Chapter 209: Spear Virtuoso + Chapter 210: Free Fiery Hugs

Two chapters!

Next one (211): Wednesday 3rd. Enjoy!

*

Chapter 209: Spear Virtuoso

"Such arrogance," Eleha retorted after finishing her laughter, a cruel smile hanging on her lips. "Very well, I think a duel is an excellent idea. Once your dreams are shattered, you'll surely be ready to obey."

Kazuki glanced at the other two Tier 3s. The woman grimaced, and the man crossed his arms with a sigh. Neither seemed inclined to intervene. These tribes are only united by circumstance.

Summoning his spear into his hand, Kazuki gestured to Eleha towards the Forum.

"If we steer clear of Ymir's pavilion, the Forum should be able to withstand our clashes."

Priam would surely be displeased if Log-a-rhythm's clearing ended up resembling a battlefield.

"Presumptuous of you to assume there will be clashes, but sure," mocked Eleha, leaving the table. Kazuki briefly wondered if the Tier 3's provocative attitude was natural or simply a means to stoke his anger.

It didn't matter.

"Multiple H-bombs are primed to detonate," Kazuki's ocular implant relayed his wife's voice. "The ephemeral barriers and Concept suppression rituals around the Forum can be activated at any moment. Eleha is a code RED."

A code RED meant any defense was futile, but a nuke would suffice to eliminate the threat. In short, Eleha was a glass cannon. The only issue was that if the Tier 3 had unlocked the Unity with an energy Concept, she could evade the blast—hence the Concept suppression rituals.

As Kazuki walked towards the Forum, he replied.

"Wait for my signal. If it escalates, Jasmine will take their Tier 0s hostage. Are Priam's loved ones safe?"

"Except for Blueberry and Louis, all are in Log-a-rhythm."

"Perfect. I'll make her spit out apologies."

"Better make her spit out her teeth," Hyshana responded.

Kazuki concealed a smile. He was so proud to be Hyshana’s husband. 

Arriving at the Forum, Kazuki saw Ymir stepping out of his pavilion. The merchant surveyed the two combatants before sighing. He made a hand gesture, and his bison bellowed before opening its mouth. The pavilion vanished, sucked into the animal's maw.

"I have an hour to put it back. After that, our current auctioned items will be canceled and we’ll pay a heavy fine," Ymir warned.

"You'll put it back in less than a minute," Eleha smirked.

Shrugging, Ymir mounted his bison before leaving the Forum. The Menhir of Secrets remained, but both Kazuki and Eleha knew the monument was indestructible at their level.

Eleha conjured two daggers as Kazuki took a defensive stance. He didn't wear his mecha: his instinct told him Knightmare would be useless against the Tier 3.

"Ready?" Eleha asked, stifling a yawn.

Kazuki nodded before widening his eyes. His Wind Concept indicated a powerful wind was heading towards him. Eleha's dash displaced a colossal volume of air. How can she move so fast with such low gravity?!

Faced with the attribute difference, Kazuki laid all his cards on the table. Micro II, Wind Concept, [Mastery I - Spear], [Odyssey - Legendary], [Odyssey - Celerity], [Odyssey - Hoplite Defense].

A windy halo enveloped his spear just before it clashed with Eleha's daggers. Despite the overclock of his physical attributes and his Titan bloodline, blocking the attack pushed Kazuki back several meters.

"Oh?"

Instead of pressing the attack, Eleha observed for a few seconds before displaying a radiant smile. "Looks like I found a good punching bag."

A blink from Kazuki made his opponent vanish again.

His instinct allowed him to block a second attack he didn't even see. The third attack breached his guard, leaving a shallow gash on his biceps. Gritting his teeth, Kazuki counterattacked with a roundhouse kick that missed its mark.

Eleha reappeared in the center of the Forum. "Hope you can do better; I haven't even used a skill..."

Instead of responding, Kazuki closed his eyes. A part of his consciousness used Micro to boost his vitality, swiftly healing the micro-fractures littering his bones. His constitution wasn't enough to withstand Eleha's attacks or support the overclock of his muscles.

Another part of his consciousness focused on his Wind Concept and his new Supremacy. If his perception wasn't enough to detect Eleha, the fusion of Domain and his Wind Concept should succeed.

"You're not much of a talker," Eleha sighed. "Alright, let's see how long you can hold out."

The wind created by her movements warned Kazuki. The warrior raised his weapon, focusing on [Spear Virtuoso]. One of Ace's Merits had allowed him to upgrade one of his personal Talents, [Spear Prodigy]. Its effect was simple: to aid Kazuki in honing his spear skills.

Trusting his inhuman instinct, Kazuki blocked a first blow from above. The force of the attack pressed him against the ground as if he had absorbed the impact of a meteorite. An unknown Concept allowed Eleha to not be repelled by the formidable backlash of her own attack. Instead, she changed angles, striking from below. Kazuki deflected the attack to avoid being launched into the air.

For the next few seconds, Kazuki endured the assaults of the Tier 3. Neither Wind Concept nor Domain could keep up with her speed, but the little information they provided allowed him to understand his opponent's intentions. Using his instinct and martial genius, Kazuki anticipated Eleha's attack trajectories.

Blocking and parrying at the last moment, he withstood the violent onslaught, allowing his talent to analyze his opponent's style. He was completely outmatched, but the intensity of the battle allowed him to glimpse the next evolution of his style. Mastery - Spear II was close. Very close.

Eight seconds after the start of the fight, his right clavicle fractured. If Micro temporarily boosted his strength and agility, the Supremacy couldn't do anything to bolster his constitution. Eleha might have been toying with him, but her attributes were so high that Kazuki’s body was giving out.

The hoplite warrior summoned a gust of wind to try to gain some time. Eleha dodged by passing behind him. Using the shaft of his spear, Kazuki tried to trip her. With a laugh, Eleha immobilized the weapon with her left hand. With her other hand, she plunged a dagger into the hoplite's shoulder.

"Feels like fighting a child," she taunted as she backed away to dodge a counterattack.

Growling in pain, Kazuki invoked his Titan bloodline. His right lung was punctured, and he couldn't continue the fight like this. His body gained a metallic consistency, creaking as Micro II pushed it to its limits.

Activating his spear Mastery, Kazuki cloaked his spear in a windy halo. [Odyssey - Glorious Thrust], [Odyssey - Celerity].

Boosted by his Legendary skill, the weapon accelerated, slicing through the air. Even with her attributes, Eleha didn't have time to dodge. She decided to block with a dagger. Kazuki's Mastery flickered before disappearing.

Eleha winked at him before retaliating. A second phantom arm sprouted from his right shoulder, and two daggers simultaneously aimed for both his legs. Instead of defending, Kazuki threw a powerful punch. His strength multiplied by Micro, the blow could have gone through a reinforced door.

Eleha's double attack proved real when two twenty-centimeter blades pierced the hoplite's thighs. His titanic constitution didn't even slow down the blow, which penetrated through muscles and bones like butter.

In a cry of rage and pain, Kazuki's punch connected with Eleha's face. She was propelled backward several meters before stabilizing. Her slightly swollen lower lip testified to the violence of the blow. Stretching out his fingers, Kazuki gritted his teeth. He had just fractured several phalanges on his opponent's teeth. Her constitution is so high that I'm the one taking damage when attacking...

The two fighters sized each other up before Eleha smiled. "Becoming an Ace in less than two months… My tribe might consider adopting you if you surrender. With the necro event ongoing, it would be a shame to suffer critical injuries for nothing."

"For nothing?" Kazuki repeated as silvery blood flowed down his thighs. In his active form, his Titan bloodline transformed his entire body.

Eleha shrugged. "My tribe wants to use the Auctions. Might as well accept while you still can."

"I know people like you. If we start bending over, you'll always ask for more."

The Tier 3 smiled. "And as we've just seen, you can't do anything to stop me."

"Really?" Kazuki asked, summoning an H-bomb into his hand. The bomb was linked to his bound mecha, allowing him to summon it at will. The explosive was the size of his head but could create an explosion of almost a hundred terajoules—enough to glass the area in a radius of two kilometers.

Eleha must have identified the bomb because her expression turned gray. "Give me that."

Despite his legs covered in blood and his right lung pierced, Kazuki stood tall. "No," he responded proudly.

*

Laepa watched the duel unfold, drumming her fingers on the table. She was both eager for it to end and apprehensive. Eager because the Auctions were a priority: some members of her clan lay comatose, awaiting a remedy for advanced necro corruption. After a certain stage, even [Necro Resistance] was futile against the overpowering Concept.

She was also worried because the Champion hoplite—Kazuki—was too proud. Eleha “Smiling Blades” was adored by the youth for her camaraderie and cultivated the image of a noble, smiling warrior.

But that was a façade. Laepa was of her generation and had seen that smiling mask crack many times over fifty years. Eleha was a sociopath craving adulation. If she couldn't have it, she settled for fear.

It was clear that Kazuki would feel neither, and this would enrage Tier 3. Laepa hoped Eleha wouldn't let her madness destroy any chance of dialogue between tribes and hoplites.

Personally, Laepa hoped the warrior would survive. In a few years, the lance prodigy would be a formidable ally. She knew better fighters, some even having unlocked Spear Mastery III, but they were Tier 3s. Kazuki was a mere Tier 0, his soul not yet baptized, yet so close to Spear Mastery II. His raw talent for the lance was terrifying. For now, he was weak—Eleha toyed with him, using neither skill nor Concepts nor Supremacies—but that would change if he lived.

That didn't mean he was the best Tier 0 Laepa knew. The young Chief of the Aelbes was more powerful, but he hadn't trained for two months. The Aelbe had chosen to ignore [Ace]'s improvement to spend two decades at Tier 0 and attempt mythical Achievements. It was dangerous, but all paths led to the Zenith.

You just had to stay alive.

Laepa wondered if she should intervene to end the fight. It would offend Kazuki and Eleha's honor, but she could certainly use the Auctions, which was most important. In the long run, the consequences would be dire: Kazuki and the hoplites would have a poor opinion of Aelbes and Gaeserts. Vysharratjekto—the snake!—had understood this before her, and his friendly façade would undoubtedly grant him privileged access to the Auctions. It was bad news because the Snaherts were enemies of the Gaeserts.

Was it an arbitrary decision or did the Snaherts plan to court the Champions?

The thought made Laepa grimace. It would be terrible if the other Champions heard about this and allied with the Snaherts. Not immediately, as they were still very weak, but they had potential. A lot of potential. The Aelbes would certainly seek to eliminate the future threat, but that was not the Gaeserts' way.

Why is it up to me to play politics? I'm mainly good at cutting monsters, the huntress sighed mentally.

"Your husband fights well," she declared in a pathetic attempt to bury the hatchet.

Hyshana turned to her, a proud gleam in her eye. "He always has. Brave in the face of death, refusing to bend to tyranny."

Laepa hid a grimace. This was not going well.

"I could heal him after the fight," Gabrielle offered. "I'm sorry the discussion has degenerated like this. We Gaeserts try to be fair in our actions, but our brothers and sisters are in mortal danger here."

Laepa smiled upon hearing Gabrielle and decided to entrust her with the diplomatic side of the mission.

"... That's something I can understand," Hyshana responded after a few seconds of pause. "But the Auctions don't depend on us."

"Then we'll wait for Priam as long as possible," placated Gabrielle. 

Laepa glanced at Hyshana. The Tier 0 was just as proud as her husband. If he died, she would fight in turn—even facing certain death. The Hoplites seemed to possess advanced technology, and even though the tribes were now deprived of it, some texts described the miracles of a technological civilization.

Explosives were surely ready to destroy the area, and while Laepa was fairly certain she could survive, Gabrielle would die. Moreover, atomic explosions were famous for attracting powerful monsters as they emitted some sort of interesting pollution. Which would be a disaster...

Suddenly, Kazuki and Eleha parted ways. A few seconds later, the hoplite pulled out a sphere, and Laepa swore as she identified it.

“Fuck!”

*

Eleha flashed, reappearing centimeters from him. Neither his Wind Concept nor his Domain reacted. Only instinct allowed Kazuki to pivot. A blade pierced his body, missing his heart by a hair. Realizing she had tried to kill him, Kazuki's heart raced. The first beat resonated loudly in his ears, but didn't drown out a distant cry. Hyshana.

Thinking of his wife eclipsed the pain, and Kazuki decided to fight. Drawing inspiration from Louis, he spat blood into his opponent's face. Mastery - Spear I. The projectile didn't have the shape of a spear, but Kazuki's intent was enough. He refused to give up. He refused to die.

The attack struck Eleha's eye. Regardless of her constitution, the globe should have melted, but it did nothing. Kazuki grimaced as he felt his will crushed by the Tier 3's. The attribute difference was so immense that his Supremacy vanished.

Not the silvery blood.

Eleha screamed as heavy metals poisoned her eye. With a wave of her hand, she swept away the H-bomb and slid a dagger under his throat. "You'll pay for what you just did!"

"I wouldn’t be so sure."

In a whirl of mist, Priam appeared next to Kazuki. His hand closed around Eleha's wrist, and he opened his mouth. A laser beam shot out.


*

Chapter 210: Free Fiery Hugs

POT -50

His Potential flowed freely to keep [Kinetic Control] activated. Rather than immobilizing a stronger opponent, Priam froze his own hand.

His opponent's arm pulled with terrifying force, but Priam's grip refused to yield.

Opening his mouth, Priam released the Breath he had quickly condensed. The attack lacked energy—he had less than a second to gather aether—but his newfound ability to manipulate and concentrate aether had enabled a swift charge.

Pyro merged with the Breath to create a terrifying laser. The unknown woman blocked with her second dagger and Kazuki backed away. Turning his head, Priam directed the Breath toward the arm he was locking. It was physically impossible for his opponent to dodge, and she screamed in pain before delivering a kick to his chest.

The speed of the attack left him no chance to dodge. A second train of thought activated, and [Kinetic Control] absorbed a small part of the kick’s energy. Priam shot backward like a cannonball before briefly merging with his mist to cancel his inertia. Landing a few meters away, he used [Three-Headed Hydra] to heal his wounds in an instant.

Despite his rapid regeneration, Priam gritted his teeth. The woman's blow had driven into his chest like a battering ram. Two attacks of that nature would be enough to kill him.

[Enemy Tier 3 detected.
Analyzing attributes...
Probable Build:
Strength, Agility, Dexterity ~4000.
Perception, Constitution, Vitality ~3000.
Mental attributes ~2000.
Danger level: mortal.
Note: Physically oriented. Without a critical error from the target, the host’s chances of victory are nil.]

[Identification]
[?] - Hidden record.
Lvl Up: [Identification] lvl 14
MEM +1

"Not very encouraging..."

An explosion sounded, and Priam used his Domain to slow Kazuki. The hoplite landed at his side with a limp arm.

"Who's this?" Priam growled, summoning Promesse.

Kazuki shook his head. "A haughty representative of the local tribes. Sorry to get you involved."

Priam shook his head, letting the adrenaline rush over him. "Brother, your enemies are my enemies. Think we've got a chance together?"

"None, but Jasmine is hidden in the shadow of the Tier 0 she accompanies. There are two other Tier 3s, but as long as we don't target them, they shouldn't intervene."

Priam glanced at the young woman watching the fight next to Hyshana and grimaced. He wasn't proud to take a teenager hostage, but if it were the only way to save those he loved, then he wouldn't hesitate.

"What does she want?" he asked, refocusing on the fight.

"Officially, access to the Auctions. Unofficially, she's testing us."

"Great," ironized Priam. "I might have a way to surprise her with a kamikaze attack. You have something in stock?"

"If the fight lasts a little longer, I should be able to reach Spear Mastery II, which should be able to penetrate her defenses. By the way, I've become an Ace," announced the hoplite with modesty.

Priam smiled. With such a rival, he had no chance to rest on his laurels.

The dust cloud raised by the fight settled, and the unknown woman advanced. Her left hand was badly charred, but was still holding a dagger. "Kelak coompa bla't’h?"

"... What did she say?" Priam grimaced. He hadn't had time to use a skill crystal and didn't understand the language of the tribes.

"She's asking why you're interfering in a duel."

"Tell her this is my land. If she wants to duel, she can do it elsewhere."

Kazuki gave him a slight smile. Priam had taken care not to offend the hoplite's honor.

The woman shook her head upon hearing the translation before pointing to herself. "Eleha."

After introducing herself, she flashed towards him. Promesse blocked, but the energy behind the blow sent Priam several meters backward. Without giving him time to react, a new attack followed. Activating Micro and [Kinetic Control], he parried again. Despite his defense, the impacts of the attacks were too powerful for his body, and Priam soon tasted a metallic tang in his mouth.

Lvl Up: [Sun Steel Body] lvl 2
CONST +6
META (END) +3

[Diagnostic] indicated that microcracks were appearing in his bones. With one good arm, Kazuki entered the fray to prevent Eleha from continuing her assault.

Priam took a fraction of a second to reconnect with his Potential. The artificial divine inspiration opened his eyes. [Three-Headed Hydra] exchanged his lifespan for terrifying vitality, and Priam felt his body restore itself. Opening his mouth, he began to accumulate aether in his draconic lung. A full-power Breath was their only chance to seriously injure their opponent.

Seeing Kazuki step back, Priam plunged back into the melee. His friend was injured, and Eleha was an enemy. That was all it took to make the world perfectly clear.

Eleha turned towards him. Her daggers sparkled as she tried to decapitate him. [Kinetic Control] briefly connected to his Domain to slow them down, but the Supremacy vanished. Her Domain supersedes mine.

Priam didn't let himself be rattled and adapted. Promesse met the blades, and boosted by his Potential and [Kinetic Control], [Parry] blocked the attack.

Lvl Up: [Parry] lvl 18
STR +1

Kazuki struck to draw aggro, and Priam stepped back to maintain an optimal distance for his spear. [Unrelenting Thrust]. Eleha blocked, parried, deflected their spears, and dodged. Behind her, Kazuki launched many pincer attacks to prevent her from moving. The two rivals danced together to occupy the enemies. Separately, they had no chance, but together, they had a slim one. At least, I hoped so.

The Forum was the stage for a three-way dance. Though lethal, the exercise brought smiles to Priam and Kazuki's faces. Eleha was the most powerful opponent they had ever faced, and the danger propelled their progress by leaps and bounds. Kazuki seemed in a trance, wielding his spear with his good hand and adjusting his posture and guard in real-time. 

Meanwhile, Priam was attempting to invoke his Domain. Sharpening his Supremacy over his opponent's, he prevented her from easily controlling the course of the battle. Each time his Domain imploded, Priam grimaced as he felt his soul space tremble. However, each failure allowed him to better master this power.

[Kazuki’s aether reserves are low.]

Priam grimaced as he read the analysis of his add-on. The high-intensity combat was taking its toll on his friend. We need to change the pace!

As a part of Priam drew from Micro I and Mastery - Spear to catalyze his spear skills, a parallel thought summoned his mist. Ice spikes enveloped in Conquest Aura began to shoot toward Eleha while a layer of ice gradually covered the ground.

The ice invoked by his Concept vanished before doing any damage, crushed by the enemy's Domain. Despite the attacks' inefficacy, Priam persisted: Eleha couldn't split her mind like him. She had to focus on each attack to destroy it. Her offensives and counterattacks were becoming slower, and her decisions suboptimal.

With a growl, Eleha's eyes changed color. A mental pressure descended on Priam, but his will and pseudo-apocryphal soul allowed him to resist easily.

Kazuki let out a scream and Eleha took advantage of the opening to slash his limp arm again.

When Eleha attacked him again, Priam gracefully dodged before counterattacking with a spear slash.

Lvl Up: [Matrix Dodge] lvl 8
AGI +2
DEXT +1
Lvl Up: [Hoplite Slash] lvl 5

STR +3

The deadly ballet continued for a few seconds until Kazuki’s spear blade began to glow. He was channeling a colossal amount of aether. 

Priam's instinct told him Eleha would try to dodge. Closing his eyes, he activated [Moon Mist]. Boosted by his Sage affinity Mist Concept and a lot of Potential, the skill materialized a true cloud.

POT -150

[Kinetic Control] froze it, forming a solid air cocoon around the Tier 3 just as Kazuki struck with his good arm. Eleha roared. Her muscles tensed, and the cloud exploded under an Aura blast. Her first dagger intercepted Kazuki's attack, and the second cut towards Priam.

A radiant blade was ejected from the weapon and flew towards Priam. Neither his draconic scales nor his constitution prevented the amputation of his right arm.

Lvl Up: [Atomos] lvl 7, 8
CONST +6

Priam let out a cry as he fell to his knees. In shock, he almost released the Breath he had been accumulating. It wasn't so much the physical pain as the mental anguish that troubled him. Grasping his arm, he repositioned it, and [Three-headed Hydra] reattached it. His soul sighed in relief.

Riding the mist, Priam reappeared next to Kazuki and looked up at the center of the Forum. There, Eleha massaged her injured eye and stretched her twice-charred left hand. Obviously, blocking Kazuki's ultimate attack with just one hand hadn't been easy.

"She's using Micro to speed up her healing," Kazuki said. Despite the liters of blood he had lost, the hoplite still stood tall, and the hand holding his spear didn't tremble.

"No rest for the wicked," Priam grunted before riding his Schrodinger mist. His Breath was maturing, and it was time to end the fight.

Eleha spun around just as Promesse sought to impale her. Her palm diverted the spear, and she delivered a kick.

Priam's torso merged with Fire as he shielded Promesse with Pyro. The flames failed to burn his opponent but ignited her sleeve. Eleha's kick pierced through his fiery torso, and Priam screamed. The Tier 3 had employed a Supremacy or a Concept to hit him. Only half of his torso reformed. Fuck!

Kazuki arrived at that moment, a halo as transparent as the wind enveloping his weapon. When his spear collided with Eleha's dagger, the halo exploded. 

The three combatants were thrown backward. Kazuki spat blood upon landing, and Priam attempted to do the same before realizing he no longer had a stomach. Between the two males, Eleha trembled with rage, touching a gash on her cheek.

Priam lifted his eyes just in time to see a flash of anger pass through her feline eyes. The clanswoman turned toward him and accelerated. Nothing prepared Priam for such an explosion of speed. Before he could react, Eleha transformed into a cat the size of a tiger and slammed him to the ground. Two long claws—her former daggers—emerged from her pads and pierced both his hearts and the Forum floor.

Lvl Up: [Aura Resistance] lvl 4
CONST +3
META (Endurance) +3
META (Authority) +3
Lvl Up: [Kevlar Tissue] lvl 2, 3, 4, 5
CONST +12

Priam attempted to ride his mist, but a flex of her Domain locally annihilated the Concepts. His cloak of mist and flame disappeared, leaving him naked as a worm. The cat looked down at Priam's second spear and froze, evidently surprised by her opponent's lack of clothing.

"If I still had a bladder, I would've pissed on you," Priam taunted futilely, grabbing the animal's paw and activating [Kinetic Control] to seal their embrace.

Eleha's surprise turned to astonishment as Kazuki's spear impaled her from behind. Under the shock, her Domain flickered, and Priam called upon the Fire Unity. He didn't attempt to flee—something prevented his hearts from reforming and he was dying—but invoked the Concept.

The Fire burns all, and here is my pyre.

His flesh transformed into flames, and Priam added a touch of Pyro. He locked eyes with Kazuki for a moment before releasing the Breath he had been accumulating since the beginning of the fight.

A devastating pillar of fire surged toward the heavens. The blast was so powerful that it drowned out a feline's roar. 

That was a fiery hug. 

*

Status: 

PHYSICAL:
Strength 563 (+6)
Constitution 893 (+33)
Agility 555 (+3)
Vitality 840
Perception 719 

MENTAL:
Vivacity (D) 516
Dexterity 589 (+1)
Memory 462 (+1)
Willpower 1 036
Charisma 631 

META:
Meta-affinity 555
Meta-focus 360
Meta-endurance 361 (+7)
Meta-perception 260
Meta-chance 230
Meta-authority 57 (+3)

Potential: 9 852 (-179)
Tier 0

Sun points: 135 922 (+0)
[He Who Eludes Death] charge: PRIMED.


[Tribulation]: Three Tribulations pending.
Future Tribulations delayed until:
Time: 162 days 6 hours 2 minutes 53 seconds.

Next thresholds: 6 attributes > 600 / 3 attributes > 900