The sword came down fast, almost as fast as lightning.
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*
Thankfully, someone was alert enough to help him out. Kali's revolver fired three times with almost no time lag, a special skill under General Gun Arts: Quickdraw!
Three bullets hit the sword's tip, causing it to move slightly further and slamming a few millimeters to Aster's right. The strike caused the ground to explode but also gave Aster enough time and cover to move to safety.
"That was close...!" He snapped, realizing that he had almost died right then. "I should use everything I can, or I'll die of carelessness! Physical Enchant!"
Feeling the danger to his life, he decided to no longer keep cards hidden. Who cares if everyone was watching? His use of Mana Slash was already seen, either way, so the rumor of a Rare Class would spread sooner or later.
"Knight's Challenge!"
Liz cast her skill, trying to pull the boss's attention, but it didn't work. The Azure Knight charged straight toward Aster as if he were the only enemy it had in its view!
"It's no longer falling for crowd control skills...!" Tina gritted her teeth while trying to chase after the monster. However, it was fast, leaving her in the dust! "Darling!"
Aster smiled before shouting back. "You two! Leave it to me!"
With his basic stats raised, it would be dangerous to try and fight with them. After all, he still doesn't have fine control over his body after using Physical Enchant!
'But this is good. I can see the enemy's movements clearly!'
Earlier, the dash and slash combo went too fast for him to react to. But now, he was able to see all of its movements. The Azure Knight stepped within striking distance and swung its sword down once again. Aster noticed this and knew that blocking it would be the most foolish thing to do.
He quickly stepped aside, letting the blade hit nothing but air, before covering his sword with Mana and slashing toward its side. "Mana Slash!"
[Repel Counter!]
"...!"
But right as he called his attack, the enemy muttered mysterious words. Aster felt danger and quickly tried to change his attack, forcefully bending the trajectory to head to the ground while landing a kick on its side to gain distance.
"Ugh...!"
But then, just as he landed the kick, he felt his side let out a dull pain as if he had been kicked. 'This is... Damage Reflection? No, Attack Reflection!'
Rather than only the damage, it was the very attack that was returned to the attacker! This was what got the entire Dragon's Roar team in one go! Aster's mind worked fast and took more distance.
He wasn't sure how long the effect of the skill lasted, but from before, the moment the Dragon's Roar fell to the moment his attack landed, there was at least a ten-second gap.
'I need at least ten seconds before I can attack!'
Of course, it's possible that the skill's effect was shorter, but he didn't have time to experiment. Rather, it was dangerous to even try to experiment on an enemy more powerful than he was! Sticking to what he already knew was faster and more reliable.
Aster kept on trying to gain distance, but the Azure Knight didn't stop chasing either. It was able to keep pace with Aster, who activated Physical Enchant, indicating how powerful the monster was originally.
*Thud!* *Clank!*
He tried kicking it but didn't have any response. It's just a corpse.
"We won...?" Aster claimed with a hint of doubt before raising his head and smiling. "We won!" He repeated it a bit more confidently this time.
---
In a dark, musty cell, a single figure sat on the edge of a simple, white bed. Her silver hair was let down, covering her face, but the wing-like appendages on both sides of her head, behind her ears, stood out.
If one looked closer, the woman also had a black blindfold on. On it were complex symbols: powerful seals.
*Creak!*
Right then, the door to her cell opened, releasing a creaking noise. She raised her head, looking at the intruder even though her eyes were covered. Before her stood a man wearing something that looked like a gray military uniform. He had a rotund stomach but had thick muscles on both his arms and legs.
It was easy to tell that he was once a fearsome adversary in the field but was already starting to lose his edge with age.
"280498, I've got a new order for you." The man exclaimed in a derisive tone, deep and commanding. "You will be going to Orinfeld City to infiltrate a certain party. I want you to use those disgusting eyes of yours and gain control of a certain man."
As the man spoke, he pressed a switch hidden in his pocket, causing the locks on the cuffs holding the woman's hands together to open.
"..."
As she was freed, she felt up her wrists, as if they were in pain, before pulling her blindfold down and revealing her eyes.
They were beautiful blue eyes, vibrant, and almost felt like they could pull one's soul. However, another striking feature of it was that it had an eight-pointed star, red like blood, in the middle of it.
The woman smiled innocently, like a naive young girl, and replied.
"Of course, Officer Lubbot. I will ensure you that I can complete this mission with flying colors!"
Her voice was pristine, echoing like bells in a morning shrine. The tone felt like it would be able to make anyone feel goodwill toward her, like a siren pulling sailors to their doom.
"... Don't try anything funny, bitch." But the man didn't fall for her charms and instead glared at her, disgusted. "You know that we can take your life anytime we want."
"..."
The woman simply smiled, not replying to the man's provocative words. However, her gaze didn't waver at all; she stared at the man without blinking. The man felt unnerved and quickly pulled his hat a little, coughing, before turning around to leave.
"The specifics will be given to you later tonight. Make sure to read it all."
As the man's figure left the cell, with the sound of his footsteps disappearing into the distance, the woman's face turned into a deep frown.
"Bastard. If I can get out of this [curse], then you're the first one I'll kill." A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes as her demeanor turned a complete 180 degrees.
The gears of fate were starting to move.