Chapter 313: The Light-Shadow Archer
To waste time was not in Dasha’s world. Kill, kill, kill. That was his focus. Pulling the Replica Gáe Bulg from Asa’s throat, her red helmet clattering to the floor, Dasha made a mad dash for the Light-Shadow Archer. It was one-on-one.
With a whisper and flick of his wrist, the Light-Shadow Archer nocked three arrows and released them. Physics deemed the arrows strike his gauntlets. That did not occur. A tiny spark of light hit the end of the arrow. One arrow went up, another below, and the last was misdirected toward his midsection.
’Counterflow Stance.’
Time slowed. He was able to see it and comprehend it.
For the second time, there was a spark and the arrows below and above were redirected, one for his head and one for his knee.
Blocking it was impossible with the spear. All the arrows landed. Dasha pushed regardless. The arrow to his knee almost slowed him. The pain, the blood, the cut off in his muscles, Dasha pushed past it all and as a result, his speed only dropped by a hair’s breadth.
The archer took advantage of that. A burst of light erupted from the soles of his black armour and propelled him high into the air. Dasha leaped after him and was met with arrows again. ’Counterflow Stance.’
Dasha scanned. He was able to predict exactly where and how the arrows were going to bounce through the air. The Light-Shadow Archer was an observer. He manually caused the burst of light magic and thus the misdirection. The archer observed Dasha’s exposed left eye and the way it flicked left and right. That was when he made the misdirection. That was when he presumed a human would be indecisive.
He was correct on a technical level. To be indecisive and rock between movements was natural, not weakness, and none of that mattered when Dasha was aware of the habit and could counteract it before it happened. The two metre-long spear in his hands was the most convenient weapon to defend against a technique like this.