Chapter 56 - Despondency

She suddenly dashed toward me at full speed, closing the distance between us within moments. As she used her materialized sword to aim for my head with a slash, I bent down immediately, dodging her first strike.

Suddenly, three blades appeared from above me and descended, aimed at my back. I leaped away, barely escaing their attacks. Behind me, five more appeared. They launched at me with full force as I was suspended in the air, locking me between escaping the blades from whence I leaped from, and the ones which quickly approached me.

I smiled.

Within a fraction of a moment, I slightly altered the structure of my body, decreasing my weight drastically. This allowed me to float slightly higher and at faster speeds. I dodged the five blades with far greater ease, ensuring a safe landing on my two feet.

"That was a nice exercise" I said to her in a relaxing tone.

"Y-You... You dare look down on me? You... You..." Lauria shouted in anger.

I'm sure she doesn't know what to call me. I don't fall under the category of heathen. To her, I'm someone she doesn't understand in the slightest. And for humans, the natural response to the unknown is... Fear!

She made a mass of over ten blades appear in every direction around me and launched them straight at my vitals. I enhanced my body even more and dodged most of them, using my hands to deflect some if needed, until all of them were on the ground and I remained unscathed.

"H-How are you... How are you able to react to the effects of my Grace?" She asked in unbelief.

I shrugged casually.

"You... I'll make you pay for that!" She growled.

She's flustered. It's plain obvious. Her attack patterns are too predictable and her reactions give her next move away. If only she could be calmer, maybe she would be able to perform better. It's time to give her some motivation.

"Let me know when you're ready to get serious... Apostle of Hades" I smiled to her.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she heard that.

"H-How do you know that?" She asked with a shocked expression written all over her face.

Well, from Flora's memories that much is obvious. Besides, the move she repeatedly does is one of Hades trademark specialties. Swords appearing out of nowhere, it sure sounds like a hax. However, once you know the true mechanics behind it, it becomes quite bland. Enough of that, maybe she'll be able to show me something new.

"You shame your god with your pathetic display of combat. If this is how the Apostle of Hades, one of the well respected gods, fights, then he mustn't be such a big deal after all." I taunted.

Her face switched from indecisive fear to pure hate and anger.

"How dare you heathen... You would dare sully the name of god with such vulger lips" She glared at me.

Her face squeezed tightly as veins appeared in her forehead. Her fists clenched in a resolute manner and her eyes burned with such passion. Oh, this will be quite interesting.

I can sense an unusual amount of power rise from within her. This is it, with this she'll finally fight in earnest.

People have various fuels which drive them to bring out their best in a fight. For some it is 'to protect someone precious to them', for some it is their pride, some anger. Fear stands as a beseter for most of these fuels, causing them to waver or dwindle. So, in order to ensure an optimal performance in a fight, all that is needed is to produce a far greater fuel which overshadows the fear.

I have successfully done that. Now it's time to enjoy a more thrilling battle.

"Let's go"

"Fine. Since it's death you seek so badly... I'll grant you a fate worse than death!" She said.

Immediately she dashed toward me, generating two swords, holding on on both hands. As she closed the distance, she threw them at me. I generated a sword of my own to parry the attacks, but immediately it vanished.

"Oh right, I forgot" I said.

She's able to make objects disappear and also make others objects appear. A very scary ability that's not just limited to objects, but also people as well... Or so it seems.

Her swords drew nearer to me and I had to enhance my body even more to parry the both of them. As I did this, a grin formed on her face.

From underneath me, massive blades surged forth, piercing my entire body and rendered me immobile.

"Ah?" I let out in surprise, as the blades dug even deeper.

"Not so cocky now are you?" Lauria smiled as she walked closer to me.

"Y-You..." I muttered to her.

"Oh? You still have the nerve to speak? I suppose the swords aren't plentiful enough to silence you!" She said with a glare.

Immediately, she made seven more swords descend upon me. They pierced my shoulder, my back and my legs.

"Garghh" I groaned.

"That's a much better sound" She said with a pleased expression.

"You... You... " I still muttered.

She looked irritated by my persistence and considered using more blades to shut me up.

"... You should really look behind you" I finally said.

Her eyes widened upon the realization, which is....

"Don't tell me!" She gasped, turning back.

"Hi there" I smiled to her, looking completely uninjured and unscathed.

Before she could react, I sent a thin blade to pierce her shoulder.

The blade flew and drilled a tiny hole through her, and went flying away.

"Gahhhh" She yelled, quickly leaping away from her current position which has been compromised.

"H-How did...?!" She asked in surprise.

She used one of her hands to hold her injured shoulder as blood dripped from the gaping hole my attack made.

She looked toward the direction of where she had caught me with her blades earlier. She saw a distorted image of me.

Suddenly, the image buzzed and glitched before fading away. Her eyes widened with shock and she suddenly realized.

"H-Hex?!" She blurted out.

She's a bit slow on the uptake, isn't she?

"You are aware I'm a user of Hex, shouldn't you have expected this much? Hex isn't only used for frontal or direct attacks, you know? It can also be used in ways like this. Hex #90, Haze." I smiled to her.

I have discovered that Apostles do not passively interfere with Hex, rather it is an active action. Therefore, they can not disrupt my Hex if they are not even aware that it is in action in the first place. She must not be using her Extrasensory Perception. I wonder why... Maybe she can't? Oh, I see now.

She's concentrating mode on 'that", for her Grace to work properly.

"I won't fall for that trick again!" She said with a glare, realizing she had been fooled.

With this, I suppose she'll be more alert and adept of her surrounding.

I shrugged. It's not like I plan on using that same move again.

"Time for playing is over. If I can't win against you in combat, I'll just use overwhelming power to defeat you" She said.

Suddenly, dozens of blades appeared at both her sides and they all faced me.

"I wonder... Can you dodge them all?" She smiled at me.

I don't need to. To be honest I'm a bit bored of all that melee exercise. I should also draw some cards now.

The issue that faces me now seems to currently place me at a disadvantage. I can't use Hex since she'll be able to Interfere with it anyway. Any high tier Hex will cause unnecessary attention which I do not require at the moment. Using Root is also an invalid since she'll just make whatever I bring out disappear. When considering these factors, she has the advantage.

"But..."

I smiled.

This much is nothing.

"ROOT" I said.

Purple portals opened by both my sides as well. Within the portals came forth several blades, matching hers in number.

" I don't need to dodge. I'll evenly match your attacks" I said to her.

She smiled widely.

"We'll see about that!"

Immediately, her blades were launched and in response mine were also launched at the same time. Immediately, my blades vanished due to her interference.

However, new blades immediately emerged from the portals to replace the old ones and parried the blades she summoned.

"What was that?!" She said in surprise.

I'm sure she didn't expect me to bring out more blades from the portal. If that's the case, she's in for quite the shocker.

"Don't you dare smile now. This is far from over!" She declared, summoning even more blades, over twice the initial amount.

I increased the number of portals I had and continued spitting out blades the more she launched hers. Sparks were sent flying as each blade collided.

Of course, my blades easily overpowered hers, but immediately after her blades were destroyed, she made mine disappear.

This continued for quite a while, until she began to look worn out.

"What's wrong?" I asked her with a slight grin.

"Done already?"

Her eyes bulged at the sound of this, causing her to grit her teeth and clench her fists in anger.

She's not backing down, good.

"You heathen! Heathen!! Heathen!!! How dare you make a mockery of me!" She said with rage.

Immediately, she proceeded to launch even more swords, making them fly at even greater speed than mine. The disappearing rate of my weapons was also increasing rapidly, so I also increased the firing rate of my ROOT portals.

The blades clashed and clanked, creating force in the distance between the two of us.

"Not yet... Not yet...!" She groaned.

The blades continued their flurry of attacks, matching one another with their edges, while she caused as many of my blades as she could to vanish. She couldn't do it to all of them at once though.

Even she has her limits.

After a while, the round was over and both my blades and hers ceased.

Suddenly she let out a cough and fell on her knees which wobbled. She placed one of her hands on her chest and placed the other on the ground to support her wobbly body, letting out a very shaken expression.

"Al-Already...?! How is this possible?!" She muttered to herself, looking at me with a suspicious gaze.

Immediately I let out a wide grin.

"What seems to be the matter?! Run out of 'space' already?" I smiled at her.

Her expression grew even darker as I said this as she wondered how I knew the things I said.

"I suppose this is your limit. You are only human after all..." I said to her in a taunting manner.

She clenched her teeth as she gripped the dirt on the ground with her hand. Her hand which she placed on her chest tightened on it. Her knees trembled and her body shook, but she still had that passionate and fiery look in her eyes.

"No... Not yet... This isn't over yet" She stood up forcefully, fixing her gaze on me and determined to end me no matter the cost.

I smiled in amusement, waiting for what next she would try.

Her eyes glowed white and immediately, hundreds of blades appeared from behind her and by her sides, far greater in proportion to the last set.

"With this, I'll end you" She said confidently, looking at me with a determined expression.

"Oh really...?" I said to her.

Looks like she's finally going all out. However... It is all the same anyway.

"ROOT" I whispered.

Immediately, a giant ominous purple portal opened behind me, creating countless little duplicates beside themselves until they numbered thousands upon thousands, reaching high above and spreading themselves across the field.

Lauria's eyes bulged and her agonized look intensified at the sight before her.

"W-What is... This...?" She asked in amazement.

"You still have that much?!" She exclaimed, looking at me with fearful desperation.

Beads of sweat appeared on her face and I can tell she wasn't expecting me to pull this up, since I have been matching her numbers.

That look on her face, as despair slowly seeps in and creeps upon her devout faith... It truly is a sight to behold.

"When the power you so rely on proves insufficient and your utmost trust in it's potency is betrayed... Only then will you know the true meaning of despondency." I mused to myself.

She's now having a taste of that.

"Oh, don't be surprised now." I said to her, stirring her from her jumbled thoughts.

"There's still plenty in stock. Now then, let's see how long you can keep this up.... Little Apostle" I grinned evily.