The crowd held its breath in anticipation as I took step after step toward the center of the arena. My thoughts were focused on a single goal — victory. Opposite me stood Arthur, his calm demeanor and focus commanding respect. Unlike other opponents, he displayed no emotion in this duel. For him, this was just another fight.
But for me, this final meant so much more. An overwhelming desire to win consumed me, urging me to clash with him as soon as possible. To test my strength against the strongest in the world, even if he wasn't there yet.
We exchanged brief glances, silently assessing each other's readiness.
"How did you know?" Arthur asked suddenly, his tone devoid of malice but tinged with curiosity and caution. It was clear what he was referring to: "How did you figure out I'm a Beast Tamer?"
"Intuition," I replied with a shrug, assuming a battle stance. A part of me wanted to tell him the truth — that he was merely a character in The Beginning After The End. But was that really the case? I wasn't sure.
One theory swirled in my mind: what if all written works were echoes of other worlds, and writers were merely inspired to describe them? Perhaps I had become such a character myself, reincarnated here, while someone, somewhere, penned my story.
"Well, if you want the real answer…" I began, deliberating whether to reveal the truth. After all, he was almost as much a reincarnator as I was. "But how about this — if you win, I'll tell you."
With my sword at the ready, the arena erupted in cheers, announcing the start of the battle. Arthur also took his stance, drawing his sword from his waist. Ballad of the Dawn — a semi-transparent turquoise weapon forged by a god. Its blade exuded a threatening energy, its beauty almost mesmerizing.
So, he already found it? Interesting. His sword was truly captivating. I glanced down at my ordinary steel sword and couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy at the comparison.
"Kgh," I swallowed hard as my thoughts were abruptly interrupted, and a cold sweat ran down my back. Clutching my sword tightly, my body tensed instinctively. Goosebumps prickled my skin, as if thousands of insects scurried across me, while a bead of sweat traced a path down my forehead.
I could feel it — the killing intent emanating from my opponent.
So, this is what it feels like? This pressure… I'd experienced bloodlust before when sparring with Virion, but Arthur's was even stronger than his. A mix of fear and awe coursed through me. If his aura was this intense, what would it be like facing an asura?
His presence weighed heavily, my instincts screaming just how dangerous he was. But at the same time, it ignited my fighting spirit. I could see it now — the man before me battling at his full strength in the future.
This fight would test not only my skills but my resolve.
The crowd roared, but in my world, silence reigned. All external noise faded, leaving only Arthur and me in this endless moment before our clash.
Arthur enveloped his legs in wind magic and was the first to move, his speed astonishing. I barely reacted in time, sidestepping and raising my sword to block. Our blades collided with a resounding clash.
"So, this is how it feels…" I thought, a thrill of exhilaration surging through me. Our speeds matched. I could do this. I could beat him.
I redirected his blade, angling my own to deflect his strike, and followed up with a sharp horizontal slash. He caught on instantly, raising his sword just in time to block my attack.
Arthur pressed the attack relentlessly, his strikes swift and precise. We traded blows, parrying and dodging, gradually syncing with the rhythm of the fight. We were equals in speed, each trying to outmaneuver the other with feints and counters.
But I knew I couldn't keep this up for long. Even though we were evenly matched, there was one area where he surpassed me — experience. His swordsmanship was leagues ahead of mine, honed through battles I couldn't yet fathom.
"I need to act!" the thought blazed through my mind. I activated Flicker Step, appearing suddenly at his flank, aiming to catch him off guard. My feet sparkled with mana, propelling me forward, but Arthur, as if sensing my intent, barely managed to turn and meet my strike. Our swords collided again, the clash sending a gust of wind that pushed us both back a few steps.
"Fast…" Arthur muttered, his face tightening as his gaze grew sharper.
The fight became increasingly difficult with each passing second. Arthur moved as if he had already dissected my fighting style, predicting my every move.
Desperate, I launched mana bullets at him, firing from different angles. Arthur dodged with ease, but it bought me precious seconds to devise a plan. As he avoided another shot, I deliberately weakened it, causing it to explode in a flash of light, momentarily blinding him.
This was my chance.
I activated Flicker Step again, attacking with all the speed I could muster. At the last moment, he blocked my strike, but I channeled the remnants of my mana into a powerful kick, slamming into his torso and knocking the wind out of him. Arthur staggered but remained on his feet.
"Hmph… not bad," he rasped, wiping blood from his lip. His eyes blazed with determination. "But I'd say you're at your limit."
He was right. One more Flicker Step, and I'd risk injuring myself. My mana reserves were nearly depleted. And then, something changed.
I felt the tension in the air intensify as Arthur's hair stood on end, his body crackling with yellow sparks. Damn it, he had already mastered lightning magic.
"Ah, crap…" I muttered, my legs trembling from exhaustion, my mana nearly drained. I hoped my last attack would be enough to take him down. But the resilience of the original protagonist was proving itself in full force.
I gathered every ounce of strength I had left, standing tall despite the protest of my muscles. Inside me churned a volatile mix of pain and determination. Arthur stood across from me, his body wreathed in lightning that crackled like a storm given form. He looked like a thunderous titan, ready to crush anything in his path. The sight made my blood boil with excitement.
"Lucius," he said, his voice a blend of respect and unwavering confidence, his face alight with a grin. "Let's settle this with one strike."
I gritted my teeth, barely holding my balance. My mana was almost gone. The situation seemed hopeless. But surrender? Never.
"Heh…" I chuckled, detecting a hint of sympathy in his words. "Alright. Let's do this."
Arthur prepared for the decisive blow, his lightning magic crackling fiercely, the scent of ozone thick in the air. The atmosphere vibrated under his power, the sheer force of it unnerving.
Closing my eyes, I focused inward, searching the depths of my mana reserves. It wasn't much, but I found a faint glimmer of energy buried deep within. I had to take the risk — pour everything into one final move.
"One more time… just one more," I thought, summoning the last remnants of my strength. My body burned with strain, but I forced myself forward, activating Flicker Step once more. Time seemed to slow.
Arthur surged toward me, his blade poised. I charged as well, gripping my sword with both hands, channeling the dregs of my mana into its blade.
"This is it. All or nothing," I thought as we collided in the center of the arena.
His lightning surged along my sword, numbing my arms as I struggled to hold on. Our blades clashed with an earth-shaking roar, the force reverberating across the arena.
Every fiber of my being screamed in agony, my hands trembling, barely able to keep my grip. The sound of our collision echoed like the final chord of a symphony.
Then I felt it — a faint vibration from my sword.
A crack.
At first faint, then loud and terrifying. I glanced down and realized it was over. My sword, the only thing keeping me in the fight, was fracturing along its length.
"Damn it!" I shouted in panic.
But it was too late. The blade shattered under Arthur's overwhelming power, fragments scattering like falling stars.
Before I could react, a tremendous force struck me, sending me flying backward. In an instant, I was airborne, everything around me a blur.
I crashed into the ground outside the arena, the impact knocking the air from my lungs. Silence enveloped the world. The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me were the motionless stands, waiting for the verdict.
The world dimmed, the light at the end of the tunnel receding further and further. Energy drained from my body, and pain faded along with it.
"Did I… lose?" A feeble thought flickered before the darkness swallowed me whole.
P.s: If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 29+ at patreon.com/c/Lucius01