The Royal Guard advanced with powerful strides, his intention of violence clear yet admirable. Ludwig, ran his gloved hand along the Holy Moonlight Sword, causing the cyan light to shudder with anticipation.
The cloudy sky dimmed even further, taking on grim tones as shadows elongated. The pitter patter of rain quietly reminded the duelers that this was not a sanctioned fight or spar. They were in the real world, and they fought to kill.
Still, they retained decorum.
Ludwig's eyes roved over the man, trying to take in any inconsistencies or weaknesses. There were indeed a few oddities. The Vilebloods he had fought were all unsettling, inhuman things. However this one appeared far more beastly than even them.
There were more distinctions than just that, the weapon was an obvious difference. The Reitersplach was something Ludwig was only faintly familiar with. And that was only because part of the Holy Blades network searched far and wide at all times for new weaponry and battle styles.
This was the reason the Chikage did not surprise him, and he could fight against the slashing weapon as if he had done so hundreds of times.
Ludwig's smile returned to one of impassivity and focus.
The Royal Guard was full of contradictions. Instead of wielding the weapon of the noble protectors of their queen, he opted for the Knights weapon.
Yet he still had the curved sword attached to his hip.
It would be impossible to dual wield them, so this detail was something he marked as odd.
There were so many odd things. His chivalry despite his aura of base animal, his weapon choice, and there was something else as well. The way he moved was wrong, Ludwig could find no word to accurately describe what specifically left him the impression.
However, as he heard a crack and a flash of movement, he understood it better.
Ludwig brought his blade up, parrying the thrust of the weapons rapier-end. As he did, the wrongness flared again.
It's the momentum. Rather than the muscles pushing him forward, it feels like he is getting pulled.
The distinction was impossible to distinguish for anyone not at a level of complete mastery in battle.
To Ludwig though, it was noteworthy. If his opponent could truly halt and accelerate himself with a force outside what he could see, then he would be a very tricky opponent, especially up close.
The bang of gunfire sounded as a powerful bullet shot out of the rifle-end. Instead of dodging, Ludwig let the transient moonlight dance forward.
However, unlike before when the bullets were simply disintegrated in the Arcane blast of his sword, the bullet appeared to struggle a bit before being destroyed.
A piece of shrapnel managed to scratch his cheek, causing a small cut.
His intuition screamed at him suddenly, and Ludwig leaped back, sending out another blast to cover his semi-retreat.
Then, he brought the Holy Moonlight Sword to his face and let the smooth energy touch his face.
The reaction from his body was instantaneous. When not being discharged, the energy was generally calm. However, it was not harmless. A searing pain hit him as he continued to dodge.
As the blade radiated a force that cauterized the blood and burned his flesh he gritted his teeth and let his thoughts rapidly dissect what was happening.
First and most concerning was the movement of his own blood. Ludwig felt that tiny trickle shudder and start to move on its own. If he had not stopped the bleeding, it would have likely tried to stab his eye.
Secondly, the bullet was poisoned, but more importantly it was a poison that actually worked on him. The pain had started before he had closed the wound, which meant it held a powerful corrosive force that he was not immune to. This shouldn't have been possible since, as a Holy Blade, he had been slowly introduced to various amounts of poisons all throughout his life. The doses were harmless, but progressive, and eventually he built up a staggering resistance to all poisons.
But not this one.
Too many unknowns…
Ludwig continued sending out projectiles as he shifted his weight. His foe deftly dodged all of them. This time, the "pull" of his body was more obvious – though it would still be imperceptible to the untrained eye.
The Vilebloods can their own blood to an extent, in this rain, that technique is being interfered with. However he can use the blood in his body just fine.
Ludwig grimaced. Such a thing would undoubtedly cause grave and unnatural pain. It was a wonder that the man's veins didn't break or his tendons snap each time he did it.
Still, the foe was undaunted.
Another contradiction. The use of poison, and underhanded tactics. The willingness to endure great pain for the battle.
There was not time to consider these much, and truthfully, these thoughts were unnecessary.
He did not need to ponder the intentions of his opponent. All Ludwig needed was to know what his enemy could and would do.
As it turned out, it was quite beautiful.
The pair locked blades again, with Ludwig attempting to shatter the weapon and the man maintaining supremely impressive dexterity to keep it strong and swift.
The clashes pushed the droplets of rain back and the ground to shudder.
A minute passed, then 5, then 10.
Battles between Hunters went one of three ways.
An instant decimation.
A prolonged conflict of endurance.
Or a clash ended by a gamble.
Ludwig had done the latter a few times today already. With the Blood, he had managed to turn the tables by sacrificing his own safety to defeat the enemy.
It was a crutch, but an incredibly useful one.
Still, Ludwig could already tell that it wouldn't be wise to rely on it again. As the battle continued, a truly frightening thought occurred to the leader of the Holy Blades.
This man…is better than me.
Indeed, both moved with perfect efficiency. Neither had any wasted movements. Yet Ludwig had the superior weapon, and he still had not won.
The reason was obvious, the man's skill closed the gap.
A small kernel of dread nestled itself inside Ludwig. The gap was not insurmountable by any means, but it was clear what would happen at this current rate.
Neither would make any mistakes, not for a long, long while. They would continue this conversation of blades until one of them knew the other well enough to learn what they would do before they themselves did.
Since the enemy was admittedly better, then he would reach that level first…unless the light returned to him.
With Guidance, he could see the route to certain victory. All he had to do was wait until the Blood's after effects subsided.
Until then, Ludwig would bask in the utter delight of a superior opponent.
Only the First Hunter had proven himself a superior warrior, and that man had also assured him that the Hunter of Hunters was likely better than him as well.
'Your fighting is perfect,' Gehrman had told him a long time ago. 'Everything you do is the most logical and correct choice.'
It had irked him that despite this praise, he had clearly not reached the level of Gehrman, even though he suspected the gap was less wide now.
The reason for the gap was the one thing that stumped the Holy Blade to this day. It was what Gehrman had said when Ludwig asked about what could make them equal combatants.
'Will.'
'Come again?' Ludwig had asked.
'Your willpower is that of a monolithic mountain. An unbreakable blade that always achieves victory. A will stronger than steel…but that is all. You remain stagnant and steadfast. The perfect hero-knight. Unknowingly, you have created a limit in your ability.'
'How do I break it? How did you cast off the limit?'
Gehrman had let out a wheezing laugh and looked at him with mirth.
'Despiration.'
At that moment, in the eyes of Ludwig, a glimmer of unseen light appeared. The path of an attack.
The bullet fired first, but Ludwig had long learned to dodge them. It was the piercing of the rapier that was dangerous. Ludwig prepared to parry it and push forward.
The light had returned, and so too did his certainty of victory.
…And then the light split.
It was something that Ludwig had never seen happen before. It was clear in its Guidance. The path was evident. But what he saw chilled him to the core.
The path was not one to victory, but one to escaping.
He moved to parry anyway, and suddenly, the Reitersplasch was gone. A burst of purple sparks danced across his vision, mixing with the light of Guidance.
His foe's momentum continued, his arm reaching out. Unlike the stalwart piercing of a sword, the human arm could curve and bend around the blade.
Ludwig felt the wind knocked out of him as the blow on his solar plexus landed. At that moment, he knew he had lost.
That attack had cost him a whole second of focus.
Within that next second, the blade of the Chikage at the man's hip screamed outward and sung a song of death.
The world turned upside down and Ludwig spent his last moments marveling at his opponent.
His mind could not comprehend what just happened, so instead he focused on the one thing he did know.
Ah…he cut between the bones in the neck. What a clean and masterful attack.
The head of Ludwig, the Holy Blade hit the wet ground, and the rest of his body fell soon after.
Just like that, there were now only three living beings left in the Fishing Hamlet.