Chapter 160: The Final Four [Part 2]
This is part 2, part 1 is attached to the previous chapter due to a posting error with \'The Requests\'. The previous chapter contains \'The Requests\' and \'The Final Four [Part 1]\'
I apologize for the inconvenience, please feel free to yell at me in the comments.
Desmond heard the signal to start and immediately threw his spear. He knew that his opponent, Thomas von Petra was no slouch when it came to fighting. He had a lot of swagger and possibly too much confidence, but it did not come from nowhere. Thomas was a skilled fighter.
"[Spear Arts: Triple Thrust]!"
Desmond rushed forward and stabbed his weapon into his opponent. The redhead was able to block the attack but was pushed back a few inches as the single strike became three at the point of impact. He was not going to let up, fast and hard was the way to win this.
"[Aqua: Water Shot]"
A small orb of water formed at the tip of his spear and shot at Thomas, who countered with a spell of his own. "[Flamma: Incinerate]"
The two spells canceled each other out and fizzled in the air. Thomas immediately followed up with, "[Sword Arts: Aura Blade], [Sword Arts: Heavy Slash]"
Thomas swung his sword in a diagonal cut, creating a massive arc of golden energy that was targeting Desmond. It cut through the ground as it flew towards him. With only one clear option, he chose to attempt to block the attack, "[Glacies: Ice Wall], [Glacies: Ice Wall]"
He quickly cast two versions of the spell, back-to-back, creating a double layer of protection. It was unfortunately not enough as he quickly heard the barrier begin to crack before it shattered into microscopic pieces. The arc of energy continued through it and struck him square in the chest.
Though the attack broke the barriers, they did weaken the energy of the blow considerably, and though he was cut and bleeding, he was still in decent fighting condition.
"Oh, my Sir Desmond. Does the disgraced son of the Adler family need to concede already? You know… I hear that your bitch of a sister followed you here as well. Like a lost little puppy." Thomas laughed, bringing out a roar of rage from Desmond.
He began to lose his temper and charged forward, caring little for the consequences of his actions. "[Glacies: Ice Spear], [Aqua: Water Shot], [Spear Arts: Empowered Thrust!]"
Two spells and a golden bullet in the shape of Desmond holding a spear launched at Thomas who simply scoffed. "I know another sick noble obsessed with those filthy Marked Ones."
"[Shield Arts: Barrier]" Continue reading at m|v-l\'e -NovelBin.net
Desmond bounced off the barrier, and both spells shattered against it. Thomas dismissed it and then smashed Desmond in the face with the back of his shield. "Truly, is this all you have? A little taunting and the best of Keinydd Kingdom falls apart. A shame."
Thomas\' strike, threw him backward and Desmond fell to his butt, with his spear skittering away. His Recall Enchantment only worked once a day, and he had used it in his fight with Rena. With no other option, he brought his fists to bear and rushed at Thomas a second time.
"[Unarmed Arts: Stunning Strikes], [Unarmed Arts: Illusory Fists]"
The first of the two arts caused a momentary stunning effect on the target when struck directly. It lasted maybe 6 seconds at most, but that was often enough to turn the tide of battle. Illusory Fist added a mirage-like effect to his fists so that they would occasionally appear to be coming from places they weren\'t.
To the recipient of such an attack, it was like watching a fist come at you in slow motion while drunk.
"Too late for that, up close is not your forte… it\'s mine." Thomas laughed, "[Flamma: Incineration Barrier]"
A massive column of fire exploded around Thomas, stretching several feet into the air. Feeling the intensity of the heat, Desmond had no choice but to back off, or potentially lose a hand.
"You see, Desmond Adler." Thomas continued. "The moment you entered the ring with me was the moment you sealed your fate."
"[Flamma: Fireball – Multishot]"
Unable to wrap his head around the fact that a student like Thomas could use a modified spell, Desmond stood there stunned as three, massive balls of fire closed in around him from all sides. Each one that exploded created a massive burst of heat and force that he would not be able to withstand.
"I concede!" he shouted. It was his only option. It was better to lose face here than his life or any of his limbs.
"Good choice Desmond." Thomas laughed, canceling his spells and turning to walk off the stage.
"Brother! Brother! Are you all right?" A sweet voice called out to him full of concern. A girl with violet hair like his rushed up and pulled him to a standing position.
"Yes, Jade, I am quite all right." He answered. "It seems our goal is postponed for now. Though I have lost here, I have not given up. We will get somewhere better for you. Somewhere you can live a normal life."
She simply smiled at him and assisted him in walking off the stage. It was true that he was handed his defeat here, but he had more paths open for him. He should have at least been able to show some of his prowess by getting into the final four.
*****
Off in a far corner of the arena, an elderly man sat, watching the matches closely. One in particular interested him the most. It was of course the fight including Titan. He had done something that everyone saw, but not many understood.
Truly what Titan had shown off was a powerful technique, something only a handful of mages and warriors could perfect, including this old man.
"Hehe." Wally chuckled. "I wasn\'t thinking about attending this farce, though with Kalivas present I suppose I had to on behalf of my teacher. However, I did not expect to see this!"
He looked at Titan, who had a mask hiding his face. However, watching him use mana, Wally was able to see the truth. "Congrats, boy. It looks like you\'ve finally done it." He gave a big toothy grin. "Cannot wait to see what happens next! Keep Grandpa entertained, won\'t you, Lucius?"