novelraw Chapter 128: Another Duel with Erika
Chapter 128: Another Duel with Erika
And that was how the second duel between Erika and me began.
Standing inside the dueling cube, I faced the opponent who had once been a wall I couldn’t overcome—a swordswoman whose technique bordered on perfection. She wasn’t just a skilled fighter; Erika Saito was a benchmark I wanted to surpass, proof that I could win not through luck, but through skill and precision.
As the mana barrier of the cube came to life, I activated Inspect Eye.
Erika Saito Lv. 60/60 (EXP 450)
HP: 100%
Rank: Gimmel [3]
Patron God: Istellia (Goddess of Imagination)
Class: Samurai
Total Attribute Points: 2,278
Wait, isn’t she stronger than before? I raised my eyebrows in slight surprise.
It had to be noted that the total attribute points here didn’t include the bonuses from her equipment and the title she used, and they were purely her accumulated base stats. That meant, in total, she was at least equal to—or perhaps even beyond—my own current stats. It appeared like I wasn’t the only one improving.
“Just so you know,” I said, drawing my sword, “I’ll be using everything I’ve got.”
I didn’t care if she was going to use her swordsmanship or any other skills, but I definitely would be using my “special magic” in order to beat her fairly.
Erika’s expression remained unchanged, though her crimson eyes gleamed with anticipation. “Exactly what I want to hear. I’ll defeat you at your best.”
Since there was no referee, the moment the wind whistled between us, Erika made her move. Drawing one of the katanas from her back, she rushed at me, faster than in the past, and sliced through the air in a silver flash. I barely managed to intercept the strike with the flat of my sword, sparks scattering from the collision. Her follow-up swing came horizontally, forcing me to raise my buckler to block as the impact drove me a step backward.
“Still as sharp as ever,” I muttered, countering with a sweeping strike.
She twisted her wrist fluidly, diverting my blade with surgical precision. Our weapons clashed again and again—clang after clang, the sound of steel reverberating across the cube. I could tell immediately that her technique had evolved since our first duel; her movements were cleaner, her swings faster, and her stance far more refined. Even with mid-level Intermediate Swordsmanship, I found myself quickly forced on the defensive.
Without hesitation, I retaliated with {Gravity Launch}, channeling mana into my legs and launching myself toward the ceiling. Then, in an instant, I reversed the spell, propelling myself downward with tremendous force and slashing with all my weight behind the strike. The burst of speed was so sudden that Erika’s eyes widened—too fast to fully evade. Got you!
But instead of trying to evade, she reacted on instinct, flipping her katana and using the back edge to deflect my descending blade to the side. The ground where my sword struck cracked from the impact.
“Not bad. But you’re still not precise enough,” she said with a faint smile before stepping in and unleashing a flurry of slashes.
I deflected two with the edge of my sword, twisted aside to avoid the third, and retaliated with {Phantom Slash}. My blade split into two mirrored afterimages, cutting through the air in perfect sync. One stroke sliced empty space, but the other found its mark, carving a shallow line across her arm. A bead of crimson rolled down her skin, and for the first time, she frowned.
“Such a trick… Is that Phantom Slash?” she muttered, eyes narrowing in recognition. “No wonder you’re confident. As expected of my rival in the way of the sword.”
“Ha. You scared?” I taunted, feeling a flicker of satisfaction that the duel wasn’t as one-sided as our first. “C’mon, show me your ultimate.”
Her frown melted into a grin, sharp and dangerous. “Then allow me to show you what I’ve been developing.”
The atmosphere around her shifted as she unsheathed her second katana, her aura flaring with a deep crimson hue. I felt the wind swirl around her, drawn into a growing vortex. An intangible energy gathered along her twin blades, condensing into a thin, translucent red layer that sent goosebumps crawling across my skin.
“Sword Aura…” I gulped, knowing full well that she was going all out this time. But something about it was… different compared to last time.
The instant she moved, I understood. Her twin blades gleamed, each swing leaving trails of force that didn’t dissipate immediately. They were far sharper than before, as though they could cut through steel itself. Even the air bent under the swing of her blades.
Sword Intent.
It wasn’t complete like the one I briefly gained when I possessed Alric the Sword Saint, but I was certain of it—there was a trace of Sword Intent woven into her strikes. This was beyond mere Sword Aura, and when the two combined, something far stronger could be awakened. If that were to happen, even if I invested all my unused stats, I would still be easily beaten!
I raised my sword just in time as her first strike cleaved forward. The collision resounded like a thunderclap, the shockwave rippling through my arms and chest. Sparks flew as I was forced back several meters, boots grinding against the floor.
“Damn…!” I sucked in a breath through my teeth, wincing as I noticed a shallow cut on my wrist. I barely managed to steady my stance before her next attack came.
“Whirlwind Draw.” Her voice was calm yet sharp as her twin blades flashed like streaks of silver. In an instant, she vanished from sight, the air splitting apart in her wake.
“Ugh! Phantom Slash!” I shouted, instinctively invoking the skill as her figure reappeared before me. My blade split into mirrored afterimages, intercepting her first swing—one deflected, the other clashed. Sparks burst between us, illuminating the dueling cube like fleeting stars that attracted the attention of every divine warrior around.
But her momentum didn’t stop there. She twisted her body mid-swing, her second blade cutting in from below, forcing me to block at an awkward angle with my buckler. The force of the impact sent a jolt through my arms, nearly disarming me.
I staggered back a step, but she was already upon me again, about to unleash another skill.
“Scarlet Tempest!” She crossed her twin blades and swung them forward, unleashing a spiraling shockwave of sword energy. The crimson arcs tore through the air like a storm, converging on me with terrifying speed.
“Shoot!” I barely managed to roll aside as the wave carved a deep gouge into the dueling floor. Even so, the residual energy grazed my side, searing through my coat and armor with a burning sting.
“Tch… she’s combining Sword Aura with her skills now?” I muttered, clamping my jaw as I pushed myself back to my feet. “So this is the gap between us now.”
No other choice. Time to show her all my cards!
Immediately, I cast {Gravity Field}, warping the air around us as an invisible weight pressed down on the arena. Then, invoking Weapon Manifestation in conjunction with Basic Cryo Magic, I conjured several icy blades into existence, hovering in the air like frozen stars.
Some time ago, I’d been wondering whether Phantom Blade could be applied to conjured weapons—objects not physically wielded by hand. But now seemed the perfect time to test that theory.
The increased gravity struck first, pinning Erika momentarily and slowing her movements. I used the chance to cast {Mass Alteration}, making my body as light as air, then blasted forward with {Gravity Launch}, closing the gap in an instant.
Erika swung both blades in a defensive cross, her Sword Aura bursting outward to repel me—but that was when I activated Phantom Blade as well as Phantom Slash. The icy swords hovering in the air trembled violently, then split into a dozen afterimages that lashed toward her from every direction.
Clang! Clang! Crash!
She deflected several of them, sparks scattering as metal met mana-ice, but not all. One phantom blade sliced through her shoulder, another grazed her thigh, and a third shattered upon impact but left a trail of frost that crept along her waist.
Her eyes widened slightly as she leapt back, her aura flaring to melt the frost. “Impressive! You actually broke through my Sword Aura with that strange technique. Then let’s settle this with one final exchange!”
Her twin blades flared crimson, her aura condensing into pure bloodlust. The air rippled violently as she crossed both swords before her chest, and mana surged like a storm about to break. “Crimson Heaven—Final Sever!”
A massive arc of red energy erupted forth, sharp enough to slice the very air apart as it roared toward me.
“Tch, fine!” I spread my arms as I gathered every strength and drop of mana I had left. The icy phantoms surrounding me shimmered in response, merging into alignment above and beside me to form a perfect triangle. “Phantom Slash!”
The icy phantoms streaked forward in unison, converging against her final strike. When the two forces collided, the entire dueling cube shook violently.
Boom!
An explosion of frost and crimson aura engulfed the arena, sending shockwaves across the barrier. The temperature dropped instantly, shards of ice scattering through the crimson haze. When the smoke cleared, both of us stood still, blades lowered, breathing heavily.
My body ached all over, and a thin line of blood trailed down my cheek. My legs trembled beneath me, every muscle screaming in exhaustion. Nevertheless, Erika didn’t fare much better than I did.
“So… that’s your limit too, huh…” I muttered, barely managing to stand upright.
It looked like this time would be my loss. My vision was blurring, my knees about to give in; it didn’t seem like I was able to remain standing for much longer. But before I could fall, Erika’s knees buckled. She dropped to one knee before collapsing entirely, panting in defeat.
I blinked, realization dawning as I felt my mana being zapped. The spell {Gravity Field}… it was still active. What luck.
A faint smirk tugged at my lips. “Guess… that’s my win.”
Then my knees gave out, too, and I sank to the floor, barely managing to stay sitting upright. Luck still played a huge role this time around, but it was still a win through and through.
Intermediate Swordsmanship has leveled up.
Basic Shield Mastery has leveled up.
Weapon Manifestation has leveled up.
Phantom Blade has leveled up.
Phantom Slash has leveled up.
Your Strength has increased by 1.
Your Magic Power has increased by 1.
Those were a lot of skills leveling up all at once. Truly, the fastest way to grow stronger in skill mastery was through battling powerful opponents, especially those more skilled than you in the very field you sought to perfect.