"Fuck," he cursed, his voice laced with a hint of panic as he witnessed the flames engulfing his wrist. In a moment of surprise, he instinctively backed off, creating some distance between us.
Seizing the opportunity, I quickly reacted. As his palm released its grip on my neck, I swiftly reached out, grabbing the edge of the wall for support. The flames continued to dance along his wrist, casting an eerie glow in the dimly lit room.With a swift and determined movement, I dashed into the room, my heart pounding with adrenaline. Alver, recovering from the flames on his hand, unleashed a powerful wind tendril aimed directly at me.
Before I could react, the force of the wind slammed into me, propelling my body forcefully against the wall. The impact sent a jolt of pain coursing through me, causing me to grunt in agony as I quickly regained my footing.
Surprised by Alver's sudden display of wind magic, I couldn't help but marvel at his ability. It seemed inconceivable that he possessed such power, especially considering that I hadn't even detected a trace of mana from him earlier. How was he able to conceal it so effectively?
As I attempted to close the distance between us, Alver swiftly created a wind blade, its sharpness far beyond what I had anticipated. It sliced through the air with a menacing gleam, causing my instincts to kick in, urging me to move with caution.
*Zoop*
With a thrust of his palm, Alver directed the sharp wind blade in my direction, aiming to halt my advance. Despite the imminent danger, he managed to ask, "How did you evade the mana sensors?"
The tip of the wind blade reflected in my eyes, its deadly intent evident as it threatened to tear me apart. Instinctively, I leaned to my left, shifting my weight to evade the impending strike.
"Aghh!" Just as I anticipated, Alver swiftly swept his hand from left to right, altering the trajectory of the wind blade. It struck me horizontally, catching me off guard, and propelled me forcefully into the nearby bookshelves.
Thud.
Pushing the mana into my legs, I propelled myself upward, jumping to regain my balance after being slammed into the bookshelves.
"Hey! Answer me!" Alver demanded, his voice filled with frustration. He brought both his hands in front of him, palms facing each other, as a gathering wind began to form into a compact sphere. The crackling sounds filled the air as the wind condensed into what seemed to be a powerful Wind sphere.
Observing his spellcasting, I noted that while Alver's spells weren't particularly complex, they possessed a significant level of strength, surpassing that of a typical five-star spell, Well at least for now.
Enveloping my right hand in flames, I dashed forward, leaning my body slightly downward to gain momentum as I prepared to engage in close combat.
"Hup"As I charged towards Alver, my hand ablaze with fire, The heat from the flames intensified as I closed the distance between us, my eyes locked onto Alver's.
"Fu*k you! I'll talk later!"With a fierce expression, Alver unleashed the Wind sphere he had conjured. The sphere hurtled towards me with incredible speed and force, crackling with raw energy. I had to act swiftly to evade its impact.
I swiftly sidestepped the incoming Wind sphere, narrowly avoiding its destructive path.
Thad!!
-However, the sphere continued its trajectory, crashing into the wall behind me with a thunderous impact. Debris and dust filled the air, momentarily obscuring our view.
Taking advantage of the chaos, I lunged forward, my strikes infused with the power of fire. Blow after blow, my attacks landed with precision and force, connecting with Alver's body. However, to my astonishment, he remained seemingly unaffected, showing no signs of pain or discomfort.
Confusion filled my mind as I momentarily faltered, unable to comprehend how my attacks had failed to elicit any reaction from Alver. It was as if my flames were ineffective against him, as if he was impervious to their scorching touch.
"Kugh"In that moment of vulnerability, I felt an intense kick collide with my stomach. The impact was jarring, forcing me to arch backward and sending me hurtling through the air. I braced myself for the imminent collision with the wall, preparing for the inevitable impact.
But to my surprise, the collision never came. Confusion washed over me as I heard Alver's voice from behind, his words dripping with amusement. "Not so easily."
I quickly turned my head, and my eyes widened in shock. Alver was no longer where I had expected him to be. Instead, he stood behind me, holding me once again by my neck with a firm grip. It was as if he had effortlessly moved in an instant, his speed and agility far surpassing anything I had witnessed before.
"You're a little cocky, aren't you? I don't know what Clay sees in you," Alver sneered, his grip tightening around my neck, squeezing the air out of my lungs. The pressure intensified, causing my vision to blur and darkness to encroach on the edges.
His grip was unyielding, powerful and back there....he stepped in a spatial rift.
In that fleeting moment, a surge of realization coursed through me. I gathered the crackling power of thunder in my hand, focusing my energy and determination. With a swift and desperate motion, I reached out and made contact with Alver's hand, unleashing the electrical current I had gathered.
"What-" Alver began, but his words were abruptly cut off as the electric shock surged through his body. His grip on my neck loosened, and he staggered backward, his eyes widening in shock and pain.
"Haa... Seizing the opportunity, I took a gasping breath, regaining precious oxygen. The dizziness and blurriness began to recede as I steadied myself. The tides of the battle had shifted once again, and it was time for me to press the advantage.
"Nobody told me about the lightning element!" He shook off his hand a few times as if he wasn't even bothered.
Strengthening my hand with mana again, I aimed for his right side, targeting the last two rib bones.
Fwip*
But he created a shield of wind to cover up his right side. The shield grew rapidly to protect his front, but he didn't realize that he wasn't the only one capable of changing attack trajectories.
Stopping my hand in mid-air, I inclined a little and adjusted my aim.
"Agh?" I connected my strike to his left side, catching him off guard and causing his focus to shift from his spell. The shield disappeared.
"Gotcha, bitch." I rearranged my right fist and struck his last two ribs.
Thad!
-And a wave of impact reverbrating in the Air and for the first time in the battle, his facial expression changed, contorted with pain. His eyes seemed as if they were about to call out, but I didn't hear the crack of bones anywhere.
....silence....
The chaos around me ceased, and the howling winds fell silent as I held my position, preparing to deliver another powerful punch. But before I could strike, Alver made a subtle adjustment in his posture, swiftly catching my first straight punch in his palm.
"Huh?" I looked up into his eyes, and to my surprise, he was smiling.
Out of the corner of my left eye, I caught a glimpse of a blurry figure... and...
Thad!
Suddenly, my entire neck bent almost ninety degrees to the left as a solid punch landed on my cheek.
My feet, which were firmly planted on the floor, felt as if they were hovering slightly. The world around me seemed to move in slow motion, and my body tilted in the direction my neck had bent before I was sent flying.
But my flight was abruptly halted. Something grabbed hold of my head, preventing me from escaping. I looked down and saw Alver standing, perfectly upright, with his right hand immersed in a dark... it was a portal!
"Sh*t!" I cursed as I was forcibly pulled into the portal's entrance that had opened above my head.
He's... using spatial arts!
The moment my head breached the threshold of the portal, the rest of my body was ruthlessly yanked into its depths. In that fleeting second, the sensation intensified to an excruciating level. It was as though my very skin was being mercilessly torn away from my bones, subjecting me to unimaginable agony akin to being skinned alive.
Through clenched teeth, I managed to mutter a desperate word, "-store."
...
And then, an anguished cry erupted from the depths of my being, reverberating through the air. "Aghhhhhhhh!" I screamed, my voice distorted by the violent forces that propelled me out from the other end of the portal.
Stab*
'done.' I thought as I motioned my hand.
-Next time my vision centered I saw Alver holding me by gripping my hair from the scalp, I just noticed that he's a little taller than me.
"Now can you- huh?" His speech halted as he looked down at himself,"when did you -?"
He question.
Our positions were incredibly awkward, both physically and metaphorically. I found myself in a dire situation, trapped in a precarious predicament. But Alver was no better off.
Anticipating that I would emerge from the portal next to Alver, I had prepared by acquiring a poison-laced dagger beforehand. Thanks to the system's efficiency, the weapon materialized in my hand without a moment's delay.
The instant I emerged from the portal, driven by reflex and determination, I thrust the dagger's tip into his abdomen,
Squinting slightly, A hot trail of blood to trickle into my eye, I asked, "Now... wanna have a good chat?"
After a long, tense pause, Alver loosened his grip, allowing me to withdraw the dagger. With the poison coursing through his body, engaging in further combat would be inconsequential.
"Okay," Alver conceded, placing a hand on his wound.
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