Chapter 453: A Risky Choice
"This match between Aegon Veyr and Leo Skyshard is heating up nicely now. Both candidates are showing the entire Cult as to why they’re worthy of becoming the next Dragon, however, unfortunately, only one of them can," Joe said, as once the tempo of the match cooled down slightly, he took the opportunity to remind the audience of the stakes that this bout carried.
"Nobody expected Leo Skyshard to come this far, however, now that he’s here, nobody knows what to expect of him anymore. The guy is truly full of surprises..." Dana added, as the action resumed between Leo and Veyr once more.
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
Veyr pressed forward with utmost focus now, no longer daring to underestimate Leo or attempting to end the fight prematurely, as he finally began to approach this bout with the seriousness it truly deserved.
His breathing had grown slightly ragged, and while it did not drastically affect his speed or power, having just unleashed the [Final Slash], he still felt the subtle after effects of that move lingering within his body, which made it slightly harder for him to move fluidly.
On the other side, Leo understood that despite the handful of small victories he’d carved out during the battle, he was once again back at square zero.
When it came to pure combat skill and the ability to push Veyr back through sheer class, he simply did not possess the strength required to pull that off.
And so, before long, he found himself once again being driven onto the backfoot, with Veyr growing increasingly closer to landing a clean cut.
’I can’t use that same combination again. Veyr will read right through it. And I don’t have any other synergy-based combinations that worked consistently against fighters like Charles or Dumpy.
There are a few things I can try, but they’re nothing more than desperate shots in the dark, with success probabilities lower than fifteen percent,’ Leo analysed, as his heart began to pound harder in his chest.
He was approaching his limit, nearing the edge of his composure, standing at the precipice of a critical decision.
At this point, he could either continue fighting as he was, relying on his necklace to bolster his defense, while mixing up his attack patterns and throwing in the occasional odd combination of skills to push Veyr back.
But even though such moves could impress the crowd or buy him a few lucky strikes, Leo knew that none of them had the power to finish the fight.
Going down that road meant saving face, but also meant walking straight into the jaws of inevitable defeat when exhaustion finally robbed him of his footing.
The only other option was to wager everything on unlocking intent, and abandoning the mental chains still weighing him down.
It was a plan that could fail spectacularly, collapsing his momentum and leaving him vulnerable to being finished within ten moves.
Or, it could open the road to a proper victory.
So after asking his heart what it truly wanted, Leo made his decision.
He would put it all on the line, and take the riskier path.
’Fuck it... if I lose, I lose... but at least I’ll know I did everything I could to win. I can live with that,’ Leo decided, as for the first time, he stopped defending with angled slashes that minimized his exposure, and instead shifted his feet apart into a wide, grounded stance—planting himself fully as he braced to take on everything Veyr could throw his way, without dodging.
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
*SLASH*
Almost immediately within 3 seconds of him opening up his stance, he received the first cut of the fight on his left forearm, as a thin slice tore his skin just beside his arm guard.
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
*PUSH*
Leo staggered backwards, unable to hold onto his balance, as he left himself quite vulnerable to an aggressive Veyr who suddenly smelled blood.
’Come on... Come on...’
Leo thought internally, as he prayed for the faint wisps of red connecting him to Veyr to finally take a permanent form, as the battle raged on around him at a pace where his reactions could barely keep up.
*SLASH*
Another cut.
This time across his right thigh, not deep enough to hinder movement, but sharp enough to sting, as warmth trickled down his leg in a slow, mocking drip.
*CLANG*
Leo gritted his teeth, barely raising his blade in time to catch Veyr’s follow-up, the sheer weight behind the strike pushing him back another step, his footing disrupted, his balance frayed.
’Come on... damn it, come on...’
He could see them—those elusive threads of crimson, flickering faintly like smoke on the edge of his vision, trailing from Veyr’s body, connecting back toward his own like unfinished sketches yearning for clarity.
But they refused to solidify.
They danced just out of reach, taunting him.
’I’m close. I know I am. The strands are forming... they just won’t stay. Why? What am I missing?’
*BLOCK*
His left shoulder seared with pain as Veyr’s blade collided against the indestructible necklace.
Naturally, it failed to cut through, however, the sheer force of the strike still sent a shockwave down his body that was very painful to bear.
’Gah–’
Despite the pain, he neither screamed nor grunted.
He just held his ground, body swaying but never falling, never retreating, as his breathing grew heavier, chest rising and falling like a bellows wheezing against the heat of war.
’Can’t dodge. Can’t back off. That’s not how I will unlock intent. I need to face it head on. Feel it. Embrace it. That’s the only way I can break through.’
He stared ahead at Veyr, who now looked equal parts excited and cautious, his blows landing, his cuts drawing blood, but there was something about the glimmer in Leo’s eyes that told him that this was far from over.
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
Leo’s hands trembled slightly with each parry, not from fear, but from strain.
Every clash chipped away at his physical limits, but every moment of observing the red brought him closer and closer to unlocking intent.
Until at one moment—just for a second—he saw it.
The red wisp solidified into a line for the briefest of moments, before disappearing again, as he saw the exact trajectory at which Veyr’s next attack was going to land, with 100% accuracy.
*CLANG*
Leo managed to block the move accurately thanks to that read, as a shiver of excitement ran down his spine.
’I saw it. Just now. I think I saw it for the first time.’
Leo thought excitedly, however, his excitement was short lived, as in the very next moment, he picked up his first major injury.
*SLASH*
A clean gash opened up along his ribs, making him reel slightly, but his eyes never left Veyr’s weapon.
’Again. Keep going. Come at me with all you have. Come on Veyr, help me unlock intent for once and for all—’
The pain no longer mattered.
Each cut, each strike, each second of agony only narrowed the distance between his body and something far deeper.
Something unattainable for common prodigies.
A truth beyond skill.
A perception that could bend the rules of the battlefield.
’I don’t want to beat him by luck. I want to cut him down because my blade is stronger. I want him to know it. I want everyone watching to know it. I want to show the whole universe that I’m not in the same league as the common prodigies like Veyr. I want them to know that I am The Boss.’
Leo thought, as his desire to breakthrough now burnt brighter than ever before.