Jack of All Trades

Protected in a suit of Serenesteel and laced with wind magic around him, the enemy had a terrifying combination of defence and speed.

If I was in Sereya’s shoes, I would have no idea how to deal with him. On paper, all she needed to do was to bash him with the pommel of the sword, but it already seemed awkward enough to do with just one hand. That was without taking into account the opponent’s defensive and evasive prowess.

Both fighters stood still, observing each other from opposite ends of the street as the crowd around us grew in number. It was obvious from the sounds of “oohs” and “whoas” that were increasing in volume each time they clashed weapons.

As the knight channelled the wind around him, Sereya placed Exordium’s handle into her mouth. I didn’t mind her getting her saliva onto my sword, but what in the world was that strategy?!

Using her teeth as a replacement for a hand, she bit down on the grip of the sword hard, the blade sticking out of her right cheek. She then drew the Messer—the sword which she previously called useless in this fight—and equipped it in her hand.

Before I could even offer her my scabbard, she vanished, appearing right in front of the knight instantaneously. By the time, the knight already leapt back evasively, the sounds of metal hitting metal finally reached my ears. There was no doubt about it—Sereya was unleashing Invisible Blade.

Even with the speed buff, it was obvious that the knight was having trouble reacting to her top speed. His saving grace was his armour, which was impervious to Sereya’s slashes.

Coming from his twin daggers, gusts of wind flew in random directions after being deflected by her immaculate swordsmanship. While I couldn’t exactly tell what Sereya was doing, based on how the blasts of air were being dispersed, it appeared that she was intentionally targeting his hands.

For the second time in this fight, the knight was on the defensive, being chased by Sereya as they clashed throughout the street in a blur. Whereas the first round consisted of calm walking and “testing of the waters”, this engagement was happening at a blistering pace.

At the end of the day, the only thing the assassin had going for him was the element of surprise. Take that away, and there was no way he could defeat a legendary warrior like Sereya.

The question was—could Sereya overcome his armour and defeat him?

After multiple exchanges that took place from the street, to the side of the buildings and back on the road again, I finally heard a different sound—metal dropping on the floor. Like falling cutlery, one of the knight’s daggers fell on the ground, chiming repeatedly as it landed on its side.

Sereya had jammed the tip of her Messer into the wrist of the knight!

While it was not lethal, that was easily a debilitating blow. The enemy released a strong burst of wind, pushing Sereya back several metres, but it was too late. Stuck in between the hinges of the armour on his right wrist was her sword, sticking out like an oversized needle.

Recovering from the knockback, Sereya removed Exordium from her mouth and wielded it in the half-sword grip once more. The blade was wedged right in between her fingers as she prepared to charge once more.

At the same time, the knight took out the sword from his wrist. The tip of the weapon was decorated in blood as he tossed it aside. The clanging of the blade as it bounced off the ground was masked by the loud applause and cheers from the audience.

“He’s hurt! He’s hurt!”

“Yeah, get him!”

“You go girl!”

It felt heartwarming to see the crowd on her side. Sure, they didn’t know that she was Sereya the Merciful Blade, but it was evident that the odds were stacked against her in terms of equipment and magic. Despite that, this unknown warrior was coming out on top against a Dragon-ranked adventurer. Of course, the majority would root for the underdog.

Ignoring the rowdiness from the onlookers, the knight didn’t even bother to pick up his fallen dagger. That right hand was effectively out of the fight.

However, what he did next was beyond my expectation. He sheathed his remaining dagger, placing his left hand over his right wrist. I instantly recalled the mage back at camp who healed my broken arm—this knight could even use healing magic?!

“I won’t let you!”

Coming to the same realisation, Sereya disrupted the healing process by disappearing and reappearing beside him for a whack with the pommel. Her opponent leapt high into the air, evading the attack.

Despite not having a weapon, the knight swung at the air in between them with his left hand. Like an animal clawing at his prey, blades of wind appeared from where he slashed and flew towards Sereya, who evaded the visually imperceptible attack.

Before she could jump into the air to go after her enemy, strong winds began to circle around him in a foreboding manner. These air currents were strong, picking up dust from the ground, hats from the bystanders and other light objects.

“H-He’s summoning a tornado!”

“Girl! Stop him!”

Part knight, part assassin, and even part mage, I was beginning to wonder if there were even more secrets hiding within the dark-plated armour of that silent figure.

Sereya ran over to where her Messer was on the ground. Like some sort of ball, she flicked up the blade with her foot, before roundhouse kicking the hilt into the heart of the whirlwind.

The metallic projectile was parried by the heart of the whirlwind, but it did disrupt the formation of air somewhat. For a brief moment, the knight was partially exposed as the veil of wind quickly attempted to surround him once more, but it was just the opening Sereya needed.

“You’re mine!”

In an explosion of speed, Sereya emerged above her foe. He turned to face her, but her arm was already ready to hammer him with the butt of the sword.

Out of nowhere, the shrill sound of a flute pierced the sky, dissipating the gathering winds instantly. Shocked, Sereya halted her attack, and the two combatants landed on the ground safely.

Immediately, the knight sprinted away into town.

What. Just. Happened?

“Wait! Stop!” Sereya called out to her enemy, but he didn’t even turn around.

“You did it! You won!” as Anita exclaimed, the crowd began to join in the celebration and cheer.

However, the victor didn’t seem pleased at all.

She appeared right in front of me, holding me by my shoulder. My heart nearly jumped from how sudden it was, but it was obvious that she was in a lot more distress than me.

“Listen, take Anita and Ain to the Guild and submit the completion of the quest. Whatever you do, DO NOT come to the bar with them.”

Just as quickly as she popped up in front of me, she vanished.

I turned to face the mother and daughter beside me, but they too looked equally as confused. We had no clue what just went down, but we knew that it was serious.

“Anita, let’s get a move on.”

“R-Right.”

We proceeded to ride deeper into town, avoiding the cracks on the road right in front of us.

While I struggled to wrap my head around Sereya’s words, all I knew was that it was best to follow her instructions. Sure, I was happy that she came out of the fight unharmed, but she was visibly upset.

What exactly was that sound that played at the climax of the fight? It didn’t feel like magic, yet it caused the fight to end prematurely.

“Uncle, why are you so stressed?”

“H-Huh?”

Ain snapped me from my thoughts. Her bright smile disarmed me.

“That was the coolest fight I've ever seen!”

Ah, of course.

“Did you see how she kept the sword in her mouth? That was so cool! I couldn’t see like 90% of what was going on, but that last part where she kicked the sword into the air—that was the greatest thing ever!”

“Y-Yeah.”

I tend to forget that not everyone had witnessed a fight of this skill and power before. How could I blame Ain? She was just a child.

As she continued to fangirl and rave about the fight which just taken place, I felt warm inside from knowing how much she admired Sereya. She’d never tell this in front of her, but hearing all this was reward enough for me.

Irrespective of what was going on, I could only place my trust in my partner, just like how she placed her trust in me to submit the completion of this quest. The confusion could be cleared up afterwards.

Eventually, we arrived in front of the Breven Adventurer’s Guild without Sereya. There was no such building from before, but we made our way into the doors of this unfamiliar place regardless.