Chapter 149: The Midnight Duel (2)
Chapter 149: The Midnight Duel (2)
Jin channeled his internal energy into his curved saber and widened his stance on the fractured rock. He executed the Azure Crane Blade with fluid grace. His footwork mirrored a bird taking flight as he danced around the sweeping arc of Eden’s Penance.
Jin redirected the downward force of the greatsword with the flat of his blade and aimed a horizontal slash at Solomon’s ribs.
Solomon anchored his boots against the cracking stone and twisted his hips. He swung his weapon upward to catch the strike. The steel clashed loudly, sending a shockwave echoing across the surrounding peaks.
Solomon pushed off his back foot and transitioned into the third form of the Eden Imperial Sword Arts.
Transferring his weight seamlessly across his core to maintain his balance, Solomon unleashed a rapid, off-center flurry of diagonal slashes toward Jin. Jin slipped through the web of steel with elegance.
He utilized the evasive steps of his martial art to spin out of the attack radius. Snapping his wrists, Jin delivered a flurry of thrusts that forced Solomon to retreat toward the edge of the plateau.
The stone surface splintered under their boots as they traded blows at high speeds. Solomon gritted his teeth and gripped the hilt with both hands. He dropped his center of gravity and lunged forward.
[Fatal_Beauty: Jin looks like he is dancing around those strikes.]
[James_hayes: the choreography is crazy to watch.]
[Chi_Master: those shockwaves are destroying the whole mountain!]
[Gray: Solomon is holding his ground against him.]
Discarding the cutting edge, he compressed his body weight and momentum into a single microscopic point at the tip of his blade to execute the fourth form. The forward thrust tore through the space between them. Jin recognized the danger and channeled more power into his saber.
He spun his weapon to deflect the incoming point.
The collision created a booming sound that shook the very foundations of Cloud Piercing Peak. Craters formed beneath their feet while loose gravel rained down the steep cliffs. Jin pushed Solomon away and leaped high into the night sky.
He brought his curved saber over his head to unleash a descending crescent attack.
[IceWaterKat: the ground is literally caving in.]
[Dark_Skies: that thrust almost got him.]
[Last_Fables: my screen is shaking from the impact.]
[1Fizzy: they are destroying the area.]
Solomon anchored his stance and executed the second form. He snapped his hips forward like a loaded spring and swung Eden’s Penance in a horizontal sweep.
The weapons collided mid-air, casting bright sparks across the darkened landscape.
Miles away from the crumbling plateau, a veiled figure stood atop a distant mountain peak. Keeping her arms crossed over their dark robes, the figure observed the flashing lights of the duel.
She stared at the swirling dust and the collapsing rocks without uttering a single word. The wind rustled the dark fabric of her veil as she tracked every movement happening on Cloud Piercing Peak.
Footsteps crunched over the loose gravel right behind her. Marco Alfoy walked up the rocky incline and stopped a few paces away. Glancing at Marco for a fraction of a second, the veiled figure turned her attention right back to the distant duel without uttering a single word.
Jin gripped his curved saber and stepped back from the cratered rock. "It is time to end this," Jin announced, pointing his blade at Solomon. "I will show you the true peak of the Azure Crane Blade."
Suddenly, Jin dashed forward and unleashed a blinding flurry of attacks. He chained the connective steps of his sword style with unmatched agility, a true display of martial superiority. Redirecting Solomon’s downward chop, Jin stepped right into Solomon’s blind spot.
He brought his saber around in a sweeping arc aimed at Solomon’s ribs.
Solomon gritted his teeth and hopped backward to evade the strike. The tip of the saber grazed his gray uniform and tore the fabric. While he struggled to match the sudden burst of speed, Jin pressed the advantage and launched a barrage of thrusts that forced Solomon to continuously retreat across the broken stone.
[1Fizzy: Jin is putting on a clinic right now.]
[Fatal_Beauty: Solo Man is actually getting pushed back.]
[James_hayes: the speed difference is crazy.]
Fortunately, Solomon anchored his boots against the ground and tightened his grip on Eden’s Penance. He decided to unleash all his remaining physical strength. Aligning his spine with his wrists, he executed the first form of the Eden Imperial Sword Arts.
He brought the executioner’s sword crashing down to break Jin’s aggressive pace.
Jin raised his saber to block the chop. Solomon instantly snapped his hips forward and transitioned into the second form. The horizontal sweep slammed into Jin’s guard and forced Jin to slide backward.
Nonetheless, Solomon refused to give Jin room to breathe. He launched into the fourth form. He compressed his body weight and momentum into a single microscopic point at the tip of his weapon.
Solomon lunged forward and executed the high-velocity pierce. Jin twisted his torso to parry the strike. Pulling the hilt back, Solomon performed the exact same fourth form again. He chained the forward lunges in quick succession.
[GoonLord: HE IS SPAMMING THE SAME MOVE!]
[Dark_Skies: if it works, it works.]
[LazyCat: Jin is running out of space.]
[IceWaterKat: spamming the thrust is actually a valid strat.]
The barrage of thrusts pushed Jin toward the sheer edge of the plateau. Jin glanced at the steep drop behind his heels. He caught the next thrust on the flat of his saber and shoved Solomon away.
"I cannot lose this fight," Jin declared, lowering his stance. "From this moment on, we will use aura."
Brilliant blue light erupted from Jin’s body. The glowing energy coated his curved saber and illuminated the dark plateau.
[User12: bro just activated his second phase.]
Solomon rested his executioner’s sword against his shoulder and frowned at Jin. "You only want to use aura now because you are about to lose a physical sparring match. That sounds like cheating."
"This is a duel between warriors," Jin responded, standing tall and pointing his glowing weapon at Solomon. "If I were a real opponent trying to take your life, I would have used all my tricks and spells from the very beginning. You must never trust anyone other than yourself on a battlefield."
Jin took a step forward and locked his eyes on Solomon. "Your enemies will never play by your rules. They will lie, cheat, and use every single advantage they possess to kill you. Relying on honor or fair play will only put you in an early grave."