Deus Didymus: Rend

Pt2Ch64: Starship V

Riwon rushed in, her conduit glowing a blazing orange. Sparks of lightning crackled in Riwon's path, stemming from her hands before spreading throughout her weapon. As their staves collided, Kangdae kicked his student away prompting her to land on a nearby tree.

A thin layer of energy coated Riwon's soles, adhering her to the trunk of the tree. With an explosive kick Riwon tore through the air The pair's weapons slammed against one another over and over with neither able to gain the advantage. Riwon moved significantly faster than her teacher and moved with the grace of the wind, but the high precognition embedded within Y/n's staff made connecting with him nearly impossible.

With each clash of their weapons, Riwon grew increasingly comfortable with fighting Y/n. His fighting style diverged from Hayoung's teachings, but its foundation remained the same. She met his overwhelming aggression with equal aggression, disrupting the tempo of the fight

Riwon drew parallels between herself and Y/n. Her style had the same fundamentals, but incorporated flips and various other aerial maneuvers in and between her attacks. She bounced with her attacks--each carrying a lethal edge to pay her teacher respect, but also enough control to stop if she needed to.

There has to be a way I can hit him.

Riwon summoned Hyungseo behind Y/n, swinging her staff at the same time as her companion. The man slipped out of the way before jabbing his staff toward Hyungseo. Riwon clapped her hands with the intent to catch Y/n's staff, yet when she reached for it, Y/n thrusted harder forcing Riwon to tilt her head out of the way.

Before Y/n could pull his weapon back, Hyungseo swung her staff causing Y/n to parry with its other end. He reposted with another jab, this time with more than enough force to disperse the apparition. In the blink of an eye, Riwon dismissed the staff and drew her katana, slicing Y/n's weapon in half. A delayed stroke of lightning screeched from above, but the ring around Y/n's finger absorbed the divine currents.

A tendril of water wrapped around Y/n's torso, pulling him toward Riwon as she slammed her fist into his face. Riwon pursued her teacher while he stumbled backward, barraging him with a flurry of punches.

"Unnie, do you think I'm strong enough to beat Y/n oppa?"

Hayoung swung the hammer in her hand, indenting the hot metal in front of her. A pile of swords sat next to Hayoung, each a perfect recreation of the last. "Of course you can. But that doesn't mean you should underestimate him. He's always been creative when he fights. One moment you think he's going to swing downward with all of his might, the next your head might be rolling on the ground. Underestimating Y/n is like asking to die, so I would give it your all when you see him."

Riwon watched the woman reheat the metal before swinging at it like she'd done hundreds of times before. "If he can't use a sword, he's not as strong though, right?"

Hayoung shook her head. "That's where you're wrong. He's just as versatile as you are. If there's a weapon he can use, he'll probably learn it at some point. I stopped him from using swords, but that doesn't mean he can't use a bladed edge."

"I hope I can bring myself to stop him..." Riwon pouted.

"It doesn't matter how hard you can hit him. He can eat hits unlike anyone I've seen." Hayoung pressed her finger against Riwon's chest. "What you need is strength here. It sounds cheesy, but he won't come back if he doesn't want to--he's a slippery one. If you're going into this hoping, then you've already failed. I'd fix that if I were you."

Y/n swung his hands downward, summoning a quarterstaff into his hands with the motion. Before the weapon could connect, Riwon gripped her katana's handle. The constantly updating information flowing into Y/n's brain warned him of Riwon's next move. It showed him the large, sweeping parry she prepared, but it was too late. He was too close and her technique already activated.