Guy dashed to the side, escaping from Remy’s slash, made his fist shine with light, and cast Blinding Flash.
The crowd cried out when Guy exploded with a blast of white light like he was a miniature sun. Blinding Flash temporarily blinded everyone who saw him. Everyone except Remy. He had his back turned to Guy when Blinding Flash went off.
“Well, fuck.”
Remy resumed his assault, striking Guy up and down, cutting red lines across his body and arms. Guy tried to recast Blinding Flash, but a stab to his chest canceled the spell.
Guy | HP: 783/1014
His HP was dropping. Leaping back, Guy put as much distance as he could and used Lay on Hands, recovering 54 HP, hurried to the side and cast Lay on Hands twice more, bringing his HP up to 945 and MP down to 39. That caused Remy to stop and reconsider his next move.
Yeah, that’s right, I can self-heal too!
“Did you see that?” someone from the crowd roared.
“No, I am fucking blinded right now . . .”
“That Paladin can heal themselves! They do not even need to possess a Cleric or Medic subclass to do so!”
“He also blinded us.”
“Oh, your eyesight will come back in a minute. Relax.”
Guy swung fiercely for Remy now that he topped up his HP. He got Remy down to 71 percent and had a good idea how long it would take to bring it to 25. This was Guy’s chance to go on the offense, find an unguarded moment, and strike Remy for minor damage, and get AP.
It was working. Guy’s AP was slowly rising at the expense of his HP as Remy slashed him all over. But that was fine. His HP was still higher than Remy’s. Guy had to finish the fight, and fast. Lay on Hands and Blinding Flash were off the menu since he didn’t have the MP for them. That and the locals really didn’t enjoy getting blinded just for watching the show.
It gave Guy something to consider as he reached 100 AP.
I shouldn’t use Storm Slash. Since nobody is in a party with me, spinning around with my sword out might hit someone watching. He faced Remy, who stood in a pose, one sword raised high, the other low, his chest moving up and down rapidly. I need to get Remy in the middle of this circle. That’s the only way to nail him with Storm Slash.
Remy roared his battle cry and the two met again. Guy went on the defense, parrying strike after strike, and pivoted about to lure Remy to the fighting circle’s middle. The angry elf fell right into Guy’s trap. Guy held Asteria’s Sword steady, used Storm Slash, and whirled like a tornado toward Remy. The Berserker Assassin just laughed and countered with Slashing Rage. That was the Berserker’s bread and butter for tanking, slash the air so fast that your weapon more or less worked as a shield, deflecting anything in front of you. That included the Paladin spinning around with his weapon out.
Remy held his ground and received no damage. Meanwhile, Guy sat at 431 HP, having wasted his AP.
That motherfucker baited me . . .
Guy was beyond frustrated now. It took him forever to get 100 AP and multiple casts of Lay on Hands used up his MP. He was out of tricks, save for his HP hyposprays, but there was no point in using them since they were in a duel.
Fuck it, he’s a higher level, has better gear, and a subclass. Whatever, it’s just a duel. Once my HP hits 1, it’ll be over. Can’t win ‘em all.
Of course, Guy had no plans of yielding. He brought his blade up to deflect two swift sword strikes, then cleaved horizontally, cutting a line across Remy’s armor. Guy was not going to make Remy’s victory an easy one, not when he already worked Remy down to 56 percent. As their swords clashed, Tempeste pushed past the crowd and watched in horror.
She held her hand to Guy, the same one he had held. “Guy!”
“Yeah, I know.” Guy ducked from a slash, came up with an upward cut, knocked Remy away, and took off 5 percent HP. “I’m getting my ass beat.”
“This is not a duel!” Tempeste cried out.
“Sure looks like it.”
Remy leaped back to his feet, swinging his left, then right sword at Guy.
“Neither of you issued a challenge with your screens,” Tempeste called out as Remy and Guy met again, their swords clanging. “This is an actual fight.”
An actual fight.
That explains why the dueling screen vanished. Remy hit me before I touched the button, and it must have canceled it. Shit, that means he’s legit trying to kill me.
This time, when Guy jumped to evade Remy’s sword, he did it with fear. His life was at stake. He had to fight to survive.
Hold on, even if he kills me, a Cleric can cast Resurrection on me.
Yeah, but what if Remy puts his blade into your dead chest, man? He can and probably will permakill you.
The dude’s fucking drunk and obviously forced the dueling screen to cancel the request. Remy wants me dead, and nobody is saying anything because they think this is a friendly duel.
Only Tempeste knew the truth, and giving the history she had with Remy, she probably didn’t want to hurt him.
Guy stood his ground and hoped that Averyl would get word of it in time and resurrect him if he ended up dead. Their lethal duel entered its final round and dazzled the crowd with their maneuvers. This time, Guy didn’t hesitate to use his HP hyposprays, restoring 202 HP. He regretted not taking a few MP hyposprays. I need to remember to bring those.
Despite his newfound will to live, Guy’s HP continued to plummet. Remy kept his eyes close to Guy’s hand. Each time Guy reached into his coat’s pocket, Remy’s blade was there to slash his arm and force him to drop the hypospray. Each dropped hypo fell to the street and disintegrated into vapor upon impact.
Well . . . fuck. Damn these game rules. Good thing I didn’t use the AP hypos. Those are fucking rare.
Remy cleaved and slashed Guy with some fancy sword maneuvers, dashed back, and held his twin blades out to him. “Yield, star-dweller! Do so, and I shall end this.”
Guy limped toward Remy. Pain had flared from his joints as a trickle of something warm rolled down the side of his cheek. He touched it and brought it to his face. Guy’s freehand was red with his own blood. He checked his HP and saw why.
Guy | HP: 251/1014
He was below 25 percent. Guy held Asteria’s Sword up regardless. “Not a chance, asshole.”
Remy made a leaping slash and closed the gap between them. Their blades hit and pressed against each other. Their faces were close as they pushed against each other’s swords, close enough to whisper words nobody in the crowd could hear.
“Tempeste will be my bride one day when this is over,” Remy snarled. “Mark my words, stay away from her.”
“Mark my words,” Guy said mockingly. “You’re a fucking douchebag, bro.”
He looked over Remy’s shoulder, having noticed someone from the crowd enter their fighting circle. It was Tempeste with the Spellsword Saber clenched in her hand. She was approaching Remy from behind, and he didn’t know.
Guy spat in Remy’s face.
The elven man staggered backward in shock, then wiped off the saliva with the back of his wrist, grimacing.
“How dare you!” Remy raged as Tempeste lifted her Spellsword Saber. “Have you no sense of honor?!”
Guy shrugged with an innocent smirk.
And then Tempeste’s sword came down on Remy. The lightning bolts that imbued the Spellsword Saber made Remy twitch as if he stuck his finger in an electrical socket. She slashed Remy once more with her lightning blade, shocking and sending his convulsing body to the ground.
The elven crowd erupted with a resounding boo, followed by whispering murmurs, asking how the system allowed Tempeste to interfere in a duel.
That’s because it’s not a fucking duel.
Guy sheathed Asteria’s Sword on his back. Tempeste looked aside and faced the angry crowd. “This is over,” Tempeste spat. “Everyone, go back to where you came from.”
The onlookers walked away, growling at the disappointing finale. It left Kam scratching his head abou
t how to handle the betting results. Interference was not one of the betting options. Remy recovered from his stunning shock. Tempeste offered her hand to help Remy to his feet. He took it, stood, and sheathed his blades.
And pointed his finger at her face. “You dare attack me rather than him!”
“Like the star-man said,” Tempeste said, stowing her Spellsword Saber at her side. “You are too drunk.”
Remy aimed his index finger at Guy. “We will finish this another time, star-man!”
He walked off, leaving Guy and Tempeste alone. Guy took one step forward, and the pain nearly threw him down. He slipped his hand into his pocket and found no HP hyposprays, and his other pockets yielded the same results. There was none in his inventory either. He blew through all his hyposprays to fight Remy. Tempeste rushed to Guy’s aid and held his bloodied body steady. Together, she helped him walk away from the chaos and dispersing crowd.
Guy gestured at Remy’s back as he walked off. “What the fuck is his problem?”
“We were lovers in a past life,” Tempeste said.
“Ah, right your laws,” he said. “As long as the two of you are in the military, you can’t catch feelings for one another.” And isn’t Tempeste the princess as well? Damn, Remy didn’t just lose the woman he loved. He lost the chance to marry into the royal family and become a prince.
Tempeste helped Guy across the city, through the chateau’s fantastic garden, and to its front door. She banged her fist on the door, summoning Marguerite to answer it. The maid gasped at the trench coat wearing swordsman leaking blood all over the ground. Marguerite ran into the luxury home and up the stairs.
“Milady, are you still awake? We require your healing magic!”
Somewhere in the mansion, Averyl replied. “Oh dear, what has happened?”
Tempeste guided Guy to the nearest couch, sat him down, and stood with him. Down the hall, he saw Averyl, not run down the stairs, but fly down with her wings fluttering. She softly landed on the bottom level and looked at Guy seated on the couch.
He waved a blood-soaked hand at her and grinned. “Sorry about the blood on your chair, but it’ll go away once you heal me, right?”
The fae Cleric gave Guy the dirtiest look ever.
After downing an MP potion, Averyl retrieved her Flame Priestess’s Scepter, then idled for the seconds needed to cast her primary healing spell, Starlight Recovery. Each cast brightened the room with green and blue flashes. Averyl looked unhappy the entire time. The pain that throbbed through Guy’s body faded, along with the blood and wounds.
It was like nothing happened. Guy went to thank Averyl, but she turned away quickly and marched to the staircase, her left hand reaching for the banister as her autumn-colored wings projected her frustrated emotions.
Did we catch Averyl at the wrong time? Guy wondered to himself.
Rachael trotted down the stairs and passed Averyl on her way. It put a smile on Averyl’s face as she watched the star-fae reach the bottom floor.
No, not in a bad mood. Averyl just doesn’t like me.
Rachael looked surprised to see Guy standing in the foyer. “Oh, Guy, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“I got challenged to a duel.”
His childhood friend crossed her arms and shook her head disappointingly. “We just got here, and you’re already getting into scraps?”
“Hey now, Remy started it. I just went to finish it.”
“And required my healing afterward,” Averyl shouted down to them from the top floor. The three looked up at her, leaning against the railing of the upper floor. “If there is nothing more you need from me, then please take your leave.”
Guy nodded. “Yeah, I should go.”
“I was on my way out,” Rachael said, and waved up at Averyl. “Thank you for the sigils and the healing tips.”
“My pleasure,” Averyl said, her voice transitioning from sour to pleasant. “Farewell, Lady L’Aignelet, and Rachael,” Averyl said, and waved to the two.
Tempeste curtsied and left. It looked like Averyl was going to wave goodbye to Guy, but kept her hand still, said nothing, and then walked out of sight.
Guy, Tempeste, and Rachael had left after Marguerite bid them goodnight, curtsied, and shut the front door. There were no more unexpected visitors to the chateau, so Averyl retired to her bedroom for the night, her heart beating fast. The more Averyl looked at Guy, the more she realized he was like Wylume; the only difference was Guy was a Paladin, a defensive class that used the power of light. Wylume was a Nox Knight, a defensive class that used the power of darkness.
Horrific memories of Wylume pinning Averyl’s arms down returned, horrific memories of him stripping her naked, holding her down, and forcing his prick into her. All because Wylume’s father convinced Averyl’s father to allow it. The terrifying memories would not leave her mind, and Averyl found herself on her knees beside her bed, ready to cry.
It felt as if Wylume was alive and behind her, like he still posed a threat to her.
“Not anymore. I kinda killed him.”
Averyl mustered the will to look up as a moment of clarity arrived. Guy killed Wylume. He was not an enemy. She could not say the same for other humans and had little reason to believe that the sentinels were not human.
Averyl’s distrust of humanity was a defense mechanism.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“And we have liftoff!”
The moment had come at last. The Sirocco was ready, resupplied, and its crew stood prepared to give Guy and his companions a lift anywhere on Alfheimr. The propellers of the Lumière Kingdom’s flagship rotated and roared, and the airship took off and soared through the blue skies and small white clouds.
Of course, Captain Bordeaux still ran the show, but wherever Guy needed the airship to be, Bordeaux would order his crew to make it happen. Guy wasn’t pleased to see that Remy had become a part of Bordeaux’s crew. According to the captain, Remy wasn’t just a captain of his own airship but also Lumière’s top Berserker, who rocked a tanking build. Remy insisted that he tag along to help, and the king agreed.
Guy said nothing to Remy when the two had spotted each other on the primary deck. Remy offered no apology for what happened last night or gave an acknowledgment that Guy even existed. The dude was sober and still hated Guy. Holding Tempeste’s hand might have been a mistake. Taking Xanthe on her offer was the better choice. Guy would have lost his virginity too.
But hey, who makes smart decisions when they’ve been drinking?
The flight to the southern light elf cities was just as breathtaking as their trip to Lumière was. Guy stood at the front of the airship and looked down at the landscape as they flew over. He saw the Guillaume Meadows outside Lumière, the forests, and the hills leading into the Antoinette Mountains. According to Averyl, there was a small volcanic hellscape in the mountains, though he wasn’t able to view it from their position. After that, it was trees for days and the odd, small elven village.
He found Henrietta musing to herself on the deck as her long black hair blew in the high winds along with the ends of her new armor’s blue skirt. Henrietta was wearing the Lumière Aspirant’s Cuirass, Rank C plate armor lent to her by the Sirocco’s crew as the king had promised. Her glittering silver and blue armor matched well with the Rank C Lumière Aspirant’s Splitter strapped to her back. Her two-handed axe reminded Guy of something.
“Hey, Henrietta, I got a gift for you,” Guy said to her.
“Oh?” Henrietta twirled on her heel to face him with her hands clasped together and a cheery smile. “Is it a PDA with more books?!”
“I wish.” Guy activated his Inventory screen and glimpsed at the two axes in it.
Marauder’s Axe [One handed Axe]
Rank: B
Attack: 20
Strength: +2 Critical Hit Rate: +1%
Asteriarite Slot: [EMPTY]
Asteriarite Slot: [EMPTY]
Asteriarite Slot: [EMPTY]
Requires: 66 Stren
gth
“I looted these axes during our clash with the PKers,” Guy continued. “Want them?”
Henrietta pushed on her glasses’ brim, bringing them closer to her face. She leaned forward and studied the Marauder’s Axes’ stats. “Hmm… These seem weaker. The axe I have now has twice as much attack.”
“It’s a one-handed axe,” Guy explained. “If you duel-wield them, you can combine the stats of the two and get two times as many asteriarite slots for better stat customization. That’s how the system balances weapons. One-handed weapons always have lower stats compared to two-handed ones.”
“Duel-wield . . .” Henrietta stared at him. “Would that not require me to use an Assassin subclass?”
“Assassin, Blade Dancer, and Gunner get the duel-wield trait,” he said. “I take it you have no plans on unlocking those classes?”
“Honestly, I would prefer to be a Mage. I miss being able to read fast . . .”
“Ah, so not interested?”
She smiled. “I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I shall pass.”
“I won’t,” spoke the exotic voice of a shadow angel.
Guy narrowed his eyes at the Blade Dancer approaching the two. “Xanthe. . .”
Xanthe stood with her hands on her hips. The winds blew the lower half of her new blue and gold bedlah so much you could see her panties as her jewelry jingled about. It didn’t look like Xanthe cared. “I can duel-wield.”
“Not axes,” Guy said, crossing his arms. “You need 66 strength to equip these.”
“Perhaps with a strength build, I can,” Xanthe said. “And since you do not want the axes . . .”
“Eh . . .”
Xanthe stood with Guy, put one arm around him, and rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh, come now, darling,” she purred. “Consider this, repayment for rejecting me the other night. You know, when I offered the chance to polish off that bottle of wine in my suite?”
“All right, fine, take ‘em,” Guy said, and he was 90 percent sure he only said it because Xanthe’s charisma took control of his mind.
Mirror Princess: A LitRPG Space Fantasy (Sword of Asteria Book 2) Page 23
