Chapter 1715 (2/2)

Then Randidly just seemed to stare at Velio Dunn, briefly forcing him into perfect clarity in Claudette’s vision. The shadow of the image that Randidly utilized gripped the surroundings with such force fanned the flames of Claudette’s hope.

Those spiraling images within Randidly spun together and he struck. Velio’s body blurred into motion as he pulled his horrible sword to cut into the Ghosthound, but-

But then there was a ripple of something innocuous and overwhelming from the location on Velio’s chest that Randidly had attacked. It spread rapidly outward from the two figures, now locked into a frozen state. By the time that the ripple reached Claudette, hundreds of meters away, the details had dissipated. She simply saw a brilliant white light and heard a confident voice.

“...work hard…”

Then the ripple had passed, leaving Claudette with a horrible headache. After shaking herself several times and activating Healing Frost, the pain began to ease. Her vision cleared and instantly she looked down at the battlefield below.

The two fighters… were oddly still. But it was not the stillness of a standoff, but a more chaotic scene. Randidly was drifting back away from Velio, a metal hand raised and pressed against his head. His face was warped in a agonized grimace. If Claudette had a headache from getting hit with… whatever that was from so far away, she could only imagine how vicious it was to be directly next to the epicenter.

Meanwhile, Velio was also extremely still. His gaze was locked onto Randidly, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking based on the crystal covering most of his body. But from his slow but steady movements, he wasn’t nearly as affected as Randidly had been. He could move, but he chose not to.

Gritting her teeth, Claudette forced herself to approach. This stillness was her chance to diffuse some tension. She flitted forward, rapidly closing the distance to the two fighters.

Velio Dunn slowly raised his sword, almost perfunctorily. Despite the obvious pain that he was experiencing, Randidly also managed to raise his weapon in response. The athletic young man’s brow twitched and it was clear that he was having difficulties keeping his eyes open. The two stood opposite each other, their weapons raised, reminding Claudette of two statues standing guard opposite one another around one of the gates into the Beigon compound.

Crack!

The noise made Claudette’s stomach drop, but she realized that neither had moved. Instead, the crystal layer that had been steadily forming over Velio since the fight had started was now drying and cracking. The ambient energy in the surroundings began to diminish now that Velio wasn’t just churning it out. By the time Claudette arrived above the two figures, the crystals began to flake away, revealing patches of Velio’s skin.

But the stillness between them wasn’t enough for Claudette to relax. While Velio’s image continued to creep outward and fill her with fear, Randidly’s image was faltering and fading.

Velio didn’t even acknowledge Claudette’s arrival; he just kept staring at Randidly. Then the crystal across his face shattered and pieces fell away. His revealed expression was one of incredible intensity as he continued to stare at Randidly. His shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breathing.

“You…” Velio finally said. He abruptly moved a meter forward, closing part of the distance between them, but just as soon as he started, he stopped, as though he suddenly second-guessed his decision to attack.

His eyes narrowed, Randidly simply watched and waited. The notes of the images around him continued to fade. He was fighting to keep his power flared, but it seemed his mental wound was quickly strangling him.

“Isn’t this enough, Mr. Dunn?” Claudette licked her lips, surprised at how rusty her voice sounded. “I believe… the ten minutes have passed.”

Even Claudette inwardly cringed as she said the lie. But at the moment, she couldn’t figure out what else to say. Because it was obvious that after that strange ripple, Randidly could no longer keep up with the overwhelming image of Velio Dunn.

Velio didn’t even appear to hear her. His expression continued to flicker. From a deep fury, to a sense of wistful nostalgia, to a desolate expression of fear, finally to a strange sense of wonder. The lines around his eyes and mouth were shifting constantly, leaving Claudette wondering just how deeply disturbed this man was.

If nothing else, it definitely proved he would willingly attack Claudette Beigon.

Finally, something like his previous seriousness returned. He nodded slowly, eyes still on Randidly Ghosthound.. “I… owe you a favor. For being dumb enough to charge in like that. And I’ll pay it by letting you off of our deal for the time of the duel. But…”

Suddenly, Velio Dunn’s expression was incredibly bitter once more. But his image extinguished itself, ceasing its slow and destructive expansion. For a second his sword was just a dull grey weapon, then cobalt runes glimmered to life across the weapon. He sheathed his sword in the sheath on his back and crossed his arms. “The fact that you were able to damage the memory fragment that has cursed me for a thousand years…. It just proves how much you resemble him. I… cannot-”

Then Velio turned away, leaving a bewildered Claudette to approach the mentally wounded Randidly Ghosthound.