Timeless Assassin-Chapter 1076: Finally Focused

*Click*

*Flip*

Grab.

Attack.

The cards revealed themselves as both players committed to opposing intentions, as while Leo chose to close the distance and seize control, Mauriss opted for immediate aggression, trusting the initiative of striking first over the security of positioning, the contrast between their choices setting the tone for how the exchange would unfold.

Leo made the choice to use grab because, with Mauriss having already exhausted both evade and self explosion, the option had now become a near certain engagement, leaving his opponent with no reliable means of escaping once contact was established, which made it the most calculated move he could make at this stage of the match.

And hence, as the constructs responded to those decisions, Mauriss’s golem surged forward with sharp momentum, its arm rising in a brutal arc as it aimed a direct head strike, while Leo’s golem advanced without hesitation, stepping directly into the attack rather than away from it, fully committing to the exchange that he had already calculated would end in control.

*SLAM*

The attacking blow landed first.

The Gray Golem crashed into Leo’s Purple One, the impact ringing out across the battlefield as fresh cracks spread across its surface, the damage visibly worsening its recently recovered frame, while the force of the hit pushed it back by half a step.

And yet, it did not stop.

As while the damage registered, Leo’s golem completed its forward motion, its arms wrapping tightly around Mauriss’s construct in a solid waist hold, locking it in place before hoisting it upward with raw force.

*LIFT*

The momentum shifted instantly.

Mauriss’s golem, which had just delivered the opening strike, now found itself lifted off the ground, its center of balance broken as it was raised above Leo’s construct, its limbs struggling for leverage in a position that offered none.

Leo had taken the hit.

But claimed the position.

"Ha!" Mauriss laughed, his eyes gleaming with renewed interest as he leaned forward slightly, clearly enjoying the unfolding exchange.

"I know what you’re going to do next now."

His grin widened.

"Your next attack is going to be a slam... isn’t it?"

As he spoke, the state of the board became clearer, as despite gaining positional dominance, Leo’s construct had suffered slightly more damage overall from that exchange, its cracks deeper and more pronounced compared to Mauriss’s, which, although compromised, remained marginally more stable.

And yet, position outweighed condition.

Because from where it stood now, Leo’s golem held control over the next action, as the lifted posture of Mauriss’s construct left it vulnerable to a follow-up that could decisively tilt the match.

As what Leo did next, seemed to be almost obvious.

*Click*

Leo moved first.

*Click*

Mauriss followed.

The multipliers slid in alongside the chosen moves, locking into place as the board accepted their decisions and prepared to resolve what would likely become the most decisive exchange of the match so far.

*Flip*

Slam x10.

Defend x2.

As the cards revealed themselves, Leo’s intention materialized immediately, as his golem shifted its grip and drove the lifted construct downward with overwhelming force, channeling the amplified power of the multiplier into a devastating slam aimed directly at the ground beneath them.

*BOOOOM*

The impact was catastrophic.

The battlefield trembled as Mauriss’s golem was driven into the surface, the sheer force of the slam cracking the ground beneath it as shockwaves rippled outward, the sound echoing violently into the storm above.

And yet, it did not end.

As in the instant before impact, Mauriss’s construct braced itself, its form tightening as the defensive multiplier activated, reinforcing its structure just enough to withstand what should have been a fatal blow.

The result was brutal.

Its body sank into the ground, fractures spreading across nearly every inch of its surface, pieces of stone breaking away as its form destabilized to the brink of collapse, while the defensive reinforcement barely held it together in a state that could only be described as surviving by the narrowest margin possible.

It was still standing.

But only just.

Across from it, Leo’s golem remained upright, its stance firm despite the earlier damage it had taken, as the successful execution of the slam established clear dominance in both position and outcome, leaving it in control of the battlefield once more.

Now, the difference between them was undeniable.

Mauriss’s construct had been reduced to a critical state, where even the slightest successful attack in the coming exchanges would be enough to end it, while Leo’s, though damaged, retained enough structural integrity to withstand at least one more confrontation.

And with that exchange resolved, the state of the match narrowed sharply.

Both players now had only two moves remaining, alongside a single multiplier each, as the margin for error collapsed into almost nothing, every decision from this point onward carrying the weight of the entire game.

For Mauriss, the path forward had become dangerously thin, as the room for recovery or deception had diminished significantly, forcing him into a position where even a single miscalculation would result in defeat.

For Leo, however, this was exactly where he had intended to arrive.

A controlled endgame.

A narrowed field of possibilities.

A state where prediction outweighed chaos.

"I’ve got you now...."

Leo muttered, as his eyes remained fixed on the board, the words slipping out more as a quiet conclusion than a declaration, as the path ahead finally appeared clear to him in a way it had not been at any point before.

For a brief moment, Mauriss said nothing, until eventually, he started to laugh yet again.

"Ha..."

It rose slowly, building in his chest as his shoulders began to shake, the sound stretching into something far more unhinged as his grin widened unnaturally, his eyes gleaming with a manic light that refused to dim even in the face of the disadvantage before him.

"Haha... hahahaha...!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He tilted his head back slightly, laughing into the storm as though the very idea of being cornered amused him more than anything else, as if this narrowing of options only made the game more thrilling in his eyes.

"Don’t count me out just yet, Skyshard..." he said, his voice still laced with laughter as he leaned forward again, resting his chin lightly over his interlocked fingers while staring at Leo with unsettling intensity.

"I still have one attack and one multiplier left."

His grin stretched wider.

"Just like you."

A soft breath escaped him as he shook his head slightly, as though savoring the moment.

"You never know..."

His eyes sharpened.

"With both of us having one attack and one defence left..."

He paused deliberately.

"The match can still go either way."

He said, as for the first time since the game began, he actually looked locked in now.