Young Master's PoV: Woke Up As A Villain In A Game One Day - Chapter 344: Conviction Of A Hero [II]

Chapter 344: Conviction Of A Hero [II]

Whether it was because Michael had taken some critical hits from Ray earlier, or maybe because he simply wasn’t expecting Vince to move at that speed, the protagonist was left unable to react at all.

In fact, he didn’t even see the strike. He only felt it.

One second Michael was about to decapitate an easy prey.

The next, he stumbled back hard, his heavy boots carving deep furrows in the forest loam.

The consecutive, bone-jarring impacts of the palm strikes shook his internal organs and nearly dented the matte-black chest plate. Nearly.

Seven seconds left.

Vince didn’t allow him a moment to reset his center of gravity.

He moved with a visceral speed, closing the distance before the echoes of his strikes could even reach the canopy.

He wasn’t delusional enough to think he was as strong as Michael, even with this ten-second pact. His whole attack plan was built on the element of surprise.

Once that first attack connected, his strategy was to keep chaining the strikes nonstop.

Because, so what if he wasn’t strong? At least right now, he was the hero of his own cliché. And heroes don’t lose.

He seized Michael’s wrist — the one holding that cursed longsword — and with a powerful snap, he yanked him downward.

At the same time, he drove his knee upward into Michael’s shattered visor.

Six seconds.

The ridiculous amount of force behind that blow sent Michael’s head thrashing back, his ashen eyes finally glazing over as his mind was overwhelmed by the sheer, irrational ferocity of Vince’s assault.

Rivulets of blood dropped down his nose, but he blinked himself back to focus, shaking off the possible concussion.

Five seconds.

Vince felt the strain starting to settle over him.

His physique was not yet suitable for handling Essence. The overclocked pact was a double-edged sword, and the edge facing him was starting to bite.

But it was fine. His work was almost done. He just needed to land one more strike on that chest plate to break it. Just one more.

So he tried to stabilize his footing and reach for Michael’s sternum while still holding the wrist, but the protagonist was ready this time.

Michael used his tyrannical strength to wrestle for control of his sword hand. While he couldn’t manage to free it entirely, he did loosen Vince’s grasp enough to bring the edge of his longsword toward the blue-haired boy’s chin.

Thankfully, Vince was able to react in time by throwing himself aside.

Even now, even in his desperation, he didn’t let go of Michael’s wrist. He knew that once that guy started freely using his cursed sword, there would be no fight after that.

There would only be a slaughter. Of him.

Vince crouched under Michael’s hand and swiveled around, still maintaining the hold.

Thwack—!!

He was gaining enough momentum to execute a quick over-the-shoulder judo throw, but before he could fully get into position, a heavy foot stomped onto his back and sent him staggering.

Vince swiftly fell into a roll and sprang back to his feet, though his vision swam.

Under normal circumstances, Michael would’ve already utilized this opening. But just seconds before he could bring his foot down after that kick, a blurry silhouette jumped down on him from the towering trees above.

•••

While Ray was still struggling to catch himself, Lily Elderwing had moved on ahead, scaled the cliff, and arrived in the forest a few moments ago. She had been stalking for an opportunity to go in… and she got it just then.

She dropped onto Michael from a tree branch overhead and wrapped her arms around his throat, squeezing tight to cut off his air.

No matter how strong a B-ranker is, they can’t fight if they can’t breathe!

Michael’s boots skidded on the ground, his balance wavering against the sleeper hold.

Grunting, he twisted his wrist, angling the shadowy longsword toward his own back to impale the girl clinging to him.

Vince saw that movement and realized this was it. This was his chance to charge ahead!

Four seconds.

Without a hint of hesitation, he traded the remainder of his four seconds for a single burst of speed and became a streak of smudge in the air.

His fist was cocked back, aiming right for the center of Michael’s armored sternum. Unfortunately, he was so focused on that last move that he didn’t register the precognitive dread in Lily’s eyes.

He didn’t hear her shrieking his name in warning.

Or maybe he did.

Maybe he just didn’t register it until…

KABOOM—!!

Michael didn’t try to stab Lily anymore. Instead, he pointed the blade of his sword directly at the incoming Vince and triggered an explosion from the base of the hilt.

The blast acted like a kinetic propellant, launching the longsword forward like a cannon projectile.

Vince had no time to dodge. He tried to move enough to save his heart, but the blade still struck his shoulder.

—THACK!!

The momentum carried him backward for meters until he was pinned to a trunk, the sword embedded deep into the wood through his flesh.

With eyes wide and pupils dilated, Vince coughed out a mouthful of blood, rasping and gasping before going limp.

Meanwhile, using the recoil from that very same blast, Michael threw his weight backward. He slammed Lily into the loam just like before, breaking her hold, then springing away in a perfectly executed rolling backflip.

Lily tried to scramble up, her mind panicking.

How?!

How did this happen?!

How did she not see this coming?

How did she not see that Michael was going to throw himself back and escape?!

Her… her prophetic vision was rendered ineffective!

That’s when her gaze lifted.

The young man looming tall over her had already re-summoned his blade and was now bringing it down to skewer her. But more than the dread, what caught her attention was that his eyes were glowing with the exact same etheric violet light as hers.

It dawned on her then.

The split second after Michael fired off his sword, he copied Lily’s Origin Card.

Since Lily had never fought another true seer, she had no idea what would ensue.

Now she did.

When two seers clash, the future becomes a hall of mirrors.

They don’t see probabilities or certainties… they see nothing.

Like now, every move Michael saw her make, she saw him see, and he saw her seeing him — until reality had to protect itself from paradoxes and cancel both their abilities out to preserve the continuity.

Although Michael was a rank above Lily, he was being puppeteered by the God Who Eats Is, fighting more on instinct than intellect. So he couldn’t have upgraded the copied power to his level.

And that was precisely why Lily was still alive.

…Not for long though.

KACH—!!

The shadow-blade descended so fast it sliced through the air toward her gut. Lily shot her arms up to deflect the sword while pulling herself away at the same time. She was successful… to some extent. But the blade still punctured into her lower abdomen.

Her mouth fell open into a silent scream.

She felt the cold of the steel against the warmth of her own flesh like freezing needles. The pain was so excruciating that Lily felt like she’d never feel anything else ever again.

As the agony numbed her will, her Origin Card dissipated into shimmering motes of light and her limbs turned to lead.

Michael pulled the sword out and drew it overhead.

Blood started pooling under her in a crimson puddle as she physically sensed the heat depleting from her body so fast she might as well have been lying naked in a snowstorm.

Through the chill and through the fear, a strangled plea left her clattering teeth in a wet wheeze. “Mic… Michael…”

Uncaring, Michael unleashed a clean slash.