How To Survive A Calamity

I hadn't fully realised earlier, but Ceres choice of weapon was a broad long sword this time, and last time.

But with a heavy dull sound, that same sword was stabbed into the sandy ground next to her, as Ceres approached me indifferently with her right fist pumped and clenched for me to see.

"This is enough."

A wryy, and dry smile made it to my lips.

The difference in power between Ceres and i almost made the absence and difference of weapons nearly irrelevant.

'But still, isn't she underestimating me too much?'

I shuffled backwards slightly. Ceres coldly and indifferently approached me with unhurried steps, the cries and cheers of the audience from the spectators seat bathed her in glory and showered me with awl like words and swears.

"Well, Victor, you spoke a lot but now you have to put in a good performance." I tried psyching myself a little with empty words of encouragement.

In the end, the goal wasn't to win. I also wasn't entirely expecting to get this far. I just had to challenge Ceres to a duel and fulfil the quest condition for my reward.

But since I've already reached this point and no signs of an achievement popping off, it means I'm meant to see this through.

Ceres is clearly confident, but it will also be my own undoing to think she's underestimating me.

Somehow, i kept getting that feeling.

Watching Ceres seemingly harmlessly approach me with unhurried steps had my Danger sense tingling.

At that moment,

Ceres took a step forward and blurred beyond my vision. There was a subtle sound of exploding wind and powerful gales swept the stage.

'Shit!'

Danger sense cried out vehemently at the back of my head and i cursed. Reflectively, i back stepped, raising and shifting the spear in my hands preparing to block or counter attack how ever i could.

I had no solid confidence that a single blow from from an Ascended wouldn't at the very least knock me out. The last time, it took a single hit from Hamlet, the Silver Sentinel to send me barrowing more than halfway to my death.

-Bam!

With an animated movement Ceres' figure dashed Infront of me. Her indifferent face was unsullied, her silver white hair fluttered softly, leaving a flowing impression of a fantastical stream through the air. And her raised fist tore through the space like an asteroid.

A crazy amount of pressure was exuded from her body, this close to me.

At this rate, i was going to be one shotted.

I gritted my teeth, as my senses raced and slowed down my perception by only a fraction.

Inwardly,

'Armament...'

I chanted.

I had raised my proficiency of my art over the last year, allowing me to channel it more faster, for shorter and momentary burst of movements and strength.

Higher Aura seepeed and weaved through my internal muscle fibers, and my limbs exploded with a short burst of power.

I rode my momentum, twisted my body, and side stepped a fraction of the distance and i moved my head.

Alas, it wasn't enough.

"!!"

Ceres was still fast. Too fast!

Her flat red gaze remained focused on my face throughout that moment as if to say 'I see you'.

'Monster!' i couldn't help but grin painfully.

So instead, i channeled a thread of Ether into the ring on my finger and activated the [Ruler's Authority] enchantment with a thought.

Crown's Veil was dispelled, and my presence and pressure exploded like and overflowing cup of water. But further manipulating my Ether, i controled the intensity of my aura and instead concentrated it to a single point with my gaze.

At Ceres.

[{Ruler's Authority}: Magnify your presence and authority with a single gaze. As a king, all subjects shall bow. Note: this induces a psychological paralysis on its victims, but effects may wane and vary depending on the mental fortitude of the victim and repeated exposure.]

I felt a small tidal wave of something exude from the pores of my body, rumble, and scattered into the air.

-Whoom!

"..!"

Ceres' shoulders flinched and her red eyes glassed over as they trembled under my pressure. That split moment caused hesitation in her action, as her fist slowed down inches away from my face.

-Pow!

And like a steel bullet, Ceres fist ruptured through the speace my head previously was in. I utilised the split moment of hesitation to move out of the way, but still suffered a small gash to the side of my face just underneath my eyes.

I furrowed my brows at Ceres, who unexpectedly, immediately withdrew away from me sharply.

Her figure leaped backwards, as she quickly put some distance between us in a retreat.

At the same time, Ceres lowered her body in a stance and reached for the side of her waist but froze yet again.

Her sword wasn't there.

She had instinctively reached for ger weapon only to realize she had arrogantly dismissed ir right from the beginning.

That meant, i was enough to have made the Ceres Walker feel threatened, even if for a short moment.

As she realised this, Ceres raised her gaze and glared at me from across, her eyes flashed with wariness and a hint of tension.

Meanwhile, i took a step back and recomposed my balance and wiped the wound on my face with my sleeve.

That was close.

I nearly had my head blown off.

But with this...

I had succeeded in forcing Ceres backwards, and putting her on guard.

Sweat beaded on my forehead and my brows furrowed. A crooked smile pressed on my lips.

I wasn't sure whether to cry or laugh.

To create an opportunity to dodge Ceres' fist, I'd used the Ruler's Authority Enchantment to boost my presence, while dispelling Crown Veil to stop masking my aura.

But doing that might have alerted Ceres about a possible card i held. I've also succeeded in making her more conscious of me.

But,

-"H-huh? D-did you see that?"n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

There was more.

-"No way... Did that guy actually..."

-"...he dodged Ceres' first blow. And not only that, why did she retreat like that?"

A wave of murmurs spread through the audience at my performance.

Since i canceled the Enchantment as soon as it served it's purpose of making Ceres hesitate, my influence hadn't immediately spread as far as the stands, or so I'll like to believe. That was probably why the audience couldn't understand Ceres's reason for suddenly backing away.

-"Hey, didn't it actually get really chilly right now? Like it was somehow hard to breathe?"

-"Huh? What are you talking about, and who cares?! Look, Ceres is about to move again."

In that very breif moment of respite, Ceres Walker had regained composure and leaned forward. With renewed wariness and conviction, she exuded undeniable animosity and intent at me that i could see it from her eyes.

'I should get serious too—' without using the full advantages of my artifacts and uniqueness, it was nearly impossible for me to subdue Ceres without killing her in a duel.

In the first place, i didn't have to win.

I also didn't have any intentions on winning.

Just...

'I should at least try to go down a little less embarrassingly.' i thought, and grinned dryly.

And for that, i had just the perfect plan.

The arena was ensued with a cacaphony of noises, and as i stared at the figure of Ceres from across, i slowly raised my hands and breathed out a sigh.

'I've fulfiled the conditions of the quest.'

I pursed my lips then said.

"I giv-"

Those words never fully left my mouth.

But before i could finish, Ceres had already become a blurred streak and my eyes widened before my vision trembled.

A terrifying force of impact ran against my midsection as my eyes threatened to bulge from their sockets at Ceres' attack. Before i could react to anything at all, Ceres had already thrown a diabolical fist into my stomach and my consciousness flickered as it slowly went dark.

A painful groan, and bile left my lips.

I genuflected from the impact, and my feet was forcefully raised off the ground. A painful sound of shattering bones resounded solely in my ears as my ribs shattered and fractured.

The metallic and sickly taste of blood rushed up my throat, filling even my nose with its powerful smell and taste.

'...Khh, d-dammit...!'

-Bam!

With a tremendous force, i was flunged halfway across the arena like a ragdoll and smashed into the pavement wall across from one side. The wall exploded into debris and chunks and pieces of rocks scattered outward and pressed against my body.

The collision made my eyes roll backwards into my head. There was an almost illusionary ringing and chime in my ears.

One hit...

And the moment just before my consciousness fully dispersed like ash in the wind, through my hazy and dark vision, i watched the cold and indifferent figure of Ceres loom over me with a despicable expression.

'Th-this brat...'

She had taken me by suprise!

Ceres seemed to be saying something at the last moments, but only her lips moved and her words failed to reach me.

By that point, i had already lost consciousness.