523 Reality Check

Robin Sol was casually strolling through the halls of the palace, appreciating the so called art pieces and tapestries that depicted the many monarchs of old. Occasionally casting [Detect] and renewing its sonar like ability, as she continued to patrol the palace, sporadically catching sight of the servants, Lucied and Sora running around in search of something.

Glancing around the floorboards, the wooden-walls and ceilings, she failed to catch sight of Asai's mana-signature, which would usually appear to her similar to thermal-imaging, but much more radiant as their bodies would glow in accordance to their mana capacity.

As the man was no where to be found, almost as if he were within another realm, Robin flew out the window to enjoy the early-morning air. A gentle-flickering of light was already simmering through the darkness as dawn was rapidly approaching.

Enjoying the soothing cold that entered and filled her lungs, her golden-eyes fell upon a certain patch of pink that was rapidly moving, dashing, as it proficiently struck and destroyed the falling sakura-petals with extreme accuracy.

Descending from the skies like a hawk, Robin abruptly halted her flight as she smiled upon the woman who was diligently training herself.

"Good morning Robin."

The half-elf nodded as the first rays of sunlight fell upon them. "Good morning Bethel. Care for a little duel?" Within Robin's mind, she recalled how her lover would refer to the girl as a [Hero] and as someone to support and nurture.

[Holy Testimony] called forth 10 holy swords that appeared ceremonial in design, but glistened with deadly sharpness regardless.

Bethel's gaze refocused themselves as her mindset shifted from training motions, to fighting against an opponent. Especially when it was against someone her instincts would constantly ring warning-bells upon every ability-cast she performed.

[Robin Sol: Lvl 95]

[HP: 100 MP:200]

[Title: Saintess]

[Skills unlocked:]

[Winged Foot]

Increases movement speed by 40%

[Disappear]

100% chance of Vanishing

[Divinity]

Increase Divine Elemental damage by 20% and Elemental defence by 10%.

[Frozen]

Increase Ice Elemental damage by 20% and Elemental defence by 10%.

[All in One]

Shoots 13 arrows at once. Each arrow deals 100% of normal attack.

[Divine Flow]

Shoots 26 arrows. Each arrow deals 100% of normal attack. Ignores 30% [Target] Damage drop

[Detect]

Detect any players or monsters in Vanish mode within a 40 meter radius for 60 minutes.

[Holy Testimony]

Manifests 10 astral swords at target. Each sword deals 45% of normal attack. Swords nullify foreign mana.

[Saintess' Faith]

Increase Holy elemental damage by 25% for you and 15% for your allies.

[Ascension]

Enables flight for [Robin Sol] Sustained Mana: [20] +20% Damage Drop 

[Heavenly Relic]

Summon a 15m tall ancient relic, deals 250% magical attack +100% of [Faith]

[Bethel: Lvl 81]

[HP: 160 MP:130]

[Title: Hero]

[Skills unlocked:]

[Storage]

Stores maximum [Level] items in [System]

[Blazing]

Increase Fire Elemental damage by 20% and Elemental defence by 10%.

[Crash Above]

150% additional Attack Damage.

[Massacre]

900% of your Dexterity is dealt to all targets within AOE

[Cleave]

100% of damage ignores targets defence

[Almighty]

+10 boost to all stats. 10% critical rate boost. Critical attacks recover 10% missing HP/MP/SP

[Rooting Axe]

Summon a throwing axe [Root] target for 4 seconds. Deals 50% melee damage

[Unstoppable]

All [Crowd Control] effect duration reduced by 85%

[Reflection][Mirror Blade]

Upon successful parry reflects 75% of opponents attack back

[Against all Odds]

All successful attacks deal bonus 2% of target maximum HP as true damage.

[Heroic Heart]

+25% Damage Drop. +25 Melee Attack. +25 Magical attack.

"Please go easy on me, senior..." As someone who could only be ordered either by the royal-family or Asai de Trichia himself into action, Bethel inhaled a sweet-deep breath as she urged her heart into motion. Like an engine, it spurred her mana into flowing through her muscle-fibres and [Mirror Blade] as she hoped such a powerful-being like Robin Sol would perhaps go easy on her.

Robin deactivated her wings, as she only kept [Winged Foot] and [Frozen] active, which made the morning-breeze stronger, penetrating through Bethel's clothing as well as her surging mana until it chilled her bone.

"I've watched you fight Asai back at the colosseum, we'll use the same rules as then."

The very second Bethel nodded in confirmation, Robin vaulted as all 10 swords slammed into her guard within a matter of seconds, quickly followed by [Divine Flow] which hammered down a further 26 glacial-arrows that broke and erupted into fragments upon impact.

When the sudden assault ended, and the remnant magical dust clouds cleared, Bethel was revealed to be a few metres away from her original position.

In great confusion, she stared at her weapon, wondering as to why it didn't utilize its ability.

[Mirror Blade]

Level Requirement: 50

Requirements: [Female]

Stats

[Reflection]

Upon successful parry reflects 75% of opponents attack back

Confused, because Robin had deliberately concentrated-fire on her weapon rather than her body. However, such questions were left unanswered as once more vaulted into her like a torpedo.

With two mithril daggers glistening with a layer of ice on each, that sapped the woman's body heat upon each passing. Robin vaulted, twisted, leapt and climbed upon her [Holy Testimony] which surrounded the [Hero] like platforms.

In conjunction with Robin's inherent speed, agility, dexterity and [Winged Foot] Bethel found herself struggling to fend off the two smaller blades that struck from her blind spots. Her preference towards larger surface weapons, and their utility as a shield was used against her as the sword only ensured she would repeatedly lose track of the half-elf who was seemingly dancing all around her.

Unyielding, unsatisfied and unhappy with their exchanges thus far, Bethel's heart ramped up in speed and ferocity as she kept reminding herself that she was indeed the [Hero] and thus, should act and perform like one.

Refusing to accept reality, Bethel began her counter-attack.

The [Blazing] that surrounded her weapon died out as she swapped the larger sword for her mace

[Blessed Mace]

Level Requirement: 50

Requirements: Bethel

Stats

+10 Strength

+20 Melee Attack

[Blessed]

Bonus 20% damage to [Undead] and [Evil]

[Gilded]

Amplified durability, tougher than steel.

"[MASSACRE]!" 

With a two-handed slam, her mace crushed the stoneground as the impact surged forth flames that gave of the illusion that the floor was lava. Robin Sol, finally taking her first points of damage as [Against all Odds] struck her with true damage, backflipped into the air as her wings were summoned.

Rather than sit back and watch, Bethel threw [Rooting Axe] after [Rooting Axe] in an attempt to pin the girl like it was duck-hunting season. However, to her dismay, Robin adeptly swatted the little throwing axes out of the sky with her swords that nullified external mana.

With a rampaging heart, mana that was blessed by the heavens, Bethel funnelled her flames into her legs. Imitating the half-elf as wings of fire erupted underfoot, propelling her up like a bullet as she threw out ability after ability.

Naturally, with her imitation-wings of fire, she fell as swiftly as she launched herself up. And fighting against someone who had mastered aerial-warfare, someone who was simply built-different, Bethel found herself to be heavily outclassed when duelling within the sky. Such thoughts plagued her mind, as she tried to think up alternatives to overcome such an annoying hurdle.

With bated breath, a heavy heart, and tired legs that were refusing to move due to the massive amount of lactic-acid build up within the muscle-fibres, she staggered as she was forced to hold her ground.

Facing the very same hurdles Asai had once faced, as highly mobile, flying-moving targets were naturally incredibly hard to fight against. Especially when it was capable of ranged-assault, Bethel's mind was skimming through her repertoire of abilities as she realized just how stumped she was against the half-elf. To make matters worse, Robin dipped into [Disappear] literally vanishing amongst the breeze, before throwing the [Hero] into memory-lane, reliving an experience she believed herself of having overcome.

Just as the duke once pushed her into a corner with his stealth, Robin now assaulted from untraceable stealth, range that outclassed all of her skills, and from within the unreachable sky, as arrows of [Divinity] and [Frozen] slammed down upon her location, pinning the knight as her energy was rapidly sapped. 

Robin's golden eyes flourished as she couldn't help but smile, finding it exhilarating and fun to know that she was stronger, more useful, more resourceful than a supposed chosen [Hero] she reassured herself that her position was secure.

Due to her overconsumption of skills, abusing cooldowns and thus multiplying the mana-costs to amounts even someone as innately-gifted as her couldn't maintain, she paused within the skies as she took in deep breaths that felt greatly refreshing. 

Peering down at the human-sculpture of ice, that soon thereafter fractured, shattered and collapsed into the ground. Robin returned to the ground to splash a HP potion across Bethel's face, waking her.

In great horror, as if she had just awoken from a nightmare, Bethel gasped in fright as she struggled to keep her bladder from leaking.

Robin knelt before the girl, gazing directly into her red eyes with her golden-diamonds.

"Bethel, keep training, keep getting stronger, faster, smarter and better. Whatever your destiny is, don't disappoint Asai."

Coming out horribly wrong, as her heart was still thrilled with adrenaline and fun, Robin tried to advise the pink-headed knight to never become complacent, to forever seek growth and self betterment, in hopes that she would become strong enough to protect the ideals and people she holds important. Just as Asai does, with a never-ending and insatiable thirst for strength.

However, to the [Hero] her advice came across as a death-threat, one that was backed up from the minute-prior showing of power. Bethel quickly nodded thrice, before watching Robin fly away like a angel, one that wielded swords and threats...

...

Returning to the palace, she caught sight of Asai's mana signature. Happily flying on over towards him, she wondered if he would praise her. Within her socially-incompetent mind, she pictured herself giving Bethel a gentle wake-up call, one that would apparently fill her with the desire to grow, to train, and to overcome.

Whilst she did achieve exactly that, as Bethel received another harsh reality-check slap to the face, the [Hero] also took a big hit to her ego as she no longer believed her title to be something that would automatically grant her strength, power, success and a easy-going life where everything would be given to her upon a silver-plate, and a little golden-spoon.
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