Chapter 53 - Needing a Plan

<p>Clang! Swish! Tingting! Clangg!<br/><br/> I pant roughly as he thrusts forward again, and I narrowly deflect him away.<br/><br/> This had to be the sweatiest ten seconds of my life.<br/><br/> After all, he was attacking me deftly with finely-tuned swordsmanship, I had three arrows embedded in me already, and more were trying to find their way to do so as well.<br/><br/> Still, I held out. Whatever magic or skill he was using to have those arrows follow me only lasted ten seconds, so as long as I could hold out that long, it would increase my chances of winning severely.<br/><br/> The problem was, he had a higher Strength.<br/><br/> It was just enough to slightly overpower me, so no more than 3 or 4 points, but it was enough.<br/><br/> "Wow. Seems like Liwuukay is on the ropes," I faintly hear the commentator state blankly.<br/><br/> Along with avoiding the arrows, I was barely keeping up with him. We had roughly equal Agility, but his Accuracy was precise and on the dot. With the flexibility of his movements, it was clear his focus was on Dexterity, which made sense for a ranged fighter. <br/><br/> "So our Stats are about the same," I mutter, and his eyes flit down to my moving mouth.<br/><br/> "I can't read lips, and do you really think I would hear you? Obviously, the things in my ears aren't for AMPLIFYING sound, it's for REDUCING." he yells loudly.<br/><br/> I roll my eyes, giving him an 'oh really?' look. "Oh my, what a respectful gentlemen," I say, deflecting his sword and four arrows in three rapid strikes. My arm stings; both from the deflecting, and a fifth arrow cutting into my bicep before it falls limply to the ground. <br/><br/> The other arrows follow suit, falling down and studding into the ground. "Finally."<br/><br/> The pressure from the Elf remains, however, and the pain in my upper arm spreads slowly as more attacks nearly land upon me. <br/><br/> "Y'know… This really isn't… Something I'm into," I groan as I attempt two different counters. I cut through the top of his left hand with the first, and he pulls back with a cry of pain in time to avoid the second, leaping back to create distance. Jamming the tip of his sword into the packed dirt, he clutches his bleeding hand.<br/><br/> I take the time to break off the parts of the arrow that still stick out of me, wincing with each snap of the sticks. Looking at the one in my hand, I sigh, before yanking it out entirely with a hoarse yell. Blood falls steadily, starting my timer. <br/><br/> "Hey, wanna see my special move?" I ask the Elf, who stares at me with a fed-up look. I know he can't hear me, but I hold up my dark red dyed hand, flipping up the bird at him. Then, I give him the 'come at me' gesture using my middle finger, which morphs his handsome face into one of rage. He grabs his blade with his off hand and rushes me, just as I expected.<br/><br/> "Can't exactly shoot with a hand like that, huh, Robin Hood?" I grin, lifting my blade high above my head. His eyes are drawn up as he pulls closer, lifting his sword up to prepare to block an overhead blow.<br/><br/> "Erratic Swordsmanship Ultimate Attack… Super Kick!"<br/><br/> In a flash, I kick my front foot forward, connecting securely with his groin. <br/><br/> 'It may not be a Critical Hit, but it was just as good as one,' I think as he drops to his knees, his eyes bulging as he grabs his poor balloons.<br/><br/> "And… his special move is completely evil," the man comments from his box.<br/><br/> "Hey, it worked!" I complain, pointing at the kneeling Elf with my sword.<br/> <br/> "F-fuck… you…" he sputters quietly.<br/><br/> "Honestly, you won't be doing any of that for awhile, buddy," I reply, before doing a double take. "Hey, one of your ear plugs fell out!" My pointing finger moves to the small fuzz ball on the ground. "This makes it easy. Give up."<br/><br/> "Fuck… you."<br/><br/> "Orrrr I can use my Ultimate Attack agai—"<br/><br/> "I concede."<br/><br/> The spectators who were watching look silently at the scene, unsure how to react. Unsteadily, an awkward clapping grows around the stadium, one that dies out almost immediately after the dome turns black. <br/><br/> I fall back onto my ass, exhaling a long breath. "Are the other matches going to be this draining? I mean, shit."<br/><br/> As the healers tend to my arrow wounds and ensure Silun can still have his own kids in the future, I stare blankly at the ground, my thoughts racing knots through my brain. <br/><br/> Tomorrow's match WOULD be this draining. After all, it was against the fiery ice queen herself, Eniyala.<br/><br/> I wasn't even sure where to begin preparing for her. She knew my style well, and had even seen how well I had progressed. I would probably have to sacrifice a thing or two to stand a proper chance against her. I shuddered at the small inkling of a plan I held, but shook it out of my head for now. <br/><br/> First, and I knew this was pointless, but I had to see if Eniyala had even won. I was so convinced she would make it all the way that I hadn't even bothered to research anyone else.<br/><br/> So if she lost, I was fucked.<br/><br/> My worries were completely soothed as I walk out to face Eniyala herself. She's standing next to Yorun, with Lynsel behind her. I give the emo a mock smile as I walk up to them, looking around at the lack of a crowd. ''Maybe the kick scared them due to its awesomeness," I think quietly.<br/><br/> "Uh, no," Eniyala cuts off my line of thinking quickly. "From what I heard from Yorun, you're evil."<br/><br/> "What, now you're using him to scout me out? You're that scared to lose?"<br/><br/> She scoffs. "Please. He was keeping me updated on your likelihood of losing, which was high until you bullshit your way to a win."<br/><br/> I place a hand on my chest, feigning offense. "Gah! How dastardly! You would believe an emo over me!"<br/><br/> "You keep saying that word, but I have no idea what an emo is aside from 'better than Klum.'"<br/><br/> Sparks fly in the air between us from the heated tension, and Lynsel steps between us to break it up.<br/><br/> "So uh… who's hungry?" He asks timidly, and Eniyala and I step back. Yorun pats her shoulder comfortingly, and she gives him a small smile. I grunt disapprovingly, turning and walking away without a word. In the corner of my eye, I see Lynsel look towards me, then the two of them, then me, then them, before waving to Eniyala and jogging to catch up to me. <br/><br/> I'm halfway to the inn by the time he catches up enough to place a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. "What is all that about, Klum?" <br/><br/> I wave him off dismissively. "Don't trust him."<br/><br/> "But why? He seems like a nice boy. Can't ya give him a chance?"<br/><br/> "I've lived enough lives to know when someone isn't trustworthy."<br/><br/> "Don't ya mean 'long enough in life'?"<br/><br/> "Uh… yeah. Like, long enough to be worth multiple lives."<br/><br/> "…18 years?"<br/><br/> I sigh. "Yep, something like that."<br/><br/> He still looks conflicted so I let out an exaggerated grunt. "Ughh. Fine. I'll give him 'a chance,' but if I'm right, I get bragging rights for a year."<br/><br/> Lynsel nods happily. "Deal!"<br/><br/> We shake on it, and in his excitement he grips a little too hard. I feel my palm begin to give, and I quickly tap out before he can break every bone in my hand. Confused, he lets go and I fold over, clutching my hand tightly. He seems worried, but I convince him I'm fine until I manage to get up to my room. I slam the door shut and lean my back against it, finally taking the time to take a deep breath. <br/><br/> "Big match tomorrow, Klum," I say to myself. "Time to plan."<br/><br/> I feel Alyphia's presence in my head, but she doesn't respond when I call her name a couple of times, and the intention is clear: she's letting me know she's here, as well as possibly being curious what my plan will be.<br/><br/> Grabbing a complementary pad and pen left on the bedside table, I begin writing, things about me, my Stats, and my Skills, as well as Eniyala's. <br/><br/> Weaknesses, sore points, counters, what she doesn't know about me yet. I continue to brainstorm and write until the first page, front and back, is so full of words that the letters are nearly illegible. I look out the window to see the tip of the moon, and walking over to it I stick my head to see it taking up most of the sky, shining gentle light on everything it could see. I stare at it for a while, resting my chin in my palm as I look at the small stars behind it. They're spattered randomly, with no real pattern to them, but my eyes draw imaginary lines between them. <br/><br/> 'That certainly seems to be your strength,' Alyphia notes, and I jump a bit. "What do you mean?"<br/><br/> 'When I first became the Sword Saint, I never knew how to use magic, and I barely learned anything about a sword from my late father before he passed. I had to find and refine my own technique, and I always drew inspiration from the sun and sky, which would improve my style.'<br/><br/> I stay silent, still watching the stars. Even mentally, I don't acknowledge the mixed emotions bubbling up through our link. After a long second, she continues.<br/> <br/> 'You seem to have that same connection, but with the moon and clouds. It could be due to your Affinities. You have more than I did, after all. Ha, I had no talent with magic, which is the opposite of you.'<br/><br/> "What? What do you mean, talent?"<br/><br/> A bit of confusion leaks through to me. 'You think just anyone can manage to uphold any type of Elemental Infusion the way you did?'<br/><br/> "How would I know?? I'm less than a month old!"<br/><br/> 'Technically, you are mentally 23 and physically 18.'<br/><br/> "Alyphia…" I say dangerously, and she giggles.<br/><br/> 'Calm down, my favorite disciple.'<br/><br/> "I'm your only disciple, and even if you could have more you're too picky to have more than one."<br/><br/> 'Specifics, specifics,' she replies nonchalantly, clearly brushing off the topic. 'Anyway, your body has adapted against the use of magic aside from Sword Skills. Elemental Skills put too much of a toll on your Mana veins.'<br/><br/> "Is there anything I can do for that?"<br/><br/> 'The density of your veins will change as you become more of your own Sword Saint, not my disciple, and you can increase the amount they can handle by increasing your Magic stat, silly.'<br/><br/> I fall deep in thought as I process all of this information, and Alyphia laughs gently. 'I believe in you, my disciple,' she says softly, and then disappears.<br/><br/> I pull up my Statscreen, scrolling to my stats. I stare for a long moment before I finally invest 3 more points into my Magic. "Hopefully, this pays off tomorrow," I mutter to myself as I lie down for another night's rest under the watchful moon.</p>