Blood trickled down Harlequin’s forehead but he was still smirking at his opponent. This made Amon more annoyed, another laser like beam rushed to Harlequin’s direction which he effortlessly dodged.
“Be on offensive you idiot! Don’t just dodge,” though irritated, Amon did not forget the fact that she was summoned her for training purposes.
The goddess have not forbidden the fight but she should still adhere to the first order she was given. And that is to help the hero strengthen his attacks.
“But kid, I don’t have contracted spirits yet,” the hero shouted between dodging the beams from Amon. When Amon heard this, she stopped the rain of beams and looked at Harlequin with confusion.
She was already told that the summoned hero has his own original power. It was connected to the things he has the greatest connection too in his world. The power he was able to manifest was something unique, in this world it was classified as aberrant. Being able to make anyone his subordinate once they signed a contract with him, he can seal their souls and make them his spirits. Then they would play the role according to what he has assigned.
“Chess pieces, that’s what you call your spirits right?” Amon voiced out her question.
“Oh, so you were informed first hand huh?” The hero stated glancing at the goddess who was floating above.
“Yes you are correct. It’s from a game called chess back in my world, and this…” suddenly the ground shook and a new layer of ground appeared. It was black and white tiles placed alternately. A total of 32 tiles formed in the ground making a mini square battle field.
“…is a chess board. It’s quite small for now and I can’t probably maintain it, but yeah, that’s the gist of it. What I’m saying is I don’t have my pieces yet.” The hero explained with the smug smile on his face still present.
“And what does it have to do with our battle? The opponent’s deficit is not my problem,” Amon said, emphasizing the word deficit due to the annoying grin placed on the hero’s face.
*“By the grace of the heavens
Lend me thy strength oh my haven
Wind of the celestial I have vowed
Guide me and lift me up to the clouds”*
After casting the floating spell, Amon immediately casted another non-verbal spell intending to attack the hero from above.
Amon did not really completely trust and believe the hero. Now in her eyes he was just an arrogant scum that was summoned from another world. At first she felt sympathy for the poor human but right now, she could not help but feel the desire to crush him.
Straight from above, the beam of light plunged to Harlequin but he dodged it easily, the beam of light instead made a whole in one of the tiles leaving a trail of smoke as an evidence of the incident.
“Woah, that was dangerous, haha,” Harlequin nonchalantly said when another beam attacked him again.
“Hey! Keeping me busy huh?” He further annoyed Amon who was still floating in the air.
Again and again one beam after another, spells after spells, Amon tirelessly rushed attacks towards the hero.
As time passes, the expression on Harlequin’s face slowly changed, it was beginning get darker. The exhaustion can also be seen in his body, he wondered how Amon had so many reserved mana to produce so many spells without even tiring.
That was the plan at first, to tire her out to the point that she would not be able to cast spells anymore. Since Harlequin has confidence in his physical stamina, he can just dodge and dodge until he could finally find an opening. But he should really not expect less from the disciple of a goddess. Now the plan backfired and it was him who was beginning to get tired. The intervals of his dodging was now getting slower. That is why he could not prevent some of the light beams grazing him.
“Now, now, getting tired dear hero? Where is that annoying grin of yours now?” It was Amon’s turn to mock him now.
Harlequin’s neck was also getting strained from looking up to Amon. The goddess of the wind on the other hand has already called on his familiar and was comfortably sitting on the dragon’s back with a bunch of soft clouds on her back. It was as if she was very ready for a long battle.
“Why don’t you come down kid and battle me properly on ground?” He taunted Amon.
“It’s unfair that you use such high class spell to beginner in magic who can’t even cast spells properly,” he pitifully said. His voice was tired and there was no joke in his eyes. Amon sighed and slowly went down. The ground was still what Harlequin called, a chess board.
But the moment Amon’s foot touched the white tile on the ground, the tile glowed and the annoying grin on Harlequin’s face was present once again. Amon immediately floated once again but upon reaching a certain altitude, she was pulled down and found herself standing on the center white tile again.
“What did you do?” The silent anger was slowly creeping to her. She was beginning to get even more annoyed by the fact that she does not know anything about this power he holds.
“I figured I should show you some of my skills, since you keep saying I should go on offensive,”
Then a black halo appeared on Harlequin’s head and above a cross appeared.
“In this board I am the king, the white king to be exact. And you will play the role of... the black king,” Harlequin, with his wide grin told Amon.
“And, you cannot escape in this board until I let you so, or you defeat me, it’s either of the two,”
Amon gritted her teeth and summoned her wand, preparing once again to attack.
“That’s the fighting spirit! But what should I do, I don’t have spirits yet,” Harlequin problematically said.
Amon did listen at all but instead continued to fire spells at Harlequin once again. But this time, the hero did not dodge; this has taken Amon in surprise. Harlequin stood there smiling, as the beam of light lunged to him.
“H-hey—“ Amon called out to Harlequin because it seems like he does not have any plans to move, is this his signal of giving up?
But Amon has wasted the little worry she had, because it was not of any chance that Harlequin gave up. One moment before the beam completely reached him the cross above his head glowed and something materialized in front of him. In the white tile in front of him, a silver wolf appeared, swallowing whole the beam of light that was about to threaten the safety of the hero.
“W-what, you said you don’t have a spirit yet!” Amon accusingly shouted at Harlequin who grinned at her.
“Did I say that? Oh, what I mean is, I don’t have officials yet haha,” Harlequin said without an ounce of remorse that he have lied.
“Well then, let’s continue our fight, now more seriously,” Harlequin announced as more pawns appeared in front of him.