Chapter 102 - Ninety-Eight

As the flying sword comes back he simply reaches out without even looking and catches it midair with expertise, making me realize that he himself was actually really flying too in that weird way humans; or rather cultivators; do, without wings and only with their strange power.

Would be safe to say that his element is wind or air then? I have not fought a cultivator before, so it is difficult to know for sure… perhaps all of them were able to do it, to fly like that.

It is rather strange, really, and unusual for myself to fight like this, without any knowledgement about the enemy. I have appraisal with me since the moment of my birth in this world, it was actually one of the first abilities of mine and has never failed me and yet, here, every time I try to look at him with my third eye that blinding light prevents me as before, not being a trick of his transformation as I thought at first.

Is not possible that it was some kind of appraisal blocking magic… right? Appraisal was rare on itself, I have never seen nor heard of this type of magic from others before, so how rare would it be to have a magic that blocks it?

But the blocking would be somewhat useless to most of the time if you think about it, like having the cure of a rare disease that is so rare that is almost extinct

However the unlucky me is one of the affected by such ability, which keeps the mystery of what just happened to him stay that way.

It was not the ideal situation for this battle to start but I would have to make do with what I have; so I start to attack him.

I use Shadow Slash to attack from afar, mixing it with Shadow Dash in a way that every time I attacked I would jump out into another shadow, changing positions and attacking so fast that it was impossible for him to tell where I was and where I had been so in this way I did not give my position away and could keep a steady wave of attacks with claw slashes.

He, however, as expected, proves to be a worthy opponent, dual-wielding both swords and turning and slashing with both weapons at the same time, a deadly dance of fl.u.s.tering sleeves and sidestepping moves, silver glints flying from the blades being hit one after the other as he manages to block all my attacks in a clutter of shadow and sword attacks and defenses.

Many branches and leaves suffer from the impacts as both our forces clash against each other, and for a few moments we appear to be in a stalemate as no opening shows up for the other to attack.

Which only means that I have to make an opening myself.

I stay for a little too long in the same place after an attack, which gives away my position without compromising my plan as I see his eyes glint when he joins the blades together in parallel and turns around in full speed, turning like a deadly tornado as he cuts the wind and makes it into his blade, the shushing air flying quick and deadly into my direction, cutting what stood in their way.

Only that I wasn't there anymore, only an ilusion.

With this attack he opens his guard for a second when his body i still recovering from the turn, enough so that I launch an attack at his front, making Shadow Tentacles emerge from his own shadow like a dormant marine beast awakened from their slumber wanting to swallow him whole.

The goopy long shadows reach out without mercy and quick as the string of a bow being released, warping around the tip of his sword and arms, reaching out for his legs and neck.

He in response firms his arm and doesn't let go of the sword, and with the free one starts to slash any tentacle that came too close to him, more annoyed than preoccupied with them, giving them no importance what so ever.

But I expected him to defend against that.

As he quickly manages to free his other arm when I jump out of the shadow on his back and extend my claws and fangs in a deadly hug, and with the tentacles keeping him occupied I gain a bit of time until he realizes my attack.

Or so I thought.

What gave his intentions away was the small smirk that appeared on his face as he looks over his shoulder, and with only a second to react I pull myself away from him with my own Shadow Tentacle as I see something reflecting on his back; and only up close like this could I identify the object, another crystal blade, almost invisible to the eye, even more at night, but this one was no dagger, no, it was actually a sword attached to the back of the others visible swords, which actually made then into dual blades.

It wasn't surprising that he was able to defend against my speed, he actually had four blades with him that could be swing over and over into an arc move that would look like two fan turbines covering his sides, too fast for the eye to see, especially with invisible blades attached to the back.

I jump back once more the moment he was able to get rid of my Shadows, and as he flies down I start to growl, making that even my fur would stand up to make myself bigger and deadlier.

He looks at me with amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes and a smirk on his face, finding my aggressive behavior charming, like one would do when a small puppy growls at them.

That makes me even angrier.

"You know what is the most ironic thing here 'Hound'?" He starts talking, emphasizing the hound as if it was an insult. "That my style of fighting is the same used and brought by the mighty Goodness! Don't you think it is funny? How I will make them obey me as her and at her image? Is ironic, really, amusing, like taking the image of their beloved heroes and heroines at account to get inside only to blow everything up later from the core! Ha! Quite the humorous image, don't you think?".

I only growl louder as I prepare to fight head-on with him, a little something that I learned from the Teleporting Cat back in the day; I make two tentacles grow on my back, and with them my two Black Obsidian Machetes, this trick serving well to substitute my arms and give me the speed and dexterity of a four-legged creature.

Plus in the body that I was used to fighting in.

He smiles then, a predatory show of teeth as he says:

"So eager to fight I see, fine by me!" He says after he dashes forward with his swords which are promptly blocked by me.

I keep my eyes open and alert to every move as I dash and dodge, blocking and attacking with the tentacles with more flexibility and range than him, managing to keep a good distance from his deadly blades and tricks.

While at it, between defenses and cuts that did not hit, he throws a crystal dagger or two, but with this distance between us I have more than enough time and visual to evade his attacks.

And yet, once more, none of us manage to break through the others' defense.

I dash up with my fangs only for him to sidestep me as I block his sword that was coming down over me, he turns around into a deadly spiral of winds only for me to dodge back and block with my Shadow Claws midair.

This was starting to get frustrating annoyingly as I push hard only for him to push back harder without gaining any results.

So I try to distract him once more, but not in the usual way; in a way that I would benefit in double if everything worked out well.

This man, whoever he was, at least seemed more talkative than Cain; maybe I could get something out of him, make him split some details and secrets as well as stall him.

"Where the hell is Cain? What did you do to him?" I ask as I dodge one of his attacks, questioning him midbattle.

"Why? Are you that worried about him hound?"

I chuckle a little, my growly low voice mixing it with a roar as I answer:

"Oh no, I'm just missing his pretty face, your ugly one is starting to get on my nerves. And that fur? Really, who dresses up like that? Was that supposed to be fancy?"

"Is style!"

"Really? Style? When did man start wearing a dress like yours then?"

"Is a tunic!"

I can see the immediate result that my words have as a scowl appears on his face and his eyes darken as he narrows them.

And I grab my chance.

Using Shadow Illusion I make so that it looks like two of me split apart and dash forward to the right and to the left, pinching him at the front and giving him only time to attack one of us.

And he chooses the wrong one.

Amidst his fury and my attack a smirk curves my black lips sideways as my blades come up towards him, but the damn man was quick and even if he had to turn because of his wronged choice he manages to back step my attack, only receiving a graze at his face.

And yet that has the perfect effect when he feels the warm blood hit his mouth, making him reach out with his long fingers only for them to come back crimson red.

But not redder than the fury that embeds his eyes when he looks at me.

"My face! MY FACE! How dare you!" He answers screaming while he cleans the excess of blood with his sleeve only to stand in position once more, fury n his eyes. "Come here and face me Terror!"

Well, if you ask so nicely like that it would be impolite of me to refuse right?