A Survivor's life in the dungeon (A Danmachi Fanfic.)

Chapter 118

August's mana dome picked up Ryuu on his left, where his spear was farthest from his body. 'And skilled too.' He smiled; for him, this was a pleasant surprise. Because right now, he actually has to take this a bit seriously.

Ryuu could see the wide-open side of August; she quickly slashed her sword filled with her mana. But a resounding clang made her eyes widen; she could feel her left hand shook as her blade met the body of August's spear.

She expected this, of course; he was, after all, someone whose level was higher than hers. So she already had a back-up plan in case her initial opening strike was blocked. She spun to the right, using her other weapon to strike at August's chest, moving so quickly that it seemed like a blur.

But not for August; he took a step forwards, dodging the weapon but letting Ryuu's hand hit him on the chest, with no damage received due to her not generating enough momentum.

But the move trapped her; the next thing she knew, she felt a heavy blow at her side as August's fist connected with her ribs. She didn't even see the blow coming.

She jumped back, trying to get away from August, while he stayed, giving the elf space. As she landed, she kneeled to the ground; the blow took more out of her than she expected.

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Bell had his mouth agape; it was too fast for him to see, a literal blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. The two of them moved at an extremely fast pace, exchanging offense within a snap.

But it was clear to see who'll be winning with that exchange alone. "Miss Ryuu..." Bell muttered worryingly, as his eyes stared at the elf on her knees, clutching her side.

"I wouldn't count Leon out just yet," Asfi spoke with her eyes glued to the fight. 'Though I doubt she'll win, she might actually make Kaizer go serious if she goes all out.' She thought to herself, assessing the situation. She knew Ryuu didn't stand a chance here, but maybe she could make August actually make an effort.

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Ryuu stood up; she could still feel the pain on her side, but she chose to ignore it. Her eyes moved from side to side, trying to find something to exploit in her attack. She saw multiple openings, but after the first exchange, she knew it was futile for her to take it. August was just plain faster than her.

She changed her stance from her usual offensive approach to a more balanced style. She shifted her lead leg to the right and crouched her body down, gaining a more refined center of gravity in the process. 'I can't face him blow for blow. I need to be smarter in my approach.' she thought to herself as her eyes scanned August's body.

August nodded in approval. 'She's flexible and adaptive... I can clearly see the experience she has in anti-personnel combat...' His eyes then gleamed as a smile crept up on his face. 'Let's go on the offensive this time.'

Ryuu could feel the air shift; she knew it. 'He's coming!' She prepared herself, willing her mana to burst forth as it enveloped her whole body, providing her with a protective layer. But within a fraction of a second, August was now in front of her. She followed her instinct that was screaming at her. She tilted her head to the side, just in time to dodge the butt of August's spear.

She could feel a sharp pain on her cheeks, even with her being prepared, she was still grazed by that attack. And now she didn't have time to relax, as August followed it up with a kick to her ankles.

She jumped up, dodging it at the last second, her mind filled with the singular thought to counter, but before she could act, August was already a step ahead of her.

August twisted his wrist, his spear cutting through the air and heading for the back of the elf's head. Ryuu hurriedly placed her two weapons to block the attack; their weapons clashed, making the air blow all over, the force sending Ryuu flying forward as August let her pass by. He then grabbed her at the back of her hood and slammed her to the ground.