Editing City Series:Volume2 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 4===

The battle had only just begun.

The stalemate of trying to read the other’s intention ended after only five minutes. Surprisingly, Valeath was the first to move. Amon moved in response to the sword strike.

Fifteen seconds after the beginning, Amon received his first injury.

Another minute and twenty-six seconds later, his fist struck Valeath’s face for the first time.

A solid sound rang out.

“!”

Valeath held Amon back with his sword tip, ended his chained sword techniques, and put some distance between them. A trail of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but he wiped it away with a finger. The blood on his finger looked black in the moonlight.

“Interesting.”

It was unclear whether his comment was directed at the dark appearance of his blood or the strike from Amon.

Meanwhile, Amon’s shoulders were rising and falling as he corrected his fighting stance.

“That hit signals the beginning of my come-from-behind win.”

Despite his words, Amon’s expression was grim.

He was injured in one spot on the chest, two on the stomach, two on the back, nine on his limbs, and one on his face. It had been that much of a risk to get a single hit in on Valeath.

For the first time in his life, Amon was at a disadvantage.

He accepted it and Valeath probably did too. And since they both accepted it, it was Overridden as truth.

That truth said Amon could not defeat Valeath as he was.

“I see.”

Amon gathered strength in his clenched fist and thought about his situation here.

He held his breath for a moment and finally nodded.

“Everything is finally turning out the way everyone wanted, Near Death Amon.”

As he spoke to himself, he kicked powerfully off the stone pavement. He made a low and quick charge forward.

Valeath was right in front of him and Amon twisted his body while swinging up his right fist.

At the same time, Valeath used his sword for a mid-level guard. He intended to cut Amon’s fist out of the way. It was a combination of offense and defense that was only possible with a sword.

However, a smile appeared on Amon’s lips when he saw it. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he Closed himself off so as not to give away his intention.

An instant later, the fist moving toward Valeath’s gut struck the stone pavement instead.

“Urah!”

The stone was audibly smashed.

Amon took a crawling pose and rotated his body around the fist he had thrust into the stone. He would use his extended legs to sweep Valeath’s feet out from under him.

Due to his nearly crawling pose, Valeath vanished from his vision, but he did not care. This attack was guaranteed to hit an opponent so focused on his upper body.

This would defeat your average swordsman. An above average swordsman would jump back to avoid the kick and lose their balance. If he attacked then, he could win.

…''I can win!

In his hurry, he Opened that thought, but a sudden impact sent him flying.

He heard the sound of popping muscles.

“!?”

Even after the tremendous force sent him flying and tumbling over his shoulder, Amon had no idea what had happened to him.

…''What was that!?

The impact had hit him in the gut and there was only one way for that to have happened.

“You can kick!? I thought you were a swordsman!”

Valeath was neither a swordsman nor a mere fighter.

He was a Hound.

[[Image:City_v02_157.jpg|thumb]]

Amon clicked his tongue and pushed down on the ground with his hands to rise into a sprinting posture. Strength filled his gaze as he faced the one he needed to charge at.

But the shimmering of the sword was not there. Its owner had vanished as well.

…''Where is he!?

He thought before looking to the left or right. Where was his opponent? He would not be to the left or right. This enemy would not choose an attack so boring and predictable.

The answer came with an instantaneous flash if insight.

Amon looked up into the night sky that he could not fly through.

“There!?”

Darkness spread out before his eyes.

The darkness blocking the moonlight took the form of a coat. And a line of light silently stuck out from beyond that darkness as it was raised overhead.

A strike from four meters in the air arrived. A solid hit would slice him in two from head to crotch. Amon could not allow anything like that to happen.

He tried to run, but a voice reached him from above.

“It is no use. My hand touched you earlier.”

And…

“The Over Contract has already been applied.”

''What is he talking about?'' wondered Amon as he bent backwards.

However…

“!?”

He could not move his left arm. That one arm would not follow the rest of him as if it had been frozen in space.

He frantically Overrode his body, but the arm still would not move. It felt glued in place. Even if he tried to run or lower his hips, his left arm would catch there.

“It’s over.”

The darkness descended and a silver curve drew a sharp line straight down.

Seeing that light, Amon reflexively moved.

“Daaahhh!”

He used his right fist to punch his left arm as hard as he could.

He heard a dull impact and the dry creaking of his bones. A black light appeared around his arm and drew a knot-like design.

After another audible impact, the pitch black light burst and Amon was blasted to the right.

He had resorted to forcing his way out of it, but he had escaped the Over Contract.

“Ow, ow, ow. Why is a human using a demon’s-…”

He never finished his complaint.

As he got up, he saw Valeath’s second merciless strike. He had his feet on the ground, so the slash had enough speed to make the sword bend.

It sliced through the wind and literally flew faster than sound.

Amon reacted by lowering his hips to the ground. He could not avoid the attack this time. He would be killed before the moonlit sword’s path had drawn even a half circle. What he had desired for so long and what he had wished for in his nightmares would finally reach him.

…''Destiny, hm?

He thought about that word he never used and prepared to accept it. The faces of the people he had lost appeared in his head and suddenly a certain girl’s face came to him. This girl had her eyes closed.

…''Why!?

Valeath’s sword raced toward him before he received an answer.

And in that instant…

…''Stop!

With an Opened rebuke in a female voice, something white dropped between Amon and Valeath.

It was an animal with obvious intent to attack.

It was enveloped in a prickly aura.

“!”

Even Valeath was caught off guard. He forcibly stopped his sword and jumped back to prepare himself. After a long time in the air, he silently landed and looked down. He faced what had fallen from above and stopped him.

“…”

Valeath and Amon looked at what stood between them.

It was a cat.

Amon recognized the cat and he called her name.

“Fir!?”

At the same time, someone called both the men’s names.

“Amon!”

“Master Valeath!”

Amon realized who it was running toward him and who it was that had kept him from dying.

The person panting and running from the woods was indeed the blind girl.