Soul of Blades - Chapter 24: The Duel (Patreon)

As soon as Alex agreed, a sudden rush of energy unfurled from the Baron, palpable in the air. The space around them warped slightly to Alex’s Outer Focus, a clear sign of a mana field activating and spreading, emanating from the Baron.

The energy washed over the space between them as the sphere solidified, turning into a transparent glowing barrier that separated them from the outside world, encasing them in an impenetrable sphere. Within the barrier, the air vibrated with a force seen only by Alex and sensed by Kier. It thrummed with magical energy.

The Baron's fingers drew a finely crafted rapier from a scabbard Alex had only just noticed. The slender blade shone as it reflected the magical light of the barrier, its length precise and its thickness indicative of its finely crafted nature.

He handled the blade with proficiency, a flick of his wrist causing the rapier to twirl effortlessly from finger to palm.

“I've set the condition to first blood, it could've been death, you know. What's your level, stranger?” The Baron's voice, smooth and controlled, resonated through the clearing as he inquired, calculation apparent in his shrewd eyes.

Alex, maintaining a cautious gaze and even tone, responded, "Does it matter?”

“Humour me,” the Baron said, his eyebrow-raising ever so slightly.

Alex had no interest in hurting the Baron, that would be a foolish way to ingratiate himself into the town and the world at large. But he wouldn't let him steal their loot either, or his stats.

Got to end this quick, a single strike and leave a nick somewhere on him, just enough to draw blood and trigger the duel to end. That seemed to be the best course of action; winning the duel without a protracted battle, keeping the loot, and leaving the Baron's health and pride intact.

“Look, if it's just to first blood, let's just keep it to a light spar? How's that sound? It’s Alex by the way.” Alex’s sentence broke off as he took a small step forward.

“I did not ask for your name, stranger,” the Baron interjected, his hand dismissing the air with a swift, deliberate motion.

"Your level. What is it?" the Baron pressed, gesturing with the rapier, his voice growing firmer.

Alex’s eyes shifted toward the magical enclosure's edges, assessing the amount of space he had to work with. It was just about ten or twelve feet all around; slightly smaller than a Muay Thai or boxing ring, but standard for Kendo, he supposed. It would be a tight fit for his skills, but it would do.

Well, my level equivalent’s actually much higher than 32, if you consider my stat boosts and feats. No need to tell them that, though, he thought, setting his shoulders in a relaxed posture. “It’s 32, why?” Alex's response was straightforward.

Shock rippled through the group, Ayla shifted restlessly, her grip on her sword faltering. Kier's fingers drummed anxiously against his slightly curved staff, and a stunned silence hung in the air.

Finn's jaw dropped.

“Wh-what!?” Ayla sputtered as she subconsciously stepped back.

“32!?” Kier's astonishment was evident, his head snapping back slightly in surprise.

“He lies!” one of the Barons' knights yelled in disbelief, his gaze flitting between Alex and the Baron.

The Baron's face briefly registered surprise, which swiftly melted into a composed expression, the rapier returning to a steady grip. “That's quite the claim.” He spoke, a hint of scepticism lacing his words. "How did you manage to reach such heights when the tutorial ending quest was class gain at level 15?”

Level 15 class quests? Why was my class quest at 25? Was I expected to die in that dungeon? What the hell? Alex forced himself to school his expression and remain calm at the revelation.

“I suspect your comrades are somewhere between level 15, and level 20.” The Baron continued “I myself have just reached level 30, and with considerable resources and wealth spent in the process." The Baron gestured to his men, but as he gestured, his eyes betrayed him, landing on the distant town beyond the barrier.

His men shifted at his address, their armour shining with reflected magical light.

“There is no need to lie, stranger. It won't make a difference.” The Baron’s dismissal was accompanied by a slight shake of his head. He adjusted his grip on the rapier, muscles hinting at a confident combat stance.

"Look, dude. I'm not lying, I'm trying to tell you—" Alex began.

“Well, I tried.” The Baron interjected. As he spoke, his hand extended the rapier to point at Alex, a glint of steel catching the blue light.

This guy just loves to talk, doesn’t he? Alex thought. The Baron reminded him of some of the more arrogant practitioners he met from time to time back on earth. When they sensed you were comfortable with their dance, they liked to negotiate- to try and get their way with the least resistance possible, or dig for information that they could either use against you, or to convince themselves they had a strong chance at beating you. It was funny how scared they were of a real challenge, sometimes. This guy doesn’t seem any different. Bet he’s going to try and attack first now he's convinced himself he has the upper hand. These types always do.

The Baron continued, oblivious to Alex’s assessment. “Brace yourself, and try not to die too quickly, stranger.” As he spoke, his grip on the rapier tightened. “It would make you look far too weak, and as a result would make me look bad,”

A wicked grin spread across the Barons' features. “And we can't have that. ‘Sunstrike.”

Light coalesced at the tip of his rapier, a point of brilliance against the dimming sky. It burst forward in a beam, aiming straight for Alex's heart. The air around it rippled with the intense heat.

Alex watched the beam, his pupils dilating minutely.

Predictable. He thought dryly, as the Lance of blazing light raced towards him at speeds only he could follow, if barely. Boundless Dodge, he then thought.

In an instant, Alex's body responded. He twisted, the world around him blurring as his mana seized him, moving him beyond his normal capabilities. It twisted his body to the left, an agile and fluid motion. The beam of light grazed past him, searing the ground where he had stood a moment earlier.

Alex spun on his heel and crouched, his empty palms reaching towards his hips as if holding an imaginary blade.

The Baron, rapier still in hand, tracked Alex's movement with a curious look in his eye, his weapon a steady line aimed at him.

Alex still had no intention of injuring or offending the apparent owner of the land he intended to call home. That would be a terrible way to start his new life. Just a scratch, just enough for a drop of blood, nothing more. he thought, eyeing the Baron's cheek. His intention was clear in his mind: swift, precise, minimal. A light scratch to draw’ first blood’, and a quick and decisive end to the duel, not a brutal fight.

Alex's muscles tensed, ready yet controlled. His eyes, sharp and clear, were locked onto the Baron, still focused on a spot just above the Baron's right cheek.

He moved. In one motion, he swung his empty palm with furious swiftness as if drawing a sword, rotating his hips to face his target, stepping forward, and executing a powerful cut, leveraging his lower body's strength.

His arm moved in a practised, fluid motion. With a thought, the air burst with a faint pop as a blade appeared in motion between his palms. He grasped the hilt tight in mid-swing. Alex’s sword blurred in a flash, a silver streak arching towards the stunned Baron's cheek.

The Baron's eyes widened helplessly.

At the moment of contact, As the tip of his blade sliced the baron's cheek, a brilliant burst of light replaced the expected sensation of metal grazing skin. Instead of the expected slight resistance of skin, the blade met light and air. The figure before Alex shattered like glass, scattering into radiant particles, scattering and fading. The figure before him, illuminated intensely, fragmented into a myriad of light particles, scattering and fading like sparks in the night.

Alex's eyes registered surprise, a rare moment of shock.

The real Baron stood a few feet, eyes wide with surprise that mirrored Alex’s own. He quickly realigned his stance, rapier aiming at Alex with precision. But there was something off about him – his entire figure appeared to be composed of light, a hardened light that had the odd appearance of glass. To Alex, it looked like glowing plastic or the dim, ambient light of neon signs.

“You're faster than I expected.” The Baron said, each word dripping with muted shock.

Alex didn't design to respond. Instead, he darted forward, his movements a blur, the ground barely seeming to touch his feet. He was upon the Baron in a heartbeat, Blade in hand. His sword was a blur of blue light as it swung, the light of the magical barrier reflected in his powerful swing.

With the force of Alex's strike, the Baron's Hardlight body shattered. His form broke like fragile crystal, its pieces vanishing into thin air.

Again.

The Baron reappeared as a blur, attacking Alex from all sides as if moving through light. But Alex's blade moved in a blur too, striking down each attempt at his life in a succession of swift, precise movements. The Barons form constantly shattered upon impact, dissolving into motes of light only to reappear in another location.

The luminescent figure of the Baron emerged, this time directly behind Alex and in mid-swing, an arc of heated air trailing his rapier. Alex's reaction was immediate - a swift sidestep followed by a precise, forward lunge. His blade met the baron's shoulder, and with a resonant clash, it too shattered, scattering the Baron’s form into countless motes of light.

Where?- Alex searched for the baron's new location within the confined space. There he is.

The Baron reappeared, moving with a controlled stride, and halted a few feet from Alex. His stance was rigid, eyebrows raised with an air of disbelief. "Are you truly level 32? You're almost as capable as I am," he said, pausing slightly after each statement, as if he was still weighing Alex's worthiness.

"But you cannot hope to keep up. When you shatter my form, for a moment, I reappear at a location of my choosing at the speed of light. Did you know light had a ‘speed’? That it travels? Hah! The wonders never cease, I love this ‘system’, truly. It's going to turn me into a god," he continued, his chest rising and falling more noticeably with each word.

In the next moment, their blades met in a clash. Alex moved rapidly, his arm and blade forming a seamless arc. The Baron's form fragmented under the impact, dissolving into a cloud of light particles. He instantly rematerialized, suspended in mid-air above Alex, his figure a blur of rapid movement. Arms stretched out, his rapier moved in patterns that released beams of lasers that rained down, charring the earth where they struck to carve deep furrows into the dirt. The ground hissed and steamed, the air around the impact sites rippling with heat.

Alex's evasion was swift, each step and turn avoiding the descending beams, his mind elsewhere. How can I cut this guy? Without killing him? How do you cut light? Alex wondered.

Alex lunged again, blade first, targeting the Baron's reappearing form. The Baron attempted to parry with his rapier, and the clanging of metal rang through the clearing. He went tumbling to the ground.

Oops. Alex thought, should hold back a bit more there.

With another swift cut of Alex’s blade, the Baron disintegrated, only to materialize again, this time at a distance, showing signs of fatigue. His shoulders slumped slightly, and his breathing became more pronounced.

“Alex, did you say your name was? I'll remember it. If you survive this, come work for me,” the Baron said, standing a bit straighter, the offer hanging in the air between them. “If placed under the right leader, a man of your talents could rise to heights that extend far beyond this land's borders,”

“With the right support, You could be a King’s right hand - a Vizier,” he continued, his hand gesturing slightly as if holding treasure. “My Vizier.”

“I’ll think about it,” Alex replied, his grip on his blade tightening. He felt as though he was close to finding an answer to the question that had eluded him this whole time. He had been hesitant to use it, out of fear of accidentally killing the Baron, but now he had a bead on the man's speed and movements, he felt he had found the answer to the question; How does one cut light?

With magic, perhaps?

His Mana Blade sprang to life, humming with bright energy, as he prepared to end this.

“SolarWind Slash.” The Baron, not missing a beat, swung his rapier in a wide arc. As he did, a rush of wind followed, charged with scorching energy, cutting through the air towards Alex. Alex's eyes tracked the movement, his body already responding. He stepped away, hopping to the side with a burst of speed, feeling the heat of the solar wind singe the tips of his hair.

Gusts of hot, charged air swirled around the Baron’s rapier. With each swing, visible arcs lashed out, leaving trails of scorched earth, shimmering air and singed grass as they raced towards Allex.

Alex, dodging the scorching gusts and beams of light, closed the distance. The heat from each strike warmed Alex's cheek, scorched his clothes and singed his hair as he moved closer.

But it didn't touch him. Alex simply dodged and advanced.

He stepped forward, tilting his head to dodge a beam of superheated light and air.

He sidestepped an errant blade of superheated solar wind that gouged through the earth towards him, then ducked another beam.

His sword hummed with energy that vibrated in his grip, casting a blue light of its own as impossibly sharp mana encased it. He stepped closer, and closer, as the baron frantically hurled projectiles in his direction, the concern on the baron's face growing into full-blown panic.

Alex’s Mana Blade sliced through the air.

The Baron stumbled backwards in surprise, his techniques forgotten. He yelled “Hardlight Legionnaire!” as he fell. His skin morphed into a glowing, glassy neon material as the blade connected with his shoulder, shearing through his armour as if it wasn’t there, the air hissing as the blade cut through it.

Alex pulled back at the last moment, causing his Mana Blade to simply nick the Baron's skin, right as his fallen opponent burst into hundreds of notes and fragments of glittering light.

A sound like shattering glass filled the air.

The Baron reappeared, a hand pressed to his shoulder. A thin line of red marred his skin beneath his cut armour, and a drop of blood fell between his fingers. Alex’s Mana Blade had worked.

Finally, Alex sighed. That damned skill, it's like he has nine lives. No wonder his level’s among the highest in town. Unless you hit him with something powerful, he just keeps getting back up.

Without a strike imbued with significantly sharp or strong mana, someone like Finn or Ayla would never be able to draw a drop of blood from the Baron. The duel would often be rigged.

Why’d the system give a dick like him such a great pair of skills? He would've called it unfair, but his feats and class were no different, he supposed.

The barrier around them began to dissolve, the energy dissipating into the air, leaving behind a scene of shocked silence.

The Baron rose to his feet and studied Alex, his expression unreadable.

The clearing held its breath, as Lyra’s group and the Barons knights tensed, prepared for battle in the wake of Alex’s victory.

Then the Baron spoke.