Chapter 764: A Hold

Dud could no longer hide his reaction. The cheerful expression he had worn throughout the fight had disappeared, replaced by disgust as he watched the Fallen Rose cut through the men surrounding them.

Their arrival was bad enough, but he could also see that Hercules had defeated Hugo. The man who was supposed to have been a powerful asset when the time came was now lying dead on the ground.

"Why?" Dud demanded. "Why do you always manage to pull something out of nowhere? Another scheme, another group of people coming to save you. Why are they even helping you? If it’s money you want, we have money on our side as well."

"There isn’t an offer you could make that would change anything," Vera answered, keeping a firm grip on her wooden sword.

Abby, who was currently inside Vera’s body, remembered Dud. She remembered seeing him that day as a member of the Rejected Corps. Now someone from that same group was here, trying to take Max’s life again.

She had learned that Max was in a special position, and that several of the things happening around him were connected to it. However, she had never blamed him for what had happened to her. Instead, she blamed herself for being unable to help him when he needed it.

She remembered Max coming to her house after losing his dear friend. He had been hurt and had nowhere else to go. At that time, he had needed her, but there had only been so much she could do for him.

Things were different now. She had the strength and skill to stand beside him, and she intended to use them.

"Max, I’m not sure I can beat this person on my own," Vera admitted. "If you were struggling against him, then I’m guessing there’s a reason for it."

During their training with the Fallen Rose, she had seen how skilled Max was. Even with everything she had learned, she believed there was a good chance she would lose if the two of them fought seriously.

That made Dud’s ability to hold his own against Max all the more concerning.

"I did as you requested," Vera continued. "I didn’t bring it with me, in case something happened to it. Behind those containers, there are members of the Fallen Rose standing guard. Go there and get it. I’ll keep him busy."

Max didn’t answer immediately. He was weighing their chances in his head.

With both of them fighting together, could they take Dud down? Max knew Vera’s skill, and having her beside him would certainly make things easier. However, Dud’s healing was so fast that even a serious injury barely slowed him down.

There was still too much uncertainty. If Max wanted to be sure of winning, he needed to follow the original plan he had envisioned.

"Five minutes," Max said. "I’ll be there and back in five minutes. Don’t die, and I’d prefer it if you didn’t get hurt either."

As Max ran towards the containers, he couldn’t stop thinking about how fortunate he was to have the Fallen Rose on his side. He was grateful that they were a group of battle lunatics who enjoyed the thrill of situations like this.

Of course, he had completely misunderstood why Vera was willing to stand in front of Dud for him. He had no idea what was going through her mind.

"It seems things haven’t quite gone according to plan," Vera said, watching Dud closely. "You never expected us to turn against you like this, did you?"

"Turn against me?" Dud repeated. "I think there’s been some misunderstanding. But it doesn’t matter. I only have one goal!"

He charged forwards without hesitation.

Whatever Max was going to retrieve, there was a good chance it would make the situation even worse. Dud couldn’t afford to waste time arguing with the woman blocking his path. He needed to get past her.

As he came within reach, Vera raised her wooden sword above her head and swung it down.

The strike was so fast that Dud had to lift his arm to stop it from hitting his head. The sword crashed against his forearm, and Vera felt the resistance give way as the bone fractured beneath it.

She had been through enough fights to recognise that feeling. The force of the blow even drove Dud down onto one knee.

What she hadn’t expected was for him to move immediately afterwards, as though the strike had done nothing at all.

The moment his knee touched the ground, Dud surged forwards and wrapped his arms around her waist. Vera brought her sword down again, driving its tip into his shoulder, but he refused to release her.

’What’s wrong with this guy? Does he not feel pain?’

Dud pushed against her, trying to tackle her to the ground. Vera planted her feet and resisted, using far more strength than someone might have expected from her.

Training to wield a sword involved more than developing the arms. Every part of the body needed to be strong, including the legs. Without a solid stance, even a powerful swing could leave a swordsman off balance.

That training was keeping Vera upright now, but she knew she couldn’t resist Dud forever. He continued driving forwards, and if he managed to take her down, she would have far less room to use her sword.

She needed to break his grip.

Vera lowered the wooden blade into the narrow gap between their bodies, positioning it between herself and Dud’s hold. Then she pushed, using the weapon as a lever to force his face and upper body away from her.

His grip finally loosened enough for her to escape. Vera twisted free and spun away, putting distance between them before he could reach for her again.

When she turned back, Dud was already swinging his arms, moving them as though there had never been anything wrong with them. The fractured forearm and the blow to his shoulder appeared to have made no difference.

"Next time I get hold of you," Dud said, "this fight is over."