Kaizen was impressing everyone with his skills, but to him his current level of strength was nowhere near what he had hoped to achieve.
In the midst of the fight against Teshi, he realized how far behind the strongest players on Midgard, let alone all the worlds of Rise Online, in terms of stats.
At all times, Kaizen needed to keep his distance from Teshi, because even if he used <Giant's Lungs> to double his physical attributes, a single sword strike from Teshi would probably be enough to leave him red-faced. Moreover, to make Psyker's job more difficult, there were few opportunities for effective attacks that arose, so all he was doing was spraying arrows at his enemy.
However, Kaizen noticed an opening in Teshi's guard even earlier than he expected, when the warrior tried to dodge a flurry of arrows, so Kaizen didn't flinch and took the opportunity to shoot an arrow directly at a weak point in the armor, one of the knees. The arrow found its target precisely and pierced the thin layer of mesh on the knee, causing significant damage to Teshi, who stepped back momentarily, visibly shaken.
Kaizen wasted no time and continued to fire his arrows, pressing Teshi even harder. Teshi was struggling to recover, but Kaizen's combination of speed, agility and precision was proving increasingly difficult to deal with. With one last sharp shot, Kaizen hit Teshi's other knee, forcing him to his knees practically.
The crowd erupted in applause, recognizing Kaizen's stunner's skill in battle. Nevertheless, Teshi was strong and would not be defeated so easily.
Teshi was clearly frustrated with the situation. His expression was one of pure disgust with himself and the power he knew he was not being able to demonstrate, so he was still unwilling to give up. He stood up with difficulty, using his sword as a support, and charged again at Kaizen with a powerful attack, making the air shudder with a mere swing of his sword.
Kaizen saw the shining blade advancing against his neck at breakneck speed and used his dodge and agility to avoid Teshi's blows, but continuing this movement that confused his opponent was making the Psyker more and more tired.
Kaizen knew he couldn't keep just dodging and shooting arrows forever, because Teshi would eventually find a gap in his defense.
With his mind sharp, Kaizen began to work out a strategy. He knew he needed to make the most of his abilities to turn the tide in his favor. Thus, Kaizen began to intersperse the use of <Giant's Lungs> with <Psychokinesis>, which he used to move objects in the environment, such as some rocks and the earth itself, to create annoying obstacles to hinder Teshi's movements.
The battle became even more intense, with the two fighters facing each other with ferocity.
Kaizen was becoming more exhausted by the minute. He knew that he would have to risk everything in a single blow to defeat Teshi. With his last remaining Swift Arrow in his quiver, Kaizen concentrated to the maximum and shot with all the force he had, aiming at the center of Teshi's helmet.
The arrow flew at high speed, but Teshi was quick in his reaction. He used a special ability of the cloak he wore to adorn his great armor, which suddenly came to life and wrapped itself like a cloak around his body quickly, transforming his appearance from a lush knight to a bestial creature with sharp claws and a ferocious appearance. From human only part of his waist and legs remained, but from the abdomen up he adopted a completely different form, with this seemingly ethereal and energetic appearance.
With a nimble hand movement, Teshi bounced the arrow, which whizzed past Kaizen's right ear, as if it were nothing.
Kaizen was surprised by Teshi's transformation and realized that, contrary to what he would have liked, the battle was far from over. Now he was facing an even more formidable and ruthless enemy.
Teshi advanced with impressive speed, slicing the air in two with his sharp claws.
Kaizen had to use all his agility and psychic abilities to dodge Teshi's sequence of devastating attacks.
The two fighters engaged in a virtually deadly choreography of blows and dodges, with Kaizen using <Psychokinesis> to create obstacles and distractions, while Teshi moved with his frightening speed, attacking with fury and determination. The battle was reaching its climax, and the crowd watched with wide eyes, amazed at the intensity of the combat.
Kaizen knew he couldn't afford to miss even once. He saved all his vigor for one more last blow, combining his <Giant's Lungs> ability to release an arrow with as much force as he could use, and then <Psychokinesis> to push it forward with speed. He released the arrow with deadly accuracy, aiming directly at Teshi's heart.
Teshi, who up to this point had been deftly dodging or dodging each of the arrows, barely saw this last arrow being pulled back and in an instant the speedy arrow struck him full in the chest, piercing his armor and causing significant damage.
The damage report appeared before Kaizen's eyes.
[Supercritical damage!]
Teshi recoiled unconsciously, and amidst the whirlwind of strange energy that was the cloak that wrapped around his back, it was possible to see for a few seconds his face visibly weakened, but still determined to keep fighting. Suddenly, he let out a bestial roar, releasing a wave of dark energy around him. The dark energy expanded and then enveloped Teshi, increasing his speed and power once again, making him even more dangerous than before. He charged at Kaizen with renewed ferocity, delivering a powerful punch.
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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