Chapter 170: Trickery In Battle

This time, it wasn’t a dive. I matched her shoulder to shoulder and threw my hand forward. First jab she merely cocked her head, the second jab she tilted to the other side. She cocked her hand back and lunged with an uppercut which I managed to slide away from at the last moment, but it still grazed my jaw and split the skin shallowly.

I staggered back, turned and rammed toward her with my shoulder but she blocked with both hands, somewhat subduing the force. I lashed out and threw her hand off, sent a kick at her face—she blocked the kick, I rose into the air and threw two consecutive kicks, the right leg following after the left. Her movement was fast despite the weights pulling her down.

She lashed her own leg out in response. Surprisingly, the habit simply parted way for her leg to move freely, the fabric tightening around her figure. It almost ensnared me into a trap but I caught myself and rolled away from my position, feeling the wind of her leg passing my face.

’God... I swear if she disfigures my handsome face.’

For some reason Maggie was targeting my face.

’Since you want my face so bad. Come and have it!’

I entered her line with carelessness. For a moment she faltered — I saw the look of shock in her eyes. And that faltering did help me. I swung my head back quickly and brought it toward her.

I was nothing if not confident in my headbutting streak.

To my shock though, my head slammed into something that was definitely not her face. Her knee crushed into my face, blood flying out of my lips and nose. She grabbed me by the collar and sent multiple punches straight into my face without waiting a second.

She abandoned her grip on me, letting me stagger back, then she twisted into the air and finished me with a reverse cycle kick that dropped me onto the deck and rendered me unable to stand for a few moments.

My vision swam as I lay there on the deck, and I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly went wrong. The headbutt should’ve landed. I had timed it perfectly based on how she had been moving all the while.

’Wait...’

My eyes couldn’t widen because they were swollen shut, but something formed in my head.

Could it have been that Magdalene was deceiving me with her speed? That would’ve been easy to do, after all. Then at the last moment, she moved faster and smashed her knee into my face when I thought I had found her opening.

This would mean that she led me on intentionally, in order to turn whatever opening I found against me.

’Noted.’

This was yet another tactic that I had learned. Cunningness in battle, how to not reveal all your cards, especially when you’re fighting a powerful opponent.

But that was even what made this particular tactic that Pyre Saint employed more daunting. When fighting a truly strong opponent, could one afford to truly hide their abilities?

’If I want to find out, I’ll have to see how Maggie fares more in battle.’

From the little times I had seen them fight, while Kassie was a frontliner, she dashed forward with power and crushed her enemy with might.

Magdalene was a mage that hid behind the firepower of her flames. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t a devastating melee attacker — after all, she just showed it. However, I also wanted to believe that she was the kind of fighter that loved to trick her enemy.

’What a lowly battle style for someone who was a Grand Inquisitor.’

On second thought though, maybe Maggie was just like this for that very reason. If one was an Inquisitor in an age before even Kassie’s age, then that most likely meant that they all had to be viciously strong.

There was no way that Maggie wouldn’t have met opponents who were far stronger than she was. Opponents whom she had to prepare to battle weeks or months before in order to ensure her success.

It was the same thing for Kassie — there would’ve been opponents she lost to a couple of times.

’Although I doubt there’ll be a lot of that.’

"Are you going to keep laying there forever?" Maggie’s harsh and cold voice sounded.

I exhaled and managed to push myself off the cold surface of the deck.

"You’re supposed to say sorry, you damn—" I suppressed the rest of the curse as I glanced into her eyes.

She folded her arms and scoffed in condescension.

"I won. You lost. This is as simple as that."

"So like she said..." she pointed back at Kassie, "I get to stay on the Nave for the next one week."

I froze, looking at Kassie, then I shifted my gaze to Pyre Saint and then to Kassie again.

"What? There was a bargain?"

Kassie shrugged.

"I had to give her something."

Meanwhile Maggie was grinning in a manner that made me want to smack that smirk off her face. On the contrary, she looked quite happy to be staying on the Nave for the next one week. I could just spend my essence on making Kassie stay if her free time ran out, but something also told me she wouldn’t want that.

It was surprising but Kassie was a fool for honor and integrity.

’These warlords...’

I exhaled and straightened fully. I think a rib or bone somewhere might’ve snapped fully as I did, because I heard a sound.

"Anyways, that’s it for today’s training. I’m going to rest."

I managed to drag myself forward. As I walked into the cabin, Po was coming out.

"Ouu, Mr. Cade, another beating?!"

"Times I manage to win, where are you always at?"

Po gestured around the ship, "Here. I just never see those times because they never exist!!"

I shook my head and went inside.

After I did, Lady Yuan followed. She was no longer wearing a cloak now and used to walk around in her black kimono.

Po squinted his eyes as he watched her go inside immediately after me.

"Hmmm..." he massaged his temple, "...I can’t prove it yet. But I know... I know, Mr. Cade."