*Drip*
*Drip*
Denver staggered slightly as blood seeped from the gash on his thigh, staining the cobblestones beneath him.
He adjusted his stance, gritting his teeth, as he steadied his broadsword.
Despite the pain, his movements remained deliberate and measured, his eyes locked onto Leo with a newfound intensity.
"You're better than I thought," Denver admitted, his voice low but firm, as he realized that Leo deserved more of his respect than he initially gave him credit for.
Coming into this fight, he truly believed that Ben Faulkner's disciple was the lesser threat of the two, however, after fighting Leo once, Denver immediately realized that he was sorely mistaken.
Ben Faulkner's disciple was equally as talented as his master, if not better, and could kill him at the slightest of mistakes, making him a formidable opponent.
"Hmm–" Leo mused, not responding to Denver's words as his mind raced fast.
This wasn't like the fights he had faced before, as every movement that Denver made felt calculated, every swing of his sword carried lethal intent, as for the first time since he had dueled PinkLotus, Leo felt the icy grip of mortality tighten around him.
One mistake could mean his death and he felt it all too strongly.
The previous move where he was pushed back seemed simple enough, but it was not.
After he had slashed Denver's thighs, he had hoped to slash his neck, however, he was sent flying back instead with a counter from his broadsword.
When looked from afar, it only seemed natural, however, from close range, Leo never even saw it coming.
From his angle, Leo could not even begin to understand how Denver pulled such a counter off with a bent arm, however, the fact remained that he did.
The man was strong and dangerous, and Leo acknowledged it too.
*******
Seeing Leo lost in thought, Denver lunged, his broadsword cutting through the air with a deafening whistle.
Leo ducked low, the blade narrowly missing him, as he retaliated with a flurry of dagger strikes aimed at Denver's torso.
The swordsman twisted, parrying the strikes with impressive speed for a man of his size, as sparks flew when steel met steel.
Leo darted back, his mind analyzing every detail.
His opponent was fast for someone wielding a weapon that size, however not as fast as him, and hence Leo tried to close the distance again, using his agility to get under Denver's reach, but Denver seemed to have anticipated that move.
[Blade Surge], Denver growled, slamming his sword into the ground, as a shockwave erupted, forcing Leo to leap away as the force beneath him shattered with a violent impact.
*Crack*
"The fuck" Leo mused, as had he not abandoned his plan to attack and bailed out at the last second, Leo had no doubt in his mind that the shockwave from Denver's move would have crushed his bones, as the read that Denver had on his future movements seemed to be spot-on.
*Tap*
Jumping back, Leo landed lightly, however, his heart still raced.
'This guy isn't just strong—he's tactical. He's reading me' Leo thought, as he felt the whole experience of his opponent having a read on his future moves to be unnerving.
As the fight continued, Leo found himself pushed to his limits.
Denver's strikes were relentless, each one faster and more precise than the last, as the fight no longer felt like it was happening in real time, but rather happening in their brains before it happened with their bodies.
There was an almost lag between the clash actually happening and Leo perceiving it to happen, and this was the first time that he found himself being involved in a fight of this caliber.
For the first time in a long while, Leo felt truly tested, as he realized that this wasn't a fight he could win with cunning alone.
Denver wasn't an overconfident player or an arrogant NPC—he was a seasoned warrior, someone who treated every move with deadly seriousness.
'This isn't like PinkLotus. That fight was a duel of skill. This... this is survival' Leo realized, as although both PinkLotus and Denver were swordsmen, the way they fought was completely different.
PinkLotus was almost a whole class weaker than Denver, not in terms of skills, but definitely in her fighting style and how she conserved her energy in battle.
While Denver seemed to be more stable, almost like an immovable mountain who had no evident weaknesses to exploit.
"Where is your focus boy? You won't find my weakness by just thinking outside the box" Denver said, predicting Leo's thoughts once again, as he swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing Leo to dodge, only for Denver to pivot mid-strike and send the blade crashing into Leo's side.
-27,800
Pain exploded across Leo's ribs as the edge of the blade grazed him, slicing through his armor and leaving a burning gash.
Leo staggered, his breath hitching, as anger flared in his chest, mixed with pain and surprise.
He clenched his teeth, his free hand briefly pressing against the wound.
'He got me' he thought, as the realization burned as much as the injury itself.
But he didn't stop. He couldn't afford to. He pushed through the pain, his eyes narrowing as he reassessed Denver's movements.
Never had he been injured like this in a fight before, however, Denver Willow was different. In him, Leo seemed to have truly found his match.
"A very fine Armor you've got there…. Usually this strike would cleave a man in half, but there's barely a gash on you…. What type of chainmail is that? I guess I'll have to study it once I take it off your corpse" Denver said, as he genuinely seemed impressed with Leo's gear, which irritated Leo.
"Very well then…. Two can play that game" Leo said, as he activated [ShadowBind] and decided to take the initiative to attack first.
Dark tendrils erupted from the ground to ensnare Denver's legs, causing Denver to grunt, as his sword flashed in an attempt to sever the bindings in a single powerful swing.
However, this proved to be exactly what Leo was hoping for, as he used the momentary distraction to dart forward, his daggers aimed for Denver's exposed side.
Denver, however, wasn't caught off guard.
[Iron Guard], he commanded, shifting his stance, as his broadsword came up in a perfect block, the force of Leo's strike reverberating through both weapons.
*SHINGGG*
Denver retaliated immediately, his blade carving a brutal horizontal slash that forced Leo to flip backward to avoid decapitation.
*Thud*
Leo landed in a crouch, his breathing heavy.
The pain in his ribs was sharp, but he channeled it into focus….. his attempt to break the enemy's defence seemed to be unsuccessful, as he was forced to try all over again.
Lunging again, he feinted to the left before pivoting to the right.
This time, Denver got his prediction on his movement wrong, as while he tried to block Leo on the right, Leo instead simply threw his dagger from close range in an unconventional attack, targeting his left shoulder.
*Slash*
His dagger grazed Denver's shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood, but the wound was unfortunately too shallow to make a big impact, as Denver winced but didn't falter.
"What sort of a childish way to fight is this?" He growled in complaint, as he retaliated with a wide sword arc of his own.
—-------
/// A/N - Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers! I'm very thankful to have all your love and support for this series! ///