SWOOSH—!
The knight closed the distance between us in a single, heavy stride. He swung that long sword down with the full weight of his two-handed grip behind it, aiming to split me in half.
TAAANG—!!!
I tried to raise my sword above my head to block the strike, but the sheer force was too much for my arms to handle alone. I felt my elbows buckle slightly under the pressure.
’I can’t take this head-on.’
So instead— SHHHK— I angled the blade of my sword downward at the last second. I let his steel slide along mine, redirecting all that momentum straight into the ground.
BOOM!
The stone ground beside me cracked and shattered because of the force of his attack. I didn’t pay any attention to the debris and immediately countered with a quick swing aimed at his exposed left arm instead.
But the knight twisted his torso with surprising agility. And with a swift pull of his sword from the cracked ground— THUNK! He blocked my attack perfectly.
It was absurd. I was so sure I was about to get a hit in there.
THUD!
Before I could reset, he used his right shoulder to shove me away. It didn’t cause me any real pain, but the force of it was enough to make me stumble back several steps.
Seeing the perfect distance between us, he didn’t hesitate— SWISH!
The knight executed a powerful horizontal slash coming from my right, fully utilizing the incredible length of his weapon.
FWIP-
I crouched down low to avoid the blade. I placed my left hand on the cold floor to give myself some extra footing. Then, striking from below— SWOOSH!
I launched a rising swing, aiming directly for the knight’s chin.
TAP- FWISH~
But with just a casual, measured step back, the knight easily avoided my attack. Unlike his weapon, mine is just a standard arming sword— it isn’t nearly long enough for this kind of range.
I cursed internally because of the disadvantage. I could see the knight looking down at me through his helm. And without giving me any time to recover my balance— SWISH!
He swung down at me again!
I grabbed the floor with [Adhesive Grip]. Then putting all the strength I had into my left arm and hand— FWOOSH— I pushed myself to the side.
B O O M—!
The ground where I had been a second ago shattered into pieces. I immediately did a donkey roll to get back on my feet. But by the time I stood up and looked at my opponent— CLANG!
"...?!"
He was already right in front of me.
He launched an attack that was clearly meant to behead me. I was only just able to shove the blade of my sword between his steel and my neck.
I quickly ducked down and let the sword pass harmlessly above my head. Then, swiftly— I swung back, aiming for the open left side of his body.
TING!
But he blocked it again. This time, he used the hilt of his own sword to stop my blade.
Steel crashed against steel, the sound echoing through the chamber. Every impact sent a jolt up my arms, numbing my fingers.
SWOOSH— TING! CLANG!
The knight lunged with a sequence I didn’t recognize— a feint left that turned into a thrust at my gut. I twisted just enough for the blade to scrape my waist instead of my stomach.
SWISH!
Then I slashed at his wrist.
TING!
He batted my blade away like he was swatting a fly.
My brows furrowed. The knight showed absolutely no sign of fatigue or hesitation. Each of his movements was strong and precise.
Meanwhile... I was using every trick I had just to stay alive.
He stepped forward again; and sent a probing thrust my way. I sidestepped to avoid it.
SWOOSH!
Another horizontal slash followed. I ducked down from it.
FWISH—
A rising cut came from below. I jumped back to clear the range.
He was reading me now. I could see it in the way his helmet tilted slightly after each exchange, as if he was tracking my patterns.
THUNK!
Our swords locked together at the hilt. We stood there, pressed hard against each other, his massive weight bearing down on me. I could smell the rust and old iron of his armor. I could see nothing but darkness behind his helmet’s slit.
I pushed. He pushed back. Neither of us moved.
Then— BAM! He suddenly kneed me in the thigh!
It wasn’t hard enough to break the bone, but it was enough to make my leg buckle. I dropped to one knee— SWISH— and his sword came down for my head!
’Fucker...!’
I rolled forward instead of back, passing deep inside his reach.
THUD!
Then I struck his leg with my elbow, just above the greave... But he didn’t even stagger.
CLANG— I barely got my sword up in time to save myself. He was already turning, already swinging again. The force of the blow drove me back two full steps.
-...
"..."
We circled each other now. The small cuts on my arms began to stings. One on my forearm was leaking blood through my sleeve. Another across my ribs stung with every breath I took. They were small wounds, but they were starting to add up.
BAM!
Just then, the knight came at me again.
SWOOSH— SLASH— TING— FWIP!
He unleashed three attacks in the span of a single heartbeat. I blocked the first and deflected the second, but the third opened a cut across my right bicep. My grip weakened. Just slightly.
But it was enough for him to notice.
WHOOSH!
His next attack was aimed exactly there; at my wounded arm and my failing grip. It was a crushing overhand strike meant to shatter my sword hand entirely!
I couldn’t block it. Not head-on.
So instead— SHHHK— I let his blade slide down mine again. But this time, I twisted my wrist at the last moment, redirecting his momentum past me.
He stumbled forward just a fraction, and not missing that— THUD!
I kicked his back leg!
He didn’t fall, but he definitely staggered. For one heartbeat, his stance was completely wrong.
I swung for his exposed armpit; the only gap in the armor.
TING!
But his elbow caught my blade. He had recovered too fast. Too damn fast.
And the fight went on.
SWOOSH— CLANG- TING- THUNK!!!
Our swords danced. Sparks showered us with every collision. The ringing filled my skull until I couldn’t even hear my own breathing anymore. My world narrowed down to the edge of my blade and the shape of my enemy.
I tried a feint— going low to high. But he didn’t bite.
I tried a double-cut— left, then right. But he parried both without even moving his feet.
I tried to close the distance and grapple him— BAM!
But he shoved me away by slamming his gauntlet across my face.
My vision swam. Blood dripped into my left eye from the cut on my brow.
SWISH!
The knight pressed forward.
His sword was everywhere at once. He sent low cuts to my legs, high cuts to my head, and thrusts to my center. I dodged, blocked, and deflected— but each exchange cost me something. A nick here. A slice there. It was nothing fatal yet, but it was death by a thousand cuts.
My left leg burned where he had slashed my thigh. My shoulder screamed every time I raised my sword. My lungs felt like they were full of broken glass.
And still, he came.
SWOOSH— TING- SLASH— FWIP!
I blocked high. He went low. I dodged left. He was already there. I countered right. His sword was waiting for me.
He was faster now. Or maybe I was just getting slower.
THUD!
"Ugh...?!"
His pommel caught me hard in the ribs. I gasped and stumbled—
SWOOSH— his sword bit into my left side. It wasn’t deep, but it was enough. Enough blood. Enough pain.
I retreated. He followed. He was always following and always pressing.
[Danger Sense] pulsed in my skull like a second heartbeat. It was constant. It was screaming. But I couldn’t act on it anymore. I couldn’t dodge what I saw coming. My body was failing me.
He raised his sword high with two hands for a killing blow.
I raised mine to block. I knew it wouldn’t be enough. I knew he would smash through my guard and split my skull— BAM!
He changed at me.
His grip shifted mid-swing. His weight transferred differently. At the last possible instant, his overhead strike became something else entirely—
TAAAANGGG!!!
He had feinted the overhead, then slashed diagonally.
My sword was blasted away because I was holding it in a wrong angle as I was expecting a different attack.
I was wide open now. I stood in front of the knight as if asking to be cut down.
He didn’t pause. He didn’t gloat. His sword drew back, the point aimed directly at my chest, and swiftly—
FWOOSH!
He thrust his sword, the tip of it was aimed at my heart.
[Danger Sense] exploded. It was white-hot and deafening. It was the loudest it had ever been.
’Ah... I’m going to die.’
I thought.
But for some reason... I was calm.
Then, something else clicked. I remembered Kael’s voice from his teaching:
[Your sword is just a tool. The weapon is you.]
Along with it, I remembered all the time I trained and all the sparrings I had with Gibson and the others.
My body moved unconsiously.
I didn’t move away from the thrust. That would have been too slow and too predictable.
Instead— I moved into it.
My left shoulder came up and turned. I presented it like a shield.
And with that; the knight’s sword hit my steel pauldron.
TINK—!
His sword skated upward instead of piercing through my body.
SLASH!
The pauldron shattered. The blade climbed across my shoulder, up my neck, and along my cheek. Fire exploded along the left side of my face, my ear, and my jaw. Blood sprayed hot across my own lips.
I was hurt.
But the thrust was deflected. His sword sailed past my head and over my shoulder, its killing momentum completely spent!
And there— right there— in that frozen instant; his neck was exposed.
There was a gap in the armor between his helmet and armor. It was pale, dead flesh. It was undefended!
FWIP!
My right hand was still gripping my sword.
I hadn’t let go. And so—
S L A S H—!
I swung from the hip with all my weight and all my remaining strength. The blade sang through the air and bit into flesh.
It wasn’t armor this time. It was flesh.
Then, the next moment...
THUD!
The knight’s head fell heavily to the ground.
"..."
And silence descended in the room.