Elias barely had a second to adapt to the rapidly changing events.
He couldn't react easily, but he could think far faster than his body could move.
And the first thing he had to admit, much to his annoyance...
'Damn it, I can't throw this fight anymore!'
All thoughts he had about escaping the moment the battle evolved into something far beyond his capabilities vanished the moment the system notification appeared.
So he had to win. He had to win no matter what.
The stranger was still advancing closer, dagger in hand, the edge of its blade gleaming sharply under the moonlight.
This scene was strangely familiar, just like Leona. Why does everyone seem to have the habit of taking their opponents by surprise instead of fighting fair and square?
Assholes!
The strike was no doubt vicious, one that would leave him, if not injured, then severely incapacitated the moment it cleaved through his flesh.
With the blade right on the fabric of his leather jacket, cutting right through the material to reach his chest, manifesting his Weaves on time would be impossible.
'Well played, Stranger. Well played.'
So this had been what he had been aiming for by manifesting his clones to surround him. He had known all along that it would draw Elias towards his direction, where he was already waiting, dagger in hand.
In fact, to an onlooker, this battle was as good as over.
But...
Elias fought to remain calm, numerous thoughts flashing through his mind.
He had very few options left. And the only truly effective way out of this disadvantage was the one that had very little chance of working.
Heightening his perception, Elias felt for every atom and molecule that made up his body.
The cells, interwoven in a beautiful dance to form his tissues, then his organs.
He made them vibrate at a frequency entirely alien to the world. At first, it felt as though nothing happened, but when the pointed tip of the dagger eventually tore through his clothes, reaching his chest—
His body flickered once, and the weapon passed harmlessly through him as though what it had struck was air and not physical matter.
The stranger snarled, about to twist his weapon into a side jab in the same breath he missed.
But it was far too late now.
Elias's fist arrived first, striking against his head in a devastating blow.
His nose let out a devastating crunch, blood spurting into the air.
The boy reeled backwards, his body shooting into the air as a pained gasp escaped his lips. Elias was already moving, the movement of his legs kicking up a windy storm.
BOOM
Like a thunderbolt, he shot forward, his right hand pulled back to strike another blow at the boy before he could reach the ground.
But it was then that the two clones of the boy finally moved, both of them also wielding daggers. One made to strike him in the eye while the other clone made to strike across his neck.
Does this guy really want him dead that badly?
Elias scoffed, tilting his head slightly to the side as the blade making straight for his eye missed.
At the same time, he was already raising one of his legs, striking it violently across the chest of the clone trying to cleave his neck. Its chest caved inwards at the impact, thoracic bones rattling from the force.
Elias then felt a violent rush of wind. He was just in time to see the leg of the other clone already striking towards his head, sharpened metallic spikes jutting out of its dark boots while it was still midair.
But these clones were too slow. Far weaker than the person who had created them.
Elias caught the clone by the knee, twisting it in the air like a ragdoll before bashing it against the other clone, which had yet to recover from his earlier strike.
The effect was violent.
Both clones let out unsightly shrieks at the impact before disappearing into drifting moths of orange light.
Before Elias could let out a sigh of relief, they manifested again, daggers in hand as they surrounded him.
This time around, their lips were curled slightly into violent grins, as though the anticipation of another battle was already making them excited.
Elias didn't have time for this. There was no point fighting these things if they were only going to be summoned again.
He needed to—
VOOM!
Just as he was thinking this, he felt movement above him, his body instinctively moving to dodge a strike as the true body of the boy came across the edge of his vision, his dagger raised to strike.
His Resonance String was still ringing in front of him, letting out a bloodcurdling sound that made Elias feel as though worms were crawling beneath his skin.
🎵 Krrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnng🎶🎶
His dagger missed yet again, but it felt as though he had already anticipated it as his hand raised to punch, the air pressure humming from the force.
Elias moved his head slightly, letting it pass him harmlessly. Then he raised a hand of his own and made to strike.
But suddenly, the body of the boy was no longer in front of him. Instead, his clone now stood in his place, scattering into drifting moths of light at the impact.
Elias didn't have time to be confused because the true body of the boy was already behind him, dagger twisting in his hand as he made to give him a side cut.
The other clone was beside him, dagger clenched tight and its face warped into one of excitement.
Above him, another clone manifested, its leg kicking towards him as those sharpened metallic spikes jutted out of its boots.
In a violent burst of speed, Elias escaped the encirclement, appearing in front of the true body of the boy in a second. He raised his knee, trying to pummel it into his guts.
The boy smiled, and all of a sudden, his clone was right in his place.
The clone rattled at the impact, disappearing into drifting moths of light.
Then it manifested again, the boy and his clones shooting towards him from various directions.
Elias was growing irritated.
'Cockroach. This guy is a cockroach!'
He was faster than him. Physically stronger than him. And yet—
While he could manifest his Weaves, the presence of the two others still hiding in the shadows made him wary enough to resist.
Since this guy was an Intermediate Apprentice, Elias could only guess that the other strangers weren't any weaker. So he didn't want to show all his trump cards if he could help it.
He had to be patient, just enough to catch them by surprise.
Narrowing his eyes, he dodged the strike of one of the clones before punching its face, its teeth shattering.
By the time he withdrew his hand, the other clone had already bent its body slightly, its dagger striking towards his front thigh in a cleaving motion.
Elias jumped, making the strike miss him by an inch. That made the boy drag his clone by the hand, throwing it towards Elias's body, which was still flying through the air.
The clone shot upwards towards him, then, still in the air, threw its dagger in his direction.
Elias widened his eyes.
'Shit!'
In the same breath, he rotated his body horizontally in the air in a full circle, the sharp metallic edge of the blade wheezing past him.
Then he caught it by the crossguard, throwing it back towards the body of the clone below him.
Flesh parted as the dagger struck true, the clone turning to drifting moths of light.
Elias let himself land in front of the boy, who was already manifesting his clones, their daggers gleaming as they all shot towards him yet again.
Elias allowed them to come close, then closer still—
It was only when their blades were barely an inch away from his already torn leather jacket that he finally moved, this time his hand shooting towards the face of the true body.
Predictably, his clone was now standing in his place, its dagger raised to strike him. The other clone's dagger had already begun to pinch his skin, needing less than a second to pierce his flesh.
But Elias had never meant to punch him in the first place.
A loud, shrill cry tore through the air behind him, then the eyes of both clones widened all at once.
Then they burst into a whirlwind of orange sparks.
Elias let out a sigh of relief, clutching a masquerade mask and a torn blindfold in one of his hands.
Turning sideways, he began to walk towards the distraught boy still screaming.
His face couldn't help but grimace at the sight of the boy on his knees, letting out heart-wrenching cries as blood poured from the rims of his eyes, making his face seem as though it was bathed in crimson.
The turning point arrived the moment Elias came to an obvious conclusion that had been evident the entire time.
Ever since the battle began, the boy had a habit of turning his face away from his clones, as though he was afraid of looking at them even when he was wearing a blindfold.
It felt as though looking at them would make him relive some kind of trauma.
So Elias— like the jerk he admitted he truly was, decided to put this to the test.
'This must be his drawback. He is unable to look at his clones.'
Elias narrowed his eyes at his face, trying to tell if he was recognizable. With all the blood, it was difficult, but—
His thought was interrupted the moment he felt a punch in his guts, the impact like a thunderclap.
BAM
His eyes widened as he shot right into the air, blood spurting from his lips.
Standing below him was now one of the boys who had once stood within the shadows of the trees.
His body was covered by purple, gleaming armor with blue sparks running across its length like lightning. The armor extended to his hands, forming thick metallic gauntlets.
His helmet was raised, rounded at the top like a crown.
Elias barely managed to land on his feet, gritting his bloodied teeth.
The boy began to walk towards him now, the sparks dancing through his armor, humming a sharp, grinding tune.
🎶🎶 TZZZRAAAK RAAK!🎵🎵
Elias let out a sigh, standing on his feet.
Withstanding the bouts of pain radiating from his stomach, Elias allowed himself to take a deep, shaky breath.
He could tell that his opponent this time was different from the other one. To be able to own such a Lament, there was every tendency that he was of noble birth, and someone like this probably possessed numerous methods and tricks.
Not to mention the fact that his knowledge of combat had to be just as terrifying.
But for very obvious reasons, he refused to turn back now.
He had to win this. He had to—
The moment the stranger advanced just a few meters away from him, he manifested his Weaves, no longer holding himself back.