The bearded opponent stopped where the Cerulean Baroness indicated; he was silent, and the way he looked at Roberion was the way a butcher looked at his next pig to slaughter. There was not a hint of hate, only a cold resolve that he had another job to do—his next victim that needed to be slayed.
It didn't matter; nobody who was still in the competition was innocent; only the stronger ones who had the resolve to take a life would continue in the selection. Roberion, although a modified null from all things gathered, didn't have a formed conscience, which is probably true for all the nulls. The same couldn't be said about the other species.
Roberion took a better look at the man. His clothes seemed similar to those of the guard he saw while traveling to the research and development area before running into the undead behemoths, and all things spiraled for him to be here. His clothes didn't seem to be much more special than the ones of the other guards; he only had some decorations, which probably meant he was a captain or some sort of special guard.
He seems strange; there is something wrong with him. His aura is different; I need to be cautious; I can't write out the possibility that he uses spells—the Ceruelean Baroness cut him out of his musings.
"Welcome participants. In this duel, participant number 3324 will fight participant number 4358". They were positioned where the baroness chose, as it was in the last battle. "You already know the rules. In the fight, anything can be used; it's time for you to survive."
Roberion tried to use the same tactic as before, already preparing to cast his flameball spell. The purple signal showed again. What Roberion didn't expect was for the man to jump half way near him. The die was activated, selecting Jubilant Choir again. The conditions were against him, the last thing he wanted was to fight a fast opponent with the monstrous club.
Dammit, let's change it. Roberion focused on the [Minor Air Movement] spell instead of the fireball, rushing with adrenaline. He activated the spell, but it was too late, as the guard showed up near him. The null didn't have time to do more than evade, as with a burst of speed, the man slashed diagonally, focusing on his heart.
Roberion, with his improved reflexes granted by the parasite and the activation of the [Minor Air Movement] spell, almost evaded the whole attack, but his left side was cut deeply, and the blood started to seep from the wound instantly. But this guard wasn't an amaterur.
Without giving ground, the man, with another burst of speed, tried a vertical slash, focusing on Roberion's head. The null, with adrenaline pumping in his blood vessels and with the regeneration already granted by [Behemoth Skin], could only run away from the fighter.
This must be a spell; this guy's speed is on another level. Let's see how he will do with hit-and-run tactics. Roberion, already with his mana a little drained, focused on activating Jubilant Choir [Cursed Bubble?] enchantment while running.
The guard kept his pace, using his fast dashes sparingly and targeting Roberion with killing blows, taking his time. It wasn't like the guards attempts failed completely; with each dash, a new wound was opened on Roberion, which quickly closed and was healed by the armor. Even with the strange regeneration, the guard kept his tactics.
This sword is not normal; at least its tier must be VII, not better than that, or I would already be cut in half. This guy's attacks are rough; it must be because of the weapon quality; he is using more strength on his hits to compensate—Dammit, my mana will be wasted only to heal me and this cursed armor. Time to use the Jubiliant choir.
Roberion waited for the guard to dash again. The mouth of the Jubilant Choir already opening and creating the cursed bubble. When the guard neared, slashing Roberion horizontally, the null could only go back a little, the sword cutting his abdomen and his organs.
Even with the heavy damage, the null continued his strategy, swinging the grotesque club point blank at the guard, foregoing any dexterity, the bubble exploding near him, and pushing him back, causing some damage. Luckly or being part of the enchantment, the vines and branches focused on his enemy.
Even with his speed and letality, the guard didn't dash again, the vines and branches gripping him and finding purchase in his flesh as it penetrated and kept growing. Roberion watched with murderous hope, already readying his next cursed bubble somewhere near his enemy, his [Minor Air Movement] spell already dismissed.
The guard stopped strugling for a second, looking like a statue, until his entire body seemed to grow tense, emanating a weird aura. For Roberion, it didn't seem to be similar to the aura emanted by the use of spells; it seemed more physical.
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A moment later, the guard moved with an unnatural speed, cutting the vines and braches with the sword like a whirlwind. "Fuck, you are Blessed?", Roberion panicked, already swinging the next cursed bubble and readying the next one, foregoing any conservation of mana.
Even with the guard's prowess at cutting the invasive plant, it kept growing and feeding on his blood and flesh. Before the guard could finish his job, the new cursed bubble was already near. The guard tried to evade, but his wound and the vines slowed him down, with the bubble hitting at his side.
The guard, before going back to his whirwind attack, grew tense as blood seeped from his mouth and eyes. Roberion watched it with fear as he cleaned his mouth after drinking a mana potion. Already reading for his next cursed bubble.
As the man gazed at the vines with calculative anger, he resumed and activated his whirlwind attack, becoming more ferocious and fast. Roberion didn't wait for his opponent to continue; he was already swinging the next bubble. As the cursed projectile neared the guard, the guard didn't evade and slashed with unrestrained strength, cutting the bubble in the middle, his sword hitting the floor with a crash, and the magic shielding, probably of the baroness, blocking the damage on the floor.
Roberion watched it with dread, already preparing to run if need be. To his surprise, and to the deadly surprise of the guard, the vines and branches still erupted from the bubble, growing on his hands and arms; for that, the guard took his sword and threw it at Roberion.
The null didn't have enough time to evade, the sword plunging on his right side. He felt his body in pain, vibrating from the impact. Even that wasn't enough to stop him from swinging the cursed bubble again. Focus and fear cleared his head of any disturbances.
The guard got hit straight on with the bubble, his focus on cutting the vines and branches from his arms with a dagger becoming a vital mistake. One that Roberion would keep mounting damage with.
As the battle progressed, the damage caused by the branches and vines kept accumulating. The man looked more like an ent than a human—a wooden efigy. Not one drop of blood hit the floor; the plants were feeding on it. It was with wonder that Roberion noticed that this cursed vegetation didn't vanish in a certain timeframe; as long as it could be fed, it would keep growing and attacking.
"Congratulations, Participant 4358, you will proceed to the next duel", the hologram of the Cerulean Baroness showed up again, with a similar tunnel from the one before already being opened on the wall.
"Wait, is he truly dead?", Roberion asked with caution as the vines kept growing.
"He is. I would advise you to stop the attack; you are destroying his corpse", the baroness answered with a hint of warning.
Roberion didn't believe in the baroness, so he drank a mana potion and focused on the fireball spell before trying to deactivate the die, the Jubilant Choir vanishing from his hands. As the club disappeared, the vines and branches dissipated into sparks, gore of penetratted flesh, and broken skulls hit the floor. It looked like a leftover left by a fiend, satisfied with his meal.
"He really was an improvement from the last one. Wait—", Roberion took out the sword from his body and dropped it on the floor, "—this battle really messed up with me; I wasn't even noticing the pain. Was he a Blessed?"
"I already said I wouldn't ask your questions. But stop being stupid; I didn't lie; there aren't blessed participants. Now take what you want from him and go to your next duel", with the hologram being more lifelike, Roberion could detect the impatience.
"Alright, but will you heal me?", as Roberion asked, and the hologram simply vanished.
"Okay, no answer. Let's see what we have here. I honestly won't take that dagger out of all that mess. If I waste time there, the baroness would probably use it as an excuse to eliminate me", Roberion looked around to see if the Cerulean Baroness would answer, but nothing changed.
Alright, I will keep this sword. Without the system or any expert, I can't know if this weapon is special, but by the way that guy fought, this is just a weapon with good materials but without any enchantment.
Taking the sword, Roberion walked into the tunnel, not waiting for any more admonishments from the Cerulean Baroness, nor was the whole gore being absorbed by the floor.
That guard was powerful, not in a magical sense but from raw strength. It didn't seem to be a normal spell the attacks he gave; it seemed more material, like a work from his body. That is why I suspected that he was from the Blessed incarnation. From what Shade told me, Blessed could use the lines to improve their bodies, or at least undead behemoths can. If this guy isn't one, then I don't know what he is, unless I mistook what this whole thing meant.
I want to learn what he did anyway; his attacks were brutal. Imagine the damage I could cause with Jubilant Choir powered by what the guard had. I could crush anything in my way, and I will probably ask the Ceruelean Baroness that after the duels, like she promised. If something more important doesn't show up, that is.
The most important thing to ask is what this whole gigantic purple runic spell means. But I suspect it would be a bad thing to ask. Who knows!? She could kill me just for asking it, like a guinea pig that is interfering with the research.
Roberion focused on his next duel as he crossed the other side. This time, it seemed like a normal null again. The poor thing was already blabbering his mouth about wanting to live, a plan to escape, and having piety. But Roberion wasn't that of a fool; if this guy isn't hiding his strength, then he is trying to use a previous cowardly tactic that worked before. Roberion didn't know if nulls could feel sympathy, but he for sure won't start feeling it before leaving this place.