Aurafall: Fragments Of Power-Chapter 41: Countless Colors [6]

’What the—’ Leo frowned behind his helmet and clutched his sword tighter.

He wasn’t exactly scared. After awakening, every Aura Farmer is gifted with the insight to know whether others are Aura Farmers or not and to discern their rank by feeling the level of their aura.

That statement "feel the level of aura" had seemed vague and stupid to Leo during lessons with Yariel back at the Atlantis Fortress, but now he knew what she meant.

An Aura Farmer could feel by trying to connect spiritually and mentally to the environment, then tracing that aura through invisible lines. The more Aura Farmers present, the more lines there were. It was like a circuit with wires that differed in prowess.

Even though they were both using the same fundamental energy, Sigurd’s aura had a literal density that made the air between them feel thick, like walking through chest-high water. It didn’t paralyze Leo, but it served as a constant, grinding reminder that while his Capricorn rank was the baseline, Sigurd was operating a few steps higher on the ladder.

Therefore, feeling the invisible line traced to Sigurd, he could tell the man was also a Capricorn.

He was sure that even if Sigurd were fundamentally stronger than him, which he didn’t want to believe yet, he himself was also stronger than other Capricorns. He was a Bastard after all, and since he was now officially an Aura Farmer, if his active abilities didn’t kick in, his passive skills were there to help, like [Survival Intent].

Leo felt a bit of relief figuring they were of the same rank, but felt strangely disappointed at the same time.

"Huh? I shouldn’t disappoint you? I should be telling you that, but you’ve already disappointed me, so there’s no need to ask anymore," Leo said with confidence.

Sigurd straightened his neck. "That’s really confident." A crazy smile spread across his face. "I like it."

Suddenly, he disappeared. No, he blurred into a blue glitch and vanished from sight. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Tch," Leo hissed. He held his sword forward, but he was too late. Sigurd immediately appeared in front of him, back to his indifferent expression.

’Too fast.’ Leo gritted his teeth as he used the [Yielding Spine] to block the staff from connecting with his brain.

The two weapons clashed, the sound drowned out by the cries and roars of the ongoing battle.

The impact was heavier than it looked. Despite their matching ranks, the physical force behind Sigurd’s swing felt like a falling structural beam. Leo’s boots skidded back across the frosted earth, his heels digging deep grooves into the soil as he fought to keep the [Yielding Spine] from being driven into his own skull.

Sigurd didn’t pull back. He leaned into the clash as the blue staff began to frost the crimson segments of Leo’s blade.

"You’re tracking my prowess, aren’t you?" Sigurd whispered, his face inches from Leo’s white visor. "You see that we are the same. A Capricorn and a Capricorn. It makes you feel like you have a chance."

Sigurd’s grip shifted. He didn’t push forward. Instead, he suddenly released the tension and spun the staff around his neck in a blur of blue motion.

"But a line is only as strong as what’s flowing through it."

Before Leo could reset his stance, the base of the staff whipped upward, catching him squarely under the chin of the [Shell of Dread]. The force snapped Leo’s head back, his vision flickering white for a split second.

Leo staggered, his brain rattling, but his [Survival Intent] kicked in before he could fall. He didn’t retreat. Instead, he allowed the momentum of the stumble to turn into a low, desperate spin.

Leo didn’t go for a counter-strike. He went for a collision. Using the force of his stumble, he swung his entire armored weight into a low, sweeping shoulder bash. The white plates of the [Shell of Dread] ground against the frozen air, cutting through the density of Sigurd’s aura like a plow through thick mud.

Sigurd’s eyes widened, his indifferent mask finally cracking. He hopped backward, the blue staff spinning in a defensive blur to catch Leo’s shoulder, but the weight of the armor was too much to simply deflect.

The collision sent a boom echoing through the clearing.

Sigurd skidded back, his boots hissing against the frost, while Leo planted his feet and snarled. The rattling in his brain subsided, replaced by a cold, sharp clarity.

"What? Surprised?" Leo spat, his voice distorted by the triangular teeth of his helmet, forming a taunting smile.

He lunged forward again, this time keeping his center of gravity dangerously low. He thrust the [Yielding Spine] in a series of rapid, staccato stabs. He wasn’t aiming for a killing blow yet, as he was still trying to crack Sigurd’s level of speed. Every time the blue staff parried a strike, Leo felt the numbing cold seep into his gauntlets, but he ignored it, driving a bit of mental focus into his arms to keep the blood flowing.

Sigurd began to laugh, a high-pitched, breathless sound. He parried a stab aimed at his throat and countered with a lightning-fast jab toward Leo.

The tip of the staff glowed with a blinding azure light. Leo didn’t dodge. He twisted his torso just enough to let the staff scrape against his rib-plating, the friction sending sparks flying. At the same time, he brought the heavy pommel of his sword down toward Sigurd’s gripping hand.

The pommel hit Sigurd’s hand with great force, possibly dislocating a bone.

They both hopped backward, retreating. Their battle hadn’t lasted five minutes, but it seemed like it was going to be a long one. They had not yet shown their full power, still testing each other with speed, feints, and rudimentary surprise moves.

They hadn’t even used their Tree yet!

Leo’s martial prowess might not have been nearly as good as Hafgrim’s, the Great Sea inhabitants’, or a couple of other people’s, but it was definitely on par with, if not higher than, Sigurd’s. Considering that Leo was still hiding the true martial skills meant for a Capricorn, he had a lot of faith in winning the battle.

Then again, while it initially seemed to him that Sigurd was going all out, as the seconds passed, he noticed the man wasn’t doing his best at all. He allowed petty attacks to hit and restrain him, like the pommel to wrist attack.

Since they were both holding back, Leo would just have to continue this way. If he were able to break Sigurd’s speed, there was a chance of victory.

The true essence of battle was to be able to break the opponent, and what happened after that was the winner’s decision.

They both enjoyed playing with each other and waited patiently for the other to break. Yet they didn’t want it to end. It was just too interesting to end so soon.

Leo swirled the [Yielding Spine] and pointed the blade backward, his other hand also behind him as he charged forward. Sigurd also grinned and used the staff to propel himself forward.

Inwardly, they both yelled, maniacal grins spreading on their faces.

’Thrill! Thrill! Thrill!’