NoveLight ™
I understood immediately.
The moment I saw Camellia’s eyes, an instinct kicked in.
A strange sense of longing stirred within me.
It was as if I was gazing at a formidable opponent, one difficult to surpass.
While she was burning with a desperate fighting spirit, somewhere deep in her subconscious lay a mix of dark jealousy and pure admiration.
I knew that kind of person all too well, so I confidently faced her killing intent head-on.
In a duel between swordsmen, it is customary to start with a light clash of blades.
But for assassins, it starts with throwing a weapon.
The blade aimed at my forehead was easily blocked and fell harmlessly to the ground.
"It's been a while. Oh, mind if I speak casually? After all, we’re not strangers, and we’re enemies, too."
“Do as you please. Though, I never understood why you use formal language on your streams…”
“What was that? I didn’t catch that last part.”
“Never mind.”
Ah, this was a familiar start.
Just like our first encounter, Camellia swung her crescent blade toward my shoulder.
The counter was no different from before as I firmly stepped on the shaft.
Back then, she was always too slow in retrieving her weapon.
In her haste, she would lift it too quickly and leave herself open to a counterattack.
Camellia must have run through countless simulations in her mind since then, wondering what she could have done to win.
─What should I have done to defeat her that day?
Until that question in her heart was answered.
"Let’s see how much you’ve improved."
“Ha!”
Her expression was amusing.
Her pride was hurt, and her eyes contorted with frustration.
Yet, there was a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips.
Though it hurt her pride to be tested, the thrill of proving herself ignited her excitement.
Back when I was deeply into kendo, I was probably just like her, right up until my friend died.
I no longer felt that same thrill, but I understood that desperation and yearning better than anyone.
And that’s why there was no anger in Camellia’s strikes, despite the fact that I—a mere amateur—dared to challenge a professional, a top-tier fighter.
[Passive: Emotion Control]
[You are immune to the ‘Intimidation’ status.]
[Target: Camellia of Sigma’s fighting spirit]
The crescent blade I had stepped on slid away.
Good. Now it’s hard for me to keep her pinned down.
But won’t that leave your side exposed?
Just as I aimed for her open side, she swiftly brought the shaft of her weapon up toward my chin.
The moment her weapon was free, she switched her grip and swung the staff.
Wielding a spear doesn’t mean you have to attack with the blade alone.
Swordsmen, too, often use techniques like half-swording or Mordhau against armored opponents.
And this movement—it was as if she had predicted exactly what I would do.
Impressive. She’s sturdier than I expected.
I should have analyzed her more thoroughly.
And besides, I have to keep an eye on other reinforcements...
"Don’t worry. No one else will come. That was my condition for joining."
"Ah, is that so?"
"If Cross breaks this promise, I’ll take your place."
"That doesn’t sound like a fair deal.”
Her eyes flashed with realization, and her teeth ground together.
“No one can fill my spot. If you’re lying, that’s too much of a loss for me.”
This time, her crescent blade was infused with anger.
Her follow-up strikes were bold and relentless.
The path her blade took felt tricky, forcing me to make bigger moves than usual to avoid it.
I had to either bend down deeply or leap over the attacks entirely, as if she was targeting my exact height.
Because of this, even after dodging, my chances to counterattack were brief.
At best, I managed to poke at her wrist or feet.
A few headlines from recent news flashed through my mind:
The “ultimate anti-assassin strategy,” huh?
There’s a bit of a misunderstanding there.
What Camellia had prepared wasn’t just an anti-assassin strategy—it was specifically designed to fight me.
There was no other reason why her attacks were so precise, as if she knew me inside and out.
Even Cerberus hadn’t analyzed me this thoroughly.
Well, there were reasons for that, but still.
The moment I stepped into her shadow, her crescent blade came flying.
I failed to land my attack and was forced to parry using the shaft of my weapon.
After stepping back, I threw a knife at her forehead.
‘As if she’d let something like this hit her.’
I didn’t expect it to.
But the knife would surely distract her for a split second.
Right as the knife was deflected, I summoned a clone.
One to the left, one to the right.
Both moved in perfect sync, mirroring each other as they pressed in on Camellia.
Her counter to my mind game was…
[Fighting Spirit: Insight]
[Removes all confusion-type debuffs and reveals all illusion-based effects for three seconds.]
So, she wasn’t playing along!
By using her fighting spirit as ‘Insight,’ she had forfeited the ability to detect my stealth or location.
She was willing to take the risk of allowing a surprise attack, just to avoid engaging in a mind game with me.
That’s a problem.
I hesitated too long, pretending to be a clone.
The spear blade grazed my shoulder.
If I’m going to take this injury, I need to gain something in return.
So I pressed forward, driving my dagger into her thigh.
[Vital Strike: Muscle Tear]
[Enhanced Bleeding Poison has been applied.]
Twisting the blade, I sliced through her hamstring.
Though her elbow struck my back, it wasn’t anything I couldn’t endure.
The real issue was that her spear was aimed directly at my escape route.
Just as I wouldn’t give her an easy win, she wasn’t letting me off either.
Fine. As my shadow blurred, black chains shot up from the ground.
I pulled the chains taut, snagging the shaft of her spear.
That managed to halt her attack.
I had planned to seize control of her weapon and throw her off balance, but my lack of strength stats made it difficult.
The spear wobbled as she yanked it, creating distance between us.
“Ugh!”
“Don’t underestimate me!”
She had naturally switched to informal speech.
Should I let it slide since I did the same?
The rhythm of her spear movements changed.
Her strikes became more aggressive and wild, yet the precision wasn’t lost.
It seemed she didn’t appreciate the fact that I had been holding back on my skills.
I get it.
I had the same reaction when I felt like my friend was holding back on me.
But… this isn’t about that.
Defeating Camellia here doesn’t mean I’ve won the war.
I still have the next battle to fight.
"I’m not underestimating you. I’m just being realistic."
I could tell how hard you worked to analyze me.
I know how much effort you put in, how much you pushed yourself.
But you’re not at Cerberus’s level yet.
I have no intention of going all out against you.
That spear is designed purely to kill me.
Camellia was compensating for her lack of raw power with meticulous planning and analysis.
Against me, she could inflate her level to that of a top-tier fighter.
But how about this?
Try facing the opponents I’ve fought before.
Right before I struck, I deliberately slowed my tempo.
Camellia, who had already moved her spear, looked confused.
Sometimes, being slow is harder to counter than being fast.
It’s an off-beat tactic Reaper often used.
As expected, Camellia’s attempt to parry failed.
I drove my blade into her hand, slicing through her wrist.
I kicked the spear away with my foot.
“Cerberus noticed something you didn’t. I don’t have any fixed habits or styles. I just use what’s convenient.”
“Ugh!”
“Well, you’ve improved a lot. Especially targeting my height—that was a smart move. Keep sharpening that, and it’ll become a deadly weapon.”
Next came the choice Cerberus had forced upon me.
I stabbed toward her open guard while feinting with my left hand.
Would she sacrifice her arm or abandon her attack?
Camellia chose to retreat into a defensive stance.
In response, I immediately presented the next dilemma.
Which would she defend: her right foot or her left thigh?
Her hesitation cost her.
I went for her left side.
[Vital Strike: Organs]
[Enhanced Bleeding Poison has been reapplied.]
[Enhanced Bleeding Poison has been upgraded to ‘Unstoppable Bleeding.’]
I twisted the blade inside her, tearing through her organs.
Then, I grabbed her face with my palm, slamming her down into the ground.
I kicked her spear further away as I pinned her down.
I clasped the dagger in both hands, ready to plunge it into her heart.
Or at least, I tried to.
Camellia’s trembling hands blocked the strike.
“Just give up, will you? Dragging this out won’t change the result. It’s just pathetic at this point.”
“Before that, just answer one question.”
“A question? What kind of question?”
“Why... why aren’t you a pro?”
“...Because I don’t want to.”
That question left a bitter taste in my mouth. I pressed down harder on the dagger.
Sure, Camellia was stronger than me in terms of raw strength, but given her current state and our positions, she didn’t stand a chance.
The dagger inched closer to her heart, despite her resistance.
“Even if no one else can see it, I know the truth. You're lying, aren’t you?”
“What do you know about me to say something like that...”
“Answer me!”
[Strength capable of pulling mountains, and spirit that overwhelms the world─]
[Sigma Camellia has activated the effect of ‘The Power to Uproot Mountains and Overwhelm the World (力拔山氣蓋世).’]
At that moment, something shifted.
Camellia’s muscles tensed, and a force that felt like it could lift mountains radiated from her body.
The atmosphere grew heavy, as if the very air around us was being pressed down by her sheer will.
I could feel her strength growing rapidly as she activated her hidden card.
And suddenly, my advantage started to slip away.
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