Chapter 9 - Another Peak

Chapter 9 - Another Peak

Still under his cold and calculating guise. Levi tilted his head as he looked at the large red orc.

"Guraaaa!"

The Red Orc in the middle roared pointing his large axe at Levi before beating his arms twice. The giant axe on pointed at Levi being of similar design as the one that just flew past him,

'Did it just test If I could dodge that?"

The Orc looked like he could have followed that with an attack if he had wanted to, yet he didn't. Instead it slowly walked towards him and pointed at him using his other battle axe. The Red… Orc started speaking to to him in words he couldn't really understand, but with the drums in play, it was obvious what the being is asking for.

"Dug! DAG DAG! Dug! DAG DAG!"

Battle.

"Dug! DAG DAG! Dug! DAG DAG!"

Suddenly, melodic horns and screams started as more and more elite looking orcs went to witness the challenge. Their arms using their chests as drums as they walked. The orcs chanting and drumming as the drums held their lives. 

The orcs started to surround Levi, As if being summoned from everywhere.

"Guraaaa!"

The Red Orc shouted once again and a larger wave of drums followed.

"Dug! DAG DAG! Dug! DAG DAG!"

Having circled to Behind Levi, The red orc shouted again as it picked up the axe it threw earlier. Clanging the twin axes to each other causing more shouts of excitement. The drums of charts and clang of weapons storming even louder hinting Levi that the battle was about to start.

Then silence ensued. As the Red Orc's battle cry echoed.

"GURAAA!"

…

… …

It was as if time slowed as Levi sighed to himself.

Watching coldly as the Red orc charge at him.

This was an error on his part. He should have had EVA adjusted his routing just in case, the moment he found some semblance of groupings among the orcs. He had been too focused too much on taking the changes of the city, and figuring out the meaning behind the changes.

It was a good thing that there was only this Red Orc that charged at him. And rather than bloodbath, it was easy enough to see that the leader wanted a duel.

And the rest, stood there beating either drums or chests. Spectating. Still. Levi's mood turned foul the sense of discovery, desperation and excitement now replaced by admonishment. He will have to keep this as blunder as a reminder for his luck for having to live another day.

Having fought and survived two wars in humanity's advanced age, wasn't a simple fluke that anyone could just simply do. Death was everywhere. Advanced Detection Systems, Tactical Drones that could kill humans as if they are flies.

Levi fought and outsmarted his enemies for the past two wars yet, he had been surrounded by barbaric humanoids as soon as he started to cross to another city. Levi grounded himself. Gripping himself as he pulled down his cloak to reveal his face to the read orc, making the red orc flinch after seeing his eyes. But either way continued charging at him with even more ferocity, Levi in turn drawing his blade as well as his black dyed dagger before charging forward to meet the Red Orc in Melee.

… …

.

Levi and the Red Orc charged at each other. The Red Orc opening the battle with another Axe Throw. One that Levi anticipated and had easily dodged. This time however a chain was attached to the end of the Axe, the Red Orc tugging the chain back, making the axe recoil and return forcing Levi to dash forward, the returning axe barely missing as the chain snapped on his initial position, the missed opportunity allowing Levi to capitalize the arm which was retracting the axe.

Having an idea this would happen, the Red Orc did not panic, tilting his body as he slashed using his other hand–which missed Levi by a hair, before doing a massive front kick towards Levi's advance.

This in turn forced Levi to do a backflip, shooting two bullets while rotating in the air, before landing on his feet, using his heelys to drift along, kiting the Red Orc. Showering at least 6 more bullets, before stopping his drift to charge back into melee.

The Orc roared as it charged to meet Levi head on. As expected, though the Red Orc moved far superior when compared even to the recent Elites he saw, they're still vulnerable to guns, and Levi's handgun carried armor piercing bullets.

Unlike the overpowering physical strength and mobility of the sturdy [Wraith]s he had fought, these Orcs were simply slightly tougher humanoids. He reconned that if it weren't for their numbers as well as the abrupt arrival of the Apocalypse, the police would along with the help of it's citizens would have probably successfully defended the area.

But that wasn't reality however. Right now, the city is slowly turning into an Orc camp, and Levi was surrounded by the Elites, in a duel with a tall lean red skinned Orc which by the looks of it, is their leader.

Once again a blunder in his part.

.

Moving on to a solution it should be possible to wipe out a hundred of them by his own if he were to engage in a hit and run tactic using his handgun to carve a way, but it would be a close call.

As their duel went on, he could see more and more of the orcs filling in the gaps of escape he could have once took. And soon Levi, found himself in a position where in he had no other choice but to either win, or go all out and barely escape.

That's when he snapped out of it.

*Clang*

Vibrations echoed through Levi's bones as his weapon clashed with the two Axes throwing him for a few meters, knocking him out of his self punishing trance. He took a deep breath before smiling.

He had always been pushing his body to improve himself, applying strenuous but sustainable activities to his daily routine. Even to go so far as buy and create specialized equipment to help him train his reaction speed, body coordination, flexibility, and had not shied away from executing genetical enhancements. 

He often engaged with activities that would train his decision making. And once he was proficient enough had even embedded [EVA] directly in his brain to enhance and to continuously push his limits. 

Right now. 

Levi, unlike the situation with the [Wraith]s, had the perfect opportunity to really push now his still adjusting self. To remaster his body and break his own records.

Afterall, he wasn't a mere human anymore. He now stands as the pinnacle of humanity—

"Rakashituuuuu!" 

The crowd of Orcs, seemingly both terrified and dissatisfied with Levi's use of guns, roared in anger only quieting down as Levi re-engaged in Melee. The crowd of Orcs chanted in fervor as the two champions started their battle anew. The both of them grinning like idiots, as they happily demonstrated their skill.

As the battle went on, Levi started to move more instinctively. He didn't overthink the new senses, the new features [EVA] brought along the table. Instead, he treated it as a new part of him...

Instantly his movements changed.

He became more daring. 

More free.

He started utilizing EVA's 360 degree view of the world to intuitively calculate positioning. This made the timing and placement of his movements more dynamic.

Levi started digesting millisecond details better and better… With his mind swept up in a trance, he started watching and anticipating for the smallest of changes, feeling instead of monitoring… 

Using every tool at his disposal to increase his mobility, to make his movements more dynamic. Every tool as another limb… Every tool as another part of himself.

"Dug! DAG DAG! Dug! DAG DAG!"

Just as the orcs did, he immersed himself and enjoyed the fight. Doing his best not only to kill but to outclass his opponent, and by the looks of it, the red orc was trying to do the same.

"Dug! DAG DAG! Dug! DAG DAG!"

The crowd turned into a blur as roars, and cheers blended with the battle and Levi embraced the tradition. He became more and more forward just as the orcs would. Even taking a wound on the chest, legs, arms, and even sacrificing one of his smallest fingers just to perform a critical blow. Making the Red Orc Roar as the both of them gathered the last vestiges of stamina as the battle finally reached its climax.

"Dug! DAG DAG! Dug! DAG DAG!"

CLANG!

The final bout ended with an exchange of blows, Levi slashing in a circular motion down from the sky using his own weight and momentum to project a rotating meteoric strike, While the Red Orc turned even more blood red, it's tattoos glowing gold, the same color with the markings on both of the axes, as pair of weapons combined into one large axe, the orc then swung with all of his remaining strength meeting the full momentum of Levi's weight.

The collision of the two attacks created miniature shockwaves, the two champions creating distance as the both of them sat in exhaustion. Levi and the red Orc sitting across each other, breathing heavily as they sized each other up. 

Eventually, the Red Orc started a booming laugh, and Levi soon followed. Their laughter soon drowned out by the cheers and applause of the horde.

…

… …

To be continued.