"Kid… try attacking me again."
Standing on the water again, I looked at him with a concentrated gaze. I positioned myself properly.
Hearing his words, I tightened the grip on my sword as I dashed toward him and began attacking him as skillfully as possible. Though he dodged my attacks with little effort as he chuckled before taunting,
"Is that all you can do kid? This is what you call your blade weapon mastery? I can dodge it even with my eyes closed"
p-A- n-d-A-n-0-v-e-1、(c)om "I beg to differ," I spoke with a slight smirk as I increased the intensity of my attacks and repositioned my blade according to the moves he was making.
Though it had little effect as he was still dodging my attack without much effort as before. Still, not minding much, I proceeded to increase the attack strength with the help of the Death Energy of the surroundings.
He observed me with a smile as he muttered,"is that all you can do?" before he wiped all the Death Energy that I collected with a swipe of his hand but not giving up I collected the energy again only to be wiped out by that old man.
"Try something else will ya? That trick is getting old," he spoke and I smiled before collecting Light Energy this time along with Death Energy as it made him really surprised before he looked at me and spoke,"now that's what I am talking about. Do something that no one else can do."
He then moved in front of me and looked at me carefully, meanwhile, I, finding him in front of me all of a sudden, lost my momentum and ended up using Fragment of Blaze making him dodge it cautiously before he looked at me with a surprised face as he looked at me with a narrowed eyed expression,
"That… that was…"
"Here I come old man!" I shouted as I dashed at him using Blaze Fragment on my right hand making myself bleed on my other hand as I coated my left hand with blood.
I switched my blade from my left hand to right as I coated it with my blood before charging it with the Fragment of Blaze's power.
That old man just kept looking at me with a narrowed expression as he muttered silently,"this… this isn't how it happened… or did I fail to notice all this time?"
"Stop daydreaming in the middle of a fight, you pervert old man," I smiled as I saw him not making that smug expression anymore before I started attacking him as fast as I could. At this point, I started using blood and charm magic as well to make sure I go all out without holding back.
Though as soon as I moved closer to him and slashed my sword towards him, he used his left hand to catch my blade without much effort.
"You have another Fragment… that too of a different Guardian?" he spoke with a serious expression and I nodded before speaking,"I kind of do."
"But that shouldn't be possible… just what in the name of the Dragon God… just how come someone like you even exists…" even though he sounded confused, his expression was turning more and more happier.
"Kid… firstly stop using that other fragment… also stop using the Rejection Fragment by making yourself bleed… this is a disrespect to the Fragment itself," he spoke as he looked at me and I turned at him confused before a smug look came on my face and I asked,"need a handicap?"
-Pow!
He hit me in the head pushing me away and I spoke with an irritated face,"Che! Can't even take a joke, huh?"
'So… he wants me to use the Rejection Fragment without my blood, huh? Hmm… if it's related to love… or more like acceptance then… let's see if it works, then,' I pondered with a bright smile as I began thinking deeply about something and a sudden excitement came on my face…
Perhaps… maybe…
-BOOOOM!!!!!
The area around me started to evaporate as I looked at the old man looking at me with a surprised face as he muttered,"what monsterous talent…"
I smiled before I recalled all the happy memories that I had with Elle in the previous timeline, with my best friend Aslan in the previous timeline, the happiness I felt fighting against Adara, successfully saving Clair from dying.
I was accepting myself more and more… I was happy with myself… I was proud of myself… Even though I haven't really saved everyone, what I had done up until now… whether it was saving Bernette and Eliza or beating Lucas…
The satisfaction I felt when I was with Hygeia, when I kissed Clair, the warmth I felt from Emma. The trust my team had shown me… the familial feeling that Mark had given me…
I began accepting all of it… and for some reason it was easier than last time…
"Fragment of Space: Rejection!!!!!" I shouted before looking at that old man with a pride filled face before I shouted again…
"I reject your ability to dodge me!!!" I spoke as I felt like at least half of my energy was gone but…
-Booom!!!
I began attacking that old man again and as he began moving to dodge me… he failed to do so… it was as if his own body rejected that…
-Clank!!!!!!!!
A loud sound came as my sword connected with his…
"Finally you took out your weapon, huh? After all that time you used to call blade art useless, haha… such a hypocrite you are!" I spoke as I attacked him again with a blissful face.
-Clank!
-Clank!
-Clank!
I saw his power was quite higher than mine and his skill was barely above me… My smile deepend me as I spoke,"hah! Such pathetic skills!"
My smile was deepening, for some reason I was really happy today… I was feeling good with every strike I was making…
So was it true?
"Tell me, gramps… was my emotion really locked?" I asked as I attacked him again.
"You wanna know kid?" he asked as he stopped trying to dodge my attack and started parrying them as much as he could without really overpowering me.
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