Oliver bent his knees, assuming a stance similar to a beast preparing to pounce on its prey. His eyes were trained on Val, sharp and focused. He looked like a coiled spring, ready to uncoil at any moment.
Val read Oliver’s intention like an open book. He knew the younger boy would throw himself at him with all his strength. Recognizing his opponent’s intent, he made a plan to counter him on the spot.
“Come, let’s dance,” Val taunted, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“As you wish.” Immediately, Oliver launched himself forward. The ground where he stood cracked under the force of his leap, and the entire arena shook with the force of his movement. His movement was so swift and powerful that to the onlookers, his figure was nothing more than a blur, an untrackable flash of movement. Their eyes weren’t able to keep up with him. Val, on the other hand, had to strain his eyes and only then was he able to barely keep up with Oliver’s swift movements, but that what all he needed.
Oliver was moving so fast that he seemed to have flashed up to Val. Oliver’s sword could be seen cutting through the air, leaving a trail of silver light behind it as it inched towards Val’s neck.
‘It’s too fast, but just slow enough for me to dodge and set my plans into motion.’
Thinking so, Val deftly maneuvered his body, spinning around the edge of the sword that sought to strike him. Using that same spin, he fluidly repositioned himself behind Oliver. As a result, he reversed their roles in the blink of an eye.
With his newfound advantage and the momentum of his spin, Val swung his sword at Oliver from behind the latter’s back.
‘This is definitely gonna work.’
Val was sure of his victory – after all, how could Oliver see where the attack was coming from when he had launched it from his blind spot?
Whoosh!
Val’s victory seemed certain as his blade cut through the air towards Oliver, who shouldn’t have been able to see the attack coming from his back. However, Oliver reacted with uncanny speed and precision, moving his sword to his right side, blocking Val’s attack with his back still turned to him.
Clang!
Their weapons met with a loud clash, sparks flying from the point of contact.
Val was slightly taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise. He hadn’t expected Oliver to dodge his counterattack as it was launched from Oliver’s blind spot.
‘Does he have an extra set of eyes on the back of his head,’ Val was forced to wonder.
Oliver didn’t give him any time to spectacular as he turned around and launched a relentless assault, but Val dodged most of his attacks and blocked the ones he couldn’t dodge with his sword.
From the crowd, a murmur of wonder and admiration rippled through. “How did he see that attack coming? His back was turned to Val!”
Another spectator chimed in, her voice carrying a tone of admiration. “Oliver is a Wizard, you know. They can spread their Soul Power out like a net to sense their surroundings. It’s like an extrasensory perception, granting them awareness beyond the normal range.”
“So that’s how he did it!” Alfred exclaimed. “It seems like this fight won’t be easy for Val to win.”
Meanwhile, the two participants continued to be immersed in a fiercely contested battle within the confines of the arena.
Val’s previous tactics may not have yielded the desired outcome, but it was not a total defeat, for he had gained valuable insights into Oliver’s abilities. Through their engagement, Val discovered that Oliver possessed the skill to utilize wizardry, enabling him to evade attacks that would ordinarily be deemed impossible to dodge. Additionally, Val discerned that Oliver had no blind spot in his vision.
‘I’m more proficient than him when it comes to using the sword, but direct confrontation won’t work as he can use wizardry to gain an advantage over me. He also has no blind spots, meaning my usual tricks won’t do much good here. It’s time to change tactics.’ Val thought.
Having discerned Oliver’s strength, Val adjusted his own plans accordingly. He realized that any attack that depended on Oliver’s blind spots would be futile – the wizard’s sensory prowess nullified such tactics.
Therefore, in order to win this battle, Val formulated a new strategy in his mind while taking into account Oliver’s unique sensory abilities.
This new plan held a higher degree of risk but if it worked he would win, so he decided to take the risk.
Clang!
Val observed Oliver intently as he countered his attack. Sensing an opportunity to put his new strategy into action, Val feigned extreme panic. He spun on his heels and began running, making a show of being overwhelmed by Oliver’s onslaught. His back was exposed to his opponent, a typically fatal mistake in a battle, but in this case, it was a part of Val’s plan.
Seeing his opponent’s apparent panic and retreat, Oliver, eager to press his advantage, charged forward with increased vigor, intending to take down Val in one final strike.
What he didn’t know was that it was all part of Val’s plan, and that he had fallen for his ruse! like a fool!
From the corner of his eyes, Val watched as Oliver chased after him.
Immediately, he smirked.
‘Perfect, the fish has taken the bait,’ Val thought, a sly grin playing on his lips as he prepared to spring his trap. He was one step closer to turning the tide of the battle in his favor. 𝒩𝞸𝐕𝔩xt.𝔠𝒪𝔪
This was the opportunity he had been waiting for – Oliver, driven by his desire to win, had momentarily forgotten his caution.
Val’s heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline surging through his veins. He knew this was a high-stakes gamble. One mistake, one miscalculation, and he could lose the entire match. However, it was this kind of risk that made his blood sing. It was now or never, and he decided on the latter.
‘Let’s see how you handle this, Oliver.’
Just as Oliver closed in, Val made his move. With a sudden swift spin, he brought his sword in a wide arc aimed at Oliver. If Oliver overcame even this, Val knew that it would be him who would be at the receiving end of his opponent’s mercy. However, he was worrying too much. It was an unexpected counterattack that Oliver had not seen coming. He was only able to instinctively respond to it, but wizardry functioned on careful planning.
Although Oliver managed to raise his sword in time to block the attack, the sheer force of Val’s strike sent him sliding backward, almost making him lose grip of his sword.
‘This is my chance. Time to put down my prey!’
Val wasted no time in pressing his advantage.
He lunged forward, his sword aimed squarely at Oliver.
This time, Oliver was too slow to respond, and with a swift and precise swing of his sword, Val disarmed his opponent.
Struck by Val’s weapon, Oliver’s sword flew out of his hand, clattering to the ground several feet away.
Before Oliver could react, Val’s sword was pointed at his throat, their faces mere inches apart. The proximity of the sword to his skin caused a wave of fear to ripple through Oliver, making him stumble backward and fall onto his butt.
“Yield!” Val demanded.
“I yield!” Oliver conceded, gasping for breath and looking up at Val with wide eyes.