"Err, thanks," he accepted the compliments. "So, were any of those One-Eye?"
The question brought a shake of Salvatore's head as he fixed his hair, "Neither of the two I dispatched had just one eye."
"Same here! Though, I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to that," Ruby laughed.
Leon recalled the faces of the ogres he slayed, "Well, all mine had two eyes. Guess it makes sense—these guys weren't all that tough."
As the words left his mouth, it felt like he had just jinxed himself with the entire world at that moment. Every synapse of his brain fired, his reflexes prompting him to defend himself as "something" erupted from the innards of the cave ahead–
The massive silhouette collided with him like a train, slamming against his raised forearms. At that moment, unable to perceive it, all he could do was pack all of his reinforcement into his arms.
Like an extra pair of limbs, he used wind around his body to gain control of his momentum, catching himself on his feet. Somehow, he found himself hundreds of meters from where he stood a moment prior, surprised how far he was knocked away.
'Shit–I could've died pretty easily there if my reflexes weren't razor sharp,' he thought, breathing out.
As he settled his boots on the grass, he found himself not alone in the field, being stared down by a rather intimidating existence. Of a single, colossal horn and skin as dark as obsidian, the one-eyed figure stood there with not two, but four arms.
[Special Designated Entity Identified.]
["One-Eye"] [Level: 21] [Soul Register: Potential Calamity]
In each of its mighty hands, fulminating strands of scarlet lightning coalesced, giving form to giant swords that resembled cleavers in their width. Just from the shift in the air around him, he could tell he was facing something on a completely different scope from the simple ogres before.
'Level twenty-one…If my experience with games is anything to go off of, I'm at a severe disadvantage here. Still, with my magic, I can punch above my weight class–at least, I better hope so,' he resolved.
Sifting through his memory like an archive of spells, he thought of the wind touching his body like a set of steel, impenetrable armor, solidifying it into verdant scales that protected his form.
"Air Exoskeleton."
A spell specializing in defense, acting as a weightless fortress around his skin. As he readied himself, he only twitched his fingers with the thought to raise his sword before—
The cyclopean ogre vanished before his eyes. He immediately spun around before flipping back just as the ground he once stood was split.
It was a miracle he caught his footing, witnessing a ravine instantly cut into the field. What looked like the result of natural causes was the aftermath of the ogre's blade; a frightening display of strength.
'—I'm understanding why this thing killed so many adventures. What the hell is something like this doing near a beginner town?!' He thought.
Across the field, he slid, evading the destructive slashes made by the many arms of the ogre. It moved nimbly despite its overwhelming size, sprinting towards him as the ground rumbled beneath its feet.
He had little time to think, only focusing a bountiful sum of wind into his hands.
"—Air Cannon."
As he witnessed the four-armed warrior close in, he released a blast of wind right at it. It launched through the sound barrier, though it clashed only against the guarding blades of One-Eye.
While the onyx-skinned giant slid back a couple meters, it pushed its cleaving blades forth, dispelling the wind. With its singular, star-shaped iris, the warrior looked at the much smaller human as if asking "Is that it?"
'Seriously? It was able to block the wind—?' He observed.
There was no opportunity to be surprised as the ogre quickly closed in. Bypassing the need to move his feet, he used the wind to carry himself backwards, watching the massive blades cleave all too close.
'The old man didn't give me any damn clue this thing was this strong. I guess he did seem pretty depressed the whole time–hold on, did he even think I'd win?!' He considered on the move.
As the blades cut through chunks of land in pursuit of him, he forced his mind to envision a weightless energy around his body. The infused mana manifested with a high to his senses like potent caffeine—
"Haste."
He moved with heightened agility, perceiving everything as if time around him was slowed. With steps that allowed him to practically skate across the grass, he slid back as the ogre's upper-right arm brought down one of its blades.
The massive sword unleashed a slash that ripped through the field, parting the soil.
'Even with Haste, it's only allowing me to dodge, not get any real attacks in—well, not without taking some risks,' he thought.
Slipping past a land-cleaving strike, he ventured towards the knee of the ogre. He hovered his hand over his blade, casting azure sparks over its length.
"Infuse: Electricity."
When learning both swordplay and magic, it was natural for him to blend the two. He got within range to strike, aiming to sever the giant warrior's knee—
"Pyuh?!"
The air was forced from his lungs just as he went to strike, finding the toes of the fiend driven against him. It happened so fast he hardly processed what happened, finding himself flung through the fields, past trees, soaring right over a calm river before—
His back slammed into a solid wall, finding himself bulldozing right into an unknown room.
"Ffffuuu…"
It was only by the protection of his mystical defense he was in one piece, though the enhancement broke. He sat there as dust rained down, finding himself in the bedroom of a frightened child.
"My bad, go back to sleep," Leon casually said, picking himself up with a groan as he patted the dust from his clothes.
As he hopped out of the broken wall, he looked down as his boots landed on the cobblestone streets of the town. Looking around, it was rather empty during nightfall, at least, until he crashed into someone's home.
"What's going on?"
"Is there an attack?!"
"Who?! What?! Where—?!"
—Concerned denizens of Newfard came out of their homes, though Leon kept his focus on the battle. If anything, the faraway kick gave him ample time to gather his thoughts.
'That guy really kicked me from the forest to the town. In terms of physical power, that thing is leagues above me. I can't try and test it in close combat,' he considered.