Kaizen used his <Psychokinesis> ability to create an air bubble around him, allowing him to breathe in the strange water, and immediately began to swim toward the surface of the puddle, following the trail of bubbles from Shadowkiller's movement. The water seemed denser than normal water, and the resistance to swimming was greater, but that was not something that could stop Kaizen.
Kaizen moved forward in the water, searching for Shadowkiller with his eyes, but the enemy player was incredibly agile in the water, moving like a fish, gliding gracefully and with superhuman swimming speed.
Kaizen used his few swimming skills to move as fast as he could, and when he finally found Shadowkiller, he tried to attack him with his sword. However, Shadowkiller, with his dexterity in the water and his good reflexes, managed to dodge with an evasive move, even though he had suffered a surprise attack.
"When the hell did you get in here?" he inquired, apparently without any effort to speak or breathe, which surprised Kaizen. "Well, that's not important. You shouldn't have done that!"
Shadowkiller swam forward, and as he made the move to return, he countered with a nimble kick in Kaizen's direction, using the water to propel his blow even harder.
Kaizen used his <Psychokinesis> to create water currents in an attempt to restrict Shadowkiller's movements, but the enemy player was too fast, and slipped between the currents like a fish through the algae, escaping unharmed.
The battle continued in the strange water, with Kaizen and Shadowkiller exchanging blows as they moved in different directions, up and down, spinning and diving in a deadly aquatic dance. Visibility was hampered by the murky, dense water, making the fight even more challenging, and this area was a place where no spectator cameras could reach, leaving the tournament's spectators desperate and unsure of the outcome.
After suffering several scrapes on his legs and arms, Kaizen counterattacked, using his Næġling Falske with <Sword Art> and taking advantage of the water resistance to keep himself stable. Thus, he focused his strength on his arms and lungs, ready to use his agility to the fullest in the water.
The battle continued, with the two fighters facing each other with ferocity. Time seemed to pass slowly as they moved in an almost synchronized manner.
Finally, at a decisive moment, Kaizen managed to move quickly backwards, dodging a blow from Shadowkiller, and landed a powerful blow with his sword on his back, slashing the enemy player for the first time finally. That first owner was enough to slow Shadowkiller down for a few seconds, and that was a long time when you were facing an enemy like Kaizen.
The Psyker gave the opponent no opportunity to escape and used <Psychokinesis> to grab him and hold back his movements. Kaizen had only 4% mana, except that wasn't what was going to stop him from delivering another powerful blow, and it wasn't. With Shadowkiller paralyzed, Kaizen brandished his sword and slashed at his torso, defeating him.
Shadowkiller disappeared with an expression of shock stamped on his face. He could hardly believe that he was defeated even though he had the upper hand for most of the time of the battle.
"Damn..." He muttered.
Kaizen emerged from the water, exhausted, but with a sense of accomplishment. He knew he had faced a ruthless foe in a fight full of twists and turns in which he had a good chance of having lost.
"If Shadowkiller hadn't underestimated me or been playing in a group like other players, I probably would have lost." Kaizen said to himself, wearily.
He could hardly imagine that the crowd in the Valkyria Arena gave him a standing ovation, recognizing his courage and intelligence in battle.
Kaizen gasped, his heart racing as he surveyed the room. His mana bar was practically at zero. He looked around and noticed that the ripples on the walls, floor and ceiling began to disappear, returning to their normal state. The room returned to its original appearance as if nothing had happened.
With a sigh of relief, Kaizen opened his inventory and grabbed a potion to restore his mana and fatigue.
As he drank the potion, Kaizen felt a sense of accomplishment at having defeated one of the strongest players in the tournament. He was a little tired, but pleased with his victory, especially since it seemed that Shadowkiller himself had not only recognized him, but had targeted him. This only made him more eager to climb the ladder. But first, he had to find a way to find more players than he had so far in the group stage, and he did not want to stay in this strange rat-infested mine any longer.
Since Kaizen had already explored much of the way he had come, he decided to try to get out through the second large door of the chamber he was in. This part was on the second floor and was ajar, but no monster had entered, which might be a good sign that this way was quieter. Or maybe the group of barbarians had already killed all the monsters.
In any case, Psyker acted quickly, not wanting to give another player time to surprise him in the same chamber. He jumped to the second floor, walked through the large door, and closed it.
The path ahead continued, rising in a series of staircases that followed each bend. Kaizen noticed that, unlike the lower level of the mine, the walls of this cave were different, the rock was darker, and the glow of the train tracks was absent, as was any remnant of the mine. The air was also colder, which was to be expected given the cold region it was located in. However, the sound of the howling wind echoed even louder than when Kaizen had first walked through the snow.
Kaizen wondered where the hell this path was leading him, and when he turned the last corner, he realized that it was not a simple exit from the mine. He had come to a strange cave, perched atop a mountain in this remote region.
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
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