It was like entering a toy store when looking at the inventory of gadgets that Blimpo kept on him, with Joel becoming engrossed as well as he paid close attention to each one that the elf pointed out.
As always, Blimpo came prepared with an onslaught of compact, specialized tools, one of which was a net infused with spikes that shot out of a tiny sphere, another was a dubious cylinder that shot out gelatinous liquid that quickly solidified into steel-like material.
"Hmmm…" Emilio pondered.
Blimpo smiled, juggling some of his gadgets, "Any of them catch your eye?"
It wasn't as though the majority of them seemed useless, but against a resourceful, highly-masterful combatant like Vandread, simple tricks and traps would hardly be reliable.
'Even if I try to play him at his own game, I can't be as crafty as him. That's practically his own speciality—being inhumanly adaptive to any situation. Still, I can do this,' he thought.
"I'll take this one, if you don't mind," Emilio decided, taking a star-shaped gadget from Blimpo's display.
The elf lifted his goggles, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow, "Sure…but are ya sure about that one? Not that I'm any knowledgeable about this guy you're gonna fight, but that one wouldn't be my first choice."
"It'll be perfect," he assured him.
"If ya say so," Blimpo smiled, "Kick ass out there!"
"You've got this, pal," Joel added.
A three-way fist bump was shared between them as a gesture of good luck before the Dragonheart took one last breath of preparation before opening the book, preparing to meet his former mentor and companion—a master of the Godless Style.
Once more, the light filled his vision as he was transported to the emerald chamber, seamlessly transitioned as he blinked a single time before–
"--!"
His reflexes flared as he stepped to the side quickly, witnessing a small throwing knife fly straight past his head.
'What?--Is he already?--' He thought.
Before he could get his bearings, he brought his gaze forward to find the figure in question already dashing towards him without a single sound to his rapid steps; it was unmistakable: this was the fighting style of Vandread.
The dagger wielded by the scarred figure neared his throat, but failed to reach as he leaned back at the last moment. He could feel the air being cut just above him, watching the sharp edge of the blade pass above his eyes.
'Close…! I knew he was ruthless, but come on!' He thought.
After evading the initial attack, he wasted no time calling upon his System, invoking the internal heat within him seamlessly; his muscles coiled and his temperature rose, initiating a burst of heat that forced the unstable version of Vandread to jump back.
[Dragonheart System Activated]
[Current Stage: 2/10 | Dragon Son]
With everything enhanced from his senses to his physical prowess, he was ready to confront the swift fighter, this time taking the initiative by raising a ring of water around himself. The clear liquid persisted around him, closing off from a third of the chamber.
'There's no such thing as 'too careful' around somebody like him. I can't let him get close if I can help it,' he thought.
The circular boundary of water was meant to act as a "wall" between him and his enemy, and a trap to ensnare Vandread should he touch the aqua, yet he couldn't find himself surprised when witnessing the dark-skinned figure leaping right over it and plunging his dagger down towards his head.
"...!"
He managed to deflect the dagger strike with his own sword, spinning around and sending a kick straight into Vandread's side to knock him away, though the silver-eyed man was quick back onto his feet.
It was a terrifying thing–being on the other side of Vandread's silent, killing intent as he fought to avoid the swiftly executed strikes. There was no doubt that this is how those who the fallen man who fought felt, facing the indescribable, merciless style of his.
Keeping up with the relentless attacks was easier said than done with his artificial arm leaving him subpar in sword technique, mainly relying on his own enhanced physical prowess than his own skill. Even still, he could feel Vandread chipping away at his defense with such unorthodox attacks–flipping around, dual-wielding daggers, and even kicking around to use blades unsheathed from his boots.
"...Back!" He shouted.
A burst of wind was expelled from the Dragonheart, knocking Vandread off balance, allowing Emilio to catch his breath before upping the ante.
'It's hard for me to fight so viciously against familiar faces–but, it's fine! Just do it!' He told himself.
This time, he rushed in while flinging a set of fireballs in Vandread's direction, each of which was large and burning with enough heat to melt steel. Even with the projectiles of flames that pushed through the sound barrier, enhanced by the Dragonheart's gratuitous study of magecraft, the Godless Style master caught his balance before dashing forward, flipping and contorting his body around to evade their heat.
'Expected as much!' He thought.
After landing back down from leaping over one of the incoming fireballs, the moment Vandread's boot landed on the emerald flooring, Emilio flicked his finger up, causing a boiling geyser to shoot up from beneath the scarred fighter.
The pillar of scalding hot water was sidestepped by Vandread, but not before grazing the left side of his body, melting through a portion of his pitch-black uniform as the skin on his torso was burned and a portion of his left cheek was steaming.
'--He even mitigated that one? He's sharp,' he thought.
While he had spells up his sleeve that could encompass the entirety of the emerald chamber, the expense of mana was not wise when considering he still had Asher to deal with next, an opponent likely even more troublesome than his current.
Even so, it wasn't as though he was choosing to hold back–against his former mentor, he could think of no greater disrespect.
"Sylph! Salamander! Undyne! Gnome!" He yelled out.
All at once, he manifested the four lesser elemental spirits, invoking them as they immediately pressured the swift assassin with elemental bursts.
While the summoned spirits kept Vandread at bay with tosses of stone, sprays of flame, bullets of water, and cuts of wind, he chose not to withhold from Vandread.
'...That's right. Pulling my punches isn't what you taught me, Vandread. You're going to find out just how well I learned what you taught me,' he thought.
BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP. BA-DUMP.
"It's rich coming from me while I'm dead, but I'm going to show you why the choice you made that day wasn't in vain!" He promised.
[Current Stage: 3/10 | Dragon Warrior]
Armoring himself in the mystical armor of draconic scales, he bolstered himself just as Vandread tore past the spirits' assault, though suffering minor burn marks and bruises.
Head-to-head, they clashed, but this time, [Draconic Might] was used as Emilio showed firsthand how he'd improved to his former mentor, ducking beneath Vandread's dagger strike flawlessly before catching the man's wrist.
"I've grown. I learned from you. Then I learned from myself. That's how you did it," Emilio spoke.
Squeezing the wrist of the scarred, silver-eyed man with his monstrous strength, he crushed it before flinging Vandread upward, jumping up with him in tow before manifesting azure flames. The Dragonheart System bestowed enough power to make the difference between himself and an ordinary human resemble that of an ant versus a man; this was no more apparent than the evolution from [Dragon Son] to [Dragon Warrior], as the Dragonheart's natural ruthlessness and power increased tenfold.
In cases like this…
It almost felt like cheating. It felt like a natural advantage he had over others; [Stage Three] was the pinnacle of this feeling. He already knew going in that it would be a guaranteed win, as the strength of a dragon imbued through his flesh was something very few could stand against.
The young man, clad in his armor of scales, slammed his foe down before a coalescence of azure embers spiraled, gathering above his hand before forming into a majestic fireball like a sapphire gem.
"This'll only hurt for a bit, Vandread."
[Dragonheart: Burning Eclipse]
The emerald glow that naturally existed in the chamber was completely overridden by the bright-blue haze as the massive fireball was descended upon Vandread, resulting in an expansive of volatile flames that surely swallowed the mystical chamber whole before–
He found himself returned to the point he was standing right before the bookshelf; it was just like with Joel–the moment he vanquished the 'unstable' soul, he seamlessly transitioned back. The Dragonheart System wasn't active, yet he felt as though he truly did just battle.
"Emilio?" Joel called out.
He rubbed his own head for a moment before looking to the side, finding himself caught by a wave of emotions at the man now standing beside him, who looked like he'd just awoken from a plentiful slumber.
"Ahh…" The dark-skinned man yawned into his hand before running his fingers through his own, jet-black locks, "You really put me through the ringer, didn't you, kid? You sure have grown."
"Vandread," he said, almost in disbelief despite knowing what was happening.
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