Chương 19

Alex had the Templar swordsman backed up against the glassy ice when the Templar archer shattered his Mana Shield with two slashes. It wasn't that his Shield was any weaker than any of the others he'd put up; he was pretty certain she wasn't playing around anymore. Then he saw her land a blindingly fast kick that folded archer-guy all the way backwards, which confirmed his suspicion. Archer-guy's body went limp as he collapsed; the guy was sliding away at speed, clearly unconscious. Alex winced.

She knows kung fu too? And now she was turning to regard her nearest enemy. Which seemed to be Alex—and Alex was still very much still dueling this newbie Templar swordsman. Based on their single exchange, he wasn't at all confident in handling her 1 on 1. 2 on 1, no freaking chance. So even as she turned, he changed strategy. All his attention went to the swordsman in front of him—a guy he already had backpedaling. Sorry, dude. He slashed wildly, and hard; at the guy's chest; the guy went to parry.

A mana spear smashed right into his face, splintering into a thousand fragments. Blood spewed, the swordsman cried out—possibly blinded. At which point Alex took a cue from the Templar archer, and helped the swordsman onto the ice with a well-placed kick in the chest. A shadow fell over him, a second faster than he was expecting it. He'd placed a Mana Shield in front of the Templar archer, but instead of slicing at it, like he'd been hoping, she seemed to have vaulted straight over.

He whirled around, and was barely in time to get his sword up—with swordforce this time—before two daggers crashed into the blade. The next few seconds were backpedaling. Parrying, stumbling back, and he had to throw up a Mana Shield last-second, to block a swipe with enough force to take his head clean off.

She's not playing around, Jesus Christ— A second Mana Shield materialized, barely halting her; she leaped off of it, spun back mid-air, drew her bow, arm lighting up with Pure mana, finished her backflip fifteen feet in the air, and fired. Luck or instinct made him turn sideways. A line of light slashed through the air; a searing pain carved down his side, but the arrow only grazed him.

He knew because he saw it slash into the ice, deepening the fissures from her last arrow, the force rippling into the frozen surface. His gaze flickered to the cracked ice, then back to her. She still seemed to be regarding him curiously, more than anything. She switched back to her daggers and charged. This time he ran toward her, if only because he was running out of space to backpedal; the mages' duel was right behind him.

Steel struck steel, and he was forced to use yet another wasteful Mana Shield to block a single strike, and somehow he still ended up with a new gash down his upper arm. It's like I can't see anything coming —just a flash of steel, and then he was bleeding somewhere new. The experience of having potentially life-ending steel flashing toward your face was still a bit of a shock to him. It felt like pure luck he hadn't taken a fatal blow. The Templar archer paused.

"How long have you been an Awakened, might I ask?" He was surprised. And then, "I don't think I can talk and fight you at the same time, can we do this after?"

"You've shown you can multitask far more than that." He was having to mentally reevaluate how seriously she was taking him. More than before, but clearly still not as much as she could.

"I'm new to this fighting thing," he explained—if she let him catch his breath a bit, he would.

"Can't really focus on trying to kill you while also thinking of you as a thinking, feeling person. Even if it's just virtual." She seemed amused.

"You'll get used to it," she said.

"You really are new." She stepped back; behind him there were sounds of steel on steel, the rest of the fighting. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Ready when you are." She drew her daggers. Either sportsmanship really does exist in v-Dueling, or I'm like a child to her or something in terms of threat level." Before we start," he said.

"Is the reason my side's bleeding, and not my neck, because you've been deliberately avoiding fatal blows?" She seemed surprised, like she was thinking— you caught that? — and then—"I… didn't mean it as an insult."

"All the same," he said, grinning wryly.

"If I deserve it, just kill me. It's cool. I'd much rather lose against someone who's actually trying." He meant that sincerely. She chewed on that for a second, before nodding.

"Okay," she said simply. He was waiting for it, and he still almost didn't react in time. A Mana Shield sprung up right in front of his face, and almost in the same instant, a dagger struck it with a shower of sparks. She must've thought he'd said what he'd just said because he wanted to fight her to the death here. But Alex did not, in fact, plan on doing that—even if he did want to fight her while she was actually trying. Two mana spears materialized above her head; he sent them spiraling straight at her.

And then he turned, and ran away as fast as he possibly could. He caught a glimpse of her bewildered expression as he ran. He didn't have any serious hope that shock would lead to his spears achieving any actual damage; all he was hoping to do was to buy a little time. In his mind she was almost a Terminator. As was that Templar warrior at the far end, by the looks of it, who'd casually reduced kal's shield to a half-crushed tin can—even as kal was supported by a healer, while the Templar warrior was not.

He'd realized a few things. The first, there was a massive experience gap in this Templar group, clearly. You could see it even from the way they moved on the ice— the mage and the swordsman were the ones stumbling, while the others all glided. Which made him reasonably confident in the assumption this Templar mage was about as inexperienced as the Templar swordsman he'd just dispatched. Which was why he dashed straight at the guy. The Templar mage seemed to have the upper hand against raingirl.

He'd burned her in a few places, but the duel was tight. He was focused on raingirl as she summoned a Mana Bolt; he seemed to be trying to time a dodge when he saw Alex out of the corner of his eye. He cried out, swinging his staff around, and to his credit, and to Alex's surprise, managed to catch Alex's blade mid-swing. Good instincts. Unfortunately it was still at an odd angle, against a blade filled with swordforce. The staff was wrenched right out of his fingers.

A Mana Bolt struck him to the chest at point-blank range. Alex saw his split-second, incredulous look as he was sent spiraling across the ice." Look out!" A Mana Shield materialized in front of him— raingirl's. A half second later, it took an arrow and instantly shattered. She has Mana Shield as well? He thought she'd picked Mana Bolt as her one Association-given starter Skill. He didn't question it; she did have that O2 symbol on her cloak. Maybe her Guild gave it to her.

"I can't cast it as fast as you, it takes me a second, " she said, glancing at him.

"And I can't place it unless it's a still target."

"That's fine," he said, regarding the Templar archer behind him.

"Any bit helps—help me?" And then he once more threw the kitchen sink at the Templar archer. Mana spears, one after another overhead, shield after shield in her way, as he'd been throwing all this time—just trying to slow her was draining his mana tank, fast.

"Are you saying we're fighting her?" said raingirl urgently. She seemed to be trying to work herself up to the idea.

"We're trying to stall her," he said.

"Or rather, you are." Very quickly he told her the idea, even as they backpedaled.

"You're insane," she said, which, admittedly, wasn't the reaction he was hoping for.

"We're screwed either way," he said.

"Even us two against her one, and kal back there's getting his ass handed to him, even with healer support—just promise me you'll try it?" A pause—"Please?" Maybe not the most encouraging thought, and he was half-convinced she'd fold. She seemed hesitant, and then surprised him—"I'll try."" Yes." And then he kept running away. His focus was still on slowing the Templar archer with his own mana constructs, even as raingirl helped put up shields. He wasn't abandoning her against the Templar archer.

His hope was she'd have reinforcements very soon. In a few seconds, he was at the duel of the warriors. Or rather, kal and their healer against the hammer-wielding Templar warrior—a man who, incidentally, was both well-built and also likely a sibling of the Templar archer, now that Alex had a closer look. Alex didn't try to ambush the Templar warrior. The man had clocked him already and seemed slightly bemused at his presence." Raingirl needs backup," said Alex, addressing kal and the healer.

"I'll take this guy from here." He got a similar look from kal as the one raingirl gave him, i. e. — are you insane? But kal said, "You're sure?"

"Please trust me." In his mind his leadership style would've been confident and inspiring, so as to instantly quash any doubt; he wasn't sure how he ended up pleading with both his teammates. But luckily kal only paused for a second before nodding; "Stay safe," said the healer. Thanks, thought Alex. kal and their healer dashed away. Dear god, raingirl, please manage this.

Which left Alex to face up, one-versus-one, against a wide-framed, platinum blond man who seemed about 6'5—his stature had only just come into focus. The warrior had returned his shield to his back, presumably to defend against Alex's behind-the-back Mana Spears; judging by the condition of his armor, he didn't seem to need it anyway.

"I have to admit," said the Templar warrior.

"I'm a little lost as to what your plan could possibly be."

"You're the third person who's said as much in the past thirty seconds," said Alex—he'd momentarily forgotten the plan was, he was supposed to be antagonizing this guy.

"You fuck," he added, belatedly. The Templar warrior paused, seeming surprised.

"That feels uncalled for." Alex almost said, sorry, and stopped himself, jutting out his chin.

"Then do something about it?" The Templar warrior paused to regard him; he and his sister had a similar way of doing that, Alex noticed.

"You seemed like an easy target. That's why I switched from your sister," said Alex. The warrior seemed amused.

"What?"

"You don't strike me as a very mean person," said the warrior, almost apologetically.

"It's a little forced." Why is this guy so polite?

"But if you insist," said the warrior.

"You've just dueled my sister," he said amiably. Something in his eyes changed— I have him, Alex thought. At least a little.

"Why don't you let me know which of us is better at close combat?" said the warrior.

"I'm curious what you think." One of the more terrifying things he could've said. With that, the Templar warrior swung for Alex's head.