“Clank, Clank!”
Rozen’s strike hit was so heavy as if he intended to cut Heathcliff’s Kite Shield in two.
“Ugh…!”
Heathcliff was having a tough time blocking Rozen’s strike this time as it was so heavy, so much that his pupils dilated in surprise.
“This power… It’s nothing like before?”
Heathcliff was pushed back due to the sheer power of Rozen’s strike. However, Rozen’s counterattack has just begun.
Seeing Heathcliff was pushed back, Rozen kept pushing his advantage and struck once again, this time with a Sword Skill, Sharp Nail that consisted of three vertical slashes, all of which hit Heathcliff’s shield, but since each strike was so powerful that it knocked Heathcliff’s shield off his hands.
“…!”
Heathcliff, who knew that Rozen was still in a rigid state due to Sharp Nail’s post-motion, immediately swung his sword that was enveloped by Sword Skill’s light.
“This is the end.”
Heathcliff calmly declared his victory as his sword headed straight toward Rozen. This Sword Skill was somehow faster, stronger, and more precise than Asuna’s Sword Skill.
If this Sword Skill landed, the outcome would be decided since this strike would be considered as a powerful attack in a First Strike Mode.
Rozen couldn’t dodge as he was still in the rigid state, and this should be Rozen’s defeat, or so Heathcliff thought…
“Shhnnnnn!”
Suddenly, the Sword Skill’s light enveloped Rozen’s fist.
“That’s……!?”
Saw this scene, Heathcliff’s expression changed drastically as if realizing something, and Rozen, who noticed this, smiled slightly.
It was a basic Martial Arts Skill, Flash Blow.
Completely unbeknownst to Heathcliff, Rozen’s executed another pre-motion before he finished using Sharp Nail earlier.
That way, even if Rozen himself couldn’t move due to a Sword Skill’s post-motion, the system that has already recognized Rozen’s pre-motion will automatically execute the Sword Skill, and Rozen’s fist flashed through the air like a bullet.
“Chang!”
Rozen’s fist, enveloped in red light, hit Heathcliff’s bottom part of the sword and sent it flying
“Wha…!?”
Finally, Heathcliff could no longer keep his composure and clearly showed a shocked expression.
Were you bouncing off a sword with a fist? That sounded crazy, but it was not impossible.
But then again, although Rozen managed to execute Flash Blow’s pre-motion, he couldn’t freely control the course in the middle of using the skill, let alone pinpointing it to hit Heathcliff’s sword as he couldn’t move.
Not to mention Heathcliff used his Sword Skill after Rozen, meaning it should be impossible to predict Heathcliff’s timing and the trajectory of his Sword Skill. Yet, Rozen managed to knock Heathcliff’s sword off his hands. What did this mean?
That meant Rozen had already known beforehand what Heathcliff would do before he used his Sword Skill. Rozen also knew what Sword Skill he’d use along with its trajectory and then adjust the timing and direction of his Martial Art Skill in order to knock off Heathcliff’s sword.
How could Rozen see through his move?
How could Rozen know the trajectory of his Sword Skill in advance?
These questions were occupying Heathcliff’s mind right now. However, these questions were fated to remain unanswered.
Because he didn’t know that it was all thanks to Rozen’s Eye of the Mind, which obviously wasn’t a skill that existed in the game, so no matter how hard Heathcliff, whose understanding of the game was unparalleled, racked his brain, he wouldn’t find an answer.
“It certainly is the end!”
Rozen’s Martial Art Skill’s post-motion and Sword Skill’s post-motion ended at the same time, and he was ready to launch the counterattack.
“Shhhnnnn!”
Heathcliff instantly knew what Sword Skill Rozen planned to use the moment Rozen’s Queen Knightsword was glowing with Sword Skill’s light.
“Horizontal Square!”
It was four successive horizontal strikes in the shape of a rhombus, and obviously, it packed quite a punch.
Rozen rushed toward Heathcliff with a sword glowing in blue color. This time, it was Heathcliff who couldn’t move because he has just used his Sword Skill, not to mention he was bare-handed as both his Kite Shield and one-handed sword were knocked away
The tables have turned.
The situation has reversed, and it was clear that the winner should be Rozen, or so he thought…
“Tring!”
A sound that marked the time limit for the duel echoed in the empty field, and at the same time, countless purple hexagonal barrier suddenly appeared between Heathcliff and Rozen, blocking Rozen’s Sword Skill. Meanwhile, Heathcliff’s post-motion duration was over.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
Both Rozen and Heathcliff were surprised and jumped back. They inspected the purple window that appeared in front of them both.
“Time’s up.”
Rozen was speechless.
“A tie?”
Heathcliff also frowned.
Yes.
The time limit for the duel was up.
There was a time limit regardless of the duel types. If there were no winner until the time was up, the winner would be automatically decided by the amount of duelists’ hp by the end of the duel. However, the hp was rounded in increments of five, meaning if one of the Players had 70% hp and the other had 65% hp, the former won. But if one of them had 70% hp while the other one had 66% hp, the result will be a tie.
Both Rozen’s and Heathcliff’s hp were at 100%, and none of them took any damage, so the result was a tie.
“………”
Both Rozen and Heathcliff were silent.
“Goo!”
“Woo!”
Both Hanachou and Saichou flew back toward Rozen.
“Phew…”
Meanwhile, Asuna, who was watching the duel from the beginning, sighed in relief.
None of them could imagine this outcome.
