Chapter 76 C76. Lopsided Duel
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In another section of the forest trail, Kazko dash after his prize after getting over the sudden stupor that came upon him when a flying creature had taken the ogre chieftain away.
As he ran further after the flying pair, compromising of an ogre chieftain and an unknown cloaked girl, the trees and vegetations around him got sparser and sparser. The dark and gloomy atmosphere got a little brighter and the pathways got broader. It was clear that more light was now able to penetrate the leaves of the tall trees a lot easier than it did previously.
Kazko raging mind suddenly slowed down. He was wondering why the group was headed out of the forest but he could not stop now. The magic weapon was just within his grasp and he could not let it be taken away from him. This was a golden opportunity to become the new chief of the Gray trolls and attain powers that matches his intellect.
He quickly made his decision and swung his bone sword at the pair flying away, the weapon extended like a whip and it cut through the air and any branches in its way to his targets. However, the ogre chieftain was able to deflect the attack with his massive Hamaxe. The whip-like blade was knocked back and entangled itself in between several large tree branches.
Kazko just pulled harder and all the branches snapped out of their tree trunks like dried-up sticks. He swung his sword again and like a catapult, the branches were sent flying at the duo and came raining down on them like spears. The cloaked girl tried to maneuver in the air in a bid to avoid the rain of makeshift spears but Kazko whip-like blade had already been swung a second time from a different angle and she had flown right into it.
"Bang! Boom!
Two bodies were sent slamming back down onto the ground with the sound of an explosion. The ground shattered at the force at which their bodies had received from that attack, kicking up dust, dirt, and snow in the air all around them. Kazko finally sneered as his attack had finally made contact with his prey.
They may have been adept at dodging and the ogre chieftain may have been a little strong, but, in the end, they could not handle the strength of a troll. All he needed, was just to land his final attack and that would finally be the end of it.
A few trolls were also trailing behind him and ahead of them were the goblin riders who all had small crossbows strapped on their backs. Kazko walked forward with renewed vigor and confidence as the dust and dirt began to settle. He was going to end their lives quickly and retrieve the weapon before anyone else can interfere.
However, he suddenly froze at the sight in front of him. The ogre chieftain stayed on his feet and held the cloaked girl whom he could now confirm to be a beastkin with golden hair and a pair of golden dog ears on her head in his arms. They appeared to be completely fine after taking the full brunt of his attack.
Kazko grunted angrily and readied his sword again and the goblin riders surrounded the pair. They aimed their crossbows and Kazko immediately ordered them to fire. The ogre chieftain let down the girl in his arms and she immediately ducked, he tightens the grip on his weapon before swinging it around forcefully.
"Continuous Grievance Slash."
One of the glyphs on the large Hamaxe glowed red as several waves of orange energy gusted out at the arrows, knocking them away but the attack did not end there. The ogre chieftain continued to swing his weapon and several more waves sent the goblin riders flying back with their wolves and it even killed a few of them.
Kazko held the weapon in front of him to block against the brunt of the attack but he was still pushed back several folds. The troll behind him all also withstood the attack but before Kazko could think of a counter. The girl yet again took off flying with the ogre chieftain in hand.
Kazko roared with rage as he flung his whip-like bone sword at them only to be met with the full force of the magic weapon. The Hamaxe flew at him with great speed and Kazko could not move out of the way in time so he used his left arm to shield against the attack.
Crack! Shatter! BOOM!
With the resounding sound of an explosion, Kazko massive frame was sent tumbling back until he slammed into a tree. The attack had shattered the ground he had been standing on and his left arm was completely gone. However, If he hadn't used his arm to defend the attack, his head would've been nothing more than shattered bones and brain matter.
Kazko grunted angrily as he watched the pair hovering in the air without leaving. His arm soon began its regeneration process albeit being a tad slow compared to reattachment. Kazko dark grey skin began to change slowly as he stood up with the help of his sword.
He angrily roared and ordered the gray trolls and goblins to fire at the pair in the sky. While the goblin riders used their crossbows and fired volleys of arrows at the pair, the trolls hurled large rocks at them as Kazko activated his Berserk skill.
The ogre chieftain smirked then he tugged on the black chain of his weapon and it returned to him. He raised his left arm and the beast girl immediately let go of him. As he descended back down like a rock, he raised his weapon overhead and created a massive illusionary Hamaxe that descended upon the attacks, shattering the arrows and rocks hurled at him.
|Meteoric Descent|
Unlike the last time, the weapon wasn't abnormally large as well, so the illusionary Hamaxe was a lot smaller than earlier. Kazko stared angrily at the illusionary weapon for a moment, he then returned his sword to the strap on his back and bent his knees slightly. The blood-red aura his body had only just begun emitting quickly gathered around his right fist with spiraling intensity.
Kazko sprung up like a frog and met the illusionary weapon with his fist. His eyes glowed red and his muscular frame budged even more. °Smashing Wave° This was a skill he hadn't possessed at the start of this battle but after surviving the ogre chieftain's attack once. His body had adapted enough to counter it.
The illusionary weapon shattered under his might and his body continued onwards to meet the actual weapon. The two miniature giants, although one was only 7ft tall and the other above 17ft, they were both still giants in their own rights. They soon clashed in the air and one side clearly had the advantage due to his momentum. A body was sent flying through the air with so much force that it shatters several large trees on its way down and still created a five-meter deep and fifteen-meter wide crater.
Kazko landed with force, his huge frame kicking up snow in the air. He planted his foot and immediately charged at the crater. The beast girl tried to stop him but the goblin riders kept firing arrows at her and she also had to defend against the trolls who were also trying to drag her down.
As Kazko dashed forward, he saw the ogre chieftain struggling to stand back up and he sneered. "Common insect, You die for this!" He yelled as he jumped up and prepared another Smashing wave to finish up his opponent. However, he heard a small chuckle coming from the ogre.
While it was true that war trolls were adept at fighting and excelled in the midst of battel with their raw strength and impressive adaptability that most species didn't dream of. Ogres weren't exactly lacking in that aspect. Especially an ogre chieftain that was obsessed with battles.
While ogres didn't have the same regeneration ability as the trolls, their battle instincts were still top-notch. They were also amongst the few demi-humans that could freely manipulate their core's energy to learn actual skills and in some rare cases, they could even cast spells.
♦♦♦
Azar laughed in excitement, this was it, this was what he loved the most. This tension, the intensity, this was a real fight with his life on the line. This was the first real fight he had been in such a long now. A fight where he didn't have to worry about much. His blood was boiling and his arms, trembling with excitement. If it wasn't for his master's orders, he definitely would've gone all out right now. But he still needed to save the fun for just a little while longer.
Without hesitation, he jumped up and met the troll's skill with one of his own. °Mountain Smash.° While the actual skill was called mountain slash, Azar thought it fit to rename it since he was using the hammer side of his weapon and wasn't trying to kill his opponent.
He swung his weapon at the incoming fist and with the resounding sound of a Bang! The two parties were flung back by the impact of their attack. Azar landed on his feet and lunged forward which was mirrored by the Gray-War troll.
♦♦♦
Kazko was surprised by the result of their last clash. He had hoped to finish up his opponent with that last attack but he had somehow matched his strength. Feeling more anger and frustration build up within him, he redirected his rage at his opponent and the spiraling aura on his fist intensified.
°Roaring Fist.°
°Mountain Smash°
The two attacks meet again and this time the ogre chieftain was forced several paces backward. The beastgirl also seems to be having trouble with the goblin riders and trolls persistent attacks. She had originally only needed to avoid their attacks but right now she had to occasionally use her spells to keep the trolls at bay.
This would eventually lead to her running out of mana and plummeting down to her death. Kazko sneered at this thought and his left arm was slowly engulfed in the same spiraling red aura as his right, he bent his knees slightly and prepared to take on this ogre with all he had.
°Twin Roaring Fist.°
The aura his body exuded intensified, and it melted the snow around his feet as he lunged at the ogre with a sneer. Kazko was pretty fast for a troll, but still, compared to ogres and beastmen. His speed wasn't much to write home about. However, trolls could overcome such hindrances with their high dexterity.
He moved quickly but just as he was about to descend on the ogre chieftain with a barrage of attacks powered by his Roaring fists. The ogre smirked wickedly and for the first time, a dark aura oozed out of him and gusted outwards with such force and intensity that Kazko lost his balance but did not fall.
|Smog of Darkness|
Kazko felt his mind go blank as he recalled how dangerous this spell was. He immediately tried to defend himself but it was too late, before he could react the large Hamaxe came from his side and smashed him off his feet.