Calhoun finally began to talk. “Hey, do you intend to wait until you grow a beard? By the count of three, let the youngest among us attack first.”

“No need,” defied Declan. “I shall be the one counting. One, two, three!”

Declan and Calhoun, the two warriors who both relied on strength, charged at each other.

At the same time, Maven and Theana also began their fight. Daggers and forks collided in a high-speed contest of martial technics. Within seconds, the teacher and her pupil had done dozens of stabbings and slashings, even countless acrobatic feints.

Theana avoided Maven’s combination attack by somersaulting beautifully in the air. She vaulted over her opponent’s head before stabbing her forks onto Maven’s back. Maven dodged it just as quickly by rolling to the right. In retaliation, she thrusted her daggers repeatedly with her move, Treacherous Stab and only barraged an empty space.

This time the Blue Snake leaped onto the top of the chest stacks. Maven followed suit but was greeted with a thrust that scratched her left side. Theana then backed off and landed on the chest. Maven didn’t immediately commence the next attack, only standing by and holding her wound.

“What’s the matter, Maven? Don't you understand the saying, ‘Teachers will always prevail over their disciples’ and ‘experience is the best teacher’?” She chaffed as she bent her hip to taunt her foe.

Maven retorted, “It’s but a theory. There’s only one principle I adhere to. ‘With a firm resolve, you can surpass anyone, including your own teacher’. So what are you waiting for? Let's see whether your experience or my resolve will prevail in the end."

“You ungrateful disciple!”

Both charged at each other again. This time their moves and attacks became even faster than before.

Elsewhere, Declan was being overwhelmed. Rapid, furious attacks from Calhoun Cavendier repeatedly hit him, testing the strength of his Protective Field. One powerful slash successfully carved a wound on his left chest.

Declan rotated and swung his trident with a defensive move, Whirlwind Slash. Saber and trident collided. The next thing, the One-Eyed Wolf got thrown away until he crashed on an antique jar, shattering it into pieces.

Still fresh and sound, Calhoun stood up immediately. The man leaped so high and then swung his twin-bladed, crescent-shaped sabers onto Declan below.

“Pay for that jar with your life! Eat my move, Wolf Howling to the Moon!”

Declan jerked back and successfully evaded. Then his opponent swung his saber while charging. Declan quickly parried with his trident. Unfortunately, the excess energy from Calhoun’s attack broke into his aura and reached his body. This time it was his turn to be thrown away. He crashed on a wooden chest and the expensive porcelains inside.

Calhoun walked into the attack range of his saber. Again Declan stood up, refusing to be overpowered by his enemy.

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“Your debt is piling up...” Calhoun warned, spitting to a side. Again he charged forward, slashing his saber randomly with his martial art move, Savage Wolf ShreddingPrey.

“I’ll tear apart and dismantle your protective field! Only a sissy-pants hides behind an armor or whatever!”

Refusing to yield, Declan greeted the attacks by rotating his trident to create a pattern the shape of a number eight.

“You’re a hypocrite, sir! If anyone bestows upon you a protective field, I’m sure you’ll accept it! I’ll crush your fake pride with my signature move, Cloud Dispersing Crazy Wheel!"

Again the two weapons collided. Not long after, the saber attacks began to bend leftwards, as if it was deflected by Declan’s move. Calhoun was startled, but it was too late to pull back from his charge. His defense was wide open. Seizing this chance, Declan quickly landed a hard kick on Calhoun’s ribs, forcing him to kneel on one knee.

The next moment, Declan’s tri-trident barraged towards Calhoun’s heart. Yet, in that split-second Calhoun smiled. He swung his saber, pushing back the trident until its other end hit the ground. Not only that, Calhoun utilized his momentum by doing a flip-flop, then hooked his heel on Declan’s shoulder. Again Declan kissed the ground.

“Hahaha, the Red Scorpion Sting never fails. Now, bid farewell to this world, priest!”

Calhoun splitted and crossed his sabers, focused his energy on their cross point. He dashed with both sabers pointing upwards, ready to mince his opponent.

This time Declan didn’t rise fast enough. His face went pale at the incoming death flashing right in front of him. But suddenly, a shadow cut the attack short like a passing wind.

A second later, Declan heard a voice. “Are you all right, Dec?” He looked at his savior, Maven.

Just then, Theana appeared again beside Calhoun. “Oh, it turns out you’re already impatient to taste the Snake and Wolf Combined Strike, eh? Very well, we shall grant your wish!”

Suddenly Maven saw ten copies of Calhoun and Theana each circling her and Declan around ceaselessly. Their move was so fast in order to trap their enemies in the middle.

The Crescent Sabers stroke and scratched Declan on the chest. “Argh! It's an old, yet effective trick,” he admitted.

“Sure it’s old... The problem being, how should we deal with this move?” As Maven said that, another slash from a fork scratched her arm.

“If this keeps up we’ll be scraped into pieces like a rock crushed by a whirlwind!”

“Whirlwind?” Maven was startled. “Declan, you’re a genius! C'mon, hold my hands. Follow my movements!”

Without a doubt, Declan grabbed on Maven’s hand. Both of them rotated around with their joined hands as an axis towards the opposite side to that of Calhoun and Theana, swinging their weapons with the Whirlwind Slash move.

Whirlwind against whirlwind.

Someone was ejected by an attack. It turns out the longer range of Declan's trident managed to wound Theana’s shoulder and arm. In turn, Calhoun’s saber got to scratch Maven’s abdomen.

Declan and Maven’s hands loosened. The cleric and the thief went flying like birds with broken wings.

A moment later, Calhoun slashed around with his saber, again with Savage Wolf Shredding Prey.

Declan's wit flew fast. He pushed his feet hard to the ground, then rotated while swinging his trident. That swing managed to tackle Calhoun’s feet and tripped him to the ground, rolling. However, Declan didn’t immediately move to finish him off. Instead he checked on his partner.

“It’s okay, Declan. It’s but a scratch,” said Maven, looking around, left and right. "But Theana has disappeared, be careful!”

Declan also looked around to find out. “Aah! Calhoun has also disappeared! How stupid of me!” He slapped his own forehead.

“Well, at this point, we can only defend ourselves. Let’s hope that they’re too eager to kill us that they have not yet escaped.” Maven stood up to take position on Declan’s back.

“Indeed, we should end this now, even if we’re not prevailing at the moment.” Declan followed suit.

Suddenly Maven groaned.

Declan immediately turned around, only to find Maven has disappeared.

“Amateurs. Have you forgotten the rules? Slackery means death!”