Chapter 89: Arthur vs Dorothy

"Remember this is just a sparring match no need to go all out, I just want to see how far you two can make use of your brand new skills in using Mana skin in your favor... Now.. Fight!!."

As he waved his hand to start the signal, Arthur immediately rushed towards Dorothy while coating his sword with his mana.

"Trying to start early huh Arthur!."

Dorothy said as she pierces the ground with her staff, Arthur was getting hesitant and decided to back away as he doesn't know what Dorothy had in mind.

Once he landed on the solid ground he felt an urge slimy sensation below him, he look below and noticed the ground had become into quick sand.

"Crapp!!!." He uttered.

He tried to leap to avoid sinking into the ground until he was trapped as the sand around him formed a cage that was inescapable, he hit his head on the ceiling of the cage and fell back down on the quick sand and yet again he was slowly sinking.

"Now please sit this one out Arthur, cause I'm winning this." Dorothy yelled out.

He smirks at the girl in front of him as he was slowly sinking.

"No.. because I'm the one who's going to win this!." He uttered.

He then activated his mana skin but concentrated his mana into just his sword, as it coated a dark aura in it he then raised it upwards towards the sky and shouted,

"EXCALIBURRR!!!!!."

As the cage bursts into bits of dusts and the quick sand dissipating from the immense mana that surrounded Arthur's sword.

"Look's like brother's getting serious!." Louise said.

"Come on Dorothy, I know you can do it." Patrisha uttered to herself.

"Mama, Papa.. good luck to both of you." Anna said to herself.

As the bits of dusts flying around cleared, Arthur and Dorothy were at a standstill, they were just staring at each other gasping for breath.

"I know... this .. won't be that.. easy.." Dorothy said.

"And... I'm going.. to make this.. even harder!." He replied.

As he then launched himself towards her with his sword at the front, Dorothy activated her mana skin and took the tip of the blade head on, It was on her chest the sword was aiming for, but it couldn't pierce it, that's just how strong her mana skin was.

Arthur was at a stalemate, As he thought of backing away Dorothy's body then split into multiple persons as she used her cloning ability.

But these ones were different, usually she would cast them from the ground to take form but these clones came out of her personally.

As Arthur was trying to sense the real Dorothy's presence,

[Nothing? Did she coated all her copies with her mana skin?]

He thought to himself as his eyes were following every clone that went their separate way.

"Cloning huh? Oooh and she even went the labor to share her mana with the copies to hide her presence in them.. very impressive." Arthur's Father said while eating popcorn and drinking water.

"It doesn't how many you are Dorothy, I will find you!." He uttered.

He then spun himself like a tornado with a blade and went and destroyed the copies one by one.

[I need to make this fast otherwise my head's gonna hurt!]

Arthur can use this skill only once or twice in just a minute or so but if it reaches the limit and goes way past it he'd get dizzy and start to loose conscience.

He took at least three copies out of ten and stopped using the skill, he took a deep breath and said to himself as he placed his sword on his shoulder.

"Well there I said I'd be making things harder.. but looks like she's the one making it harder for me."

He lets out an over thrilled smirk, revealing his white pearl teeth as he then ran towards the copies.

He sliced one clone from above and turned around to slice another who came up behind him.

[If it's one thing I realized from fighting Dorothy's clones is that...]

He dodges one of the clones's staff and swung his sword at her torso causing it to dispersed back into mud.

As another clone rushed between the dispersing clone moments ago and used her staff as a weapon to counter his sword the two were in a clash as they tried their best to get a hit.

Arthur blocked the clones's strikes while avoiding the other clones that were attacking him, trying to mess up his balance.

The clone twirled her staff as if it were lance and jolted him with it, he managed to dodge it by curving his body to the left and pushed the staff away using his sword.

He then dodges a clone's attack from above and continues to pursue the clone and attack it in close range.

"Father? aren't you gonna stop this?." Louise asks.

"Ehhh?? but I wanted to see how far my Arthur and daughter in law can go when in battle." Arthur's Father said in a childish like tone.

"Ehhhh!?! Daughter in law!?!?!." Gray reacted.

"So you mean you're Arthurs..." Patrisha said.

"Yup, I'm Arthur's Father.. but we'll continue this chat a little later cause right now we need to enjoy a battle that's right in front of us."

"Goooo Arthur!!!!." Gray yelled.

"My King!!! defeat her once and for all!!!."

"Don't let yourself be defeated Master!!!." Saya yelled out.

"Just keep on fighting Dorothy!!!!." Patrisha yelled out as she placed both hands on her mouth.

[I see.. looks like you've found some good friends brother.. I'm happy for you..]

Louise was guilty ever since Arthur lost all his friends when they were both young as he would fight them if they bullied her even if they were his friends.

A tear fell on her face as she yelled out,

"Gooo!!! Brotherrr!!! I know you can do it!!!."

"Mama!! Papa!! Do your best!!!." Anna yelled out.

Arthur spun himself around to tear apart all the clones that were circling him, there were only three clones left in the area as he cleared out the wave around him.

[After hearing all that----] He thought as he locked in his sight on the clone he believed to be Dorothy which was on the middle.

[---I can't afford myself to loose this!!] Dorothy said in her mind as she gives him a smirk.

Arthur rushed towards her while feinting his right the clone tried to block with her right but was then torn apart as Arthur swung to the left.

The last clone stopped him in his tracks as they were locking their weapons together.

Dorothy then appeared behind him and was ready to fire her spell,

"Gugalla---!?."

Arthur then dodged it and she had to deactivate her spell to not hit the last clone that was left.

Behind them was the boy who escaped as he leaped into the skies, as he concentrated his mana into his legs to give him a boost.

"I'm going to----.."

"----Beat you!!!."

They both yelled out in joy as they rushed towards each other, Dorothy's last remaining clone dispersed and the mana used on her went back to Dorothy as she activated her mana skin and focused it on her staff and shoulders.

Arthur did the same and retracted the mana from his legs and transferred them into his arms and sword as the two exchanged blows left and right, they saw two mana skin users clashing like there was no tomorrow, the hits and strikes were so fast that all they could see was bands of light blinking on and off.

He feinted with his right but Dorothy never fell for it and readied her staff to guard her right side.

While Dorothy was blocking Arthur's strikes she was slowly chanting her spell to launch at him anytime it would be ready.

"Ooooohhh this is soo amazing!!!." His Father yelled out in joy.

Arthur blocked Dorothy's attacks left and right and curved his body yet again as she jolted her staff at him, He then leaped and went behind her as the two were exchanging blows like there was no tomorrow.

His eyes reflected a shine at the tip of her staff as he then figured out what she was doing he tried to back away and get some distance between them but Dorothy wouldn't let him, she appeared right in front of him seconds after he backed away from her.

Dorothy aimed her staff at his head as Arthur then blocked her strike and grazed the tip of her staff.

"Crap!."

"Idiot!."

As the whole area they were in exploded, covering them both from the smoke meanwhile the ones watching were at tense as they were kept hidden who won, they were nervous and on the edge of their seats as the smoke was starting to clear.

They were managing to see their silhouettes as they were trying to make up who won by their own imagination.

Like everyone else Louise was standing to see who won but as she saw both their silhouettes she closes her eyes and lets out a sigh of disappointment as she then sits back down unsatisfied.

As Both of them were knocked out unconscious Arthur's Father was thinking out what played out before the explosion,

[Dorothy was slowly chanting her spell while they were exchanging swings, she was coating the spell with her mana to hide it's presence but later in the battle Arthur found out about it and tried to avoid her as far as possible.. but she chased right after him as she jolted her staff towards him, he might've hit the tip of the spear causing the spell to implode in on itself and because they were unprepared for that happening they couldn't have activated their Mana skins on time thus is the result we see now.]

As the Gray and the others went to go pick Arthur and Dorothy up Arthur's Father then had a thought in his head,

[I'm somewhat proud and disappointed in them.. but they did their best considering they just learned Mana skin in a few hours.. Congrats to all you..]

Patrisha was caressing Dorothy's face slowly while Gray was slapping Arthur's face left and right without end.

Anna stopped Gray from continuing any further and hugged Arthur while giving Gray an angered glare.

"Hmph!."

"Ehhh!? what did I do? I was trying to wake him up." He said.

"Was this the outcome you expected Louise?." Their Father asked.

"No.. I expected Brother to be more stronger... but I'm glad Dorothy didn't get hurt too." She uttered.

"Oh? what's this? I remembered you being skeptical at first hehehehe."

Louise then locked his wheel chair and left him the beches,

"Huuhh?? Wait Louise! I was kidding!! Don't leeave me here!!."

"Alright guys let's go take them back to their rooms!." Louise said as she gives their father a smirk.

They all went and took them towards their room while their Father was left behind in the benches.

"Louiseeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!."

It was already night time, Arthur's Father managed to get back to his son's room thanks to the Armed Committee Members who were out patrolling the area.

Everyone was at the table enjoying their meal, Dorothy was busy wiping Anna's messy face while Arthur and Gray were playing a video game.

Patrisha was merely enjoying her meal, Saya was ironing their clothes and Carla was simply watching and supporting Arthur as he was battling Gray through the game.

"Dorothy, may I have a word with you?." Arthur's Father asked.

His face was sorta nervous and his tone was calm and friendly, she decided to go and went close to him.

"What is it?." She asked.

"What's your full name?."

"Ritsu..Dorothy Ritsu.. Why?."

His eyes widened from the fact that he does know her but he then closes his eyes as he chose not to tell her about it.

"Nothing.. Welcome to the family."

A warm smile was in front of her as she herself was blushing to the max.

[I finally have their blessing!? that means me and Arthur ca-ca-ca-can get married!!] She thought to herself.

While she went back to Anna all satisfied with her night Arthur's Father then looked up at the starry sky in their window and thought,

[I guess even if we were unable to bring them together.. looks like Fate itself has brought them for us huh old friend.]

End of Chapter 89: Arthur vs Dorothy