Chapter 659 Unravelling Secrets (1)
The crowd's cheer died down as Ashton slowly rose to his feet. His crimson eyes were fixed on Vulcan and Flintmace, who wondered what their disciple's next move would be.
Suddenly, he reached into his inventory and withdrew a pair of gleaming soul blades. Balmond and Raphael were itching for a good fight, just like Ashton.
The mere sight of the soul blades drew a knowing look exchanged between Vulcan and Flintmace. They understood that Ashton was getting serious and was aware of the immense power within those blades.
"Raphael, eh? You're pulling out all the stops, kiddo." Vulcan raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Using two soulblades is no small feat. Let's see if you can handle it."
Being a Xyran, Flintmace knew how difficult it was to wield one soul blade, let alone two. However, he was also aware of Ashton's tendency to make the impossible possible and looked forward to the fight.
Without further ado, the duel began. As the three rushed towards each other, the arena erupted in cheers.
Vulcan was the first to make a move. With a sweep of his hammer, he conjured flames that spiralled around him like a living inferno. With a mighty thrust, he sent a wave of fire hurtling toward Ashton.
He knew the fire wouldn't harm Ashton in the slightest, but it would be enough to make him move, which was what he wanted.
Ashton met the fiery onslaught with a calm demeanour. He deflected the fiery wave with his sword's swift and precise motion, sending it harmlessly into the sky.
Flintmace seized the opportunity presented by Vulcan's assault and stomped the ground, causing a series of earth tremors that rippled toward Ashton. The ground cracked and fissured, threatening to destabilise his footing.
Ashton, however, remained unwavering. He leapt into the air, his movements fluid and graceful. With the twin soul blades in hand, he carved through the earth, creating a platform for him to land safely.
"He's getting serious," Vulcan grinned, his fiery aura intensifying. "This is going to be interesting."
"Let's see how far he's come." Flintmace nodded.
It was Ashton's turn to go on the offensive. He let out his own fiery assault on his masters, forcing them to defend themselves.
But Ashton wasn't finished yet. With a burst of speed, he closed the distance between himself and his mentors, launching a relentless assault that pushed Vulcan and Flintmace backwards.
Flames erupted from one blade, while the other held the power of poison. Ashton's crimson eyes remained locked on his mentors as he continued his onslaught.
Vulcan soon got tired of being pushed back and decided to give Ashton a taste of his own medicine. He summoned a searing inferno, attempting to engulf Ashton in a blazing storm.
"Same move again and again..."
[Yet you keep falling for it every time!]
"...watch me."
However, Ashton twirled Raphael with unparalleled finesse, creating a vortex of air that extinguished the flames and sent them spiralling into the sky.
Just then, Flintmace rushed forward. Ashton was prepared to face his sword, but to his surprise, Flintmace dropped the sword and lunged at Ashton with his bare hands, trying to subdue him the old way.
Despite the surprise attack, Ashton managed to turn the tables on Flintmace and suplexed him into the ground. But while Ashton was at it, Vulcan swung his warhammer in a massive arc.
"I'm not falling for this trick again, master." Ashton confidently replied.
Unable to defend himself in that position, Ashton used Flintmace as a shield, making him take most of the brunt force of Vulcan's attack.
"This cunning brat!" Vulcan exclaimed and proceeded to unleash innumerable expletives in Ashton's direction as Flintmace was flung away.
The duel reached a crescendo, with elemental forces clashing in a spectacle of raw power. The arena's spectators were enthralled, their cheers and applause filling the air.
The next moment, Vulcan rushed at Ashton. As Vulcan swung his Warhammer, Ashton parried the blow with all his strength, sending the dwarf staggering off balance.
At the same time, Flintmace attacked him from behind. Ashton sidestepped Flintmace's incoming strike, allowing the fallen angel's sword to collide with Vulcan's armour.
The impact sent sparks flying and momentarily disoriented the two mentors. Ashton seized the chance and launched a powerful counterattack. With a furious flurry of strikes, he disarmed Flintmace, sending his sword clattering to the ground.
The crowd erupted in a deafening roar of astonishment, witnessing Ashton's incredible manoeuvre. But the battle was far from over.
Vulcan, undeterred, swung his Warhammer with even more ferocity. Ashton danced on the edge of Vulcan's range, his movements fluid and calculated as he parried Vulcan's blows.
"You're getting old, master," Ashton chuckled, annoying Vulcan even more.
"You brat, you're lucky we are holding back, or you wouldn't last a moment before us!"
"That's the point, isn't it?" Ashton replied, parrying another one of Vulcan's blows. "It should be easy for you to take care of someone like me without using the extent of your abilities, yet you're struggling."
"Alright, let's see if you can handle this!"
With the momentum in his favour, Ashton pressed his advantage. He closed in on Vulcan, his twin blades a blur of motion. Vulcan's Warhammer clashed with Balmond and Raphael, the resounding clashes echoing through the arena. But the advantage didn't last for long.
Ashton's skill and determination were undeniable, but the Vulcan's strength was relentless.
Ashton knew he was reaching his limits. The battle had taken a toll on him, and he was running out of energy. Soon, Vulcan's Warhammer struck with the force of a battering ram, sending Ashton sprawling to the ground.
The crowd fell silent, their breaths collectively held. Ashton struggled to rise, his body battered and bruised. Vulcan stood over him, his Warhammer raised for the final blow.
"Any last words, my beloved disciple?" Vulcan smirked.
"Quit flexing on the kid," Flintmace shook his head. "We should have won this long ago, but he held on till now and pushed us to the limits. Heck, if he was facing one of us at a time, we wouldn't have won in the first place."
"Tsk, you're right," Vulcan mumbled, offering Ashton a hand. "You did well, kid. You forced me to use my true strength, which only Flintmace had been able to do till now."
"You can save your praises for later... I kinda need to fix my bones now," Ashton mumbled while grabbing his chest. "Three broken ribs... yup, it has to be worse than how I feel."
