Chapter 696 Just As...
Ryu didn't care what Ramir's response would be. Just a moment after telling him to draw his blade, the frost giant moved.
It was clear to everyone in an instant that Ryu wasn't relying on the Frost Thunder Giant's strength. There was nothing but pure skill in its strike, there was no flashy technique, no volatile qi, just a single [Pierce]. It didn't take a genius to understand that Ryu was challenging Ramir on the same playing field Ramir had challenged Godefride on.
Ramir was immediately infuriated. He wasn't sure of Ryu's exact cultivation, but it felt obvious to him that Ryu was, at the very least, far younger and greener than himself. The idea that someone of inferior experience and cultivation that him could possibly defeat him in this fashion was nothing short of enraging.
Aiming to end this quickly, Ramir's qi blossomed, forming an avatar no shorter than the Frost Thunder Giant. He too pierced forward, his spear carrying a casual flare to it.
Ryu stood on the Frost Thunder Giant's shoulder, unmoving. His hands were clasped behind his back and his gaze was placid and cold. Only casual thoughts from him controlled the actions of the Frost Thunder Giant, the trust he had in his spear reaching untouchable heights.
BANG!
The tips of the spears met, their blades perfectly balanced upon one another. It was without a doubt the simplest confrontation between spearmen.
In a situation like this, the steadier hand would win ten out of ten times. The first to falter would find the path of their spear forcefully deviated, while the steadier hand would continue to pierce forward. The result would be akin to a [Skim] in action.
Ryu was very clearly at a disadvantage. It wasn't his own steadiness being tested, but rather that of his summon. It was objectively harder to control than Ramir's personal qi avatar.
However, Ryu was unmoved by it all.
The Frost Thunder Giant's spear faltered. It was used to wielding a club. Even if the instructions it received from Ryu were perfect, it simply didn't have the stabilizer muscles a spearman would usually have, neither was it used to wielding its weapon with two hands. In the end, the result was expected.
Ramir sneered. Standing in the forehead of his qi avatar, his actions perfectly mimicked his large projection. Because of this, he was able to feel the resistance perfectly and react without lag.
His spear shot forward like a winding snake, aiming to pierce through the Frost Thunder Giant's neck. And, whether by coincidence or not, his spear was just a bit skewed toward the left of the Demon Duke's body.
The best way to avoid such a strike was to sidestep to the short side. But, this would result in losing the initiative. Not only was the move predictable, but due to its predictability it would result in a series of planned counters that would most definitely lead to an inevitable loss.
This was just the tip of the iceberg, though… Because the main issue was that Ryu was standing on the Frost Thunder Giant's left shoulder. Dodging to the short side, the easiest maneuver to make, would result in his death. Under normal circumstances, the spear would fly harmlessly above one's shoulder, but who asked Ryu to be arrogant enough to stand there?
Ramir could almost feel his spear skewering Ryu. With how vast the size difference was, maybe Ryu would directly implode into a cloud of mist. Remembering all the nonsense Ryu had been spewing earlier, and feeling his chest heaving with rage now, he almost felt intoxicated due to his soon-to-be victory.
If Ryu foolishly tried to dodge to the long side instead to protect himself, he would lose just the same. The Frost Thunder Giant lacked the necessary agility, and if it used its qi, it would be, likewise, admitting defeat. After all, this was a contest of skill. To use brute strength to continue the battle would be like admitting your inferiority.
For Ryu to lose in just a single exchange after all his bloviating… maybe he would be too embarrassed to ever show his face again. In the best case scenario, there would be an irreparable Heart Demon born within him, hindering his future progress.
It was right then that the Frost Thunder Giant sidestepped to the short side, executing a perfect [Side Step] to the right.
However regardless of how perfect the execution was, with how swift their spears were moving, there wasn't enough time to clear Ramir's spear entirely. Ryu ended up exposed on the Frost Thunder Giant's left shoulder, the wind pressure of Ramir's spear forcing his hair to flutter.
The spear of qi showed no mercy. The fierce light in Ramir's eyes only grew fiercer. All he could see was his own spear and Ryu, and all he could imagine was flattening the latter into nothing more than a crimson mark on his road ahead. He hadn't even noticed when he suddenly placed Ryu, someone who was supposedly beneath him, as a stepping stone toward his own personal growth
Ramir's face twisted, a sneer painting his face. The point of his blade appeared before Ryu, its size dwarfing the latter entirely. Just the width of the blade alone was taller than Ryu, a single pierce just might split him in two if it wasn't for the fact the thickness was too great.
He couldn't believe how idiotic Ryu was, but when he thought about it, what other choice was there. In just a single move, he had blocked out all of Ryu's potential movements. This was the difference in skill and experience. For a brat to dare to challenge him…!?
Consider this a lesson for all those who dared to try to slight him in the future.
"Die!"
The crowd watched on in shock. They too thought that Ryu would put up a better fight. They stood on Ryu's side for much of the battle because he was the reason they could take part in this juicy bit of gossip. But, it seemed that they had overestimated him.
Ryu was unknown to them all despite wielding such power, so it was likely that he was too sheltered. He had actually lost his life on his first outing into the real world. If they were his ancestors, they'd be rolling in their graves.
Such a talent would die just like this.
The spear appeared before Ryu. It was already less than three meters away, and with its size, this distance might as well have been a hair's breadth.
It shot forward with blinding speed, its tip perfectly steady as it sliced through the skies. It was clear from this strike alone that Ramir's skill was not to be questioned, at least amongst most spearmen…
That was exactly why it was all so shocking when its qi avatar suddenly came to a grinding halt a mere half meter from Ryu.
Ryu stood without the slightest fluctuation to his expression, his hands clasped behind his back and his gaze cold.
The spear of qi before him was slowly forced to dissipate, vanishing into motes of light that trickled into the starry skies that surrounded them. It was only at that moment that everyone seemed to realize that the Frost Thunder Giant's spear had already pierced through the chest of Ramir's qi avatar.
Ramir stood in shocked silence, his body still holding his spear up as though he was just about to pierce Ryu. He didn't register what had happened until his qi avatar completely disappeared, leaving him awkwardly frozen in the air without anything to show for it.
"You… You…"
It was only after several seconds that Ramir understood what happened.
In the instant Ryu's Frost Thunder Giant sidestepped, it also released one of its hands from the shaft of its spear, using the momentum of its [Side Step] to continue its forward pierce.
Ryu must have already guessed that his Frost Thunder Giant wouldn't have the stabilizers to win in the exchange. So, instead, he purposely diverted the blade of his Frost Thunder Giant downward, targeting the large area of Ramir's qi avatar's chest.
After gaining a reach advantage thanks to switching to a single hand, and the fact the Frost Thunder Giant's [Side Step] and subsequent attack had placed its left shoulder behind the rest of its body, its spear landed long before Ramir's did.
Ryu looked down toward Ramir, the disdain in his eyes almost palpable. Even he didn't expect Ramir to lose to such a simple maneuver. He was so enamored by the idea of killing him that he actually ended up being humiliated to such an extent. It was pathetic to an extreme.
Ryu had long since sacrificed his Glaive, Spear and Halberd Inheritances to form his Great Swordstaff Inheritance, but they hadn't disappeared, they were rather just part of a new whole now. This was a logical conclusion given his great grandfather's namesake, as Ailsa had enlightened him to. He was the Saintly Weapon Sky God, his theories could theorectically be applied to anything.
As things stood now, Ryu's use of the spear was probably more put together and perfect than that of his Great Swordstaff which was forced to fuse three different disciplines into one.
This was all to say that with such a mental state, Ramir stood not a single chance against him.
"Is this the level of spearman that can challenge and Armament holder now? It's no wonder the Armament Guild tried to barricade the masses from laying eyes on it all personally, I would be just as embarrassed."