The Grand Duelist

"Do you hate me?"

Joseph's question rang out loud and it silenced everyone in the area.

The City Chief frowned.

Although Joseph was definitely an obstacle to his goals, that didn't mean that he hated him.

In fact, it was closer to say that he disliked Joseph.

Hate could be considered as a strong word and knowing that the person in front of him was possibly the vessel of the God of Fighting Tryndamere.

How could he say that he hated him? 

He didn't dare to do so!

But the truth was that he really didn't hate Joseph. There were no grievances between them prior to this and once they had successfully recovered the two sisters then he just could offer something in reconciliation and everything could be considered as bygones.

"Why are you saying that I hate you? There are no bitter grievances between the two of us, so why would you say something like that? Do you want me to hate you?"

"We just want to recover the two sisters and have them experience the love of those who truly love them before they cease to breathe. Why are you trying to stop us?"

Joseph lifted a smile, "City Chief, I only asked a single question. Why do you have to say so many things? My question only requires a single answer. Now, tell me this. Do you hate me or not?"

The City Chief's frown deepened.

The other elders looked displeased as the First Elder spoke up.

"Brat, what nonsense are you saying right now? Since you already know our goals and the significance of it, why are you not giving us the two sisters? Do you want them to die alone? Do you want them to die without experiencing the warm embrace of those who love them?"

The residents clamored.

Even the Second Elder spoke up.

"That's right, that's right! Hand over Julie and Hulie to us and we will immediately leave! Even if you are the vessel of a God, you cannot do something like this!"

"You may be a distinguished one, but I am someone that knows my rights! You may be able to kill us, but you will never be able to subdue our hearts!"

Joseph swept his gaze at the clamoring residents, a relaxed smile appeared on his lips as he said, "As expected of an elder. You really are eloquent, aren't ya? At least, you are far literate and less ignorant than these bastards here. It really is sad, to rely on something that is not even a god!"

"What did you say, you pretentious bastard?!"

"I'm going to kill you!"

The residents clamored once again and they looked like they were about to rush at Joseph if not for the fact that the City Chief personally stopped them by fiercely stabbing the staff he was holding onto the ground.

A dull sound came out and that sound transformed into something that instantly calmed down the residents. But Joseph frowned when he saw the expressions of the residents. I

t was because their eyes looked dead and their movements became mechanical after the City Chief slammed his staff on the ground.

That staff... It can create an effect that is the same as hypnotism? From the looks of it, it is an Area of Effect skill. In that case, Alice is in danger. She does not have the same immunity as I have regarding abnormal statuses. Joseph thought to himself.

He signaled to Alice with his finger and the latter promptly received his message.

Alice moved forwards, a cold look could be seen on her face as she swept her gaze at the residents who were sneakily moving amidst the darkness in order to reach the entrance of the cave. Although she didn't send any attack, her cold gaze alone served as enough deterrence for those residents.

Joseph made Alice move behind him so that he could give her the help that she required as fast as possible. After all, he still wasn't so sure about what were the effects of that peculiar staff and how it worked. It was better for Alice to be near him in order to prevent any accidents.

"So, City Chief? What will be your answer? Do you hate me or not?" Joseph reiterated his question with a casual smile on his face. 

"Sigh... Hate is such an extreme word, young man. I'd rather not use it. Although it is because of the fact that I truly do not hate you. The word dislike is a much suitable word to describe what I feel towards you." The City Chief replied with a sigh. 

"I see, so you do not hate me?"

Joseph's casual smile deepened until it turned into a laugh, "Hahaha... What a joke. So it turns out that the so-called God of Everything that Moves and Exists isn't actually a god!"

"Hahaha, City Chief. You really did fool everyone for so long..."

Joseph swept his gaze at the residents.

But he inwardly frowned when he saw that the residents looked like they weren't even listening to him. In fact, all of them had that blank look on their faces, the look that one could have after experiencing a life-changing trauma.

They were in a trance and their occasionally twitching bodies served as the sole proof that they were still alive.

The City Chief frowned, "Just what are you saying, young man? I only said that I dislike you. Does what I said really deserve such treatment? Why would you blaspheme the god that I believe in? Just because I said that I do not like you?"

Joseph stared at the elders. When he saw the solemn expressions on their faces, he couldn't help but laugh to himself as he replied, "All of you are really good actors... Do you really think that I will believe you if you guys told me that the so-called god that you are worshipping in is actually a god?"

"Well, let me guess. I bet his identity is far from a god..." 

Joseph connected the dots and attacked directly at the weaknesses of the three elders. Although he himself doesn't know the true identity of the entity hiding behind the identity of the Compassionate God. Nothing was restricting Joseph on acting like a charlatan that knew everything...

This was also a form of bait, a bait that would make his enemies voluntarily give valuable information to him.

But the problem was...

"Enough of this!"

... would the enemy even let him acquire the information that he needed?

Joseph's smile deepened. As he expected, his enemy would never directly bite on his obvious bait. A look of amusement appeared on Joseph's face as he stared at the First Elder who screamed.

"What's wrong? Did I hit the bull's eye? There is no use on trying to trick me about what are your schemes. I know everything from the start. It'll be better if you just confess everything to me now, and maybe. I'll consider everything as a simple misunderstanding..."

"Or could it be that you lot still want to test how powerful I am?"

The City Chief sighed once again, "Young man, must we really go this far? If possible, I want everything to be solved amicably. I never want any bloodshed." 

Joseph mocked, "Is that so? It really is strange for a member of the Vampire Race to not demand bloodshed. Or could it be that you cannot even be considered as a member of the Vampire Race anymore?"

He carefully probed, trying to use the art of extrapolating from missing data in order to acquire more information about his enemy.

"Just what do you want to do, young man? Do you want to fight?" The First Elder spoke up, his chest violently heaving in anger when he heard the words of disrespect that Joseph said towards the City Chief.

"Well, I am always ready for a fight. If you want to fight, then we shall do that." Joseph stretched his neck and even jumped up and down.

"You..." The Second Elder stepped forward, a glove made out of unknown material could be seen on his right hand.

"Stop..." The City Chief promptly stopped his comrade.

"Young man, can we really not settle everything peacefully? I am sure that the God of Fighting had enough towards experimenting on those two sisters, can you just hand them over to us now?"

"I really am anxious and sad that there's a possibility for them to die without embracing their loved ones for the last time..."

"I don't want them to die like that, so, please... Please hand them over to us." The City Chief even bowed his head towards Joseph's direction which puzzled the latter. But his confusion only lasted until one of the residents cried out in frustration.

"You bastard... You really are a demon! Making the honorable City Chief bow like that... We will never forgive you!" 

A barely imperceptible light flashed on Joseph's eyes, so he's trying to sway public opinion against me. But does that really matter? I don't really care about the opinion of these ignorant bastards. For as long as they do not touch the two sisters then I could care less about them.

"No..." 

Joseph stared right at the residents and gave his answer.

"My answer is no... If you have any problems with that..."

He took out his Rapier of Grandeur and Beauty.

The inhibited brilliant light of the Rapier that was similar to the light of the sun looked incomparably cold to the residents.

To them, it looked like the glint of the Rapier was the glint of the guillotine that would undoubtedly take their head off their necks once they opposed him.

"I dare you to stand before me." Joseph coldly spat.

He stood with the stance of the Grand Duelist and so did Alice who behind him.

"How foolish..." The City Chief uttered in disappointment. He waved his hand and the residents around him all grew wings on their back which they used to take flight.

"No matter how strong you are as a vessel to the God of Fighting. There is no way that you will be able to stop us all!"

"As long as one of us could get to those two sisters and retrieve them, we will win!" The City Chief continued.

A complacent smile could be seen on his lips as he sized up Joseph and Alice.

"There is no way that you can do that under my watch! Alice!" Joseph coldly uttered.

He called out Alice's name and she rushed from behind him towards the front lines. 

Almost at the same time, the residents who were floating in the air rushed towards the entrance of the stone cave.

"Overwhelming Presence..." Joseph inwardly uttered.

He activated [The Grand Duelist's Overwhelming Presence] which turned his basic attacks into ranged attacks that he swiftly sent towards the flying residents.

However, his eyes widened in shock when he realized that the Second Elder was now standing beside him, a fist was now flying towards his face.

"Parry!" Joseph exclaimed and an indomitable barrier formed a watertight seal around him which protected him from all sorts of attacks from any sources possible. The Second Elder's fists struck the barrier and the force of his fist dissipated onto the barrier like a stone thrown into the ocean.

But...

"AAAHHH!!!"

... Joseph didn't expect that his enemy would cry out so miserably as if he was severely injured. 

What the fuck just happened?

With no time to think, these were the only words that Joseph managed to think about for the second attack of that same elder was now coming towards his face once again.

Dodge!

Joseph leaped backward and swiftly avoided the punch.

He momentarily glanced at Alice and found that she was already in front of the City Chief.

"Lay down your life!"

The City Chief exclaimed and slammed his staff onto the ground.

At that moment, Alice's movements came to a halt. 

Joseph's eyes widened in shock, but before he could even use [The Grand Duelist's Dash] to arrive beside Alice. The attack of the second Elder flew towards him and he was forced to raise his Rapier in order to defend himself from that incoming attack.

Bang!

Joseph staggered backward.

[You have suffered 2,231 damage!]

Shit, that was such a heavy attack...

Despite perfectly blocking the attack using his Rapier, he still suffered some damage. It was obvious that the Second Elder's attacks were too heavy for the Rapier to handle.

I will not try to block his attacks, I must deflect them! Joseph decided in his heart as he twisted his body and sent a basic attack towards the City Chief's direction.

The City Chief who excitedly leaped towards Alice in order to kill her was sent flying backwards after getting struck by an invisible force. But Alice who normally reacted so fast regarding the changes in the battlefield looked like she didn't notice what just happened.

She just stood there with her head bowed low and her neck protruded, it was as if she was voluntarily revealing her neck towards her opponent to be beheaded...

"Alice! Move! Why did you even go to that bastard?!" Joseph cried out, he raised his Rapier and deflected the incoming attack from the Second Elder as he swiftly activated [The Grand Duelist's Dash] in order to arrive beside her.

This time, the City Chief had already recovered and was in the process of sending his second attack towards Alice's direction.

But when he thought that he already had victory in his hands.

Joseph suddenly appeared in his sight.

"Composure."

The young man softly mumbled and the attack that he sent crumbled like ashes in the face of that young man's Rapier.

But before he could even recover from his shock.

The young man swiftly turned around and sent a horizontal slash towards the direction of the residents who were taking advantage of the situation to enter the cave.

"Discharge..." He softly mumbled.

Formless energy tore through the air and indiscriminately sliced those that were near the cave. Screams of pain, helplessness, and despair abruptly rang out as the residents found their limbs torn off. Some of them even spilled their own organs onto the ground due to the severity of their injuries.

"You... What did you do..." The City Chief mumbled in shock. 

There was nothing flashy about the young man's attack. It looked like a completely ordinary horizontal slash that shouldn't even hit anything. But in the very next moment, every resident at the distance near the cave entrance crumbled lifelessly on the ground.

Joseph didn't reply to what the City Chief had said nor he let down his guard. It was because the Second Elder was still relentlessly attacking him from behind.

It was unknown what the First Elder was doing, but the appearance of a system notification that briefly flashed in his vision gave him all the information that he needed.

[An Artifact of great strength is being used nearby.]

[Due to the effects of your title, The Sun That Overlooks Everything.]

[You have resisted.]

Joseph glanced at the distance and there, he found the First Elder standing in front of a yellowish-flag that he stabbed onto the ground.

The flag itself gave off an incredibly ancient air, and it was clear from the subservient expression on the First Elder's face that this was the flag that was causing the anomaly that Joseph resisted with his passive skill.

"Lay down your life!"

A scream rang out, this time. It came from the City Chief who had finally recovered from his trance.

A look of anger could be seen on his face as he aggressively pounded his staff onto the ground.

[An Artifact of undefiable order is being used nearby.]

[Due to the effects of your title, The Sun That Overlooks Everything.]

[You have resisted.]

Undefiable order... So that is the reason why Alice is acting like this. She's being controlled by that staff to lay down her life. I see... But I don't believe that an artifact like that can exist in the world of Victory without having any potential drawback...

The Second Elder always screamed miserably whenever he punched me and I could hear a crunchy noise similar to a bone being broken coming out from his body whenever he attacked me, so I guess.

The drawback of that glove of him is that whenever he used it, a bone in his body will be randomly broken?

What about that flag that the First Elder is using? We are currently in the middle of a battle. Since he is not moving, the logical guess is that he cannot move at all. In other words, the drawback of that artifact should be immobilization. 

As for the City Chief... I wonder what is the drawback of that staff...

Joseph kneeled on the ground and pretended like he was under the spell of the staff. The City Chief excitedly approached him and threw a fatal attack towards his neck, a cold glint streaked across the skies and his blade aimed to cleanly separate Joseph's head from his shoulders.

But...

Bang!

... He was bound to fail.

Since Joseph was merely pretending.

As soon as the blade neared him. He moved and accurately struck the weakness on the Elder's blade and successfully deflected the attack.

Then, he stood up. While carrying Alice on his shoulder, he spun like a top and sent several dozens of attacks from all directions through the use of his [The Grand Duelist's Overwhelming Presence].

"Wha... What is this..." The City Chief received several deep wounds on his chest.

He was thoroughly astonished that he received such injuries that he subconsciously retreated, all while holding his staff tightly in his hand. 

Joseph finally stopped spinning and he raised his head to stare at the City Chief.

His nose twitched and an incomparably pungent smell entered his body as he stared at the City Chief in disbelief.

What the fuck? He shat himself? Was I really that scary? Joseph saw the stains on the City Chief's legs and he confirmed that the City Chief really did shat himself. What the? What the fuck is going on? Could it be that the drawback of that staff that he's holding is explosive diarrhea? 

Realizing this, a smile escaped on Joseph's lips. He couldn't help but inwardly laugh.

He then rushed towards the First Elder whom he concluded to be the easiest one to dispatch due to the immobilization drawback of that yellowish ancient flag that he had stabbed on the ground. 

But when he reappeared beside the First Elder, his eyes widened in shock because he saw a system notification floating right in front of him.

[You have suffered 15,753 damage!]

His movements came to a halt and he found that there was a dried tree branch sticking out from his back towards his chest.

The ghastly whitish color of his ribcage could be seen amidst the blood as Joseph hurriedly threw Alice, the one who suddenly attacked him from behind towards the distance.