With a piercing sound that tore through the air, Ian charged.
The Lunar, who had been held like a staff, transford into the form of a complete sword.
It was an attack that seed to take advantage of the opponents montary lapse.
But.
Tsuzuzuzut!
Richard calmly deflected the sword with a simple downward motion, as if brushing off dust.
Thunk!
Ians sword, deflected by Richards gesture, fell powerless to the ground.
So shattered Lunar fragnts, unable to withstand Richards force, grazed Ians cheek.
Trickling.
Warm blood flowed from the opened wound.
Richards eyes glead brightly as he observed it.
Quite a flavorful blood scent you have.
Ian wiped his cheek with his hand.
It was just ordinary blood, with a strong tallic scent.
Why are you so obsessed with this?
Ian wondered as he flicked his hand, causing the transparent frost on the ground to turn crimson.
Leave the feasting to other humans. There are plenty of corpses here.
Even if you combine them all, they wont match your worth.
A fleeting madness passed through Richards seemingly composed face.
In Fanta X Aca, the Northern Duke may seem arrogant, but there are many crazies with intense obsessions.
Now, a traditional clich of so genre finally crossed Ians mind.
Did he attach that condition of complete submission if he couldnt defeat him within seven moves for no reason?
Thats when he hadnt seen those lustful eyes flashing with desire.
Why did he suddenly recall an image of himself trapped in so dark place, shackled, and having his blood drawn?
Tsk.
Ian shook his head dismissively.
Anyway, the condition didnt matter.
Within the remaining six moves, he would exploit Richards most fatal weakness.
Ian looked down at the sword embedded in the ground.
And there, at close range, were Sharon Pierces unfocused pupils as she lay collapsed.
Unlike the other bodies with frost on their wounds, Sharon Pierces wounds were clean cuts.
Without saying a word, Ian transford and withdrew the Lunar pierced beside her.
You have quite an interesting fighting style.
I didnt expect you to block.
Pretending to be a mage and luring the opponent into complacency before striking. Understanding your advantages clearly is also a skill.
Thank you for the complint.
Ian and Richard distanced themselves.
Yerina Pierce, who had been watching, narrowed her eyes.
Richard is completely toying with him.
It seed like praise, but it wasnt.
Teaching your opponent in a one-on-one fight is the utmost contempt.
It ans seeing through everything about you.
And Richard did just that.
After just exchanging one attack, he had already grasped everything about Ians abilities and fighting style.
Such an overwhelming gap.
But it wasnt because Ian was weak. It was because Richard Pierce was strong.
So far away.
What surprised Yerina was when Ian rushed at Richard imdiately upon erging from the gap in space.
His prison was clearly destroyed to the point of being shattered.
She had thought there was so chance, but it was futile.
Even Yerina herself, who was considered one of the strongest in the North and reached the level of 5-Star, found Richard Pierce to be far beyond.
It was strange that even considering the humans he had swallowed, he didnt seem so distant.
Thats why.
Yerina kept anxiously watching Ian, worried, realizing the difference in their ranks.
You must have noticed the difference in ranks as well.
Ian is a bright kid.
He must be aware of Richards strength.
At least, he would have felt it clearly with the recent exchange.
Even Yerina, with Ians lightning-fast strike that barely managed to be blocked, couldnt help but see how effortlessly Richard deflected it, as if swatting a fly.
What exactly are you aiming for, Ian?
Yerina swallowed dryly.
Ians provocation of Richard with himself as the condition, leading to seven opportunities for attack, clearly indicated that he was aiming for sothing.
It wouldnt be the sa sudden assault as before.
Six moves left.
All Yerina could do was watch, hoping that Ian had a way to defeat that monstrous man.
The first encounter in battles between individuals is often a reconnaissance.
They gauge each others strengths by clashing weapons and sotis sense the outco sharply.
In Richards case, he sensed victory. No, it was more like confirming the obvious, given his inherent strength.
However.
My blood is boiling.
His heart, which always seed frozen, began to beat.
Richard had maintained calmness even in situations where his prison was shattered by a futile trap.
But now, his heartbeats were gradually quickening.
The reason?
It was obvious.
The only thing that had changed from before was one child.
Ian Blackangers.
Thats the reason.
Ians recent strike had truly been astonishing.
Was it a staff or a sword?
He had initially judged Ian to be a mage, but his confusion started from the mont he transford the staff into a sword in an instant.
What followed was even more astonishing.
Without any apparent use of mana or any movent to indicate, he simply floated a step in the air and then charged forward.
In knight combat, it is customary to focus on the opponents feet for responses. There are even cases where one only looks at the opponents feet during battle.
If Richard hadnt far surpassed that level, it would have been dangerous.
A big if.
How rare it is to entertain such assumptions in ones mind.
I must restore the prison first. I cant take my eyes off him.
What lay before him was talent.
A bundle of talent.
So deep and splendid, he knew why the Blood Witch was so obsessed.
But at the sa ti.
He wanted to devour it.
The blood scent flowing between those parted cheeks was exquisitely flavorful.
He wanted to absorb everything, feeling the peculiarly human pungency.
Originally, he had intended to produce offspring from his dignified bloodline, but now they had drifted away from Richards interests.
Look at this being from another dinsion.
He would savor it slowly and thoroughly.
The familys cellar would surely yield well-aged wines.
Richards eyes began to gleam with desire.
The mask he had kept so coldly in place was lting away.
But he endured it.
Just for now.
It was rely indulging in this little ga.
A sort of searing. It wasnt difficult to wait a little longer for the banquet to ripen.
Richard took out his mask again.
What Richard felt in the first move against Ian was exactly that.
So, he asks.
Yeah. What did I feel in the first move?
Ian raised the corner of his mouth wordlessly.
Ill never admit that I confird the key to defeating the final boss.
Richard knew how to block.
The first move was a planned strike.
He wanted to see Ians response.
The result.
A low chance of success, a small piece of the puzzle confird.
However, it seed like the middle-aged mans gaze had beco quite dangerous But anyway.
For Ian, the first move was enough.
It confird the possibility of success.
Was Richard Pierce overwhelmingly strong?
So what?
Hes supposed to be the final boss of one scenario.
Just exploit his weaknesses.
First and foremost, the biggest conundrum.
Why was that Northern Duke so calm even though his prison was shattered?
And he confird the reason for that in the first move.
The remaining moves would be dedicated to exploiting that.
Or rather, it was more like persuasion than exploitation.
He just had one wish.
Realize it as late as possible.
Thats all Ian himself can hope for in the task hes undertakingto delay that damn final boss from realizing it as much as possible.
Swoosh.
Ian once again forged his sword with Lunar.
It was slightly smaller than before, but Ian didnt mind.
The swordsmanship he had mastered, it was like a winter tree shedding its leaves, starting anew.
Ian assud a straight posture.
Ignoring Richards cold silence, Ian focused on his posture and mindset.
It was ti to recall the swordsmanship he had learned from his master.
Her actions.
Her values.
With all her teachings in mind, he struck with his sword.
Clang.
Richard effortlessly blocked it without any change in expression.
This strike was nothing extraordinary.
However, Richards reaction was different this ti.
His brow furrowed montarily.
What a clumsy swordsman.
Yes.
However, this sword isnt aid to cut .
The quick-witted middle-aged man.
At a glance, vitality emanated from him.
Its not about ignoring .
No.
In that case, what are you aiming to strike?
Ians silence drew Richards gaze.
His cold eyes glanced briefly at Sharon Pierce, lying on the ground.
Did you catch on?
Yes.
Richard fell silent.
The vitality emanating from him confird his anger.
Well, its understandable.
The fact that Ian noticed Richards biggest weakness and that Richard noticed Ian noticingthats the situation.
Why is this so complicated?
Anyway.
Thats Richards weakness.
With his prison destroyed, hes currently using Sharons prison.
I dont know the thod. Perhaps its related to the magic he used to devour the snow field as his prison.
Thats why Ian was confident in front of Richard.
The difficulty level is decreasing.
Its not about defeating Richard, its about defeating Sharon Pierce.
If Sharons prison is destroyed, so is Richard.
The eerie madness emanating from Richards eyes was not without reason.
In such a situation, Ian boldly spoke.
Please keep your promise to endure seven attacks.
Youre indeed an interesting guy.
After all, Richard, you wont let that Sharon girl slip through your fingers, will you?
Well, of course. However.
Richards pupils glowed ominously red.
Instead, my condition has changed. After the remaining five attacks, I will devour you. Of course, Ill ensure your survival, so it wont violate your condition of wanting to stay alive no matter what.
Damn it.
I knew youd do that.
He really intends to devour him.
Indeed, there are many crazies among the Northern Duke family.
Ian swallowed dryly.
Furthermore. From now on.
Richards vitality turned into frost, instantly freezing the surroundings.
After your attack, Ill retaliate.
Isnt that too much?
Instead of answering, Richards finger snapped.
Just that, but it sent shivers down Ians spine endlessly.
Ian imdiately leaped to the side.
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