Two meetings [3]

[Arthur's Pov]

"Why do you keep running away?! Fight me! [Arc of Light - Strengthened]!"

*BOOM!*

As yet another explosion of dust occurred when my attack hit the wall, I felt myself growing more frustrated for every second that passed, even more so when thinking about the incomprehensible nonsense he had spouted.

'-I just thought that it would be a shame if she got hurt just because you didn't accept my deal.'

If only he knew that the one he threatened was the only ally he had left in this world, the only one who still adamantly believed that he was not evil, that he was just wrongly accused of crimes he did not commit.

This was why I had to beat some sense into him, why I had to bring him back to the ground, to let him know just how fucked up what he said had been. But it was no use, every time I tried to approach him, he just swung his wings and nimbly escaped my grasp.

At the same time, I felt my body losing energy faster than normal, fully aware that inside his mist, he had done something to me when I felt that little stab to my neck.

*Tap*

Landing elegantly on his feet after he jumped away from my attack, he still looked so incredibly comfortable with this situation, as if he felt no pressure at all from my barrage of attacks. "Hmph, I'm not Sophie, you know? Why should I fight you head-on when I know that you are fighting for a limited time? There's no way that Skill of yours could last much longer."

Gritting my teeth, there was no way for me to refute his words, as he had hit the nail on the head. At this point, I didn't have a lot of time left before my [Ascension] ran out, but there was also the fact that I could feel my muscles slowly start to contract more and more for every second that passed.

Still, as long as I could find an opening, I had a trump card to use. So I dashed forward yet again, eager to find the chance to correct his corrupted way of thinking, eager to show him just how ignorant he truly was.

****

[James's Pov]

'Shit... He is pretty strong...'

Although I was trying my best to seem like I was handling him without a care in the world, I had already used a lot of mana to enhance my legs when dodging his attacks. Thankfully, he was slowing down quite quickly now, making my life easier with each passing moment.

In the end, I wasn't too keen on fighting him for real, as my goal was never to kill him, therefore I didn't want to use my mist and blow him up. After all, I had no idea how potent it was against another human.

*BOM!*

Yet another slice of light flew towards me, and yet again I managed to come out unscathed thanks to my wings and empowering my legs with a burst of mana. At the same time, the hero finally fell to his knees, unable to lift himself anymore, the venom finding its grasp on his body.

'Finally...'

Although I could have done a lot more to speed the process up, I didn't want to risk wasting mana in case he had some kind of ace up his sleeve that I didn't know about. After all, the Skills in this world weren't the same as the ones in the game.

Letting myself calm down a bit, I took a step forward to the man who was now on his knees in the middle of the arena, his face grim with the knowledge that this was the end.

Feeling a bit cheeky, having taken down the hero without suffering a single injury, I couldn't stop myself from having a bit of fun while walking towards him, "Hmm? Is this it? I expected more to be honest... Such a shame..."

"Weren't you supposed to protect everyone? Weren't you supposed to be the one Sophie could count on?" Continuing to spout my cliché villain lines, it didn't take long until I stood before him, looking down at the fallen man.

Then, I noticed something weird, something that instantly activated my whole being once again. Something that made shivers go down my back. The eyes that were supposed to have given up were very much alive.

*FWOM!*

Another surge of energy enveloped Arthur, and in a matter of a second, his sword was launched towards my throat, with me unable to react in time.

'Bummer...'

****

[Arthur's Pov]

'Shit!'

I hadn't thought my actions through, and now, I couldn't stop my sword from slicing the neck of the one I wanted to bring back to reality. *Swoosh!* Somehow, where I was supposed to have felt resistance, my sword was instead met with nothing, going straight through the neck without even a speck of blood showing.

'What the fuck?!'

In front of me stood a man without a neck, just a body with a floating head above it, the mask still covering whatever expression he was making. As I was still mid-swing, I had no chance of fixing my posture before it would be too late.

As I braced myself, ready for the counterattack to strike me, I was surprised to see that nothing happened. No, something did happen. *Poff!* The man I had been fighting all this time went up in smoke, completely disappearing from my sight.

*Clap! Clap! Clap!*

The sound of someone appreciating his entertainment came from behind me, with me fully knowing who it must be. Turning around, I found my enemy, still sitting casually on the half destroyed throne, one leg over the other, his gray suit looking just as neat as when I first saw him.

"Nice work! I did not expect you to have such an amazing healing ability! Well done, Arthur!"

'Illusions?! But how?! Then how did he attack me before?!'

Nothing made sense anymore, and somehow, I felt my legs give up as I realized that I had been toyed with all this time. He hadn't even been fighting me, just watching from the side while I made a fool out of myself.

'He didn't even take me seriously from the start...'

I had no idea how strong he was, but what I did know was that even though I had used [Rebirth] to restore the state of my being, my body wouldn't be able to move for long. And it would be nowhere long enough to give me a chance to bring him down.

*Tang!*

Dropping my sword, I knew that whatever the man wanted to do with me, he was most likely fully able to do so, without me being able to do anything about it. So, the only thing left for me to do was, "I give up. Just kill me."

Still sitting down, he just waved his hand, as if what I said was of no importance, "Kill you? No, when did I ever say I would do that? I know that you might not want to make a deal with me right now but, from this, you should understand that what I said was the truth. I do have the means to make you strong enough to protect everyone around you."

With frustration welling up inside me, I opened my mouth again, trying my hardest to make sense of everything, "But you said that you would kill Sophie? Then why wouldn't you kill me as well?"

James tilted his head, seemingly not understanding what I was talking about, "Hmm? When did I ever say that I would kill Sophie? I just said it would be a shame if she got hurt because you wouldn't accept my help."

"What...?"

I was stupefied that he would fool me in such a simple manner, most likely well aware that anyone would interpret his words the same way I did. In what world was that not an indirect threat?

Standing up, he took a peek at the smartwatch sitting on his arm, "Oh! It's already this late? I'm so sorry, Arthur, but I really have to get going. It was fun to see you again, though. Also, don't forget that my offer still stands. Just keep in mind that it might not be as lenient if you wait too long."

*Poff!*

Yet again, he teleported away, leaving me alone in the arena, with only one thought.

'How do I even get out of here?'

****

[James's Pov]

"Huff...huff..."

It was truly a disgustingly bad performance, leaving myself open to such an obvious ambush. Sitting on the other side of the mountain, I was currently trying my best to recover, having spent almost all of my mana in order to create the illusion of me being completely fine after his attack.

It was truly fortunate that I at least had left Matt behind the throne before the fight started.

Although the snow felt nice to lay on, it still didn't help to ease the torment that my whole body was currently under. I had truly passed any sort of reasonable limit during my fight with him, something that was even more exaggerated because I purposely let Sebastian pierce my body with his spear.

And worst of all was that it seemed like I wouldn't even get to lie here in peace, as I heard the voice of a very familiar woman approaching me, "James...? Is that you?"

With her pink hair and imposing body, it was impossible to mistake her for anyone else.

"Haha... Yeah... It's me, Sophie..."