Papapat!
From a distance after activating a backward evasion, Park Jeongkwon's 'Starlight Sword Energy' shot towards Elenoa. Tap tap tap! Elenoa quickly moved her feet, maneuvering her body through the gaps in the sword energy.
Clang, clang, clang!
Elenoa's sword didn't miss Park Jeongkwon's movements as he hastily used counterattack to try and get behind her. As Park Jeongkwon's form shimmered leaving afterimages, she swung her sword backwards without even looking.
Swoosh! Right after arriving at Elenoa's rear, it seemed Park Jeongkwon's body was cut. But it blurred again.
"Left counterattack followed by right counterattack combo."
I tracked Park Jeongkwon's rapidly moving form with my eyes.
The left-right differentiation of counterattack that came with the last 'normalization' patch. Actually, using them consecutively like that isn't really a good usage. But to even slightly confuse Elenoa's sharp eyes, he probably had to resort to such measures.
However, Elenoa wasn't easily confused. While 'counterattack' is considered a coordinate movement judgment, there's clearly a movement of turning around. Even for a skill that takes the opponent's rear, to someone who can follow that movement with their eyes, it just looks like slightly faster movement.
Tap.
Elenoa lightly stamped her foot and swung her sword twice, front and back. Park Jeongkwon's body was caught all too easily in the trajectory of those simple two slashes. There was no time to block the sword coming towards Park Jeongkwon's waist as soon as the invincibility frame of the right counterattack ended. Park Jeongkwon gritted his teeth and used backward evasion.
Tap tap! Swish!
As soon as the distance opened up, Park Jeongkwon's sword shot forward, aiming for the waist while stamping his foot. And his form accelerated for a moment.
The swordsman's 'Flash Strike'.
A technique that cuts down the opponent in one go at a speed as fast as light.
Elenoa's eyes didn't miss even that speed. The linear trajectory of Flash Strike, which is simply fast. She pulled her body to the left of that path while swinging her sword sideways. Flash Strike has invincibility frames. Park Jeongkwon's body wasn't cut by it. But Elenoa immediately followed Park Jeongkwon's body as it brushed past her sword.
I clenched my sweaty hands, urging Park Jeongkwon's next action.
"Flash Strike's after-delay, he needs to move quickly."
There's a moment of stiffness after using Flash Strike.
I had my chest pierced by the Ancient Hero because of that last time. Would Master Elenoa miss that stiffness?
Swish.
"Gasp."
Elenoa's sword, which had somehow approached behind Park Jeongkwon who had used Flash Strike, was placed against his neck.
"Not bad. Is this the combat style of the 'adventurers from the stars'? But it's not enough. Is there anyone else?"
Ooooh-!
An exclamation mixed with regret and admiration flowed from among the users.
"Damn... She's incredibly strong, isn't she?"
"Park Jeongkwon didn't stand a chance, did he?"
"Shut up, why don't you try fighting her!"
Park Jeongkwon shouted with a reddened face towards the Scada raid members.
"If it's named-level, wouldn't the strategy be to all rush in and fight together?"
"Hmm, I wonder? For this type of event boss, she'll probably get stronger to match if there are more people. Didn't she say she's a Master? The Masters I've seen in novels shoot out terrifying sword energies. This female knight might also unleash sword energies in all directions."
The Scada raid party entered into strategy discussions.
Swish.
"Then, is it our turn now."
Deathly Death, who was next to me and Chris, stood up from his seat. And he stepped onto the training ground.
"Death! Show them the strength of the Red-White raid party's main tank!"
"Senior, I believed in you!"
Elenoa looked at Deathly Death who had come up to the training ground and said:
"A fighter this time? Come at me with all you've got."
Swish.
Tap, tap.
Deathly Death raised his guard with both hands wearing knuckle guards, and started his footwork by lightly stomping his feet.
"Swordsmanship is certainly impressive."
And he grinned through his guard.
"But the technique of Earth's boxing, combined with Astria Online's skills, is no pushover either."
Thud thud thud! Clang clang clang!
Deathly Death put up a better fight than Park Jeongkwon. He used the Fighter's 'counterattack' at the right moments, and continued his attacks through the temporary invincibility frames that occur when successfully countering at just guard timing.
Papapapat!
From his slightly extended arm, the knuckle guard shot forward at high speed, aiming for Elenoa's face. Elenoa also lightly twisted her body while swinging her sword.
Swoosh. Deathly Death's left nimble move, turning left to take the rear, then raised his foot from her rear. It's an upward kick that induces the 'airborne' status effect. Tong! Although it was lightly blocked, it seems to have succeeded in making Elenoa's eyes show a different light.
Chris looked at Deathly Death with a proud expression.
"His fists are fast, right? That's a jab. It's also used to distract attention."
"Hmm, so that's how it's done. As expected of the arena's top ranker."
I nodded.
It seems Deathly Death has established his own strategy after watching Park Jeongkwon and Elenoa's sparring. To face this female knight, you shouldn't do 'PVE'. Rather than landing skills with high damage, the key is to 'hit' with effective strikes. It's a named battle, but at the same time, it can be seen as 'PVP'.
In fact, the attack method I took to remove the Ancient Hero's protective aura was to aim for the gaps between attacks, landing hits with just the movement of the sword. Rather than the strength of skills, one's own innate skill is more important. In that respect, Deathly Death was a talented individual who had the qualities to excellently 'strategize' against Elenoa.
But can our Red-White Guild's Fighter, Uncle Deathly Death, respond to Elenoa's real attacks?
Tupapat, clang!
In the meantime, there was a contest of several exchanges. Fast sword strikes and jabs rushed at each other.
Deathly Death's eyes changed. He's thinking of making a decisive move.
Swish.
Deathly Death's posture lowered. He didn't counter Elenoa's thrusting sword, but narrowly avoided it by bowing his waist and turning his head to the left. And in that left-turned posture, he dove towards Elenoa's waist. Weaving followed by a body blow?
Whoosh!
With a fierce ripping sound, not the left fist that had been jabbing until now, but the right fist was swung fiercely. But, as expected of a Master. Elenoa easily twisted her body to avoid it. Deathly Death is in a posture of having swung his hand strongly. A big movement, stiffness occurs. Elenoa swung her sword down towards Deathly Death's back.
Swoosh. Deathly Death's form blurred. Elenoa's sword cut through the air.
"Rear counterattack! No, since he's a Fighter, it's rear nimble move, right?"
The swordsman of the Scada raid party, Park Jeongkwon, exclaimed.
A technique where when the opponent turns to your rear, you use counterattack just before losing targeting to return to your original position. It's what I often used when facing Jakam, the 2nd named boss of the 'Tree of the Abyss'.
Koong!
Deathly Death, who succeeded in taking Elenoa's rear for the first time, stamped his foot strongly. Zheniao, a Fighter's status effect technique that gives a short stun judgment to the entire 360 degrees around oneself. Elenoa's balance was slightly disturbed. And, using the front part of his right foot as a support, Deathly Death's heel twisted strongly. At the same time, his right fist shot forward at a terrifying speed.
Straight, Palm Strike.
Whoosh! Bang!
Rustle.
There was a loud explosion sound, and Elenoa's form was pushed back a few steps.
In that split second, Elenoa had blocked Deathly Death's Palm Strike by raising her sword diagonally.
Elenoa stared intently at Deathly Death with sharp eyes and said one word.
"Good."
It seemed like he had gained the upper hand.
Although it was on her guard, he had succeeded in making Elenoa step back by landing a strong skill.
However, Elenoa's movements changed drastically after this.
"D-Damn it!"
Deathly Death was flustered. It's different from earlier when she was swinging her sword towards counterattacks. The sword, which had become much faster than before, started to shoot towards Deathly Death's surroundings, drawing strange trajectories.
Clang clang clang!
Deathly Death hurriedly raised his knuckle guards, barely managing to guard. Counterattack blocks all attacks from the front 180 degrees. But now, Elenoa's sword?
Swish!
Seeing the sword aiming for his left waist, Deathly Death activated counterattack to trigger a 'just guard' judgment. But the sword moved like a snake. It wasn't the front 180 degrees. Very slightly, but clearly Deathly Death's rear. Outside the counterattack range. He barely managed to cancel the counterattack stance and raise his knuckle guards to block the sword.
Clang!
"Ugh, I'm not a swordsman!"
Deathly Death voiced his complaint.
The Swordsman's block and the Fighter's counterattack have their own pros and cons. But Elenoa doesn't let him counterattack. Deathly Death can only crouch. As if blocking punches pouring in from all around him with his guard up, using just the movement of his knuckle guards, not skills.
Elenoa's sword moved like a snake. It seemed to aim for the left, then shot towards the right. The trajectory kept changing. Deathly Death couldn't even find an opportunity to attack as Elenoa's sword kept moving outside his counterattack range.
Chris, who was watching the sparring with sharp eyes, said one thing.
"Her attacks have become terrifyingly fast. The sword's trajectory is also strange. Like a complete snake? It's definitely different from just now."
"You could say it's phase 2, I guess."
I knew what was happening in Elenoa's body.
She is now drawing up mana.
Elenoa is a Master. Of course, she can enhance her body by drawing up mana. Her attacks become stronger, and her movements become faster. From this stage, it's no longer PVP. It's clearly a named-level opponent, overwhelming with specs.
But I don't like that.
Elenoa's swordsmanship that confuses the opponent's gaze, as if mixing real and feint moves.
I pouted.
"That's not Sister Melissa's swordsmanship."
Even while holding the title of Master, she's still using something like that?
It seems there's a need to properly guide her path.