Chapter 79 The Cerulean Sword

Nathan: “Hey, what gives?”

Nathan looked all around, but no-one was coming. The huge crowd that been chasing them around for the last hour and a half, had almost completely dispersed.

Ash: “Maybe they caught onto us.”

Nathan: “Maybe…hey, let’s ask them.”

A group of three adventurers had shown up, heading straight for Nathan and Ash. Nathan challenged them and the made quick work of the team. The three sat on the ground trying to recover, until Nathan approached them.

The truth of the matter was, after defeating the Bishop-ranked ‘Twin Moons’ party, a lot of teams decided to give up on the chance. Some newbie parties believe it was worth the risk the risk, believing that Nathan would be tired-out after fight while running around all day; however, Nathan was still spry as ever. After questioning them, Nathan left them to themselves, as he and Ash made their way down the street.

Nathan: “Well, how do you like that, looks like we’re in the clear.”

Ash: “So what, you want to head over to the guild?”

Nathan: “Not yet, we still haven’t any word back from Anais.”

Ash: “You think she found the place?”

Nathan: “She’ll find it, via accident, but she will find it.”

Ash: “Well then, let’s just head over to the noble’s district, just in case anyone’s watching.”

Nathan: “Alright.”

Nathan followed Ash, he didn’t know where the noble district was, so there was no choice in the matter. Nathan looked around, a few people were out and about, but as he looked around he felt something was off. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something didn’t feel right.

Nathan: “Hey Ash, it’s pretty quiet, isn’t it?”

Ash: “I guess, but so what, it’s better than the screaming and shouting from earlier.”

Nathan: “Yeah, I guess.”

Ash: “What’s up?”

Nathan: “I don’t know, I just got this weird feeling, like something isn’t right.”

Ash looked around, he didn’t see anything particularly wrong. The streets were a little less populated, but that could be because of earlier disturbance.

Ash: “I don’t feel anything; ‘Threat Detection’ isn’t active either.”

Nathan: “It’s hard to explain.”

Ash: “Well when you figure it out, let me know.”

*Guuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrgh*

Ash held his stomach, to stop the noise.

Ash: “But for now, I’m getting me something to eat. There’s a food stand over there, let’s go.”

Nathan nodded as they continued down the street. Nathan kept darting his head around, but he just couldn’t figure it out. Ash left Nathan to himself, while he went to the nearest vendor selling skewers. The vendor smiled and pulled the large sun hat down over his face as Ash approached.

Ash: “Hey, let me get three of these and two of those.”

Vendor: “Coming right up.”

Ash ordered several for both and immediately scarfed two down.

Nathan looked around one more time, when he caught a glimpse of someone on the street looking at him covertly. As if he was keeping an eye on him, the man stacked some wood on a cart, slowly and waiting for something. Nathan finally realized what was wrong, he wasn’t getting the looks from earlier. Usually there would be hundreds of people staring at him, but now it was as if everyone around him was intentionally averting their eyes.

Something was about to happen, but Nathan’s ‘Threat Detection’ still hadn’t kicked in. Suddenly as if out of thin air, the battle area flashed around; locking him in.

Ash: “Who the hell are you?”

Nathan: “What!?”

Nathan turned to Ash; the vendor he had ordered the food from had stepped from behind the cart and removed the sun-hat, revealing a young blue-haired man.

Nathan: “Ash…”

Ash: “Sorry Nathan, the vendor suddenly challenged me to a duel, I had no time to interrupt him.”

Nathan: “Don’t sweat it Ash, I only just figured out myself.”

Nathan turned to the man, the smile from before gone. He removed his sword and spoke.

Nathan: “It must have been hard getting the towns people to help you get us into a duel.”

?????: “Not really, most of the people walking around, are members of my party.”

Several of the disguised adventurers, revealed themselves. It was a large party, much larger than any of the parties they’ve dealt with so far.

Nathan: “Ash, you know these guys?”

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Ash: “Yeah, they’re the party ‘Radiant Sky’.”

Nathan: “’Radiant Sky’?”

??????: “Yes, we are ‘Radiant Sky’ and you will pay for your mockery.”

Nathan: “(Mockery?)”

The blue-haired man brandished his sword and immediately attacked Nathan. Nathan pulled out his blade and swung it; countering the man’s slash.

Nathan: “Hold up there Cerulean, you didn’t even wager anything.”

The man ignored Nathan and continued his attacks, slashing in every direction. The man took one wide horizontal swing and in that moment, Nathan disappeared from his line of sight.

Cerulean: “GUH!”

Nathan flipped backwards and brought his foot forward, kicking the man in his chin. Blue hair didn’t lift into the air from the blow like Nathan thought he would, but Nathan didn’t stop and was already in front of him. With a quick slash, Nathan aimed to knock the weapon away from the man, but he narrowly avoided the upward slash. He decided to distance himself from Nathan.

Nathan: “Where are you going?”

Nathan pursued him indefinitely, refusing to give him a chance to recover. Nathan brought his sword down and successfully struck his sword-arm.

Cerulean: “Ugh, Dammit!”

He refused to let go of his weapon even as he winced from the pain. Nathan quickly looked around, even as their friend was hurt, no one seemed to make a move.

Nathan: “Are none of you going to attack?”

No-one said anything and just stared on at the battle. Looking back Nathan saw Ash readying himself to move, but as soon as he moved, several people reached for their weapons.

Ash: “Seriously, this many people against me?”

A silver-haired girl that was done up in a pony tail, stepped forward.

Silver-haired girl: “We won’t move, as long as you don’t attempt to interrupt Alvin’s fight.”

Ash: “I know you, you’re the leader of ‘Radiant Sky’, Estelle Lygial.”

The woman was outfitted with light armor, sheathed her weapon before waving her hand and her subordinates did the same.

Estelle: “Lycanian, we apologize for our method was a bit unorthodox, but it seems you to would never stop running around and avoiding our challenge.”

Nathan did recognize some of the scents around him, they must be a team he ran past today. If the group was too large, Nathan would run by them without a second thought.

Estelle: “Alvin did not mention the wager, we do in fact want the emblem, but more than that, Alvin wishes to challenge you one on one.”

Nathan: “You want to fight one on one, you got like two dozen people here and you want to fight one on one?”

Estelle: ‘Be that as it may, we all agreed to let Alvin fight you himself.”

Nathan turned back to Alvin, he had been waiting patiently for him to finish his conversation. Nathan didn’t get was going on, he had avoided a bunch of people all day. Was he one of the ignored, and just wanted revenge for ignoring him?

Nathan: “So if I beat him, you guys will just walk away?”

Estelle: “That is the deal.”

Nathan: “Sounds fair enough, Ash, go ahead and finish your meal.”

Ash: “You sure?”

Nathan: “Well in hope of not being jumped by like twenty people, I’m sure.”

Nathan ready himself as the ‘Radiant Sky’ members, along with passersby, encircled the two. Nathan wasn’t going to take a chance, he wasn’t sure what kind of trick Alvin had up his sleeve waiting, but he wasn’t going to let him.

Nathan simply charged him and thrust the sword toward Alvin’s side. Alvin quickly moved his blade to block the attack, but with no force added, he was knocked back. Nathan quickly jumped forward again, trying to knock the blade away.

Alvin: “Not again.”

While stumbling back, Alvin swung his weapon down to meet Nathan’s. A loud clang resounded as the blades met.

Nathan: “Whoa!?”

The force of the blow, sent Alvin crashing to the ground, but in the same instance, Nathan retreated. Nathan looked at his health bar, up at the battle Orbs, some of his health had disappeared, but he was sure he wasn’t hit.

Nathan: “(What the hell did he just do!?)”

Nathan didn’t understand, he had to see it again. With that thought he charged Alvin. Alvin brought up his sword to meet Nathan’s again. The swords clashed once again, but this time, Nathan was the only one that was blown back. No, he leapt back himself, he looked down at his chest, he had been cut twice.

He couldn’t figure it out, he was sure Alvin didn’t attack three times and yet, it felt like he was attack more than once. Something was happening, it did used, the one that hit everywhere, it felt more like several people were attacking consecutively.

Nathan: “(Pry!)”

Nathan attempted to spy on Alvin’s Stat-Screen.

Alvin: “What is this feeling? What are you doing to me?”

Nathan continued, but Alvin wasn’t having any of it, he attacked Nathan, bent on stopping whatever he was doing.

Nathan: “Tch!”

Nathan didn’t want a repeat of last time, so he dodged the attack. However, as he stepped out of the way, he felt an attack coming from behind. Ducking forward, he felt another attack coming from above. He quickly spun to the side, only to feel another attack.

Nathan: “Enough of this!”

He stuck his hand out on the ground and with a twist, kicked out towards the source, but was met with air. Nathan was half-surprised by this, he knew nothing was there, but at the same time he felt attack coming from there. Nathan hopped from his hands to his feet, Alvin looked at him surprised.

Nathan: “What the hell is this, why do I feel like I’m being attacked by a gang of people?”

Nathan looked around, from what he could tell n one had made any moves toward him, they were seemingly keeping their word, as far as he could tell.

Alvin looked shaken, he needed to finish this before Nathan figured out what was going on. Nathan didn’t want to get close yet, so he kept his distance, but Alvin slashed his blade anyway.

Nathan: “(What?)”

Nathan had a feeling and quickly swung his blade to the left, but again felt Nothing but air. The same feeling as before; this time coming at both his sides. He leaned backwards, but before he could move, another attack aimed at his feet knocked him to the ground.

Then he was surrounded, as attacks came from all direction, he blocked what he could, but three got through. Nathan leapt away, clutching his chest in pain. He looked it over, it felt as though he had been impaled. He looked at the floating ‘Battle Orb’s, his health had been reduced twenty five percent. It made sense, he did just take three stabs to the stomach, if this was a real fight, he would have been dead.

There were also a few shocked faces in the crowd, including Ash. Alvin was also shocked, but for a different reason.

Ash: “Nathan, what is going on with you?”

Ash couldn’t tell what was happening, it looked as though Nathan was just randomly jumping around and attacking nothing. Then suddenly, in one go, his health was reduced significantly.

Ash: “A Legacy?”

Estelle turned to Ash and scoffed.

Estelle: “This is no Legacy, this is just Alvin unique ability. No one has ever defeated it, the Lycanian will fall soon enough.”

Estelle said that, but she was honestly surprised. Never has she witnessed someone dodge so many of Alvin’s attacks, not to mention perceiving where they were coming from. If any of Alvin’s attacks had a solid mass or form, she was sure Nathan wouldn’t be hurt like he is now. She watched Alvin, he was breathing hard, using it the ability so much must have taken its toll, he had to finish this soon.

Nathan noticed as well, he was low on health, but Alvin was low on mana, even with his god-like dodging abilities, the attacks seem to know exactly where and when to strike with such precision, he would be stupid to believe he could keep dodging until he had completely run out of mana.

Nathan had to prevent him from doing it again and he knew exactly how. It was risky, but he had to try. With that thought; Nathan charged at Alvin.