It was truly strange.

The shallow cut left by Somersault Slash was still there, on the bony horror's arm, still bleeding lightly.

Yet, the damage seemed to have healed.

How could she be impervious to blades in a literal trial where one can only use swords?

'There must be a way to hurt her…' Daru mused, his eyes never leaving his opponent.

Unfortunately, he wasn't given much time to think.

La Filosa suddenly began weeping again…even though she's still smiling creepily, then burst into another charge half a second later.

She was fast, but she was faster the first time.

Daru had seen the bony horror's speed before, and he was able to react slightly better now.

He slashed his sword at La Filosa, who was hissing and cackling sinisterly as she swung both her sword arms in a cross motion.

An ear-piercing clang rang out.

Due to the considerable disparity in agility, he wasn't able to swing his arms all the way, and so he was sent skidding back a few meters.

"Daru! Hold on, we'll try to look for a way to enter!"

He heard his comrades' worried voices through the white ribbon but paid them no attention, or rather, he couldn't.

His hands were full.

La Filosa was vicious, cunning, and precise with her attacks. She never allowed him to recover much after the first interaction, always moving forward with calculated steps and striking with endless cunning.

Daru was able to fend off her attacks for a while, somewhat confused as to how he was managing.

The bony horror's speed was a bit too much, really, and he could only settle for the defensive.

He would surely die first, otherwise.

Eventually, though, Daru realized how he was keeping up.

The abominable liar's arms weren't keeping up with her legs at all.

She was slightly stronger than he was, but Onimaru Kunitsuna's weight evened things out. This, however, wasn't the main reason.

It was her lacking dexterity.

This wasn't to say that Daru's was superior.

No.

In fact, they were equal…but his perception could handle the speed at which her bony arms lashed out with her vicious strikes.

This was what held La Filosa back.

Knowing this fact was paramount for him to have a chance at a comeback, but he needed much more than just this.

So much more.

Perhaps the most important thing for him to figure out was how to damage the abominable liar.

But how could he, when he can't even attack?

Things were definitely not looking good.

The three Damnedlings were dying of anxiety outside, though they weren't paralyzed by their worries, actively seeking a way to help their trapped comrade.

Still, Daru fought as he always did, even though the unease in his heart grew with the Weeping, and even if he felt more and more repulsed to fight the bony horror with every passing second.

He defended tenaciously, even if there was no hopeful end in sight.

Even if it was the only thing he could do while his very fighting spirit slowly betrayed him.

Daru fought, and fought, and fought, never stopping in trying to think of a solution.

Things eventually got a little better.

He was still being tossed around the lobby, but he was growing more and more familiar with how the abominable liar fought, the speed at which she moved around the dueling space, and the inadequate ability of her arms to capitalize on her agility.

Daru had suffered minor cuts and now had a level 2 bleeding status active.

But for the first time since his red crescent struck true, he was able to counterattack, wounding La Filosa minorly.

[-220]

But she only cackled.

"I told you, ratito, it's no use. Just die, I promise I'll make it quick."

[+220]

Daru snorted, ignoring the sting of his own wounds and stopping the abominable liar's double chopping attack by angling his tachi horizontally above his head.

"As if your filthy promises are worth a damn."

His arm, like his determination, refused to budge.

The strange Weeping seemed to have reached the peak of its effects, making Daru's body tremble, but strangely, his focus was laser sharp.

It was a strange combat state to be in.

His stamina expenditure was more than preferable, as fighting while trembling in fear wasn't that easy, but at the same time, he was aware that this was simply a Sword Skill, or a passive of some sort.

It was not true fear.

The distinction wouldn't have made a difference for a majority, but to Daru, it meant a lot.

He had honed his heart, body, mind, and perhaps even his spirit, after all.

Simply knowing he was not betrayed by them but was only being affected by some external force was very reassuring.

It brought a direct benefit to the battle, but not so much.

The effects were enough to allow him to continue resisting, though, and somehow, things were improving.

From a hopeless defensive, Daru was now dancing with the abominable liar, landing cuts of his own with every other utilization of Swallow Step, though he wasn't unscathed himself.

His hitpoints are now down by a fourth of their total, and while his level 2 bleeding status still had some ways to go before escalating to the alarming level 3, it would eventually happen.

Unless something changes.

Daru was wounded, and his opponent was, too, but the hitpoints told an entirely different story.

'Tch,' he clicked his tongue inwardly, blocking another blow while jumping back. 'I don't believe this thing…this liar is truly impervious to blades.'

How could such a thing be true when the whole point of the Sword Trials was to kill the opponent with the lethal parts of a sword?

'Is Limbo not a part of the Sword Trials, then?'

Most likely, it was.

If not, then why would he be able to access the status window in this god-forsaken realm?

Why would he be able to earn experience points? Obtain drops?

The Underworld — or Limbo, at the very least — is a part of the Sword Trials, and so, La Filosa could only be lying.

'She's…a whisperer of lies. What a coincidence.'

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