Amidst Jareth’s furious screams, curses spewed forth as he instinctively lunged at Bran with such a force that it sounded like thunder. Fortunately, the servant swiftly ducked and stepped back in time, narrowly evading the strike.
Out of nowhere, Osric unleashed a swift kick to the back of the old man, sending him staggering forward. This sudden attack immediately garnered the enemy’s attention, who retaliated. Before he got hit, however, he used his earlier attack to propel himself backward, perfectly evading the kick. As he was up in the air, looking at the frustrated face of the old man, he recalled his master’s orders. He was greatly impressed by how the young noble accurately predicted everything up until now.
~ ~ ~
“After Bran temporarily blinded him with dust and soil, strike him from the back immediately,” Elysian ordered. “Then use the force from your kick to propel yourself backward; he will surely counter. Remember, your main objective is not to engage the old man but to get his attention, allowing Bran to escape.”
“Master, what if he decides to attack me first instead of Bran?” Osric asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
“That’s a possibility, but it’s highly unlikely,” Elysian stated confidently. “I’ve closely studied his attack patterns, and he consistently favors striking on his right side. Aside from that, his tendency is to assess and engage the highest threat first. Given Bran’s imposing size, he’ll undoubtedly perceive him as the primary target between the two of you. I’m confident he’ll go after the big fella first.”
“Alright.” Osric nodded, persuaded by the young noble’s reasoning. “Once I’ve attacked him and managed to get away, what would I do next?”
“After getting his attention, the old man will surely launch another attack, intending to force you to retreat and grant him the time needed to recover his vision. This will render his attack more haphazard,” Elysian explained. After thinking for a moment, he continued, “He’ll expect you to step back and avoid his kick. Seize this opportunity to counterattack, but be extra careful. While his strikes may lack power as before, they still pose a serious threat.” After receiving a nod from the older boy, he added, “When he attacks, duck while moving to your left. Follow up by sweeping your feet to the ground counterclockwise and delivering a kick to his face.”
“So, am I supposed to do what Bran did earlier?” Osric inquired, seeking clarification and getting a clearer picture of what he was going to do.
“Yes, but you’ll have a better chance of hitting the old man than him,” Elysian remarked, grinning at the older boy. “Considering his frustration during attacks and his impaired vision, the likelihood of your strike finding its mark is exceptionally high. But you’re right; your main priority is impairing his vision again and making him even more frustrated. With a diminished mental state, our victory will be a lot closer.”
~ ~ ~
Upon hitting the ground, Osric saw the old man launch another attack, just like his master had predicted. This time, however, the attack was too high, lacking the accuracy and power from before. He easily dodged it, ducking while moving to his right, following the young noble’s instructions to the letter. Before his enemy could finish his attack, Osric swept his legs counterclockwise, kicking Jareth straight in the face. Accompanied by dust and soil, this worsened the old man’s already impaired vision.
Spotting the opportunity, Elysian finally made his move. Channeling ninety percent of his aura into his feet, he sprinted forward, simultaneously flicking three peanuts with the remaining ten percent of his condensed aura. With the barrier weakened by his constant and sneaky attacks, it finally broke, shattering it completely.
‘Sh*t! I didn’t expect his barrier to be that loud. I’m sure he heard it. Now, I need to hurry.’
At the sound of his shattering barrier, Jareth abruptly froze. Disregarding everything else, from his worsening vision to the blow on his face, he grinned and burst into maniacal laughter. “You’re good. You've got me there, boy!” Suddenly, the old man’s body swelled with muscles, taking the fight seriously for the first time.
With a disdainful snort, Elysian ignored him and focused on the relic ahead. Putting all the aura into his feet, he condensed it to the point that he grimaced from the pain, but the result was immediate—his speed increased twofold, sending him flying towards the dagger.
Seeing the boy’s sudden acceleration, his grin quickly shifted into a frown. “Huh, you can’t just do that.”
Just as the old man was about to intercept the young noble, both Bran and Osric sprang forward, each grabbing onto Jareth, trying to pin him down.
“Annoying b*stards!” the mercenary growled, fiercely kicking both of them and sending them tumbling away.
With his two companions providing a distraction for the old man, Elysian managed to get so close to the relic that he was merely inches away from it. Instead of a momentous victory, however, he was met with disappointment as Jareth suddenly kicked the relic away.
“I can’t allow you to touch that!” the mercenary exclaimed, sneering at the surprised boy. “I’m amazed that you’re already capable of using aura and very proficient at it. That brat will be extremely proud of you.”
Rather than succumbing to shock, Elysian swiftly regained his composure, launching an attack on the old man’s exposed leg. He easily avoided it by jumping high. Seeing an opportunity, the boy flicked a couple of peanuts to the ground in quick succession, creating a cloud of dust everywhere. After concealing himself, he changed direction, going for the relic again.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“It’s futile, boy! Even if you try to hide yourself, I can still sense your presence and the relic,” Jareth stated, scoffing at his action. Suddenly appearing on the young noble’s side, he didn’t waste time and immediately attacked.
Ducking from the kick, Elysian put all his aura into the peanut, condensing it. He launched it directly into the mercenary’s right knee. After hitting his enemy, he followed it with a couple more while moving to his right.
“Ugh, hey, that stings!” Jareth grumbled, effortlessly dodging the barrage of nuts that followed. Shifting to his left, he tried to intercept the boy again and added, “Just surrender. Time is almost up. There’s no way you’ll win this.”
Elysian suddenly shifted sideways to his left, surprising the old man as he moved towards him. Before they could come any closer, the boy abruptly swept his legs clockwise, executing a reverse kick.
“Do you honestly think I’ll fall for that again?” Jareth mocked, easily dodging the kick while shielding his eyes from the debris with his arms.
Upon landing on the ground, Elysian immediately fired a couple of peanuts at his opponent’s right knee with an increasing aura, so that all of them hit at the same time. He then shifted back to his original direction, giving him extra time.
Attempting to close in on the boy once again, the old man suddenly cursed as his right knee was hit by a couple of condensed auras. Scowling at the young noble, he barked in pain and frustration, “Ugh, brat, you’re really getting on my nerves!”
The old man suddenly disappeared, reappearing on the left side of Elysian and kicking him in the chest. The boy tried to dodge the attack, but the combination of his forward momentum and the speed of his opponent’s strike made evasion impossible. Left with no other option, he opted for defense. Channeling all his aura into his arms, he crossed them over his chest, bracing for impact. Utilizing his foresight and executing a well-timed response, he managed to mitigate any potential injury, landing deftly on his feet.
“You’re way too fast, old man,” Elysian teased without humor in his voice. “Can’t you even take it easy? I’m just a child.”
“Child, my @ss.” Jareth scoffed, showing the bruises on his right knee. “If I were just an ordinary cultivator, my right leg would already be gone.”
Glancing at the hourglass, Elysian grinned deviously and stated, “The time is almost up. It seems this will be our final fight. It’s either I win or I win.”
“Do you still believe that you can win this?” Jareth asked, bursting into laughter. “I like your confidence, kid, but we all know that’s impossible,” he said with a dismissive tone in his voice. Suddenly, he frowned. “Isn’t it ‘either I win or you lose?’ You cheeky brat!”
“Hebi no Hyasa,” Elysian whispered, his body suddenly lowering and relaxing, shifting into a stance—Hebimichi Kamae.
“What the hell are you planning again, brat?” Jareth asked, amused at the strange language and movement the boy was making.
Inhaling prana into his body, Elysian infused his sword with all his psion and mana combined while channeling all his ki into his legs, coiling it like a serpent ready to strike. “Oshiyoseru!”
Suddenly, the boy vanished. Jareth couldn’t track him at all, despite his big cultivation advantage. His confident grin instantly turned into confusion. He simply couldn’t believe what was happening. His eyes widened in disbelief when his right knee was suddenly struck by a sword.
“F*ck!” Elysian cursed in frustration. Despite his efforts, he still couldn’t manage to pierce the old man’s skin.
‘Damn, I put everything into that attack, but I still couldn’t wound him. What a sturdy b*stard!’
“Ugh, you infuriating brat!” Jareth screamed, his face twisted in pain from his right knee. As the boy rolled on the ground from the impact, the mercenary attempted to pursue him. However, before he could move any farther, his right knee gave in, kneeling on the ground and failing him completely. “What did you do, brat?!”
Smirking at the unexpected turn of events, he quipped, “Well, look at that—not a total failure after all.” As he quickly tried to get up, he fell to the ground again, realizing immediately that he didn’t have any strength to even stand up.
‘Sh*t, not now! I absolutely hate this body. I’ve forgotten how weak this is. After this competition, I seriously need to put extra effort into improving my fitness.’
“Quick, grab that damn relic!” Elysian urgently shouted upon realizing his condition. Looking around, he noticed that no one was moving. “What the hell are you doing?” Angrily, he sat up; what he saw made him sighed in frustration. It seemed all the soldiers were on the ground in a worse state than he was, and even his two companions could hardly move.
“Well, it seems you’ve lost.” Jareth burst into laughter, glancing at the hourglass. “Nice try, brat!”
Letting himself collapse, Elysian sprawled on the ground, sighing as he looked up at the sky, allowing himself to rest for even a moment. Gritting his teeth, he slowly stood up, smiling at the old man. “That was close.”
“Yes, I gotta hand it to you,” Jareth responded, grinning. “In the end, you’ve got me good, kid. You really got a number on my knee,” he stated, wincing as he showed how bruised it was.
“Can you sell me that relic?” Elysian inquired, slowly walking toward the dagger.
“Hmm, you’ve shown a keen interest in that thing from the beginning,” the mercenary remarked, growing suspicious. “Be honest, do you know something about it?”
“I already told you, I don’t,” the boy insisted. “You already know why I want it.”
“I don’t believe you,” Jareth responded, snorting at his denial. “I don’t know how you got it, but I know you’ve got information about that relic.”
“Don’t make up stories, old man. Your imagination is wild,” Elysian said, snickering at his insistence. “So, answer me. Do you want to sell it or not?”
Wincing, Jareth stood up, glaring at the boy who took the dagger from the ground and raised it up in the air. “No, I won’t sell it to you, brat!”
“It’s your loss,” Elysian quipped, grinning at the old man as he turned to look at the time. “It seems I’ve won.”
“Huh, what are you saying?” Jareth asked. Glancing at the hourglass, his eyes suddenly widened in shock and confusion as he saw that there was still a fifth of time left. “How?”
“Elysian is the winner of the competition!” Cedric declared, officially proclaiming the victor.