Urban Knight - Return of Legends

The day had progressed as the battles went on, and spectators grew weary and restless. But it was finally down to the last fight, and the warriors stood ready amidst the cheering from the audience. The air between them felt tense, flames could be pictured behind Rosco’s eyes, a daring gleam in Lilithra’s gaze. After activating her skill, she decided to be the first one to act.

Lilithra gripped her banner with both hands and pointed with the spear end toward Rosco before lunging at him. She dashed leaning forward, with a fast, charging attack aimed at his torso, her darting figure resembling an arrowhead. The man’s eyes widened at the sight, surprised both by her eagerness to fight and the speed of her advance.

Rosco couldn’t imagine her taking the initiative, so he was slightly taken aback. He gritted his teeth to steel himself and sidestepped to the right, the banner barely grazing his clothes. At that moment, he twisted his body backward and, using both his hands, slashed through the air in an upward swing, his scythe aiming to split his opponent in two—it was one of his classic, and deadly, opening moves.

But exactly because it was one of his usual attacks, Lilithra was ready for it.

She stopped running, planting both feet firmly in the ground, and spun her banner in a circle, catching the scythe’s edge and redirecting the attack toward the side seemingly effortlessly. Rosco’s visage was one of pure shock, his mind racing as his attack was deflected.

“How the fuck?!” He blurted in irritation, as he couldn’t conceive how Lilithra, of all people, had just defended from one of his attacks. His attacks—the great Rosco’s attacks!

Lilithra, on the other hand, didn’t even hear his words, as the sound of her beating heart was deafening. She couldn’t believe it either, that she had managed to block one of Rosco’s attacks. But she couldn’t get too excited, especially not when her opponent was already preparing for his next attack.

Rosco retreated a couple of steps and shifted the Scythe to his right hand. Then, he threw his right arm back trying to build momentum, his tool of murder gleaming as it moved through the air. Immediately after, he leaned forward with a heavy stomp and brought his weapon in a horizontal, crescent slash aimed toward Lilithra’s lower body.

Lilithra took a big breath while crouching slightly, trying to brace herself, and quickly spun the banner clockwise, placing it vertically in front of her and gripping it with all her strength. The blade of the huge scythe clashed against the rod, and her body shook violently from the impact.

Her face showed a pained expression, her teeth gritted as she felt her arms tremble. But she had blocked it once again! Her heartbeat was starting to worry her, but she had no time to think as Rosco lunged at her.

This time, the one to retreat was Lilithra. She jumped back and swung both arms toward her left side, moving the banner in a horizontal slash with the intention of cutting off Rosco’s advance. However, he raised his left arm and struck at the side of the weapon with his palm, deflecting it with ease.

She gasped and spun her body toward the direction of Rosco’s parry, taking advantage of the movement to gain some momentum, helping her swiftly retreat a few more steps. She faced her opponent, who grunted in irritation as he raised his scythe high and grabbed it with both hands. It was an obvious, downward attack, but the flames spurring from the edge made Lilithra flinch.

Flame coating.

—Skill info—

Miscellaneous skill.

Rank: C - Level 61.

Potential: B.

Attribute: Fire.

Effects:

Coats an object with the fire attribute, increasing attack power by 10% and inflicting fire damage on contact.

Additional effects:

* Has a 15% chance of inflicting a lasting burn on the target.]

Lilithra’s thoughts rushed. Amidst the battle, she had forgotten about the flaming fists’ signature skills, and was racking her brain to come up with a countermeasure. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any kind of fire mitigation ability or other skills that would help in that situation.

From the beginning, her only good skill was her unique one, and it was a passive ability. She was managing solely on guts and basic attacks, clearly at a disadvantage. But still, she wasn’t going to give up.

She waited for as long as she could, and saw the scythe come down like a bolt of thunder. The moment the heat started to reach her skin, she jumped to the side in a panicked roll, avoiding the attack by mere chance and gaining some distance. The weapon struck the arena a moment later, sending rocks and flames alike in all directions.

Rosco had been slowly but surely getting more frustrated, his face reddening in anger. His attack, as powerful as it was, had been dodged by such a crude movement.

“Fuuuck!!!” He screamed in a mix of rage and desperation. There was no way the fight was still going on. He had expected to win right at the start! It was just Lilithra, after all. Then why? Why was she still fighting, and worse, still unscathed!?

He felt a rush of emotions bubbling up from the depths of his soul. Since losing against the wanderer he had been haunted by the feeling of everyone's eyes on his back. He knew they were all looking down on him. He made sure to punish them, amidst their excuses, but the feeling still lingered, as if no matter how many he put in their place, the stares wouldn’t go away.

Lilithra noticed Rosco’s turmoil and took the chance to rest momentarily, steadying her breath. The flames dancing on the scythe made her gulp in nervousness, but it was clear that her opponent wasn’t his usual self. She had to take advantage of this for as long as she could.

She slowly circled Rosco, trying to not catch his attention. As soon as she positioned herself behind him, she rushed at him once again. Her posture took the same form as her previous attack, as she leaned forward and pointed with her weapon toward the man, launching herself into a piercing charge.

Rosco snapped back, noticing her rushed footsteps, and his fury erupted like a volcano. Even Lilithra was looking down on him. How dare Lilithra, the half-demon bitch, the daughter of the betrayers, the puny and sad Lilithra—how dare she look down on him?!

“How fucking dare you?!!!”He roared with fierceness, his voice booming through the arena. The flames on his scythe flared larger and hotter as he raised it from the ground. The spectators trembled at his unbridled rage, their murmurs and gasps taking over the stands.

Even Ascalon felt taken aback by the sudden outburst. The VIP balcony had remained calm for the most part, but the air was still tense. Ignis, however, was now laughing in amusement, clearly pleased by the situation.

“That girlie is done for.” Said Jay with a half smile, though he didn’t seem to care as much.

“She may still have an ace up her sleeve.” Added Calista, watching the arena with a raised eyebrow, somewhat concerned.

Then, out of the corner of the room, a frail voice could be heard. “It would be great if they both killed each other… but she’s clearly the weaker one…” The scrawny-looking guy had finally spoken, and Ascalon felt repulsed by his uncaring demeanor. Urvan chuckled, adding to the conversation with mockery.

“Haha! You never know, Credence; maybe she’ll drag him to hell alongside her!” His voice was brimming with mockery, and it only added to Ascalon’s irritation.

It was then that Theoldorien’s cold voice cut through the air. “Finish her off already… that disgusting wretch of a girl!” His calm tone betrayed a deep hate behind it, and Ascalon felt something snap in his mind.

“Enough!” His voice thundered through the balcony as his patience reached the end of its limits. Everyone looked at him with confused, surprised looks.

“As both her friend and the one she considers her master, I shall not stand for this slander any longer!” Ascalon’s ultimatum sent chills down Theoldorien’s back, while Urvan stood from his seat, his face now a mix of irritation and anger.

“Oh, is that so? So what, little buddy? What are you gonna do?” Taunted the man bear, baring his fangs at Ascalon. Ignis laughed to himself, speaking once more.

“I don’t know how you bought your way into the Guildmaster’s balcony, but you better be careful little wanderer!” His tone was playful, but the warning was clear.

The knight furrowed his brow, his tightly locked fists trembling as anger welled up. It was then that, suddenly, a set of presences jumped from the shadows, drawing little surprise from the VIP guests.

Ten girls surrounded Ascalon, all of them dressed similarly to Escarlata: in sophisticated and pristine maid attire. A variety of bladed weapons were pressed slightly to his throat from all angles; but their wielders, despite their readiness, felt reluctant to push further. Ascalon paid no heed to them, as Theoldorien’s voice reached out to them.

“Stand down you fools, if Escarlata didn’t move why would you?” He ordered with irritation. The maids, taken aback by their master’s words, hesitantly stepped back into hiding. Escarlata simply watched Ascalon with curiosity and expectation, her cheeks slightly flushed. She wanted him to snap, to bask under his unfathomable might once more.

The atmosphere was tense. The guy called Credence looked as uninterested as before, though his eyes were now deeply focused on Ascalon. Urvan seemed ready to fight, and Ignis grinned from ear to ear, clearly entertained by the unfolding events. Theoldorien, after vanishing his entourage, looked back at the arena, ignoring Ascalon’s plea but at least quieting down.

It was Jay’s nervous voice that cut through the tension. “Hey now, calm down everyone! We’re here to watch the fights, not fight ourselves! We should be cheering for them instead!” He attempted to mediate, Urvan growling at him with clear dissatisfaction. Ascalon took a deep breath, shifting in his seat as he tried to recompose himself.

Jay was right. He was there to watch his friend fight—to encourage her from afar. He felt ashamed, having lost his composure because of some rude comments born from their ignorance. They didn’t know Lilithra as he did. And he knew that she would have been hurt, but would ultimately forgive them.

He felt his eyes well up slightly, his hand now clutching his chest. That’s right, she was nothing like what they thought, and she would be pained to see him like this.

“You are right, sir Jay, I apologize.” Ascalon bowed deeply in his seat, and Jay smiled cheerfully at the sight. Urvan sighed and clicked his tongue, taking a seat once again, his face averted from Ascalon. The rest of them seemed to relax, though Ignis seemed unamused now that the drama was over.

It was fortunate that things hadn’t escalated further. Ascalon had already wasted too much time with their pointless remarks and had neglected Lilithra’s fight. He looked down at the arena, his chest tightening at the sight as he was overcome with concern.

There, in the middle of the battleground, stood a tattered Lilithra, slumped over her banner and clutching it tightly in order to not crumble.

Back when the whole conflict in the balcony had started, Lilithra was plunging at Rosco. He felt infuriated beyond reason, his thoughts in a state of complete disarray. He grabbed his weapon and raised it from the ground, spinning toward Lilithra and launching himself forward in order to intercept her midway.

He dragged his scythe behind him as he darted in her direction, the sharp edge carving a line of fire through the ground. As soon as they were in each other’s range, they both attacked. Lilithra thrust the spear-end of her banner with all her might, while Rosco slashed upward with overwhelming force, all of his passive skills activating simultaneously.

[Strength Up.

—Skill info—

Miscellaneous skill.

Rank: C - Level 62.

Potential: B.

Attribute: None.

Effects:

Boosts the user’s strength attribute by 12%, depending on the skill’s rank and level.]

Speed Up+.

—Skill info—

Miscellaneous skill.

Rank: C - Level 68.

Potential: A.

Attribute: None.

Effects:

Boosts the user’s agility attribute by 14%, depending on the skill’s rank and level.

Honed Senses.

—Skill info—

Miscellaneous skill.

Rank: C - Level 60.

Potential: None.

Attribute: None.

Effects:

Increases the user’s reaction time and motor reflexes, depending on the skill’s rank and level.

Additional effects:

Increases the effectiveness of tracking, surveying, exploring, and other related abilities, depending on the skill’s rank and level.

The clash of their weapons sent a shockwave through the arena. Lilithra faltered and stumbled backward as her arms vibrated from the forceful impact, the numbness spreading through her bones.

Before she could even recompose herself, Rosco stomped on her stomach with a forward kick, the strength making Lilithra wince in pain as she was hurled through the air. But Rosco was not finished; driven by a wild frenzy. He pounced after her like an animal, his burning scythe raised high as he prepared to unleash a barrage of attacks.

Lilithra rolled away from Rosco as soon as she touched the floor, trying to suppress the throbbing pain in her belly. With great effort, she stood slightly crouched, bracing herself.

“Gryaah!!!” She shouted as she met Rosco’s relentless assault directly. She spun her banner rapidly, blocking some of the blows despite Rosco’s overwhelming pressure. She was truly fortunate that he wasn’t a cunning fighter and simply knew how to attack head-on, but some of the blows were cutting and burning at her skin.

The spectators watched in awe, their feelings a mix of admiration and concern. It wasn’t like the other fights, where both contestants had fought with incredible skill. This time, there was a clear gap in experience between them, as Lilithra didn’t seem as seasoned a warrior as the rest.

But she was still fighting, holding on desperately as she did her best to defend against a whirlwind of attacks. People started cheering louder and louder with each passing moment. Rosco snapped back, slightly taken aback by the scene before him. There stood Lilithra, weakly, and seemingly a push away from collapsing—yet he didn’t feel he had won yet.

The crowd was calling her name, and the fire in her eyes burned fiercely.

Ascalon watched over Lilithra with a pained expression, his fists clenched tight as he stopped himself from jumping down to the arena. He couldn’t believe the thought had crossed his mind, as he was used to watching duels and honoring the results without issues back at Excadia.

But even if he were to go to her aid, he would be insulting her determination. He could only watch in silence and helplessness. It was then that a blue window popped up beside him.

The subject’s stats have been calculated. Additional skills have been added to the network. Titles are now fully functional. New skills will be added as they-

He barely read through it before sweeping it away. “Not now!” Ascalon whispered to himself in frustration, vanishing the bothersome window away. At the moment, his whole concern was Lilithra.

Lilithra herself was gasping for air, grateful for Rosco’s sudden pause. She could feel her breath steadying, as her ears ringed with the unceasing pounding of her heart. But even if she could rest up for a moment, she knew she was moments away from defeat.

She smiled weakly, knowing that, at the very least, she gave it her all. She was proud of having endured for so long against Rosco. He was so strong, yet such a ‘bad’ person. If only she had that kind of strength… just how many people could she protect?

It was then that a blue window appeared before her, catching her by surprise. She appraised it with curiosity.

An ally’s skills are now properly integrated into the network, and you can now fully benefit from their effects.

Under his Watchful Gaze.

The knight of knights watches over you; fear not the dark nor the evil.

—Skill info—

Ascalon Rendland’s unique skill.

Rank: S - Level 91.

Potential: S.

Attribute: Holy.

Effects:

All units considered an ‘ally’ by Ascalon Rendland have a 40% chance of ignoring fear debuffs.

Additional effects:

* Has a 30% chance of rousing up morale.

* Has a 10% chance of granting -lesser blessing of light-.

* Has an 8% chance of doubling all effects percentages.

Her smile slowly widened at the sight, as it was so similar to her own unique skill. She didn’t feel any different, so the effects were probably not working. After all, she didn’t feel scared. But the mere sight of it reminded her of his presence.

That’s right. She was under his ‘watchful gaze’. She couldn’t suppress the emotions welling up in her chest, her cheeks reddening as the beat of her heart increased. Ascalon was still watching her, alongside Selorien, Raphael, and even Lucretia and Richard. Maybe Lucio, too… though he didn’t matter as much!

She felt newfound strength rousing her up at the thought; she could still keep going for a little longer! Once again, her friends and allies were an encouraging reminder. She didn’t want to betray their expectations! Lilithra rose up with some difficulty, still using her banner as a crutch, but standing taller and bolder.

Lilithra looked at Rosco with a fierce stare, and he narrowed his eyes in irritation, gripping his scythe harder. Little by little, she regained her poise and stopped relying on her banner to stand. It was kind of strange, how she was feeling more and more motivated by the second—it was a hopeful feeling, something she hadn't experienced up to this point in the battle.

A combination of different factors was at play. Her confidence, her friend’s feelings, the multitude of spectators watching over her, the weight of the fight, and her desire to not give up and grow stronger—they were all culminating into something powerful, more tangible, and she could feel it awakening inside her.

Battlefield Cadence.

Her focus heightened, her eyes locked on the objective; they’re dancing to her tune now!

—Skill info—

Lilithra Vexeria’s unique skill.

Rank: C - Level 58.

Potential: SSS.

Attribute: None.

Effects:

All stats increased by 27% percent during the duration of the skill.

Current duration: 5 minutes.

Additional effects:

* Can only be used once per battle.

* Increases health and stamina recovery by 15%.

* Has a 4% chance of doubling all effects percentages

* Activates the -Honed Senses- skill (the user automatically learns the skill the first time it activates).

The battle was not over yet.