I begin my revolutions, hoping to use any advantage I can to somehow come out of this alive. As usual, I begin slowly, being extra careful with each cycle. While doing so, another attack comes from my left. I manage to roll out of the way hastily while doing my best to maintain a hold on my spiritual energy.

  This continues until I feel comfortable enough to begin increasing the speed. One cycle, dodge, another cycle, dodge, and so on.

  Eventually I manage to reach my top speed, which surprisingly is faster than the last time I measured it, sitting at around two seconds per revolution compared to the two point three seconds from when I left the soul shard.

  ‘That last fight with Regalius must have done wonders for my speed.’ I think as I drop to the floor, dodging another bolt.

  ‘Actually, now that I think about it, how many crossbow bolts does this guy have? He’s had to’ve shot at least close to thirty or forty at me by this point, you’d think he’d run out…’

  I look around, and immediately notice the lack of crossbow bolts on the ground, indicating that he’s either somehow retrieving them, or he can create them using some skill and they are just disappearing after use.

  ‘I’ll have to keep track of a bolt or two to see if I can puzzle this out…’ I think before dodging to the side.

  Each dodge becomes more and more painful than the last, my thigh and shoulder screaming out in protest at every possible moment.

  I make sure to watch the bolt fly by me and land directly into a tree, and, to my surprise, it sinks slowly into the tree until it entirely disappears.

  ‘Fuck! I knew it! This asshole’s retrieving them! Only problem now is how the hell do I stop him… maybe I can…’ I say to myself as I begin to map out a quick plan…. Okay maybe plan is a bit of a stretch, maybe more like an idea.

  I wait patiently for a few seconds, and as soon as I catch wind of the next incoming shot, my body reacts like a cat, instantly springing into motion. I turn my body to the shot coming from behind, and as soon as I see the projectile, time slows considerably as I begin to reach my hand out to where the bolt is heading towards and as soon as the bolt passes by, I close my hand shut and rotate my body to follow the momentum of the bolt.

  ‘Holy shit I actually did it? That’s crazy!’ I think in mild shock that my idea actually worked, ‘ Well now I only have to do that however many more times until he runs out! Simple.’

  I then pass the bolt into my other hand that limply hangs from my side due to the arrow lodged into its connecting shoulder.

  ‘I estimate him to have around ten or so of these with how quick he’s moving, maybe more if he has a skill for it, which at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised.’

  Another bolt flies by me, this one I’m unable to catch, instead getting a nasty cut on my palm for my efforts, with the bolt sinking slowly into the floor

  ‘Fuck, okay maybe this isn’t as simple as I thought.’

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  The next bolt once again comes from down low, with the bolt barely coming an inch off the ground. Ready for something like this, I pull my leg up and slam it down as soon as the bolt passes by nailing it into the floor. Before It can sink into the ground, I reach down and grab it in a flash, unwilling to let this one go.

  ‘That’s five down, counting the ones still stuck in my body, hopefully only a few more to go.’

  Just as my confidence once again begins to grow, another curve ball gets sent my way, this time two bolt coming towards me at the same time, both in hard to dodge spots.

  The one in front of me, I manage to rotate around and catch, same as the first one. The second one on the other hand, I’m unable to defend against, and it manages to stick right into the already pierced thigh. Once again only going about an inch or so deep, but that doesn’t exactly mean it doesn’t hurt all the same.

  I also am extra careful to not let go of my spiritual energy, grimacing through the pain but keeping my inside stable

  ‘At least that’s two more lost crossbow bolts for him, he should be running low by now.’

  And just as I think that my thoughts are proven true, as the red man immediately appears behind me, knives in hand, hoping to end me before I can even realize what happened.

  Unfortunately for him, I’m able to react just in time, rolling out of the way and taking hold of my sword that I had kept sheathed all this time. I make sure to keep a solid hold on the bolts in my off hand, as I don’t want him to recollect them and begin the cycle all over again.

  Seeing his impromptu ambush failed, he clicks his tongue in frustration, before charging me with speed that puts old-world cheetahs to shame.

  With my increased perception currently though, I’m able to keep up, at least mentally. Physically, due to the bolt sticking out of me, I’m unable to fully keep up with him mobility wise. Thankfully this guy seems dead set on being the aggressor, so I won’t have to go to him anytime soon, at least, as long as I keep a hold of these bolts.

  He ducks low, hoping to catch me off-guard, but I’m able to defend against it, sending my sword flying downwards that would maim him were he to continue with the attack. Instead of giving up on the attack though, he disappears in a flash into the ground, reappearing behind me once again.

  He manages to nick my leg, but I’m able to avoid the worst of the attack, and retaliate by swinging quickly down at him. He puts a knife up, hoping to parry the blow, but I readjust my wrist at the last moment, a move I’m more than familiar with, and manage to sneak my sword around his knife.

  Seeing this, he moves backwards hoping to avoid the attack, but it still manages to get him, leaving a deep gash on his shoulder and marking the first time I’m able to land a blow this fight.

  He staggered briefly before he looks down at his wound, and then back up to me with rage written on his face.

  ‘You’re angry?! You?! The guy whose been peppering me with a fucking crossbow for the last ten minutes?!’

  “Fuck you asshole!” I shout out at him, causing him to once again charge at me.

  This works perfectly in my favor, as I once again line up a precise exchange that he would get the worse of. To my surprise though, instead of disappearing like last time, he simply eats the hit.

  Instead of the fleshy resistance I expect, instead my attack flies straight through him, almost as if I were cutting through air.

  He smirks as my attack sends me off balance, with my sword now out wide, leaving me open for retaliation. I show mock fear in my face, giving him the last bit of confidence he needs to send both knives straight for my temple and throat.

  Being in this kind of situation quite a few times by this point, I can’t help but let out a small smile of satisfaction at my improvisational plan. As soon as my sword cut through him like air, I knew this was my chance, and with my trap set and the prey falling deeper and deeper into it, I strike bringing the full weight of my spiritual energy to bear.

  My sword gleams with a flash of light as it instantaneously moves to where I will it too, that being straight towards his hands and neck, both lines up perfectly for one clean strike. My attack lands, sending both his head, and his hands hurtling through the air, before landing promptly on the ground unceremoniously.

  All goes quiet as I take in and relish my victory.

  My celebration is cut short though by a feminine voice behind me.

  “Impressive!”