The one on the offensive was Climb. This wasn’t an intentional trick of Succulent, but the pure difference in their abilities. There was no way a person could suddenly become extremely strong over the course of a day, so nothing should have changed from yesterday. However, there were always exceptions. Climb had simply gotten stronger and Succulent became weaker.
First of all, unlike yesterday, Climb had his armour, shield, sword and other accessories with him this time. His stamina and defense had increased and he could use his usual fighting style. On the other hand, all of Succulent’s magical items had been taken away when he was arrested, and he was also wearing the cumbersome attire of a maid right now.
Because of their changed equipment, the difference between them became smaller, but that was not all.
One reason was that Climb already knew how Succulent fought. Another was that there was a rogue supporting him. Thanks to the items the rogue was using, Succulent’s illusion magic was useless. It was as if they were ready to face Succulent.
The rogue had actually collected information on the Six Arms and had prepared to face every single one. The fact he was prepared for even the imprisoned Succulent was amazing. Only someone with a truly meticulous personality could prepare for all that.
“Damn it!”
Even before the fight was fully underway, Succulent let out a frustrated scream.
The one in his sight was the rogue, but Climb always moved to block Succulent’s path towards his target. He could not allow Succulent to attack him, and being shielded by Climb, the rogue started to taunt Succulent.
“Oi, oi. Don’t make such a scary face. You’re supposed to be a member of Six Arms, someone who can stand toe to toe with adamantium ranked adventurers. This kind of handicap should be easy for you.”
Succulent’s face crinkled with rage. The scratches from earlier exchanges bled, making his face even uglier.
“Bastard!”
With a loud curse, Succulent posed to cast his magic. Normally, a warrior like Climb would charge to disrupt the casting, but this time he didn’t. While trading more than ten blows with Succulent, he had started to trust the rogue to do the right thing at the right moment.
A bottle flew from behind Climb and shattered at Succulent’s feet. He could see coloured smoke spreading everywhere.
“Guh! Cough, cough ”
Succulent coughed in pain.
The rogue had interrupted the casting with an alchemical item, which effects became immediately apparent.
If he had specialized as a magic caster, this kind of disruption would have been nothing, but because he had trained to be a warrior alongside magic caster, even a minor disruption broke his concentration, causing him to waste his mana.
Climb rushed at the distracted Succulent with all his might. It was not the continuation of the fight so far. It was the kind of advance that was filled with the determination to not take a single step back. Depending on the observer, some would say it was a premature move in a bid for a fast victory. But Climb’s warrior instincts screamed.
This moment would determine the end of the duel.
It was true that Climb and the rogue had been on the offensive so far, but there was no guarantee that they could keep their advantage. The items the rogue was throwing were bound to run out eventually, so he had to finish this while they still held the upper hand.
What Climb activated was an original martial art he learned yesterday.
This skill didn’t have a name yet, but if he were to give it a name right now, he would call ‘Limit Breaker: Mind’. The effect was to remove all limits imposed on the body by the brain, and as a result all his abilities would increase by a level, including his physical ones.
The downside was that if he used it for an extended period of time, it would cause physical fatigue and muscle tearing, but if he didn’t try to finish the fight quickly, even if he had to use this kind of method, he would not be able to win against Succulent.
As the martial art activated, he could feel something in his mind click and change.
He screamed out all the emotions that were swirling inside of him, and panic spread on Succulent’s face as if he had realised something Perhaps he felt fear and astonishment, but in any case, this wasn’t a face that someone who could stand toe to toe with an adamantium ranked adventurer would show to someone below his level.
Climb swung his sword down but it was blocked. To block a longsword with just a dagger without any help from magic was truly praiseworthy. However to force a skilled fencer like Succulent who specialized in dodging to block, Climb’s strike was also commendable.
Despite that, the attack didn’t end here. Climb followed through with a kick.
As Succulent tried to protect his stomach, his face crinkled.
“Arrrrggghhhh—!”
Succulent’s face paled and he staggered back while pulling back his waist.
The rogue stepped out of Climb’s shadow.
He had kicked Succulent between the legs with an iron boot, and even though Climb wore a protective pad, he could still feel an imaginary pain traveling down to his feet.
After that, Climb dealt him a final blow!
Blood spattered and Succulent collapsed on the floor. He did not let his guard down and stood wary. He especially paid attention so nothing could approach the rogue and confirmed that it was not an illusion.
This was a huge victory. Even if it was two against one, this victory meant a lot. Climb looked towards Brain. He wondered if he could help, but quickly abandoned the thought.
That fight was on a different level altogether.
The sound was different as well. Even though it was a katana clashing with a fist, metallic sounds rang out. Their fight showed no signs of ending. The katana and fists were clashing against each other without time for breath.
The one who especially attracted attention was Zero. His strikes were carving the wall and left marks as if it was made out of soft clay.
“Damn... They said high-level monks have fists of steel, but that bastard’s well beyond that. He’s at least mithril, no orichalcum.”
The rogue who stood beside him murmured. During a solid minute of trading blows, in a fight where Climb would’ve been killed immediately, neither took a single scratch. Zero showed signs of earnest respect on his face.
“Unglaus... You’re better than I thought. You’re the first one who blocked my attacks like this.”