Clearly his class had to have some form of damage negation. I remembered the way he broke through my roof, and he didn’t seem to have a single scratch on him. This was unexpected, but I could make it work.
I delivered a flurry of rapid blows, hitting a new location on his body with each strike. His shirt had been torn to shreds in a matter of moments. The issue was that all of my attacks did nothing but bounce off of his skin.
I skidded back, getting some distance between us. “Huh, you’re tougher than you look, kid. Now that you’ve gotten a taste of my abilities, why not surrender now and beg for mercy?”
“If I surrender, will you actually talk to me?” he asked.
I chuckled, “Hah, why would I waste my time answering the questions of a weakling?”
“None of your attacks did anything, though,” he responded.
My anger began to boil over, but Bluebo notified me that the first tier was completed. He may be able to survive my weakened attacks, but just how long could he hold out against slashes with some real force behind them.
“HAH! That was only twenty percent of my power! If you thought there was any chance of winning, guess again!” I cried out.
My [THIS ISN’T EVEN MY TRUE POWER] had finished its first limiter. I felt my strength surge through my body, and it felt wonderful. Even now, though, I was still being held back. It takes a long time to get back to my original strength, but it brings me to unbelievable levels of strength the longer a fight goes.
I charged forward once more, swinging my sword with all of my might. I had to be careful not to go for any vital spots, killing him would be a touch too far. My blade struck his stomach, bouncing off his body once more. But things were different this time.
His body recoiled under the force of my blow. It was slight, but it was still visible. Whatever defenses he had were starting to wear away. I decided to keep up the pressure, my sword striking him again. This time, even he couldn’t wave off my attacks.
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He raised his arms in defense, blocking any attempts to strike at his head. Even if he could block, he didn’t have the speed to dodge. His body weathered the countless blows, only giving way to slight bruising. It was still impressive just how durable he was, but his underestimation of me allowed me to get a brutal lead.
“Can you only cower and defend? It’s pathetic seeing you struggle to do anything but protect yourself from my attacks,” I mocked him while taking a step back.
“Do you always talk this much in fights? You really kill the tempo of your attacks by taking breaks to try and insult me,” he responded.
God, I hated him. “It’s called banter, asshole. Why don’t you land a hit before talking back.”
That seemed to light a fire behind his eyes. I didn’t know why he’d been so hesitant, but it would be nice for him to make a move. I just needed one of his attacks to hit me before I could continue through the stages of my ability. Then, things would truly get exciting.
He rushed forward, rocketing from where he once stood. I had only put a few feet between us, and it took him less than a second to close the gap. If I was just a bit slower, he would’ve taken me to the ground. But I’ve already gotten past the first phase.
I dodged out of the way, using the opportunity to land a strike into his back. I got three hits in before he managed to turn and lunge forward once more. Every time he made a move to grab me, I easily dodged and counter attacked.
Even if my attacks struggled to do much, it was clear that I would win this in the end. He didn’t have the speed or cunning to catch up to me. How he managed to beat Venox is beyond me, but someone like Samuel would have torn him apart in a fight.
We’d moved through half the courtyard by now and the crowd was ecstatic. My kids were able to see just what they could become with enough training and discipline. It was nice that I managed to humiliate Leo alongside it.
Eventually, Leo stopped lunging and stepped back. He crouched onto the floor, seemingly exhausted. It was clear that he was only specialized in defense, unable to hold an attack for long, let alone effectively. He resorted to picking up a few rocks, and he started juggling them.
This drew the attention of the kids, confused at what he was doing. I wasn’t sure just what his angle was. Maybe if he performed for them, he could try and salvage his reputation in the family? It was pathetic, whatever it was.
I saw him look past me, scanning through the crowd. While his eyes focused on them, I considered ending things now. He’d given up, but he hadn’t officially lost yet. But, before I could make a move, he made one first.
One of the rocks flew from his palm, bursting through the air. The noise cracked through the air, as if a train had sped by my ear. That was when I felt it. Blood began to pour down my cheek, oozing from the newfound cut across my face. He smiled at me.