A fresh breeze rolled around the grassy plains that were only slightly marred with Kurux blood. Sally shifted and wrinkled up her face, before opening her eyes. A shadow was blocking the sun from her, which was rather rude of the tall figure.
“Kurux again, huh?” Chuck said.
With a sigh, the zombie righted herself into a sitting position and stretched out. “Ugh. Feels like I slept for ten minutes. Don’t you know it’s rude to wake me up?”
“I feel that it is rather rude to slaughter these poor defenseless animals for your own personal joy.”
She rolled her eyes. “And I thought you knew me, Chucky. What did I do to deserve you watching me when I sleep?”
The Architect stepped out of the way so that the warm sunlight could wash over her. “Dent asked me to check up on you. Your fight with Humphrey was a lot, and you vanished after.”
“Eh.” She wiped the drool from her mouth and grunted as she stood back to her feet. “I already had a dim view of my personal mortality, even before you had me do countless Events where I get maimed. I barely register most of it these days. Almost like you’ve been training me for hardship.”
He shook his head. “That was never my intention.”
“Remember last month when some gal tore my lower jaw clean off with a hammer?”
“You were panicked because you didn’t think you would be able to bite people anymore. Or kiss Theo.”
She smiled. “I’m such an affable peach it’s hard to remember that I’m a Monster sometimes, isn’t it?”
Chuck grimaced. “Not exactly. I still have nightmares over those sounds you made, trying to sing with half a mouth.” He sighed and looked out to the soft hills, the grass waving back and forth with the breeze. “Humphrey is finishing off his fight, and then it’s the Final. Want to come watch?”
“Sure! The final pieces of my plan should be coming together soon.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I daren’t ask. What about Theo?” They looked down at the vampire, who was still sleeping peacefully.
“Pup needs the rest, but leaving out in the middle of a field alone isn’t very fair.” She pouted at how comfortable he looked, the edges of his fangs poking from his gentle smile.
“Say no more.”
Chuck clicked his fingers and the outside world was washed away, dim light covering them as the sound of cheering crowds and metal striking metal filled their ears. They were now back in the VIP suite, Theo still asleep, but now on the couch.
Dent turned from the window to see them arrive, a smile on his face. “Just in time. Although, this fight has been going on much longer than any other so far. I feel like I’m learning so much, however.”
“Alright, ‘Will of the Blade’,” the Architect said, with a wide grin across the face.
“Ugh.” Dent pulled a face. “That’s going to be a thing now, isn’t it?”
They joined him and watched the flash of bright metal as the two Knights exchanged blows. Moving as if they were in sync and performing a martial dance rather than trying to best one another, every strike was blocked or riposted, and they’d fall into a stalemate once more.
Sally beamed and nudged Dent. “You don’t want to fight boring, normal Humphrey, right?”
The swordsman raised an eyebrow at her. “Something tells me you know of a way I can get him fired up?”
“Welllll…” She wagged her finger in the air. “Depends how far you’re willing to go.”
“I’m… listening.”
The zombie moved closer and whispered in his ear.
“Oh. Ah, are you sure?” He screwed his face up. “I’m not sure I could.”
“Trust me.” She grinned wider. “That’s just part one of my two-part plan.”
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Humphrey had to admit that he was enjoying himself. While the fight against Aurelius had dragged on for way too long, he had found an equal in his opposite. The paladin had a slight advantage in speed and attack, but he had the advantage with defense and stability.
At first, he sought to just outlast the silver-armored opponent. Using his undead fortitude, the man should eventually tire and falter - yet he had not. Bright lines ran up his dark armor where he had caught the blade a handful of times. Aurelius had dents of his own, and a cut across the side of his head where the Death Knight had almost won once.
They’d even tired of one-liners and verbal jabs, now just solely focusing on the art of the sword fight. It was dangerous, however. If he became contented with this, he might not care as much about beating Dent in the final.
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At least, he couldn’t allow the paladin to get that far.
Instead of blocking the next attack, he stepped to the side. The end of his greatsword hit the loose sand as he swung it up, throwing a cloud of dirt up toward the man. Aurelius took a step back and brought his sword into a defensive position while his vision cleared.
Expecting to block an attack, he was actually struck by a metal fist, denting the plate on his arm and pinning it in place. The metal squealed as it tried to move, but it only had the effect of pinching in on his arm underneath.
“Bastard!” the paladin exclaimed. “I should have known you’d turn to dirty tricks.”
Humphrey dropped his greatsword, too close to wield it properly, he grabbed at his opponent’s weapon as it rose into the air. Stopping any force prematurely, the blade still dug into his metal palms, and he tightened his grip.
“Let…go…” Aurelius growled, losing the battle of strength as one of his arms was unable to move and assist.
The crimson flame behind Humphrey’s helmet bloomed higher. “The world has no space for weak heroes. Die for your false superiority.”
As the roar of the crowd grew, the Death Knight slowly pushed the raised sword down, towards the man’s face. Sweat ran down Aurelius’ forehead as his arm began to shake. The strength began to leave his body as the weapon inched closer to his face.
“I… submit.”
Humphrey let go, and the man stepped back and dropped to a knee. One arm was still inert due to the broken plating.
[Humphrey wins!]
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With the flash of blue light, the Death Knight appeared back in the VIP suite. His wide grin immediately faltered at seeing the zombie back.
“Oh, Sally. I did not expect-”
She flung herself around him and gave him a hug. “You fought really well, pops. I’m proud.”
He rested a plated hand on her head gently, and his smile returned.
Chuck stretched out and yawned. “You guys need a few minutes to prepare? I didn’t know things would go on for this long. Kinda thought Sally would eat everyone.”
“Biting is against the rules,” she turned to him and pulled a face.
“Did you... read them?” The Architect tilted his head.
She blinked twice. “Oh, no, no. Don’t you go pretending I could have chewed my way through the fights. I asked Theo and he very clearly said I wasn’t allowed to eat brains.”
“Eat brains, yes. Normal biting would have been fine.”
Sally did nothing but screw up her face and scowl at the Architect. It probably wouldn’t have helped her that much, anyway. Her mouth daggers didn’t have much range without the overpowered brain-eating skill.
“I’m good to go,” Dent said. “Humphrey might need to rest since he just got back.”
The Death Knight shrugged out his shoulders and inspected his hands. If Aurelius had the use of both of his arms, the paladin probably would have had the strength to cut straight through his grip. “No. I have recovered.” He grinned down at the zombie. As good a reason as any to go give it his all.
Chuck nodded. “Alright then. Best of luck to you both. Not that I have a favorite, but at least this tournament has kept you all out of my hair while I’ve been doing some important work.”
Sally agreed. “You've only had to tell me off once!”
“So far…” he rolled his eyes.
Both the fighters vanished in a flash of blue as they went down to the arena.
“Shame Theo is asleep,” the zombie tutted, as she stepped up to the window. “Things are going to get interesting.”
Chuck sighed. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this? You’re not even in the tournament anymore.”
“Disagree. I’m very much present in spirit.” She grinned widely. “I will preface the coming storm to say that Dent agreed to this.”
The Architect narrowed his eyes and looked out at the two fighters.
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Humphrey stretched out and readied his sword. “Somehow, I knew that we would be the last two. I can only hope that…” He paused and narrowed his eyes at the sword the man was holding.
In Dent’s hand was a basic shortsword, the handle and part of the blade crusted over with dried blood already.
“That is… Sally’s sword.”
“Oh, yeah.” Dent smiled. “You’re not wrong there.”
The Death Knight ground his teeth together. Why would he do this? Perhaps he wasn’t taking the fight seriously, or thought himself confident enough to use a weapon he wasn’t familiar with. Oh, it was all coming together now. Hadn’t even cleaned the blade off, so this must be some plot to shake him. Well, it wouldn’t work.
“Your foolishness will be for naught.” He grinned and shook his head. “A worthy attempt, but you will soon see the error of not taking me seriously.”
Dent narrowed his eyes. “That’s where you’re wrong. This is as serious as it gets, Humphrey. Not only will I beat you with Sally’s sword, but I am going to plunge it through your cold, dead heart, just as she said.”
The flames behind his helmet flickered higher. “You will die trying.”
[Final! Dent vs Humphrey begin!]
The swordsman licked his dry lips. “Oh, she had a message for you as well.”
Humphrey narrowed his eye sockets as he slid his foot forward into a ready position. “Out with it then, human.”
Dent paused as he raised his own sword up. The words caught in his mouth before he gathered the courage to say them out loud.
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Sally grinned and gripped at the window edge as she watched the swordsman murmur something to the Death Knight.
“What?!” Humphrey yelled, his helmet bursting into fire as he glared up towards their VIP suite.
Chuck sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“I couldn’t hear him over the sound of the crowd.” Sally beamed. “Did he say it?”
The Architect looked at her and pulled a face. “He said that not only had you and Theo been kissing, but that tongues were involved as well.”
She cackled in response. “Ah! I’m sure I won’t regret that in the near future. But… Dent wanted full beans Humphrey to fight, so now he’s got that.”
Theo remained sleeping, blissfully unaware of what was transpiring.
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The greatsword lashed forward, jabbing at the place Dent had just been standing before twirling away, kicking up a cloud of dust. Already, the large blade was sweeping in an arc for a follow-up attack, which rang out as the swordsman blocked it.
“Now this is more like it,” Dent said, a grin across his face as he ducked and rolled from the next attack.
“Be quiet and fall, so that I may have words with the vampire.” Humphrey went for a heavy overhead swing, narrowly missing Dent, instead striking the ground.
Sparks ran up his blade as Sally’s sword slid up the length of the greatsword. He twisted and presented his shoulder forward, taking a silvered gash through his armor plate rather than leave his chest open.
Dent hopped to the side to avoid the leveled kick, right as the Death Knight pivoted it into a powerful swing aiming to bisect him. Sword up, he blocked it but was sent tumbling to the ground from the force.
The shadow of the Death Knight washed over him, the glint of metal picking up the waning sunshine paled in comparison to the bright crimson furnace billowing behind his skeletal face.
“Now perish,” Humphrey growled.