The Infinite Bk. 03 Ch. 10

Gideon pierced Seraph under the arm with his hand flattened like a blade, and a cry of pain was released as blood was spilled. Seraph staggered back, his arm hanging limp and useless, as though struck in the shoulder with a deer slug. Instead of simple monk magic, Gideon had used a martial art, a spell that shaped the user's mana into a precise form for maximum damage in tandem with a physical blow. Unlike regular spells, which primarily relied on mana and mental focus, martial arts required intense physical training, discipline, and muscle memory. Regular strength enhancements could let users crush bricks, but martial arts could pierce steel.

"You think of me as your punching bag, but I always thought the same of you," said Gideon, now the subject of awed stares. "My master taught me that the road of self-improvement is paved with failures, and that the best way to get stronger isn't to win fights, but to lose them. A close defeat will teach you more than an easy victory ever could. Every time we dueled, you pushed me to my limits, and I had to learn to adapt and survive. But you, who only knows victory, have you grown at all? You have power, but I have strength."

"Shut up," Seraph growled. The holy energy that shrouded him, having withered to a faint aura with the injury he suffered, now became a flame-like torrent. "Spare me your self-righteous babbling. So what if you got a lucky shot? You're still a loser, and the losers should just keep their mouths shut and know their place!"

Gideon's eyes widened as Seraph's flesh regenerated and his bones regained their proper shape and placement. 'I thought that Adwith Tarnas was the only male paladin capable of healing himself. You mean to tell me the prince can do it too?'

"No matter how much you train or grow, you'll never surpass me! No amount of hard work can change the fact that I am Light's Emissary, chosen by the Almighty to reign over you and cast His judgment! I am fated to be the greatest warrior! Not you, me! Now I'll show you the vast chasm you can never hope to cross!"

Seraph charged, moving so fast that he was almost a blur. Gideon acted on instinct, swinging his leg for a wide kick. "Cyclone Impact!"

Seraph countered with a kick of his own, but their legs were repelled from each other on impact, each receiving a fracture in their shin. Gideon forced himself forward through the pain and closed in. He couldn't give Seraph time to heal or room to speed up.

"Iron Palm!" he cast, creating two magic circles around his hands.

He began hurling rapid-fire attacks at Seraph, not the sharp stabbing moves he'd usually use, but powerful palm strikes, each one hitting like a sledgehammer. What attacks Seraph couldn't dodge, he blocked, and every time, Gideon could feel the prince's arms break from the force of the blows, but they were healing continuously. Finally, Seraph grabbed Gideon's wrist and crushed it in his grip, then pointed his other hand at his face.

"Searing Radiance!"

A torrent of holy energy erupted from his palm, hitting Gideon point-blank. He had never received an attack so painful in all of his fights. The light had the physical properties of both liquid and flame, but it also pierced deep under the skin like an x-ray. For Gideon, it felt like every single nerve ending was being simultaneously fried throughout his head and neck. Blinded, and with all his thoughts erased by pain, Gideon collapsed, no longer able to fight. Sir Reyns declared Seraph the winner to a frightened audience.

"Weakling," the prince muttered in disgust, as Gideon was tended to by healers.

"That's my friend you're talking about," a voice said. Seraph turned around, but didn't see anyone. "Down here." It was Foley, glaring with an academy shield on his crossed arms.

"You got something you want to say, stumpy?" Seraph taunted.

"Talk is cheap. How about you and I settle this the old-fashioned way?"

"You're going to fight me?"

"It's the end of the year. I figure I've put it off long enough. I'm overdo for something stupid."

Foley took Gideon's place in the ring, while Seraph retrieved his discarded hammer. "I'm going to crush you under my heel like a roach."

"The oceans will dry up, and the mountains will be reduced to dust before I yield."

Sir Reyns raised and dropped his arm. "Begin!"

Foley held up his shield. "Steel Rampart!" Mana flowed from his arm and into the shield, reinforcing it by several magnitudes and creating a protective energy barrier. "Come and get me, you son of a bitch!"

"Too easy!" Seraph laughed.

He charged over and brought down his hammer with the full intent of shattering Foley's arm, but when it struck the shield, it released a loud gong, like the hitting of a church bell. Foley's posture was unbroken, the same with his shield.

"You were saying?"

Now scowling, Seraph raised his hammer and delivered a strike at full power, but once again, Foley withstood the blow. Over and over again, Seraph swung at Foley, each attack becoming more feral with the failure of the one before. It was a sight to behold for the other cadets, as well as painfully loud. No matter how hard he struck or what angle he attacked from, none of Seraph's swings could bring Foley down or even knock him off balance. The ground in front of his feet was opening into two deep skid marks from his boots pushing through the topsoil, with each impact sending him back another few centimeters. Though the ground was buckling, he wasn't.

"Why won't you die?!" Seraph yelled.

Foley spat out a mouthful of blood. While he was withstanding the attacks, it was wrong to think he wasn't taking damage. His body was absorbing the force of each blow, and he had to brace his shield with his whole body, or else his arm would have been shattered. Still, he had withstood more than anyone thought possible.

"We dwarves are thickheaded, and you'll never find a skull thicker than mine! You claim to be blessed by God, but God himself can't get past me!"

With a roar of anger, Seraph once more discarded his hammer and aimed his hand at Foley. "Searing Radiance!"

The holy blast hit Foley's shield like a fire hose, casting mana in all directions and forcing the cadets to back away in terror. It was a continuous ray, now making it a competition to see who would run out of strength first. Holy spells were most effective at dissolving enemy spells, and Foley's ward of protection was peeled away, only to be repeatedly recast in between dwarfish curses. He was managing to deflect most of the power, but a great deal was still coming through and frying him. He was vomiting blood and struggling to stay on his feet.

Seraph momentarily faltered, struck by a sudden wave of fatigue. His fight with Gideon had taken more out of him than he thought, and what strength he had was fading fast. In his desperation, he fired a second blast with his other hand, hurling all of his power at Foley to burn through his defenses. Both of them were on the brink of passing out, and the cadets watching desperately wanted to see who would fall first.

"That's enough! This match is finished!" Reyns announced, stopping the fight and bleeding the moment of its excitement.

"What?!" Seraph exclaimed.

"The dueling period is over; it's time for dinner. Since a winner has not been determined, I'm declaring this a draw."

The cadets groaned in disappointment, but knew there was no point in trying to argue. Even if the match was allowed to resume, the tension was gone. That was the last duel of the year, and of course, it was a draw. All the cadets and teachers began heading back inside. Seraph mumbled his own curse and went to follow them, but upon taking a step, he fell to his knees, his head spinning. He couldn't remember the last time he was so exhausted.

He turned to Foley, still standing and even managing to laugh, despite his mouth being full of blood. "They'll call it a draw, but we both know whose victory this was. I outlasted you. I never yielded."

"You're crazy," Seraph hissed.

"You didn't stop your blast after his announcement; it petered out just a split second before. You have no strength left, but I still stand, the world's smallest mountain."

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