The aches and pains had dulled, but every step still sent a tfeeling of discomfort through my body. Sylas had done an incredible job healing me, but even she had her limits. Sweat clung to her forehead, her eyes heavy with exhaustion.

As she leaned against me, I gently moved her hands away from the last spell she was trying to cast. “Enough, Sylas,” I said softly, holding her gaze. “You’ve already done more than enough.”

“But you’re still hurt...” she protested, her voice barely a whisper.

I forced a smile, trying to hide the pain in my ribs. “I’ll be fine. Right now, the villagers need you more. There are still people trapped in the debris.”

Her hesitation was brief, and then she nodded, stumbling toward the cries for help echoing through the ruined streets. With her out of harm’s way, I took a deep breath, testing the limits of my bruised muscles. I was still sore, but the battle wasn’t over yet.

I walked forward, my steps slow, my mind clouded. The battlefield around me was unrecognizable—what was once a lively part of the city had been reduced to ruins. The air was thick with dust and the acrid scent of burning wood. Fires still crackled in the distance, their glow flickering against the shattered walls and broken rooftops. The faint groans of the wounded mixed with the distant sobs of those mourning their dead.

The villagers and city guards who had fought alongside us were scattered throughout the ruins, catching their breath. Some leaned against crumbling walls, their weapons resting loosely in their hands. Others sat on the ground, staring blankly at the destruction around them, exhaustion weighing heavy on their shoulders.

An older man, his face smeared with dirt and blood, clutched his chest as he staggered toward me. His eyes, filled with both relief and grief, met mine. "Thank you… Thank you, young man… If not for you, we’d all be dead." His voice wavered, and I could see his hands trembling.

Nearby, a woman knelt beside the body of a fallen adventurer, her hands pressed against his unmoving chest as she choked back sobs. “We won, but at what cost…?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Despite the sorrow that lingered in the air, there were murmurs of gratitude.

A guard with a bloodied bandage wrapped around his arm approached, his armor dented from the battle. He clapped a firm hand on my shoulder, nodding. “You saved us,” he said, his voice rough but steady. “We owe you our lives, young hero.”

A few others echoed his words, offering tired smiles and grateful nods. Their voices, thick with emotion, blended into the backdrop of the slowly dying chaos.

I tried to smile in return, to acknowledge their gratitude, but my mind wasn’t here—not really.

As I stood amidst the ruins, my fingers still gripping the hilts of my swords, the aftermath of the battle unfolded around me. The city guards and remaining adventurers had begun rounding up the surviving bandits, dragging them from their hiding places among the debris.

Some of the criminals, too wounded to resist, lay groaning on the ground as their hands were tied behind their backs. Others, more stubborn, spat curses at their captors, only to be struck down by the blunt end of a spear or booted into submission.

A burly adventurer, his leather armor slashed and bloodstained, shoved a bound bandit toward a line of captives. "Move it! Thought you could terrorize this city and just walk away?" He sneered. "You're lucky we ain't puttin' you all down where you stand."

Another bandit, his face covered in grime, snarled. "Damn adventurers… You think you're any better than us? You think you're heroes?"

A nearby guard stepped forward and struck him hard across the jaw with an armored fist, sending him sprawling to the ground. "Shut your mouth, scum," the guard spat. "You murdered innocent people. There’s no saving filth like you."

The rest of the captives remained silent, their expressions ranging from defiance to quiet despair. Some hung their heads, knowing there was no escape. Others glared at their captors, their hands twitching as if still hoping for a last chance to fight.

From behind me, I heard one of the adventurers scoff. "Hah. Look at 'em. They were all high and mighty when they had numbers. Now? They're just a pack of whipped dogs."

Another adventurer—a woman with a bow slung over her back—folded her arms and exhaled. "We're taking these bastards back to the guild. Let the higher-ups decide what to do with 'em."

A voice rang out from the crowd. "And what about their leader?"

Hearing that, I quickly retreated and ran to the remnants of a series of buildings that Arthur left behind.

It was genuinely scary to think Arthur was alone and destroyed this much in just one move… Sweeped away the unnecessary thoughts, I walked closer.

I reached the place where we’d hit him with that combined magic blast, but as I scanned the rubble, my heart sank. There was nothing. No sign of Arthur’s corpse, though there is some of his blood on the floor.

Damn it!

Panic tightened in my chest, and I cupped my hands around my mouth. “Arthur is still alive!” I shouted, my voice carrying over the rubble-strewn streets. “Search the city! We have to find him before he slips away!”

Behind me, I heard Kaldor's voice calling, “Duke, wait! We need to regroup!” But I couldn't wait. I couldn’t let him escape, not after everything he said... not after everything he did.

Without a second thought, I leaped onto the rooftops, ignoring the pain in my limbs as I sprinted from one roof to another..

----------------------------------------

My breath came in ragged gasps as I finally spotted him—a lone figure stumbling along a hidden path leading out of the city’s outskirts. Arthur was staggering, blood pouring from his side, his face twisted in pain. He’s hurt... but not enough.

I dropped down behind him, landing softly on the dirt road. “Arthur!” I shouted, my voice a growl. He turned, eyes wide with surprise. I pointed one of my swords at him with the moonlight reflecting off the blade. “Take back what you said about my family.”

I took a step forward, my grip tightening on the hilts of my weapons. “Take it back,” I demanded, my voice low and cold. “Do that, and I might let you live. Turn you over to the villagers.”

“N-No… please!” Arthur begged, his voice hoarse, raw with desperation. “Don’t do it! Don’t kill me! I-I’m… I’m not your enemy anymore!”

I didn’t lower my swords. My grip only tightened, my fingers aching from the force. My blood boiled at the sheer audacity of his words.

“Not my enemy?” I spat, my voice sharp as steel. “You think that erases everything? After all the people you butchered, the families you destroyed? Do you think begging like a worm will undo what you've done?”

Arthur’s eyes darted around wildly, his breaths ragged and shallow, as if hoping for some divine intervention. “I-I never wanted this! You have to understand, it was… it was survival! I only did what I had to do! My men—they were starving! I had no choice!”

"Bullshit!" I snapped, stepping closer, forcing him back with the tip of my blade. "You always had a choice. You could’ve walked away. You could’ve found another way. But instead, you chose to raid, to murder, to destroy everything in your path! Don't you dare stand there and act like some helpless victim!"

His breath hitched, tears streaking through the grime on his face. “I know, alright?! I know I did terrible things! But I had to… to keep them loyal, to keep myself alive! Please… I’ll do anything! I’ll turn myself in! Just… just let me live! I-I can disappear, you’ll never see me again! I swear it!”

I scoffed, my lips curling in disgust. “Oh, now you want to surrender? Now that you’re bleeding in the dirt, now that you’ve lost everything, you want to be forgiven?!”

Arthur crawled toward me, his hands shaking, his face contorted in sheer panic. “Y-Your family! I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have said those things about them. I… I was angry, I was desperate! Please… just let me go. I-I swear, I’ll repent, I’ll—”

“Shut up!” I roared, my voice thundering through the night. Rage pulsed through my veins like fire, my body trembling with it. My swords burned in my hands, begging to cut him down where he knelt. "You don't get to say their names! You don’t get to talk about my family, you filthy piece of shit! You don’t deserve that right!"

Arthur flinched, his sobs growing louder, his body shaking like a leaf in the wind. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, okay?! Just… don’t kill me! Please… I have… I have nothing left! No one! Just… don’t….”

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Now you beg? Now you plead for mercy?” I took a step forward, towering over him, my shadow stretching under the pale moonlight. “You really think I’d let you crawl away after everything you’ve done?”

Stolen story; please report.

I gritted my teeth, my voice dripping with fury. "You kidnapped people—children, women, entire families—just to sell them like cattle. You massacred villages, slaughtered anyone who stood in your way. You terrorized innocent people, leaving them with nothing but ash and corpses. You turned men into slaves, forcing them to serve under you or die. And worst of all..." I felt my chest tighten, my knuckles white around my swords. "You took everything from me!"

Arthur swallowed hard, inching back on his hands, but I followed, refusing to let him escape my words. "You ripped my family away! You threw me into the unknown, left me to die, all because of your greed! And now—now that I’ve fought my way back, now that I stand before you with your blood on my hands—you dare to beg?!"

His breathing hitched, his lips trembling, but I wasn’t finished.

"Where was this cowardly pleading when you burned down homes? When you put swords to innocent throats? When you ordered your men to take what they wanted and leave nothing behind?" I leaned closer, my voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "How many people screamed your name, begged you to stop, just like you are now? And tell me, Arthur… did you ever listen?"

But then... I saw it. The wicked gleam in his eyes.

Arthur’s lips curled into a twisted grin. “Gotcha, kid.”

Damn it! Before I could react, he leaped back, and the barrels surrounding us exploded in a burst of flame. The blast sent me flying, but I twisted mid-air, landing with a rough roll. Smoke filled the air, making my eyes sting.

Through the haze, I could see him bolting toward an old house.

Bastard, No more games.

I forced myself to my feet, ignoring the pain as I chased after him. I crashed through the window as Arthur tried to shut it behind him, shards of glass flying everywhere. The inside of the house was dimly lit, shadows cover every corners. It was eerily quiet, the air thick with tension.

Arthur swung his massive greatsword at me, the blade whistling as it cut through the darkness. I barely managed to sidestep it, the force of the swing sending a gust of wind past my face. I prepared my swords, the familiar weight of the saber in my left hand and the straight sword in my right giving me confidence.

But Arthur was different now. His wounds had somehow healed. He grinned as he noticed my confusion. “Surprised, kid? I’ve used magic circles imbued with healing spells. I retreat, heal, and return stronger.”

“Running again, Arthur?” I taunted, trying to catch my breath. “What happened to all that courages?”

Arthur turned to face me, his greatsword glinting in the sliver of moonlight. “You... just don’t know when to quit, do you?” he growled, his eyes bloodshot. He was desperate. That much was clear.

He swung his massive sword at me, the air splitting with its force. I parried with my saber, then followed up with a quick slash with my other sword, aiming for his exposed side. Arthur twisted away, using a chair to block my strike before hurling it at me but I dodged it with ease

Arthur was fast for someone wielding such a massive weapon, but I had fought him before—I knew his patterns, his desperate, heavy swings meant to overwhelm.

I ducked under another wild slash, the greatsword carving deep into the wooden wall behind me with a splintering crack. Before he could pull it free, I lunged, aiming my saber at his exposed ribs.

Arthur twisted at the last moment, the tip of my blade grazing his armor instead of piercing flesh. He wrenched his sword free with a furious snarl, pivoting on his heel to slam the pommel straight toward my head.

I barely managed to tilt my head to the side, the heavy steel grazing my temple. Stars exploded in my vision, my ears ringing from the near-miss.

I staggered, but Arthur didn’t let up. He rammed his shoulder into me, sending me crashing into a wooden table. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and before I could fully recover, he was already swinging again.

Too slow!

I rolled to the side just as his greatsword came down, splitting the table in two. A cloud of dust and splinters burst into the air. Using the momentum, I kicked off the ground and lashed out with my straight sword.

Arthur managed to parry, but the force sent him stumbling back. I pressed forward, slicing at his arm, his leg—forcing him to keep retreating.

Then he suddenly smirked.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t have a backup plan?” he sneered.

Before I could react, he grabbed a nearby shelf and yanked it down. Books, bottles, and metal trinkets rained over me. I instinctively raised my arms to shield my face, giving Arthur just enough time to dash toward something behind him—

A glowing paper on the floor. A magic circle.

My stomach twisted.

“No!” I shouted, realizing what he was trying to do.

I pushed through the falling debris, ignoring the sharp sting of glass cutting my arm. Arthur’s fingers were inches from the glowing sigil—

I lunged, swinging my sword in a desperate arc.

But it was too late. A blinding flash erupted from the magic circle. Bright blue light filled the room, swallowing Arthur whole. And eventually me.

----------------------------------------

The world changed beneath my feet, and a wave of dizziness swept over me. When my vision cleared, I found myself standing in a damp, cold dungeon. The air was thick with the scent of mold and decay, and the walls were covered in strange glowing runes that vibrated with an eerie light, casting unsettling shadows. Arthur was already sprinting down one of the narrow corridors, his footsteps echoing like a drumbeat.

“You’re not getting away this time!” I growled under my breath, sprinting after him, the sound of my boots slapping against wet stone.

The chase led me through winding hallways filled with flickering torches. As I turned a corner, the ground beneath me suddenly shifted—a trap! Spiked iron bars shot out from the walls on either side. I threw myself to the ground, rolling just in time to avoid the deadly trap. Arthur glanced back, a wicked grin on his face as he darted through another archway lined with more of those strange runes.

I pushed myself up, refusing to lose him. He darted through a glowing circle at the end of the corridor, and before I could hesitate, I followed, plunging through another blinding flash of light.

The world changed again, and I stumbled into the heart of a dense, primeval forest. Towering trees with gnarled roots twisted like skeletal fingers reached toward the sky, their dark canopies blotting out the moonlight. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and rotting leaves. The forest seemed alive, the bushes rustling as if whispering secrets, and the cries of nocturnal creatures echoed in the distance. But I had no time to pay attention to the eerie surroundings—Arthur was already darting between the trees, vanishing into the shadows.

I surged forward, using my saber to slice through thorny branches that clawed at my arms. Arthur was fast, but I was faster. He turned briefly, throwing a handful of small, glinting objects my way. My instincts warned me, and I dove to the side just as they exploded, filling the air with sharp, ringing sounds and fragments of shards that hit the bark of nearby trees.

"Is that the best you can do, Arthur?!" I shouted, my voice carrying through the woods.

Arthur didn’t respond, only increased his pace. I gritted my teeth, pushing myself harder. We burst out of the forest into a cliffside path. Below us, the sea raged, waves smashing against jagged rocks. The wind howled, salty and cold, pulling at my clothes. Arthur dashed along the narrow path, barely pausing as he knocked over an old, rotting signpost to slow me down. I vaulted over it, determined to keep up.

Ahead, another glowing magic circle appeared at the edge of the cliff. Arthur leaped into it, disappearing once more. I was right on his heels, my muscles burning as I flung myself through the teleportation circle.

The world spun, and this time I landed in a bustling city square, but it didn’t seem like Sarahart City. The air filled with the scent of spices and the chatter of merchants. People screamed in terror as Arthur sliced through the crowd, cutting down anyone who got in his way. I had to leap over fallen market stalls and dodge panicked civilians who ran for their lives. A cart full of fruits toppled in front of me, spilling its contents, but I barely slowed, vaulting over the wreckage.

“Get out of the way!” I roared, trying to clear a path.

Arthur glanced back with a sneer, then threw a jar covered with a small rug over his shoulder. It shattered on the ground, releasing a thick black smoke that stung my eyes and throat. I covered my mouth with my scarf, pushing through the cloud. When it cleared, Arthur was already slipping into another teleportation circle at the far end of the square.

This time, I was thrown into the depths of a sweltering jungle. The air was suffocating, thick with humidity. Massive, colorful insects buzzed angrily around my head, and the ground beneath my feet was soft, threatening to swallow my boots with every step. Arthur was ahead, swinging his greatsword to hack through dense foliage. He glanced back, eyes gleaming with a mixture of frustration and amusement.

“Give it up, Duke! You’re already too late!” he taunted.

“Not until you pay for what you said about my family!” I growled back, shoving past a wall of thick vines.

Suddenly, Arthur triggered another trap—this time, the ground gave way beneath me. I plunged into a hidden pit lined with sharpened spikes. With a desperate lunge, I managed to grab the edge of the pit, my fingers straining as I pulled myself up. Arthur laughed, but I was back on my feet in an instant, fury driving me forward.

Finally, we emerged into a vast, endless desert. The moon hung low, casting an ethereal glow over the shifting dunes. The sand stretched out in every direction, interrupted only by a small, decrepit hut sitting in the middle of nowhere like a lone sentinel. Arthur sprinted toward it, clearly hoping it would serve as his final escape.

“End of the line, Arthur!” I shouted, my voice carrying over the empty expanse.

Arthur ducked into the hut, and I followed, crashing through the door. Inside, it was dark, the only light coming from the moon filtering through cracked wooden slats. The air was heavy with dust and the scent of decay. Before I could fully adjust to the gloom, a massive blade came swinging toward my head. I barely managed to duck, the wind from Arthur’s swing whipping past my face.

“Still got some fight in you, huh?” I taunted, raising both of my swords defensively. “Come on then, let’s finish this.”

Arthur’s eyes glinted with madness. “You think you can stop me, boy? I’ve survived worse than this!”

Without another word, he charged, swinging his greatsword with renewed fury. I met him head-on, our blades clashing with a shower of sparks. The impact sent vibrations up my arms, but I held firm. Arthur’s strength was monstrous, and even though he was injured, his attacks were relentless.

He pushed me back against the rotting wooden beams, slashing wildly. “Your father couldn’t stop me, and neither will you!” Arthur sneered.

“That’s where you’re wrong!” I roared, using both swords to parry his heavy strikes. I spun, delivering a quick slash with my saber, aiming for his side. He blocked, but my second sword was already moving, slashing across his chest. Arthur grunted in pain, stumbling back.

He growled, eyes burning with fury, then dashed toward a glowing circle drawn crudely on the floor. “You’re too late, boy! I’ll heal, and I’ll come back stronger!” he shouted, his hand reaching toward the teleportation seal.

“Not this time!” I threw one of my swords, embedding it into his shoulder. Arthur screamed, faltering as I lunged forward, knocking him away from the circle with a well-placed kick.

“This ends now!” I shouted, standing between him and his escape.

Arthur glared at me, breathing heavily, blood streaming down his face. “Fine… if it’s a fight you want, then I’ll gladly carve your heart out!”

The moonlight streamed into the hut, illuminating us as we squared off one last time.