Chapter 102: Chapter102-Battle with Mickey

The first person was Lia. But the second person was a complete surprise. I hadn't anticipated him fighting Lia, especially considering his rank. I couldn't understand why he was fighting someone of a lower rank. Shouldn't he be battling opponents of equal or higher rank? Who gave him that overpowered status? It was disappointing. I had high expectations, but he squandered them with this pathetic display. I didn't expect this kind of fight from him at all. That guy was Mickey... He was fiercely battling Lia with swords. They lunged at each other simultaneously, and their swords clashed within seconds. It was obvious who was winningthe stronger man. From the way Lia was fighting, it was clear she couldn't win. This also suggested that the Lia possessed by Luis might have been one of his illusions. She had fought superbly against us before, but now, fighting Mickey, she was struggling... I could have jumped into the fight to help her, but I chose not to. Charging in without understanding his movements could be risky, and I might just end up being a liability to Lia. So, my priority now is to study his footwork. There might be a recurring mistake that I can use to my advantage. Mickey and Lia circled each other, their swords poised for the next strike... They stared at each other for what seemed like a minute, and it was super boring. I was expecting them to start fighting. But seriously, why are they just staring? I understand they want to size each other up, but why is it taking so long? Just start fighting already Before I could finish that thought, Mickey, who had been watching Lia closely, feinted to the left, then struck with a powerful overhead swing. Wow, she was able to save herself... I expected that move to defeat her, but I guess I was wrong... Lia blocked it just in time, their swords locking together with a shower of sparks. She pushed back, using all her strength to create some distance... Just as I expected, when you're up against the heir of the leading family, you need to give it your best effort. Otherwise, beating them won't be easy. Lia lunged forward with a swift series of jabs aimed at Mickey's torso. Even though it's clear Lia will lose this battle soon, I have to admit she's really giving it her all, even with her slim chances of winning... He parried each thrust with precise, controlled movements, his eyes never leaving hers. Mickey responded with a rapid horizontal slash aimed at her midsection... Lia twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the blade, and retaliated with an upward strike, aiming for his shoulder. Hmm... Good, but it's still not enough to win. Mickey deflected the blow effortlessly and countered with a quick thrust to her side. Lia twisted away, but... The force of the attack made her lose her footing... "Oh no, fuck, don't fall, don't fall..." I kept repeating this, hoping Lia wouldn't hit the ground. But in the end, my prayers didn't work, and she fell flat with no way to get back up. She stumbled, her boot slipping on the blood-slick floor. Desperately, she tried to regain her balance, but it was too late. Nah, she's done for now... She fell to the ground, her sword clattering beside her. Mickey didn't hesitate. He advanced on her with the precision of a predator, his sword raised. Lia, still on the ground, grabbed her weapon and swung it upward in a last-ditch effort to defend herself... Mickey's eyes shone with coldness, and a wicked smile appeared on his face. He struck her blade with such force that it flew out of her hand and slid across the floor.. "Ugh!" Lia said in a cute way as she lost her sword... Now weaponless and vulnerable, Lia looked up at Mickey, who stood over her, his sword pointed at her throat. The cold steel glinted menacingly in the dim light... Mickey's breathing was steady, his expression unreadable. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. "Head down!" Mickey ordered, his voice steady and firm. Lia's chest heaved from the effort, and her eyes showed both defiance and desperation. She knew she was at his mercy... Despite her brave fight, Mickey's skill and strength were clear. The battle was over. Mickey had won. I sighed. Well... I knew she would eventually lose, but I didn't think it would happen like this. Damn it, looks like I have to step in now... I really hoped she'd fought him longer so I could get a better grasp of his moves... But, still... Even with the limited time I had to watch, I noticed a flaw in Mickey's fighting style. While most of his movements seemed perfect as flat, his footwork had a small error. Mickey frequently shifted his weight from one foot to the other before striking, putting all his weight on his back foot briefly before moving forward. This caused a slight imbalance and a short window of vulnerability. And... If I can time my attack to exploit this moment when he shifts his weight, I might be able to catch him off guard and gain an advantage in the fight or might even overpower him... But to do that, I need to observe this situation more closely before moving in to catch off-guard... Mickey stood over Lia, his sword raised in horizontal way... "Head down!" he commanded, his voice cold and unwavering. Lia's chest heaved with exhaustion and defiance. Despite Mickey's orders, she held her head high, her eyes blazing with stubborn resolve... I wasn't happy with her either.Why wouldn't she just do as he said? He might slice her in half if she didn't. Mickey's patience snapped. "Damn it, just give up already! Who the hell are you showing those eyes? Am I your servant or something?" he snarled. In a sudden, furious motion, he kicked Lia hard in the stomach. What the... She was thrown backward, her body sliding across the blood-slick floor... How dare he... She coughed up blood, her breathing ragged and pained. You bastardWait... I was about to charge straight at him, a sudden surge of anger boiling in my heart. Seeing him kick her like that filled me with rage. I was furious, ready to rush in without thinking. But just in time, I realized I was about to make a grave mistake... Now wasn't the right time for it. Mickey stalked toward her, his anger palpable. "Do you get it now, huh? Who's in charge here?" he demanded. Lia struggled to her feet, her voice steady despite her condition. "No, I... don't get... it, and I never... will. Do... you understand that... now?" She was delivering those words with the same attitude she had before, despite the pain... Mickey's rage intensified. He stopped just a few feet from Lia, his head lowered as he fumed. "Yeah, I get it. I get it all too well." When I heard his words, I was confused... What exactly was he trying to say? I mean, what was he getting at? He lifted his head, eyes blazing with fury. "You rich people live in your cushy beds and never give a damn about anyone else. You think the world revolves around you. You can say and do whatever you want, but you never lower your head. Instead, you force others to bow theirs..." Oh, I understand now... That's why he was so angryit's a rich versus poor issue. Based on what he said, it's easy to figure out what kind of backstory he might have... If my thoughts are correct, then I feel a bit sad. Nowadays, rich people keep turning ordinary folks into villains. He took a deep breath, his voice shaking with anger. "You're all hypocrites... Every single one of you. You're all the same... He was right; you should all be killed, no matter how innocent you look." Why is he talking so much now? Wasn't he silent before? I quickly checked his character status and was surprised... Why? His personality was not same as before... **Personality:** Ruthless, Silent, Intelligent, and Overpowered (currently Not Applicable) (Reason: Not in right mind.) Wait... I could do this... Why didn't I know this earlier? If I had, things would have been a lot easier... This system is really mysterious. The more I think I understand it, the more it continues to amaze me with new surprises every day. Just how many incredible surprises do you have in store, system? [Countless, Host!] Yeah, that's exactly the kind of reply I was expecting.... While I was chatting with the system, Mickey was slowly lifting his sword, looming over Lia. His blade was raised high, ready to deliver the final, devastating blow... I quickly refocused on him. So, he was actually going to do that. He had been relentless, and now, with Lia on the floor, battered and weakened, he intended to finish what he had started. "You're done for! I hope you join your ancestors in hell!" With a fierce shout, Mickey swung his sword horizontally, aiming to cut Lia down where she lay. His sword sliced through the air with precision, but just as it was about to make contact, a sudden flash of metal streaked through the space between them as... A knife flew directly toward Mickey's face. Reacting instinctively, Mickey twisted his torso and used his sword to deflect the incoming knife. The weapon clanged off his blade, spinning off course and embedding itself in the nearby wall. "Not on my watch, buddy!" I shouted.... Mickey's head snapped toward the source of the interruption, his eyes narrowing in anger. At that moment, I made my entrance. I walked in confidently, immediately drawing attention. "You-" Mickey, momentarily distracted, barely noticed as I pulled out my gun and fired a shot straight at him. "Fuck, Do you really think I'm going to give you any time to react?" The bullet whizzed through the air with a sharp crack... Mickey jumped back with impressive agility, twisting mid-air to dodge the bullet. He landed smoothly a few feet away, his eyes searching for the new threat. As expected, my plan wasn't to fight him first. While he jumped, I quickly moved to Lia, who was struggling on the ground... "Michael!" She looked up at me, her eyes a mix of relief and pain. "Help me," she whispered, her voice weak... I knelt beside her, pulling out a vial of healing potion from my bag. "Hang on," I said, gently lifting her head and pouring the potion into her mouth. "This should help." As she drank the potion, her breathing began to steady, and a glimmer of hope returned to her eyes. I stayed close, watching as the potion started to heal her injuries and ease her pain... Mickey's gaze remained locked on me, his anger evident. He was clearly rattled by the sudden intervention but wasn't backing down. "Take it slow. Don't try to stand up until you're properly healed." Still watching Lia, I kept a close eye on Mickey. His expression was a mix of frustration and defiance. He clenched his sword tightly, readying himself for another attack. One thing was odd, though: Mickey suddenly stopped talking and started analyzing me like he had never seen me before. I couldn't blame him. Honestly, I didn't expect many people, even among the rebels, to know much about me. And it didn't bother me whether they know or not. Lia's breathing grew more regular, thanks to the potion. Her wounds were starting to heal, and her strength seemed to be returning within few seconds... She looked at me with gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you," she said, her voice stronger now. As soon as Lia's gratitude left her lips, Mickey's fury reignited... I couldn't respond; I was too focused on the immediate threat. Without warning, Mickey charged at me with a fierce, downward swing of his sword... I barely had time to react. Even though I was prepared for him to surprise attack, his speed still caught me off guard... I drew my dagger, holding it up to block his attack. "Arhh!" The impact of his sword against my dagger sent a jarring shock up my arm, but I managed to deflect his blade away from my vital areas. "Fuck off!" The force of his strike pushed me back a step, but I quickly regained my balance. With a swift movement, I used the momentum from Mickey's attack to pivot and push him slightly with my shoulder, creating just enough space to maneuver. He stumbled back slightly, his surprise evident... "Get up, Lia!" I shouted, my eyes darting to her. Lia, now steadier thanks to the potion, got to her feet, her bruised face showing new determination. As I faced Mickey, Lia moved to stand beside me, ready to jump back into the fight. I quickly checked Mickey's character status and saw that his condition hadn't changed. This meant he might give me a few chances to win because he wasn't in good state of mind... It seemed like Lia's conversation had really affected him... He took it personally. "Stick close and watch his footwork," I told Lia urgently. "Go for his left leg. That's where he's most vulnerable."