Chapter 132: Phantom Blades
Both of them charged forward.
I have to be precise, Lucian thought as he flicked the small blades between his fingers. They shot toward the narrow slit of Zero’s visor, aimed perfectly to pierce the gap.
But Zero caught the movement. He raised his sword and deflected the blades, sparks flying as they ricocheted away. Without slowing, he closed the distance, sword raised for a crushing strike.
Lucian reacted instantly. From his inventory, he pulled out another sword, using it to parry the blow. Steel clashed against steel again and again as the two fighters exchanged rapid strikes.
The audience leaned forward, breathless.
Lucian found himself stepping back with every clash. Zero’s strikes were heavier, his swordsmanship sharper, more refined. Every blow rattled his arms.
He’s stronger than me... and his swordplay is cleaner, Lucian realized, teeth gritting as Zero pressed the attack.
Zero ducked under a slash, his armor scraping the ground as he twisted his blade upward. In a single, powerful motion, he knocked both of Lucian’s swords from his hands, sending them clattering to the arena floor.
The crowd erupted.
Zero didn’t hesitate. He brought his sword up and angled it toward Lucian’s neck—not to kill, but to knock him unconscious with a precise strike.
But at the last second, Lucian raised his hand. A dagger flashed, summoned from his inventory, and he caught the strike against the steel guard. His lips curled into a thin smile.
"Now you’re close to me... Opening Blade Technique," Lucian muttered.
In an instant, his movements blurred. His dagger scraped against Zero’s armor, slipping along the steel as if searching for a weakness. The crowd gasped as sparks showered with every strike.
Zero suddenly froze. His body refused to move, locked in place as Lucian’s blade danced across him.
What... I can’t move? What kind of technique is this?!
Lucian’s eyes narrowed. He thrust the dagger forward, slipping it into the joint of Zero’s armor.
"Aaah!" Zero grunted, the pain forcing his body to break free from the strange paralysis.
Lucian immediately leapt back, the dagger still buried in Zero’s joint.
Zero yanked it free and tossed it to the ground. Blood trickled from the wound, staining the silver of his armor. He steadied his breath, glaring at his opponent.
It’s not deep... just a small injury. But still... what technique was that? I couldn’t move my body at all.
The crowd buzzed, murmuring in shock at what they’d just witnessed.
Zero tightened his grip on his sword, his eyes locked on Lucian.
The real fight was only beginning.
"This guy is really annoying," Zero muttered. "The way he keeps pulling blades out of his inventory... but it doesn’t matter. I have to finish this. I haven’t used this technique since I came here—but now I must."
Lucian’s eyes narrowed. Something felt wrong. His instincts screamed at him, warning him of danger. Without hesitation, he stepped back, widening the distance between himself and Zero.
"Vanishing Technique," Zero said.
And then—he was gone.
The crowd gasped. One heartbeat, Zero was there. The next, the arena was empty.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed above. Lucian looked up just in time to see Zero falling from the sky, sword raised high, the blade aimed to cleave his head in two. Lucian rolled hard to the side, sparks flying as Zero’s blade tore into the stone floor where he had just been.
Then it began.
Zero blurred across the battlefield, flickering from left to right, his armored frame vanishing and reappearing like a phantom. Lucian’s eyes darted, his muscles tense, his heart racing with every disappearance.
Left—no, right—behind me!
The crowd could barely follow. Gasps and shouts echoed as Zero appeared and vanished again, the sound of his armored boots clanging in one place only to reemerge in another.
Then—behind him.
Lucian spun around just as Zero appeared, his sword already in motion, a strike meant to end it. Lucian barely managed to dodge, the blade grazing past him with terrifying speed.
Zero’s eyes glowed beneath his visor. He wasn’t just striking—he was hunting.
Lucian’s chest tightened. His speed... it’s unreal. One mistake, and I’m finished.
Yet his instincts kept him alive. Every faint flicker, every sound of displaced air—he reacted before thought, dodging by the thinnest margins.
This was no ordinary fight anymore.
It was a clash of instinct and technique at the highest level.
Lucian jumped back, widening the distance between them. Then, without hesitation, he sprinted forward again, his hands flashing as he pulled knives from his inventory. One after another, he hurled them with deadly precision.
Zero met the barrage head-on. His sword slashed and slammed through every blade that flew toward him, sparks erupting with each clash of steel.
He’s strong, Zero thought, blocking another knife. Not just strong—he’s sharp. His aim is too precise to take lightly.
Zero adjusted his stance, analyzing him. I know one thing for certain: I should never stay too close. That’s when his real attack becomes dangerous. If I step into his range, that hidden technique of his might activate.
For a brief moment, Zero froze, his instincts screaming at him. No... there’s more. He’s hiding something. He’s holding back. Those attacks—those are just basic strikes. He hasn’t shown his full strength yet.
With that thought, Zero’s eyes narrowed. He lunged forward, cutting through another volley as Lucian continued pulling knife after knife from his inventory box, never letting the pressure ease.
Zero closed the gap in an instant, his sword whistling as it cut through the air toward Lucian’s neck.
Lucian twisted aside at the last second, the blade missing by a hair. He tried to counter by pressing forward, but Zero reacted just as quickly—stepping back and sweeping his sword in a sharp arc, forcing Lucian to stay on guard.
Lucian responded with a sudden backflip, landing lightly on his feet before dropping into a low stance, his eyes fixed on his opponent. The crowd roared at the display of agility.
"This fight is good," someone shouted from the stands, "but not like the last one. The last match was better! They’re not even using their attributes... if they even have them."
"They do," another voice cut in. "That one—Lucian—I’m not sure. But the Paladin, Zero... he strong. I’ve watched his previous match."
The murmurs spread through the audience, all eyes now locked on the two fighters.