"Letâs get this party started for real..." Leon spoke with a smileâand in the next instant, a massive wave of bloodlust exploded out of his body.
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*
"I AM GOING TO KILLLLLL YOUUUUUUUUUU!" Merlin roared as he vanished from his position and reappeared right in front of Leon, both swords thrust straight toward his eyes.
<Loose Grip>
[Name: Loose Grip]
[Rank: D]
[Description: Once used, the opponentâs grip will automatically slip on their weapon, with a 75% chance to inflict {Paralysis} for one second.]
[Cooldown: 10 seconds]
[Mana: 80 mana]
In the next moment, both swords slipped from Merlinâs hands and crashed onto the ground.
*TangâTang*
"What theâ" Before Merlin could finish his sentence, his body froze mid-air.
âThis is impossible... How can a mere human use paralysis powerful enough to affect me? And how did my blades slip out of my hands?â Merlin thoughtâonly to see Leonâs blade tearing in from the right at full speed.
"Die." Leon spoke with a smile as he brought his sword towards Merlinâs neck with full speed.
"Brother... USE IT! HIS BLADE IS ENCHANTED WITH REGENERATION NEGLECTING SPELL." Regoris shouted from behind with a worried expression and wide eyes.
âI didnât wanted to use it this fast into the fight but if this is what it has come down to.â Merlin thought with a serious expression as he closed his eyes.
<DEMON ARTS â SEVENTH FORM: ABSOLUTE AURA FIELD>
*SWIIIIISSHHHHHHH*
*Tang*
An unknown energy instantly wrapped around Merlinâs body, forming a force field that effortlessly deflected Leonâs sword.
âWhat the fuckâ!?â Leon thought as his eyes widened in shock.
*Thud*
"You are dead now," Merlin said coldly as he landed on the ground, immediately retrieving both of his swords.
Merlin whirled the swords in his hands and immediately tightened his grip on their handles.
*SWISH*
Without wasting another second he thrusted them towards Leonâs heart from below
<Blind Spot>
Leon activated the skill and vanished once againâreappearing right behind Merlin.
"Not this time..." Merlin muttered as he spun around at full speed, his blades ripping through the air itself.
âThe blades are coming from behind. I can sense them, but I canât dodge... My feet arenât even on the ground. No matter how I move in mid-air, Iâll lose a limb.
"That attack... It canât be dodged that easily." Adwin spoke with a serious expression.
âIf itâs come to this... Iâll sacrifice my left hand and reattach it with pain recovery since Iââ
Before Leon could finish the thought, he felt something wrap around his entire bodyâsomething invisible.
*Swish*
âHow is that even possible? How can he react this fastâmid-air? Just how strong is this opponent?â Merlin thought as he watched Leonâs body rotate a full 180 degrees in mid-air.
"Did he just turn his body mid-air without using any magic?" Ruben asked, stunned.
"Woah... how did Master do that?" Dusk muttered, eyes wide as he stared at Leon.
*Step*
The moment Leonâs feet touched the ground, he noticed Merlin was no longer where he had been a second ago.
24 minutes ago...
"Master... Merlin is ruthless. He will do anything to kill youâeven sacrifice himself if thatâs what it takes.
He will use his Demon Art: Absolute Aura Field. Iâm one hundred percent sure. Once activated, itâs impossible to touch him for ten minutes. But after those ten minutes... heâll be extremely weak," Enid explained calmly.
"So I just dodge his attacks for ten minutes and kill him afterward," Leon replied neutrally.
"Itâs not that simple, Master. During those ten minutes, Merlin will throw away every part of himself just to kill you.
How do I explain this... He accepts deathâbut he will never bow. Heâll sacrifice everything just to prove heâs stronger," Enid said seriously.
"Very well then... itâs time he accepts death," Leon said with a smile.
Present Time...
"DIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Merlin screamed as he descended from behind, both blades crashing down from above.
"He canât dodge that... I have to step in." Adwin said, fear flashing in his widened eyes as he immediately started walking towards Leon.
"Oh, he will," Dreulis replied with a chuckle.
âHeâs laughing?â Gris thought, stunned, as he turned back toward Leon.
*Swish*
Leonâs entire body suddenly shifted to the right in one smooth motion.
He didnât move his legs.
He didnât move a single limb.
It was as if some external force dragged him aside.
THUD
Merlinâs blades smashed into the ground, and a wide smirk spread across Leonâs face.
âThe mana threads... Theyâre protecting me because of <Sixth Sense> skill. Everytime he attacks me and my mind senses that I canât dodge it, the mana threads act on instincts and move my body. If thatâs the case...â Leon thought as he slowly closed his eyes.
The moment Merlin saw that, his eyes went bloodshot. White foam spilled from his mouth as rage consumed him.
"YOU DARE DISRESPECT MEEEEEEE!!!!!" Merlin roared, veins bulging across his body.
"Youâre just too easy to fight, are you even a real demon ?" Leon taunted calmly, smiling.
Merlin immediately joined his hands and made a hand seal that looked like a drop symbol.
<BLACK BLOOD â THIRD FORM: DEATHâS WALK>
As soon as he used the technique, his legs got covered in a black flame.
"Deathâs Walk... one of the finest footwork spells a demon can useâcompletely silent and it also boosts his speed." Enid muttered grimly.
"Why would Master close his eyes in a fight like this?" Dusk asked, turning to Rees.
"IâI donât know... I really donât understand how sir Leon fights," Rees admitted.
Swish
Merlin vanished into a black shadow and reappeared directly behind Leon. Instead of striking immediately, he held both swords diagonally and charged forward at full speed.
Leon stood perfectly stillâlistening.
Suddenly, He felt his upper body pulled back and his lower body pushed forward by invisible mana threads.
âAs long as I have these mana threads protecting me... I am almost invincible in a one vs one duel.â Leon thought with a wide smile.
SWISHâSWISHâSWISHâSWISHâSWISHâSWISHâSWISHâSWISH
No matter how Merlin attackedâno matter the angle, speed, or directionâthe mana threads twisted Leonâs body just enough to save him every single time.