Chapter 658 - Fun (2/2)

He leapt forward, his daggers raining down in a combination of feints and sharp attacks.

Sael landed a heavy foot backward, the blades hovering around her feet cracking the ground. But, at that moment, rather than helping her, they were a hindrance.

When Sael went to lift her foot to take another step back and reposition herself for a counter, the split moment it took for her to pull out were all Aphestus needed.

He closed the distance between them, his daggers sweeping across and causing arcs of crimson to bloom.

Sael narrowly dodged, her gaze flashing with anger when she realized that Aphestus almost ripped her chest band in two. Was he still trying to humiliate her?

In the next instant she winced, feeling a deep slice run through her torso.

”Sael!” Gersan roared from the sidelines.

Aphestus' attack was relentless. The moment Sael suffered her first injury, it wasn't long before she suffered a second, then a third. As though a beast cornering their prey, Aphestus' gaze bore down, he stalked forward, her momentum increasing and his canines glistening.

His body became a lethal killing machine. His close combat ability was off the charts. His reaction time, his combination attacks, his counters. Each was more furious than the last.

With just his two arms, he seemed capable of battling all of Sael's vines alone with her own arms and feet simultaneously. A single one of his strikes could sever a vine and counter her blade infused punches. A single swing of his blade could tear a cut into her delicate skin and push her further into the pits of despair.

The reversal was near instantaneous, and it only occurred to a single mistake, a single lapse.

But in a battle of experts, this was all it took.

Sael was pushed nearer to the end of the arena, her hatred brimming forth so fiercely that unshed tears brimmed at her eyes. However, what did fall wasn't those tears, but rather the blood from her popped blood vessels as she tried again and again to use her ability, only for Aphestus to dodge as though he could predict her action before she took them.

The members of Valiant Hall clenched their fists. Many shouted for Sael to just give up, but she didn't seem to hear any of them as the blood fell from her cheeks.

Aphestus cocked his hip back, his torso flexing as his leg whipped forward.

It seemed to be the same strike he started the battle with, a devastating kick to the head capable of decapitating such a frail beauty. However, compared to then, after activating his ability in full, it was more than three times as lethal.

Sael reacted quickly, putting up her arms to block. But, this action was as good as giving up her arms for the rest of the battle. She already knew what would happen.

It was then the words were spoken.

”I think that's enough. Valiant Hall has lost.”

It was impossible to tell when exactly he appeared, but Leonel grabbed at Aphestus' leg while sweeping Sael in his other arm.

BANG!

Both Leonel and Sael were sent flying, skidding across the arena and almost falling over another side.

Leonel whistled, looking at his hand just as he managed to steady his feet from falling over the edge. He couldn't help but smile a bit bitterly.

'Seems my wrist is fractured.'

He looked down at Sael who seemed to have all but collapsed from exhaustion. Shaking his head, he walked down from the arena without looking back at Aphestus.

Withstanding the furious gazes of the Valiant Hall members, he handed Sael who had fallen unconscious to Gersan.

”Let's go.” Leonel said to Aina. ”Let them have their fun for now.”

Leonel looked over his shoulder one last time, his gaze locking onto Raylion. A small smile tugged at his lip before he left.

An odd atmosphere hung over the arena.