Hell's Jaw II

|Gary|

My stomach churned with a familiar feeling as the space around me twisted and warped. Despite Arthur, Alistair, and I trying our best to resist the use of spatium, all of us were still forcibly teleported.

As the world around me settled, I found myself standing in a well-lit cavern. The walls were lined with purple jets of aether that pulsated with energy, reinforcing the structure. The cavern itself was built like a coliseum, clearly designed for mages to battle against each other.

My eyes scanned the area, taking in the details of the space. The ground was made of a smooth obsidian material, with faint purple glyphs etched into the surface.

"So you are the one I must humble."

The voice echoed through the chamber, sending shivers down my spine. It was a voice of power and arrogance, one that demanded attention and respect. Yet it had an ethereal timbre, one that suggested there was more to it than it seemed.

As I turned to face the source of the sound, my eyes fell upon a young man, only a few years older than me. His striking golden hair shone in the dim light, while his black eyes seemed to pierce through my very soul.

There was something almost otherworldly about his appearance, yet his mana signature indicated that he was undoubtedly human. But what struck me the most was the uncanny similarity he shared with the mysterious being who had introduced me to aether in the Death Talons Dungeon.

His flush face was full of life, yet as pale as a sheet of paper. His presence was imposing, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of danger emanating from him. This was the person I was here to face, the one who was meant to humble me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing as I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword. I was prepared to ignite both of my cores at a moment's notice.

"It means exactly what I said," he replied before disappearing from my line of sight. Suddenly, I felt a hand grasp my left shoulder, sending shivers of danger down my spine.

I thought, 'I didn't even see him move, nor did I sense any mana or aether.'

We turned to face each other, his black eyes locking with my amethyst ones. He let out a sigh before grumbling, "You're only at this level? Why did she send me, then?"

A wave of frustration mixed with anger washed over me, threatening to disrupt my focus. However, I quickly regained control and activated Monarch's Indifference, allowing me to suppress my emotions and adopt an indifferent demeanor.

"Who sent you?" I asked, forcefully pushing his hand off my shoulder. He stepped back, and with a deep sigh, replied, "I'll tell you if you entertain me, Gary Whiteborn."

I couldn't help but wonder if the being who introduced me to aether had sent him. Could this be some sort of trial? I needed answers, but I also knew that I had to focus on the task at hand.

"Unsheathe your blade," he said, "Oh, I am Alexis, by the way."

I let out a sigh of resignation before activating both my cores.

Alexis drew his sword, its dazzling golden blade glinting in the dimly lit cavern. The platinum hilt, encrusted with precious gems, sparkled in the purple aether-lit ambiance.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, drawing mana and aether around him. The atmosphere shifted, crackling with energy as he augmented his body, preparing for battle.

I observed him closely, analyzing his movements and tactics. It was evident that he was not using his full power, but only a fraction of it.

We both acknowledged the unspoken agreement and engaged in a fierce sword fight, exchanging blows with basic swordsmanship skills.

Despite being often overlooked by beginners, mastering basic swordsmanship was essential for building a strong foundation in one's skills. It was comparable to constructing a pyramid, where a solid foundation was necessary to support the higher and more complex layers.

Basic movements such as slashes and thrusts formed the very core of swordsmanship styles, yet they were often dismissed by many. However, in my past life, I dedicated myself to mastering these fundamentals to the point where I could effortlessly suppress many swordsmen using only the basics.

In fact, if I were to compete with Arthur and Alistair in basic swordsmanship, I would emerge victorious without breaking a sweat. It was a testament to the importance of mastering the basics before moving on to more advanced techniques.

I was astounded at Alexis's mastery of basic swordsmanship, which seemed to match my own. Our blades moved in perfect harmony, each counter perfectly timed and executed.

Even with my use of Eyes of Chronos to slow down time and analyze his movements, I couldn't find a weakness to exploit using just basic swordsmanship skills.

It was a testament to the importance of mastering the basics. Despite being called "basic," these skills formed the foundation of any successful swordsman's technique. Without a strong foundation, it was impossible to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Most swordsmen neglected the basics in favor of flashier techniques, only to hit a wall when they realized their shortcomings. But Alexis had clearly dedicated himself to mastering these foundational skills, and his expertise was evident in our duel.

I knew that I would have to bring out my more advanced techniques if I hoped to gain the upper hand in this fight.

Our swords clashed with a loud metallic sound, causing us to create some distance between each other.

"Incredible," Alexis remarked, "Your mastery of basic swordsmanship is on par with mine."

"I could say the same about you, Alexis," I replied.

"Shall we increase the difficulty then?" he asked, taking an unfamiliar stance.

Without hesitation, I adopted the stance of Keiki Style, sliding my left thumb down the hilt of my Dusk's Shadowfang. I activated the Third Movement of Keiki Style, Void Step, as soon as I detected the slightest sign of his movement. However, he wasn't nearly as fast as he had been before the battle, revealing that he has been holding back a lot.

A golden aura surrounded Alexis as we clashed in a powerful sword strike. Blood trickled down my left shoulder where his sword had grazed me, but I swiftly healed the wound using vivum.

As we separated, I realized that his swordsmanship was on par with the Keiki Style. I readied myself for another attack, but before I could make a move, Alexis closed the distance between us with incredible speed.

I barely managed to activate Eyes of Chronos as his body barrelled toward me, crackling with golden lightning and wind. His speed was astonishing, and I had to think quickly on my feet to avoid his attack.

With a quick warp of space, I teleported out of harm's way just in time.

"Teleportation, huh," Alexis said as he turned towards me, his body surrounded by a pulsating golden aura.

I couldn't help but stare, fascinated by the power emanating from him. Alexis seemed to have noticed my curious gaze as he spoke, "Curious about this aura? It's the physical manifestation of aether and mana working together, instead of separately like yours."

'What does he mean?' I thought, my mind racing to understand this new information.

"You won't get it yet, but you will soon enough," he said ambiguously, before charging at me again.

The air crackled with energy as we clashed swords once again. My purple aura felt insignificant compared to the golden radiance emanating from Alexis.

Without hesitation, he charged forward with incredible speed. But instead of evading or parrying his attack, I used the power of the Dover Style with spatium to halt his advance in its tracks.

Alexis's expression turned serious as he switched up his swordsmanship, raising the level of his technique. Our blades clashed once more, creating a deafening sound that echoed throughout the area.

We moved in a blur of golden and black, perfectly countering and attacking each other. This wasn't like our previous exchange of basic swordsmanship; this was a battle between two styles at the pinnacle of swordsmanship. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

The battle had reached a complete stalemate, with Alexis purposely suppressing himself to my level and our swordsmanship styles being perfectly matched.

As I faced him, a sense of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. The Dover Style, which had always been my trump card, had proved to be ineffective against his swordsmanship.

In all my years of training and fighting, I had never encountered such a formidable opponent. Despite facing stronger mages in the past, I had always found a way to emerge victorious. But now, standing before Alexis, I felt a sense of trepidation I had never experienced before.

It was a surreal realisation that even with all my knowledge and skill, there was still someone out there who could match me blow for blow. It was a true wall in front of me, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle that I had no idea how to overcome.

Notably, Alexis was only a few years older than me, indicating that he was not like the seasoned mages I had encountered before, such as Director Goodsky. Instead, he was like a budding flower who would eventually blossom into a formidable opponent.

A rival.

Unlike Lancelot, Arthur, and Alistair, who were all well-intentioned but not qualified to be my rivals, only Alexis was worthy of the title.

Was this what she had intended? For me to see that there was someone who I could not defeat in any aspect, someone of my age who I may not be able to surpass in the future?

The force of Alexis's blow sent me tumbling to the ground, struggling to regain my footing as I clutched my chest where he had slashed me. His aura had intensified, overwhelming me with its power.

"You were strong, Gary Whiteborn," he said, his voice filled with confidence. "However, I am stronger."

Despite my defeat, I couldn't help but smile. She had been wrong about me all along.

"I'm not so sure about that," I called out to Alexis as he turned to walk away.

He paused, his back to me as I stood up.

"Because I finally feel like I can go all out."