I can see a slight change in his expression. His creepy smile hasn't disappeared—he still seems confident. The only difference is the slight furrow in his brow.
He presses against me once more, his Jurisdiction refusing to leave me alone. I repel it the same way as before. This consumes far more energy than I'd like, and he's obviously coming out ahead in this exchange. It's the price I have to pay to escape the claws of a grade 5.
When his second attempt is finally buried, I can see an even greater change in his expression. He never expected me to resist him "without much effort." That's what I want him to believe. I haven't moved an inch, and my gaze remains completely calm, but if this continues, sooner or later he'll catch me.
I construct several swords in an instant, the five creations flying straight toward him. Metal plates appear around his body to stop my attack. He's not holding back—I can feel just how durable those metal plates are.
The black swords are stopped for a second. They manage to shatter the first layer of metal, while the second is left badly dented. I almost broke through two of the three layers. I can see the astonishment in his eyes as his defense nearly gets split apart in two stages.
I send another five black swords. This time, his plates only have two layers, but they've been heavily reinforced. The swords only manage to break through one layer before becoming useless.
"Even though you're just a pup, you've already grown fangs." I can hear the ferocity in his voice.
"I've learned a few other tricks too." I reply with a faint smile as my two swords appear in my hands. I'm preparing for close combat.
A suit of ice armor, compressed until not a single drop of mana can fit inside, forms over my body. The mana has been woven together with incredible precision, making the construct even sturdier. The Escamus standing before me doesn't fall behind. His already tough scales become coated with metallic mana.
Breaking through his defenses is going to be a pain in the ass. It's like dealing with a double layer of scales that I have to overcome before I can inflict any meaningful damage. I just hope he doesn't have some way to heal himself, otherwise my only option will be to retreat and escape.
Crushing Tempest makes its first appearance on a battlefield against an opponent one rank above me. Gravity around me surges to terrifying levels, lightning dances through the air ready to tear everything apart, and the frost surrounding us threatens to freeze everything solid.
I have to duck immediately to avoid a clawed arm. That strike was aimed directly at my neck. If I'd been even slightly slower, I could've lost my head. I only managed to keep up with his speed because gravity slowed him down a little. The ice didn't even have time to help, and the lightning was repelled by his metal armor.
His claws threaten my life once again. His right hand lunges straight toward my forehead, and I evade by twisting my body to the side. His left hand wastes no time, slashing toward my stomach, but I block it with one of my swords.
I can feel the weight behind every one of his attacks. He must possess some powerful Law that amplifies his blows. Combined with several abilities and his metallic mana, every strike carries tremendous weight.
I have to block a kick aimed directly at my chest with both swords. The sole of his foot crashes into my blades, sending me flying several meters backward. The swords hum from the force of the impact. That kick would've shattered my body if I hadn't blocked it.
"Not bad, pup. That skill of yours is incredibly powerful. Combining two affinities into a technique of that caliber is already troublesome for anyone, and somehow you've managed to combine three. Now I understand why you're so confident." The Escamus simply watches me.
"You can fight at long range, and you know how to move as well. You truly are talented. Too bad you came to the wrong place. I have no intention of letting you leave here alive." The scaly-faced monster slowly runs his tongue across his lips.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
I remain silent, focusing on even the slightest movement of his body. I need to react the instant he moves. He's already proven that his speed is anything but ordinary for someone with a metal affinity and natural defenses.
My entire body trembles. Not from excitement, but from the sheer amount of mana, Imra, Laws, and Dominion I'm using to maintain my greatest offensive power.
My foot shatters the ground beneath me as I launch myself toward the monster. In an instant I arrive at his side, my sword already tracing a beautiful arc toward his reinforced chest. My first strike is stopped by one of his claws. The second, aimed at his face, is intercepted by his other arm.
A relentless barrage of slashes attempts to inflict some kind of damage or at least reach his body. The speed of my movements has reached the very limit of what my body can withstand without tearing itself apart, yet I'm still far behind him in raw speed. This Escamus can defend himself simply through his superior quickness.
The slight advantage I'm gaining from my superior swordsmanship isn't showing any results. I still haven't fully pierced his metallic coating, nor have I managed to touch his scales. Should I push my body even further? That would turn this into a battle of endurance, and honestly, I don't know if I can win one.
I can't say anything about his new attitude. He's stopped spouting nonsense, and I can see that he's completely focused on our battle. There's a trace of admiration in his eyes, and his level of concentration is unlike anything I've seen from another monster before.
I can tell that every movement he makes is an attempt to learn from mine. Naturally, I don't allow him to accomplish that, nor do I give him enough time. I begin changing the rhythm of my attacks, and from time to time a black sword appears at a random angle just to harass him.
I never thought I'd come to admire a monster simply because of the way it fought. He truly resembles a martial artist trying to learn everything he can from an opponent who's weaker, yet more skilled.
It's also causing him a few small scares. Every now and then my attacks pierce his metallic defense. The Escamus pays them no mind because his scales are another wall I still have to overcome.
At last I find an opening in his movements. My sword slips through his defense and strikes precisely where his metal armor hadn't yet regenerated its second protective layer.
The slash barely manages to cut through his defenses. I haven't inflicted any meaningful damage. It's like a human scratching their skin with a fingernail. A grade 5 monster's natural regeneration will heal it within seconds.
I have to block his next attack. It comes with alarming speed, clearly intended to drive me back. The blow sends me flying several meters away. When I regain my footing, I'm about to charge again—but I stop where I stand.
I sensed a faint warning from behind me. Every hair on my body stood on end. That could only mean something dangerous would happen if I moved forward.
The Escamus simply watches as his wound heals almost instantly. Fresh scales emerge, and his body is once again covered by that incredibly durable metal.
This bastard has been holding back all along. I already knew that, but it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth knowing I couldn't force him to go all out without exceeding my own natural limits.
"Hey." His rough, tense voice echoes out. It still carries authority, but now there's also a certain level of respect. "Who the hell are you, pup? Are you some kind of anomaly? It's ridiculous enough that you've managed to injure me without even fighting completely seriously."
I'm slightly surprised. My eyes widen for an instant before I regain control of my expression, returning to my usual poker face. "I don't know if I'd call myself an anomaly. I've killed one before, and I can tell you I'm nowhere near something like that." I answer, buying myself a little time to recover some mana.
"Did you really think I hadn't noticed you were hiding some kind of trump card? Pup, I've spent more years fighting as a grade 5 than you've been alive. I can spot cheap tricks with a single glance. Even that tiny look of surprise gave you away." The monster before me grows even more serious.
So my trump card has been exposed. There's nothing I can do about it. I can feel the atmosphere growing increasingly tense. One movement from either of us is all it would take to shatter it.
His body becomes coated in an even tougher layer of metal. Small spikes, similar to his scales, emerge across several parts of his body. Every one of them is black, and he constructs a staff made entirely of metal, its ends tipped with the same black metallic spikes.
"Death mana..." I hear Glia's voice through our connection. "It doesn't seem like he has much affinity for it. It shouldn't be too much of a problem."
She's right. Although his mastery seems solid, it's nowhere near mine when it comes to a direct affinity with death mana.
"We've been holding back the power of our own death mana this entire time. It's time to unleash everything we've improved during our time in the dungeon." As I answer, my mana grows denser, as if my killing intent were becoming tangible, making my death mana more and more dangerous.
The gravity mana surrounding my body spins violently. It's already reached a level where every explosive movement will strain my body enough to tear muscles and tendons. It's the only solution. Realistically, it's the only way I'll be able to defeat him.
"I would've preferred to keep training... It was becoming more and more interesting for both of us." I smile faintly at the monster standing before me.
"The introductions are over. Time for the main course, pup." The Escamus is ready as well.