Extra's Ascent-Chapter 100: Not Speed! No, It’s Not

Aldrich loosed an arrow, its sleek frame souring through the air toward Kyle.

The previous arrow had exploded upon impact, a nasty surprise Kyle hadn't anticipated. If he hadn't reacted fast enough, that explosion would have gone off right in his face.

He had learned his lesson.

This time, he wasn't foolish enough to try and catch the projectile.

It was possible that this arrow was just an ordinary one, unlike the previous one that detonated. After all, Aldrich's trick required mana, and using it repeatedly would drain him. Kyle reasoned that a smart opponent wouldn't waste resources when his trick had already been exposed.

Also to consider one of the criteria on how to bring the vielbourne to an end.

Still, he wasn't about to take any chances. Whether the arrow exploded or not, the best way to deal with long-range attacks was simple. Don't be where they landed.

He sidestepped smoothly to his right, allowing the arrow to whistle harmlessly past him.

But Kyle had unwittingly played into Aldrich's plan. While not his entire strategy, part of it hinged on Kyle opting to evade rather than prove his bravado by catching the arrow midair.

Kyle barely had time to process that thought when something felt off, something in the air shifted unnaturally. A sudden vacuum-like sensation pulled at his side, tightening around him as though the air itself had been displaced.

Instinct screamed at him to move.

He turned, only too late.

A hand emerged from nowhere, an arrow clutched in its grip. The sharp tip slashed across his cheek before he could fully react.

Kyle's body responded on pure instinct. His right palm opened wide, thrusting out toward Aldrich's side. The sudden push forced space between them, allowing Kyle a moment to regain his composure.

He lifted a hand to his cheek, feeling warmth trickling down. Bringing his fingers into view, he saw the unmistakable crimson streak of blood.

A scratch.

Not deep, but enough to make him realize he had miscalculated.

"Instant teleportation?! You learned it?!" Kyle's voice carried genuine disbelief.

What Aldrich had just performed wasn't ordinary teleportation. It was an advanced mystic art that functioned without the need for inscriptions. The implications hit him hard.

That meant Aldrich had reached that level.

And in just two weeks?

It's not possible. It shouldn't be possible to learn.

Or... Could it be?... Was it speed?! Did he draw out an explosive speed efficiency to make it seem like he teleported whereas he didn't?!

No! Irrespective of how fast he could be, Kyle would have caught sight of him. That much he was sure of.

But if it's teleportation, then the rate at which he was growing was enough to put Kyle on edge.

Not just him. It should be about enough to have others weary of him.

Across from him, Aldrich stood unfazed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Don't look so surprised. I told you, I have more in store for you."

His hand dipped into his quiver, pulling out three more arrows in one smooth motion.

But this time, Kyle wasn't going to allow him the luxury of distance.

Before Aldrich could nock the arrows, Kyle had already closed the gap. He launched a relentless barrage of strikes, sharp, precise, and unrelenting.

A right hook? A feint. At the last moment, Kyle shifted, bringing his left fist up in a devastating lower cut.

For an average fighter, it would have been a guaranteed hit.

But Aldrich wasn't average. His clairvoyant ability allowed him to track even the subtlest of movements, and now, his body had finally caught up to the acute perception of his Clover Eyes.

He weaved through Kyle's attacks with precise footwork, keeping his stance defensive. What was more frustrating, despite Kyle's unrelenting assault, Aldrich still held onto his arrows in one hand and his bow in the other.

His calm composure grated at Kyle.

Aldrich's mind drifted back to his training under John Foster.

"A bow is only limited by the ideals of its wielder. Its purpose is not confined to distance alone."

John Foster's words had been ingrained into him. It was only now, in the heat of battle, that he truly understood them.

With each evasion, Aldrich's mind worked rapidly, analyzing Kyle's attacks for any exploitable weakness. To his frustration, there were none.

Kyle was a second-year Eldora mystic, an elite among his peers. His close-combat abilities were refined to the point of near-perfection.

If an opening didn't exist…

Aldrich would create one.

Kyle launched a direct right punch toward Aldrich's face.

Aldrich tilted his head just enough to avoid it, his right hand already moving.

He swung not with his fist, but with the arrows.

Kyle reacted instantly, altering his punch mid-motion. His arm curved upward, his fist coming down in a hammer strike.

Aldrich barely had time to react. One of the arrows in his grip slipped, clattering to the ground.

Using the momentum of Kyle's attack, Aldrich twisted his body, rolling around the descending fist. As he completed his motion, his right leg shot out in a precise counterattack.

His foot struck Kyle's chest. It was like kicking a solid wall.

Another arrow slipped from his grasp, flipping through the air as he struck.

The sheer density of Kyle's body sent Aldrich skidding backwards against his will.

It wasn't the outcome he had anticipated, but even so, he smirked. His feet finally slid to a stop, and as he lifted his gaze, he saw Kyle already charging forward.

That's fine.

Aldrich's hand moved with fluid precision. He pulled two more arrows to join the one still in his grasp, all while breaking into a sprint toward Kyle.

With a swift motion, he nocked the first arrow, aiming directly at Kyle.

And then, he vanished.

Kyle's eyes widened. Not again.

It wasn't speed, that much he had confirmed.

"Too late!"

The voice came from above.

Kyle snapped his head up.

Aldrich had reappeared midair, upside-down, bowstring drawn taut.

Before Kyle could react, the arrow was loose.

Kyle barely had time to process the attack before the next arrow was already nocked and ready.

'An exploding arrow?!'

The thought barely registered before Kyle made his move. Evading was the safest option.

Then he remembered.

What happened last time?

"Bingo."

Aldrich's smirk was all the confirmation Kyle needed.

Kyle pivoted to dodge the arrow, but Aldrich had already disappeared.

An instant later, he reappeared mere inches from Kyle, bow raised.

The arrow was loosed at point-blank range.

Kyle twisted at the last second, the arrow barely grazing past his face.

Aldrich wasn't finished. Not yet.

As if moving in perfect sync with his attack, he vanished again only to reappear directly in Kyle's blind spot.

Right where the arrow had just passed through.

Kyle's eyes widened in realization.

Too late.

Aldrich's next shot was already primed.

Kyle managed to react, shifting at the last possible moment. Even so, the arrowhead scraped against his cheek.

Blood trickled from the fresh wound.

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A growl rumbled from Kyle's throat.

He wasn't going to let Aldrich get away unscathed this time.

His arm swung outward, a decisive strike aimed at Aldrich's retreating figure.

But Aldrich was faster.

Before the blow could connect, he vanished once more, reappearing further ahead.

Kyle exhaled, rolling his shoulders as his mind pieced everything together.

This wasn't just speed. It's happening though? Something that kept Aldrich in the game, that bestowed on him an advantage over Kyle.

So what, is it?

To think the duel had only just begun and Aldrich had managed to throw Kyle into a state of confusion.

His eyes flickered toward the ground, locking onto a specific object.

An arrow.

Buried just a short distance away.

A slow smirk crept across Kyle's lips as realization dawned on him.

"I see now." Kyle, he mused.