[SP-F7] Dixon

[Azide 0]

He swung his blade furiously, as though every swing kept him alive. There was no time for thoughts- they would not work against Dixon. So he abandoned them. Not because they were useless, but because they were of no use to him against this particular enemy. Calculation had its uses, but perhaps he had been leaning on it all of this time. The system had always done so much for his swordsmanship, that he'd neglected to realize that he'd been investing all of his energy into calculating this and analyzing that- instead of listening to that instinct which had been developing alongside him.

His swings were wild, and displayed a beauty that could only be compared to the harmonious disharmony of avant garde. It was a meaningful purposeless that he demonstrated, and he let the feeling run wild. Gone was the separation between the sword and himself- in battle, they were one and the same. It was never Quantum Slicer that had done the attack- it had always been him.

All of the frustration he'd felt- both now, and since his very first day in Aincrad- he let fly through each stroke of his blade. There was no need to think about all of the little strikes; each swing simply fell in place where it was needed. All that he'd picked up on since the first boar he'd slain- he'd learned it all, and the muscle memory had never gone away.

The relentless of his continued assault kept Dixon relegated to defending and evading. He still hadn't managed to land a hit- but he'd succeeded in suppressing the man's offensive presence. He thought he'd even seen the man crack a smile in between the flurry of slashes he'd sent his way.

[Azide 0]

The floodgates had been opened, and the resulting torrent continued to pour through. To lesser swordsman, his offensive pressure would've been an overwhelming- almost hopelessly insurmountable task. But even as Azide continued to wreak havoc in his adrenaline-filled frenzy, old Dixon was not one to be taken lightly. For the time being, he bunkered down and countered each strike with the base of his blade. He simply bided his time and withstood the storm, but not before disengaging long enough to fire off a quick remark.

"You learn fast, kid." He raised his blade to deflect an oncoming blow, buying him enough time to throw in another quick comment. "Looks like you've finally realized the missing piece," he observed. The old man parried Azide's next swing and ducked under its redirected arc before knocking it into the air with a mighty upward swing of his sword. Immediately, he swung his sword so that its tip pressed against Azide's chest.

That would've brought their makeshift duel to an end, had Azide not instinctively snatched the blade from the air on its way up. As Dixon brought a blade to his chest, Azide did him one better and sliced the tip of Quantum Slicer across the man's robe, cutting into a razor-thin line.

With the final act played out and brought to a close, the two withdrew their blades and outstretched arms, and began to laugh.

[Azide 0]

Their companions slithered up to join them, with each of the two serpents making its way to its master's side. Azide stooped over and allowed Lucifer to coil around his arm before standing back up. He look over at Dixon to see that the man had since sheathed his blade, and so Azide followed his lead. His cobra had remained on the ground, but stood proudly beside its owner. The sight reminded him of the dogs he'd read about in the real world, whose loyalty had been immortalized in literature and cinema. For reptiles, the creatures were certainly loyal- he couldn't ask for a better companion than Lucifer.

Azide took steady breaths through his nostrils and released them slowly through pursed lips. His energy allowance was well past spent at this point, to the extent that he'd probably be paying for this with a whole lot of rest tonight. Not to mention aching, burning limbs. His face was red, and sweat dripped from ever pore on his face. His chest felt like it was going to explode- but he felt alive. Alive, and greater than he'd been before.

[Azide 0]

He bowed to the man who stood before him. Not because he was lesser, but because the man had earned his respect, and his gratitude. Dixon had served as the impetus which would propel his swordsmanship to the next level. Obviously, Azide would not immediately become the man's equal- it would take many more years before he would approach that threshold. But was it safe to say that the man had given him the tools to do so?

In his mind, he'd decided that the answer was yes. Just because his own abilities and training had taken him to the second tallest peak had never been a guarantee that they'd take him to the highest- that had simply always been an assumption. This final climb was a whole different ballgame, and had he not taken this venture, it was likely he would've been stuck playing tennis on the football field.

There would always be a time and place for calculation- just as there was a fundamental need to master the sword itself. His sword was never meant to be thought of as a simple tool, or means to an end. It was the end. In his comfort with the system's assistance as a crutch, he'd neglected truth of his sword, and instead attempted to compensate by analyzing the hell out of every single little thing.

But even the quickest of thoughts took time- and in a real duel, time was not in abundance. It would always ultimately be down to instinct, and trusting his hands to put the blade where it needed to go. Calculation could be used, and he would never let that go. Only now, he felt in tune with his weapon of choice, and that sync would only grow with time. His strikes felt truer, and surer than ever.

[Azide 0]

"Back to thinking again, aren't we?" called the man. His words snapped the boy from his introspective trance and called him back to the seventh floor. Dixon folded his arms and gave him a knowing, but friendlier look. His features still made him look plenty gruff, but there was a peacefulness to it. He gave the appearance of having lived through his fair share of eventful occasions, while also having come to terms with them. It added a certain wholesomeness too it- as if age had added to, rather than taken from him.

Azide blinked and processed the man's question. "Guilty as charged, Master Dixon." He smiled weakly as he raised his hand to clutch the nape of his neck. "I reckon it'd be a little premature to call us equals, am I right?" he asked. His eyes settled upon the master's weapon of choice, and he gestured to the simple blade. "After all, you're not even using an enhanced rapier."

Dixon laughed off the boy's observation and stroked his beard. He shrugged. "Guilty as charged," replied the man. "But you can quit calling me master, kid. I'm just Dixon, so you can save your breath." He paced over to the boy and placed a heavy hand against his shoulder. "And equals?" Once again, he laughed. "Not even close. You're going to need to practice first, kid. And maybe when you're as old and gray as I am, you just might be able to call yourself my equal."

[Azide 0]

Azide nodded. "Dixon it is," he answered, extending his hand forward. As they shook, he introduced himself. "And I guess it would've been better to say this earlier, but better late than never I suppose. My name's Azide- and I'm honored to have gotten the chance to meet you." And it was true; Dixon was something of a whispered legend among rapier users. He served as proof that there was still much to be learned, and hinted at the true height of the trade's skill ceiling.

Liking the old man's tone, he decided to add a little fire to the pan. "And as for becoming your equal? I'll drop by again in a year's time or so, and we'll see how I measure up. I'm quick to learn, you know." The man wasn't as strict or traditional as he'd first figured him to be, and their fight had made him more daring in his words. In their final duel, he hadn't been allowed to hold back- nor could he resist the chance to make himself clear. "And next time, I hope for your sake that you use a real blade," he added.

He fully intended to become number one- and that meant one day, he'd have to best even old Dixon. For now, however, everything before then would be a comparative breeze. He'd traveled to hell and danced with the devil himself- a bit of fire here and there was nothing. Not even enough to make him sweat.

[Azide 0]

After a few more spirited exchanges of words and a promise to return, Azide bowed deeply to the master, and Lucifer dipped its head accordingly. Dixon returned the gesture with a nod of his head, and as the two took their leave from the village in the mountains, they waved back at him and the cobra.

Well, one of them waved, at least. It wasn't Lucifer.

They made their way back to Nimbus- the location of the floor's teleporter. As peaceful as it was up here, the lower levels of oxygen made each visit to the floor somewhat off-putting. "I've spent enough time here for one day," he thought. "Maybe even a week or two."

Azide pulled up his menu, and discovered that the option to upgrade his rapier mastery was no longer greyed out. "With this, the real game begins," he remarked. He tapped a finger to the screen and confirmed the transfer of skill points.

It was done. And yet, it was just beginning.

[Azide 0]

=====Topic Completed=====

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- One-Handed Rapier Grandmastered