>>5414030>>5414039>>5414040Letting him attack first, you study his pattern as he lunges at your right, meaning to exploit your wounded arm.
His stance is a lot more open than yours, believing he has the edge against your fancier sidestepping with your dominant hand on your hip.
Very impressive. Perhaps with strength and skill like this, he could have beaten the likes of Corkus...
But that's not the enemy he's fighting, is it?
Crossing your arms, you suddenly stay still as Roderick confusedly stops attacking.
"Do you... surrender?"
"Changing stances."
"I'm not sure you can even defend yourself without drawing your blade..."
"I'm not sure you know just how out of your league you are."
Taking offense to your remarks, he grimaces as he picks up the pace of his attacks.
The duel only ends if he hits you, so as long as you keep sidestepping tot he opposite direction of his lunges, you will tire him out with ease.
Your rotations eventually lead your back to collide with the food table. Good! You were getting thirsty from all the hopping...
"Why are you mocking me?" Roderick begins to lose his patience as he is humiliated by not even managing to hit a man who looked so wounded.
"Relax, it's only a glass of water..." You approach the cup to your lips, only to be forced to spill the drink on the carpet from he fail of the bouncy sword.
"Fine... I'll try to make a challenge out of this." You raise the chalice and hold it like the handle of a sword, parrying his attacks as you try to catch the tip of his weapon inside the glass without breaking. It's a surprisingly fun self imposed adversary.
If only Roderick's blows weren't growing increasingly weaker and more self defeating with every attack.
A sidestep to the right, a sidestep to the right, another one, another one... You've seen this already. There's no point in destroying his spirit.
All he has to know is that he never stood a chance.
Farnese watches your sword fly into the air as you fling it vertically into a spin. Opening your stance, you invite Roderick to seize his best chance of attacking. You even drop the glass as you prepare for him to come forward.
"Looks like I've let my hands slip."
Placing one of your legs up as you struck him below the elbow with a knee strike, his hand drops the sword from the nerve shock just around the time your sword was about to go right through his head.
Thankfully, you were there to catch both his and your swords from falling, spinning him over to the nearest table and sinking both swords at the woodwork, each close enough to his ears to make him hear the splinters exiting the ornate table.
"Let me know how your fight with a dragon goes when you get to it." You whisper in his ear, making his blood run cold.
