Chapter 50
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My falchion clashed with the mask rider's katana just like the last time our paths crossed, but with one major difference. This time, our mounts didn't charge past each other, almost as if they sensed that their riders desired the trading of sword blows.
The high-pitched shrieking of metal grating on the surface of metal rang out as my falchion's shadowblade swung down and slid off the edge of my opponent's katana.
Weirdly enough, my falchion's vibration effect didn't mince her katana into swiss cheese. It was if her shadowblade was made of stronger stuff than the enemies whose swords I cut in two. This was most probably the case, and assuming I survived, I would have to ask Zarz if my sword's new abilities were ineffective against higher-tier weapons.
With my falchion free of her block, I twisted my hand one-hundred-eighty degrees and sent the shadowblade back through the path it came through. But her katana was there to block my sword's path a second time.
Our weapons were blown back. Our mounts moved nervously from side to side.
I attempted another slash to her gut, but this too was blocked. As my shadowblade swung around to her left side, she responded by slapping my falchion away with a downward thrust of her sword's pommel. Immediately afterward, her katana whipped forward at superhuman speed toward my neck.
She would have cut my head off if the heightened perception provided by Fool's Insight hadn't warned me of her intention. Thanks to this cheat of mine, I was able to pull my right shoulder back and narrowly avoided decapitation.
Her attack didn't end there. She converted her failed upward slash into a sideswipe that would have slit my neck if I hadn't pulled my head down to the left. Her reaction to my dodge was a horizontal slash moving in a downward angle that would have cut deep into my shoulder if my falchion hadn't come up at the last second to block her.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized that her three attacks were coordinated and that they cut an inverted triangle pattern in the air. It was brilliant swordplay which meant she was obviously far more skilled with her sword than me. I was just lucky enough to have Fool's Insight backing me up.
The weight of her katana as it bore down my falchion increased. It got so heavy that I had to hold my sword aloft with both hands just to keep it up. I braced. My arms strained against the weight. Sweat streaked down my face in buckets. I thought I was finally winning. Then she did something too unpredictable for even Fool's Insight to forewarn me.
She jumped up and vaulted over me like an acrobat sommersaulting over an obstacle in her way. Next thing I knew, she was above me with her feet dangling in the air, and then she landed lightly behind me with her toes balancing nimbly on top of my swifthart.
I had half a second to feel impressed by her acrobatics before she drop-kicked me off my mount and I went crashing shoulder first onto the grass.
Seconds ticked by while I lay there disoriented and bruised. My vision was back to normal. The smell of wild grass and dirt were all around me. I tasted them too as my mouth was open when I fell. It was the texture of powdery chocolate but didn't have that sweet taste we all loved. It was just bitter and made me want to puke.
I spit out the coarse stuff as I got to my knees. I took another second to catch my breath before I turned my attention to my surroundings.
The battle was ongoing around me like a scene from a fantasy movie. Mounted grey-armored soldiers clashed with pixies and drow who dodged sword swings while they flew through the air.
I caught a glimpse of Pike—the short-cropped, chestnut-haired pixie with a crush on Luca—as she lifted a pale-skinned, dark-haired elf from his mount and into the sky. When they were maybe thirty feet high, Pike dropped him in the air and he hit the ground with a splat.
It was a well-executed move as Pike was clearly taking advantage of her maneuverability. It made me think that she was wasted under Qwipps' command. This thought was quickly replaced by another—and that was the thought of my impending death.
Despite Fool's Insight being deactivated abruptly by my crash, I could clearly see the shadowblade of the katana as it came hurtling down my head.
My reaction was to roll to the side. Once I'd created enough distance between me and my attacker, I pushed myself off the ground and swung my sword arm sideways in case she'd stepped into my range. However, my hand was empty. My falchion was gone and I had no time to search for it as my enemy's katana sang through the air to try and decapitate me yet again.
A split-second reaction was all I had to pull out my dagger and block the attack, but the force of her swing sent my dagger flying out of my hands.
I backed away as quick as I dared. One step. Two steps. The masked rider mirrored my movements. On my fifth step back, her katana's shadowblade came hurtling at me again. Luckily, instinct made me dodge to the side.
"Oh, great fool, let me see—"
The katana came at me again. I stumbled back.
"Oh, great fool—"
There wasn't enough time to concentrate or finish my chant as my attacker continued her advanced and harried me with each step I took away from her. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.
In frustration, I decided my only option was to pin her down or disarm her. But either option would prove difficult to achieve because I wasn't facing some street thug but a true warrior with amazing technique and incredible acrobatic ability. Still, I wasn't about to back down. Years of training under my dad gave me the confidence to believe in my skills.
My chance to show off the Muto Dori techniques dad taught me came the moment the enemy raised her katana for another swing.
Instead of pulling away, I pivoted on my left foot and swung around to my right in that crucial moment where the katana came rushing down.
I mentally patted myself on the back for doing it right despite not having the aid of Fool's Insight to make things too easy for me. Not only was I able to avoid the shadowblade's edge cutting me in half, but I also sneakily set myself right next to the enemy's outstretched arms.
The next step was to go danger-close.
I used my left hand to slap at her left hand which was holding onto the bottom half of the katana's hilt. I then used the momentum from my slap to wrap my wrist on her handle and twirl my arm around it like I was trying to hook it in.
The masked rider pulled back her arm but I held it in place with all the strength my fifteen-year-old body could muster.
Then I stepped forward with my left foot and pivoted to my left, forcing the katana to get caught between my hand and my left side which also served to weaken my enemy's grip on her weapon. Once I felt this weakening, I smashed my right fist down her outstretched elbow, forcing her to bend her arm long enough for me to pull the katana away from her grasp.
This successful variation of Muto Dori—which translated from its Japanese kanji literally meant catching weapons with your bare hands—made me feel like all my years of training had finally been validated. It was the best feeling in the world. Sadly, I'd forgotten that I wasn't in my world. I was in an alien one where the common sense of Mudgard just didn't apply.
The masked rider and I were within inches of each other, and you would think that would be enough for me to finally take her out with her own shadowblade which was now in my hands. No such luck. Before I could even think to secure my grip on the hilt, the masked rider's fist came up to my jaw. I barely had enough time to block it with my right forearm.
My attempt to block her uppercut resulted in two things. First, the bones of my right arm felt like they'd just been cracked into pieces by a sledgehammer. Second, even with gravity helping me, I was lifted off my feet. It seemed the pure force of her black-gloved hand was enough to send me up.
If that wasn't humiliating enough, her other arm came forward to my rising chest in a straight punch that blew me away for several feet and I crashed into the grass tumbling and screaming in pain.
It was maybe a minute later when I regained consciousness while nursing a massive headache. My chest heaved from the pain, ensuring my breaths came in quick gasps. My right arm felt like it was either broken or about to be. My mouth was wet with something that had a metallic taste to it.
I spat out the blood while feeling like I was bruised all over. Still, I managed to rise to my feet slowly. I looked up, and through the haze of double vision, I saw my enemy standing maybe six feet away. Even though I couldn't see it, I could tell she was smiling from behind her mask.
My right arm dangled loosely at my side. It was most definitely out of commission. Panic was beginning to set in. I could feel it clawing its way into my brain, forcing me to wobble on my feet. But I couldn't give in.
The battle was dying down around me. Too many soldiers in blue gear were still standing while there were far too many bodies sporting grey cloaks lying on the ground. We were winning. Only one opponent proved difficult to beat, and she was staring right at me. I was still her target.
It made sense. Kill the commander and the battle might still be salvageable.
She charged at me while I hobbled forward like an aging grandpa. When she was almost upon me, I raised my left arm and made a fist with my hand because I understood that this wasn't a time to back down. It was time for action. But I never got to throw that punch.
A swooshing sound similar to the rotating blades of a helicopter invaded the quiet of our moment. In the next second, Thom had descended from the sky between me and the masked rider like a tornado, his katana's shadowblade singing violently as he continued his rotation.
The masked rider pulled away instantly, creating distance between her and Thom—and me, thankfully.
Thom executed a rolling maneuver as soon as he landed on the grass. When he came up again, the katana was no longer in his hands. In its place was the bow that made him such a formidable opponent the first time I met him. He notched an arrow to his bow and let it loose.
The arrow flew true, soaring through the air and right into the masked rider's outstretched hand. She'd plucked it out of the air like it wasn't difficult at all.
I saw it happen but I just couldn't believe it. Just how many times was she planning to defy common sense?
Thom fired another shot. She caught this one too.
He fired two arrows simultaneously, but she just plucked both of them out of the air with one hand. She didn't even need the other one.
It was only then that I realized she'd been going easy on me this whole time. There was no way someone who could catch an arrow with their bare hands couldn't do more damage to me in the time we were fighting. This meant that she either liked playing with her food or she was testing me. Neither thought was all that comforting though.
"Foolhardies!" people roared from behind me.
I turned my head to the sound and saw Luca and Ashley riding toward me in their stolen swiftharts.
"Foolhardies!" Qwipps yelled as if in response.
He was charging in from the right. Pike and a few other pixies flew behind him.
To our left, drow gliders led by Enna skirted the grass while they glided toward us.
Although I was glad they were coming too, it annoyed me that they hadn't shouted the Foolhardies name like Luca and the others did. Say it loud and say it proud, I always believed. But, nevermind, now wasn't the time to get fixated over some of my soldiers' lacking team spirit.
Thom's laughter rang out across the open field. After he finished this disturbing chuckling, he turned his gaze on the last enemy left standing and spoke his next words in an obviously fake conciliatory tone, "Apologies... Looks like it's checkmate."
His words annoyed me probably as much as it did our opponent. What did I have to be annoyed about? Well, the mocking banter and self-satisfied victory pose were supposed to be mine to accomplish. I was the commander, wasn't I?
In response to Thom's taunt, the masked rider wordlessly knelt on the ground with her head bowed.
Yes, like everyone who saw her do it, I made the mistake of thinking she was surrendering. Perhaps if I had Fool's Insight activated I would have seen what was happening to the ground beneath her feet. Perhaps then I would have noticed the cracks forming where her fists met the earth or saw the swirl of dust slowly floating up in the air as if the very gravity around her had been reversed. Maybe then I wouldn't have been as shocked as the others were by what happened next.
With power on the level of someone like Superman, the masked rider shot out of the ground—causing cracks to spread out from the grassy earth beneath her feet—and into the sky. Once she was at a height far above us, her grey cloak reshaped itself into black shapes similar to two bat wings, which she used to glide in the direction of the frontline. Just like that, she was gone and the battle was over.
"Huh, I was right... she was a drow," I said out loud.
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My falchion clashed with the mask rider's katana just like the last time our paths crossed, but with one major difference. This time, our mounts didn't charge past each other, almost as if they sensed that their riders desired the trading of sword blows.
The high-pitched shrieking of metal grating on the surface of metal rang out as my falchion's shadowblade swung down and slid off the edge of my opponent's katana.
Weirdly enough, my falchion's vibration effect didn't mince her katana into swiss cheese. It was if her shadowblade was made of stronger stuff than the enemies whose swords I cut in two. This was most probably the case, and assuming I survived, I would have to ask Zarz if my sword's new abilities were ineffective against higher-tier weapons.
With my falchion free of her block, I twisted my hand one-hundred-eighty degrees and sent the shadowblade back through the path it came through. But her katana was there to block my sword's path a second time.
Our weapons were blown back. Our mounts moved nervously from side to side.
I attempted another slash to her gut, but this too was blocked. As my shadowblade swung around to her left side, she responded by slapping my falchion away with a downward thrust of her sword's pommel. Immediately afterward, her katana whipped forward at superhuman speed toward my neck.
She would have cut my head off if the heightened perception provided by Fool's Insight hadn't warned me of her intention. Thanks to this cheat of mine, I was able to pull my right shoulder back and narrowly avoided decapitation.
Her attack didn't end there. She converted her failed upward slash into a sideswipe that would have slit my neck if I hadn't pulled my head down to the left. Her reaction to my dodge was a horizontal slash moving in a downward angle that would have cut deep into my shoulder if my falchion hadn't come up at the last second to block her.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized that her three attacks were coordinated and that they cut an inverted triangle pattern in the air. It was brilliant swordplay which meant she was obviously far more skilled with her sword than me. I was just lucky enough to have Fool's Insight backing me up.
The weight of her katana as it bore down my falchion increased. It got so heavy that I had to hold my sword aloft with both hands just to keep it up. I braced. My arms strained against the weight. Sweat streaked down my face in buckets. I thought I was finally winning. Then she did something too unpredictable for even Fool's Insight to forewarn me.
She jumped up and vaulted over me like an acrobat sommersaulting over an obstacle in her way. Next thing I knew, she was above me with her feet dangling in the air, and then she landed lightly behind me with her toes balancing nimbly on top of my swifthart.
I had half a second to feel impressed by her acrobatics before she drop-kicked me off my mount and I went crashing shoulder first onto the grass.
Seconds ticked by while I lay there disoriented and bruised. My vision was back to normal. The smell of wild grass and dirt were all around me. I tasted them too as my mouth was open when I fell. It was the texture of powdery chocolate but didn't have that sweet taste we all loved. It was just bitter and made me want to puke.
I spit out the coarse stuff as I got to my knees. I took another second to catch my breath before I turned my attention to my surroundings.
The battle was ongoing around me like a scene from a fantasy movie. Mounted grey-armored soldiers clashed with pixies and drow who dodged sword swings while they flew through the air.
I caught a glimpse of Pike—the short-cropped, chestnut-haired pixie with a crush on Luca—as she lifted a pale-skinned, dark-haired elf from his mount and into the sky. When they were maybe thirty feet high, Pike dropped him in the air and he hit the ground with a splat.
It was a well-executed move as Pike was clearly taking advantage of her maneuverability. It made me think that she was wasted under Qwipps' command. This thought was quickly replaced by another—and that was the thought of my impending death.
Despite Fool's Insight being deactivated abruptly by my crash, I could clearly see the shadowblade of the katana as it came hurtling down my head.
My reaction was to roll to the side. Once I'd created enough distance between me and my attacker, I pushed myself off the ground and swung my sword arm sideways in case she'd stepped into my range. However, my hand was empty. My falchion was gone and I had no time to search for it as my enemy's katana sang through the air to try and decapitate me yet again.
A split-second reaction was all I had to pull out my dagger and block the attack, but the force of her swing sent my dagger flying out of my hands.
I backed away as quick as I dared. One step. Two steps. The masked rider mirrored my movements. On my fifth step back, her katana's shadowblade came hurtling at me again. Luckily, instinct made me dodge to the side.
"Oh, great fool, let me see—"
The katana came at me again. I stumbled back.
"Oh, great fool—"
There wasn't enough time to concentrate or finish my chant as my attacker continued her advanced and harried me with each step I took away from her. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.
In frustration, I decided my only option was to pin her down or disarm her. But either option would prove difficult to achieve because I wasn't facing some street thug but a true warrior with amazing technique and incredible acrobatic ability. Still, I wasn't about to back down. Years of training under my dad gave me the confidence to believe in my skills.
My chance to show off the Muto Dori techniques dad taught me came the moment the enemy raised her katana for another swing.
Instead of pulling away, I pivoted on my left foot and swung around to my right in that crucial moment where the katana came rushing down.
I mentally patted myself on the back for doing it right despite not having the aid of Fool's Insight to make things too easy for me. Not only was I able to avoid the shadowblade's edge cutting me in half, but I also sneakily set myself right next to the enemy's outstretched arms.
The next step was to go danger-close.
I used my left hand to slap at her left hand which was holding onto the bottom half of the katana's hilt. I then used the momentum from my slap to wrap my wrist on her handle and twirl my arm around it like I was trying to hook it in.
The masked rider pulled back her arm but I held it in place with all the strength my fifteen-year-old body could muster.
Then I stepped forward with my left foot and pivoted to my left, forcing the katana to get caught between my hand and my left side which also served to weaken my enemy's grip on her weapon. Once I felt this weakening, I smashed my right fist down her outstretched elbow, forcing her to bend her arm long enough for me to pull the katana away from her grasp.
This successful variation of Muto Dori—which translated from its Japanese kanji literally meant catching weapons with your bare hands—made me feel like all my years of training had finally been validated. It was the best feeling in the world. Sadly, I'd forgotten that I wasn't in my world. I was in an alien one where the common sense of Mudgard just didn't apply.
The masked rider and I were within inches of each other, and you would think that would be enough for me to finally take her out with her own shadowblade which was now in my hands. No such luck. Before I could even think to secure my grip on the hilt, the masked rider's fist came up to my jaw. I barely had enough time to block it with my right forearm.
My attempt to block her uppercut resulted in two things. First, the bones of my right arm felt like they'd just been cracked into pieces by a sledgehammer. Second, even with gravity helping me, I was lifted off my feet. It seemed the pure force of her black-gloved hand was enough to send me up.
If that wasn't humiliating enough, her other arm came forward to my rising chest in a straight punch that blew me away for several feet and I crashed into the grass tumbling and screaming in pain.
It was maybe a minute later when I regained consciousness while nursing a massive headache. My chest heaved from the pain, ensuring my breaths came in quick gasps. My right arm felt like it was either broken or about to be. My mouth was wet with something that had a metallic taste to it.
I spat out the blood while feeling like I was bruised all over. Still, I managed to rise to my feet slowly. I looked up, and through the haze of double vision, I saw my enemy standing maybe six feet away. Even though I couldn't see it, I could tell she was smiling from behind her mask.
My right arm dangled loosely at my side. It was most definitely out of commission. Panic was beginning to set in. I could feel it clawing its way into my brain, forcing me to wobble on my feet. But I couldn't give in.
The battle was dying down around me. Too many soldiers in blue gear were still standing while there were far too many bodies sporting grey cloaks lying on the ground. We were winning. Only one opponent proved difficult to beat, and she was staring right at me. I was still her target.
It made sense. Kill the commander and the battle might still be salvageable.
She charged at me while I hobbled forward like an aging grandpa. When she was almost upon me, I raised my left arm and made a fist with my hand because I understood that this wasn't a time to back down. It was time for action. But I never got to throw that punch.
A swooshing sound similar to the rotating blades of a helicopter invaded the quiet of our moment. In the next second, Thom had descended from the sky between me and the masked rider like a tornado, his katana's shadowblade singing violently as he continued his rotation.
The masked rider pulled away instantly, creating distance between her and Thom—and me, thankfully.
Thom executed a rolling maneuver as soon as he landed on the grass. When he came up again, the katana was no longer in his hands. In its place was the bow that made him such a formidable opponent the first time I met him. He notched an arrow to his bow and let it loose.
The arrow flew true, soaring through the air and right into the masked rider's outstretched hand. She'd plucked it out of the air like it wasn't difficult at all.
I saw it happen but I just couldn't believe it. Just how many times was she planning to defy common sense?
Thom fired another shot. She caught this one too.
He fired two arrows simultaneously, but she just plucked both of them out of the air with one hand. She didn't even need the other one.
It was only then that I realized she'd been going easy on me this whole time. There was no way someone who could catch an arrow with their bare hands couldn't do more damage to me in the time we were fighting. This meant that she either liked playing with her food or she was testing me. Neither thought was all that comforting though.
"Foolhardies!" people roared from behind me.
I turned my head to the sound and saw Luca and Ashley riding toward me in their stolen swiftharts.
"Foolhardies!" Qwipps yelled as if in response.
He was charging in from the right. Pike and a few other pixies flew behind him.
To our left, drow gliders led by Enna skirted the grass while they glided toward us.
Although I was glad they were coming too, it annoyed me that they hadn't shouted the Foolhardies name like Luca and the others did. Say it loud and say it proud, I always believed. But, nevermind, now wasn't the time to get fixated over some of my soldiers' lacking team spirit.
Thom's laughter rang out across the open field. After he finished this disturbing chuckling, he turned his gaze on the last enemy left standing and spoke his next words in an obviously fake conciliatory tone, "Apologies... Looks like it's checkmate."
His words annoyed me probably as much as it did our opponent. What did I have to be annoyed about? Well, the mocking banter and self-satisfied victory pose were supposed to be mine to accomplish. I was the commander, wasn't I?
In response to Thom's taunt, the masked rider wordlessly knelt on the ground with her head bowed.
Yes, like everyone who saw her do it, I made the mistake of thinking she was surrendering. Perhaps if I had Fool's Insight activated I would have seen what was happening to the ground beneath her feet. Perhaps then I would have noticed the cracks forming where her fists met the earth or saw the swirl of dust slowly floating up in the air as if the very gravity around her had been reversed. Maybe then I wouldn't have been as shocked as the others were by what happened next.
With power on the level of someone like Superman, the masked rider shot out of the ground—causing cracks to spread out from the grassy earth beneath her feet—and into the sky. Once she was at a height far above us, her grey cloak reshaped itself into black shapes similar to two bat wings, which she used to glide in the direction of the frontline. Just like that, she was gone and the battle was over.
"Huh, I was right... she was a drow," I said out loud.
My falchion clashed with the mask rider's katana just like the last time our paths crossed, but with one major difference. This time, our mounts didn't charge past each other, almost as if they sensed that their riders desired the trading of sword blows.The high-pitched shrieking of metal grating on the surface of metal rang out as my falchion's shadowblade swung down and slid off the edge of my opponent's katana.Weirdly enough, my falchion's vibration effect didn't mince her katana into swiss cheese. It was if her shadowblade was made of stronger stuff than the enemies whose swords I cut in two. This was most probably the case, and assuming I survived, I would have to ask Zarz if my sword's new abilities were ineffective against higher-tier weapons.With my falchion free of her block, I twisted my hand one-hundred-eighty degrees and sent the shadowblade back through the path it came through. But her katana was there to block my sword's path a second time.Our weapons were blown back. Our mounts moved nervously from side to side.I attempted another slash to her gut, but this too was blocked. As my shadowblade swung around to her left side, she responded by slapping my falchion away with a downward thrust of her sword's pommel. Immediately afterward, her katana whipped forward at superhuman speed toward my neck.She would have cut my head off if the heightened perception provided by Fool's Insight hadn't warned me of her intention. Thanks to this cheat of mine, I was able to pull my right shoulder back and narrowly avoided decapitation.Her attack didn't end there. She converted her failed upward slash into a sideswipe that would have slit my neck if I hadn't pulled my head down to the left. Her reaction to my dodge was a horizontal slash moving in a downward angle that would have cut deep into my shoulder if my falchion hadn't come up at the last second to block her.Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized that her three attacks were coordinated and that they cut an inverted triangle pattern in the air. It was brilliant swordplay which meant she was obviously far more skilled with her sword than me. I was just lucky enough to have Fool's Insight backing me up.The weight of her katana as it bore down my falchion increased. It got so heavy that I had to hold my sword aloft with both hands just to keep it up. I braced. My arms strained against the weight. Sweat streaked down my face in buckets. I thought I was finally winning. Then she did something too unpredictable for even Fool's Insight to forewarn me.She jumped up and vaulted over me like an acrobat sommersaulting over an obstacle in her way. Next thing I knew, she was above me with her feet dangling in the air, and then she landed lightly behind me with her toes balancing nimbly on top of my swifthart.I had half a second to feel impressed by her acrobatics before she drop-kicked me off my mount and I went crashing shoulder first onto the grass.Seconds ticked by while I lay there disoriented and bruised. My vision was back to normal. The smell of wild grass and dirt were all around me. I tasted them too as my mouth was open when I fell. It was the texture of powdery chocolate but didn't have that sweet taste we all loved. It was just bitter and made me want to puke.I spit out the coarse stuff as I got to my knees. I took another second to catch my breath before I turned my attention to my surroundings.The battle was ongoing around me like a scene from a fantasy movie. Mounted grey-armored soldiers clashed with pixies and drow who dodged sword swings while they flew through the air.I caught a glimpse of Pikethe short-cropped, chestnut-haired pixie with a crush on Lucaas she lifted a pale-skinned, dark-haired elf from his mount and into the sky. When they were maybe thirty feet high, Pike dropped him in the air and he hit the ground with a splat.It was a well-executed move as Pike was clearly taking advantage of her maneuverability. It made me think that she was wasted under Qwipps' command. This thought was quickly replaced by anotherand that was the thought of my impending death.Despite Fool's Insight being deactivated abruptly by my crash, I could clearly see the shadowblade of the katana as it came hurtling down my head.My reaction was to roll to the side. Once I'd created enough distance between me and my attacker, I pushed myself off the ground and swung my sword arm sideways in case she'd stepped into my range. However, my hand was empty. My falchion was gone and I had no time to search for it as my enemy's katana sang through the air to try and decapitate me yet again.A split-second reaction was all I had to pull out my dagger and block the attack, but the force of her swing sent my dagger flying out of my hands.I backed away as quick as I dared. One step. Two steps. The masked rider mirrored my movements. On my fifth step back, her katana's shadowblade came hurtling at me again. Luckily, instinct made me dodge to the side."Oh, great fool, let me see"The katana came at me again. I stumbled back."Oh, great fool"There wasn't enough time to concentrate or finish my chant as my attacker continued her advanced and harried me with each step I took away from her. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.webnovel.com for visiting.In frustration, I decided my only option was to pin her down or disarm her. But either option would prove difficult to achieve because I wasn't facing some street thug but a true warrior with amazing technique and incredible acrobatic ability. Still, I wasn't about to back down. Years of training under my dad gave me the confidence to believe in my skills.My chance to show off the Muto Dori techniques dad taught me came the moment the enemy raised her katana for another swing.Instead of pulling away, I pivoted on my left foot and swung around to my right in that crucial moment where the katana came rushing down.I mentally patted myself on the back for doing it right despite not having the aid of Fool's Insight to make things too easy for me. Not only was I able to avoid the shadowblade's edge cutting me in half, but I also sneakily set myself right next to the enemy's outstretched arms.The next step was to go danger-close.I used my left hand to slap at her left hand which was holding onto the bottom half of the katana's hilt. I then used the momentum from my slap to wrap my wrist on her handle and twirl my arm around it like I was trying to hook it in.The masked rider pulled back her arm but I held it in place with all the strength my fifteen-year-old body could muster.Then I stepped forward with my left foot and pivoted to my left, forcing the katana to get caught between my hand and my left side which also served to weaken my enemy's grip on her weapon. Once I felt this weakening, I smashed my right fist down her outstretched elbow, forcing her to bend her arm long enough for me to pull the katana away from her grasp.This successful variation of Muto Doriwhich translated from its Japanese kanji literally meant catching weapons with your bare handsmade me feel like all my years of training had finally been validated. It was the best feeling in the world. Sadly, I'd forgotten that I wasn't in my world. I was in an alien one where the common sense of Mudgard just didn't apply.The masked rider and I were within inches of each other, and you would think that would be enough for me to finally take her out with her own shadowblade which was now in my hands. No such luck. Before I could even think to secure my grip on the hilt, the masked rider's fist came up to my jaw. I barely had enough time to block it with my right forearm.My attempt to block her uppercut resulted in two things. First, the bones of my right arm felt like they'd just been cracked into pieces by a sledgehammer. Second, even with gravity helping me, I was lifted off my feet. It seemed the pure force of her black-gloved hand was enough to send me up.If that wasn't humiliating enough, her other arm came forward to my rising chest in a straight punch that blew me away for several feet and I crashed into the grass tumbling and screaming in pain.It was maybe a minute later when I regained consciousness while nursing a massive headache. My chest heaved from the pain, ensuring my breaths came in quick gasps. My right arm felt like it was either broken or about to be. My mouth was wet with something that had a metallic taste to it.I spat out the blood while feeling like I was bruised all over. Still, I managed to rise to my feet slowly. I looked up, and through the haze of double vision, I saw my enemy standing maybe six feet away. Even though I couldn't see it, I could tell she was smiling from behind her mask.My right arm dangled loosely at my side. It was most definitely out of commission. Panic was beginning to set in. I could feel it clawing its way into my brain, forcing me to wobble on my feet. But I couldn't give in.The battle was dying down around me. Too many soldiers in blue gear were still standing while there were far too many bodies sporting grey cloaks lying on the ground. We were winning. Only one opponent proved difficult to beat, and she was staring right at me. I was still her target.It made sense. Kill the commander and the battle might still be salvageable.She charged at me while I hobbled forward like an aging grandpa. When she was almost upon me, I raised my left arm and made a fist with my hand because I understood that this wasn't a time to back down. It was time for action. But I never got to throw that punch.A swooshing sound similar to the rotating blades of a helicopter invaded the quiet of our moment. In the next second, Thom had descended from the sky between me and the masked rider like a tornado, his katana's shadowblade singing violently as he continued his rotation.The masked rider pulled away instantly, creating distance between her and Thomand me, thankfully.Thom executed a rolling maneuver as soon as he landed on the grass. When he came up again, the katana was no longer in his hands. In its place was the bow that made him such a formidable opponent the first time I met him. He notched an arrow to his bow and let it loose.The arrow flew true, soaring through the air and right into the masked rider's outstretched hand. She'd plucked it out of the air like it wasn't difficult at all.I saw it happen but I just couldn't believe it. Just how many times was she planning to defy common sense?Thom fired another shot. She caught this one too.He fired two arrows simultaneously, but she just plucked both of them out of the air with one hand. She didn't even need the other one.It was only then that I realized she'd been going easy on me this whole time. There was no way someone who could catch an arrow with their bare hands couldn't do more damage to me in the time we were fighting. This meant that she either liked playing with her food or she was testing me. Neither thought was all that comforting though."Foolhardies!" people roared from behind me.I turned my head to the sound and saw Luca and Ashley riding toward me in their stolen swiftharts."Foolhardies!" Qwipps yelled as if in response.He was charging in from the right. Pike and a few other pixies flew behind him.To our left, drow gliders led by Enna skirted the grass while they glided toward us.Although I was glad they were coming too, it annoyed me that they hadn't shouted the Foolhardies name like Luca and the others did. Say it loud and say it proud, I always believed. But, nevermind, now wasn't the time to get fixated over some of my soldiers' lacking team spirit.Thom's laughter rang out across the open field. After he finished this disturbing chuckling, he turned his gaze on the last enemy left standing and spoke his next words in an obviously fake conciliatory tone, "Apologies... Looks like it's checkmate."His words annoyed me probably as much as it did our opponent. What did I have to be annoyed about? Well, the mocking banter and self-satisfied victory pose were supposed to be mine to accomplish. I was the commander, wasn't I?In response to Thom's taunt, the masked rider wordlessly knelt on the ground with her head bowed.Yes, like everyone who saw her do it, I made the mistake of thinking she was surrendering. Perhaps if I had Fool's Insight activated I would have seen what was happening to the ground beneath her feet. Perhaps then I would have noticed the cracks forming where her fists met the earth or saw the swirl of dust slowly floating up in the air as if the very gravity around her had been reversed. Maybe then I wouldn't have been as shocked as the others were by what happened next.With power on the level of someone like Superman, the masked rider shot out of the groundcausing cracks to spread out from the grassy earth beneath her feetand into the sky. Once she was at a height far above us, her grey cloak reshaped itself into black shapes similar to two bat wings, which she used to glide in the direction of the frontline. Just like that, she was gone and the battle was over."Huh, I was right... she was a drow," I said out loud.
