Chapter 27 - Battle Royale (3)
Merlin tilted his head, a smirk tugging at his lips.
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"Give up?" His tone was light, almost amused. "That's a strange thing to ask... in a battle royale."
Nathan didn't move. His daggers were still lowered—his body relaxed, yet his presence was sharp, like a coiled predator waiting for the right moment.
Seraphina and Adrian stood behind him, their breathing uneven. Adrian still looked like he was processing the fact that he was still alive.
Merlin's gaze flickered over the three.
His mind worked quickly.
'Adrian's already shaken. If I move now, he won't be able to react.'
'Seraphina is still cautious, but her reaction speed is lacking.'
'Nathan...'
Merlin's smirk faded slightly.
'Nathan is the only one I need to watch out for.'
The guy was fast. Really fast. As expected the fucking overpowered protagonist, his reflexes were sharp enough to counter mid-air magic attacks.
Merlin sighed dramatically. "Well, I suppose we could all just hold hands and be friends, but..."
He vanished.
—!!
Nathan's eyes widened.
Merlin dashed forward, appearing right in front of Adrian, his rapier already swinging in a clean horizontal arc.
"—Adrian, move!" Seraphina shouted.
Adrian barely had time to register the words before Nathan reacted.
[Shadow Step]
Nathan blurred, his body melting into the shadows of the tall grass.
The sharp clash of steel rang out as Nathan's daggers met Merlin's rapier mid-swing, deflecting the lethal strike.
Merlin grinned.
Nathan countered immediately, twisting his body in a fluid motion as he brought his knee up—aiming for Merlin's ribs.
Merlin's instincts flared.
[Trickster's Reflex]
His body adjusted automatically, tilting just enough to let Nathan's knee graze past him.
Merlin ducked—his rapier flicking forward like a serpent toward Nathan's exposed neck.
Nathan saw it.
But he wasn't fast enough.
SLASH—!
A small crack appeared on Nathan's face as he barely managed to shift his head, the tip of Merlin's blade slicing across his cheek.
Merlin didn't stop.
He twisted his wrist, aiming to drive the rapier through Nathan's shoulder—
FWOOSH!
A sudden blast of cold erupted between them.
Merlin's sword arm froze, a thick layer of ice wrapping around it in an instant.
His expression darkened.
Seraphina stood a few feet away, her hand outstretched.
"...You're really annoying," Merlin muttered.
Seraphina's breathing was heavy. That attack wasn't easy for her to pull off so quickly considering the fact that her mana was already exhausted.
Nathan took the opportunity to backstep, putting some distance between them.
Adrian, still pale, gritted his teeth and forced himself to move—his hands tightening around his axe.
The three of them stood together now.
'The protagonist and his little team. God, how annoying.'
Merlin looked down at his arm. The ice was spreading quickly.
'Tch. If I let this continue, it'll restrict my movement even further.'
He flexed his fingers.
And then—
A faint ripple distorted the air around him, and the ice suddenly shattered, breaking apart like fragile glass.
Seraphina's eyes widened.
Nathan narrowed his gaze.
"...This guy."
Merlin smiled.
"Alright. I was holding back a little, but since you're being this persistent..."
A gust of wind suddenly exploded from his feet, lifting the dust and grass into a chaotic swirl.
Merlin's entire body blurred.
Nathan barely had time to process it before—
BANG!
Merlin appeared right in front of him, rapier thrusting forward at full force.
Nathan's body moved on instinct—
CLANG!
The daggers barely managed to deflect it, but the impact sent him flying back, his boots skidding across the dirt.
"Shit—"
Merlin didn't stop.
He shifted his weight, his body twisting mid-motion as he redirected his attack—this time toward Seraphina.
Seraph's pupils shrunk.
She raised her sword to block, but Merlin's speed was overwhelming.
His rapier sliced downward—
And then—
BOOM!
A massive pillar of earth erupted between them.
Merlin's sword struck it, stopping his attack.
His eyes flicked to the side.
Nathan stood there, his arms outstretched s he lowered his hand.
"...Not bad, revealing all your cards now huh?"
Merlin asked with a smirk.
Nathan was sweating profusely. His earth magic wasn't precise, but it was powerful enough to disrupt Merlin's movements.
Nathan, Seraphina, and Adrian stood together once more—panting, but holding firm.
Merlin exhaled, his expression calm.
Then, he smiled.
"Alright then..."
His aura fluctuated.
The ground beneath him quivered.
"Let's make this more fun."
Merlin's body moved before his mind even registered it. His instincts took over as he twisted to the side, Nathan's daggers slicing through the air where his ribs had been a second ago.
Nathan didn't stop. The moment his blades missed, he flickered again, vanishing into the shadows and reappearing behind Merlin, his dagger already descending toward the back of Merlin's neck.
'Predictable.'
Merlin activated his skill.
[Trickster's Reflex]
His body jerked in an unnatural movement, bending mid-motion like a puppet with cut strings, narrowly avoiding the strike. In the same breath, he twisted his wrist and lashed out with his rapier—only for it to meet nothing but air.
Nathan had already vanished again.
Merlin let out a slow sigh. "You really love doing this disappearing act, huh?"
Nathan's voice echoed from the shifting shadows. "It's called strategy."
"Uh-huh." Merlin's fingers twitched, subtle distortions in the air forming around him.
Nathan flickered back into existence directly above, aiming to drive his daggers into Merlin's shoulders—only to feel the world around him shift.
Instead of hitting his target, Nathan found himself sliding sideways in mid-air, as if gravity itself had been confused.
"What the—?!"
Merlin didn't waste time. He raised a hand, and a powerful gust of Wind sent Nathan flying back, forcing him to land awkwardly on the ground.
Nathan groaned. "Oh, come on."
Merlin shrugged. "You keep using shadow tricks, I keep messing with space. Feels fair to me."
Nathan's brow twitched. "Fair my ass."
But even as he said that, a smirk pulled at his lips. Lightning started to crackle at his fingertips. He was just getting started.
'So he's finally starting to take me seriously...fuck.'
Merlin narrowed his eyes as Nathan's smirk widened. Lightning crackled around him, sparks dancing along his daggers as if barely contained.
'Ah, shit. He's gonna do something stupid, isn't he?'
Merlin barely had time to process before Nathan vanished again—this time, not with shadow but with lightning. A sharp crack split the air, and in an instant, Nathan reappeared right in front of him, his daggers coated in pure electricity.
Merlin's reflexes kicked in. He raised his rapier just in time to block—
CLANG!
The force behind the strike sent a sharp vibration through Merlin's arm, nearly numbing his fingers. Lightning danced across his blade, the static prickling his skin.
Nathan grinned the corner of his lips slightly trembling "Not so cocky now, are you?"
Merlin's eyes twitched. "Cocky? I believe the right word would be confident."