Chapter 243 (1/2)

Still, Dian’s gaze was cool and focused. She scanned through Randidly, the ground around her, and then the skittering Root Spiders. Then her whip spear blurred, and she struck left and right, annihilating the nearest spiders and steadying herself in time for Randidly to arrive, his huge spear crashing downwards.

As Randidly expected, she used her strange elusiveness to simply deflect his strike, but staying close enough for her energy to continue to take small bites at Randidly’s will by eating away at the ambient Battle Intent that he filled the air with. Which of course, was the game she wanted to play.

Dian was perhaps an ideal candidate for a tournament like this. She was designed to destroy images and skills with her own strange energy, and had excellent defensive skills and mobility. She could prey on her opponents when they tire.

Randidly’s lips twisted into a grin. Warm, thick strands of energy were flowing up through the ground into his bare feet, revitalizing him. Not at the speed to make him have any positive regeneration, but it was more than enough to survive for now. Besides, it was time for him to change up the tempo.

To set this up, Randidly had spent the first part of the fight using mostly Sweep to attack. It was a skill he used to rely on quite heavily, but it was a rather direct, if powerful, strike that was predictable. So predictable that most spear users at the level of the Region Tournament would see it coming so far in advance it wasn’t worth the time to strike.

There were still some situations where Randidly used it now, mostly on basic, opening strikes, and on strikes where he wanted his opponent to block, where he was confident on winning a contest of strength. And also in times where Randidly wanted to convey a very certain style of fighting.

Now Randidly lashed out, using Empower and Haste, simply striking forward. As she had previously, Dian twisted out of the way and lashed out towards him, slicing Randidly’s shoulder. But of course, her eyes narrowed and Randidly’s blow veered just slightly with his Flexibility of the White Hunters, catching up to her, and took a large chunk out of Dian’s shoulder.

And this was the exact moment that the remaining Root Spiders arrived, leaping towards Dian’s ankles. They used their legs to launch themselves forward, aiming for the area above Dian’s boots. Randidly’s smile slowly became wider and wider. It might be crazy, but… He wanted to crush her where she was most confident.

Around him, Randidly could hear Claptrap and the male spear attendant raving, and the powerful man who had awarded him the powerful belt speaking calmly. The crowd roared, but it was far away. Again, his eyes were only for Dian, who scanned around, looking at the the different attacks and strikes, measuring and weighing them.

Randidly lashed out again, an unorthodox strike that was even a hair faster than his previous one, with less control. But the point right now was to keep pushing Dian backwards. If he did that enough…

Dian’s eyes hardened. Randidly’s face finished its transformation into a cheshire grin.

“Circle of Flame.”

The wave of fire exploded outward, just as the scarlet energy billowed outward from Dian. Most of the energy slid downward to engulf the Root Spiders, but there were several tendrils that shot forward, aiming for Randidly and his weapon. But those tendrils were met with only fire.

The two forces passed through each other, heedless. Whatever the strange energy that Dian produced was, it wasn’t something that could interfere with temperature. Those flames smashed into Dian, knocking her backwards and burning her severely, earning a small mew from the normally stoic Dian.

But as Randidly leveled his spear, recovering his stance after the lashing strike earlier, those tendrils ripped forward towards him, two taking him at the edge of of his shoulder, and one going through a little deeper in his flesh, under his collar bone. Instantly, his skin boiled and then evaporated. Roaring, Aether exploded in protest, rushing forward to the spot of the wounds.

Within his chest, at the spot of the Aether Crossroads, and the world, that strange otherness that existed in the core of him began to rumble, its fury evident. Very swiftly the Aether absolutely eviscerated Dian energy, but not before Randidly’s shoulder was gore, as though he had been stabbed three times with a short spike.

There was anger in his grin now. It only took a split second to defeat it, but it was still a pretty serious wound, that would slow him down in an extended match. But only in an extended match.

Randidly’s spear became level. “The Spear Advances, Ash Trails.”

His body blurred as Randidly ripped forward towards a reeling Dian. She didn’t see it coming at all. Randidly’s huge, obsidian spear, which once belonged to Haelthing the Devourer, took her in her side, with enough force to rip almost all of her intestines out of her body, blood spraying wildly around the arena.

Randidly’s eyes softened as he landed at the completion of the technique, but it was not enough to sway his heart. Dian represented an organization that had thoroughly layered controls over Shal, for reasons that Randidly didn’t understand, and came to him, with threats and half truths, demanding his cooperation. Perhaps if she had shown more respect…. but…