Hell Mode: Volume 3, page 27
“Oof!”
Less than ten minutes into the match, anyone could now see that Dverg had the upper hand. He was using everything at his disposal, leading Krena around by the nose with bluffs, feints, and intimidation. The difference in battle experience between him and Krena was beginning to really show.
“She’s...losing,” Cecil murmured worriedly as Dogora watched on in silence, his arms crossed.
“Dverg is learning to read her moves,” Allen explained. “On the other hand, she’s failing to do the same, so she’s taking hits.”
Uh-oh, the gap in their player skill is just far too great.
“Player skill” was, well, how good a player was at a game. This involved knowing which skills to use at specific moments during a fight, being able to read an opponent’s attacks, and moving in ways that made it hard for the opponent to read them in turn. Krena had learned plenty of this from Carlova, but player skill was not something that could be picked up in a day.
The contrast between the two Sword Lords was growing increasingly stark, and it was only a matter of time before Krena would lose. Once again, Dverg sent her flying with a mighty swing of his sword. She slammed against the hard ground of the arena, already hurt all over from many such falls.
“What’s wrong?! Get up! Or are you done?!”
In response to Dverg’s provocation, a heat haze burst out around Krena’s body.
“YAH!”
“Mm? Oh, is this your Extra Skill?”
Yes! She pulled it off! Go, go, go!
Even after half a year of lessons with Carlova, the chances of Krena activating her Extra Skill Limit Break were still low. This time, thankfully, had been one of the exceptions.
The control of Extra Skills relied heavily on one’s mental state. If the user was inexperienced or greatly flustered, they could lose themselves to the skill. If that happened, the skill would get out of control and could potentially lead to the deaths of the user’s teammates.
How’s she doing this time?
Allen recalled the numerous times when Krena had lost herself during their Rank A dungeon runs. Just as concern flitted across his mind, Krena charged at Dverg even faster than before. One horizontal swing of her weapon sent Dverg hurtling off for the first time in this fight.
“Ugh! What’s with that strength? Is this your...?!”
“YAH!”
Instead of answering, Krena simply continued swinging her sword.
Oh no, she’s completely lost herself to her skill.
After Krena activated Limit Break, Dverg became the one fending for his life. The gap between their stats was so drastic that player skill no longer mattered; now he was the one who was sent flying every time their swords clashed.
This unexpected development left the audience shell-shocked. Soon, Dverg no longer had the strength to even hold his sword. Krena lifted her weapon high up and brought it down like a flash of lightning, with Dverg only barely blocking it in the nick of time. The shockwave from the impact traveled down through his body and pulverized the ground.
“Ugh!”
Krena did not let up her attack. Now that his guard was down, she had no trouble landing a kick squarely in his stomach. As she was no longer capable of holding back, she used all of her 7,000 Attack to kick Dverg’s body away. He bounced several times like a skipping stone until finally crashing against one of the walls of the arena. He did not get up.
“Did Krena win?” Allen asked, leaning forward in his seat. However, his joy was short-lived.
Dverg slowly stood up, mumbling something under his breath.
Huh? What’s he saying? Is he surrendering?
The Bird E in the sky focused on Dverg’s beaten-up form.
“Me? Lose? No, Clasys. Don’t worry. I cannot lose. That’s right; I can’t allow myself to lose, no matter who it is I’m fighting. I won’t lose, not even against a Demonic Deity!”
Suddenly, Dverg’s body also took on a heat haze.
Wait, Dverg is using his too?
“Watch out, Krena! Dverg’s activated his Extra Skill!”
Krena’s Extra Skill is still going strong, though. Can she push through and finish things in time?
“GUARD BREAK!”
Immediately, Dverg barreled toward Krena. Howling at the top of his lungs, he slashed down, perfectly utilizing every ounce of momentum from his charge. His adamantite greatsword shone with a brilliant light as it sliced through Krena’s weapon, which she had lifted up to block his attack, like a hot knife through butter.
“Huh?”
Dverg’s sword continued its inexorable swing downward. Krena froze in place, half from surprise at her sword being cleaved in two, half from fear at the certainty of impending death.
KLAAAAAANG!
A golden sword that seemed to appear out of nowhere blocked Dverg’s attack in the nick of time. The person holding it was a young man with hair the color of water.
Huh? The Hero?
Helmios had apparently sensed something was off with Dverg and rushed over from his seat in the spectator stands.
“C’mon, Dverg. You were this close to killing the girl.”
“Nnn... Huh? Wait, I...”
The light of madness slowly faded from Dverg’s eyes.
“This isn’t like you at all, losing yourself to your skill like this.”
“I... I did? Against such a young girl...?”
Dverg was so shocked that he crumpled to his knees. His greatsword fell to the ground as he stared at his hands, shaking in disbelief.
“Are you okay, Mr. Dverg?” Krena peered into his face, worried. However, her innocent expression only served to worsen his shock.
“Krena... This match is your win. I ruined your sword, right?” After he calmed down a little, Dverg finally began to understand what had happened. “Sorry about that. Take mine.”
“What?”
Dverg practically shoved the weapon into Krena’s hands before stumbling out of the arena, leaning on Helmios’s shoulder. She watched his receding back, clutching his greatsword.
And this was how the second match between Krena and Dverg ended.
Chapter 16: Fighting against Helmios the Hero
With Dverg’s admission of defeat, his duel with Krena ended as her victory. This no-holds-barred match between two Sword Lords had been witnessed by visiting dignitaries from multiple countries, the crown prince of Ratash and other Ratashian nobility, and the entire student body. Everyone had been staying stock-still and silent in an effort to catch every last detail of the fight, but once it was over, they naturally burst into a huge uproar.
As Allen made his way to the stage for his own fight, he cast a look toward Krena, who had returned to the spectator stands. She still appeared down.
“You worried about your friend?” Helmios asked him. This man standing in front of Allen was his opponent for the coming match. He was wearing the same smile that he had never let slip since Allen first met him.
“I suppose I am. Thank you for saving her just now.” Allen bowed his head in sincere gratitude. There was no telling what might have become of Krena if Helmios had not stopped Dverg in time.
“Oh, psh, don’t worry about it. Dverg’s just a sore loser—I was just ready for it, that’s all.” In other words, Helmios had predicted both Krena putting up a good fight and Dverg going berserk, and had therefore readied himself to rush onto stage at any moment.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer cried, interrupting their conversation, “that brings us to the last match of the day! As I’m sure all of our esteemed visitors are aware, normally we end the Martial Arts Tournament with a fight between the champion and Sword Lord Dverg. Today, however, Hero Helmios has said that he wishes to give a student some personal instruction!”
Allen and Helmios both turned and assumed their starting positions as the announcer’s voice continued ringing throughout the venue.
“Everyone, please take a look at the pamphlets that you were handed. It details the history of today’s champion, Allen. He is the founder and leader of the adventurer party No-life Gamers, which consists of only eight members. And with just those eight, they have already cleared five Rank A dungeons!”
Though three of us still have three more to go.
As members of the audience tried to get a better look at Allen, more than one person murmured things along the lines of “That does sound impressive, but is he really that big a deal?” He was indeed strong, but they failed to understand why the Hero wished to personally have a match with him. Bewilderment filled the atmosphere in the arena.
“Ha ha ha! Look at you, being the center of attention!”
“A downright bother. I wonder whose fault it is.”
“Hey, don’t worry, you’ll get used to it soon. After all, I did. Oh, right—feel free to use whatever skill you want. No matter what happens this match, the headmaster and Rohzenheim will take full responsibility!”
So this was what he was confirming with the headmaster earlier. Well, it’s not like I planned on holding back in the first place.
“I see. However, I don’t like unnecessary conflict. If you surrender now and hand over your MP Recovery Ring without a fuss, you’ll be spared a lot of pain.”
The referee, who had been waiting for a good time to signal the start of the match, goggled at Allen like a fish when he heard this. He was an Academy teacher and naturally knew about the Demon Lord. In the eyes of everyone who knew of the Demon Lord’s existence, the Hero was an apostle sent by the gods, the one to bring salvation to their world that was on a path of certain doom, the one who stood against the Demon Lord Army that had already massacred millions. The Hero was an existence that stood much, much higher than a Sword Lord. And yet, a mere school student had just asked this Hero to surrender. The teacher could not imagine it happening even if the sun were to rise from the west.
“That’s a funny joke. I don’t know how much unnecessary effort you put in, but you won’t beat me. You know that, right?”
“No effort is ever unnecessary,” Allen coolly replied.
“Hm! An interesting take.”
Helmios was still grinning with composure, but Allen was not bothered in the slightest. He was a hundred percent sure the Hero was only in Normal Mode after seeing Helmios’s Status during his entrance exam. The referee, looking somewhat bothered by the disturbing conversation he had just overheard, proceeded to go through his explanation spiel.
I swear I’ll make you assume the surrender pose.
As Allen psyched himself up, Helmios, who had actually been listening to the referee, drew his sword. The golden blade was made of orichalcum, the very material that Allen had been searching for to no avail.
“FIGHT!”
Helmios adopted a fighting stance, then remained motionless.
I see. So he wants me to make the first move.
Seeing this, Allen brazenly chose to look away from the Hero to check his own Status and cards.
* * *
Name: Allen
Age: 14
Class: Summoner
Level: 55
HP: 1,390 + 550
MP: 2,180
Attack: 766 + 4,900
Endurance: 766 + 750
Agility: 1,429 + 4,920 + 2,000 (Ring)
Intelligence: 2,190 + 220
Luck: 1,429
Skills: Summoning {7}, Creation {7}, Synthesis {7}, Strengthening {7}, Awakening {7}, Expansion {6}, Storage, Sharing, Quick Summoning, Deputize (Sealed), Deletion, Sword Mastery {3}, Throwing {3}
XP: 489,264,755/1,000,000,000
* * *
Of course, Allen was still on guard. He was Sharing with two Bird Es up in the sky that were constantly observing Helmios with Hawk Eye. This was an Ability that not only allowed him to observe enemies from high up in the sky, but it was also capable of picking up even incredibly slight movements.
“What’s wrong, Allen? You’re not going to come at me?”
“Huh? I’m showing you an opening, so why aren’t you attacking me, oh esteemed Hero?”
“Ahhh...I see. Okay then, here I come!”
Judging by the look of understanding on his face, Helmios was not rising to Allen’s provocation. Even so, he took a step forward; that single step cracked the stage. With as much speed as Krena had displayed when using Limit Break, he charged toward Allen in a straight line.
Damn, that speed of his really is ridiculous! Though I already had an inkling of how fast he could be when he saved Krena from Dverg.
In the blink of an eye, Helmios was right in front of Allen, already swinging his orichalcum sword. Allen met it with his adamantite one, filling the entire venue with the sound of a single piercing metallic crash. Visitors and students alike buzzed with excitement.
“Dude, did you see that?! He just blocked the Hero’s attack!”
“Isn’t he just holding back so the student can save some face?”
“I bet that’s it. I heard that the Hero’s sword can cut even a dragon with ease!”
Excitement quickly filled the air as the spectators grew more invested in their first time seeing the Hero in action. VIPs from various countries began appraising this match in earnest.
Oof, I tried blocking the strike head-on to see how powerful it is, but now I’m really regretting it. So, this is how powerful he is without his skills. I mean, I’m sure that lowering my Endurance didn’t help me any.
Allen was actually a bit panicked from getting a direct taste of Helmios’s Attack. Because his own Attack was currently over five thousand, he was able to tell that if Helmios’s attacks landed anywhere other than his sword, that alone would be enough to be fatal. He therefore shifted his fighting style from being defensive to being evasive.
Allen pulled away with a powerful backward jump, but Helmios showed no signs of giving chase.
“Huuuuh? That’s strange. With your Attack, you shouldn’t have been able to block that blow just now,” the Hero murmured, puzzled, as he kept his body frozen in the same position it had been when his sword had met Allen’s. He gripped and re-gripped his sword as if reliving the sensation from just now.
“Whatever can you be talking about?” Allen replied.
Yep, that confirms that the Analyze skill does show him what my stats are in combination with the boosts from my skills; conversely, it doesn’t show him my Summons’ blessings. Which means he can’t see it when I adjust my stats. I had suspected as much during my entrance exam, but now I know for certain.
“Well, either way, let’s continue!” Unfortunately, Helmios was not about to just stand around. He resumed his assault, not giving Allen any more time to think. The boy dodged the attacks as best he could but still ended up taking a few hits.
Eventually, he ended up using his sword to block an attack he could not invade in time. The impact of the blow shook him to his core, drawing a grunt from him. Seeing him off-balance, the Hero pressed his attack, leaving Allen completely on the back foot.
“Aww, you’re already done?” the Hero sighed in disappointment.
So, my Agility is about on par with the Hero’s. His Sword Mastery is significantly higher than mine, which means I won’t be able to catch him with normal attacks. All right, let’s try upping the number of attacks I dish out at the same time.
Allen called out a Summon that he had on standby. “Dora, let’s do this.”
“So, my time has finally come, Master!”
A ten-meter-long dragon, a Dragon B, charged at Helmios from his blind spot. Allen had gained access to this Summon when he reached Summoning Lvl. 7.
“Huh?!”
Ignoring the astonishment on Helmios’s face, the creature rushed at him with its mouth opened wide, its razor-sharp teeth glistening. Although he had been caught by surprise, the Hero managed to bring his sword up in time to defend himself. That instant, Allen landed a sideways swing on the Hero’s flank.
The sudden appearance of the dragon plunged the audience into a huge panic.
“IT’S A DRAGOOOOOON!!!”
“A DRAGON’S APPEARED IN THE ARENA!!!”
They screamed and elbowed each other while making a mad scramble for the exits. The headmaster immediately gave the announcer instructions, but there was something else that was occupying Allen’s attention. Namely, how it felt when he landed his very first blow on the Hero.
He’s so freakin’ tough!
Allen’s hands hurt many times worse than when he had fought that dragon boss in one of the Rank A dungeons. He could not even imagine how high Helmios’s Endurance stat was.
And he hasn’t even used a skill yet.
There was no changing the fact that this was a situation in which Allen could not afford to let down his guard, even for one second. He had managed to throw off the Hero’s equilibrium with his Summon, but Helmios still did not feel cornered enough to break out any skills.
“Dora, use Hellfire of Fury!”
“Understood, Master.”
As Allen continued attacking with his weapon, the Dragon B beside him gathered red-hot flames in its open mouth. Helmios tried to move out of the way, but Allen doubled his attacks.
“You’re not getting away!”
While keeping the Hero in place, Allen kept an eye on the situation through his dragon’s eyes. Suddenly, he backed off and made a feint, then instructed Dora to unleash its Awakened Ability, Hellfire of Fury. A blinding stream of infernal flames enveloped the Hero, blasting him head-on. Unable to bear the attack, Helmios immediately retreated into the sky and hovered there, recollecting himself.
The Hero can fly too? That’s the third skill he’s used. Huh? Now he’s using Healing Magic on himself.
Before long, all of the Hero’s wounds disappeared without a trace. As he floated there in the air, the audience, who now understood that they were safe from the dragon, watched him with praise on their lips.
“The Hero is fighting on even ground with the dragon!” someone cried.
With his golden sword and armor, the Hero seemed almost divine the way he was floating high up, striking awe into the hearts of the beholders.
Not even a scratch on his armor. However, the fact that he used Healing Magic means at least some damage got through to him.
Less than ten minutes into the match, anyone could now see that Dverg had the upper hand. He was using everything at his disposal, leading Krena around by the nose with bluffs, feints, and intimidation. The difference in battle experience between him and Krena was beginning to really show.
“She’s...losing,” Cecil murmured worriedly as Dogora watched on in silence, his arms crossed.
“Dverg is learning to read her moves,” Allen explained. “On the other hand, she’s failing to do the same, so she’s taking hits.”
Uh-oh, the gap in their player skill is just far too great.
“Player skill” was, well, how good a player was at a game. This involved knowing which skills to use at specific moments during a fight, being able to read an opponent’s attacks, and moving in ways that made it hard for the opponent to read them in turn. Krena had learned plenty of this from Carlova, but player skill was not something that could be picked up in a day.
The contrast between the two Sword Lords was growing increasingly stark, and it was only a matter of time before Krena would lose. Once again, Dverg sent her flying with a mighty swing of his sword. She slammed against the hard ground of the arena, already hurt all over from many such falls.
“What’s wrong?! Get up! Or are you done?!”
In response to Dverg’s provocation, a heat haze burst out around Krena’s body.
“YAH!”
“Mm? Oh, is this your Extra Skill?”
Yes! She pulled it off! Go, go, go!
Even after half a year of lessons with Carlova, the chances of Krena activating her Extra Skill Limit Break were still low. This time, thankfully, had been one of the exceptions.
The control of Extra Skills relied heavily on one’s mental state. If the user was inexperienced or greatly flustered, they could lose themselves to the skill. If that happened, the skill would get out of control and could potentially lead to the deaths of the user’s teammates.
How’s she doing this time?
Allen recalled the numerous times when Krena had lost herself during their Rank A dungeon runs. Just as concern flitted across his mind, Krena charged at Dverg even faster than before. One horizontal swing of her weapon sent Dverg hurtling off for the first time in this fight.
“Ugh! What’s with that strength? Is this your...?!”
“YAH!”
Instead of answering, Krena simply continued swinging her sword.
Oh no, she’s completely lost herself to her skill.
After Krena activated Limit Break, Dverg became the one fending for his life. The gap between their stats was so drastic that player skill no longer mattered; now he was the one who was sent flying every time their swords clashed.
This unexpected development left the audience shell-shocked. Soon, Dverg no longer had the strength to even hold his sword. Krena lifted her weapon high up and brought it down like a flash of lightning, with Dverg only barely blocking it in the nick of time. The shockwave from the impact traveled down through his body and pulverized the ground.
“Ugh!”
Krena did not let up her attack. Now that his guard was down, she had no trouble landing a kick squarely in his stomach. As she was no longer capable of holding back, she used all of her 7,000 Attack to kick Dverg’s body away. He bounced several times like a skipping stone until finally crashing against one of the walls of the arena. He did not get up.
“Did Krena win?” Allen asked, leaning forward in his seat. However, his joy was short-lived.
Dverg slowly stood up, mumbling something under his breath.
Huh? What’s he saying? Is he surrendering?
The Bird E in the sky focused on Dverg’s beaten-up form.
“Me? Lose? No, Clasys. Don’t worry. I cannot lose. That’s right; I can’t allow myself to lose, no matter who it is I’m fighting. I won’t lose, not even against a Demonic Deity!”
Suddenly, Dverg’s body also took on a heat haze.
Wait, Dverg is using his too?
“Watch out, Krena! Dverg’s activated his Extra Skill!”
Krena’s Extra Skill is still going strong, though. Can she push through and finish things in time?
“GUARD BREAK!”
Immediately, Dverg barreled toward Krena. Howling at the top of his lungs, he slashed down, perfectly utilizing every ounce of momentum from his charge. His adamantite greatsword shone with a brilliant light as it sliced through Krena’s weapon, which she had lifted up to block his attack, like a hot knife through butter.
“Huh?”
Dverg’s sword continued its inexorable swing downward. Krena froze in place, half from surprise at her sword being cleaved in two, half from fear at the certainty of impending death.
KLAAAAAANG!
A golden sword that seemed to appear out of nowhere blocked Dverg’s attack in the nick of time. The person holding it was a young man with hair the color of water.
Huh? The Hero?
Helmios had apparently sensed something was off with Dverg and rushed over from his seat in the spectator stands.
“C’mon, Dverg. You were this close to killing the girl.”
“Nnn... Huh? Wait, I...”
The light of madness slowly faded from Dverg’s eyes.
“This isn’t like you at all, losing yourself to your skill like this.”
“I... I did? Against such a young girl...?”
Dverg was so shocked that he crumpled to his knees. His greatsword fell to the ground as he stared at his hands, shaking in disbelief.
“Are you okay, Mr. Dverg?” Krena peered into his face, worried. However, her innocent expression only served to worsen his shock.
“Krena... This match is your win. I ruined your sword, right?” After he calmed down a little, Dverg finally began to understand what had happened. “Sorry about that. Take mine.”
“What?”
Dverg practically shoved the weapon into Krena’s hands before stumbling out of the arena, leaning on Helmios’s shoulder. She watched his receding back, clutching his greatsword.
And this was how the second match between Krena and Dverg ended.
Chapter 16: Fighting against Helmios the Hero
With Dverg’s admission of defeat, his duel with Krena ended as her victory. This no-holds-barred match between two Sword Lords had been witnessed by visiting dignitaries from multiple countries, the crown prince of Ratash and other Ratashian nobility, and the entire student body. Everyone had been staying stock-still and silent in an effort to catch every last detail of the fight, but once it was over, they naturally burst into a huge uproar.
As Allen made his way to the stage for his own fight, he cast a look toward Krena, who had returned to the spectator stands. She still appeared down.
“You worried about your friend?” Helmios asked him. This man standing in front of Allen was his opponent for the coming match. He was wearing the same smile that he had never let slip since Allen first met him.
“I suppose I am. Thank you for saving her just now.” Allen bowed his head in sincere gratitude. There was no telling what might have become of Krena if Helmios had not stopped Dverg in time.
“Oh, psh, don’t worry about it. Dverg’s just a sore loser—I was just ready for it, that’s all.” In other words, Helmios had predicted both Krena putting up a good fight and Dverg going berserk, and had therefore readied himself to rush onto stage at any moment.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer cried, interrupting their conversation, “that brings us to the last match of the day! As I’m sure all of our esteemed visitors are aware, normally we end the Martial Arts Tournament with a fight between the champion and Sword Lord Dverg. Today, however, Hero Helmios has said that he wishes to give a student some personal instruction!”
Allen and Helmios both turned and assumed their starting positions as the announcer’s voice continued ringing throughout the venue.
“Everyone, please take a look at the pamphlets that you were handed. It details the history of today’s champion, Allen. He is the founder and leader of the adventurer party No-life Gamers, which consists of only eight members. And with just those eight, they have already cleared five Rank A dungeons!”
Though three of us still have three more to go.
As members of the audience tried to get a better look at Allen, more than one person murmured things along the lines of “That does sound impressive, but is he really that big a deal?” He was indeed strong, but they failed to understand why the Hero wished to personally have a match with him. Bewilderment filled the atmosphere in the arena.
“Ha ha ha! Look at you, being the center of attention!”
“A downright bother. I wonder whose fault it is.”
“Hey, don’t worry, you’ll get used to it soon. After all, I did. Oh, right—feel free to use whatever skill you want. No matter what happens this match, the headmaster and Rohzenheim will take full responsibility!”
So this was what he was confirming with the headmaster earlier. Well, it’s not like I planned on holding back in the first place.
“I see. However, I don’t like unnecessary conflict. If you surrender now and hand over your MP Recovery Ring without a fuss, you’ll be spared a lot of pain.”
The referee, who had been waiting for a good time to signal the start of the match, goggled at Allen like a fish when he heard this. He was an Academy teacher and naturally knew about the Demon Lord. In the eyes of everyone who knew of the Demon Lord’s existence, the Hero was an apostle sent by the gods, the one to bring salvation to their world that was on a path of certain doom, the one who stood against the Demon Lord Army that had already massacred millions. The Hero was an existence that stood much, much higher than a Sword Lord. And yet, a mere school student had just asked this Hero to surrender. The teacher could not imagine it happening even if the sun were to rise from the west.
“That’s a funny joke. I don’t know how much unnecessary effort you put in, but you won’t beat me. You know that, right?”
“No effort is ever unnecessary,” Allen coolly replied.
“Hm! An interesting take.”
Helmios was still grinning with composure, but Allen was not bothered in the slightest. He was a hundred percent sure the Hero was only in Normal Mode after seeing Helmios’s Status during his entrance exam. The referee, looking somewhat bothered by the disturbing conversation he had just overheard, proceeded to go through his explanation spiel.
I swear I’ll make you assume the surrender pose.
As Allen psyched himself up, Helmios, who had actually been listening to the referee, drew his sword. The golden blade was made of orichalcum, the very material that Allen had been searching for to no avail.
“FIGHT!”
Helmios adopted a fighting stance, then remained motionless.
I see. So he wants me to make the first move.
Seeing this, Allen brazenly chose to look away from the Hero to check his own Status and cards.
* * *
Name: Allen
Age: 14
Class: Summoner
Level: 55
HP: 1,390 + 550
MP: 2,180
Attack: 766 + 4,900
Endurance: 766 + 750
Agility: 1,429 + 4,920 + 2,000 (Ring)
Intelligence: 2,190 + 220
Luck: 1,429
Skills: Summoning {7}, Creation {7}, Synthesis {7}, Strengthening {7}, Awakening {7}, Expansion {6}, Storage, Sharing, Quick Summoning, Deputize (Sealed), Deletion, Sword Mastery {3}, Throwing {3}
XP: 489,264,755/1,000,000,000
* * *
Of course, Allen was still on guard. He was Sharing with two Bird Es up in the sky that were constantly observing Helmios with Hawk Eye. This was an Ability that not only allowed him to observe enemies from high up in the sky, but it was also capable of picking up even incredibly slight movements.
“What’s wrong, Allen? You’re not going to come at me?”
“Huh? I’m showing you an opening, so why aren’t you attacking me, oh esteemed Hero?”
“Ahhh...I see. Okay then, here I come!”
Judging by the look of understanding on his face, Helmios was not rising to Allen’s provocation. Even so, he took a step forward; that single step cracked the stage. With as much speed as Krena had displayed when using Limit Break, he charged toward Allen in a straight line.
Damn, that speed of his really is ridiculous! Though I already had an inkling of how fast he could be when he saved Krena from Dverg.
In the blink of an eye, Helmios was right in front of Allen, already swinging his orichalcum sword. Allen met it with his adamantite one, filling the entire venue with the sound of a single piercing metallic crash. Visitors and students alike buzzed with excitement.
“Dude, did you see that?! He just blocked the Hero’s attack!”
“Isn’t he just holding back so the student can save some face?”
“I bet that’s it. I heard that the Hero’s sword can cut even a dragon with ease!”
Excitement quickly filled the air as the spectators grew more invested in their first time seeing the Hero in action. VIPs from various countries began appraising this match in earnest.
Oof, I tried blocking the strike head-on to see how powerful it is, but now I’m really regretting it. So, this is how powerful he is without his skills. I mean, I’m sure that lowering my Endurance didn’t help me any.
Allen was actually a bit panicked from getting a direct taste of Helmios’s Attack. Because his own Attack was currently over five thousand, he was able to tell that if Helmios’s attacks landed anywhere other than his sword, that alone would be enough to be fatal. He therefore shifted his fighting style from being defensive to being evasive.
Allen pulled away with a powerful backward jump, but Helmios showed no signs of giving chase.
“Huuuuh? That’s strange. With your Attack, you shouldn’t have been able to block that blow just now,” the Hero murmured, puzzled, as he kept his body frozen in the same position it had been when his sword had met Allen’s. He gripped and re-gripped his sword as if reliving the sensation from just now.
“Whatever can you be talking about?” Allen replied.
Yep, that confirms that the Analyze skill does show him what my stats are in combination with the boosts from my skills; conversely, it doesn’t show him my Summons’ blessings. Which means he can’t see it when I adjust my stats. I had suspected as much during my entrance exam, but now I know for certain.
“Well, either way, let’s continue!” Unfortunately, Helmios was not about to just stand around. He resumed his assault, not giving Allen any more time to think. The boy dodged the attacks as best he could but still ended up taking a few hits.
Eventually, he ended up using his sword to block an attack he could not invade in time. The impact of the blow shook him to his core, drawing a grunt from him. Seeing him off-balance, the Hero pressed his attack, leaving Allen completely on the back foot.
“Aww, you’re already done?” the Hero sighed in disappointment.
So, my Agility is about on par with the Hero’s. His Sword Mastery is significantly higher than mine, which means I won’t be able to catch him with normal attacks. All right, let’s try upping the number of attacks I dish out at the same time.
Allen called out a Summon that he had on standby. “Dora, let’s do this.”
“So, my time has finally come, Master!”
A ten-meter-long dragon, a Dragon B, charged at Helmios from his blind spot. Allen had gained access to this Summon when he reached Summoning Lvl. 7.
“Huh?!”
Ignoring the astonishment on Helmios’s face, the creature rushed at him with its mouth opened wide, its razor-sharp teeth glistening. Although he had been caught by surprise, the Hero managed to bring his sword up in time to defend himself. That instant, Allen landed a sideways swing on the Hero’s flank.
The sudden appearance of the dragon plunged the audience into a huge panic.
“IT’S A DRAGOOOOOON!!!”
“A DRAGON’S APPEARED IN THE ARENA!!!”
They screamed and elbowed each other while making a mad scramble for the exits. The headmaster immediately gave the announcer instructions, but there was something else that was occupying Allen’s attention. Namely, how it felt when he landed his very first blow on the Hero.
He’s so freakin’ tough!
Allen’s hands hurt many times worse than when he had fought that dragon boss in one of the Rank A dungeons. He could not even imagine how high Helmios’s Endurance stat was.
And he hasn’t even used a skill yet.
There was no changing the fact that this was a situation in which Allen could not afford to let down his guard, even for one second. He had managed to throw off the Hero’s equilibrium with his Summon, but Helmios still did not feel cornered enough to break out any skills.
“Dora, use Hellfire of Fury!”
“Understood, Master.”
As Allen continued attacking with his weapon, the Dragon B beside him gathered red-hot flames in its open mouth. Helmios tried to move out of the way, but Allen doubled his attacks.
“You’re not getting away!”
While keeping the Hero in place, Allen kept an eye on the situation through his dragon’s eyes. Suddenly, he backed off and made a feint, then instructed Dora to unleash its Awakened Ability, Hellfire of Fury. A blinding stream of infernal flames enveloped the Hero, blasting him head-on. Unable to bear the attack, Helmios immediately retreated into the sky and hovered there, recollecting himself.
The Hero can fly too? That’s the third skill he’s used. Huh? Now he’s using Healing Magic on himself.
Before long, all of the Hero’s wounds disappeared without a trace. As he floated there in the air, the audience, who now understood that they were safe from the dragon, watched him with praise on their lips.
“The Hero is fighting on even ground with the dragon!” someone cried.
With his golden sword and armor, the Hero seemed almost divine the way he was floating high up, striking awe into the hearts of the beholders.
Not even a scratch on his armor. However, the fact that he used Healing Magic means at least some damage got through to him.
