Extra's Perfect Ending-Chapter 332: Cardinal vs Emperor 2

Two figures flashed across the field of reeds. They were far from their usual speed but they were still faster than normal humans. Their swords raised against each other, ready to slash the other party apart.

The field of reeds parted as they approached. The sound of metal crashing against each other echoes across the field of reed. A spark of flame was generated when it touched the other with violent speed. However, they were then stuck, unable to move.

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"The strengths...."

"Why would I do anything but a fair duel here? That’s the whole point of this"

The Cardinal was sure that they had more power than the piles of bone. Firstly because it was a pile of bones and secondly, the piles of bone in question never really challenged him in a close combat fight other than this domain.

"You handicap yourself?"

The whole point of the domain was to make the powerful power of the 7th Circle mystic even more powerful. He didn’t understand why the night emperor would downgrade himself.

"You’ll see"

The skeleton broke the stalemate and slashed at the Cardinal horizontally. The sound of wind swooshing as the blade approached never failed to scare the Cardinal. He could still remember the days of the war. It would take him right back there if he gets a whiff of iron and blood.

The cardinal countered with his sword, aiming to trap the emperor in the same bind as before. But the emperor had learned. At the last second, he redirected his blade downward, slipping it toward Sanchez’s exposed armpit with surgical precision.

Sanchez, however, was faster than expected. He twisted his body just enough to angle the underside of his armor, causing the blade to glance off the thicker plating rather than slipping into the vulnerable gap. Sparks flew, but the strike failed to pierce.

Tik!

The clash of metal echoed as their weapons struck, the force causing them to rebound off each other. Sanchez panted heavily, his chest heaving as he planted a solid kick against the skeleton’s chest. The emperor stumbled back, giving both of them a brief moment to breathe and assess.

"Almost got you, sun dog"

The emperor said with a smirk, his eyes checking the opponent hoping that they would fall for his tuant. However, Sanchez didn’t react to the cheap taunt. Partly because he was in no mood to respond and partly because he was thinking.

The emperor had very good swordplay, even the best knight in the kingdom could hardly keep up. The slightly better-than-normal human body gave him to tools he needed to do something more than a human but not quite high mystic territories. It’s a zone where anyone rarely has experience fighting.

Even Sanchez could see why this was advantageous for the skeleton. In addition to swordplay at the master level, it also practices this specific style of sword fighting.

The emperor’s keen senses detected Sanchez’s intent and, without hesitation, he closed the gap with brutal efficiency. His sword sliced through the air, its speed and aggression making it nearly impossible to react in time. Sanchez, however, held his ground, his stance unyielding, ready to absorb the coming assault with whatever he had left.

The sword fight started again. This time, the emperor could not catch the Cardinal off guard with the sudden change of sword trajectories. Still, the swordplay was fast enough that it left no room for Sanchez to counter. If another sword master were in this situation, they could properly handle this onslaught of slashes; however, Sanchez was nowhere near that level.

The thing came close to cutting him many differnt times, But the cardinal dodged it by a hair leghts. As a war priest, he had some experience with a sword for defending himself when he ran out of mystic power but, the majority of his experience came from slaying his opponent with the mystic sword.

Most of them can’t even fight back and the ones that could, don’t need to sword to fight back. So his swordplay lacks a certain depth to it that the skeleton has in droves.

Through many clashes Sanchez had to quickly develop a way to deal with the emperor’s swordplay, however, it became harder and harder as time went on. Not because he wasn’t improving but because he was not the only one improving.

The emperor, on the other hand, seemed almost inhuman. He dissected Sanchez’s swordplay with unnerving precision, picking out every quirk and mistake like a predator toying with its prey. Each calculated move sent chills racing down the priest’s spine, and those dark, hollow eyes—devoid of any warmth—bore into him. It wasn’t just a fight; it was an analysis, a cold examination of his every fatal flaw.

In less than a minute, Sanchez found himself backed into a metaphorical corner. There was no wall around him, yet he felt trapped. The pressure was suffocating as his opponent grew increasingly adept at countering his sword style. Every move he made was met with calculated precision, and with each exchange, it became clearer—the emperor was in complete control. At some point, Sanchez couldn’t shake the feeling that the emperor could have ended the fight at any moment if he truly wanted to.

"See I’m not at a disadvantage here"

The emperor’s voice echoed through the air, cutting through the sound of clashing swords with a well-earned arrogance. Each word carried a weight that matched his towering presence. Sanchez’s once-pristine armor, now riddled with deep gashes and slashes, bore the marks of battle. Blood seeped from Sanchez’s trembling left hand, dripping steadily onto the ground. The sight was almost surreal—an unyielding predator against a man being steadily worn down.

The emperor managed to get between the joints while he was defending. That cut had reduced his effectiveness in using the sword and now he had to deal with himself constantly bleeding because the emperor wouldn’t let him mend his wound.

"You certainly prove that point"

"Damn right, you’re not half bad for a mystic. People don’t last this long in a priest, especially some priest dog or whatever mystic they are using."

"Why are you doing this? who even are you"

Sanchez threw in the question, hoping to buy some time. The emperor could see through it, they both knew that Sanchez wasn’t going to win this.