CH 428

The Idiot and the Genius

At first we were equally exchanging shield bashes but, I gradually began to find the moments where Drake wasn’t very good at, and the more I forced him into making those movements, the more the battle began to tilt in my favour.

Until now he hadn’t sweat even a single drop but now I could see small beads of water form on his forehead, and I could see the annoyance on his face towards ever movement, every action I took.

“Drake, how about it eh!? Finally willing to admit that I’m stronger than you though!?”

“Like hell you are! Like I said, I still haven’t gotten hit even once!”

“It’s just a matter of time before you do though! Given up and leave already! I’ve learned this moves by stealing them from you Drake, if possible, I’d prefer not to beat you up with those very skills!”

“Damn, this kid’s really looking down me huh. Just because you got a slight upper hand for a moment in our little bout, doesn’t mean you’re suddenly better than me you cocky bastard!”

I truly, genuinely, didn’t want to have a battle to the death with this guy buy, perhaps because he thought I was mocking him, Drake snapped with anger and decide to finally break this deadlock for good as well.

We both were blocking and then countering with shield bash one after another——this continued between us as normal, but then suddenly Drake began to swing around his shields with brute force.

Using his big stature to wildly swing the two shields around him, the force behind each swing was enough that if I tried to block it head on, I’d get blown back into the wall again.

But, now I already know that I wouldn’t be able to match Drake when it comes to brute strength.

So instead, I angled my shield to make his swings slide off the surface of my shield and perfectly parried Drake’s shield bash with pure technique instead.

And aiming for the moment where his posture broke, I did a powerful upswing with my own shield bash to counter attack.

Since the moment our fight properly began, this was the first time I had managed to land a proper hit on Drake.

Perhaps because I also cleverly used his own oncoming force towards me to boost my attack, Drake groaned in agony from the pain inflicted by my attack.

“There, that was the first one! But we’re just getting started, there’s a lot more to come!!”

After landing the first hit, I was now in a much more superior position than before as I continued my assault.

I continued to attack the same part, and while he was wearing armour, the hits must have begun to accumulate serious damage as he instinctively began to guard that specific part more and more.

But, when you end up focusing on defending a certain part constantly, your movements begin to show distortions and you start to lose your balance even more.

After breaking him balance, I switched my target and began to strike a different point, and when he started to protect that part, I switched my aim again as I continued to attack.

Instead if instantly finishing the battle, my attacks were focused on doing things more to annoy and irritate my opponent instead.

And then, after I specifically attacked his left side to make him put more weight in his right leg…….

Finally, my attacks seemed to bear fruit as his right knee seemed to collapse under his own weight and he completely lost balance and tumbled to the ground.

“See, told you didn’t I!? my words from before were not some bluff, I really did completely surpass you!!”

“zheeee zheeee…………s-so this is what they mean when they say that the line between an idiot and a genius is very thin, eh?”

Drake was lying face up on the floor, and was completely drenched in sweat, like he had just showered or something.

Even the words he spoke seemed to indicate that he really had given up, so I stopped aiming my shield towards him.

I don’t think Drake has the energy left to fight anymore I think.

I’m sure Chris would’ve shouted at me for not completely making him unable to fight but, I don’t want to beat down on someone that doesn’t want to fight anymore.

“Well then, I’ll be heading back if you don’t mind!……..Drake, thanks to our fight, I really grew as a warrior. Thanks man!”

Saying that to Drake who was still lying flat on the ground, I began to leave the big room in which we were fighting when…….

“Wait a second. Where the hell do you think you are going after saying hair raising stuff like that?…….This isn’t over yet!”

Drake stood back up somehow, and then threw the shield in his left arm straight towards me.

But since I was still completely in the zone right now, even a surprise attack like that didn’t catch me of guard, and I easily smacked the shield away with my own.

“Dude, you can barely stand! There’s no point continuing the fight any longer!”

“Who gives a shit whether there’s a ‘point’ or not!? I just simply cannot let you go back there right now, that’s all!”

I don’t understand, why was he so fixated with that?

Of course, it’d be one thing if he was like me who’d put his own life on the line if it meant Chris survived but, Drake very clearly hates Klaus from what I could tell.

In that case, he could just accept the loss and remain on the ground……….I really don’t get it why he’s taking all this so seriously??

“Why? Why go this far?! Don’t you actually hate Klaus!?”

“Damn right I do! But, I know Klaus’ strength better than anyone as well. Klaus will never lose to anyone, and if I let you get back to him—–“

“………..If you do, what of it!?”

“Forget about it. Anyway, as long as I know that Klaus will win, I need to stop you even if I lose my life trying.”

In the end he refused to tell me the core part of the problem, but I imagine he’s simply been threatened enough by Klaus to be terrified simply imagining what he might do to punish him.

If I recall, Drake came from some frontier village right?

If the things CHris told about Klaus are true, that does seem like the kind of guy who would destroy Drake’s entire village——-or something like that.

Of course, these things are nothing more than my own imagination, as Drake refused to say anything further but, in that case, it’d make sense why he’d take this so seriously.

But even if that truly was the case, I too have a very important reason to return back to that arena.

“Drake, I really don’t hate you! In fact, I’d say we’re quite alike even, so I feel like we could have gotten along in different circumstances!”

“…..Wha? What the hell are you spouting out of a sudden?”

“But, if you really are willing to put your life on the line to stop me, then I too will fight back with all I have got!”

“Fuh, Hahaha! Why are you stating the obvious at this point…………hey, what was your name again?”

“It’s Ralf. I was nothing more than a beggar raised in the slums so I have no last name. Simply, Ralf!”

“Ralf……….your name. I’ll remember it. I don’t hate you either but, I can’t let you pass as long as I breathe! From here on out, this shit’s about to get really serious, so grit your teeth and get ready okay!?”