031 - Disrespect

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And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

( Isaiah 32 : 17 )

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Ryker slowly got up from the ground. He looked up and saw Ze looking at him, while Fran stood with his head bowed and eyes tightly shut. He had heard what Ze had asked him and knew the choice Fran had made. He didn't hate Fran for not helping him; he understood the choice he had made. Slowly getting up and wiping the blood from his mouth, Ryker picked up the sword that was stabbed into the ground. He had come here to kill 'him'.

"So, that's your choice," he heard Ze's voice.

Ze saw him pick up his sword with a smile. He had given the choice, knowing Ryker would pick it up. He knew Ryker had come to kill him the moment he arrived here. He tried to hide it, but his eyes betrayed him. And his punch should have put a hole through Ryker's stomach, at least, but it was cushioned by an artifact. Ze felt like he knew the person who made it, but he left it at that.

Ryker stood straight and gripped his sword. He had brought many items for today's battle. He had been preparing for this for many years, bringing various artifacts, and asking his friend to make some. If his friend had known he would be using them for this, he would have given him an earful.

Ze, seeing Ryker ready, put his hand inside his t-shirt. His hand sank into the darkness.

"Since I am going to beat you, let me do it properly."

He pulled his hands out, revealing his weapon of choice for this fight. It was not a sword nor a spear; it was something found in many households... Some of you might have guessed it—yes, it was a frying pan.

"I will show you despair," he grinned innocently, like a child.

Ryker, seeing him pull out a frying pan instead of a sword, immediately knew that he was not even considered an opponent worth using a sword against. It was extremely disrespectful for a swordsman, but he couldn't do anything about it. Instead, he thought that his opponent letting his guard down would give him the upper hand.

"Let me tell you something: one of my auras has an attribute I call 'break,'" Ze voiced nonchalantly.

"What?" Ryker was confused.

"Are you confused that I mentioned my attribute?" Ze confidently continued, "The aura that you used to strike me had an attribute... hmm, it should be related to killing. Good one."

Ze evaluated Ryker's aura like an instructor, but Ryker didn't feel that way. He had mastered the attribute after training like a madman. It took him years; it was his secret weapon, but it was figured out in an instant, and now his opponent had one too!

Mastering the sword aura's attribute was the first step to breaking out of their mortal chain, awakening the latent godhood in their bodies. But it would be nearly impossible to break out of the chains in the final step, as the law of the world would intervene. Even a god cannot break the law of the world. However, a transcendent is someone who has broken out of the law of the world.

"It's good that you have mastered it, but," Ze pointed his frying pan at Ryker, "Your sword cannot reach me."

'Hey! Wasn't that sick?' , | ͡ᵔ ﹏ ͡ᵔ |

'It was cool, (• ~ •),'

While Ryker was shaken by his words, Ze asked Zeru how his punchline was. He had absolute confidence in himself, and it was not false confidence.

"Come at me," Ze gestured with the pan for Ryker to attack.

Ryker, seeing this, gripped his sword tighter. A red hue covered his body and condensed as it brightened. The aura condensed on Ryker's sword, solid and silent, not flaring like before. It was like a stealthy predator.

Seeing this, Ze released his aura. It didn't have a color, nor did it exude pressure like Ryker's condensed aura. It was silent as if it didn't exist.

"Huuu," with a deep breath, Ryker took a step forward. He instantly arrived near Ze and swung his sword. His sword flared as it neared Ze like a predator jumping to hunt.

But Ze watched it with calmness, almost in boredom. He moved his hand and brought the flat side of the pan to where the sword would connect.

*TINNNGG*

A metal clashing sound echoed as Ryker's sword changed direction after clashing with Ze's pan. Ryker's aura had shattered the instant it neared Ze's pan, allowing his sword to only clash against the pan. The pan was kept at an angle to deflect his sword while minimizing damage. It was an efficient move, with little to no movement.

*Bang*

Ryker's sword crashed to the ground due to the power.

"Ryker, when two auras cancel each other, it comes down to swordplay," Ze looked at Ryker like a child.

Even though he was shorter and younger than Ryker, his deep blue eyes showed his experience. He lifted his foot and kicked Ryker like a football, sending him rolling.

*Clang*

Another bracelet fell, broken. Ze picked up the sword and threw it back to Ryker.

"Try again," Ze said, almost pitying.

Ryker got up again and picked up his sword.

"My turn."

Ze arrived next to Ryker before the words could even fade away and swung the pan. Ryker urgently brought his sword to his right to block the attack, and his aura solidified. But the blow didn't arrive on his right; it came to his left. Ze had stopped his swing, used his left leg to twist his body, lowered his posture, and delivered a reverse blow to Ryker's left ribs, shattering the aura that was covering his body and cracking his ribs. It also sent him flying, causing him to crash into a tree and break it.

"Man, it almost feels like I'm beating a child," his voice sounded guilty, but his expression was stoic.

*thud*

Ryker got up after spitting blood and lifted his sword. The aura around him increased as it flared, forming an image of a lion. Ryker lifted his sword in a stance to make his move.

*Rrooooaaaar*

He swung his sword, and his aura in the form of a lion rushed toward Ze with a roar. It was a lion's roar meant to show dominance and shake his opponent mentally, but it was useless against Ze. And Ryker knew it. He had started his "Hunt" with the "Lion's Roar" as his first move, meant only to overwhelm the opponent. He moved behind the "Lion's Roar," hiding his presence to continue the hunt.

Ze looked at the rushing aura in the form of a lion with disinterest. He lightly swung his pan like a fan, breaking the aura and turning it to dust. Ryker, who approached with his presence hidden behind the lion, struck the moment the line shattered. His aura took the shape of a claw as it drew closer to Ze.

"[Crimson Lion's First Claw]."

Ryker had used the first move of his sword style.

*Boom*

Ze side-stepped.

The claw broke the ground and shot dust into the air, but another claw rushed toward Ze as he side-stepped. Ryker continued his move. He kept up with his hunt.

Ze jumped back to avoid the claw, but Ryker, seeing that Ze had avoided his sword, kept up his attack. He swung his sword continuously, chasing after Ze, who avoided his attacks with minimal movement.

*Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom*

The sound of the earth breaking drummed in the forest.

Ryker continued his attack, even though his strikes couldn't reach Ze. He swung his sword, shooting his aura in the form of a lion's jaw. It rushed toward Ze to bite him, but Ze simply swung his pan as if swatting an annoying fly. The aura instantly broke into pieces.

Ryker used "Lion's Rush" to arrive next to Ze and used his next move.

"[Crimson Lion's Earth-Shattering Fang]."

He swung his sword towards Ze's side, his aura flaring violently in an attempt to rip Ze apart.

"Boring," Ze's listless voice entered Ryker's ears.

Ze hit the sword that was rushing toward him, driving it into the ground, and hitting Ryker in the face. It was done in one smooth movement, and Ryker was able to follow it with his eyes, but he couldn't move to block it.

It was an attack aimed at the flaw in his move, preventing him from blocking it.

Ze took a look at the surroundings as Ryker spun in the air. The world seemed slow, giving him enough time to take in the information.

The place was a mess. The ground was dug out in many places, deep claw marks formed in the ground, and broken trees lay around.

"What a mess, (￣_￣|||)"

*thud*

With a thud, Ryker finally fell to the ground, even though it had a comical effect in slow motion. It was only a moment.

"Agh," Ryker groaned as he lay on the floor.

*Clack*

This time a necklace fell off his neck.

"Let me give you a good beating," Ze said.

"Yes, beat him up, φ (*￣0￣) ," someone cheered.

Ze walked up to Ryker and grabbed his collar, lifting him. Ryker's face slowly began to swell. Ze took a good look at him, noticing the artifacts he was wearing. He was wearing quite a number of them, but Ze felt it was reasonable since Ryker had come to fight him, even though he wasn't at full strength.

"Agghhh," Ryker groaned as he tried to swing his sword.

*Ting*

The pan connected with his face before the sword could touch him, causing him to hurl into the sky, with one of the artifacts falling off.

"That's one down," Ze said, taking a step forward and crossing the distance in the blink of an eye to where Ryker would fall. He gripped the pan and arched his hand back.

"3...

2...

1...," Ze counted down.

At zero, Ryker came falling.

*Ting*

The pan connected with his face, sending him flying like a rocket, while the artifacts that cushioned his attack showered from the sky as he flew towards his destination.

*Boom*

Ryker reached his destination with a boom.

Ze started walking towards where Ryker had fallen, having sent him back to the open space near the barrier. They had covered some distance while he was dodging, and when he sent Ryker flying, it was just to send him airborne again.

Ze soon arrived near the open space. Ryker was already there, but he looked fine, nearly refreshed.

"Looks like the package got delivered perfectly. Well, what do you expect when it's me?" Ze moved his eyebrows as he spoke.

Ryker pulled out another sword from his dimensional pocket since his original sword had fallen somewhere during his airborne journey, and Fran just stood there like a statue.

"Did you get the joke, you little shits?" Ze joked as if he were talking with his friends.

*Tak*

As his voice faded, only the sound of his footsteps remained. Ze appeared before Ryker, the pan already near his face.

*Swoshhhhh*

The wind blew in silence, without the sound of metal hitting metal or flesh.

Ryker looked before him. The pan that was about to hit him hadn't touched his face, and Ze was standing back where he was, the pan resting on his shoulder.

"I will give you a chance. Give everything you've got in a single strike," Ze said with a smile.

Ryker lowered his sword, and Fran lifted his head to look at Ze.

"What?! You don't want to? You want to keep getting hit without a chance to strike back?" Ze questioned.

"Why are you lying?" Ryker's voice was steady.

"What do you mean?" Ze tilted his head.

"How can I believe you when you're smiling like that?" Ryker's voice was focused.

Ze moved the pan and looked at the shiny surface inside. He could see his reflection in it, and his lips formed a mischievous smile. His smile widened as he saw it.

"Hehe," he chuckled.

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