CHAPTER 30
There was something about the creature… knight standing before him that made Megumi shiver each time he looked at it. It screamed of profound wrongness.
Perhaps it was because it was a cursed beast, one rank above him, or rather this was a presence every humanoid dark beast possessed. But more than that, what drew his attention the most was the runes on the helmet of the knight and its incandescent blade.
The runes seemed very familiar but vastly different from the ones his system used, and while the system translated the runes for him itself, he couldn't understand one bit of what was etched onto them.
And finally, those smoldering crimson flames burning between the visage of the knight's helmet… He hoped he was mistaken, but this creature seemed rather sentient.
While he was still thinking, the cursed knight charged forward; the screeching sound of metal hitting against metal resounded throughout the entire room as its feet moved against the floor of the room.
The knight seemed a bit slow. He already had basic knowledge of dark beasts, so he knew how deadly a beast of the third rank—a cursed beast—was supposed to be.
"So she's trying to make it fair, huh?"
He mumbled…
In the next second, the cursed knight closed the distance between them and swung its arm.
The attack was quick, rigid, and, more than that, powerful and precise. He felt the wind from the punch as he quickly bent backward and twisted his body slightly.
With a quick twist and roll, he created distance between him and the knight once more, but it only lasted for a split second.
Its golden armor radiated with a bright shine as it charged toward him once again, and the moment it closed the distance, its hand shot out like a missile.
It was a straight punch, rigid and powerfully precise like the last one, but it was much faster.
Megumi quickly tilted his head to the side, barely avoiding the punch, and immediately after throwing the punch, the knight retracted its arm and proceeded once more with a deadly swing.
His eyes widened at the attack, his heart racing as his mind immediately dwelled on how best he could evade the strike. He twisted his body, trying to bend backward just like he had last time.
But he was too slow… No, that wasn't it; the damned knight had gotten faster. Even if he wasn't a master of combat, he had a fair amount of physical training for five years, and though the change was subtle, he was able to notice it.
With each move his opponent made, it was getting faster…
The gauntlet of the golden knight connected with his shoulder, sending a tremor through his body. He gasped, both in pain and shock, as his body was effortlessly thrown to the side.
He rolled and tumbled on the cold metal floor a few times, trying to regain his composure and balance himself.
He quickly got up, looking over at the cursed knight.
"Am I tripping, or is that thing using a distinct fighting style?"
He didn't have much time to think, though, as the beast charged toward him once again, and then a furious barrage of punches ensued.
Megumi instinctively sidestepped and jumped to the side, barely avoiding the first three successive punches. His heart raced as the knight's feet began scraping against the metal floor as it raced toward him.
His breath was hoarse, and he was barely managing to keep himself together.
The beast's… knight's way of fighting was changing with each attack it launched at him, and given the nature of his training, he was meant to only evade them.
He had tried weaving the intricate movement of the dance Gekka taught him, but it was still nowhere near perfect, which meant that he was relying on nothing but his crude sense of judgment and reflexes.
And on top of it all, he was exhausted, and he knew well that he would soon start falling behind more than he already was.
The knight was soon upon him, lunging forward with incredible speed. He could hear the wind whistle as its fist cut through the air, and he quickly twisted his body at an improper angle, staggering backward.
'Dammit.'
He groaned, trying to regain his footing, but one second of imbalance was all the cursed beast needed.
Its fist lunged forward once more, instantly connecting with the center of his chest. He let out a yelp as his head jerked forward and his feet were lifted from the metal floor.
His back slammed against the wall, and he coughed violently, choking on his own blood.
He placed his hand on the floor to support himself and looked up at the knight while grimacing in pain. The golden knight stood at a distance, staring at him with cold indifference.
It stood still, watching him, ready to pounce on him the moment he got up from the floor. His shoulder and chest were still hurting, and sustaining himself with his innate energy was beginning to take its toll.
He was lost in thought as he stared at the damned beast, trying to figure out how he was supposed to beat it. Well, he wasn't going to defeat the creature; that was impossible. He needed to beat it in a battle of agility and speed.
But maybe he didn't have to be faster to beat it. He could still remember the feeling he had the other day, seated in the middle of a field of grass, staring at the distant, swaying leaves of a giant tree.
Clarity…
Focus and a lucid mind. He needed to understand his opponent, their size, their speed, their strength… He wanted to grasp what they could and couldn't do.
Back then, he was only able to focus on one thing at a time, but what if he could do more?
"Dammit, I can't focus."
Cursing under his breath at his failure, he slowly got up from the floor, his eyes intently fixed on his opponent. He didn't feel any different, but now there was a resolve burning within him.
He was unable to perceive anything besides the gold-armored knight standing before him, and he was swiftly comprehending all the information his mind was absorbing, providing him with a clear picture of his opponent.
He refused to let his mind wander, and as it charged toward him once more, he remained calm, taking a quick breath as he adjusted his footing.
As a fist came flying toward him, it was as if his body had moved on its own, reacting before the fist even began moving.
His movement was fluid and flowed with precision as his feet began weaving a set of steps on the floor. He danced out of the knight's way, dodging another punch that was thrown at him.
His heart was racing as he swiftly avoided every one of the knights' attacks, weaving a set of intricate footwork as he moved around the room.
'This is it! I can feel it! I'm so close… So close!"
His reflexes were agile, and his movement was swift and fluid, making the knight look inferior. But Megumi knew well that he was only avoiding the attacks because he was able to perceive the knight's attack before it happened.
Should that thing go any faster, or even try to adjust its style in the slightest, then he would definitely lose this fight.
A minute passed, and then another, as they both went around the metal room—the knight throwing a barrage of punches, while Megumi swiftly moved around, avoiding each one.
And then, as another punch came hurling toward him, he did something else: reaching out his hand, he quickly trailed his finger up the arm of the knight, stepping to the side.
If this training was one aimed at teaching him how to evade, then perhaps he could learn how to survive in another manner. After all, what better way was there to live than to kill his enemy?
Well… he couldn't kill his opponent, but standing behind the knight with his hand held forward, his fingers stretched towards its neck, he knew better than anyone that…
He had won!