Sword Form

Roko slashed at Alec who parried it easily. Roko was much more tired than Alec but he was slowly gaining his second wind and attacking strategically. Every attack he made that got deflected, Roko would stumble backwards, quickly moving out of range for a counterattack before Alec could even prepare for one. Alec on the other hand seemed to be taking it easy, not chasing to finish off Roko nor ignoring any chances to make any attack that Roko allowed. It was a facetious battle that neither participants were taking seriously. While Roko was still recovering from his fight with Alder, Alec simply looked disinterested.

"You're really not going to try anything?" Roko gulped, "I know you don't know any magic but..."

"I dunno, it kinda feels bad to just knock you over like that." Alec smirked, "I may be 'evil' but I don't pick on the crippled. Plus I'm sure you're not as tired as you look. You're only looking for me to make a reckless attack so you can deftly punish it aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Roko mirrored his smirk though he was surprised. Granted, the pain from his throat has been leaving and his stomach wound was patched up but there was no way to cure the aches in his bones. He wasn't in the best shape but he was still thinking of victory. And the only way he could see himself beating a perfectly healthy trained knight was leading his attacks and forcing cracks in his defenses to strike through. Alec was more cautious than he expected. Though Roko wasn't sure if he was any smarter than he seemed.

"Well we can't just stand here facing each other forever." Roko stated.

"Oh I don't know." Alec spun his sword around idly, "We're pretty far in the sewer. No one knows we're here and there's no one coming for you. Me on the other hand, once the experiment subjects have been dealt with, my men will come storming back. So do you really have time to take this easily?"

"...Man, I didn't want to do this again." Roko muttered as he pushed his spent body forward, "Analyze."

Roko made a slash again and Alec parried it again but this time, Alec's arm was forced backwards from the force of the attack.

"Taking this seriously now are we?" Alec smiled as he swung his sword forward again.

Roko and Alec continued to attack each other, neither of them gaining any advantage other the other, neither managing to land a single attack on each other. They simply continued to exchange attacks and blocks until Roko's body couldn't take the strain anymore and he had to retreat. Alec noticed his retreat but didn't pursue him.

"You're really a pain." Roko gasped.

"Now that's not very nice." Alec chuckled.

"Are you really not going to finish me off?" Roko scowled, "Are you really so lazy that you'd rather stall me here so your subordinates can come and catch me instead of doing it yourself?"

"I plead the fifth."

"You totally are."

"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement." Alec looked away, "Besides from my point of view, you're the one with the advantage."

"What?"

"It's two against one once your girlfriend there decides to jump in."

"I'm not his girlfriend." Lavinia frowned.

"She's not my girlfriend." Roko frowned.

"That's what a couple would say."

"No it isn't."

"By the way, don't think I didn't notice your betrayal, Lavinia." Alec called.

"You guys never paid me."

"Oh. Well that's fair then."

"Really? Just like that?"

"Yeah. Good luck on your next endeavors."

"Thanks?"

"Anyway, if you're not going to do anything, that makes things easy for me." Alec grinned.

"Not that it wasn't easy enough already." Roko rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you started going in pretty hard there." Alec said, "See, you're not as tired as you pretended you were."

"Well I sure am now." Roko growled, "This conversation is going nowhere, can we go back to fighting."

"Surprisingly bloodthirsty?" Alec raised an eyebrow, "Or are you thinking of trying that 'pretending you're tired so I'll let down my guard' thing?"

"Grr..."

"You were weren't you?" Alec clapped his hands as he laughed, "Man you're much simpler than your fight with Alder suggested."

"And you're exactly like what Alder suggested."

"Well at least we know he doesn't tell lies." Alec smiled.

"Well then, tell me. What would you do in my situation?"

"Me? Aside from giving up, I would just run." Alec shrugged, "Not much I can accomplish here. Might as well try another day."

"I figured you'd say something like that." Roko sighed, "Why did I even bother asking?"

"Hey, I'm not sure what you expected. Did you expect me to just reveal my weaknesses like that?" Alec smirked, "You've got your little spells don't you? Why don't you try those?"

"I already scanned you and analyzed you." Roko frowned, "I don't know any other spells."

"Well that's two more spells than me." Alec said.

"You could try learning spells too."

"Yeah but I'm not good at magic. We all have things we can and can't do. Stick to what you're good at, you know. Which for you is what exactly?"

Roko took a deep breath and charged at Alec. Roko swung his sword again and again, furiously attacking the sly knight who continued to block his attacks though this time the force behind Roko's attack was enough to force him backwards.

"Did I touch a nerve?" Alec laughed as Roko continued to attack him, "You're swinging with much more energy than before. If you had did this against Alder you might have actually injured him."

Roko continued to attack Alec again and again. His attacks continued to grow more wild and reckless but more powerful. Alec continued to block until he began to frown. He parried Roko's next attack and kicked him square in the face, sending him tumbling back across the ground.

"Roko?!" Lavinia cried as Roko's body settled on the ground.

"You're starting to bore me." Alec sighed, "I honestly expected better from you for someone who managed to beat my demon. If you've got nothing else to show, then just give up. You're pretty much doomed anyway."

Roko pushed his body back up and turned around. With a roar, he made one more raging slash at Alec. Alec met the attack with his own, knocking the attack away with a loud metallic clang as Roko's sword finally snapped and the blade was sent rattling across the ground. Alec raised his fist and knocked Roko across the cheek with the back of his hand, causing Roko to collapse on the ground again.

"See? Your sword's gone. What hope do you have now?"

Lavinia began to walk over to Roko until his gasping began to give way to a soft laughter.

"Well...at least I made some progress."

"Excuse me?" Alec frowned.

"I made you take me seriously." Roko sneered as he stood up, "If only for a moment."

"What are you talking about?"

"You finally made a serious attempt to hit me." Roko wiped the blood coming from his mouth, "And you finally disarmed me. Seriously took you that long."

"What?" Alec frowned, "Why are talking like your position has improved? You lose your sword and got punched."

"Which is two more things that has changed compared to before. Even if it's not in my favor, at least we're finally progressing."

"Do you have a death wish?"

"I'm not particularly interested in death, thank you. But if I'm going to die, I like to make it as hard as possible for my opponent as possible. Be it physically or mentally. I couldn't give a damn if you take me seriously or not. I just like antagonizing you as much as possible before I die. Especially you in particular."

"Me?"

Roko pointed his broken sword at Alec, "You're still holding back. I scanned you, I know. Your stats are way higher than this. So if I'm going to die here then I-"

"What? Oh no, I'm always like this."

"...What?"

"I'm always like this." Alec grinned, "I never take anything seriously."

"..."

"No really. I always give...eh, 70, 80%? I mean who wants to give 100%? You give something 100% everybody expects you to do 100% all the time and before you know it, you run yourself ragged and then some other task pops up and it's really all a bother."

"..."

"Plus if you fail then it's alright because you never really gave it 100%. Sure that doesn't change anything but it lets you feel better doesn't it?"

"...I'm going to kill you now." Roko growled.

"No, I'm actually serious." Alec insisted, "I'd rather die than give anything 100%. I mean that's a real spit in the face right? Dying while letting your opponent know you never took them seriously?"

"I hate you." Roko scowled, "I hate you so much."

"I don't know why you're surprised. Didn't Corissa tell you about me?"

"Just shut up."

"Okay but if you're going to try and make me take you seriously, I feel like I have to do my all to not do that."

Alec raised a finger in the air, "Well, 70-80% of my all."

Immediately, Roko watched as Alec's mana dropped suddenly by 80%.

"What? What are you-"

Roko stopped as he watched a familiar black mist wrap around Alec and slowly began to take form, first into wings and then into a body. In only a few seconds, Alder rose from the smog and hovered by Alec's side once more.

"Man, reforming me already?" Alder snarled as he cracked his neck, "You really are a slave driver."

"H-H-He's back?!" Lavinia cried, "The demon is back?!"

"Don't you know?" Alec smiled, "A demon can be reformed after being defeated if they have a contract with a human. That's one of the main reasons why demons would make a contract with a human to begin with."

"So you're still on this runt huh?" Alder yawned, "No, he did defeat me so I should at least treat him with some respect."

Roko dropped his broken sword and dove for his torch. Alder flapped his wings, creating a strong gust that blew out the flames on the torches.

"Yeah, I'm not falling for that again." Alder sneered.

Roko stepped back as Alder landed on the ground and began to walk towards him, his monstrous frame towering over the young man, "Your fire won't ever reach me again. Even I know how to handle my weaknesses."

"So that is your weakness. That's good to know."

A fireball suddenly flew through the air and slammed into Alder, sending him reeling back in pain. Roko and Lavinia spun around as a pair of people stepped out from darkness of the stairs.

"I've finally found you." Corissa said as she strode into the room with Varis by her side, "Both of you."