Cheat Code

"You sure about this, Felix? Last I've heard, Mordred is a dagger user."

Damien remarked with hesitation, facing me as our swords readied to clash.

Felix merely grinned, "Quite sure my friend. I am quite sure."

"Now! Both of you, go bonkers!"

As soon as those words escaped his lips, I channeled ardor into my legs and shot toward Damien.

He did the same and our swords collided in a shower of sparks. I gritted my teeth as Damien's enormous strength pushed me back.

Despite this overwhelming disadvantage, I managed to keep myself from getting knocked over by my opponent.

We jumped back and faced each other.

Damien's eyes glowed as he activated Ignis. I too activated Haema and accelerated my blood.

Felix clapped his hands and declared, "No strands for this spar, gentlemen."

Damien rolled his eyes, "Really man?"

"I insist.", Felix emphasized.

So reluctantly, we stopped using our strands.

"Oh and Mordred.", he called out to me, "Try tapping into that recent info inside your noggin."

I just looked at him, absolutely puzzled.

Tap into the information about Damein's skills?

Can I even do that?

I guess I should try it.

Still puzzled, I attempted to access the data about Damien's skills embedded in my mind. 

I exhaled and adjusted my stance, mimicking Damien. He noticed my movements and whistled.

"No way.", he muttered, dumbfounded.

He squinted his eyes and entered another stance. I adjusted my body and imitated his stance to the exact position.

"You've got to be kidding me.", Damien raised his eyebrows and his mouth turned into a nervous smile.

In a flash, he lunged forward and executed an upward slash.

Somehow, my body moved by itself and executed a perfect parry. My movements correspond exactly with the information in my head.

What the fuck is happening?

Damien seemed to be thinking the same thing as he looked like I had just stolen his wife.

It is a weird comparison considering that I am currently thirteen years old, but I think it's a good one.

Anyway.

Damien shifted his feet and unleashed a whirlwind of slashes at me. However, I mirrored his moves, utilizing his techniques against him.

The sparring court rang with the sounds of our swords clashing with each other into a perfect harmony of perfectly executed moves.

But with each swing of Damien's sword, something unusual unfolded during the spar.

My body moved on its own and I am aware of the different ways he would attack me with.

Information about his movements, breathing, and even the sword paths were swirling around in my head.

I absorbed new information while my body moved in sync with Damien's style as if tapping into a mental library of his skills that was seared into my head.

Damien narrowed his eyes and increased the intensity of his attacks.

I did the same as well, using his attacks against him

A powerful exhilaration tinged with confusion clouded my thoughts as the spar continued in a flurry of sparks.

I tried to organize my thoughts as we fought.

I received information about Damien's skills by observing him fighting against Felix.

Now as I faced him in combat, my body was able to react and move according to the information I received from my astute observation.

I grinned, realizing the uncanny feat I'd achieved—I'd mimicked Damien Fray's sword arts and am now executing them with precision.

Of course, his strikes were stronger and quicker than mine but my movements are an exact mirror of his.

"Bloody hell, man! What is this trickery?" Damien exclaimed in disbelief.

We continued trading blows, two swordsmen locked in a dazzling display of identical techniques.

Every footwork, every blow, every swing, I know all of them and mimicked them to perfection.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed Felix looking at the battle with an amused smile.

Soon both of us were facing each other, completely out of breath and drenched in sweat.

My entire body is sore from the spar and the exertion of using Damien's skills.

An amused Felix approached us, applauding the spectacle. "By the Incarni! That was a splendid display of skills!"

"Shut up Felix.", Damien grumbled as he straightened up and glared at the Deathwalker.

"You knew what happened here."

The cyan-haired young man shrugged, "I only had a hunch."

"A hunch, really?", Damien raised an eyebrow.

I frowned, "What hunch?", I asked, equally baffled by what just happened.

Felix's eyes fell on me, "That you can copy the sword arts of the Frays."

"Ah.", I immediately felt very awkward and bowed my head to Damien, "Sorry for that."

He just waved his hands dismissively, "It's fine. I don't care about that." 

"What I do care about is how you managed to perfectly execute the sword arts that took me about ten years to master."

He gave me a curious look, "Just how did you do it?"

I gave him a blank look and shook my head, "I haven't the slightest clue, Damien."

It is true. I have no idea what is happening with my head and body right now.

Sure, I was a quick learner in my past life. But to be able to perfectly copy an opponent's entire skill set?

What kind of bananas is that?

"Hm.", Felix looked me up, as if wondering what kind of new creature I was.

"I have another idea.", He picked up his bow and some arrows, "I need you to observe my movements, Mordred."

He tapped his bracelet and spoke.

"Minerva. Configure sparring court number 69 to archery combat mode."

"Which difficulty?", Minerva's cool metallic voice sounded from the bracelet.

Felix smiled, "Advanced."

"Very well, Felix.", Minerva replied, and the sparring room rumbled as the floor panels slid open and automated training dummies holding practice swords rose out of them.

Their heads jerked up as Minerva activated them and immediately pounced on Felix.

The cyan-haired Deathwalker nocked two arrows to the bow, "Watch me."

I nodded and kept my eyes peeled on Felix as he pulled the bowstring taut and released with an exhale.

The two arrows whizzed in the air and they passed through the heads of four dummies in an instant.

He quickly asked Minerva to stop the dummies and turned to me.

"Anything?"

I shook my head, "Nope."

"Huh. Weird.", he placed his hand on his chin as pondered. After a minute his eyes suddenly lit up as if he received an epiphany.

"Ah! So that's it!"

He gave me an excited look, "Mordred! When you observe my skills, wish for them."

"Huh?", I blinked in confusion.

"Just do it.", Felix implored and pulled out three arrows from his quiver.

"Okay, Mordred. Observe and wish.", He instructed and resumed the march of the dummies.

The practice dummies rushed at him holding a whole variety of weapons.

Felix was calm as he fired arrow after arrow, hitting the dummies in vital spots and restricting their movements.

I observed his every movement.

His breathing, his posture, the way he held the bow, the tension on the bowstring.

I observed every single thing.

I kept my eyes on him even when he moved around, decimating dummy after dummy with his ardor-enhanced arrows and with his bow whenever a dummy came close.

His handling of the bow is beautiful.

A desire emerged within me—I wanted his skills.

Immediately, a splitting headache forced me to cry out in pain.

My sword fell out of my hand and I dropped to my knees, clutching my head as a red-hot spike of pain and information drilled into my head.

It subsided after a minute and when I opened my eyes and raised them, I saw Felix and Damien looking at me with concern.

"You okay, man?", Damien asked.

I nodded, "Yeah. I think. Just like before, the headache disappeared after a minute."

I then turned to Felix, "I think it just worked. The basic information about your skills is now in my head."

Felix looked shocked by my words, "Really? Huh. I was sure to show you the difficult stuff."

I shrugged, "Well, I only have information on the skills you just showed me. I have nothing on some of your hidden skills."

"Interesting.", Felix placed a hand on his chin and looked at me with an amused smile.

He took off the bow slung on his back and handed it to me along with a quiver full of arrows.

I looked at the weapons and then at Felix, an eyebrow raised, "You sure?"

"I'm curious."

I nodded and gave my sword to a very curious Damien and accepted the bow from Felix.

I took out two arrows as training dummies emerged from the floor.

"Let's see what is on the crazy list."

*******

[Felix]

"You have got to be frigging kidding me."

Damien said, his eyes widened in disbelief as he witnessed the unbelievable sight before him.

He is not the only one.

It took me a whole minute to process what just happened.

I just saw a thirteen-year-old perfectly replicate the exact skills I displayed to him down to the most minute detail.

It felt quite eerie.

Mordred's ruby-red eyes glowed faintly as he looked at the training dummies lying around him, all of them having arrows sprouting from joints, heads, and other vital areas.

His strength wasn't enough to destroy the dummies like me but he was able to defeat them using the bow skills that took me years to master.

Exhaustion blanketed Mordred, evident in his heavy breaths and hunched posture.

He seemed bewildered, struggling to comprehend his achievement.

But I had to confirm my suspicions.

And boy were they on the spot!

A small smile crept up my mouth.

What I am feeling right now is neither happiness nor fear. It was a curious blend that whispered of newfound possibilities.

Images of last year flashed across my mind when Iris Karsus effortlessly killed her first daemon within two days of her arrival in the Shield.

The feeling I had back then resurfaced as I looked at the white-haired crimson-eyed boy recovering his breath.

A shudder passed through my body.

Looks like another monster has stepped foot into this hell overflowing with blood.

"Amazing.", I told him.

Mordred looked at me, his face filled with shock and confusion.

"Felix. What the hell just happened?"

My grin widened and a surge of pride welled in me as I spoke.

"Looks like you just awakened your Stigma."