Chapter 39 (Time Cease)
'This guy, he looks tough. All these knights are such a pain. But this fight is something I cannot lose. If I lose this, I'll lose my allies and the chance to get this berserk level warrior. This is a once in a lifetime.'
"Start already! I can't wait for you forever!" The demon says.
"Okay okay calm down already, I'm just making my strategy."
'Shit! I didn't even think of a plan yet!'
Yamato, depending everything on his luck, stands In front of the demon with his swords in his hands with so plan whatsoever.
He looks at the demon with a non-confidential way as the demon looks into Yamato's eyes, filling him with fear.
'This guy, he's making my mentally weak. He's one ally I can't just let go.'
"Hoh? You stood still even after I filled you with fear, huh? Fighting you is going to be fun."
"So you were actually doing that? I thought it was a hunch. Well, let's have some good time."
The demon pulls out his giant sword and points it directly at Yamato.
'What? He's going for a direct hit? The odds of his success like this will be less than 40. What is he thinking. WAIT! There ks something else to it. It's not a normal sword, he's using magic. I can sense the mana coming out of it. But what kind of magic is he using?'
Yamato starts to sweat out of nervousness as this fight was not normal, the demon In front of him was surely plotting something.
They both stood still and the moment Yamato's sweat dropped.
"AAAAAAA!!!!!" The demon shouts as he runs to Yamato.
He holds his sword straight on Yamato, and it seemed like an easy dodge.
'Is he even taking it serious? My speed is giving me tons of advantage, like I can just slice him, he's far too reckless.'
Yamato dodges the attack and as he proceeds to advance, he sees something weird going on.
The demon spinned his sword in the air and changes its direction like he's slicing through the logic of time.
'DAMMIT! He used the time splitting spell. I can't dodge it. It was all a part of his plan and I fall for it blindly. I can't do anything in midair. I am so dead.'
Yamato thinks as he surprisingly looks at the sword and changes the position of his sword to defend, but it was too late.
'He's aiming for my head. I have to do something or I'm dead. I know, I can use my mana to harden my arm and block with it, but there's no guarantee that my arm will not be sliced off, but I have to do it. Even if only a little of it can harden my arm in time, it will be enough.'
He takes the moment and pulls all his luck on the time by sending as much mana as he could and hardens his arms.
"DIE!"
Yamato succeeds to get his arm on the position and takes all the damage onto his left arm.
The sword was deflected by the shield he created by the mana but as the shield wasn't strong, Yamato had to face the impact.
"AGH" he screams as he gets dragged back by the force.
His arm was severely injured. The cut was feel and reached to the middle of his arm, almost tearing it apart.
"My arm…. At least it isn't teared apart. It can be healed." He says exhaustively.
"One should never get lost in his thoughts during a battle. That's the ultimate weakness of a swordsman." The demon says.
"But my thinking saved my neck." Yamato replies with a smirk.
"It was just mere luck. A brainy being has no place in a battlefield."
"You yourself used a strategy. So, you too broke this rule."
"It was a mere stance that I usually use. Give it all on your first blow, as the first blow gives the final results."
"That doesn't always work."
"ENOUGH CHITCHAT! NOW PREPARE TO DIE!!"
He again charges on Yamato with the same skill.
Yamato healed his arm during the chatting, which drained 30% of his mana.
'There is something you should never forget in a battlefield, you cannot get the advantage from the same technique you used before if you have a sharp opponent. The mixture with time slicing is good, but I control the surrounding time myself. You are mine. You used time splitting on your sword, but I will use it on my all body.'
Yamato breakdown his Mana limits and spreads it around his body. He used all the mana for time splitting. It was inevitable. For him, time just stopped around him, and that was the ultimate rival for the demon's technique.
"You are all muscles. You let your sword go against the laws of time but I, myself, breaks down that rule. Prepare to lose."
As Yamato bursts the mana, the time stops and the only one who could move was Yamato.
'Even though I am the user, I still can only walk in this zone. I have to make myself more stronger for this. The only disadvantage of this skill is that if my opponent has more resistance than me, then he can easily break through and if he doesn't then…'
Yamato says it as he walks towards the demon and proceeds to slice his sword.
'He really is all muscles, but if he gets under my command, I'll train him to be much powerful mentally and spiritually. He couldn't cross through my time stop.'
*SLASH*
Yamato cuts through his sword, making it split in half.
"TIME CEASE, END"
He undoes the skill while standing In front of the demon as he sees the sword falling down.
"How did you…" the demon muttered.
"I just used the same trick as you, but not only on my sword, I used it on my body too."
"That's absurd. No one can do it."
"I can."
"I see. You have defeated me in a dual. My life is all in your hand now. Kill me if you want, or make me serve for you."
"Killing you would be a waste because you have talent. I want you to serve under me. I'll teach you all I can and make you learn the time cease too. Though you still can never reach my level. So, what do you say?"
He looks at Yamato with the eyes of hope and bows In front of him.
"I humbly accept it. I'll be grateful to you. I, The Warrior of the demon army from now on serves under you my liege."
"That's good. Celestine, you now have a partner. Please train him till I sort my stuff out."
"As you command.*
Yamato picks a scent of rage and anger around him. As he looks at his direction, his heart starts to race.
"Yuna.....you have some red mana overflowing. Are you alright"
"ALRIGHT, YOU ASK?." she yells.
"Calm down, you are going to blow my ears."
"I don't care. I told you not to be reckless but look at you. Your arm nearly teared apart. How would you heal it, huh?"
"I won't? Anyway it's alright and healed already so what's the big deal?"
"Yamato, you don't understand her a bit." Akari says
"What did I do?"
Yuna's mana starts to raise with more anger.
"Master, I think you should stop her. If that mana explodes, I don't know what's going to happen." Kai says through telepathy.
'I know, but how should I do it?'
'Apologize to her.'
'Will that even work?'
'I think it will.'
'Okay I'll try.'
Yamato reached towards Yuna and feels a great pressure.
'Such bizarre pressure. If she uses this in a battlefield, she's surely going to kill at least thousand of minions.'
Yamato puts his hand on Yuna's head and says.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect that either. Don't worry too much, I'll make sure to not get hurt again."
"You always say that, I can't trust you anymore."
"Come on, give me another chance. I'll prove my loyalty." He says with a pleading face.
"You….AHH WHATEVER, DO WHAT YOU WANT." she says and walks away.
"I got her mad, but at least the mana is gone. Well, I guess I'll have to sort this too. This is such a pain. My mana is all dried after that fight, I need some rest"