As we both 'see' the man rushing towards us, I was the first one to rush forward and take up my sword.
The man then tried to hack us with his sword but I blocked it with Flesh Eater. Then Lucius came forward and from behind me, he delivered a thrust with his spear, he aimed it to hit the left ribcage of the man before us. But the man just kicked me instead as I was sent flying and collided with lucius behind me, which disrupted his rhythm and miss his thrust.
"Damn it. Did you not see that coming?"
"How could I? I already blocked his first attack, I cannot sense the next one"
I replied towards Lucius with a groan as I felt the pain in my stomach. The guy's kick really hurt. I felt it still hurting as if I am about to vomit, but I did not.
"Let's try again, but this time. Top it up"
I uttered towards Lucius who also just got up from the ground. Then he took up his spear once again. Together, we once again faced the man infront of us....and we could sense it mocking us.
Yes, we actually cannot see the man right now. After thinking for a while, we thought that even if we maximized our senses or perception. We still cannot see him, so how are we dodging and taking his attacks?
It's simple, it is through the danger sense. It turns out that this passage is actually not just a Perception trial, but also a trial for us to develop a danger sense or a sixth sense.
I have come to realize this after Lucius addressed that topic earlier, and this guy is not that inferior to me so I bet he also realized it. He was the one who addressed it.
We dodge his attacks using the 'itch' that we felt, and as we were doing that, we started to picture the man's image like we can see him infront of us.
"You'll be the tank this time, I'll be the dealer"
"Sounds good"
Wielding my sword, I waited for Lucius to parry the attack of the man before us.
The first strike was blocked by the shaft of his spear perfectly, so it was time for me to step up. With the [ One with the wind ] footwork, I zoomed closer and closed the distance instantly between the two of us as I soon deliver a swift cut towards the shoulder of the enemy.
This is just my theory but hopefully it will work.
The man once again tried to kick Lucius to push us away and use the recoil of the kick to distance himself.
But we already saw that coming, Lucius soon then raised his leg to step onto the man's leg and stop it from doing any movement like kicking.
Thus my attack was about to land, but we underestimated the man. He was able to just push away Lucius with its sword by pushing the shaft away and then swiftly blocked the incoming attack.
"Seriously..?"
I groaned as we had a contest of strength with both of our swords. With gritted teeth, I tried to push the man with my strength but he managed to take it on as he was the stronger one. He kept pushing me back because of his strength and then Lucius once again tried to thrust.
"[ Dance of the Cockatrices ]"
The man tried to push me away to dodge the incoming attack and get some space between us, but I did not let him. Despite not being able to see him, I gritted my teeth as I gave up on the contest of strength, allowing his sword to graze through my shoulder as I moved to the side and then grabbed his body to prevent him from escaping.
Surprisingly, I felt the man wear clothes matching to our image of him.
Gritting my teeth from the pain on my shoulder, I did not let go of the man as it struggled to break free from me, then the sharp tip of Lucius' spear soon pierce the man in his left shoulder. We cannot see him but we can tell that there is a large hole on his shoulder now because of the blow.
Leaping away, I clutched onto my right shoulder to touch my small wound and wince in pain. Great, now I have wounds on both of my shoulder.
"Did you get him?"
"Don't jinx it"
I asked Lucius as he also put some distance between him and the man.
"Can you handle more?"
"Same thing. I'll be the dealer again"
"Sure thing"
Upon seeing that the man did not even one bit get bothered by the wound on its shoulder, I took a deep breathe as I activated the enchantment on Flesh Eater, letting it be covered in flames.
Lucius had already seen its enchantment multiple times so he was not that surprised as the first time.
Taking a stance, I asked Lucius to get into work as he rushed forward to get the man occupied.
As the two of them were fighting and Lucius was distracting the man, I soon took a sword draw stance and bent my knees to lower my stance.
Then once I found the right moment, I seized it. Using [ One with the wind ] as a means to boost my speed, I closed the distance between me and the man. Once I was closer to him, I soon draw my sword and perform a rising slash to cut his torso.
"[ Sword of the Sun: 2nd Form: Sunrise ]"
The flaming slash soon then connected with the man's torso as it sent him flying and deliver a deep burning would on his torso.
Falling into my knees and using Flesh Eater as my support to my balance, I heaved deep breaths and glanced at Lucius who had also fallen on his rear, heaving deep breaths as well because of how exhausting that was.
"Did we finally get him?"
"Idiot. Don't jinx it!"
I glared at Lucius who just rolled his eyes. We both watched the smoke where the man was sent flying slowly clear up.....then we saw a silhoutte, standing. Wait, silhoutte? Did the man finally dismiss its invisibility?
But we had no time to think about that as we saw the silhoutte move and the smoke clear up. There we see, a faceless man with a large hole on his left shoulder and a deep burnt diagonal cut on his torso.
Despite the life threatening wounds on its body, it still moved and is even trying to use a technique. Its own technique.
"Damn it. you idiot, look at what you did"
I snarled at Lucius who just grinned at me. Is this fucker grinning?
"What are you grinning at?"
I glared at him as he chuckled and stared straight into the man.
"Oh, nothing....it was just that....."
Then when the man was about to rush towards us and I take up my sword to prepare for what was coming, The man fell to its knees as it vomitted blood from its non existent mouth.
"I already won"
Lucius added as the man slowly died from being corroded by something.
I turned to look at Lucius and ask him what was going on, but the guy just grinned and laid on his back to take a breath.
"Nothing. I just....poisoned him"