While it is possible that I could have evaded Claire's wind attack, I am not above admitting that I was caught off guard. The wind attack ripped through the air and caught my body in a blast reminiscent of a trip in tornado alley. It didn't harm me on impact; I was unable to resist the force of the attack. My feet slid across the ground before I managed to plant Catalyst into the ground like a flagpole.
'Did she say that she'd kill me?'
I will be the first to admit that I didn't know Claire for too long, so it is feasible that she had this dog in her. However, something about her sudden shift in tone unnerved me. It was cold and merciless, far beyond her usual cool and elegant demeanor. She unsheathed her rapier and charged Mikangleo with reckless abandon.
Her rapier slashed through the air, missing the white-haired man's chest by a centimeter. Mikangleo parried her next blow with his knives before leaping backwards to safety. There was no lost motion in his retreat, though as two of his four throwing knives were sent in Claire's direction. The noblewoman swatted them out of the air with her rapier without hesitation. Her movements were fluid and calculating, but there was something more at play.
Instead of pursuing Mikangleo, Claire began to backtrack and circled the man at a sprinter's speed. Claire was fast, and I mean faster than I anticipated.
'Where the hell was this speed against the Ravager?!'
Mikangleo attempted to predict her movements and threw preemptive knives in her path. If he were a smidgen faster, then perhaps his predictions would have mattered. Claire's speed proved too much for the man, and we found that whatever knives were close to her were swatted away. Metal clattered, and the air itself gave way to the amazing speed of the blonde noblewoman. It is not an overstatement to say that Claire was the wind.
"Back off, noble!" Mikangleo hissed as he parried her forward lunge with his remaining knife.
He was much slower than Claire, but he seemed to have her number when it came to strength. Mikangleo's fighting style in close quarters had much to be desired. His movements were sloppy, but he was sufficient in redirecting any major attacks away from his body. Unfortunately, that didn't mean that he stood much of a chance. Had this been a one-versus-one, Mikangleo would likely have been overwhelmed.
I stood there watching with intrigue as my two allies danced across the grassland in front of us. Somewhere in their clash, they had forgotten about me, so I allowed them to continue. I propped myself against Catalyst and watched the blood bath ensue.
'Thank God, these two bozos are going to kill each other. Saves me the trouble of doing them later. The fuckin' incompetents.'
These two idiots have been causing me trouble since the moment I laid eyes on them. If Claire had kept her nose to her own business, then I wouldn't be in these dangerous ass situations. I had already survived, barely survived an encounter with the Lynx on our first day, and since meeting the noble twat, I have been nearly sent to meet the All Mighty and his son on two different occasions.
I've been stabbed in the back due to that damned brat, and she has the audacity to question my trustworthiness? I am not the one hiding important information alongside my old ass, racist butler. Horace is her guy, not mine. In fact, I am certain that he is one of the people aiming for her throat, but she's too stupid to realize that.
Sure, Claire appears to be observant, but I've learned that she has the perception skills of a damned Jumping Spider! The damned damsel can't see the rattlesnake under her nose! Mikangleo was a bum, and the fact that she couldn't strike him down was laughable.
'She's a god damn mage with a sword, and he trick-shots with throwing knives, so why are these two dumbasses punching each other?'
Somehow, both of them managed to lose their weapons in a clash. With both of them disarmed, Claire and Mikangleo's duel turned into a ruly slugfest. I don't know why both of them would forsake their respective advantages, but they are taking too long to kill each other. This fight should've ended minutes ago, but the two ranged combatants decided to have a boxing match in the middle of the grassland!
My face grew heated at the sight, and I was forced to scoff. These two were the dumbest pieces of shits that I have ever seen. I couldn't allow myself to watch this weak bullshittery any longer, so I pulled Catalyst from the ground. I couldn't help but glare at the two useless fuckers.
"Fine, I'll do it myself."
Twirling Catalyst, I approached the two brawling combatants with unbridled confidence. I was going to end their pathetic battle with a single swing of my magnificent spear. It would be that easy, and I was sure of that.
'Well, there is no need to rush. I could allow them to soften each other up. It'll save me the trouble.'
I slowed my pace to a near crawl and continued observing their fight. Claire struck Mikangleo in his chin with a hook that did nothing more than piss him off. He retaliated with a kick to the woman's stomach, which sent her rolling backward in the grass. Seeing Claire being rag-dolled from a single kick reminded me of how the Ravager walked Mikangleo like a dog earlier today.
'Man, was that fucker useless. I did all of the work, and when Claire finally did something, she knocked herself unconscious! How can you be so weak that you managed to knock yourself out? She's supposed to be an experienced mage. I mean, she is a noble. Shouldn't they have extensive training?'
The human man stomped over to the noblewoman and punched the woman in the forehead. She fell backwards, sprawling onto the grass.
'Yes... end here... end... end her?'
Mikangleo stomped the woman in her stomach, causing her to yelp with pain. The devilish gleam in the man's eyes was only matched by the sinister smirk on his face. It was haunting, but I couldn't understand why. Claire attempted to move away from the man, but he kicked her in her face.
With my Kitsune ears, I could've sworn I heard a nasty crunch. The blood pouring from the blonde's nose made it obvious that her nose had met its match. Mikangleo glared down at her and stepped onto her arm, pinning her to the grass.
"The greed of you nobles knows no bounds. You think just because you were born in luxury that you are better than the rest of us?" Mikangleo scoffed while reaching into his tailored coat.
I stopped in my tracks, staring at the man as he pulled another knife. He flipped it whimsically, admiring its gleam from the Grotto's sun. His pupils flickered with hatred and resolve. He briefly looked at me, and that malice he oozed flowed in my direction. It was corrosive, tainting the breeze with its noxious fumes.
'I don't like how he's looking at me. Does he think he can play God with my life, too?'
"The arrogance... Hey! Mikangleo!" I called, and the man glared in my direction.
I didn't get the opportunity to finish before Mikangleo abandoned the downed noblewoman and charged my position. I smirked with glee and bolted towards him. If he thought Claire was fast, then he should've known better than to challenge me. I was on him in a second, slamming my shoulder into his chest with the power to run the fucker over like a professional running back.
Mikangleo recovered faster than I gave him credit for, but I wouldn't have recommended it to him. The moment he stood, I slammed the butt of my spear into his chest and kicked the man in his side. Just as he had rag-dolled Claire, I rag-dolled him with even more efficiency.
In his tumble, he lost his knife, but even if he did have it, it would do him no good. Whenever he recovered from a punch or a kick from my right side, Mikangleo was greeted with the same attack from the opposite side. The man was overwhelmed with heavy kicks and punches, but I held back. I don't know why I did it, but I like to think that killing him would be too easy. I planted Catalyst into the ground and couldn't help but smirk.
A chuckle slipped from my throat while cracking my knuckles. This battle would have been interesting.
'Should I cut loose? Maybe I could.'
My initial attack struck Mikangleo in his jaw. It was my favorite due to its simplicity. A powerful right hook that caused the man's knees to buckle on impact. He sputtered as his lip burst and leaked like a faucet. I liked to see that sight.
Without much coaxing, he fell to his knees and coughed up that same blood. The blood of that weak ass man colored my pants, and that caused me to cringe.
"You know Mikangleo, I am a generous guy, but even I ain't generous enough to allow you to activate Martydom with a bloodborne pathogen."
I was unsatisfied with his reaction to my remark, but I quickly remembered the reason why. Mikangleo wasn't from Earth, but from this new world. It was obvious, so why didn't I consider that? In this world, they only understand violence as barbaric trash. Sure, some of them appear to have magic, but I think Mikangelo was possibly an individual who doesn't.
That could only mean one thing... slim pickings. The urge to gloat poured out of me, and I followed my instincts to the letter. I crouched down, admiring the bloodied lip of the weakling, and a Cheshire-like grin stretched across my face.
"Which one of us hit harder? The Ravager or me?" I asked.
"You'll get yourself killed soon, bastard! When you do, I'll be relishing that day," Mikangleo growled. His voice was hoarse, but then again, I did decide to punch him in his throat since I didn't like his answer.
He coughed, spraying both spit and blood across the grass. Something within me enjoys the sight of that. It was akin to one of those out-of-body experiences. This must be how Pollock and Picasso felt after finishing their masterpieces. My chest tightened, and with it, my breath hitched with an unexplainable coil. Just staring at the red splotches weighing down on the green vegetation was absolutely mesmerising.
My instincts called to me, driving the next punch against the top of Mikangleo's head. While I didn't hit him hard enough to kill him, it sure as hell didn't tickle him. His grunt from the impact only heightened the tension in my chest. The light hint of iron carried on the breeze, replacing that nauseous malice that once lingered. It was sweet, forcing my nostrils to take notice.
'I really am a modern-day artist, and this scent... it is exquisite.'
"You think so? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I am 4-0 right now. No one seems to have the secret sauce to reap my life," I remarked. He frowned immediately. "Now, get up."
His attempts to stand were valiant, and had I cared for him, I would have cheered for him. I've never seen a human perfectly cosplay a baby deer before, but Mikangleo's wobbling knees were a close second.
"I'm not done, you cursed demon! I'll slit your throat with my fingernails if I have to. You are too dangerous to be left alive!"
The man clenched his fist and threw a desperate punch with his left hand. I blocked it with my forearm and knocked him on his ass with a swipe of that same forearm. It was child's play. I gestured for him to stand, but he couldn't see it since he was pushing himself to his feet.
"Get up. C'mon! Get Up! You can do it!" I challenged, and he answered it.
I watched as the man struggled; he spat more blood and grunted. However, that deep hatred flickering within his gaze excited me. He wanted to make good on his threat, and I hoped he would.
My feet took me toward Catalyst, and gravity pulled my hand around its shaft. With my Kitsune senses ringing, I pulled the spear from the ground and traced my finger alongside its point. The wound that it sliced open was of little consequence, since, unlike this fool, I was capable of healing myself.
"I don't understand why you thought it was a good idea to fight me? The difference between us is as wide as night and day," I remarked as I approached. Despite my words, Mikangleo dared to continue with the fruitless endeavor.
'Good. Stand and fight! Let me see you fight... Let me see you bleed... Let me... Let me...'
"Nibba?!"