Kael licked the blood from his lips, his twisted grin widening. "Finally, a real fight."
Fabi didn't waste time in bullshit and lunged forward immediately. He didn't engaged first because he was observing the man.
The target who should be a weakling seemed to hide his power.
This wasn't trash, but rather a full-blown predator so he studied his movements and waited for him to tire out.
And now, it was time to engage.
His body flickered, melting into the shadows.
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Oh? Playing hide-and-seek, huh? Coward."
From behind, a thin black needle shot toward Kael's neck.
Kael twisted his blade at the last second, deflecting the needle mid-air. But another followed out from dark which was followed by another!
Kael dodged, rolling to the side. A single needle grazed his cheek, the dark energy on it burning against his skin.
"Heh. Poisoned? Or cursed?" Kael muttered, feeling the slight sting but it didn't affect him because of the Curse immunity skill he had gained.
"Cheap tricks.It seems you are only an assassin among curses."
Fabi's voice echoed from the darkness, his tone mocking. "You're reckless. You won't last."
Kael laughed. "Says the guy hiding like a rat."
Suddenly, Fabi reappeared behind him!
His dagger, coated in black mist, stabbed toward Kael's back but before it could graze him, Kael used his new skill.
Kael's eyes flashed, his skill activating. A strange dark mark appeared on Fabi's wrist!
The moment the blade neared Kael's skin, Fabi's grip faltered!
The cursed mark twisted fate itself, making him miscalculate his strike.
Kael spun around and slashed.
His sword carved a deep gash into Fabi's side!
"Oops! Did you slip? How unlucky!" Kael grinned.
Fabi gritted his teeth and vanished into the darkness again.
"Tch. Annoying bastard." Kael clicked his tongue.
From the trees, black needles rained down like a storm!
Kael's expression darkened. "Enough with these damn needles."
A dark aura surged around him as his body absorbed the damage! The pain twisted inside him, fueling his strength.
Kael charged forward, sword glowing with the stored energy
"Take this back, asshole!"
He swung with all his might, unleashing the absorbed power!
The shockwave tore through the darkness, sending Fabi flying out of his hiding spot!
Kael dashed toward him. "Now, where were we? Oh, right—me kicking your ass!"
Fabi groaned, pushing himself up. His cloak flickered, shadows weaving around him.
Kael smirked. "Running again? Man, you really suck at this."
Fabi's eyes narrowed. "I am an assassin, not a brute like you."
Kael chuckled, licking the blood from his sword. "Nah, you're just weak."
Fabi growled and this time, he didn't run; rather he took out his daggers preparing for the real fight after his plans of poisoning the enemy failed.
Fabi rushed forward, his daggers flashing like twin fangs of darkness.
His movements were quick,too quick. His shadow-enhanced speed made it hard for the eye to track him as he slashed multiple times in a span of a few moments.
Kael barely deflected the first strike, but the second dagger slashed across his chest, leaving a deep cut.
Blood splattered onto the ground as Kael stepped back.He had to admit it, this guy was a bit faster.
Also, he wasn't able to devour the people he killed because many were rushing at him.
"Tsk!" Kael hissed, his grip tightening around his sword. Fabi was faster, stronger, and relentless.
"You're nothing but an overconfident brat," Fabi sneered. He twisted his body, launching a rapid flurry of dagger strikes.
Kael barely kept up, parrying at the last second each time. But the force behind Fabi's attacks was overwhelming. Kael's arms shook with each clash, his muscles burning from the strain.
"You call this a fight?" Fabi mocked. "You're struggling to keep up. Soon, you'll collapse."
Kael smirked through the pain. "Oh, don't worry. I just like taking my time with my prey."
Fabi's expression darkened. He vanished into the shadows again, appearing behind Kael in an instant.
Before Kael could react, both daggers stabbed into his side!
"Guh!" Kael coughed up blood as he stumbled back, but his grin never faded. "That hurt... but now it's my turn."
The pain, the damage, all of it was absorbed into his body. A dark aura surrounded him, his wounds slowly closing as the stolen force surged through his veins.
The force and pain he felt, it was time to strike back.
Fabi frowned, sensing something was off. "What...?"
Kael's eyes gleamed with madness. "You hit me real hard, huh?" He chuckled. "Well... take it back, asshole!"
Kael lunged forward, his sword glowing with the absorbed power. He swung..
The impact sent shockwaves through the air, forcing Fabi to block with both daggers. The sheer force sent him skidding backward, crashing into a tree.
"What... the hell was that?" Fabi coughed, glaring at Kael.
Kael tilted his head. "Oh? Thought I was weak?" He licked the blood from his lips.
"Guess you're just not strong enough."
Fabi gritted his teeth. "Don't get cocky!"
With a snarl, he charged again, his daggers moving like black streaks of lightning. Kael met him head-on, their weapons clashing in a brutal, deadly rhythm.
CLANG! CLANG! SWOOSH!
The forest around them shook from the sheer force of their blows. Kael's swordplay was raw, unrefined but unpredictable. He slashed wildly, forcing Fabi to go on the defensive.
Fabi growled. "Enough of this!"
He vanished again, appearing behind Kael, aiming for his neck.
But Kael... was ready.
He whipped around mid-air, his sword moving faster than ever before. [Maledict Counter] kicked in—the stored force from their previous clashes exploded into his next attack!
Fabi's eyes widened as Kael's sword cleaved through his chest, cutting deep into flesh and bone.
Fabi staggered, choking on his own blood. "I... I was supposed to win..."
Kael stepped closer, watching him struggle. He grinned. "Too bad. Guess you were just another weakling after all."
Knowing that it was over, Fabi tried to use a shadow step to run. into shadows but found his mana unable to sustain it.
Seeing the cruel evil smile, he felt goosebumps before Kael smashed on his head knocking him down.
"Damn, that was fun."