Chapter 322: The Cascade Stance

Chapter 322: The Cascade Stance

LET THE 12TH MATCH OF THE CHALLENGE OF SPELL & STEEL BEGIN!!

Unalla Noir grabbed the hilt of her blade, Heed my call, Votum!

Stryg cursed under his breath and crouched on the ground.

Brown mana flowed into Unallas arms and a bronze metallic sheen swirled across her blue-grey skin as the strengthening Vigor spell took hold.

Unalla lifted the gigantic heavy sword above her head with only a single arm. The winds howled around the arena and pooled around the black sword as it pulsed with power.

What is the Monster in the Dark after!? Why did it attack Widows Crag that night!? Where is the Monster now!? Unalla shouted above the powerful winds.

Stryg dug his hands into the sand and he rested on the tips of his feet, ready to sprint. He silently cast an Agility spell over his legs as he shouted back, Are you really a Noir?

I am.

Good, I hate the Noirs, he bared his fangs.

So you wont tell me? Unalla gave him a solemn look and swung her sword down. A blast of energy ripped through the ground and spiraled towards Stryg with frightening speed.

He dashed away, the wave of energy glanced past him. Stryg tumbled into the sand in a roll and landed on his knees in a crouched position. He quickly dug his hands back into the sand and rested his weight on the tips of his feet.

Youre fast, Unalla noted quietly. She raised her sword. A cyclone of wind swirled around her blade.

The winds suddenly fell silent. The air above Stryg warped. His pointed ears twitched at the loss of pressure.

Move! his instincts screamed.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

Stryg dived into the sands several paces away. The air exploded above where he had just been and punched into the sand with such force it punctured a 2-meter wide crater into the arena.

What is this?! he mumbled in surprise.

Im impressed. You somehow managed to dodge that. But what about the next one or the next dozen? Unalla asked aloofly.

Stryg hissed and dug his hands into the sand in the same crouched position as before.

The winds fell silent. Stryg leaped back. The air exploded above where he had been, but this time the explosion had come from his right.

Unalla didnt speak. She simply pointed her blade at Stryg.

He felt the air pressure change. Something felt off something towards his BACK!

Stryg kicked off the sand. The air behind him burst as if a boulder had slammed into the ocean. The sand blew over his face, but he ignored it and crouched once more, his hands wrist-deep in the sand.

Unalla pointed her sword high up. The air exploded with a deafening crack. The blue goblin had dodged again. Unalla gritted her teeth and pointed her sword into the sky again.

Over and over she attacked, each explosion growing stronger and each coming faster than the last.

Yet somehow the Aspirant had kept managing to evade being directly hit, even if only by a hairs breadth. He had been blasted away from the aftershock several times, his body had slammed into the sands with heavy hits, but he always rolled back up in that crouched position, ready to jump away once more.

Unalla gritted her teeth and hauled Votum over her body in an abrupt parry. The swords clashed in a burst of sparks, sending Unalla tumbling back, her feet dragging through the sand.

A bronze sheen swirled in a smoky pattern over Strygs blue skin, the mark of vigor magic.

Stryg stared at his foe. His hand stung from the reverberating power of clashing against Votum. Even a single parry had been enough to feel the sheer energy lurking with the black sword. Still, he had managed to knock her back.

Her sword doesnt empower her body, Stryg noted to himself. She still has the normal body of a drow. Her vigor spells and lifeforce skills can only take her muscles so far. Which means I can do this!

Stryg shifted his feet and fell into the cascade stance. He dashed at Unalla and swung his blade down at her shoulder. But this time Unalla was ready. She met his blade with her own. As the swords clashed a wave of wind surged out from Votum and tore through, ripping his cloak and shirt to shreds, yet there was no blood.

Fresh Yellow scales wrapped around his skin. There were small cracks, but the durability scales had not shattered.

Unallas eyes widened in shock, Double casting body enhancements!? Thats not possible!

Stryg clenched his jaw and ignored the wave of energy. He pushed through the wind and swung his sword at her hip. Unalla blocked with her own strike, another blast of wind echoing from the sword. The blast tore at Strygs yellow scales, splitting several with small cracks, but he dug his feet into the sand and pushed forward with another slash.

Unalla blocked each attack, her swords power echoing out with each blow. Every strike sent Stryg back, but he held his ground and struck again.

Unalla stared at him, dumbfounded. He cant hold the double spells forever. His scales wont last much longer! Votum or his own bodys limit, either way, if he doesnt stop hell die!

Stryg roared with a crazed fervor. A dozen small cuts bled through the gaps in his cracked scales, yet he kept attacking anyway.

Unalla glared at him, Stop, you stubborn bastard! Youre killing yourself!

Stryg grinned maniacally, Not if I kill you first!

He swung his blade again, and again in a flurry of steel. Nameless sang in his hand, a song of nature and its primal essence, freedom. His sword snapped around each of Votums strikes. Nameless blurred in a myriad pattern of silver, a faint wind coalescing around the blade. With each strike of Nameless, the wind grew stronger and the blades strikes faster.

Unalla found herself being pushed back. Her eyes darted back and forth, searching for each strike. Each strike became harder and harder to parry. She didnt understand! She was the better swordsman, how was she losing!?

The shredding waves of Votum slammed into Stryg, but they did not touch him. A new wind, one that did not answer Votums call, curled around Nameless and slipped through Votums power, like a ship in a storm.

Its not possible! Unalla thought in a panic. Votum was the master of the air, the winds only answered to the black blade. And yet a small storm grew stronger and stronger over Stryg as if screaming in defiance, swiveling through each of Votums attacks.

Unalla didnt want to admit it, but a small part of her knew. She knew what this was. Her blade instructors had warned her to never fight one of them. She had heard the stories whispered among the realms finest weapon masters of a blade they all feared, a sword style that embodied nature itself. She hadnt believed them.

Unalla felt a chill run down her spine. This isnt magic this is the Gale Style!

Strygs blade slipped past her defenses and cut a shallow slash across her cheek.

Im going to lose! a fearful voice whispered in her mind.

Strygs open hand stretched out and grazed her neck, his claws grasping around her throat.

No! Unalla roared.

Her lungs burned, the raw power of Votum felt as if an iron boulder was pushing over her shoulder, threatening to crush her life. But she couldnt stop, not now, not yet! She called forth as much of Votums power as she could handle and swung her sword in a single clean strike. A ripple of jade energy exploded out in a titanic slash, ten paces tall.

Stryg felt his body be pulled in as if the jade slash was eager to devour him. He dragged Nameless in front of him and met the strange force with his blade.

The world suddenly turned white. His body felt numb. The grit of sand filled his mouth. He was on the ground, lying on his back. He couldnt move. His ears rang with a painful screech. He slowly glanced at his right hand. His fingers were covered in blood, still clenched around Nameless hilt The swords blade extended out from the hilt a mere 4 inches in a jagged line. The remnants of Nameless were scattered in a slew of silver shards over the bloodied sand.