'I'll let myself get pulled closer...' The whips disappeared once the distance separating the two was about five steps. 'And then...!'
Krista, who had remained about thirty steps away, opened her mouth wide.
'With your speed and vision, you'll be able to block both Krista's and my attack. Whether it's Magic or not, I'm sure you'll be able to keep it from reaching you.'
Just as an Ice Spike was shot towards the Commander, Mark's spread wings moved.
'My chin is what you've been after all this time. Think it's a weak point or something, huh? Well, you're not here to kill anyways. You've only brought these Gauntlets after all, right? Which is why...'
Wind Blast-
'I'll give you my chin!'
'The Moonlit Feline's attacks have no variety. His do, but he lacks speed.' Lin clenched his left fist. 'I'll knock him out with this one.'
With the Magic Skill's activation, Mark's movement speed increased exponentially.
Mark's feet slid on the ground as he extended his claws.
'Mm.' Lin unclenched his hand. 'I'll counter instead.'
The arm behind the Commander turned the Ice Spike into dust.
The claws approached.
With slow and graceful movements, Lin's wrist came into contact with Mark's right hand, the one closest to reaching him. After diverting that hand, he moved to the left.
Mark's eyes were filled with not only surprise, but also slight admiration.
A single motion that, seemingly, did not hold much weight, had redirected both his hands to the sides.
This left the Monster momentarily open.
'Amazing...! With one hand, he managed to...'
A devastating punch approached Mark's chin.
'What is he...? To keep himself from getting knocked out??' The Commander asked himself as the white-scaled Monster in front of him lowered its body slightly. 'Breaking your nose and teeth suits me just fine too!'
But to Lin's surprise, the Monster suddenly opened its mouth wide, as if welcoming his fist.
'You think your jaw will be enough to keep-'
CRUNCH-
"Well, shit." The Commander muttered after jumping back.
With a wide eye, he stared at the white-scaled Monster.
Its lower jaw had disconnected from the upper one.
Thud-
Thud-
Thud-
Three of its teeth hit the ground.
'That's a first.'
"Tsk." The Commander clicked his tongue.
The white-scaled Monster brought a hand to assist its lower jaw, and it slowly started reattaching itself.
Even the three lost fangs grew back.
The Monster closed its mouth.
Crack- Crack-
Gulp-
"That Gauntlet doesn't really have a taste." Mark muttered as he wiped his own blood off his face. "Your fingers on the other hand..." He chuckled, perhaps at the turn of phrase.
Drip-
Drip-
Drops of blood hit the ground as they fell from Lin's hand.
'Must be nice...'
Two fingers had been stolen from him.
'Being able to heal that fast.'
'Now, the only surprise I have left for him is-'
Mark's thoughts were interrupted as the Commander's lips parted.
"Inventory."
'Tsk.'
Having only seen Elisa use the System's Inventory Option, he still had doubts about how common having it was.
Those doubts obviously faded right there and then, as a Shortsword appeared in the Commander's hand.
"What happens to those when you die?"
"Mm?"
"The things in your Inventory."
Lin smirked at the Monster's words.
"Two fingers is a proper price for a bit of peace."
"Huh?"
The Commander leaped forward as he swung his Shortsword repeatedly.
'Getting used to holding it with the Gauntlet?' Mark asked himself.
'If I go for the chin, he might sacrifice his jaw again. I'm unsure how his Skill works. My best bet is cutting him in pieces until he begs. Until he's so close to death that he has to tell me. Yeah. Let's go with that.' Lin thought, a smile on his face.
'The only thing I have left-'
Out of nowhere, a large Ice Spike hit the ground between the two.
Immediately, Frost spread around the area, forcing the Commander to hop.
'Tsk.'
The Frost curled up and took the appearance of spears embedded in the ground.
Mark's surprise lasted less than a second and a smile appeared on his face too.
He bent his knees as he took hold of one of the spears to his side.
Ice Manipulation-
The spear-like weapon of ice was easily pulled away from the ground.
Mark launched himself towards the Commander as the spear in his left hand started changing.I think you should take a look at
'Huh.'
A dark liquid started seeping out of that hand, and onto the changing spear, coating it completely.
[You have acquired a new Magic Skill!]
[You have acquired the Magic Skill...]
Mark didn't pay attention to those messages at all, as his Ice Manipulation Magic Skill was still in use.
'The Ice that Krista brought here. I'll...'
The numerous spears spun, and their sharp heads turned towards the Commander.
A sudden headache forced Mark to keep an eye half closed.
'Using them at once... Controlling multiple ones in different ways... This is way harder than the way I used Bone Manipulation...'
Indeed, every spear needed to be moved in a specific direction and to be directed in a specific direction.
This required great focus and mental capacity.
It was something that Living Beings had great trouble with. Something that Spirits excelled at.
Lin moved his head from right to left, keeping an eye on each of the possible threats.
The strain from controlling multiple spears at once was a problem, but Mark bet on it perturbing the Commander's vision enough for the thing left to prove useful.
A volley of crystal-clear spears flew in every direction as the two stopped once the distance had been closed.
'Not sending them all at once...?'
With both of his hands, Mark thrust his spear.
With one hand, Lin swung his Shortsword. With the other, he dealt with the ice spears.
'The one time he seemed truly confused and surprised was...'
The Shortsword struck the spear.
Crack-
The next second, countless pieces of ice took to the air.
Pieces of ice coated with the dark corrupting liquid.
Of course, they only seemed countless.
They didn't seem that way to the Commander though while they hung in the air. His Eye studied each of them one by one as he stepped back.
The Shortsword was rapidly pulled closer to protect the body from the incoming dark shards of ice.
The white-scaled Monster's right hand let go of the Spear.
And as that hand was swung horizontally, the Commander felt shiver go down his spine.
'Fucker...! This...' The Monster's twitching hand turned into a long and curved blade. 'Doesn't use Mana??'
Slash-
'The one thing that his eye can't see...!'
A long and deep horizontal wound was drawn on the Commander's chest.
The latter's mind started racing.
Step back?
Attack?
Can the Monster transform that limb solely?
No, it grew limbs after all.
Then...?
How many ways can his body-
All thoughts suddenly ceased.
His grip over the Shortsword became tighter.
Attack.
The last exchange!
Both Mark and Lin stepped forward.
Both had no idea how to act, how to attack, or how to defend.
One was still feeling the strain from using and controlling so many decoys at once.
The other's Eye was starting to burn. After all, he had only been using one of those Eyes for a while now.
'Swing my arm? Thurst? Turn it back? Keep it as a blade? My tail...? Magic Skill...? No. He can see through all of these options!'
'Use the Shortsword as a decoy then go for his chin? The opposite? Tsk. When was the last time my Eyes burned this way?'
The two were one step away.
The two had no idea how to act.
And so, their minds shut off.
Their body moved instinctively.
They let their bodies do the thinking, for this exchange and this exchange only.
The way his body could change at a whim. The fact that he could heal himself so easily. The fact that he wasn't bleeding. And above all, the fact that he was...
The was his Eyes could see through everything. The way they could follow everything. The way he moved mechanically and without waste. And above all, the fact that he was...
This final exchange, they feared it.
Truly.
The two Monsters smiled, as they took the last step.
Swush-
Suddenly, their smiles disappeared at once.
Their body twitched, as their fear grew much more intense.
Out of nowhere,
"You kept up..."
Their eyes widened, as Lin's arm, shoulder, and neck were lacerated in multiple spots.
"That was good, Mark."
After having been completely forgotten by both.
She reemerged from the shadows.
