Pallas declared the final match of the warrior section to begin. Both Domon and Spring Crown brandished their weapons and took ready stances.
Spring Crown’s mouth still carried that smile. Most would think he took this fight lightly, but those with better perceptions could see that his eyes were fully focused. Those eyes were not from someone who was frivolous. The intensity of their gazes even caused the audience to feel intense before the two even moved.
Then Domon’s right foot shifted a bit.
As if dodging a fatal blow, Spring Crown’s body sprang to the left and stopped a distance away.
The two were still again and back to eyeing each other for a while.
Domon’s left shoulder slumped a bit. Spring Crown took two steps back.
“… You can read me?” Domon asked.
“I won’t dare to claim that,” Spring Crown answered. “But I do study you for a long while, so I dare say I’m a bit familiar with your style.”
“Study me?”
“You are Domon. One who is called the best martial artist still alive in our generation. The legend who holds the world championship title for ten years straight with an undefeated record. You are the best material to study. I watched a lot of your videos when I was learning martial arts.”
“Then you must be one very hard-working student to dig through those old archives for a study. Who is your martial art teacher?”
“I have none.”
“Self-taught…?”
“I did. I studied from watching the videos of a lot of practitioners. Took what I think suited me and practiced on my own. In a way, you can be considered my teacher.”
“Then I’m flattered to have such a talented secret student. Now, allow me to give you direct teaching,” Domon said and took a big step forward.
Spring Crown slid to the right with his body bent low. Domon shifted to the left, Spring Crown responded by side-rolling. Domon’s bent his body down, Spring Crown swayed to the back. Domon jumped forward, Spring Crown made a large jump to the side and rolled on the ground.
The fight continued in this way. No attack was performed. The two just moved around systematically. One moved, the other responded. In a way, it looked like a dance. Most felt as if they were back to seeing match three of the warrior section between Boastful and Surewin, where the two teased one another with their weird dance. But at least then, there were still some swings of the weapons, albeit fake attacks. This time, the weapons were never lifted.
Some people started booing, which was immediately silenced when Pallas glared back at them.
These people felt strange. Pallas was visibly upset when Boastful and Surewin did their dance. Why was he not this time?
Those that were experienced in martial arts, on the other hand, didn’t think that Domon and Spring Crown were doing a choreographed dance. Instead, this was a high-level reading and reaction. They might not be physically clashing yet, but they had been clashing numerous times in their minds. Each attacking attempt was canceled as the opponent had moved away from the strike zone.
<br/>”It’s impressive that boy can read Domon till that level, but he can’t be thinking of doing this indefinitely, right?” Jet said from the spectators’ seats.
“He is waiting for Domon to make a mistake before he strikes,” Arthur commented.
“He will have to wait a long time for that,” Jet said. “It is more likely that he makes a mistake first before Domon.”
“His expression showed that he is a very patient man. He is also very disciplined and controlled. I think he can do this for as long as he wants to.”
In the human group, Paytowin was also wondering like the rest of the unenlightened crowd, what was going on with this match? Jack explained to him that Spring Crown had responded to Domon’s every attacking attempt before Domon carried out the attacks.
“No wonder he is called the number one gamer,” Jack said. “His calculating ability might have helped him with game mechanics, but it is that reading ability of his that makes him able to perceive all kinds of skills and spells with uncanny accuracy and speed.”
After several minutes of non-stop moving between the two without any physical contact, Domon finally lifted his glaive in a thrusting motion. Spring Crown had sprung away at the time and was lifting his blue spear to finally attack as well. But he suddenly stopped mid-way and jumped back.
Domon stopped and stared at Spring Crown. There was admiration in his eyes.
“You are one crafty old man,” Spring Crown said. “I almost fall for that.”
“Hahaha! It has been some time since I felt this excited. I must say, you are truly deserving of the name number one,” Domon uttered. “All right. Since it is this way, then let’s not drag this any further. You are waiting for your chances, right? I will give them to you. Let’s see if you can utilize those chances to defeat me or I overpower you with my arts.”
Domon’s body started spinning as he used Death Carrying Cyclone.
Spring Crown had expected the move and had taken a low posture as he slid forward. His spear had changed to a pair of fist weapons. He was ready to strike when he noticed Domon’s wrist twisted.
The glaive on that hand suddenly spun back to where Spring Crown was. He backstepped just as the glaive’s blade came slicing. It didn’t stop. It spun and spun and continued to come for him. Spring Crown could only continue to backstep.
“Soul Pursuit Hurricane, your spinning polearm technique that gives non-stop assault,” Spring Crown uttered as his fist weapons changed to a spear on his right and a sword on his left.
Domon’s glaive spinning had turned into several afterimages within the hurricane. Three real attacks came to Spring Crown within the hurricane.
Spring Crown struck using his spear and sword to block the two attacks while a translucent spear-like being materialized beside him and blocked the third one. He still received damage from the two attacks he had blocked directly but this block stopped Domon’s art. Spring Crown jumped away during the pause.
“So, this is what’s called mana manipulation? Impressive,” Spring Crown said. Domon’s attack was just standard attacks but it was still damaging enough to give him some splash damages even after he blocked using his attacks.
“Wong never taught you?” Domon asked.
“We rarely talk to one another outside of work,” Spring Crown replied.
“So dull. How about you jump ship and I will be glad to teach a talented person like you.”
“Would love to. However, I can’t at the moment.”
“Too bad. Watch my glaive!” Domon uttered as he performed One Word Thrust.
A straight ray of light shot out as his glaive was thrust. Spring Crown had already ducked the instant he saw Domon’s shoulder move. He had stored his sword and was currently thrusting his spear from a low position targeting Domon’s open armpit. The translucent spear-like being, which was his Spirit Weapon thrust from a different angle as well.
Those thrusts never hit. Two shadows swept both the spear and the spirit weapon away as their tips were about to hit. Subsequent shadows followed as they headed to Spring Crown. Spring Crown had no choice but to jump away again.
“Shadowless kicks, truly difficult to read those,” Spring Crown uttered.
“Haha, more will come!” Domon said and used One Word Slash.
Spring Crown saw Domon’s opening move and jumped up, effectively dodging the slash. He then did a double attack using his spear and spirit weapon. Domon’s head swayed to the side evading the spear attack while his palms created eight after images. One of these Eight Gates Illusory Palms hit the spirit weapon while the others went to Spring Crown.
Spring Crown took out an axe, a large-headed two-bladed axe. He used its blade’s large surface as a makeshift shield to block the palms. The impact force still threw him away. He skidded a few meters before stopping.
“You are right. Even when you allow me those chances, I still can’t hit you,” Spring Crown said with a laugh. His spear started glowing with Ki Weapon.
Domon followed suit. He also used his Ki Weapon and called out Spirit Weapon. A glaive-like translucent being appeared beside him. He then attacked again.
Domon was superior in direct clashes while in terms of spirit weapon’s control, he lost by a mile. In fact, he didn’t even attempt any control over his spirit weapon. The illusory glaive just attacked automatically whenever Spring Crown came near. Spring Crown’s spirit weapon was different. He asserted absolute control on it to synchronize with his every strike. He also changed weapons every now and then, utilizing the damage boost it provided to keep up with Domon’s mana manipulation-fueled attacks.
Even so, Spring Crown was clearly at a disadvantage, he continued to retreat, avoiding a direct clash with Domon. He ended up being cornered to the edge of the arena. His back bumped against the transparent wall. Domon headed in for the kill strike.
Yet, as Domon slashed, Spring Crown’s body vanished. Domon knew from his mana sense that Spring Crown had teleported to behind him. His body immediately spun. He slashed to his back just as Spring Crown appeared and slashed as well.
“Flash Slash!” Jack identified the skill. It was the one that was similar to his Flash Step.
As Domon and Spring Crown’s weapons hit each other. Domon’s glaive was forcefully torn from his grip and was thrown away.
“Impossible!” Jack uttered. No way his grandfather lost his grip on his weapon.
“That is Disarm skill,” Peniel said. “It’s a very rare non-standard elite skill that can be learned by warrior’s branch classes.”
