Round - 1

Now, he stood once more in the middle of the vast stadium. The atmosphere was electric, with the buzz of the crowd creating tension. Inside the arena, directly facing him, was his opponent: Viper.

"Using a pseudonym matches the persona of an assassin arts trainee," Lloyd complimented, his voice steady.

He was completely different from all of his previous fights. He seemed too excited to fight maybe it was due to the fact that he was completely refreshed after the date with Lise. It had a positive affect on his behaviour today. He was much playful unlike serious like previous matches. 

....

Viper completely ignored him his face indifferent and intimidating. 

Viper was a figure shrouded in darkness, clad entirely in black as if he intended to consume the sun with his presence. From his boots to his mask and the lustrous cloak he wore, everything was an inky black. The only exception to this monochrome appearance was his eyes, which were a striking shade of blue, standing out starkly against the rest of his attire.

'An assassin of about rank 4. This will be a different experience,' Lloyd thought to himself, trying to anticipate the challenges ahead. 'I have to be careful of his attacks. He will probably switch to daggers once we get into close range. My longsword will be a liability; I won't be able to defend myself effectively. Moreover, he has more than enough techniques to engage at long range. It will be hard to find an opening at the start,' he analyzed, his mind racing through various strategies.

'I will have to play defensively at first,' he concluded, acknowledging the need for caution.

Viper's eyes bore into Lloyd with a cold, unfeeling gaze, devoid of any visible emotion. Lloyd couldn't help but admire his opponent's poker face. Unlike Viper, Lloyd's face was an open book, displaying a chalkboard of emotions for all to see.

"Begin!" At the referee's signal, the match commenced with a sharp urgency.

*Swoop*

Lloyd immediately adopted a defensive stance, shifting himself adjacent to Viper. However, Viper was quick to catch on to his movements, mirroring his actions with precision. His eyes remained fixated on Lloyd, unwavering and intense.

"Poison needles?" Lloyd muttered to himself as he noticed the six long acupuncture needles nestled between Viper's fingers, each one glinting menacingly under the sunlight. 

'Those must be filled with a temporary paralytic solution instead of actual poison,' he thought.

Well, the tournament didn't allow anyone to use any poisonous or lethal substances in their weapons, and proper checks were conducted to ensure no one sneaked anything lethal into the arena. But this didn't mean it was any less harmful for him. Even a simple scratch could mean his loss since the solution must be potent enough to paralyze him with even a small penetration.

Shield!

Lloyd coated himself with a thick layer of aura and put up an aura shield in front of him to defend himself from the needles Viper was about to throw at him like darts.

Swoop

Before he could move, a needle swooped just past his ear. If it wasn't for his instinctual reflexes, he would have surely been hit by it.

"What!" Lloyd's eyes widened with shock as he was unable to even see the needle that had just passed by his ear.

'He's fast. Too fast,' Lloyd thought, realizing the true extent of Viper's speed and precision. He needed to change his strategy, and quickly.

Lloyd took a deep breath, focusing his aura even more, creating a denser shield around himself. He began to move, not just defensively, but also trying to close the distance between him and Viper. He knew he had to get within striking range of his longsword, but without exposing himself to Viper's needles.

Swoosh Swoosh

More needles flew towards him, but Lloyd's enhanced aura shield managed to deflect them. He advanced cautiously, his eyes locked on Viper's every movement. He could see Viper preparing for a close-range attack, his hand shifting towards the daggers at his waist.

'Now's my chance,' Lloyd thought. He dashed forward with a burst of speed, his longsword raised. Viper's eyes widened slightly in surprise at Lloyd's sudden aggression.

Lloyd swung his longsword, aiming for Viper's midsection. Viper dodged, but Lloyd had anticipated this. He pivoted on his heel and brought his sword around in a wide arc, catching Viper off guard. The blade grazed Viper's side, drawing first blood.

Viper hissed in pain but quickly retaliated, launching a flurry of attacks with his daggers. Lloyd parried and dodged, using his longsword to keep Viper at bay. The two fighters moved with incredible speed and agility, the clash of their weapons creating a symphony of metal.

For a moment, it seemed as if Viper had the upper hand, his daggers finding small openings in Lloyd's defense. But Lloyd's aura shield absorbed most of the impacts, and he managed to stay on his feet. He knew he had to end this quickly before Viper's relentless attacks wore him down.

Gathering his strength, Lloyd launched a powerful attack, aiming directly for Viper's heart. Viper blocked with his daggers, but the force of the blow sent him staggering backward. Seizing the opportunity, Lloyd followed up with a rapid series of strikes, pushing Viper further and further back.

Finally, with a decisive slash, Lloyd disarmed Viper, sending his daggers flying. He pointed his longsword at Viper's throat, his breath heavy but victorious.

"It's over," Lloyd said, his voice firm.

Viper glared at him but did not move, acknowledging his defeat. The crowd erupted in cheers, the sound echoing throughout the stadium.

Lloyd lowered his sword, offering a hand to Viper. "Good fight," he said, his respect for his opponent clear. 

'Phew... If it wasn't for the blunder on his side I don't I would have been able to win the match this easily. I definitely knew he had more tricks up his sleeve but I simply didn't gave him enough to switch to anything else,'

'If he had changed the needles with something different then I wouldn't be able to win,' He added. 

*****

Yeah, so I bought the laptop on EMI! but now you must help me pay off the EMIs lol. The laptop will probably arrive before 13 Aug. Please donate so I can pay off these EMIs and focus on paying off my college fees. Instalment is around 85$ a month. I would appreciate it if I could get half of that amount from donations that would help me tremendously. 

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