SECOND HIT!.

***In Continent 'Eclipse of the Oceans'..

***Clingford's Martial Academy Duelling arena..

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***{†18:14pm†}***

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The force behind Marien Lee's kick has pushed Navi into the brighter part of the arena though despite being brighter, this side of the arena is illuminated only by the faded orange hue of the setting sun.

For a moment, the death battle has been paused as the two death opponent have been seperated. Some part of crowd of disciples seem to be cheering Marien's name in a disorganized fashion in the background though to the death duellers, any noise outside the duelling arena remains nothing but background noise.

The series of action that had taken place before Marien's brutal kick has made the crowd to acknowledge Navi's illogical but potent battle powers.

Some disciples in the crowd are either biased or still see Navi as the bad guy so random shouts of support to Marien is expected when Marien finally gets an upper-hand in the duel.

Some other disciple's don't know who to support after hearing the full story that has led to this situation and so chants of support or criticism from the spectating crowd is mostly disorganized.

In the arena's brighter side, Navi stands a few steps infront of the arena's wall. Marien is yet to make a move and so Navi lightly dusts his body for a few seconds though after his third pat, his eyes widens as the action continues.

"Aaaauuurrrrggghh!."

Marien Lee yells as he pulls his right shoulder and wrist back before throwing the spear in his hand outwards after a firm step forward.

The process of target and release only takes a second for Marien and the force behind the throw ensures that the released spear only takes a second more to reach the targeted Navi who responds immediately.

Leaning sharply to his left side, Navi casually avoids the deadly strike as the spear-head impacts head-level on the wall by his right-side an instant later.

*±CLANG!±*.→×..

The impact of the spear-head creates an inch deep mark on the tough wall though it fails to pierce through as the spear falls to the ground.

Immediately turning his gaze forward, Navi is not surprised to see Marien racing at him from the arena's shadowy side though Navi is definitely a bit surprised to see a spear in each of Marien's hands!.

Before Navi can even try to process the implications of double spears with regards to Marien's battle powers, spear attacks rains on him overwhelmingly.

Marien whips the spear in his right hand at Navi through an horizontal ark though Navi ducks and moves forward. He goes under the spear as he gets away from the wall.

†!¡PUNG¡!†..

Navi barely has time for any thoughts as he pushes his wrist pads against his chest to block a well recieved side-kick from Marien.

The tough kick stumbles Navi a few steps backwards and another follow-up swipe of Marien's spear ensures that Navi remains partly off-balance as the pace of the battle immediately speeds up.

*¡!!STÅB!!¡*→x. *¡!!STAB!!¡*→x. *¡!!STÅB!!¡*→x. *¡!!STAB!!¡*→x..

With the rods of Marien's spear firmly in each hand, Marien Lee marches forward at Navi as he brutally stabs his spears forward four consecutive times in three seconds!.

Marien has delivered his first stab with his left hand and Navi takes a step back then leans to the his right to dodge.

Taking a step forward Marien delivers the second stab which comes from the spear in his right hand.

Desperately leaning to his left to dodge, Navi is so flustered by the speed of attack that the second stab comes chillingly close to his face. Close enough that Navi feels the chill of the spear-head near his chin and ear!.

Walking or rather stumbling backwards, Navi is being forced in retreat back into the shadowy side of the arena.

The third stab comes immediately after and stumbling a bit with his movements, Navi barely cacthes the approaching spear-head with both hands. The fast spear-head is forcefully stopped by Navi's tense grip just a few inches in front of Navi's left shoulder!.

With an immediate and concious step backwards, Navi regains a bit of posture and stability which is immediately neutralized as the next stab strikes forward.

Unlike what Navi is expecting, the fourth rapid stab targets his hands which are now holding onto the the second spear's head!.

Navi's insufficient battle experience costs him at this instant though not much.

He flinches back at the attack as he barely manages to take his hands away from the spear-head. His actions are just in time to avoid being pierced through his wrists though Marien Lee gives no break to Navi's over-speeding mind as he kicks forward at Navi's torso.

The follow-up kick creates just enough space between Marien and Navi for the next attack to be launched!.

Turning around his own axis, Marien Lee slantly whips both his spears at Navi who rolls himself backwards on the ground to avoid being plummeted.

*FLÜMB!*.↓.↓., The spears slap brutally into the floor while spilling sand around.

Breathing a bit heavily, Navi immediately stands up from his back-roll. With a bit of stumble, Navi quickly steps further backwards to create space between himself and Marien Lee.

Now with some space between himself and Marien, Navi gets a second to pay attention to the sting that's coming from his right hand.

Looking at his wrist, Navi notices a thin cut across the top of his hand from which blood slowly drips through.

'It seems that Marien Lee has successfully landed his second hit.'

*†±!!YURGH!!±†*.→×..

Navi barely completes this thought when he hurriedly rolls to his right side with a spear-head impacting brutally into the brown sands behind where he has just been standing!.

Not even completely arriving at his new position, Navi senses extreme danger. Swallowing a bit, Navi wastes not even a single second as he instantly pulls his Claymore sword off his back.

In less than a second, Navi pushes against the ground with his left knee and his right feet as he holds his sword's handle up with both his hands. Without time for error or doubt, Navi instantly strikes slantly and downwards.

*†CLANG!†*§.. A loud metallic collision rings out through the arena.

Navi's sword's blade collides heavily with a thrown and approaching spear. The impact of the forceful collision sends the flying spear-head piercing into the ground by Navi's left side.

A breath of deep relieve escapes Navi's throat as he has truly almost died at that second.

'That was close.. too close.', Navi coldly yet tensely thinks to himself as he lightly spins his sword into a relaxed grip by his right hand while standing up.

A dangerous affinity with the sword in his grasp rocks through Navi's mind and body though the feeling today is much stronger than at his last battle.

Looking towards Marien Lee, Navi wacthes on as his death opponent unhurriedly pulls his last unused spear off his back.

In the brighter side of the arena, Marien is standing in the dim evening hue. The midnight-black double-ended spear is firmly in Marien's grasp and its design looks beyond menacing especially after a single skilled spin by Marien Lee.

"I'm ready to end this play.", Marien Lee coldly says to Navi who coincidentally has the same thoughts.

Taking two casual steps to the left side, Navi's blade shines with danger as he stays in the shadowy parts of the arena while remembering his own words.

"You still have one more hit.", Navi tells Marien Lee whose eyes narrows at the reminder from Navi's enraging words.

"I made it past the second hit.", Navi continues his words as he shows Marien Lee his bleeding hand.

"Consider that mercy.", Marien Lee coldly spits as all previous thoughts of any degree of holding back gets thrown out the Dueling circle.

"You suffer by my next strikes then you die after.", Marien Lee coldly voices his will with his cold gaze piercing into Navi's figure. Although still completely upright in posture, Marien's chest rises and falls at a rapid pace.

Marien Lee is already feeling both mental and physical fatigue from the ongoing death duel and so any non-lethal plans he has prepared for Navi is out of the window in his battle plan.

Prehaps because Navi has constantly been on defense since the beginning of the death duel but apart from caution, Marien Lee does not feel a deep threat towards Navi who has almost matched his battle powers without a weapon.

Navi has not landed a single hit on Marien Lee and maybe because of this, Marien fails to realize what sort of threat Navi can pose with a weapon at hand to direct his monstrous battle powers.

With a sword in his hands, Navi is much stronger in battle but at the same time, Marien Lee has proved much stronger than Navi at instincts and techniques.

Marien has way more battle tactics and experience than Navi and Marien Lee is finally using the weapon he is most attuned with(Double-ended long-spear).

Right now, this short yet intense battle is tied from a third-person's point of view.

Navi and Marien might be in for lethal surprises from each other through the rest of this duel to the end though right now, none of them feels a deathly threat from the other.

Maybe that would change soon and fast.

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