Mark of Warrior
In a duel, the winner was always the one who had more advantage over their opponent, neither their pure strength nor their intelligence. Strength could be pure power or dexterity; both are the same in nature as using pure physical power of their own to overwhelm their opponent.
Then there is intelligence; they use deception, provocation, and tricks just for the sake of winning. Both had their own advantages and disadvantages, but something that held them together to win a duel was their unwavering will to give up and give any opening or weakness to their opponent's opponent.
(Slash!)
(Growl!)
(Swung!)
It had been half an hour since the first clash started between Oberon and the Minotaur. Oberon was soaked with sweat from relentless movement to avoid that axe that was powerful enough to cut Oberon in half. The Minotaur, who had suffered slash wounds, still moved casually, like the wound Oberon gave did not affect the monster at all.
(Growl!)
With a roar that echoed off the ancient stone walls, the minotaur swung its axe in a wide arc, aiming to cleave Oberon into two pieces. But Oberon managed swiftly, rolling away from the deadly blade, feeling the rush of wind as the axe whistled past his face.
"Wops… that close."
The Dark Minotaur had twice the size and strength of Oberon. After more than a minute of the clash, Oberon realizes the difference in their speed and strength. With the Water God technique, Oberon could, in theory, redirect most of the attack, but if he made the wrong move, it would end badly for him.
'These thrills all this blood... It's really nostalgic.'
Just when they put some distance between them, the Minotaur once again sprinted head-forward like a mad bull. Whenever Oberon tried to make some distance, the Minotaur always charged to close their distance, which could make Oberon can't catch his breath.
(Growl!)
(Clank!)
Oberon, who has had plenty of experience fighting for his life and being hunted and beaten almost to death by a certain 'Mad Dog', learns firsthand how ferocious and dangerous the instinct of monsters is when in their minds only to kill.
I don't want to lose momentum. Oberon sprinted as quickly as a flash. Then he swung his sword toward the minotaur's arm, drawing more blood. The wound was deep enough that the beast bellowed in rage, pain igniting the fury in its eyes. To Oberon's shock, the beast shows an expression that never should be shown by a monster without intelligence.
"Did that monster just smirk?"
(Growl!)
The minotaur-charged axe was raised high. The ground shook as he closed the distance.
(Thud!)
(Thud!)
(Swung!)
(Tzzzzz!)
With a swift counter, Oberon then slashed at the minotaur's open flank. The blade bit deep, drawing a line of crimson. It lunged; tusks aimed for the swordsman's chest. He twisted, avoiding the deadly points by a hair's breadth.
(Growl!)
'So that's how much force is needed.'
The dance of death continued, axe and sword clashing with sparks and ringing steel. Each combatant traded blows—the minotaur's raw power against Oberon's technique.
"I will take those arms."
(SLASH!)
(GROOWL!)
(Thud!)
With a single powerful slash with Oberon's right hand, it cut through the minotaur's right hand like butter fell off with blood dripping, making the monster drop to his knees. The minotaur's gaze toward Oberon was filled with bloodlust that could make anyone with a strong will freeze.
'I finally reached the right adjustment of force. Next will be his head.'
Before making any move, Oberon tried to see an opening, and they started walking in a circle without both their eyes averted from each other.
'Now what are you going to do?'
The audience who watched the fight closely couldn't help but widen their eyes because all of their thoughts about the resemblance of mages were completely changed like what they saw was a true swordsman.
"How did he learn how to use a sword like that?"
"It's the fruit of master's hard training since master was eleven, Artemis-sama."
Sera, who watches, can't help but feel bewildered by the sword technique that Oberon showed. With every move the minotaur makes, Oberon always steps forward and is ready to counterattack.
"The elves that I know only use bows or magic, but a sword in that extent I never heard such... After seeing that fight, I am not sure we could take the Minotaur down without Oberon's help."
"Everyone looks."
The dark minotaur stopped just in front of the pinned-down minotaur that was affected by the gravity magic. To everyone's shock, the dark minotaur kills the three of them with his axe and swallows the magic crystals of the three minotaurs. After consuming the magic crystal, the right arm of the minotaur that was cut grew back, and all the slash wounds were gone.
'How did… This dangerous.'
There is a bit of hesitation in Oberon's mind to continue fighting this minotaur. While Oberon tried to think of another approach, the minotaur rushed forward, this time with a strong step that catapulted with a speed that was fast enough to take Oberon off guard.
"Ugh!"
Powerful swing from the left direction of Oberon. It manages to send Oberon flying and get pinned to the wall.
((OBERON!))
Sera, who had already been freed from the paralysis, took her first step and tried to dash forward toward Oberon, but she forgot the minotaur that blocked her way. With her mind only wanting to be on Oberon's side, she was not aware of a large axe that just swung at her and could cut her in half.
(Clank!)
Orstrid managed to stand the brute force of the minotaur with ease thanks to her skill called 'The Blood of Fendr', an ability that absorbed any incoming first attack.
(Gurt!)
(Growl!)
Orstrid used her bare hand and punched the stomach of the minotaur, sending back the force to the attacker, which made the minotaur bounce a meter away from her. The punch managed to make the minotaur drop to his knees while groaning in pain.
"Oberon!"
At dusk, Sera tried to see any injuries, but it seemed there were no injuries from those attacks, and Sera could feel some kind of wind surrounding Oberon. It is possible he used magic to avoid the heavy impact. But when Sera saw Oberon's expression, she was baffled.
"Oberon, why are you smiling?"
"Did I?"
I then touched my face, and I realized that I was indeed smiling.
"Oberon, are you okay?"
Everyone starts to gather on Oberon's side, and it seems everyone is already freed from fear.
"I am okay. Artemis-sama... *sigh* He did catch me off guard with those power spikes. My guess is that the magic crystal that he consumed increased his strength. This will be valuable knowledge."
'Now I know that the monster indeed can increase their strength by feeding them a magic crystal, but I know for sure that before he ate those magic crystals, his level was higher than that of a normal minotaur.'
"Hey Oberon, that minotaur is standing again."
Oberon then stood and went forward once again, but when he tried to take another step, someone just gripped his hand; it was none other than Sera, and he could see her anxious gaze toward him.
"Don't put that face on, Sera. You know how strong I truly am, right?"
"With your magic, yes, but you don't use any of it, and look at that monster; he's twice stronger or maybe more compared to you. Even with that many wounds you made, that's not ENOUGH!"
Oberon was dumbfounded by how furious Sera was, but at the same time, her grip on his hand became stronger than before.
"It's true my magic can defeat any foe, including that monster, but in truth, magic is useful when you have enough mana to do so, and it demands the full calmness of the mind to be able to use any magic..."
(Growl!)
Orstrid stood right in front of her master, don't budge with the loud howl aimed at her.
"I will not let you pass."
(Clank!)
"I learn swords because of that to erase that weakness from me."
"You could rely on Orstrid, and others will stand for you. Why bother?"
She is not wrong to say that Oberon knew it was not an empty word. Orstrid was already willing to give her master everything and was always by his side whenever I needed her, but his experience of loneliness and abandonment by people he trusted with his life.
"Sera, let Oberon do what he wants."
"Artemis-sama, but…"
"Oberon had good reason, and I know one thing about men: when they put their minds to something, there is no one who could make them stray from their path, Sera."
Sera, who can't find any reason to stop him, starts losing her grip.
"Thank you."
Oberon then surged his body with invincible armor. Touki concentrated on his arms and legs; this time he increased the risk of fracturing his body because of the pressure to increase his strength and flow his mana to the sword on his right hand. Orstrid, seeing his master gaze, knew she had to take a step back.
"I don't know where you came from. I just want to say thank you…"
Oberon once again took his stance with the sword right at the same height as his head, and the sword pointed right at the dark minotaur.
"Don't disappoint me... *inhale*, *exhale."
("Orstrid, keep your eyes open; there is a chance someone sends this monster.")
The only evidence Oberon used to support this speculation was the axe held by the Minotaur. It was too well made, and it was indeed possible it was taken from the body of the fallen adventurer, but he didn't want to take a chance.
("I understand, Master. Please fight with your full strength; let me protect the other.")
("Thank you, Orstrid.")
I tried to take a deep breath, close my eyes, and try to increase my sense of mana through my blood fain. When Oberon started opening his eyes, the audience's body started to shiver, and the Minotaur that looked directly toward Oberon couldn't help but take a step back because of the strong bloodlust shown by Oberon.
((!!))
Everyone was in shock when they felt this kind of bloodlust emitted by Oberon himself. It made everyone shake in fear because they had never experienced something like this. Only Orstrid stood while keeping the others safe from monsters that could come.
(Dash!)
Oberon dashed with the speed of sound toward the minotaur, which took a step back because the instinctive scream of danger came from Oberon's eyes.
(CLANK!)
When their weapons collided, it created a powerful shock wave that could be felt by the audience. Sera was in shock, seeing the complete change in Oberon's way of fighting; it was like he was a completely different person.
After a few short clashes between them, the minotaur uses his left arm to reach Oberon's head, but just as he moves his arm, Oberon is already gone. Just as the minotaur looks at his back...
(Slash!)
One slashes right on the minotaur's wrist.
(Growl!)
(Swung!)
Orstrid, from the start of seeing her master's fight, could feel the sudden change in her master. The same thing happened to others as well. Seeing the people close to Oberon shivering because of the blood lust emitted from her master, she can't help but bite her lips.
"Please calm down; it is the way a master fights when facing an enemy of his."
"But Orstrid, why... No, how did he learn to emit such blood lust?"
"Artemi-sama was right; no one could learn such a thing unless..."
"Please restrain from thinking anything bad about Master. The Blood lust was not only to tell the opponent the willingness to kill but it could also be used to intimidate the opponent."
(Slash!)
As Sera watched closely the fight, it was indeed a change in the way Oberon fought. The opponent, from the beginning, always attacked and is now forced to defend, and every retaliation Oberon could avoid with ease. Even before the minotaur swung its axe, Oberon was already behind the monster.
"If you could use it properly, the enemy would not try to plan any counter because their mind was clouded with fear, and their movement would become much more predictable. That allowed Master to become more aggressive.
"But, with such speed, Oberon will catch out of breath before the Minotaur does. From what I am seeing, the minotaur had more endurance compared to Oberon."
"Master, not after his head, Sera; instead, the main weakness of every monster is their magic crystal. Master already realized that the minotaur could generate after Master's attack, and Master tried to adjust how strong it needed to cut through its skin before trying to find those weaknesses."
"I see, I get it now, but how did Oberon find those weaknesses?"
"With the attack, of course, it is not like Master only slashing every part of Minotaur's body without reasoning. Master guessed that the closer the magic crystal was to the wound, the faster the regeneration of the wound."
(Slash!)
'Eris much faster than this.'
Eris, in Oberon's mind, was the embodiment of the true master of the sword god technique. At the same time, Oberon tried to recall the technique Eris used; his sword movement became so fast that other people could only glance at a glimmering silver blur as Oberon kept striking.
(Growl!)
The beast roared in desperation and started to swing its axe wide to try to retaliate, but Oberon avoided it by ducking under a swing, rolling away from a crashing descent, and leaping over a sweeping cut. After landing so many slashes on the dark minotaur, Oberon took a step back and saw the regeneration of each wound he made to see which one healed faster compared to the other wound.
'One, two, three, four, five... I found it.'
The wound right below his heart regenerated far faster; it took five seconds, while the others took seven to six seconds. It was not an absolute win if Oberon couldn't cut through those skins that had the strength that was close to armored metal, but for Uldster, the sword that Hephaestus gave was something else. It does become sharper the more he puts his mana into it.
(Thud!)
(Growl!)
After that relentless attack, Oberon's stamina was depleted. If he wanted to use 'Long Sword of Light' effectively, he had to be in top-notch condition, and he was aware of that.
'*Inhale*… *Exhale*… Clear your mind, Oberon. Let your instinct and your sword guide you.'
The blood started pumping to his heart to increase his power and to his brain to increase his senses, continuing with mana flowing into his sword. When Oberon opened his eyes, everything started in slow motion.
(Dash!)
Not like the time he had the duel with Allen that caused him to fracture his muscle, this time his body could handle the same weight, but this time his opponent, who had more strength and durability than Allen, needed to take a higher risk to be able to cut through the Minotaur meat.
With his remaining strength, all put into one swing, his right hand aimed close below its heart.
(SLASH!)
What followed after his sword cut brought the minotaur tremendous pain in his right hand; it was painful enough to make him want to put down his sword, but when he started to look at his back, it missed a couple of centimetres away from the weak points.
'O-one more Oberon, *Ugh*…"
Just before he was able to stand the pain, even with a tried bite of his lips, it couldn't stop his right hand from shaking. The pain he felt was like muscle soreness, but it was four times the normal pain he had after his hard training. Then some ringing noises came into his ear, like a sound calling for him.
("Your struggle and strong will, knowledge...")
("Who is that? Is that you, Orstrid?")
'No, it does not sound like her at all. It sounds more like a male.'
("Seal one release, knowledge. Say the name granted...")
Suddenly, one name resonated in my mind.
"… Alberich."
As Oberon chanted that word, a light appeared out of nowhere that was shaped like a long sword. Oberon can't clearly see how it looks because of the golden light.
When Oberon grabbed its handle, he had the same familiar feeling that he had when he grabbed the spear of light, he used to kill Apophis. As Oberon grabbed the sword with his left hand, the pain caused by the overuse of Touki was suddenly gone without a trace.
The slow motion was like adrenaline; it was temporary, and it would gradually start back to normal as the world started to move slowly. For the sword king or above, it was impossible to keep this sensation because, unlike the mages, they had less control over their mana and didn't want to take the chance to fracture their brain.
{Long Sword of Light}
.
..
…
(SLASH!)
(SLASH!)
"That was a good fight."
(BOOOM!)
The shock wave that collided from the opposite direction created a sound like two large rocks colliding with each other, followed by a strong explosion sound that could deafen people. Thankfully, Orstrid had already prepared a barrier to protect everyone from the sound and the wind created by the shock wave.
"What just happened?"
Sera and others who saw Oberon make a stance, face the minotaur, disappear in a second, and see two Oberon's with unexplained weird light covering her vision for a second. When the illusion that Sera saw disappeared, one faced in the opposite direction with his left hand a sword made of light.
The enemy that Oberon faces is just being cut in two and turned into dust that is scattered because of the shock wave, and there are large slashes on the wall that are meters long that others already know that Oberon is the cause of.
"Orstrid, what is that on Oberon's left hand?"
Artemis's eyes were glued toward the light that was shaped like a sword on Oberon's left hand, and it reminded her of the spear of light that she saw that night. Just before Orstrid explains, the sword starts to get absorbed into Oberon's left hand, leaving an unfamiliar mark on his palm.
"Is that my skill?"
Then Oberon felt a hand pull my face; it was Sera, who gazed toward his eyes without any expression. It made him blush a bit because of how close she was.
"S-Sera, what's wrong?"
Without replaying, she only gazed toward my eyes for a few minutes, then, for my confusion, she took a breath of relief.
"I had to check those eyes... Oberon, how did you learn to use bloodlust?"
"…"
I could only reply with silence. I can't lie; the goddess Artemis could hear our conversation. Oberon can't tell anyone about his past life to anyone other than his trusted view servant, who will keep his past life memory secret for an obvious reason.
Sera was shown to be angry at first seeing Oberon not give her any answer or an excuse, but she then calmed herself, knowing from her goddess that Oberon probably had many things he wanted to keep in secret.
"... *sigh* I understand, but Oberon, you can't use that kind so lightly; it will create a bad rumor about you. As a noble family, you had to keep a good name for your future goal."
"I am sorry, I was too reckless."
"Um, hey Oberon, the monster you killed, drop something that you may want to see."
It was indeed not a normal-looking magic crystal; from the color alone and size, it was half the size of the magic crystal dropped by the 'Goliath'. When Oberon tried to examine the amount of mana inside, to his surprise, it was dense in mana concentration in comparison to the floor boss magic crystal.
'This is too strange; such a valuable monster should be listed in the encyclopaedia. To think of that monster somehow having a bit of intelligence compared to the other monster...'
"This magic crystal I can't sell to the guild; it will make them suspicious. There is a chance that the monsters that shouldn't exist or the guild know they exist and keep it secret. Since the time we went deeper, the dungeon has behaved strangely. I had this idea that it may have been caused by Artemis' presence with us."
It seems everyone agreed with my idea, and everyone had already gathered plenty of material for everyone. All on our minds right now was to gain as much as possible, Excelia.
"Oberon?"
"Artemis-Sama, did you need something?"
"Before you send me back, I would like to have your time. Only two of us."
'It seems to be a serious matter she wants to discuss with him from her looks.'
"Sure, Artemis-sama."
While everyone was busy gathering the material Orstrid went to her master's side and saw his body.
"Master, please take off your shirt and stand still. I need to check for any bruises or injuries."
"Eh? Sure, I will be in your care."
After fracturing my muscles and foot, it should have been some internal injury of a broken bone or any inside bleeding sign, but it looks like the time Oberon took that sword all his wounds were cured instantly.
"Hm, I don't see any noticeable bruises... is there any discomfort? I am afraid there is something wrong with Master's body that Master can't feel."
I tried to stretch my muscles to be sure about anything wrong, but it seemed like there was none.
"No, I don't feel anything out of the ordinary. When I took that sword, somehow all my injuries healed well; at least that's what I felt."
"I understand, but I would like Master to be tended by Flora and Hilda."
"Sure, after everything is done, of course. *thud*… Now we should continue before they spawn again."
----
(Third POV)
"Fufufu,"
Unknown to Oberon, Freya watched his fight closely through her magic item, which let her see any place and anyone she wanted. To be able to use the tool, she had to ask permission from a certain person, and in truth, it was troublesome, but seeing Orstrid leave Oberon and go with Artemis gave her great suspense because she was well aware that Orstrid pledged to never leave her master side.
"Oh, my dear Odr~, I never knew you made those faces fufufu."
Freya was filled with pleasure for the first time she was able to fight her beloved Oberon in a true fight to the death, and he didn't rely on his magic as far as she was aware. The fight itself was a feast for her eyes and soul. From the start to the end, everything was so mesmerizing, and in the end, it gave her the satisfaction she had been looking for since she came to Gekai.
Ottar, who saw the fight with her goddess, was speechless at how the duel went, and for the first time, she saw Oberon make such a cold and calculated face, and at the climax, a bloodlust that made even a monster have more size and strength started to step back because of fear.
"What do you think, Ottar~?"
"I-…. Freya-sama I should ask, Did Oberon use any magic in those duels?"
"As far as my eyes could see, there is no high concentration of mind around him, but there is something strange covering his body. Hm, but I will not consider it magic."
Knowing that Freya could feel the atmosphere surrounding Ottar changing, it was kind of an aura that she felt when her child felt the excitement of finding a worthy opponent.
"Fufufu, then let me ask you this Ottar. Are you sure you can defeat Oberon in a duel?"
Ottar went silent for a moment, and Freya felt the atmosphere surrounding him become heavier. Ottar started to smile and replied to his goddess with a heavy voice and without any doubt.
"I am not going to lose."
Even though there is a bit of doubt written in his soul, Freya is still satisfied with Ottar's answer; after all, a true warrior never declares he is losing before picking up their swords.
"Still, that monster Oberon fights looks like a minotaur, but the size and their strength are completely different. Ottar investigates those monsters more. Hmm, let's see... Start with the axe that Monster held; there must be a better lead if we follow that trail."
"As your command, lady Freya."
When Ottar left the room, Freya went and took one letter sent by Loki about the Evilus, and inside the paper was a list of Familia that were suspected of being Evilus collaborators, and there were many suspected among the Familia, most of their members. Since the day they attacked Evilus, they have been gone quite lately, most likely because Oberon's presence in a single week managed to capture and destroy a couple of their hideouts.
"*sigh* I want to spend more time, my dear Odr, but I had to make those sacrifices."
When she saw from above that the city of Orario was bustling with people once again, not knowing, a shadow started to gather its strength to spread chaos to the people of Orario.
"You are a man with many secrets, yet you are not worried about opening yourself to others. You are young, and yet there is no trace of an innocent gaze, only seeing the truth of this world. My dear Odr, what is your true desire? I want to know... Fufufu~ maybe time will reveal, and I will make sure I am one of your great desires."