Pretending to be a noob in a world scaled by power level

[126] Back and forth

And then, they met.

The spectacle was breathtaking. The swords and rapiers clashed mid-air, creating a symphony of lights and sound. Each impact echoed through the arena like a lightning strike, and the ethereal weapons shattered on contact, disintegrating into countless shards of light that scattered across the field. The explosive collision of golden and blue fragments created a dazzling, otherworldly spectacle, as if a thousand stars were birthed and extinguished in an instant right in the middle of the arena.

The audience gasped collectively at the spectacle, the raw, primal power on display rendering them awestruck. The battlefield was then filled with lingering particles of golden and blue light, like a cloud of stardust, slowly fading away into nothingness.

With a sudden burst of energy, we launched ourselves towards each other. Our bodies moved as fast as a bolt of lightning, so swift that we left afterimages in our wake. The space between us shrank within a heartbeat. Our eyes locked on each other, the determined glares reflecting the resolve that pushed us forward.

With my golden ethereal sword firmly gripped, I raced towards Asus, each step shaking the ground beneath. A similar fervor burned in Asus' eyes as he held his blue ethereal rapier, sprinting towards me with an imposing momentum. It was like two unstoppable forces destined to collide, a testament to our strength and willpower.

The crowd watched with bated breath, their eyes tracking our blurred forms. They could barely register the lightning-fast movements, but the tension was undeniable, and a wave of anticipation washed over the arena.

And then, the inevitable collision. Our swords met mid-air, golden against blue, an ethereal clash of powers. The resulting shockwave rippled across the arena, sweeping a gust of wind that stirred the dust around us. Each clash, each parry, and each strike of our weapons created a cacophony of resonating sounds, a symphony of metal against metal that echoed throughout the arena.

Sparks flew from the points of contact, illuminating the battleground with a brilliant flash of light. We pushed against each other, the pressure between our weapons palpable. The force was so immense that it left cracks on the arena floor beneath us. Still, we didn't falter, our determination unyielding, as we continued our rapid exchange of attacks and parries. The fierceness of our battle was undeniable and drew a collective gasp from the crowd.

The air around us thrummed with intensity, charged with the sheer speed of our battle. Our movements melded into an explosive blur, so fast that the human eye would fail to keep up. Only the echoing clang of ethereal weapons told a tale of the furious combat that was unfolding.

Asus and I were like two tempests, tearing through the arena with a storm of thrusts, parries, and ripostes. His blue rapier danced against my golden sword, each meeting of our weapons erupting in a shower of sparks. We clashed, parted, then clashed again in a dizzying rhythm, our forms weaving through the air, an intricate ballet of lethal intent.

In one second, a whirlwind of ten strikes ensued between us. Each attack was met with an equally fast and precise defense, an invisible push and pull that played out at breakneck speed. Asus aimed for my torso; I parried, spun, and responded with a swift strike towards his shoulder. He deflected it in the nick of time, his rapier moving in a blue streak as he retaliated with a series of rapid jabs.

Our speed was such that the echoes of our strikes lingered in the air, the sound of one still resonating as the next two or three had already taken place. A sonic mirage of clashes filled the arena, reverberating against the walls and causing the ground to tremble beneath our feet.

Each second seemed to stretch, crammed with a flurry of actions that would have taken a regular fighter minutes to execute. Yet, for us, it was as natural as breathing. Amidst the rapid dance of our blades, our focus remained locked on each other, our gazes sharp, searching for the slightest hint of a weakness, an opening in this high-speed combat.

The crowd was awestruck. Gasps echoed throughout the arena as each strike clashed against the other in a blinding flurry of motion. The audience sat on the edge of their seats, captivated by the high-speed battle unfolding before them. Every eye was trained on the blur in the center of the arena, each person trying to catch a glimpse of the individual strikes, but only catching the vibrant afterimages of our swift movements.

"Woah, their speed is insane!" an excited voice rose above the hum of the crowd.

"Is this even humanly possible?" another voice questioned, disbelief evident in their tone.

"This is beyond epic, they're like two gods fighting!" a young man exclaimed, his eyes wide with awe.

"Yi-Fei, come on!" A group of fangirls cheered, their voices carrying in the still air.

The arena reverberated with the echoing sound of thousands of voices, gasping in shock, cheering in admiration, or whispering in awe. However, amidst the cacophony, the fanatical yaoi fans were not to be silenced, "Oh my God! The tension between them... I ship it! Asus and Yi-Fei forever!" Their squeals of excitement were almost deafening, adding to the electric atmosphere.

The sheer intensity of the battle had drawn everyone in, and time seemed to slow down as the crowd held its collective breath, waiting for the decisive moment when one of us would land a decisive strike. The aura of anticipation was palpable, a heavy blanket of excitement hanging over the vast expanse of the arena.

Asus flashed me a roguish smile, brushing a lock of white hair from his eyes. "That was impressive, Yi-Fei," he drawled, his voice carrying over the hush that had fallen on the arena. "But I can't let you have all the fun, can I?"

I straightened my posture, my grip tightening on my ethereal sword. I couldn't afford to let his antics get under my skin. "I didn't come here for fun, Asus," I responded coldly, my voice echoing in the silence. "And I'd appreciate it if you would take this seriously."

"Oh, but I am," he replied smoothly, an enigmatic glint in his sapphire eyes. "It's not every day I get to dance with the famous Sword Master, after all."

His flippant demeanor seemed to infuriate some of the audience members. "Stop fooling around and fight!" one of them yelled, while others started booing at his casual attitude.

"Always so impatient," Asus chuckled, his gaze never leaving mine. "Very well then, let's continue our dance, shall we?" His tone carried an undertone of challenge, the amusement in his eyes replaced with a focused determination that was all too familiar.

This was the real Asus - the formidable prince of demons. A wave of anticipation surged through me as I readied myself for the next round. The crowd held their breath, awaiting the next clash of our swords.

Q: What will you do if you meet a formidable opponent?