I need to surprise him a bit. He still has little to none knowledge about the ability of Mirror Mode. I'm going to show him.
He's already expecting me to use sword or dual-wield against him. This time he is wrong. During my high-speed dash at him, I swiftly change it with throwing daggers, placed evenly between the fingers with four daggers ready in each hand. They have shorter reach in close range, I know that. What is Mirror Mode without copying?
Using throwing daggers still clenched on my fingers as some sort of claws, this method surprised him, almost caught him off defense. It is way much faster than dual-wielding swords, even combined with martial arts movements that I copied from Alexis, making it more deadly.
Dranch looks quite overwhelmed during the attacks, as shown by how he clenched his teeth when he was still defending the furious barrage of attacks. I give him no chance to make any counter-attacks of course, as the attacks just keep coming and coming restlessly from the previous ones.
As it ceases for a while, it is my turn to give out a mocking smile. My breathing is now steadier, while he starts to let out a gasping breath meaning that the table has turned in my favour. Despite the injuries, I feel very relaxed and calm, almost feeling no pain at all. I should use this spell more, I thought to myself.
Losing his composure, Dranch moves in first for an attack. A moment that I have been waiting for since this battle began. I myself is not the type to attack first in a battle but to wait for opponent's first movement. Guess my previously fatigued condition caused me to make such reckless actions.
He lets out a quick thrust using his sword on me, a move that I have predicted and easily dodged it. At that very moment, my uppercut manages to hit his chin. Lucky for him that I've magically sheathed the daggers on my other hand, making that blow to be less fatal with only staggering backwards as the effect.
I leap quickly to make another follow-up attack. Unfortunately, my fist misses its target, to only hit a thin air as he take another step backwards. Nevertheless, he is getting cornered and desperate. Quickly, he cast a lightning spell, albeit weaker version that the previous one at a point-blank range.
By moving slightly aside and quick reflexes mixed altogether, that attack is easily avoided. Instead of staggering me backwards from the recoil if it was hit, I come closer upon him, ready to return to the offensive. He looks terrified by this and just frozen there. Using this good opportunity, I low-kick his knee, which make him to lose his balance and lowers his body from the combination of the impact and pain.
Another chance to make another attack. At first I was hesitant to do this, but I realized that it is too late to stop. Using his lowered position, I proceed to kick him hard right in the head. The impact causes him to fall and roll wildly backwards, sword left his grip. He starts to cough blood from his mouth when he tries to stand. Bleeding nose and a bruise can be seen on his face.
Giving him no chance to fight back, as soon as he stand, I throw the daggers on my hand targeted at his position. Four daggers are thrown in total, but only one manages to scratch his left arm. Nice reflex, I murmur softly, not wanting him to hear my compliment.
I quickly summon another set of throwing daggers in my hand. While running to approach his position, I throw them at him to at least predict the position he will move to in order to miss them. Got you! He fell right into my trap, as my left knee finds his chest as the target. Blood is forcing its way out from his mouth in the process.
He drops to the ground, seemingly tired and has no other means to fight back.
"I've told you that emotion is what makes us stronger than what you have," I say to him, in a low voice and sounds regretful in tone. His body lies on the ground, both hands clutching on his chest.
