"Spill blood? Who does he think he's talking to?"
"Wring his neck Farys!"
---
Farys didn't need to be told that, he was already stalking towards his opponents with his fists raised in a tight martial arts stance.
Levian knew he had been challenged to a duel, but this was no longer a duel.
He had declined the man's request, and been punched in the chest before he could even prepare himself.
I'm not going to let that go unpunished.
Fade Between Realms!
Everything went black.
Levian wasted no time using Nyx's weapon skill that made him disappear for six seconds.
There was no chance that he was going to face the man face to face with such a large rank disparity between them.
Farys stood there, unmoving as he waited for his opponent's strike.
Levian dashed behind him, planting his feet and preparing to strike when time returned to normal.
The skill faded and Levian swung Nyx with devastating aggression.
The flames roared through the air, aiming towards the back of Farys' neck.
Everyone in the crowd was wondering how Levian had disappeared, and felt certain that the strike was going to hit.
And then, Farys spun in the blink of an eye. His white hair danced with him, and a gust of wind blew as he lifted his hands and caught the sword mid-strike, cancelling it's attack.
A wave of force blew through the ground, toppling those who weren't able to stand their ground into their behind.
Levian stood there, staring at the man in front of him.
Farys' once dark eyes were now completely white. It was like staring into a ghost.
"My eyes see everything."
Farys redirected the blade to the side and leaned to the side to deliver an open-handed palm into Levian's stomach.
The strike hit with force, but it wasn't as fast as Levian had expected. He had been able to brace himself in time for the force, softening the blow, yet he still took damage.
The crowd cheered at the short exchange.
"I told you, he is no match for Farys, no matter how strong his sword is!"
"Farys' eyes see everything!"
Farys stared down at Levian from across the distance, both ignoring the words of the crows.
They charged at each other.
Levian swung his blade upwards, but Farys used a hand to deflect the strike to the side.
Farys attempted to return the strike with another palm aimed at the chest, before Levian raised Nyx just in time to block it.
Levian swung again, with a low sweeping arc. There were no flames on Farys' legs, so he wondered how the man would block.
However, the man simply dodged over the strike and descended with a closed-fisted strike aimed at Levian's head.
Just in time, he managed to step out of its range and dodge it. The force of the blow seemed to make the branches of the goldtree rattle.
The two continued to exchange blows, yet they all ended similarly.
Levian was unable to land a hit, and Farys also struggled, but sometimes found success.
Every strike that he landed chopped away at Levian's life force, though only slightly.
The crowd continued their chants, but what they did not know was that Levian had discovered two important things during their exchanges.
First, it was clear that Farys was holding back. He didn't know why, but all of the strikes that missed were thrown with a much greater intensity than the ones that landed.
Second, Farys' eyes.
Every time they entered each other's range, Farys' eyes seemed to glow white.
Levian made a guess at what this was.
An ability that somehow allowed the man to see into the future.
The two stared each other down.
"I'll admit, you're pretty strong," Levian said, allowing a smile to etch onto his face.
Farys hardly reacted. "Pretty strong? You're leagues beneath me in all areas."
Levian shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. All areas but one."
The crowd went silent as Levian suddenly withdrew Nyx into his soulspace. They suspected that he was surrendering the battle.
But then, he summoned a new weapon into his hands. A green Longbow that resembled the wings of a great bird.
Eagledraw, it's nice to meet you again.
The bow's presence was not as intense as Nyx's, however, it carried an elegance that the longsword didn't.
The crowd could only gawk at the sight of it, wondering how such a man had come into possession of such an arsenal.
Farys' brow raised. The bow surprised even him.
"You're a ranger?" He questioned with surprise.
"A ranger? Hardly."
Levian wasted no time in kicking himself back into battle.
He activated one of Eagledraw's skills. It was exactly why he had chosen to summon the weapon.
Shriek of the Summit:
Unleash a piercing screech from the bowstring itself, silencing the battlefield in a 40m radius. All enemies within the range suffer reduced perception, dropping accuracy by 70% and movement speed by 40% for 12 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 seconds)
Eagledraw screeched, forcing everyone in the room to cover their ears. Even Farys winced at the deafening sound.
Then, the effects kicked in.
The elf felt his body become heavy, and his sense of perception and range were severely skewed.
It looked like he was about to react, but before he could, Levian didn't let him.
He threw his weapon to the ground, making sure not to withdraw it into his soulspace lest the skill wear off.
Then, he clenched his fist and entered a simple martial arts stance.
Everyone watched him in disbelief.
Even Farys found himself amused at the display taking place before him.
I never learned how to use the bow, Farys. I come from a family of knights.
"Let's throw down like men." He growled, and then the two dashed towards each other.
In an instant, the effects of the skill showed in Farys' movements.
Levian landed first, crushing his right fist into Farys' jaw and sending him stumbling backwards.
The man had tried to redirect the strike, but missed due to his messed-up perception.
However, he returned with a blow of his own, clobbering his palm into Levian's forehead.
Despite the man being at a disadvantage, he was still clearly a much more experienced martial artist than Levian, who had only awakened a few weeks ago.
The two continued to exchange blows until blood flew from their faces.
It was only after they backed away from each other for a moment that things began to change.
Farys spat blood onto the ground and allowed the black flames to vanish from his fists.
Then, he outstretched his hand to the side, as if to call upon something.
Levian stared at the man, curious.
"Your weapons have allowed you to close the current gap between us. They're strong. That means I don't have to hold back."
Levian cursed beneath his breath.
Don't tell me, he's been fighting without a weapon this whole time by choice?
He wasn't even winning whilst the man was unarmed, so just what would happen now?
The crowd began to grow louder at the spectacle; however, before anything further could take place, the doors to the training ground suddenly slammed open.
Everyone's eyes turned towards a new figure that had entered the room.
A naked elf with long dark hair, and incredibly beautiful features. All that covered his body was a leaf over his groin.
"King Gaëlf."
Everybody in the crowd, including Farys and Levian, dropped to their knees in an instant.
What is the King doing here?
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