PinkLotus nervously bit her bottom lip as she watched Luke step forward, ready to face Cervantez in a one-on-one battle.
'Should I intervene?' she wondered, doubt gnawing at her confidence as she questioned if Luke could really win this fight on his own?
But despite her reservations, she wisely chose to stay on the sidelines— at least for now, as she understood that this fight meant a lot to Luke.
Win or lose, it was a necessary step for his growth.
The resentment he carried from what Cervantez had done to him back at the guild had festered for too long, and this confrontation was his chance to finally face it head-on.
'Go! Go! Go! Crush him Luke!' PinkLotus thought, as she silently cheered him on, her cheeks flushing slightly red, as she found her heart beating just slightly faster.
"Oh? So you've decided to fight fair SkyLion and face me alone? I thought for sure the beautiful lady here was your bodyguard" Cervantez commented, as he glanced between Luke and PinkLotus, feeling surprised to see that she wasn't making a move.
"He doesn't need me to guard him from the likes of you! Weaklings like you…. He can take them in his sleep" PinkLotus retorted coldly, as her words left Cervantez speechless.
'Did she just call me a weakling?' Cervantez wondered, as he first glanced at his sword and then towards PinkLotus in confusion.
He too was one of the four guardians in the second rankers event and was undeniably one of the strongest players of Terra Nova Online.
There was an argument to be made that he was not the strongest or second strongest player, however, there was no one who could deny him being top5.
Yet, PinkLotus called him a weakling, and that comment really pissed Cervantez off.
"I see…. You've already bewitched her SkyLion…. Just like you had bewitched me, making me think you're a friend. What a snake!" Cervantez said, as at this point Luke charged, feeling that the distance between himself and Cervantez was short enough for him to make a move.
*CLASH*
Sparks flew as Luke crossed swords with Cervantez.
Cervantez gripped his own sword with both hands, putting the force of his entire body behind it to push Luke back, while Luke held his sword with one hand and supported it with his shield from the blunt end to push Cervantez back with the force of his full body.
"ARGHHHH—"
"Come on now!"
Both of them gave this very first exchange their all, gauging the raw strength of one another, however, even after a full 30 seconds passed, no clear winner emerged.
*BREAK*
Both of them broke the move at the same time, staggering back two steps, however, while it seemed like the test of strength had ended in a draw, in reality it was Luke's win.
"Ha–" Luke said, his grin widening, as Cervantez's face turned dark.
Luke was a knight, his build was much more balanced compared to Cervantez, with his stat distribution being more evenly spread across all attributes.
Cervantez on the other hand had invested the most heavily under strength and speed to make the most of his magical swordsman class, leaving him more vulnerable defensively and on other fronts like dexterity and stamina.
Hence, for him to only be able to match Luke in a test of sheer strength was not a good thing, as it was supposed to be his strong suit, which was why, despite the duel ending in a draw, it was a small win for Luke.
[Flame Wave]
Flicking his hand, Cervantez used his signature AOE move, the [Flame Wave] as he tried to use his mana specialities to suppress Luke, now that raw strength had failed.
[Guardian Shield]
Placing his shield forward, Luke activated the [Legendary] grade move [Guardian Shield] which immediately parted the incoming fire around him, leaving him unharmed.
It was a new move that he had been mastering after he tore down his old skill-set, and hence it was a move that even Cervantez witnessed for the first time.
Unharmed, Luke came out of Cervantez's attack without so much as a speck of dust on his body, which made Cervantez feel slightly frustrated.
"I see you have picked up some new tricks SkyLion, is that courtesy of the beautiful woman standing behind you? Or your generous master Boss?" Cervantez asked, trying to stall for time while he prepared his next move, however, Luke did not fall for it.
[Heaven's Strike]
Activating the [Semi-Legendary] move he had purchased from the system store after the event, Luke used the move [Heaven's Strike] to unleash a powerful attack on Cervantez.
Pointing towards the sky, Luke manifested a radiant golden sigil above his head, glowing with an intense brilliance that pierced through the smoke and chaos of Bernabeu City.
From the heart of the sigil, a massive golden sword began to materialize, its edges sharp enough to split the heavens and its surface etched with ancient runes that pulsed with divine light.
"Heaven's Strike!" Luke's voice thundered across the courtyard as he brought his hand down in a sharp motion, commanding the golden blade to descend.
And upon his command, the colossal divine sword tore through the sky, blazing like a meteor, straight toward Cervantez.
Cervantez's sharp instincts flared with alarm. He had no time to evade, no time to strategize. His only option was to meet the attack head-on.
[Lightning Wave!] he roared, raising his single sword high above his head, his body crackling with surging blue mana.
With a powerful slash, he unleashed a furious arc of lightning, sending it racing upward to intercept the golden blade.
*KABOOM*
The two forces collided in mid-air with an ear-splitting crack, the energy backlash causing windows in the surrounding buildings to shatter and stone to fracture under the sheer pressure.
Lightning and divine light warred against each other, sending shockwaves rippling across the plaza.
But Heaven's Strike was relentless.
Despite Cervantez's best efforts, the golden sword began to overpower the lightning arc, pushing through the crackling resistance like an unstoppable force of nature.
Cervantez's eyes widened in realization. "No—!"
The divine blade pierced through his weakened defense, its radiant edge slashing diagonally across his upper torso.
The force of the impact sent Cervantez stumbling backward, his boots skidding across the cracked stone ground. Blood sprayed into the air, glowing faintly gold where the sword had made contact.
-4500
A sharp hiss escaped through his gritted teeth as his free hand flew to clutch the deep, searing wound now etched across his chest, still faintly glowing with residual golden energy.
His breathing was ragged, his grip on his sword trembling slightly as he struggled to remain upright.
Luke lowered his arm slowly, his sharp eyes locked onto Cervantez.
The golden radiance of Heaven's Strike faded into scattered sparks, leaving behind only the faint crackle of dissipating energy.
Cervantez took a step back, his sword trembling slightly in his hand as blood dripped down his chest, staining the stones beneath him.
For now the first exchange was over and it was Luke who had come out on top, drawing the first blood.
—------
/// A/N- Wishing you all a very happy, a very merry Christmas!
Mass Release Counter 1220/2500. ///