"What sort of childish way to fight is this?" Denver growled, his frustration seeping through the cracks of his usually composed demeanor. His broadsword gleamed in the torchlight, poised for another swing, but his grip tightened, and his knuckles whitened as he watched Leo with growing irritation.
Leo's movements were unlike anything Denver had encountered before. Instead of adhering to any discernible rhythm or technique, Leo darted unpredictably, throwing his dagger one moment and then feinting with exaggerated motions the next.
At one point, he even kicked his airborne dagger, causing it to spiral mid-flight and hit Denver squarely with the flat side, as the entire attack made absolutely no sense?
"Oops…." Leo said, as it was clear from his voice, that he did not intend for the dagger to come towards Denver with its flat end.
He very much wanted to impale the man, but had misjudged how to kick it, since he had never practiced such a move before.
At this point, Leo only fought on instinct, trying every wild idea that came in his mind as he did not adhere to any conventional methods.
Of-course this pissed Denver who thought that Leo was not taking him seriously, as the clinking sound of the blade's flat edge against his chest plate drew a sharp snarl from him. "Fight like a warrior, not a fool!" he barked, stepping forward aggressively.
But Leo only grinned beneath his mask, his movements remaining erratic. Every strike he attempted, every move he made, seemed to lack cohesion. Yet, the randomness forced Denver to stay constantly alert, unable to predict where the next attack would come from.
"You're not used to this, are you?" Leo teased, his voice laced with mockery. "All those years of training, wasted on perfect form and discipline. Guess what, Mr Wannabe Emperor? I'm unlike anyone you have faced before."
Denver's nostrils flared as he swung his broadsword in a brutal horizontal arc, forcing Leo to duck low. But as the blade sailed harmlessly over him, Leo took the opportunity to toss another dagger mid-spin.
Unfortunately, It ricocheted off Denver's gauntlet, spinning harmlessly to the ground, but the attempt made Denver lose his temper even more.
"What are you trying to achieve with this nonsense?" he spat, eyes narrowing, as he stepped back, as not matter how hard he thought, he could not make sense of Leo's actions.
Of-course Leo was no fool either, he did not play the part of a jester only for the sake of it, as he did actually have a plan.
While Denver's attention was wholly consumed by his antics, Leo actually planned something darker and deliberate in the background.
Hidden by the chaos, Leo had already activated [Mirror World], creating a single clone of himself, which now moved silently in the shadows, its presence completely masked by [Vanish].
The real Leo kept up his erratic attacks, knowing full well that Denver's focus was entirely on him, and that in his enraged state of mind, he had missed the subtle changes to his surroundings.
And hence, he threw another feint, this time deliberately stumbling as though he were losing his balance, causing Denver's eyes to gleam with triumph.
"You're faltering," Denver growled. "This ends now!" he said, as his broadsword came down in a devastating vertical strike, aimed to cleave Leo in two.
However, as Denver committed to the attack, the invisible clone finally made its move.
Silent as a shadow, it closed the gap from behind, sweeping Denver's legs out from under him with a low, precise kick, causing the master swordsman's balance to falter.
*Crash*
Surprised, Denver stumbled forward and crashed to the ground, with his broadsword unfortunately clattering from his grasp.
"Damn you!" Denver roared, trying to push himself up, but the clone was faster. It leapt onto him, dagger raised high, the blade glinting with lethal intent as it drove downward toward his heart.
[Kill Strike]
Just as the dagger was about to pierce Denver's chest, a radiant golden barrier flared to life.
The clone's blade struck the shimmering surface with a sharp crack, stopping mere inches from Denver's body, as a pulse of energy blasted outward, throwing the clone back, its form dissipating into wisps of smoke as it hit the ground.
From above, Vivienne's voice echoed, calm but laced with authority. [Radiant Shield], she announced, her presence undeniable.
Denver blinked, disoriented but alive, as he looked up at the figure descending gracefully into the courtyard.
Vivienne's robes shimmered in the moonlight, her sharp eyes fixed on Leo.
"My my Denver….. the boy almost managed to kill you" she said, as she kicked his sword back towards him, giving Denver the chance to get back to his feet once again, weapon in hand.
"Yes he did….. many thanks Lady Vivienne for saving my life–" Denver admitted candidly, as the fear of losing his life, cooled off all the anger that he previously had towards Leo, clearing his mind once again.
"That boy…. He's even stronger than his master if he can beat you in a battle with such ease.
It's a shame he's an enemy of the Empire, otherwise he could become the next chief of the Virex Corps–" Vivienne said, as Denver nodded in agreement.
"Usually, I never do this, however, this time I will have to agree with Vivienne.
You, boy, I'll give you one last chance to surrender and I promise on my honor that no harm will come to you and your master.
You're a great talent and it would be a waste for us to kill you here.
Bend the knee and I promise to pardon you and set you free" Denver said, as Leo simply rolled his eyes at the man's stupidity.
"Did your mum accidentally drop you on the head when you were a child or something?
Do you really believe men change so simply? If I did not want to kill all of you, do you really think I'd have waltzed in here alone?
What part of me screams weasel to you? And what gives you the confidence to say you can slay me?
I'm 'TheBoss', the only disciple of the legendary assassin Ben Faulkner, and the King Of the Rebels.
Unlike the man-child you call the Emperor, I'm a proper warrior who can toppe cities alone.
I would rather die than bend the knee, so stop boring me with your nonsense and come at me if you can!" Leo replied, as he refused Denver's kindness with the harshest of words.