Chapter 88 : Chapter 88
Chapter 88 losing Well Is Important.
The difference in level is substantial.
"Shouldn't he give up?"
Like Adellian's words, doing so looked better.
"No. I trust Odekerkh. He will show something. Compatibility isn't bad."
As soon as Piontek's words came out, Odekerkh rolled on the floor.
Odekerkh, having become a rag, tried to raise his body spitting the blood filling his mouth.
His eyes met mine. Not discouraged eyes. But not eyes harboring hope either. How to solve a completely blocked puzzle, eyes feeling helplessness.
'Even if losing, have to lose well, what will you do?'
The start of the quarterfinals is the match between Odekerkh and Egbaldo we're seeing now.
When the two were first called, Piontek said 'Compatibility isn't bad. Turned out well.'. At this Adellian also nodded. Spectator seats seemed to think similarly, words like 'Will be interesting?', 'Won't Odekerkh catch him?' came out frequently.
Early in the match, it looked like that. Odekerkh created distance from Egbaldo using stone pillars and stone walls, aiming for gaps and appropriately landing effective hits. But perhaps the pattern was read due to repeated attacks, from the fourth attempt onwards, it didn't work at all. The obstacles he made were smashed easily enough to be futile by Egbaldo's hands and feet. Tried to keep distance and use other methods, but Egbaldo didn't let that happen.
Thud!
Weighty fist.
Kick with considerable speed.
Attacks loaded with wind power, each hit was fatal like being hit by a ballista.
"Why isn't Odekerkh's defense working?"
"Became stronger than before, why is it pierced? Said he fought well against Gwanju too?"
"......?"
Everyone seems upset by Odekerkh's struggle.
"Not bad only when similar. If difference is clear, it's the worst compatibility."
Against Gwanju, he didn't fight alone, so he could survive.
Odekerkh having bad compatibility with Egbaldo is because of his lack of experience.
Odekerkh has never competed with an opponent accustomed to close combat. So there is no suitable technique to use in close combat either. Most techniques he has done were blocking opponent's attack and making paths for comrades. Did only such roles too.
So in this duel, rather than victory, where the core of his power reaches, how and how much to develop it is important.
"Right! Go!"
Seeing Odekerkh throwing his body towards Egbaldo, Adellian shouted.
Wood attached to Odekerkh's sword making a blade similar to Dawn. The guy shouted and aimed for Egbaldo's neck.
Thud!
Attack blocked. Rather faced situation of being slammed to floor.
"N, not yet!"
Odekerkh's desperate shout.
Spectator seats boiling with excitement calmed down. Probably because they saw the appearance of prey resisting predator.
"If you give up, I'll stop. If you don't give up, I have no choice either."
"G, giving up is, none!"
Odekerkh grabbing Egbaldo's arm floated into the air.
Bang!
Along with dust, Odekerkh slammed into the ground.
"One more time."
Bang!
Odekerkh's hand fell from Egbaldo.
Egbaldo looked at Odekerkh sprawled on the broken floor and released his hand.
"Difficult for you to become a warrior. Knight might be possible. Defense is excellent, but attack is clumsy. But not a disadvantage. Seeing techniques used, you must have focused on defense. Stop now. Duel beyond this has no meaning. You suit combat not duel. Combat protecting something at that."
Egbaldo looked at Odekerkh indifferently.
"N, not lost yet. C, can fight more......."
Odekerkh stuck the broken sword in the ground and leaned on it to raise his body with difficulty.
'Limit now.'
Ideally, wanted to shout stop, come down from stadium. But couldn't easily do so. Because saw Odekerkh's eyes.
Resolute eyes of one stepping onto battlefield.
Eyes that won't give up until the end even facing defeat and will swing sword.
Eyes of one who knows only by doing so can those remaining behind fight.
"Just collapse. If you keep holding out, might become cripple."
"I, I do not c, collapse!"
Odekerkh held sword and stood straight.
Adellian, Piontek, and silent Michelle also stood close to stadium and shouted 'Odekerkh!
Stop!'.
"Uaaaaah!"
Odekerkh kicked the ground.
Egbaldo swallowed a big breath and looked at his hands as if preparing a palm blast. Gray energy gathered between hands.
Odekerkh held sword with both hands and jumped high into sky. Shadow made by his sword covered Egbaldo's face.
Pang!
Odekerkh's body twisted greatly. Sword fell to floor and head headed to ground. Arms and legs also wandered in air.
Rumble.
Odekerkh fallen on floor rolled round and round and was pushed to end of stadium.
Referee ran to Odekerkh.
"Egbaldo wins!"
Adellian and Piontek headed to collapsed Odekerkh.
"Cared in own way."
I said to Egbaldo coming down.
Egbaldo looked at me with indifferent eyes.
"Was lucky."
Perhaps understanding meaning of my words too, guy retorted as if nothing special.
Skill is good. Technique used at the end is also decent.
Egbaldo stopped steps.
"Rumor seems not simple rumor."
"Don't know what is simple, but rumor is rumor."
Truth is different dimension.
"Expect."
Looks far from quick wit, intelligence such things, but reality is completely different. Type to read opponent and fight strategically. Must watch guy's next match carefully.
***
"Move! Quickly!"
Piontek carried Odekerkh and ran urgently. Adellian and Michelle followed behind. Place they headed is dormitory near stadium.
"Can you do something?"
"Don't make me talk. Have to focus."
Adellian putting hand on Odekerkh's body closed eyes and thought of recovery magic formula.
Flash!
Pure white light caressed Odekerkh's body.
"Keuheup!"
Odekerkh who lost consciousness woke up. Guy blinked eyes and checked gazes directed at him one by one.
"H, how happened? C, clearly hit by s, something at the end."
"Hit properly. Fortunate not dead."
"Right. If not Adellian, would have been big trouble."
"Correct."
Everyone seeing awakened Odekerkh relaxed and spoke comfortably.
I sat next to Odekerkh and examined guy's body.
"How is losing?"
"N, not first time......."
"Gwanju is different case. First time in this one-on-one duel right?"
Odekerkh swallowed hot breath and looked at ceiling. Guy reviewed what he had done.
"Vexing."
Since not despairing, it's fine. Vexation is driving force making self strong.
"Good. Rest a bit and come to stadium. Have to watch how other guys break."
At my words, Piontek, Adellian, and even Michelle made same voice saying 'Absolutely won't lose!'.
"Idiots? One of these fights me."
As if not thought of that, made 'Ah!' sound.
Feel like becoming idiots little by little somehow.
***
"Ah......."
Adellian is looking at Maxim as if absurd.
"Adellian win!"
"Show dignity of top seat!"
"Smash unlucky Maxim bastard!"
At spectators' support, she let out long sigh.
Maxim looked at Adellian and smiled slyly.
"They say so?"
Like spectators' words, Maxim beckoned as if saying try once.
'Even if can't win, have to fight similarly.'
Adellian holding sword breathed long. She circulated Mana Circle and examined diligently to find Maxim's gap.
"......!"
Adellian felt chill. Similar to experience when facing overwhelming strong one, Gwanju.
Hand holding sword trembled. Even though not duel risking life, couldn't move single finger.
Felt like neck would be cut if showing even slight clumsy move, heart would be pierced.
"Why? Scared?"
Maxim laughed and held sword upside down.
"Will only receive until 3 times, so come in with talent."
Adellian's expression distorted. Maxim was strong. Saw his strength directly too. So when hitting wall, went to Maxim asking for help. Even so, difficult to laugh off current remark.
'I'm not kid either.'
Strength entered Adellian's hand. Vowed to prove definitely that even if not winning, not level to be ignored.
Ta-at!
Maxim watched Adellian's movement carefully. Cross-shaped ice blade formed at tip of her sword.
Crash!
Maxim blocked flying ice blade. But that wasn't end. Ice awl stabbed through broken ice blade.
Maxim didn't wait. Fixed grip on Dawn and sprang forward.
Clang! Crash! Clang!
Adellian's eyes became huge. Ice attack thought to have poured like storm, was blocked futilely, no, completely overwhelmed and disappeared.
"If launched, shouldn't just watch but think of follow-up."
Bang!
Dozens of cracks appeared on ice wall Adellian made urgently.
"O, one hit?"
Couldn't believe. Technique most devoted to since becoming 2nd Circle. Thought attack failing was okay, but defense failing connected to death was strong. Felt this with body when fighting Gwanju.
So wanted to make wall better than Odekerkh's stone wall. And was confident succeeded to some extent.......
Kaboom!
Shattered to pieces.
But didn't lose heart. Since not over yet.
Adellian retreated and swung sword. Dozens of sharp ice grains poured fiercely from her sword tip.
"Ice Bullet (Bingtan)!"
Flying transparent ice bullets scattered sunlight in all directions. Light colors ran between bullets and dizzied everything around. Spectators poured out words like 'What is this?', 'B, blinding!', 'Eye attack?'.
Pasususu.
But in front of Maxim's sword, hundreds of ice bullets became water droplets.
Adellian spat out vain breath. Because powerful attack devised was blocked futilely.
"Like this, cannot withdraw like this!"
Adellian stuck sword in ground and closed eyes.
Maxim stood in place and watched what she did meticulously.
"Mist (Yeonmu)!"
Following Adellian's shout, thick fog spewed from sword.
Stadium was covered in fog hiding everything. Spectator seats complained saying it made eyes uncomfortable just moment ago, now makes nothing visible.
"High Tide (Manjo)."
Fog became increasingly heavy.
Maxim also grasped this by breathing becoming uncomfortable. He swung sword with strength to push away fog. Fog retreated with wind pressure. But was brief. Thicker and heavier fog filled empty space.
"Underwater?"
Inside fog filled with water before knew it.
Adellian and Maxim were looking at each other inside it.
"Forfeit. Or might die."
Adellian thinking caught Maxim urged Maxim's surrender.
But Maxim is not one to accept this.
"Wasn't bad, but this much is insufficient."
Maxim held Dawn with both hands and took stance of slash itself. Blue light came out faintly from his hands.
"I should attach name too. Severance."
Pang!
Water flew away and fog split.
Adellian lifted sword to block sword energy Maxim fired. Momentarily she thought. 'Must dodge!' But already late. Adellian's sword screamed sharply. Several pieces of iron fell to floor clatter and Adellian's knees also fell.
"Still improved."
Was Maxim's word spitting short breath.