Chapter 70: Finals, Vs Arthur, the Sword Saint (4)

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Arthur steadies his sword, maintaining a decent distance between himself and Red. There's a total of 24 techniques that are used to accompany the sword dance, each tailored to a different situation.

Red grabbed his weapon and dashed forward. His heart pounded louder and louder with every footstep. The sweat from his hair drips down staining his shirt, his forearm muscle tightening up as his hands clenched hard against the weapon. His eyes only focused on one thing, the target right in front of him. 

At this point, he had nothing to lose. Both his master and mentor both lose hope in him and everyone already assumed this match was hopeless. Being under all this pressure made it harder for him to take a step forward. He didn't have time to think of any strategies on how to beat a serious Sword Saint.

He just ran forward hoping for the best. As he came closer to Arthur, suddenly Fang lit up. The blade of the sword was heated up and fire was emitting from it. Startled by the sudden appearance of the flames, this disrupted his train of thought, waking him up from the situation. Immediately, he took a strategic retreat backwards, widening the distance between him and Arthur.

But Arthur already initiated his Sword dance, moving 3 steps forward. His sword spins around effortlessly, cutting through the wind like tofu. In that short period, he slashed his sword twice, which formed the shape X. 

[Moon-Styled Swordsmanship Act III: Lunar Gash]

A powerful wave of Aura energy can be sensed around the air, as the 2 powered crescent-shaped slashes created 2 directional long-ranged slashes on the ground. 

The Slashes create a huge Shockwave that travels towards Red at an astonishing speed. It was as if a missile was homing at its target. The Shockwave Aura were large and they were at least 1.5 times bigger than the human average size.

Red seeing that the Slashes were coming, decided to stay on the ground to wreck through it. He foresees that if he did jump upwards to avoid the attack, Arthur would have already anticipated Red's next movement and finished him off.

"I'm trusting you two to help me," Red spoke to his weapon. As if responding to him, both Fang and Stix responded by igniting a small flame and the other summoning snow respectively. 

As the slashes approach Red, he retaliated using his very own move. Stomping his right foot out, he used his shoulders as leverage as he drags his left shoulder forward, weaving to the left. Fang starts to glow Red as Red gripped his sword tightly and waited for the moment the Slashes came close in contact with him. In about 10 meters distance, shifting his weight, he slashed his sword diagonally upwards in a snapping action, exploding raw power in it. Mixing modern martial art with swordsmanship, some said it would be the dumbest idea ever. However, time and time again this technique helped him when he was in a clinch.

[Body Cleave - Right]

Single Target

Lands a body blow to the target using a sword, in the motion of a body blow in boxing.

Combo: 1

Sword Technique

As the sword was dragged across the air, Fang glowed again. Similar to how people start a motorcycle engine, Fang's ignition was fired up as the whole weapon shine bright in red colour light. 

The slash made by Red created its shockwave and long-range slashes that were at least 2 times larger than Arthur's and denser as well. It obliterated Arthur's attack and head towards Arthur. 

Arthur pivots his foot, allowing the slash to pass by him and preparing his counter-attack.

Counter-attacks in general are powerful attacks that require strength, precision, agility and timing. It works around the basis of exploiting your opponent's mistakes in a fight to your advantage. Although depending on how you use it, it can either be your greatest weapon or your greatest mistake. One wrong move or your blade reaches 1 second too late and it's game over for you. Therefore it's a double edge sword. It embodies the literal translation of High risk, Hight reward. 

However, for Arthur, these are all easy requirements for him. Just carrying a sword in his hand, already granted him strength and power that can easily decimate an entire nation. Training swordsmanship from his mother since young allowed him to have the speed needed to execute and land it easily. And lastly, with his insane battle intuition, he could predict where and when his opponent is striking an attack on him. All these factors pretty much guarantee his chance of counter-attacking successfully close to 100%. 

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The only variable that couldn't give him the full 10% guarantee would be luck and unpredictability. This would be Red's strongest point.

Red rushed in again with Fang and Stix in his hands as Arthur started his sword dance, executing his techniques again. He took 5 steps this time and launched his sword, piercing through the air. This time, it was aiming at the feet.

[Moon-Styled Swordsmanship Act VII: Gibbous Laceration]

The Sword aimed at the feet of the target would be dragged, slashing upwards from the feet to the back of the head.

With the afterimages formed in the same motion, the sword would end up slashing diagonally upwards as well forming a radius around the user's attack, converting the entire body. The long slashing motion would end up reflecting what looks like a moon illuminating greater than a semi-circle, smaller than a full moon.

It was typically used as more of a defensive move rather than attacking one. With Red bulldozing in, he had no choice. He needed that short distance and timing and this Art form is the one to set up his next move.

However, remember the few variables that might affect Arthur's counter-attack? Red was that variable, suddenly with both weapons gone from his hands, he was in a crouching wrestling position. His face smirked as he dig his feet deeper into the ground, having a secured centre of gravity below.

But this doesn't faze Arthur even a little, staying composed he steps back 3 steps. He had 2 options, continue the sword dance and land the next technique or break his flow of motion and directly aim for Red for immediate damage. If he stayed and continue the sword dance, his next technique would have a significant rise in power however he would need time to execute the move. On the other hand, if he decides to strike now, it will break the flow of motion and he would have to restart the sword dance from the start to execute the techniques again.

Red, on the other hand, didn't give him time to think. He went in empty-handed, prepared to tackle Arthur to the ground. With his body reacting faster than his mind could input the action, he swings his sword down at Red.

"I was counting on this." Red smiled, looking at the sword that was landing on his face.

-KUNKKKK!!!!

Metallic sounds could be heard from the entire arena as the echoes of the sword clashed with a metal causing a ringing sensation in everyone's ear.

The audience covered their ear, hoping to lessen the ringing in their ear while some continue opening one of their eyes to watch the match. 

-Klinkkk!!!

A sword flew in the sky as it spins in the air, dropping on the ground. The sound of the sword hitting the floor echoes through the entire Colosseum.

Arthur's facial expression changed into that of angry surprise. As he realised what knocked his sword away from his hands.

An old rusty and plain-looking shield. 

It was the shield used back when Red was trying to survive in the Forest of Death. 

Wasting no effort, Red summoned Stix on his right hand, imbuing it with Aura, he threw the spear like a javelin, directing it at Arthur.

*Stab*

The Spear landed on something.

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