The words were laced with precision. They were straight to the point. They hit like a punch, direct and doing maximum damage.

Riven had earlier told Tatehan that the Red Crest Clan was widely known throughout Mars to be hostile to strangers and outsiders.

Tatehan wouldn't even be standing here right now if he wasn't actively helping them with Kael's daughter. And this violent duel was the result of his good will and generosity.

Even though the commander had welcomed him somewhat warmly, their number one fighter clearly hadn't. Mub wanted his blood.

What were the actual odds that he would even come out on top here? What were the realistic odds that he was going to defeat this absolute monster of a man?

He had the earbud device helping him. He had Riven watching and feeding him information. The entire outcome of this fight depended solely on whether she would be able to accurately predict Mub's attacks in real-time.

Thinking about it more carefully now, he was actually incredibly lucky to have gotten Riven to agree to help him with this dangerous scheme.

He had initially thought she could only use her precognitive ability when directly facing an enemy herself, but it seemed she could use it against someone she wasn't actually personally facing in combat.

That realization made Tatehan understand that her ability was genuinely exceptional, perhaps even more valuable than he'd first thought. Because with it, even a small ant would have a legitimate fighting chance against a massive elephant.

He tried to search for Riven in the crowd, wanting to take one last look at her before the fighting started, to reassure himself that she was positioned well and would be able to tell him where to move and where not to move. But he couldn't see her anywhere in the sea of faces. What he could see was just the expectant faces of the crowd as they stared intently at him and Mub, waiting for blood.

Mub's earlier declaration about slaying him right here and right now for everyone to witness had really carried power and weight, because it seemed to have surprised and excited everyone present.

Tatehan looked over at the commander. She sat comfortably on her hovering chair, her large face completely expressionless and unreadable. Then unexpectedly, she suddenly shouted loud and clear for all to hear:

"May the best fighter win this duel!"

Tatehan gave her one last lingering look, then turned his attention to Mub, who was now stretching his thick neck from side to side, audibly cracking and breaking some bones, warming his muscles up for the devastating impact they were about to cause.

Then suddenly... they all heard a loud trumpet-like sound echo across the compound, like the horn of some ancient animal was being blown ceremonially.

It echoed throughout the entire place with a deep, resonating tone. At first, Tatehan did not immediately know what the sound was for or what it signified, but when he saw Mub suddenly slam his axes together and come charging directly at him with frightening speed, he realized instantly.

It was a sound that officially started battle, something like an announcement:

LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!

Tatehan gripped his sword tightly with both hands, moving backwards slightly to give himself space.

Mub came at him with terrifying intensity, closing the distance fast. His eyes were gleaming with pure rage and more rage building behind it!

\Can you hear me?\ He suddenly heard Riven's voice ask clearly from the earbud device.

'Yes...' Tatehan whispered extremely low, so quiet that no one around him would possibly be able to hear the response.

\Good. Don't say any more words out loud. Now let's do this.\

Tatehan said no more words as he gripped his sword tightly, focusing entirely on Mub, who was now almost upon him...

\He's about to raise his right axe high and swing it down hard in your direction, move sharply to your right, NOW!\

Tatehan did exactly as instructed without hesitation. He moved quickly to his right, and Mub's heavy axe came crashing down with brutal force exactly where Tatehan had just been standing a split second before.

'Brilliant,' Tatehan thought with relief.

The axe landed with a thunderous impact, creating a small crater in the hard ground and sending up a cloud of dust. The force behind that single blow was absolutely terrifying. If that had connected with his body, armor or not, he'd be seriously injured or dead.

The kinetic absorption ability might absorb seventy percent of the hit but it would he useless because the thirty percent impacted would seriously and fatally injure Tatehan.

\He's going to follow up immediately with his left axe, horizontal swing aimed at your midsection, duck low!\

Tatehan dropped into a crouch instantly. The second axe whooshed through the air just above his helmeted head, close enough that he could hear the deadly whistle of the blade cutting through space.

The crowd gasped at the close call.

\Now! He's off balance for two seconds, strike at his exposed left side!\

Tatehan lunged forward without thinking, driving his sword toward Mub's left ribcage with all his strength. But Mub was faster than expected. He twisted his massive body at the last possible moment, and Tatehan's blade only managed to scrape against the reinforced leather of his Viking-style armor, leaving a long scratch but drawing no blood.

Mub roared with fury at the near-miss and swung both axes in wide, sweeping arcs, trying to catch Tatehan in a pincer movement.

\Back! Jump back now! Three full steps!\

Tatehan leaped backwards, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to cover the distance quickly. Both axes missed him by mere inches, the displaced air from their passage actually pushing against his armor.

"You're quick, I'll give you that!" Mub shouted, breathing slightly harder now. "But speed won't save you forever!"

\He's going to charge straight at you, trying to tackle you to the ground. Sidestep left at the last moment and use your gravity manipulation to make him heavier as he passes, it'll throw off his momentum!\

Tatehan waited, watching Mub lower his shoulder and charge like an enraged bull. He was surprised at how Riven was helping him. This wasn't exactly what they had planned. What they had planned was that Riven would only predict the movements of Mub while he did the actual fighting. And by actual fighting, that meant the tactical stuff of the fight too.

He was surprised that Riven was now doing all, predicting the movements of Mub and also telling him what to do.

All he had to do at this point was... whatever she told him.

At the absolute last second, just as Riven had instructed, Tatehan sidestepped smoothly to the left and activated his gravity manipulation ability, focusing it entirely on Mub's charging body.

The effect was immediate and dramatic. Mub suddenly felt like he weighed three times his normal mass. His charge became sluggish, his legs buckled slightly under the unexpected weight, and he stumbled forward clumsily, nearly losing his balance completely.

The crowd murmured in surprise. This wasn't what they'd expected to see.

\Perfect! Now while he's struggling, slash at the back of his right knee! It's a weak point in his armor!\

Tatehan moved with purpose, bringing his sword down in a precise strike aimed at the back of Mub's right knee where the armor plates had a gap for flexibility.

This time, his blade connected solidly. Mub roared in pain as the sword bit into flesh, drawing first blood. It wasn't a deep cut (Mub had managed to shift slightly at the last moment) but it was enough to make him bleed and slow him down.

"You dare!" Mub snarled, spinning around with both axes raised. "I'll tear you apart!"

\He's angry now, that makes him more dangerous but also more predictable. He's going to do a spinning attack with both axes extended. Wait for it... wait... NOW! Drop flat to the ground!\

Tatehan threw himself flat on his stomach just as Mub executed a devastating spinning attack, both axes extended at full reach like a deadly helicopter blade. The weapons passed harmlessly over Tatehan's prone form, missing by a safe margin.

\Roll forward toward him while he's completing the spin, he can't stop his momentum!\

Tatehan rolled forward rapidly, closing the distance while Mub was still completing his rotation and unable to defend himself properly.

\Strike upward at his exposed armpit, another weak point!\

Tatehan thrust his sword upward from his position on the ground, aiming for Mub's left armpit where the armor was thinnest. The blade pierced through, sinking several inches into muscle.

Mub howled in genuine pain this time, staggering backwards and dropping his left axe involuntarily as his arm went partially numb from the wound.

The crowd erupted in shocked exclamations. Their champion was bleeding from two wounds now, and the stranger was completely unscathed.

Impossible!

Tatehan scrambled to his feet quickly, sword still in hand, watching Mub carefully.

Mub's face was now a mask of pure rage and..., wait... was that fear? He was breathing heavily, blood dripping from his knee and armpit, one axe lying on the ground several feet away.

\Uh..., he's going to activate his transformation now. I don't seem to know how I can predict this but be ready/

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