Chapter 64: Arrow and Sword.
Chapter 64: Arrow and Sword.
If you want to read up to 20!! chapters ahead go to /cornbringer
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Don't forget to check the auxiliary chapter about Adam. It's like an info chapter.
U guys won the extra release. The days are Wednesday and Friday.
I moved them a day cuss I have something to do Tuesday, dentist appointment.
Also remember if we reach top 3 you guys get another double release.
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[Adam C. POV]
Grinning, I ducked under a few arrows that flew toward me and stepped forward, narrowly avoiding her forceful kick as I spun around and drove my fist straight into her gut, paying her for her attack, the force of my strike creating a gust that pushed her backward.
Her body slammed against the temple with a loud thud as she collapsed to the ground in pain.
"So, how about we do some introductions before we try to kill each other?" I said, circling around her fallen form.
She groaned in response, clutching at her stomach as she struggled to catch her breath. Despite the pain, however, she still managed to give me a menacing glare.
"I don't need to know the name of the man who's about to die," she spat out, slowly getting back on her feet.
I chuckled at her response, finding myself quite impressed by her resilience.
I knew she was stronger than Deliora.
But the thing is, Deliora wasn't much of a challenge anymore.
And the hit she had taken had carried more than enough power to deal with her, at least that much I assumed.
The point was, most foes would have given up after a hit like that, I had put more than enough strength and magic power to level a city, maybe more.
"Fair enough," I said, nodding my head. "Can't say I agree with it, but I respect your choice."
Having said that, I lunged forward, throwing a punch at her face. She ducked under it and countered with a swift kick to my side, causing me to stumble back a few steps.
I grinned, enjoying the thrill of the fight, and threw another punch at her. She blocked it easily, then followed up with a series of quick jabs that I barely managed to evade.
It seemed I was wrong in my previous measurement of her power, from what I was seeing, she had a lot more to offer.
Good.
Smiling under my breath, I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I dodged and weaved, unleashing a flurry of attacks at her, each one more powerful than the last.
She was good, I'll give her that, but as good as she was, and as fun as this was, I was determined to come out on top.
Every blow we traded felt like an earthquake coming to life, shattering nearby trees and sending rocks and dust into the air.
The clashing of our fists, and kicks created sonic booms that rumbled in the distance, shaking the ground beneath us, slowly destroying the beautiful forest around us.
Despite the fact she was trying to kill me, I couldn't help but admire her tenacity and the way she moved, it was almost as if she was dancing around me with fluid grace.
"Not bad," I whistled, throwing a punch her way, this time with the maximum amount of power I could muster without using my blade.
She hissed, moving around my strike, countering with a swift knee to my stomach. I let out a grunt, feeling the impact reverberate through my body.
But I didn't let that stop me.
Instead, I smiled, grabbing her leg and twisting it, causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground.
She tried to get up, but I was too quick, straddling her and pinning her arms down with my knees.
"This is fun," I said, looking down at her with a smirk. "You see, I don't normally fight with people using my fists, I'm more of a sword guy, but this... this is quite nice."
She glared up at me, her eyes full of fire.
"You think you can defeat me? Don't make me laugh, scum," she spat out, struggling against my hold.
I was pretty sure I could defeat her. Even though I knew she was holding back something, I was certain I could take her, I mean, I was fighting without Zanryuzuki, so all and all, I was holding back as well.
"I guess we'll see," I replied, before bringing my fist down on her face with a force that shook the ground beneath us, rippling the earth open, creating a massive crater.
"Is that all?" The woman muttered, wiping the blood off her mouth, before kicking me off her.
Moving my body around to avoid losing ground, I landed a few meters away from her, just as she got to her feet and rushed towards me, throwing a kick that I barely managed to block.
Without wasting even a moment, I threw another kick her way, she ducked under it, before dodging and countering with her own, this time instead of blocking it, I countered with a punch, causing her to stagger back a few steps.
I frowned.
Two broken bones.
Well, that was unexpected.
Her first kick had broken a rib, even though it hadn't connected, and her second attack had broken two of my fingers.
Impressive.
If those attacks had landed, I might've lost my advantage.
This woman was more dangerous than I had given her credit for, that much was certain.
Either way, there wasn't much to worry about, both injuries were minor, so neither of them would hinder any of my movements, in fact, I could probably heal them during the fight if given enough time.
"Well, you might not want to know my name, but my name is Adam Clive," I smiled, taking a step forward. "My mission here is to recover an old artifact, not to kill you. That's about all you need to know about me."
The woman's golden eyes narrowed as she glared at me, and without a warning, she blurred out of sight, appearing behind me, throwing another kick my way.
Smiling, I made a grab for her leg, managing to grab a hold of her ankle, twisting it, and twirling her around, before slamming her into the ground.
Time to make things interesting.
"Hado #63. Raikoho," I muttered, aiming my right hand at her, generating an orb of yellow lightning above the palm of my hand, before releasing the built-up energy in a massive concentration of power with the roar of the thunder.
Would you look at that...
She dodged...
"The strongest the prey, the better the hunt," I heard the woman mutter behind me, covering her entire body with an intense aura made out of pure ethernano.
I frowned.
"I see," I muttered, as I saw her eyes flash, before taking a more menacing golden glow.
This... feeling.
I knew it.
This woman wasn't human.
No wonder so many mages died trying this mission.
She was a Goddess.
"You asked my name before, allow me to answer that question, mortal, my name is Artemis, The Goddess of Hunt, and The Moon, and you... are my prey," She growled under her breath, her aura and power spreading even further, almost completely enveloping her body, sending rippling waves of raw magic power around the forest.
Artemis, The Goddess of Hunt.
Great...
Of all the Goddesses or Gods I could've encountered, I found the one that hates anything with a dick attached.
Well, I guess it could've been worse, it could've been Zeus, the aka the one who wants to fuck anything with... anything that exists, I don't think not breathing or not having fuckable holes are a deal breaker for him.
Anyway... that's neither here nor there.
I have a Goddess to fight.
I wanted a challenge, here I have it.
Now let's fucking enjoy it!
"Prey you say?" I replied, unsheathing my blade slowly with a hiss, taking a deep breath as I smirked. "We shall see about that."
"Time for the hunt," Artemis snarled, charging forward toward me with lightning speed. Her form now changed, sporting a more regal form.
I raised my sword, ready to counter her attack.
Our blades clashed together, sending sparks flying in all directions.
Swords? She was using swords now? Where's her bow?
I blurred out of sight, avoiding the barrage of arrows she sent in all directions without even moving, almost as if answering my question.
Taking a step forward, I appeared behind her, swinging my sword down to her neck, but she didn't budge. Instead, she moved at the last second, ducking under my attack, delivering a kick on my stomach.
Artemis swung her hand, sending a gust of wind that felt like a tornado slamming into me, knocking me back.
I grinned, cutting the tornado in two with my sword, before reappearing behind her, and kicking her in the ass.
Leaving her no room to recover, I vanished once again, before reappearing on top of a tree, as she flew down, sending a powerful uppercut that landed right on her chin.
"You're fast, good, it seems you will make an interesting prey" Artemis snarled, throwing a strong punch, which I dodged, before kicking her in the stomach.
"Thanks, you're strong too," I smirked, dodging another punch and kick that came my way, before sending a powerful kick to her side, sending her flying through the air, before appearing behind her, kicking her in the back, sending her flying forward.
This was fun, I hadn't had a fight this entertaining since my last training match with Laxus.
"It seems I won't be able to defeat you using a mere avatar, very well then, you will be hunted by the real me," Artemis growled, her aura flaring even stronger than before, sending rippling waves of energy, before her body began to glow, giving birth to a blinding white light that covered the entire forest.
I shielded my eyes, waiting for the light to disburse.
It didn't.
I frowned, before lowering my arms, looking up at the sky, noticing I was no longer in the ground.
I was standing on top of a rock, in the middle of a giant pillar of light.
"What in the... fuck?" I muttered, taking a step forward, before hearing a loud crack.
I felt myself falling to the ground at supersonic speeds, something was pulling me down, and it was pulling me hard, however just before I could hit the strong with a loud boom, I moved my body around, landing on my feet like a cat, the wind blowing my hair to the side as I looked around the place.
Where... the fuck am I?
One moment I was fighting Artemis, then she goes all Solar Flare on my ass, and then... I'm here.
I was standing on top of a rock roughly the size of a small house, surrounded by clouds of different shapes and formations, all above a forest, a forest I didn't recognize.
With said forest being abnormally huge, bigger than it should be, covering more than half the horizon.
"Mavis, are you there?" I asked, but no one replied.
I guess whatever spell transported me here, didn't move her here with me.
Before I could dwell on that thought much longer, something shifted in the area.
Killing intent, accompanied by distant howls of multiple dogs echoing throughout the forest, creating a chilling symphony that hung in the air like a foreboding dirge.
Their howls reverberated through the air like a chorus of banshees, in a chilling invocation of despair and dread.
It seems... The hunt has begun.
I wonder though.
At the end of this, who will be the prey, the Goddess, or the Mortal?
'We will see it through,' Zanryuzuki's soothing voice whispered to me, like a gentle gust of wind that lingered for a moment before passing away.
Indeed we would.
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