Take Down Chapter 73: The Bear Fight

His cold stare detailed your face from under his thick eyebrows and he checked you over for signs of nervousness or bluffing but you looked like you were genuinely going to fight his bear bare handed… and you looked confident about it too.

“Ya have a death wish?” he asked, trying to coax a little fear into you but you didn’t appear to be shaken at all.

“I solo’d the bear at the start of this level?” you replied curiously, almost as if to say ‘well I kicked its ass so yours shouldn’t be that much harder?’

Grizzlee, understandably, took offense at this, but at the same time the sounds of surprise and exclamation from those in the crowd reminded him that you were an unknown entity at this point and if you could confidently stand there, ready to take on his bear by yourself (having beaten the guard of this level by yourself)… and being a supposedly known associate of Butterfli3… then maybe… just maybe you weren’t lying after all.

He hesitated a little, and for a split second considered recalling his bear. But the curious crowd forced his hand and he knew that if he pulled out now it would make an even bigger scene.

“Yur call,” he sneered at you.

“Come,” you replied, “I’m ready.”

Battle invites were exchanged and you stepped back, recalling Ægir into your inventory so that he was out of harms way, then made sure that the townspeople were standing back far enough so as not to get caught up in the fight.

“U/N,” some random called to you in the crowd, able to see your username and using it to get your attention, “even if you lose. I think you’re pretty badass to even stand up to Grizzlee. Let alone take on his bear!”

“Thanks,” you said politely, turning back to face your opponent.

Grizzlee’s bear was the same size as the bear you had taken on at the gates of this level so you weren’t too scared.

“I may have lied I tiny bit about solo-ing the boss… Hansu did jump in at the very end but I’m sure I would have been able to manage if he hadn’t stepped in…”

Suddenly the [ENGAGE] sign flashed up and the bear jumped forward and started its short sprint towards you.

“Ha!” you called, wanting to see how much damage your sonic attack did to the bear so you could gauge which attacks to use based off the percentage it took.

To everyone around it just looked like you had laughed at the bear then danced a little to the side, dropping one arm then suddenly launching into the air at lighting speed – with two sparkling blue whips in hand, a brilliant flash of light following, then you were on the other side, still dancing like nothing had happened.

Gasps of amazement pulsed through those who saw your seamless display and the bear roared in pain and confusion, wondering where you had suddenly gone.

As it turned around to attack, you had already placed a three combo hit with your fan blades across its middle and then suddenly the bear disappeared from view as a purple mist completely enveloped it.

Those who could still see you, saw you delicately dancing to your own beat, your feet working a spell that they knew nothing about.

As the purple haze slowly faded away you mocked the bear again with another ‘ha’, it’s health bar dropping rapidly.

Grizzlee was shell shocked. Never had he seen anyone move like you before. You were very well acquainted with your skills and had very effective combinations lined up with zero reboot time in between.

He was still trying to work out how many attacks you had, but you had changed all of the known commands to your own language so he was having a hard time deciphering them.

“Grizzlee! You had better recall your bear!” someone shouted at him, alerting him to the fact that if he didn’t step in now you were about to take the bear right down to its last drop of health.

It still hadn’t landed a hit, and you still looked fresh- hammering away at it with attack after attack.

Not wanting to recall in the middle of a fight, and risk tarnishing his name, Grizzlee pulled a throwing knife from his pocket, hiding it in the palm of his hand.

“I need to jes give her a snap in the heel and that aught-a slow her down a touch…”

His bear was struggling to keep up with your fine tuned movements and you were relentless, throwing skill after skill.

“Where’s she getting this stamina from?!” Grizzlee thought, waiting for you to slow down enough so that he could aim properly.

Seeing that you were keeping the bear well and truly occupied, you had a chance to glance at Grizzlee to see his expression.

There was no doubt he looked tense. His whole body was stiff. But when you looked again, you saw him shift something with his fingers… there was something held in the palm of his hand.

“Hold on… what is that?” you thought, calling for another ‘ha’ attack while you danced away, still keeping Grizzlee in your peripheral vision, “is he going to throw something at me? A rock?”

Now wary of him as well, you made sure to keep one eye on him at all times while still attacking his bear but because your attention was divided, your moves started to slow down and Grizzlee thought it was because you were staring to tire.

“She’s goin’ down!” he thought triumphantly, readying the knife to throw.

His quick looked around the crowd, to make sure that no one was watching him, alerted you to the fact that he might throw whatever it was, soon, and the second his arm moved you called for ‘move’ and swiped your toe in an arc out in his direction.

Time slowed and you focused into the corner of your eye, barely seeing a small throwing knife, coming directly for your lower leg.

You had caught this all in the nick of time and you lined the tip of the whip up with the knife so that they intercepted perfectly…

Then time sped up.

All Grizzlee saw was you pull two whips out and flick one at his knife- without even really looking at it, then turn your attention on his bear and land a double hit combo that bought the bear to its knees with 9% health.

As he stood there with mouth ajar, you turned back to him and pointed your finger at him.

“Play dirty again and it will be your head that flies next time…”

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