“Put down your weapon,” Clyde said, voice deadly calm. “That’s not necessary. We need to talk about the Vipe—”
“Save your talk, except with your blade,” Sol said. “The System deemed you a catastrophic threat to my territory.” He aimed his sword at Clyde. “And now you’re going to die.”
“Hey!” Alice snapped. “What the hell are you doing? See those people. Your people. They will only see a thug starting a fight with tourists.”
“They’ll forget soon enough,” Sol said.
“What do you mean?” Melody said.
“Why the fuck would I tell any of my secrets to you?” Sol said.
“Well you are kind of monologuing?” Clyde said, not seriously meaning his statement.
“I am not monologuing, dickhead,” Sol said. “I’m having a conversation with you. Was.” A white aura surrounded the Falcon.
“No seriously dude, us fighting is as pointless as it gets,” Clyde said, but Sol was no longer listening. He lurched toward Clyde. Natalia quickly hopped off the young man’s back. “Great. An asshole. Just what I fucking needed.”
[Your party has entered PVP combat!]
[Life and Death.]
[You have been challenged by the Falcon!]
Clyde’s eyes widened a little as he blocked Sol’s swing. A torrent of blue and white magic erupted at the contact points of the weapons. The force of the blow skidded the young man backward a few inches as he maintained the block. The surrounding people watched in awe, some recording, others whispering among themselves.
That strength… While his level was one hundred twenty-four, his opponent nearly doubled him in that aspect. Interesting. He activated all of his buffs.
Although this wouldn’t be the first time Clyde faced enemies that outclassed him. Every fight did from the first meeting with Kitome, to Zeth, Nezerath, and so on. It’d come to skill; however, he’d have to be careful. The young man’s PVP match with Dark almost ended with his head on a pike. Using Dark’s own anger against him was a simple strategy at the time. The man that stood before him was dangerous.
Bloodlight in hand, Clyde pulled back and swung…at air. Sol stood a yard back, examining him.
“Clyde, we’ve got your back,” Alice said.
“No, stand back this time,” Clyde said. “I’m breaking my own rule for a one on one with this guy.”
“Do you know him?” she asked.
“I’m the Falcon,” Sol answered, hand aimed. Neither Clyde nor Alice could react in time as the torrent of…something rushed at them. This wasn’t magic…Even the combat log registered it differently.
((Sol triggered Transmuted Chakra Wave. This is an unblockable skill.))
The attack didn’t stop there. As Clyde and Alice were violently blasted backward by heat and energy, the young man felt a foot connect with his gut. The roundhouse kick landed him into a building, denting a gemstone. Oh did it hurt. He didn’t move.
Clyde may have heard the women calling his name, but the ringing in his ears made thinking difficult.
[Your HP has dropped to 400% ]
[Your MP 480%]
[Your Ki: 300%]
Clyde wasn’t sure if instinct forced him to get up and move, but he Flash stepped out the way of yet another wave of…non-magic. System, what the hell is this energy? Clyde thought.
[That was a Chakra-based attack. Your opponent has access to Magic, Chakra, and the most dangerous: Negative Ki. Be on guard!]
Chakra? There was a Naruto joke there, but Clyde knew that would be beneath him. He scoped the area to see Sol standing yards away looking bored.
Clyde Flash stepped to his side, swinging Bloodlight. Sol blocked without looking in his direction. Expecting that, he allowed himself to grin. The other man’s eyes widened at the hand on his chest.
“Shit,” Sol hissed, but it was too late.
[Clyde activated Bronze tier skill: Holy windstorm.]
[Bronze Tier Skill : Holy Windstorm. Type: wind, holy. Class: very rare. Unleash a storm of wind and holy energy on your enemies! Chance to stun at 13% Chance to inflict confusion at 1%.]
While the blast bombarded him backward, it took Sol less than a second to regain his bearings.
[Sol’s HP has dropped to 600%]
Sol blurred toward Clyde, but not before launching random chakra balls in all directions. Upon contact with objects, they exploded violently. The surrounding civilians screamed as they ran.
“Someone call the poli—”
Melody managed to save the teenage girl from a close call with death.
“Make sure the people are safe,” Clyde ordered, charging toward his foe. The weapons clashed again and again, but a sudden kick from Sol put Clyde off balance. The pain from the building earlier didn’t make things easier. Nor the hand aimed at him.
“I have no need to lower your pathetic stats,” Sol said as he released the chakra. Clyde Flashed stepped out of the path, breathing hard. The large crater of smoke in the sidewalk didn’t help his confidence.
[Your HP: 358%]
[Your MP: 300%]
“It may be about stats in a video game,” Clyde said on the move, “but in real life…”
Sol also dashed, large sword out to the side. Swinging his own, the young man triggered its skill.
[Clyde activated Solar Reckoning.]
[Clare upgrade: Solar Reckoning. You can fire an enormous amount of solar magic, capable of vaporizing enemies. Does Intense solar damage. Chance to blind at 4% Chance to mute at 11% Chance to roast every cell in someone’s body at 1%]
The torrent of bright white energy he unleashed from the sword swing, missed. Clyde warped his weapon back to the inventory to duck under Sol’s strike. He activated Stagger punch to his gut. The other man retaliated with a knee, then a spin-kick.
[Sol’s HP has dropped to 550%]
[Clyde’s HP has dropped to 334%]
Clyde rolled out of the way of a stomp that put a crater in the ground. The following attack was on him in an instant.
((Sol triggered Psion wave.))
[Clyde activated Cosmic shield.]
Sol moved toward him again at a casual walk, smirking.
“You can take one hell of a beating, I’ll give you that. Maybe it’s a Stone thing.” He chuckled.
Blood boiling, Clyde leapt from the ground and met the other man blade to blade. He switched through a variety of his physical skills, from Spirit Slash to Deep Slash. They were all casually blocked.
[-Precise Slash 10 . [Attack] – does double physical damage. Chance of critical at 45%
-Deep Slash 10. [Attack]- does double physical damage. Chance to cause bleeding at 45%. Chance to stun at 15%.
-Spirit Slash 10. [Attack] – does double physical and spiritual damage. Chance to cause dizziness at 40%. Chance to cause spiritual blight at 45%.
-Shatter Strike 8 . [Attack]- does physical and fire damage. Chance to break barriers at 42%.
-Tier 3 skill: Sound Slash [Attack]- does physical and sound damage. Chance to cause deaf at 1%. ]
Anticipating the kick, Clyde dodged and cast his skill three times.
[Clyde activated Holy energy ball.]
[ Bronze Tier Skill: Holy Energy Ball. [evolution 2] . Type: spiritual. Class: mysterious. (Does light and holy damage. You can will them to explode on impact with enemies to rack up the damage.]
The cooldown took effect after the third successive energy ball, not that it mattered. Sol easily dodged the spells then countered with his own chakra-based spheres, which put Clyde on the move.
Running side by side, the duo clashed swords. A torrent of white and blue magic erupted at the contact point. The city shook. Winds blasted. Sol laughed.
“This is too easy,” he said.
[Sol activated Sharpness.]
[Sol activated Boost.]
[Sol’s attack and speed has increased!]
((Sol triggered Super Bluntness.))
[The force of Sol’s attacks has dramatically increased
.]
Clyde Flashed stepped out of the path of the sword, watching as it struck the ground with enough force to leave a giant crater.
“Holy shit,” he said.
[Clyde activated Giga Death Scattershot.]
Unleashing the multicolored energy balls, Clyde darted to the side and then toward Sol. As expected, the Falcon easily dodged, moving nimbly with his oversized sword.
[Clyde activated Spiritual blaze burst.]
[-Spiritual Blaze Burst [evolution 1] . Type: spiritual. Class: mysterious. Unleash special fire at your enemies. Chance to cause spiritual blight at 11%. Chance to cause burn at 4% Chance to agony at 6%. Now does fire, volcanic, and holy damage.]
The magic looked as if it would hit, but… Sol grinned, thrusting a fist forward without stopping.
<(Sol accessed Negative Ki.
<(Sol re-channeled Rekindling)<
Clyde gasped, seeing yet another type of force for the first time. This one felt a little unsettling. Gray energy coated his fist. And before his eyes, the young man watched his attack rebound back to him. He dodged, but the other man awaited him.
Not only was he slashed across the chest, but the force of the attack, mixed with the buff and wind, rocketed the young man into the third story of a Chinese-style building.
[Sol used Sin Air slash.]
[Your HP has dropped to 200%]
[Your MP: 300%]
[Your Ki: 300%]
Clyde groaned, shaking the dizziness from his head as he surveyed the destroyed office. Blood oozed from his head, some from his lips. There were also tears on his clothing.
“Shit, this guy’s strong as fuck. I can barely get a hit in.”
He gazed at the frightened people around him. At least two of them were dialing the police or calling security. He started for the exit. Nobody moved to stop him. Some of the civilians couldn’t take their eyes off the giant gaping hole in their building or remained mesmerized at the destroyed office.
Clyde thought about downing the potion of sharpness in his inventory, but figured it’d be pointless with the level difference. He’d stick to crafting something useful later. That is if he could survive this psychopath’s assault.
Mystic senses feeling for off vibrations, he chose an exit on the first floor that thankfully didn’t have an ambush waiting for him.
Damn, if only he had that Ki mini-map! However…while not being able to track his exact whereabouts sucked, Clyde wasn’t out of options. Far from it.
[Cloaking, level 1 . For a percentage of your Ki, you may turn invisible for a very short period. This ability cannot be canceled by magic.]
He hurried back to the scene, only to spot Sol taunting the women.
“How about leaving that weakling,” he said. “There’s plenty of Sol to go around.” He chuckled. “We’ll have a more efficient team.” He shook his head. “And you’ll have a competent leader.”
“Do you have any idea what will happen if you kill the Stone?” Melody said, eyes dark.
“I honestly don’t give a shit,” Sol said, shrugging.
Melody shook her head. Her voice darkened, tinged with just an underling of goddess.
“First, I’ll kill you. It wouldn’t make up the fact that you’d doom us all to the Viper, but I’ll do what you’ve threatened, except worse. Then when its all said and done, you’ll be left to be devoured by the buzzards.”
Sol laughed, then frowned.
“I’d like to see you try, bitch.”
His eyes flashed green very briefly.
[Melody has been ensnared.]
[Sol used Solisis.]
Sol blurred in front of the redhead. “Di—” He blocked Clyde’s sword in time. The cloaking deactivated.
“Where the hell did you come from? I sensed the killing intent right at the last moment,” Sol said.
The two crossed swords repeatedly before both leaping backward to gauge the next move. Sol’s smug expression still remained.
“Clyde, are you okay?” Alice said. “I’ll heal you.”
“I don’t think so,” Sol said. “How about dying instead.”
Sol’s casual wave of his hand brought forth a tidal wave of gray light that not only blasted Alice, but the other women too.
“You shouldn’t interfere,” Sol said with a chuckle. “It will lead to unpleasant things.”
>(Sol had re-channeled Ending Nexus)<
[Alice’s HP has dropped to 5% Alice is inflicted with Cold Shock.]
[Melody’s HP has dropped to 100% Melody is inflicted with paralysis.]
[Airi is takes no damage. Airi is inflicted with paralysis.]
“Well, I may as well kill them off,” Sol said, starting toward the others. “Taking down a boss’s minions will make this so much easier.”
Clyde could hear, even feel Alice’s pain through the bond. And as powerful as she was, Negative Ki ghosted past her barriers with ease.
He reached for the power, only to hit a wall. Fuck it.
[Clyde invoked Wiseman’s Calm.]
[Clyde activated Mystic Omnipresent Aide .]
[Alice has been healed some by Wiseman’s calm effect.]
[Alice’s HP has increased to 300%. Status alignment healed.]
[Wiseman’s Calm : Enter Wiseman mode. This form lasts for a short time and drains magic points, but all physical and magic attacks increase greatly. You will be able to cast Destructive Mystic Lightning. Chance to fully heal when entering this mode: 3%. Sometimes allies around you will randomly heal.]
Clyde, engulfed in what was clearly an enhanced mystic wrath by appearance, held strong. Eyes glowing like suns with a thick bright green aura outlined him, the transformations sported a new glowing symbol on his chest. Instead of the fiery sun, it was now the tree of life, a tribute to marks that appeared on his wrists before a Stone-Tokken duel.
“Ah, someone’s increasing the stakes,” Sol said, “but even with that transformation, the results will be the same. One hundred and twenty-four levels can only go so far.”
Full of unnatural calm, Clyde moved toward Sol, eyes cold and without emotion. The Falcon shrugged, also moving forward to meet the challenge.
The world became a clash of steel. Then time seemed to slow as the young man made a gamble. Allowing Sol’s blade to slash into his shoulder, he stepped into his guard. The other man gasped, seeing the aimed palm. Sol wouldn’t be fast enough to evade the enhanced speed.
[Clyde activated Destructive Mystic Lightning.]
[Destructive Mystic Lightning : Type: mystic, spiritual, electric. Can only cast during Wiseman mode. Does spiritual, electrical, holy, nature, fire. Very destructive to the environment around you. Change to cause spiritual blight at 44%. Chance to blind. Chance to paralyze. Chance to stop an opponent’s time for 4 seconds at 1%.
Due to the time-stopping capabilities, this skill’s usefulness is god tier equivalent.]
He unleashed as much of it as possible—thousands of purple lightning bolts. The force spiraled the other man several yards away. Some of the loose bolts carved large cracks into the road, blasted holes into buildings, and funneled toward the sky, igniting into an enormous thunderclap.
[CRITICAL! Sol’s HP has dropped to 200%]
Sol quickly recovered, his smug expression at last dropped.
“That actually hurt.” He started toward Clyde. “I think it’s about time I took this a little seriously.”
An outline of gray aura shaped like a giant bird flashed around him briefly. The young man could feel his power increase, even rattle the bones within his body. Could it be…
Then hundreds of sirens flood in the distance, from every direction. Sol stopped. “Tssk. I don’t have time to deal with this. It’d be embarrassing to kill off my own law enforcement. Let this be your warning Stone. I’ll find you again and kill you.”
[Sol activated Jump.]
“We’re going too,” Clyde said, his
voice tired. The soothing warmth of Alice’s healing struck him as they fled the scene.
This was not what he hoped for when meeting another dimensional interloper. He’d expect a fight like this from the Viper...but the Falcon. Just why?
And what the hell did he mean the system classified him as a catastrophic threat? He wanted to help or team up with the other “players,” not waste valuable time fighting with them.
There was only one “player” Clyde needed to focus on, although the thought of facing someone who could destroy a planet with just a casual wave didn’t put him at ease.
Was he missing something?
Episode 54 (Part 1): Old Grudges
Clyde’s house, Ring City…
Boardroom…
Harumi groaned as she laid her head on the desk, stretching her arms forward. In the boardroom with her were Tear, Tetra, Hinako, and Kitome. She just wanted to go already.
“Tear, are we done yet?” she said tiredly.
Tear took a sip of coffee and smiled at her.
“Just a little longer. I need to probe well.”
The succubus closed her eyes. A cold tingling sensation tickled the back of the young woman’s neck, signaling the other woman’s invasive magic.
10.The Anime Trope System: Stone vs. Viper, #10 a LitRPG (ATS) Page 14