[HI3] Protocol Stigmata

Chapter 29 - The Strongest Valkyrie

Without waiting for a response, Durandal dashed forward, her lance poised for attack. Despite the size of her weapon and her slow attack speed, each strike felt like a calculated blow.

"Wait! What about me!? I have no weapon!?" I exclaimed, trying to defend myself against her relentless assault.

She remained silent, focusing solely on her attacks, her movements precise and calculated.

As Durandal pressed her relentless assault, I scrambled to evade her strikes, feeling utterly defenseless without a weapon of my own. With each blow, the weight of her strength and skill became increasingly apparent.

"Durandal, wait!"

As I dodged another swing of her lance, a surge of determination welled up within me. I may not have a weapon, but I couldn't let myself be defeated so easily.

Summoning all my agility and wit, I maneuvered around her attacks, looking for an opening. Then, seizing a moment of vulnerability, I lunged forward, aiming to disarm her.

But Durandal was one step ahead, effortlessly parrying my attempt and countering with a swift strike that sent me staggering backward.

"Gah! Seriously!?" I exclaimed, frustration bubbling within me as I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what lay ahead.

Changing my stance to hand-to-hand combat, I resolved not to rely on defense or waiting for openings. Instead, I would force Durandal to break her guard.

With that, I dashed forward, launching a flurry of strikes aimed at overwhelming her defenses. Each punch and kick was infused with all the energy and resolve I could muster.

Durandal, caught off guard by my sudden change in tactics, faltered for a moment, but quickly regained her composure.

Despite her superior strength and skill, I refused to back down.

We exchanged blows in a frenzied dance, the sound of our clashes echoing through the room. Sweat dripped down my brow as I pushed myself to the limit, every muscle straining with effort.

Ora Ora Ora!

Our movements became a frenzied blur, the sound of our clashes reverberating through the room. Sweat dripped down my brow as I poured every ounce of energy into each strike.

But even as fatigue threatened to overwhelm me, I could sense Durandal beginning to falter. Her defenses weakened, her movements becoming less fluid with each passing moment.

As I lunged forward, fist clenched and determination coursing through my veins, Durandal effortlessly sidestepped my attack with a fluid grace that left me momentarily stunned. Before I could gather my bearings, her lance was hurtling towards me with deadly accuracy.

"I'm sure you won't dodge this mid-air," she taunted, her voice dripping with confidence.

My heart pounded in my chest as I faced the looming threat. Dodging a weapon mid-air was no easy feat, but I had no choice.

With a surge of adrenaline, I threw myself to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly projectile as it whizzed past me.

But Durandal was relentless. With speed alone, she closed the distance between us, launching into a relentless assault of punches and kicks aimed at exploiting my momentary vulnerability.

I barely had time to react as I found myself on the defensive, desperately parrying her strikes and dodging her blows.

Each movement was executed with precision and speed, leaving me struggling to keep up.

"So this is the strength of an S-rank Valkyrie!"

With each strike, I felt the weight of her strength bearing down on me, pushing me to my limits. Despite my best efforts to keep up, I found myself struggling to defend against her relentless assault.