With his arrival bore two spectators, as Olivia watched them from the porch of the house. Her wandering eyes flickered with surprise upon witnessing Charles.
“C…Charles?”
It was an instant, but Charles quickly became engrossed into the battle before him. The sound of steel clashing against one another, and the refined rhythm the two had while traversing across the lawn enthralled the battle-crazed killer, as an ear to ear grin plastered itself on his face.
“Haha! You’ve gotten so much stronger, Lilith!” Unable to contain the visible ecstasy, Charles yelled. He captured everyone’s attention as they ceased their fight and gazed at him.
“Huh? Charles?” Lilith questioned with a raised eyebrow. “W-What are you doing here?”
“Haha, so sorry for interrupting that battle, I just couldn’t hold in how surprised I was at your growth!” Charles replied as he laughed. “I just thought the NPC would have been a great distraction, but you’re definitely good too!”
“...No, I’m definitely not strong enough yet,” Lilith replied as she clenched her katana with frustration. “I have to get stronger in so many ways.”
“Well that’s true…you don’t seem to be on my level yet,” Charles replied as he rubbed his chin. “But your growth is quite fast.”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve told her. She shouldn’t need to be too hard on herself because she’s shown a lot of improvement,” The NPC chimed in. “But I know our words won’t matter now.”
“Yeah, you’re right…it won’t matter.”
It was as if the two men went deaf as they simply stood there in awkward silence, with only the gentle whisper of the breeze giving the dejected Lilith a response.
“...Charles, what did you mean when you said I was a great distraction?” The NPC questioned. “A distraction ...for what?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that…life’s just been pretty boring,” Charles answered. “I just wanted to fight you to entertain myself until…something good pops up in the future.”
His words sparked widened eyes from Lilith, as if she became oddly worried.
“...Is that so,” The NPC said with a lowered tone. “Well, I would have accepted your challenge but I’m afraid Lilith’s training is the priority now.”
“Huh? But then what am I supposed to do now?”
“Well, you could have a spar with her if you’re so desperate for a battle,” The NPC suggested. “That could also help with her growth too.”
“W-What?” Lilith questioned with a stutter.
“...Sigh, I guess,” Charles relented as he scratched the back of his head. “I guess I can do that.”
“You’re awfully receptive,” The NPC remarked. “I thought you’d be a lot more difficult.”
“Heh, I’m just hedging my bets that something big will happen very soon,” Charles replied. “But that’s enough talking, let me fight her now!”
“...Right,” The NPC muttered.
With suspicion in his voice, it was clear the NPC caught wind of Charles’s shady wordings. If only Lilith also figured it out…and if only she had caught wind of the super soldier who stalked them from a distance.
“Ha…hahaha! I can’t believe it…the battle-crazed killer really led me to their hideout!” Hiding amid a bushy area, the super soldier remarked. “Man, they have an even nicer place than I do…they must have killed whoever lived there before and taken it for themselves!”
But who is that glowing masked guy anyways…whatever, I’m just going to leave the tracking device around here. The super soldier pondered. Man, I better get a raise for risking my neck like this…
- * * *
Though his wish to fight the NPC wasn’t exactly denied but postponed, Charles never rejected the second option he was given. This may not be the battle he hoped for, but this battle-maniac would never deny the opportunity for a fight as he and Lilith stood off for their spar.
“Hmm, I know you’ve gotten stronger, but I’m not too sure you could give me the least bit of excitement in a fight,” Charles remarked as he gazed at Lilith. “I have a feeling you’d be fun in the future after watching your fight with the NPC, but the way you are now? I’m not too sure.”
“...Frankly, I don’t care about being a fun opponent or whatever for you,” Lilith replied as she kept an inside stance, her katana pointing towards Charles. “That’s not my motivation.”
“I know. You’re doing it for your boyfriend, right? Even a meathead like me could tell!” Charles said with a smirk. “But don’t worry, if that gets you stronger, it gets you stronger.”
“...You’re right. Let’s begin.”
“Ha…Haha, sure!” Charles yelled as he charged towards Lilith. “Show me what you’ve got!”
As the distance between the two was quickly erased, Charles had initiated the spar with a strong haymaker. Lilith had expected this as she read the intent behind his actions before he initiated the haymaker, so she acted accordingly and set her katana in front of herself.
BANG!
A loud bang emerged as Charles’s fist connected with the katana which acted as a shield for Lilith.
“Heh!” Charles uttered as he tossed repeated jabs to which Lilith parried with her blade. “Wow, look at you! Blocking my strikes without being pushed back! To think you were the woman who Nathan always had to protect!”
“...Stop talking about that,” Lilith muttered as she continued to parry Charles’s heavy blows.
“You’re stronger, but don’t tell me that’s all you’re capable of!” Charles yelled as the force of his punches produced sounds comparable to loud gunshots and wind gusts strong enough to ruffle the hair of Olivia who spectated from meters away. “Nathan’s not here to protect you, ya know!”
His taunts brought about pulsating veins of rage on Lilith’s face and neck as her expression soured. With a twist of her sword, Lilith smacked away Charles’s hand after his jab, before hopping into the air and executing a sudden frontflip.
Her sudden acrobatic display not only sent her above Charles, but Lilith inflicted a gash on her opponent while keeping the flow of her flip.
“Oh?” The NPC uttered as he spectated.
A slight onset of surprise settled in as the wide eyed Charles witnessed the wound. His surprise quickly turned into a smirk as Charles spun around and swiped at Lilith in the air with his arm.
With quick reflexes, Lilith guarded the swipe with the hilt of her katana held horizontally before gracefully landing with another flip. It didn’t take much for Lilith to excite Charles as he was already slightly grinning from her display.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Immediately after blocking his swipe and landing, Charles unleashed a repeated combo of left and right straights. Lilith never stopped the intensity of the spar and blocked Charles' onslaught with repeated slashes.
Wind gusts were felt across the yard constantly as Charles’s fist constantly made contact with the sharp bladed instrument.
“Heh!” Charles chuckled as his knuckles sprouted blood. Witnessing his knuckles bleeding, Charles stretched his hand to catch her next swing.
He’d quickly learn how wrong it was to perform this as he felt a hard sensation pressing into his gut. The moment Charles grabbed her katana, Lilith countered by releasing her grip and punching him in the stomach with her left arm.
With an impact with the pitch of an explosion, Charles rocketed across the yard at supersonic speeds. Producing a vapor clone violent enough to rupture the ground beneath her just by moving, Lilith wasted no time and charged at Charles.
Charles planted his boots into the ground and skated backwards across the ground, slowing his momentum and leaving a dust trail beneath his feet. Widened eyes were expressed from Charles as Lilith approached him at a moment’s notice.
She attacked different points on his body, slashing at his upper and lower body in quick succession, though Charles blocked each one with his palm. Even as she performed and landed those slashes, Charles wasn't even a bit concerned about the minor wounds he’s sustaining.
“Haha! Come on!” Charles yelled as they fought in close quarters. Much to Lilith’s surprise, Charles’s muscles began to grow in mass. Adrenaline Doping! “I want to see more from you!!!”
Lilith’s face dripped with annoyance as she gritted her teeth and furrowed her eyes, all because of Charles’s words. In response to her own anger, Lilith’s katana swings increased in intensity and speed.
HIISSSS…
It was as if the world resonated with her intensity, as light crawled at the edge of her blade mid swing like fire crawling on an object.
“Heh! That stings!” Charles uttered as he blocked her swings.
She’s swinging fast enough to ignite the air…not bad. The NPC pondered as he watched.
Charles found himself on the defensive as he began backpedaling to gain distance. Lilith kept up her pressure as she followed him, swinging her katana and tracing the air with patterns of crimson, fiery light with each arc.
With a side step, Charles avoided Lilith’s assault and countered with a quick straight. Barely having time to react, Lilith placed her katana vertically in the way to block, only to be launched metres away.
What turned to a pleasant surprise for Charles was that not only was Lilith still standing but she wasted no time engaging Charles once more.
YES!!!
“Hmm, she’s quite good, isn’t she, Olivia?” The NPC questioned as he turned his attention to Olivia.
“Y-Yes…she really is…amazing,” Olivia replied with a shy smirk.
“It was hard for her to showcase what she could do against me due to how much more powerful I am. Though I can help her get stronger and give her combat training, it really was best for her to fight Charles,” The NPC continued as he watched their spar. “Though he also has to restrain himself a decent bit, fighting someone around her level is the best for her to push herself and sharpen her skills.”
“I-I see,” Olivia replied. “I hope…she becomes e-even stronger.”
The NPC strangely turned his attention to his sky amid their conversation, garnering the confusion of Olivia.
“Oh?”
“H-Huh?” Olivia uttered.
Charles continued using his arm to parry each of Lilith’s slashes which continued to decorate the area with bright red arcs streaking from her sword.
“MORE! MORE!” Charles yelled as he continued launching heavy strikes onto Lilith’s sword. Like magnets of similar poles repelling, Lilith’s swings were interrupted as her katana and arms flew behind her head from the sheer force of Charles’s fists.
“Urgh!” Lilith uttered as she backpedaled a few steps from the force. Even though I’m blocking them, it’s so strong! It’s like he’s getting stronger with each attack!”
“MORE!” Charles yelled once again as he immediately charged at the stumbling Lilith, cocking his fist back. A sense of urgency flashed on her face as Lilith perceived Charles.
WHOOOSH!
Quickly fixing her balance and narrowly weaving a haymaker from Charles, a heavy gust of wind flushed past Lilith’s face, causing her lengthy hair to flow backwards. Lilith acted fast, rushing behind him to avoid any further attacks.
Destruction reigned across the land as Lilith and Charles constantly moved around, striking at each other with powerful attacks.
“Oh no…I hope Lilith doesn’t hurt herself…” Olivia muttered.
Nah, you should be happy to see how much your friend is growing!” Standing beside the NPC, the developer suddenly said. As if she saw a ghost, the developer’s sudden presence made Olivia jump out of her seat.
“W-Where did you…come from!?” Olivia questioned.
“Hmm? You didn’t notice him coming?” The NPC asked. “Well, I guess he was approaching kind of fast.”
“R-Right…”
“Apart from her swordplay, Lilith has unnatural physical capabilities. It makes sense, given the type of blessing she has,” The developer continued. “So we finally get to see how far Lilith’s come…and this is it huh.”
“She’s doing well,” The NPC responded.
“I suppose so.”
Continuing to display her sword mastery, strength, speed and acrobatics against her opponent, Charles’s smile only grew further.
Hehe…she’s good…really good. Even though I’m holding back, she’s keeping up with this level! Charles pondered. Damn, I’m starting to have so much fun that it’s getting harder to hold back!
With a sudden burst of speed, Charles found himself in front of Lilith before she could complete another swing.
“I think you’ve shown me all you’re capable of for now, huh?” Charles said as he grabbed the blade of her katana, much to her surprise. “So it’s time to finish this then!”
With a powerful swing, Charles tossed Lilith and her sword into the air like a ragdoll.
“Ugh…no…this isn’t over!” Lilith yelled as she spun several times while soaring through the air. With a long hiss, Lilith sheathed her katana in the scabbard at her side.
“Hmm?” Charles looked with curiosity.
Stopping herself from spinning, Lilith landed with grace. She immediately bent her knees and held the handle of her blade, ready to draw.
“Hmm? She must be exhausted from fighting that hard for so long against someone like Charles, but now she’s going to perform that move?” The NPC questioned as he rubbed his chin. “She’d barely stand after only performing that move at the start of a fight…does she really have the stamina left?”
“Show me what you’ve got then!” Charles yelled as he charged at Lilith.
Sword Art - Splintering! With another hiss, she drew her now radiant blade from the scabbard and launched a crescent light towards Charles.
A genuine look of surprise emerged on Charles’s face as he witnessed the high speed projectile closing in on him, before once again smiling brightly. He instinctively placed his arms in the way to block but that never mattered.
Upon making impact with Charles, the crescent exploded like glass shards on him and tore through his flesh like a chainsaw before dissipating.
Lilith watched as Charles began staggering.
“Huff, huff…that connected,” Lilith muttered as she struggled to stand – her stamina levels had taken a severe nosedive after performing that move.
“Heh, that’s one powerful move she’s got,” The developer said as he smirked deviously. “I wonder what else she’ll do with that sword.”
“Ha…haha…I certainly…felt that!!!” Charles uttered with a grin as he clenched his body, drenched in his own blood. “You got me really excited now…my turn!”
“Oh boy…I should stop–”
“Wait, hold on,” Before the NPC could finish, the developer interrupted by placing his hand in his way.
A look of surprise filled Lilith’s eyes as Charles was no longer in her field of vision.
Shoot! Lilith thought with urgency as she quickly turned around, to witness Charles winding back his fist behind her. What’s worse was that his muscles increased in mass once more.
“Reeahahaha!” With a high pitched grin, the ecstatic Charles struck Lilith with a haymaker. Barely reacting in time, Lilith held her katana horizontally to block the strike, only for his fist to press it onto her side.
Urgh! Lilith internally groaned as his strike blasted her away.
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
Lilith ended up blasting tens of meters away through multiple trees in the forest that her house was surrounded by.
She even tore down nearby trees from the sheer wind gusts she’s creating as she soared through the air and lofted large amounts of dust and debris into the air as she ragdolled through the forest.
“Ah…Lilith!” Olivia called out with concern.
“Oh, whoops…I got a bit too excited for a second,” The injured Charles casually said as his muscles returned to their normal mass.
“Ugh…” Slouching against a tree cracked by her body slamming against it, Lilith groaned. She suffered severe bleeding and likely broken bones, but she was still conscious.
“Well, that was pretty entertaining…I see Lilith’s really improved,” The developer said. “But I guess it’s time to get the doctor here, huh.”
“P-Please do…” Olivia muttered.