Chapter 25:
Doppolia: A New Magical World
King Endo quickly swung his blades at me, with an impressive amount of force behind them. He maneuvered his blades around my great sword with ease.
Slash.
The attack landed, striking my torso. The power launched me several feet away. I rolled repeatedly, using the weight of the great sword to slow my velocity.
I dropped my blade soon after I stopped moving, while lying on the ground. His blade ripped my shirt and only cut the top layer of my skin. I had to thank Mr. Satori’s durability for that.
The King pursued me, not letting me catch a break. This time, his movement was clearly visible. I immediately picked myself up and retrieved my sword. I couldn’t defend myself from his sneak attack. However, I was prepared this time.
I angled my great sword diagonally, hoping to block the king’s next attack. My plan was genius… or so I thought. In a flash, the king disappeared from my sight, turning invisible to the naked eye.
“Huh? Where did he go?!”
My eyes scurried around the room, looking for him. I turned my body around, checking every angle. But he could not be seen.
Once I shifted my neck back to face forward, the sneaky king reappeared behind me, with determination burning in his eyes. My body sensed the change in the air and reacted to the king.
I guarded my position, ready to block the attack. I waited for the right moment.
The king closed the gap between us. He aimed the tips of his blades at my weapon.
Our weapons clashed, creating a brutal gust of wind. It was a powerful tug-of-war. His strength overwhelmed my body. As I exerted all my strength to push him back, his blades were chipping my sword.
If we continued this game any longer… my weapon would break!
Over time, my body grew accustomed to the king’s power. The tables were slightly turning as I began to overpower the king’s strength. He sensed the shift of power and strategically disappeared into the air once again.
Since I was exerting all my strength with nothing on the other side, I suddenly faceplanted onto the ground. I immediately bounced back to my feet, with my face flushed with embarrassment.
I could hear Princess Kiriko behind me, laughing at my pathetic performance. It’s not funny!
Her laugh felt like she was adding salt to my wounds. It must be nice, enjoying the view from the sidelines. Why didn’t she take my place to know how humiliating this was?
I tried to focus back on the fight. The air turned colder, and the king took things up a notch. He relentlessly unleashed multiple attacks. I desperately swung my sword as if trying to swat a fly. He was too fast to hit.
To demonstrate his strength, Endo purposely attacked my sword as I had my guard up. His blade pierced the same chipped spot he had attacked earlier, showcasing his precision.
After a couple of seconds, trying to hold him back, my blade snapped in two. His momentum pushed his blade forward, aiming for my head.
My blade was rendered useless. I had no other way of protecting myself. I tried to muster my hidden strength, literally any sliver of it. However, nothing came out. With my plan failing, fear quickly grew inside my body.
He’s too fast! No human could be that fast… not even the fastest runner in the world. He had to be using some sort of magic to boost his stats. I couldn’t prove it, but that was my only guess.
What was I thinking accepting this? I was so stupid! Anojin was still being healed. Forget integrity, I didn’t want to die here!
…
The blades swiftly sliced through the air.
Swoosh!
The attack barely missed me. In a desperate attempt, my body instinctively ducked under the attack. The attack grazed my body, cutting a chunk of my hair.
While the king was still in animation, I found an opening.
I couldn’t let him beat me! I needed to get out of here! Without hesitation, I fled from the battle like a stray cat, attempting to escape the scene. I tried to hold back my tears as I ran with my tail between my legs.
King Endo chuckled at my escape, idling around as we watched me running away. “This is a pathetic sight to see, Mr. Satori. Did being away for so long make you rusty in battle?”
“Shut up!” I yelled, refusing to turn back. “You're using some kind of magic! You’re cheating!”
“No one said using magic is against the rules,” King Endo clarified. “Also, you were the one who originally broke the honor of this fight.”
“Hold on, so you are using magic?! That’s so unfair!”
Soon after a strategic break, King Endo rushed towards me. What was once a battle turned into a deadly cat-and-mouse game. I dashed around the battle, avoiding the king’s strikes.
His slashes tore my skin, scarring my entire body. Fortunately, none of them were targeted at vital areas. The backlash from some of the attacks often knocked me to the ground. However, I repeatedly stood back up, running endlessly.
The king was simply playing around, taking his time to defeat me. He seemed to enjoy his victory, savoring his one-sided revenge.
I was told earlier that the king had already trained today. However, he moved as if he were in full condition. I hoped that the running would wear his opponent down, but I felt no change in his power. Just how much stamina did he have?!
…
Princess Kiriko couldn’t stop laughing at me in the crowd. Her obnoxious, wealthy laugh rang unpleasantly in my ears.
“This is too funny to watch. This is the legendary Mr. Satori I was taught? Hehe, he hasn’t even landed one hit on older brother yet.” Her laughing turned into cheering for the king. “Go, older brother! Whoop his butt!”
Amada, standing next to her, bit her nails, nervous about the outcome of the battle. “That stupid idiot is running away. What did he expect? Fighting royalty…. Their power levels are completely different!”
Towards Amada’s right, Garlan and Prince Kaito stared at the battle, worrying about my safety.
Garlan concluded. “It appears Mr. Satori doesn’t have much battle experience. He is up against a worthy opponent after all. Although he had recently finished his training session, King Endo’s display is impressive.”
“I agree. Takumi needs some combat training. But older brother will not yield anytime soon.” Kaito tugged at Garlan’s shirt to grab his attention. “Garlan, we need to retrieve the Tri-Carver for Takumi!”
“I don’t think he’s capable of wielding the blade at this moment,” Garlan said, observing my combat abilities.
“True, but what other options does he have?” Kaito exclaimed. “We must try to help him. Garlan, could you distract older brother while I head to the Tri-Carver?”
Garlan gently closed his eyes as he bowed towards Kaito. “As you wish, prince.”
Without wasting any more time, Prince Kaito and his servant split up, joining the battle. Kiriko’s cheering stopped as she noticed the prince in motion.
“Where are you going, brother?!” She shouted towards Kaito, who ran around the wall.
Her body subconsciously walked towards Kaito. However, the prince urged the princess to remain there, in case she got injured. She followed Kaito’s order but worryingly extended her arm out to him.
I pleaded with the king to stop his attacks so I could think of a plan or something. However, the king would not stop.
Our game of tag continued for a while longer. As I scurried around the area, my eyes averted to the prince, who sprinted towards the Tri-carver, hugging the wall.
The prince’s eyes were burning with determination. Watching him run with all his might gave me a tiny bit of confidence. I didn’t know what he was planning, but I knew one thing… I needed to distract the king from seeing him.
….
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