SLASH!
Then silence.
The outcome…
Sir Luminar looked at Ashley, a dazed expression on his face before he puffed, feathers replacing where he had just been.
"What just happened?" Ashley frowned.
He glanced towards his right only to see the same man he had just cleaved in two standing nonchalantly on a platform of golden feathers.
Sir Luminar stood confidently, the numerous attacks on his armor still there, but his body in top condition.
He wore that elegant smile he had the first time he met Ashley.
"What did you do?" Ashley asked.
Sir Luminar laughed. "I thought you would've figured it out by now."
He gestured towards himself. "This is the power of my Aether Ability, my Miracle; Feather Body Swap. It allows me to move to any location around me, swapping the original with feathers. Though it requires a lot of Mana, but it's still worth it." He sighed.
Ashley's expression couldn't be read.
A skill that could allow one to swap their body's location in place of their clones.
How overpowered was that!
"I wish I had something like that," Ashley grumbled.
What was there to complain about? He still had a very powerful Nether Beast as his contract.
He just needed to know how to use its powers.
While thinking about that, Sir Luminar prepared his sword. "Shall we resume your purification?"
"Purification?" Ashley laughed, almost toppling over. "You're the one that was getting all purified."
A vein bulged on Sir Luminar's forehead, but he quickly composed himself.
"Another specialty of mine is air combat. I'm sure you have no experience in that." He smiled.
"Nope, but that doesn't stop me from erasing you from the face of three realms." A screeching giggle left Ashley's mouth.
Sir Luminar hissed. "Still as stupid as ever."
Ashley readied his sword, his eyes narrowed on the Divine Pawn.
"Round five!" Both said simultaneously.
Dashing from their glowing feather platforms in the dark mall, they clashed at the center with their swords.
Their blades struck with grace and precision, attacking and countering with neither party gaining the advantage again.
The dark mall was illuminated with the flash of purple and gold and resonated with the sound of metal scraping metal.
A true battle between Light and Darkness.
Ashley performed a feint and swung his sword targeting Sir Luminar's unprotected neck.
Sensing the danger, he quickly activated Feather Body Swap, puffing out a cloud of golden feathers that shot at Ashley.
Ashley drew back his blade cutting and slicing down every feather that came close to him.
A few made way past his defense, striking in vain at his hardened skin.
"They don't hurt me." He whispered.
Ashley glanced at Sir Luminar's current location, the feather body swap distancing them by six meters.
He thought of something, then grinned.
Rushing out again, he released relentless strikes at Sir Luminar performing feints when he least expected, causing him to use his body swap skill to prevent his death.
Ashley repeated the same actions, attack, feint and strike all to accomplish one thing.
And that one thing happened far sooner than he expected.
Sir Luminar wheezed, sweat falling in heavy downpours on his torn armor.
"If there's one thing you shouldn't have said," Ashley took on a sword stance. "Was saying your weakness!"
When did he mentioned his weakness? He didn't have time to search through his memory for that as he was forced to defend another strike from Ashley.
'His Divine Mana will soon completely deplete,' Ashley thought. 'Once it does I'll pour everything I've got into one final strike.'
Ashley repeated his action; attack, feint and strike, but this time he was obstructed by a feather that momentarily blocked his view.
That moment was enough for Sir Luminar.
Sir Luminar performed a leg sweeping motion, as if they were on land, only instead they were on air.
Ashley's leg got hooked and lost its balance, causing him to fall forward.
Sir Luminar quickly stabbed his sword right through Ashley's heart.
Ashley froze.
"It's over child." Sir Luminar grinned widely expecting to see the look of despair on the child of the outskirts face.
But all he received was a grin in return.
He frowned not understanding why someone would smile when they were at death's door, then he looked down only to find out that there was no blood.
The next second Ashley puffed in a cloud of dark purple feathers.
"W-what?" He stuttered, his eyes widening in shock and horror.
That was a skill he had trained and honed his body to use for years, yet a child—a nobody with no family name— just casually performed the exact same thing.
That wasn't even the make main concern. It was just, how had he done it?
Reacting quickly, Sir Luminar twisted his body and blocked a strike towards his neck.
"Ah, still sharp and valiant till the end aye Divine bastard," Ashley playfully smiled.
"You… how did you use my feather body swap technique?" Sir Luminar asked.
"Huh? It was no big deal, just thought of doing what you did and did it," Ashley nonchalantly replied.
Sir Luminar stayed silent.
Just thought of doing it and just did it?
Who would believe that crap?
"Liar!" He swung again, this time more violently and reckless. "How dare you copy my hard earned technique and go telling me that you just thought of it to use it."
Then he struck another and another, each strike more violent and reckless than the other.
"Who are you?!" Sir Luminar screamed.
Ashley jumped away but didn't land on a platform.
He was floating on the air!
"You want to see what actual air combat is…" Ashley readied his sword. "...well this is!"
Ashley dove in, performing an outward strike to which Sir Luminar raised his sword to block, but yet…
It was a feint!
Ashley twisted his body, guiding his blade to Sir Luminar's back.
Acknowledging that he wouldn't be able to defend on time, he activated Feather Body Swap, puffing in a cloud of smoke and reappearing ten meters away from Ashley.
"That was your last," Ashley grinned.
Anymore and he might begin to drain his Life Mana in the process.
Not giving Sir Luminar any time to realise the trap he has fallen into, Ashley swooped in again, faster than he had ever been, his body becoming a blur.
He rose his sword above his head to slash at Sir Luminar to which the Divine Pawn reacted, striking at Ashley's midsection.
Ashley puffed in feathers.
Instantly realizing that he had been fooled, Sir Luminar hurried to turn back but was a fraction of a second too late.
Ashley stabbed his dark purple metallic sword through Sir Luminar's Divine Core and grinned.
"I win."