Paige halted just before they burst into the open, holding a hand back to stop Levi. He could see Joe get kicked across the ground. Everyone else was down.

"Grace said to wait. She's coming," Paige explained.

"I'm already here," Grace's voice came from the shadow of a tree. She moved from the shadow, clutching something to her stomach.

In the clearing, Joe was kicked a second time and sent rolling.

"I have something to help turn the tide, I think," Grace said, showing them the weapon in her hand. "I need time. I think most are still alive, but... they won't be if we don't stop him."

"But Joe!" Paige said, watching as he had a boot pressed into his neck.

"He knows what he's doing." Grace said. "Buy time. And weaken him if you can. I'll only be able to weaken him, too, but I think it will be enough."

Paige looked to Levi, and he nodded. She wanted to punch both of them but knew they were right.

"Oh, and he likes to talk. Use that, if you can," Grace added before hobbling off.

Levi watched as the man named Eric stabbed Joe through the heart.

Running out of time, Levi turned to Paige. "The day we sparred, you told me your daggers were poisonous. How poisonous?"

"I-I don't know. Based on my gut feeling, not very. I think it will slowly weaken the target, but I've never seen it at work."

"Good enough. I'm going in defensively. By myself at first. Wait and try to make your first strike count. After that, try to get as many hits in as you can. Anything to stack your poison. But don't over commit. Try not to let him get a good hit on you. I'll do what I can to intercept."

Then Levi took off towards Eric.

----

Eric stood staring down at Joe, looking confused.

"Hello, there," Levi said. His heart was pounding in his chest.

What he was about to do reminded him of a no-hit challenge in Elden Ring. It had been something Levi loved. The perfect fight against a boss that was completely out of your league.

Except, here he only had one chance. He couldn't learn the moves over hundreds of fights.

This was it. Do it right or die... but this time, he did have help. And, this was no-hit challenege, he was definitely going to take a beating.

Eric looked up casually. "Oh, it's you. Saw what you did back at my camp. Was wondering when you'd show up. The others must be lagging behind." Eric casually strolled away from Joe's body. "Weird, I don't sense any abilities in you," Eric said.

"That's because I don't have any," Levi answered.

Eric cocked his head a moment and then threw it back in laughter. "What kind of shitty class is that?"

Taking a bit of a gamble on provoking Eric, Levi decided he'd try the truth. "Oh, it is really bad. It sucks. I mean, I can learn any Skills, Abilities, or Spells I want, as long as I put in the work. Oooh, and I just unlocked this Hidden Mechanic called Cultivation... not sure if you know what that is... but the Class comes with some shit stipulations. So anyway, yeah, The Insatiable Sage is probably the worst unique class anyone could get."

Eric stared at him, anger flashing across his face, before he relaxed again. "Ah. I get it. You almost had me for a moment. Funny. I'm Eric, and my class is Devouring Slayer. Do you know what that means?"

"Well, the way you said it...means you've practiced saying it in the mirror a few times," Levi responded. Levi wasn't sure how long he could keep up the witty banter. It wasn't really his thing, but he needed Eric to attack so he could lean on his defensive strengths.

"Fuck you. I earned this. You don't know what I've been through." Eric's nostrils flared, and he reached for the mace at his hip that was no longer there.

"Oh, I heard the whole rant you gave Joe. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry you had that life. I mean that. But trust me, you aren't the only one. Hell, a lot of people had it even worse. At the end of the day, we all make our own choices. And I don't give a fuck what reason you give, you're a piece of shit. And you're the only one to blame."

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Eric flew at Levi, enraged, but Levi had expected it. Triggering his skills to avoid the attack, Levi put five meters between him and Eric.

Eric tried to attack Levi a second time, still unarmed, and Levi recognized Eric had overcommited to the attack. Rather than try to outright avoid the attack, Levi deflected and redirected Eric's momentum, sweeping his leg in the process.

Eric went tumbling with his own speed and only skidded to a stop at the edge of the clearing.

Seemingly unharmed, but clearly pissed off, Eric stood. He brushed himself off and took a fighting stance. "Oh, I see you're feeling yourself. Well, come on then. Show me what you've got."

"Nah, I'm good," Levi responded, about fifteen meters away from Eric, now.

Eric straightened, "See, you really are just a bitch. Trying to pretend you're a badass."

Levi shrugged, and Paige took her chance. Paige plunged the dagger as deep as she could into the vitals beneath Eric's collarbone and then immediately retreated into the woods.

Eric cried out and touched where he'd been stabbed. Levi knew it hadn't been enough. There wasn't a lot of blood seeping from the wound. And now, Eric was pissed.

Levi knew that playtime was over. Rather than waste an opportunity, Levi struck just as Eric pivoted to the woods behind him, looking for who'd attacked him.

He barely connected with Eric's ribs before Eric twisted and kicked Levi hard, sending him flying back. Levi had barely been able to reinforce his Mana Skin to block the hit.

'Have to push more,' Levi thought, triggering all of his boosting skills and keeping them active.

Levi rolled into a fighting stance, but Eric was already on him. Levi barely had enough time to push more stamina and mana into his skills to respond. Unable to deflect, Levi just absorbed the blow with his Mana Skin and his bracers

Levi was entirely in defensive mode. Eric's attacks came faster and faster, with Levi barely able to keep up. He knew it would have already been game-over if he hadn't upgraded his core, and still felt completely outclassed.

Levi was afraid to push his boosting skills further, but something told him he could handle more after his core upgrade. So he pushed his boosting skills to the point where they'd usually cause him headache and injury after 30 seconds.

Suddenly, Levi was keeping up with Eric again. Pushing him back. Levi would have felt good about that, but he saw the wild grin on Eric's face and knew that Eric wasn't feeling threatened.

But Levi also knew that wasn't his objective. So rather than push his skills even farther, Levi opted for something reckless.

He let Eric land a hit that sent him bouncing across the ground...hard.

Levi slowly got to his feet, really putting on the show. The truth was, his body hurt. But it wasn't too bad, and he was far from his limit. Levi just needed to buy as much time as he could.

Eric, seemingly buying into Levi's weakness, took his time, stalking over.

Levi stood slouched. "You're still a piece of shit," he said as Eric got close.

Eric's eyes flashed in rage, and he closed the gap almost faster than Levi could follow with his boosting skills active. Almost.

Eric grabbed Levi's jaw with his hand, and Levi just let him. "You're just a shit talking bitch. You're nothing. Just a lot of big talk."

And then Paige plunged her dagger into the other side of Eric's neck, deep between his neck and his shoulder.

Eric spun to catch her, but Levi pushed more into his boosting skills, grabbing Eric's arm before he could catch Paige. As his gaze swiveled back to Levi, Levi buried his own dagger into Eric's eye.

Eric immediately threw himself away from Levi. "You motherfucker. I'm about to kill you... and that sneaky bitch is next." Eric yanked Levi's dagger from his eye and threw it to the ground. "Arrrg."

Levi laughed. "I'll give it to you, you're tough as nails, but man you're as stupid and cocky as they make 'em."

Eric was all rage, now. But Levi was ready. As Eric rushed in with attack after attack, Levi was forced to put everything he had into his boosting skills.

Eric held back nothing. He just attacked, blow after blow.

Levi's defensive style and boosting skills helped, but he was still taking a beating.

Occasionally, Paige would strike and then escape. Levi made sure he kept the pressure on Eric so he wasn't able to hurt Paige as she retreated.

And he continued to push his skills to their limit.

Eric had stopped talking. Levi could tell every single blow was intended to be lethal. Levi would usually counter these moments where the enemy over committed. But he just couldn't with Eric. He didn't even feel like he could put more power into his skills.

Levi had put everything he had into keeping up. He felt something warm leaking from his ears and nose. He assumed it was blood. His vision was blurring in time with his heart beat. He was done.

But, he saw the way Eric moved. He was slowing. Levi didn't know if it was exhaustion or Paige's poison, but Eric was slowing. And they hadn't played all of their cards.

He still had Grace and whatever she was doing. And once Maddy showed up she could use some heals.

Levi just had to hold on. And so, despite the feeling that his head would explode and his already ravaged muscles would completely tear away from the bone, Levi pushed even more into his boosting skills. He'd given everything he had, and now he squeezed himself out like a sponge.

Clarity found Levi for a moment, as he reacted to Eric's attacks. Pushing out more than should be possible, he delivered one last counter to Eric, smashing him into the ground hard enough that Eric's body made an impression in the dirt.

Then Levi blacked out. After Levi's body hit the ground, limp, Eric stood shakily.

Eric panted down at Levi. After a moment, he spoke. "Pussy."

----

In the forest, just out of sight, Grace added the final ingredient to her spell. It wasn't a simple one, and she hoped she hadn't fucked it up somewhere.

But her witch's intuition told her that she hadn't.

She carefully shook the weapon over the small but intricate curse circle she'd written.

And after a moment, a single drop of Eric's blood fell from the tip of Tony's katar.