"You will pay..."
The Demon's chilling voice whispered through the air, making me grip my Longsword tighter.
It felt like the real battle was about to begin.
"Ice Control: Ice Spear!"
Suddenly, an Ice Spear began to materialize in the Demon's clawed hand, glimmering with an eerie blue light.
Its tip was sharp and gleaming, probably enough to easily pierce through my jacket and impale me with one swift motion.
I instantly reached into my pocket, touching the Timekeeper's watch but at the last moment, I decided against using it.
It's too early to use it since its Mana cost is too high, I wouldn't be able to fight with my full strength afterward.
Click...
I could only grip my Longsword tighter and channel Mana into it.
After all of this, I should get a better Weapon Style...
"Heh heh, I can't wait to make you scream in pain..."
The Demon sneered, while I stared back with calm eyes.
Demons talk too much, don't they?
Swish...
In a sudden burst of speed, Demon appeared right before me in the blink of an eye, his spear poised for an aggressive thrust.
However, I quickly raised my sword, intercepting his spear mid-thrust and parrying it away with a swift and precise motion.
I could feel the chilly sensation of his icy spear as it grazed the edge of my sword and sent a shiver down my spine.
Thud...
The impact of my parry forced the spear to veer off to the side, missing me by mere inches but also making the Demon lose his balance for a split second.
Swish... Thud...
Without giving him a chance to recover, I spun around, planting my foot firmly on the ground and delivering a powerful kick to the Demon's chest.
"Aghhh..."
The Demon let out a pained cry as he stumbled backward from the force of my kick and spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Bastard..."
He growled, his yellow eyes burning with rage and fury as he regained his footing.
"Ice Control: Chilly Spears!"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtDozens of Ice projectiles appeared in the air, floating around the Demon, ready to be launched at me with deadly precision.
"..."
However, I reached for an enchanted pebble that was in my jacket's pocket and waited for the moment it released its spears.
"Ice Control: Combine!"
With a flick of the wrist, Demon, suddenly, cast another spell, merging the icy spears into a larger, more formidable projectile aimed directly at me.
It was the size of a boulder and its menacing form sent chills down my spine.
There was no way an Explosive Pebble could destroy this thing.
"Hahaha... Dodge this!"
The Demon gleefully smirked before flicking his wrist for the second time and launching the massive projectile toward me.
In his eyes, it was impossible to dodge because even if I avoided its initial impact, the explosion that would follow would surely harm me severely.
Swish...
As the Massive Ice spear hurtled through the air, I looked at it with calm eyes, slowly tracking its trajectory.
As it was about to hit me, I couldn't help but let a small smile curl on my lips.
Why shouldn't I be smiling?
Everything was going according to my plan~
Boom...
Suddenly, the spear was stopped in its tracks by an invisible force, causing the demon's confident grin to fade into confusion.
"Wha-"
Before he could utter another word, the spear exploded into a brilliant display of icy shrapnel, but this was also stopped abruptly by a Mana wall that stood before me, leaving me unscathed.
"How?!"
The Demon screeched, his yellow eyes widening in disbelief and madness.
However, I kept quiet.
There was no need to tell him that throughout the duration of our fight, I had predicted that he'll have an ultimate spell and it's better to prepare beforehand.
While for the Demon it might seem like we were randomly clashing our weapons and running all around the area, in reality, I was carefully inscribing a Rune into the soil beneath my feet.
I was channeling Mana into my feet and drawing incarnate patterns that would create a protective Mana barrier if I willed it to.
This hidden preparation allowed me to completely nullify the Demon's devastating attack and emerge unscathed.
Sometimes my genius is frightening...
"Fucking Human..."
While I was busy reveling my cleverness, the Demon was cursing me with all restricted words known to him.
His Ice Spear was still clutched in his hand, but his confidence had been shattered.
That's why I tried to avoid talking during the duration of the fight.
Unknown is scary and can leave the opponent off-guard and disoriented, which gives a strategic advantage.
"I will kill you..."
The Demon kept growling, bending his knees and dashing toward me with menacing speed and fury.
He brought his spear down with a powerful swing, aiming to split me in half.
I didn't even notice that while I was still analyzing the previous turn of events, the Demon had changed his spear into a Halberd.
Clank...
Our weapons collided and I was thrown backward like a ragdoll, the force of the impact causing me to skid across the ground before coming to a halt.
My strength attribute was nowhere near the Demon's and his sudden change of weapon also caught me off guard.
'Sneaky bastard...'
Rising to my feet, I dusted off the dirt from my clothes, trying to ignore the taste of blood in my mouth.
I quickly assessed my body for any injury, checking for broken bones or wounds that could hinder my performance in the ongoing battle.
However, everything was fine...
Only one of my ribs was broken~
Anyways, the pain was nothing I couldn't handle, hence I just focused on the task at hand, tightening my grip around the handle of my Authority and channeling Mana into it.
Whoosh...
Demon and I dashed toward each other, clashing our weapons with a ferocity that shook the surrounding area, causing Mana to ripple all around us.
"Feel the pain..."
The Demon growled, while I stayed focused and maintained my composure, anticipating his next move.
Swish...
Suddenly, he threw one of his fists forward, utilizing a powerful punch aimed directly at my face.
Thud...
I could feel the world around me spin, but before he could land another blow, I ducked and countered with a swift kick to the Demon's abdomen, momentarily stunning him and allowing me to regain my balance.
Thud... Clank...
We went back and forth trading hits and unleashing a flurry of attacks.
Every time we clashed, we both traded some devastating blows that left bruises and gashes on our bodies.
At one point the Demon thrust his spear with such force that it pierced through my defenses, causing a deep gash across my left arm.
However, in response, I retaliated swiftly, driving my sword through its abdomen and almost impaling him if not for his quick reaction to kick me away before I caused any fatal damage.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"..."
We both spat blood between gasps for breath, but neither of us showed signs of backing down.
While the Demon's body was stronger than mine, my pain tolerance and determination kept me on my feet.
Thud...
His fist connected with my Abdomen with the force of a sledgehammer, sending me flying backward, but before I hit the ground, I managed to twist my body mid-air and land on my feet, albeit with a slight stumble.
"Monster..."
I could hear the Demon grunt in frustration as he looked at the damage he had inflicted on me.
I probably looked like an undead, my entire body covered in bruises, cuts and blood.
Heh, I've been through worse.
Reaching into my pocket, I felt the cold surface of the metal structure of the Timekeeper's Watch.
"It was a good fight..."
I muttered before supplying Mana into the device and watching as the world around me seemed to slow down.
"Huff..."
I took a step toward the Demon, watching as his body, twice as slow as before, struggled to react to my movements.
Clank... Clank...
His Halberd blocked my first and second blows with a dull thud, but the third strike cracked through his defenses, shattering the Demon's weapon into ice crystal-like shards that scattered across the ground.
I could see his yellow eyes widening in surprise and Dark Mana surging toward his clawed hand, however, I swiftly evaded his counterattack and delivered a powerful kick to his solar plexus, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"Aghhh..."
I could hear his pained groans as he struggled to rise to his feet, but I delivered another swift kick to his side, knocking him a dozen feet away.
"Monster..."
I could hear him uttering while gasping for air.
His yellow eyes were focused on my approaching figure, his demonic face filled with fear and desperation.
"You are not human..."
He continued to mutter, watching as I closed on him, my body trembling from exertion.
Thud...
As I loomed over him, our eyes locked in a silent stare.
"You are not a human... ou- a..r no.. um-an"
The Demon kept speaking gibberish as his breath grew more raspy and shallow.
Pluck...
Without hesitation, I brought my Longsword down swiftly, severing the Demon's head from his body.
I didn't like the way he spoke...