Steel met steel, and Orion immediately knew—this was different.
Beldia advanced with slow, measured steps, greatsword held low, its edge scraping stone like a threat made audible. When he swung, the air itself seemed to recoil. Orion didn't even think about blocking.
He side-stepped the fastest side step he ever side stepped.
The passing of the enormous broad sword near him and the sound of wind cutting gave him a chill. The kind of chill which stated that even if he was wearing basic armor, against that sword it wouldn't matter.
He would be cut like butter by a hot knife in a heartbeat.
The blade slammed down where his torso had been a heartbeat ago, stone exploding upward. Orion immediately initiated a roll to create distance, sprang to his feet, and barely avoided the backhand follow-up.
"Okay," Orion muttered, already moving again. "I know what the system means by a Level Up boss by now." He winced.
Beldia was bigger. Taller by more than a head. Almost the size of the Nomu he fought. Longer reach meant he was at a disadvantage. Every step he took compressed space, shrinking Orion's room to breathe. Orion darted in, slashed at a knee, and bounced away—
—and felt cold steel graze his shoulder where Beldia adjusted mid-swing.
However, unlike any previous fight, this boss was harder in the sense that there wasn't any possible weakness he could exploit.
Beldia was another knight-type boss, he only fought one such enemy so far, Rick.
However, Rick was simpler to beat in that he had somewhat predictable movesets. The Dark Knight though, no… he was another beast.
He was a master swordsman by how he was exploiting the obvious lack of formal sword training on Orion's side.
The knight hadn't overcommitted. He calculated every move, and beyond irritating, just like how he was learning the headless one's moves, the knight was doing the same to him.
"…You sure learn fast, bastard," Orion said, teeth clenched.
Beldia said nothing. He didn't need to.
The Dark Knight pressed harder, blade flowing from cut to cut with merciless precision. Orion dodge-stepped, iframe timing carrying him through attacks that would have split him in half. But it wasn't clean. Not anymore.
"I see… it's not that you're dodging my attack, however, your body is becoming intangible… how amusing. Earlier I could have sworn I hit you but you still evaded. What a tricky ability…" Beldia stopped for a second, like he had cracked the code, he stated his findings, making Orion tense up even further.
And then things became even harder, Beldia began to anticipate.
Each dodge grew tighter. Each escape narrower. Like he was trying to figure out how Orion's intangibility trick actually worked.
Orion tried to create space, only to find Beldia already there, sword barring his path like a closing door. He raised his katana to block once—just once—and the impact nearly tore it from his hands, arms screaming in protest.
"FUCK…!," Orion hissed, shaking out the numbness. "Okay Orion… no blocking. Repeat,… NO BLOCKING!"
Backing up, he tried to chant.
However, Beldia surged forward, pommel slamming into Orion's ribs. The incantation died in his throat as he was thrown backward, skidding across stone.
"You do not fight as a knight," Beldia finally spoke, voice hollow, echoing from within his helm.
"In a sword fight, we don't bring magic…"
Orion rolled to his feet, coughing. "Funny. I was about to say the same thing about you. Ever consider not summoning those buddies of yours."
Beldia didn't respond. Just paused for a while before resuming the attack.
Again and again, Orion was forced into pure survival—duck, roll, dodge, leap back. No room to breathe, no space to cast. Beldia's blade was always there, cutting off options, herding him like prey.
Orion started to pant, his body felt like giving way at how difficult the fight was becoming.
For the first time, he felt that he wasn't fighting a mindless monster or a useless target. This enemy. He was smart. He was trained and strong.
In a pure strength case, Nomu was far stronger than Beldia, however, Nomu was like a mindless beast. It was easy enough to handle him once you got used to his movements.
The headless knight though, not a chance, the bastard wasn't even giving a single opening for Orion to exploit.
This was a master swordsman.
And Orion was losing.
His lungs burned. His legs screamed. One mistimed dodge and it would be over.
"…Enough," Orion growled.
He baited a high swing—just a fraction too obvious. Beldia took it, blade coming down in a crushing arc meant to end the fight.
At the last instant, Orion summoned up a small shield from his inventory, and used its skill.
Clang.
The parry rang like a bell struck by the gods.
No matter how powerful Beldia's attack was, against a system-level skill, all that force was nullified.
Golden light flashed. Beldia's sword was deflected aside, his stance broken, massive frame staggering forward for the first time.
"…Got you."
Orion moved instantly, hands weaving as he spoke, words spilling fast and sharp.
[Hear me, O Order everlasting. By law unbroken and light untainted, Let this blade be bound to grace. Clothe steel in holy flame and thunder, That it may judge the impure and strike true—Order's Blade.]
Orion practically rapped that incantation seeing Beldia already getting up. However, it somehow worked.
Golden lightning thundered down and wrapped his katana, holy power crackling along the edge, humming with restrained wrath.
Order's Blade was complete.
"Finally!"
His strike landed—finally—cutting across Beldia's armor. Holy energy flared, burning through steel, searing into the knight beneath.
Beldia stepped back.
Not much.
But enough.
"…You wound me, the god who provided you the divine power was indeed strong, however, it wouldn't account to much if you're weak," Beldia said with a cold voice.
Orion grinned despite the sweat stinging his eyes. "Weak you say… we'll see that by the end of the battle."
But the advantage didn't last.
Beldia adjusted, stance tightening, movements sharper than before. Even with holy lightning dancing along Orion's blade, landing another hit felt impossible. Every swing was deflected. Every opening closed before it formed.
Strength met skill—and skill was winning.
What the point of having kryptonite if you can't even touch Superman.
Orion leapt back, breathing hard, sword humming uselessly in his grip.
"Give up, warrior. You might have a warrior's heart but you lack skill suited for one. You can't win…"
Orion gritted his teeth. Someone said the truth, truth indeed hurt more than lies. He had no formal training in swordsmanship or anything, he was going all by what he learned killing monsters.
"…You know," he said between breaths, "for a guy who's been dead this long, you talk way too much."
Beldia raised his sword once more.
"Then perhaps it's time to end our little battle, what you say," the Dark Knight replied. "Get ready, warrior, to taste defeat once again…"
Beldia said it and threw his head up in the air, making Orion's eyes go wide.
'Its that move again.'
xXx
A/N : How was the fight ? I try to make it engaging and also informating. Beldia is strong. But more importantly he is skilled. Against a not so skilled Orion, he has that advantage. Not to mention, normal attack wouldn't even work against him. It has to be Holy damage.
Though maybe stones would work. Try throwing some here and I'll try using them against him.
Also comment and review. That helps a ton.
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