Kael's sword barely grazing his tunic.
"You've got spirit, I'll give you that," Kitbushi said, smirking as he steadied his breath. "But spirit alone won't save you."
He lunged again, this time feinting to the left before striking from the right. Kael was caught off guard, his block a fraction too slow. The edge of Kitbushi's blade nicked his arm, drawing a thin line of blood. Kael winced but didn't falter.
Kael retaliated with a quick series of slashes, his movements growing more desperate but no less determined. Kitbushi deflected each strike with practiced ease, his eyes never leaving Kael's. He could see the frustration and fatigue beginning to set in.
Kitbushi pressed his advantage, launching a high attack aimed at Kael's shoulder. Kael parried, but the force of the blow sent vibrations through his arm. Kitbushi immediately followed with a low sweep at Kael's legs. Kael jumped to avoid the attack but landed awkwardly, losing his balance for a moment.
In that split second, Kitbushi saw his opening. He moved in with a powerful thrust aimed at Kael's heart. Kael twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike, but the blade grazed his side, tearing through his tunic and flesh.
"Is that all you've got?" Kitbushi sneered, his confidence growing with each successful strike.
Kael panted, blood dripping from his wounds. His grip on his sword tightened. "Not by a long shot."
With a roar, Kael charged again, his attacks fueled by a mix of desperation and determination. He swung his sword in a flurry of strikes, each one more ferocious than the last. Kitbushi blocked and dodged, but Kael's relentless assault began to push him back.
"You're better than I thought," Kitbushi admitted, a hint of respect in his voice. "But it's still not enough."
Kitbushi deflected Kael's sword with a powerful parry and then delivered a swift kick to Kael's chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. Kael gasped for air, the wind knocked out of him. Kitbushi stood over him, his sword poised for the final blow.
Kael, his mind racing, saw the end approaching. But as Kitbushi's blade descended, Kael rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike. Using the momentum, he sprang to his feet and delivered a desperate slash, catching Kitbushi off guard and slicing a deep gash across his thigh.
Kitbushi growled in pain, staggering back. "You'll pay for that!" he snarled, but his stance was unsteady, his movements slowed by the wound.
"This is it.. The perfect moment to strike.. He has let his guard down," Kael said to himself when he tightened his toes and at once dashed at Kitbushi, his movement almost a blur.
He leapt into the air and raised his sword high to deliver a vertical slash but ended up slashing the air and then the floor.
"What?" he exclaimed in surprise, realizing what he had done. Kitbushi evaded the attack like it was nothing and was coming swiftly behind him. The air around him grew more tense and when he tilted his neck backward, Kitbushi's sword cut through his back, causing blood to spurt out while he crashed hard on the ground.
"I told you, boy.. You were no match for me," Kitbushi said, walking up to Kael. That was when he saw the blow. He was shocked—the attack he had inflicted on Kael was a deadly one.
The blade was supposed to cut through his body, splitting it in two. But here was Kael, lying down with only a small cut.
In frustration, he grabbed Kael by the hem of his white garment, now covered in blood, and slammed his back against the wall. Kael's sword had already fallen from his grip. "How were you able to survive my attack?"
"Let's say I'm lucky," Kael chuckled, which infuriated Kitbushi even more. "Are you calling me a fool?" He placed the tip of his sword on Kael's neck when a faint smile appeared on Kael's face.
He released a bit of his compressed magical essence, but the force was too strong for Kitbushi, sending him reeling backward as he struggled to balance.
Kael landed on his feet, his body healed from the wounds inflicted by Kitbushi's sword.
"I wanted to let you go if I defeated you with the sword, but I'm not a skilled swordsman. Since you're going to die anyway, let me tell you who I am."
"I'm Kael, a rank one Radiant Adept Nexus Mage."
"You're a Nexus Mage?" Kitbushi stared at him in disbelief, and Kael nodded. "Then I'm taking things seriously this time," he added, getting on his feet.
"So you weren't serious all this while, huh.. Let's see if you'll last," Kael replied, folding his hands behind his back.
Kitbushi's sword glowed brightly as a mark appeared on his forehead. "Hah!" he let out a war cry as he charged at Kael, who was patiently waiting for him.
His movements were faster and more precise than before, but in front of Kael, he was as slow as a tortoise.
Kael evaded all his attacks with ease, sidestepped, and launched a powerful blow, sending Kitbushi breaking through the wall into the other room. Kael followed him immediately, not even remembering to carry his sword along with him.
When he got to the other room, he found it dark compared to the room they had been fighting in, and he couldn't see Kitbushi.
He felt a presence beside him, but before he could turn, a cold metal rested on his neck.
"This is the end," Kitbushi whispered, slashing his neck forcefully. His eyes widened when he found he ended up slashing the air.
When Kael sensed the attack, he knew this would be the end for him. He didn't let his guard down at any time. He's still surprised at how Kitbushi got so close to him. He transformed into a flower and stayed on Kitbushi's body.
"I must say that's a great stunt you pulled, Kitbushi. If I may ask, what was that?" Kael asked, his voice echoing in the darkness. Kitbushi gazed around, searching for the source of the voice. He didn't seem to notice Kael's presence anymore.
"That was my second swordsman skill. The Ethereal Steps... You were lucky to evade that one, but you won't see through this." He said proudly. "Come out and let's end this once and for all." Kitbushi cried out, and the flower leapt off his body, transforming into Kael in mid-air.
"Behind you," Kael warned. When Kitbushi turned around, his brown eyes met Kael's black eyes, which were shining faintly in the dark.
"Death Fist of the Mighty Trolloc," Kael chanted, striking Kitbushi with a powerful blow. The ground crumbled instantly, and the walls cracked as Kitbushi was sent crashing into them until he finally landed on the floor, buildings collapsing on top of him.
"No. I can't accept defeat.. I can't let this little boy defeat me," Kitbushi cried out, his strength waning. He reached for his sword, which was just a few inches away, and inhaled heavily. "I'll end him once and for all."
He struggled to get on his feet, only to see Kael standing right in front of him with his hands still behind his back. He scoffed, his face bruised and his clothes soaked with blood.
"I'm going to end you with this technique of mine... Prepare for your end, boy." He spat blood onto his sword. "Sword manipulation skill: Phantom Strike." He cried out, charging at Kael with incredible speed. Kitbushi dashed in a zigzag pattern around Kael, creating the illusion of eight attackers, making it difficult for Kael to predict the real Kitbushi.
Kael felt a deep cut behind his back, and when he turned, he was slashed on the arm. Before he could react, another blade landed on his shoulder, and his legs were slashed multiple times, causing him to fall to his knees with blood gushing from his mouth.
His body was filled with cuts, and he could feel the pain as he stared at Kitbushi, who was standing right in front of him with a tightened grip on his sword.
Kitbushi placed the tip of his sword on Kael's neck. "You've caused a lot of damage already.. I'll be ending you now for the sake of the Armed Nation of Dwargon. I'll be the one to save Stoneforge and be a hero.. Ka-boom." He chuckled, glaring at Kael.
"Any last words?" he asked, and Kael's eyes widened. His life flashed before his eyes. He had tried transforming into a flower, but it wasn't working. The technique had caused all parts of his body to go numb. 'Alexa.. Is this how I'll die?' he thought, watching as Kitbushi stared at him with nothing but murderous intent.
[Analyzation completed. A new skill has been found: the Unique Skill - King of Theft.]
"King of Theft," Kael said, which amused Kitbushi. "You're still thinking about stealing," he said, raising the sword high up.
[The Unique Skill - King of Theft has been activated]
Kitbushi raised the sword high and descended it on Kael's neck, but surprisingly, he ended up slashing the air. Kael had vanished. Before Kitbushi could move, he felt a presence behind him as a cold hand rested on his shoulder.
Kitbushi was shocked to feel Kael's presence behind him. "My technique caused every part of your body to be useless. How were you able to move your body?" Kitbushi asked, turning quickly and lodging his sword into Kael's stomach.