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Condemned To Death
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14th September, 1507
Finn's mind whirled in disarray at Susie's unexpected move, his thoughts a jumble of fear and confusion. With terror gripping his heart, he desperately sought to break free from Susie's grasp, summoning the last remnants of his soul energy to fuel his escape.
But to his horror, Susie's sharp nails dug deep into his flesh, tearing through muscle and sinew with unnerving ease. The momentum he had hoped to generate with his mini-shock was abruptly halted, leaving him trapped in Susie's vice-like grip.
SWEEP
With a swift motion, Susie yanked Finn toward her, causing him to tumble and hit his head on the ground. As Finn looked up in horror, he saw Susie holding her scythe above his head with a devilish smirk on her face as she said in a euphoric voice, “Kid, you are too naive”.
CRASH!
The scythe came down with brutal force, crushing Finn's skull and causing brain matter to splatter in all directions.
"FINNNN!" Lorien's anguished cry pierced the air, filled with despair and disbelief as he beheld Finn's unmoving, headless body sprawled upon the cold stone tiles. Kai, standing beside him, stared in shock, his mouth agape at the sudden and horrific turn of events. Just moments ago, Finn had been laughing and boasting of victory, but now he lay before them, his life extinguished in an instant.
Elise could only watch in disbelief as she pressed a hand to her mouth, horror reflected in her wide eyes. The abrupt transformation of Susie's demeanor left her shaken, unable to comprehend the sheer brutality unfolding before her.
Seren, his brow furrowed in deep concern, observed Susie's increasingly animalistic behavior with a growing sense of unease. The sight of Finn's demise didn’t strike him with as much emotion as the others.
The students looked on in horror, Susie showed no signs of stopping. With a gruesome determination, she continued her onslaught, her actions becoming increasingly savage and merciless with each passing moment.
BANG BANG BANG
Susie mercilessly attacked Finn's dismembered body with her giant scythe.
“Ahahahaha!” she laughed maniacally with an aroused expression. Her eerie laughter echoed across the platform, sending chills down the spines of everyone watching. The other students reacted with shock and disbelief, some covering their mouths in horror, while others turned away unable to bear the gruesome scene unfolding before them.
Once Susie was done, the only things left of Finn were broken bones, grounds splattered with his blood and tattered clothes. Feeling satisfied, Susie got up from the ground.
But as Susie was about to get up, her head reverberated in pain. With a gasp, she clutched the side of her temple, feeling the world around her shift and warp. Reality twisted and distorted, leaving her bewildered and lost in a surreal haze. Then, it shattered completely, like a pane of glass struck by a hammer.
When clarity returned, the once-gruesome scene had vanished, replaced by an unsettling emptiness. There were no bones, no blood, no remnants of Finn's presence.
Confusion clouded Susie's mind as she scanned the empty ground, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. Before she could make sense of it, she felt two hands gripping her temples. She turned to find Finn standing behind her, a twisted smile on his face.
"Go to hell, you fucking maniac," Finn's voice pierced through the air, filled with hysteria and anger. Without hesitation, he unleashed all his remaining soul energy into a single attack. His hands vibrated violently as he directed the energy straight into Susie's brain.
"CREEEEE!" Susie's inhuman screech echoed across the platform as she released her grip on the scythe and clutched her head in agony. Desperate to escape the pain, she struggled against Finn's relentless assault, but he held on with unwavering strength.
Susie writhed in agony, her cries reverberating through the air like those of a wounded animal. Yet Finn, despite his own injuries, persisted, channeling every ounce of energy into inflicting maximum damage. The strain on his body was excruciating, exacerbated by the shattered bones and torn flesh in his hands.
Through gritted teeth and clenched fists, Finn endured the pain, determined to leave a lasting impact on Susie.
After 10 seconds, Finn finally let go of Susie's head, and her body fell to the ground.
Plop
Finn's heart raced beneath his rugged breath as he watched Susie's convulsing form, foam building in her open mouth like she was having a seizure. For a few moments, he stood there, his gaze fixed on the unsettling sight before him. He then turned around and started to leave the stage.
The students erupted into cheers and applause for Finn as they watched him depart as the victor. Pride surged through Finn as he puffed up his chest, projecting an air of dominance.
Lorien smiled lightly when he saw Finn acting his usual aloof self as Kai standing beside him laughed heartily at Finn’s unexpected victory.
The atmosphere was not so cheerful on Seren’s side as Elise wore a worried look on her face as she watched Susie laying there motionlessly while Seren was still deep in thought, thinking about something.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
What most students standing around the platform didn't know was the secret behind Finn's victory. He had been using a portion of his soul energy to keep the Resonstaff relic activated consistently in one of his fingers. This caused the air around him to vibrate at a consistent pace. While harmless on its own, Finn could control the intensity of these vibrations.
He had previously tested his theory that vibrations could induce auditory and visual hallucinations by vibrating the air around an opponent's head. This could create visual distortions, making it harder for the opponent to see clearly or accurately judge distances the longer one is under the influence of these vibrations.
Finn had been hesitant to use this tactic before, as it required him to stay close to Susie for a prolonged period. Any misstep could have resulted in his defeat. Yet, as time passed, his tactic proved more effective than expected.
Susie's grip on reality shattered completely when Finn snapped his fingers, unleashing a final vibrational wave that plunged her into a world of hallucinations crafted from the depths of her own imagination. While initially effective, Finn knew that this tactic possessed inherent vulnerabilities. It could easily be countered by individuals who shielded their ears or created a constant sound of their own to anchor themselves in reality.
Originally Finn had created this move as a method to subdue animals or monstrous adversaries like the minotaur he anticipated encountering in his future hunts, but Finn had never thought about using this against normal humans. However, Susie proved to be anything but normal since the start of the match. Her fragile mental state rendered her incapable of understanding the deeper implication of Finn’s tactics, thereby amplifying the devastating impact of his assault.
With a triumphant flourish, Finn raised his hand in victory, attempting to strike a pose of cool confidence. His gaze remained fixed downwards, masking any trace of uncertainty as he basked in the adulation of the cheering crowd of students.
Crack Crack
As Finn turned to leave, a chilling sound shattered the air behind him, freezing him in his tracks. ‘No, please, don't let this be what I think it is’ Finn thought with growing unease, his heart pounding in his chest. Slowly, he turned back, hoping against hope that his ears were deceiving him.
But the scene that met his eyes confirmed his worst fears. Susie's bones contorted and cracked, her movements eerily unnatural, like that of a feral creature. Saliva dripped from her mouth as she bared her teeth, her eyes rolling back to reveal only the whites. No longer standing like a human, she moved on all fours, fixated on Finn with a predatory gaze.
“SCREEEEEEK!”
With a primal screech, Susie launched herself toward Finn, who stood frozen just a few steps away.
‘Fuck!’, Finn cursed inwardly, his fear gripping him as Susie hurtled toward him. Before he could react, she tackled him to the ground, pinning him beneath her.
Susie's hands clawed at Finn's neck, but he managed to seize both of her arms in a desperate struggle. Despite his efforts, Susie lunged forward and sank her teeth into Finn's neck.
"GAH!" Finn cried out in agony as pain shot through him. With a savage motion, Susie tore a chunk of flesh from Finn's neck and spat it aside, leaving him bleeding profusely.
At that moment, the once jubilant atmosphere of the crowd of students had now been replaced by a haunting silence of shocked faces, broken only by the sounds of Finn's anguished cries and Susie's savage onslaught. It was a scene that would linger in their minds for a long time.
In a desperate attempt to fend her off, Finn managed to kick Susie away.
Finn struggled to rise, but before he could regain his footing, Susie was upon him once more, her grip like a vice around his leg. With a surge of unearthly strength, she lifted Finn into the air with just one hand, and started swinging his body effortlessly in the air as she built up enough momentum before slamming him back down onto the ground.
BANG!
The impact reverberated through the air, breaking more of Finn's bones and leaving crimson stains on the unforgiving stone tiles beneath him. Yet, Susie's assault showed no signs of abating. With a relentless ferocity, she lifted Finn's battered form once again and brought it crashing down, again and again, until he lay broken and helpless, like a mere puppet in her merciless grip.
Finally, with a cruel toss, she cast him aside like a discarded toy, leaving him battered and bruised, barely clinging to consciousness.
At this critical moment, Finn teetered on the edge of consciousness, his body battered and broken, his soul energy depleted. Sprawling on the unforgiving ground, he gazed at the beautiful blue sky, the white clouds slowly moving around.
Despite Finn’s condition on the outside, his mind was focused on something else, ‘Dammit, the ladies are gonna think I’m weak’. Finn thought in resignation and disappointment about how his chances of getting a girlfriend this year diminished even further.
With great effort, he then lifted his head, only to be met with the chilling sight of Susie hurtling toward him, her primal instincts driving her forward with unrestrained ferocity.
Reluctantly, Finn began to utter the words of surrender, a bitter acknowledgment of his defeat.
“I surren-”
Thud
Before he could finish his sentence, Susie's frenzied advance came to an abrupt halt as her body collapsed to the ground. Finn stared in stunned disbelief, uncertainty clouding his thoughts for a fleeting moment.
Gathering his remaining strength, he rose unsteadily to his feet and approached Susie's still form, his movements labored and deliberate. As he stood over her, a tumult of emotions roiled within him.
Pausing beside her, he hesitated, uncertain of what to do next. He then used his foot to slightly nudge her body as he sought for any signs of life in her motionless body, but Susie remained inert, her expression serene and unmoving. Slowly, Finn raised his hand into the air again in a gesture of victory, signalling his triumph to the watching crowd, who erupted once more in thunderous applause.
As relief washed over him, Lorien collapsed to the ground, his words echoing the collective sentiment of the onlookers. "He always manages to somehow pull through in the end,"
Amidst the cheers and accolades, Finn couldn't help but entertain a glimmer of pride. Despite the odds, he had emerged victorious, proving his resilience in the face of adversity once again.
As Finn made his triumphant exit from the stage, his victory pose still held high, he was met with the reassuring presence of his friends. "That's enough, you idiot," Lorien chided with a grin, his words laced with fond exasperation.
"Congratulations, Finn. That was a good fight," Kai remarked, his voice filled with genuine content at Finn's success.
Meanwhile, Seren stepped onto the stage, his gaze settling on Susie's prone form lying peacefully on the ground, her scythe lying a few meters away. With a determined air, he approached her, lifting her body with a careful touch before retrieving the ominous weapon.
Elise, watching from the sidelines with a furrowed brow, couldn't suppress her concern as Seren carried Susie's motionless form. "Is she okay? Is there anything I can do?" she inquired, her voice tinged with worry.
Examining Susie closely, Seren responded in a measured tone, "Aside from some broken bones, she seems fine for now." Despite his reassurance, a hint of scrutiny lingered in his voice, suggesting that there might be more to the situation than meets the eye.
"AHHHHHH!"
Just as Seren was putting down Susie's body, a piercing scream shattered the air, drawing his attention to one of the three platforms suspended in the arena. There, Jake stood, his face that which had morphed from anxiety to a malevolent grin, as his gaze fixed on his opponent under his foot.
Tears cascaded down the face of Jake's opponent, dripping onto the cold stone beneath them.
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Condemned To Death
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