The dark hallways illuminate with sparks of steel. I sway around, dodging each strike with narrow margins too close for comfort.

Torika was off to the side, checking to see if any of the guardsmen or the businessman was alive and treating them accordingly. Couldn’t you do this after? I know I can’t die, but at least be a little worried!

I narrowly dodge a stab at my shoulder. This guy, he’s purposefully aiming for nonlethal areas. I catch his sword with the inner curve of my left Sek, trapping it in place for a split second. I quickly step forward with a right sideways lunge. Curved blades like mine are not built for lunge attacks however… I quickly flick my wrist, spinning my finger across the loop of the handle, turning the momentum of the lunge into a slash as I switch from a forward grip to a reverse grip.

“Too predictable!” Roko quickly leans forward the same moment I do, catching my wrist with an iron grip before the slash connects.

Fuck! My shoulders strain as he forces my arm into a painful angle behind my back, how is he so strong?!

My face explodes as he then slams his forehead into my nose. Vision blurring as pain is sent spiraling throughout my nervous system.

Torika comes running in from the corner of my vision as I fall, dropping someone down to back me up.

A very new determination suddenly fills my body. I already knew that this was going to be my toughest fight, and I won’t be able to rely on any supernatural ability to win. I clench my jaw so hard that I hear a crack in my mouth from a tooth shattering.

By sheer force of will, I stabilize myself before falling flat and thrust a kick upwards, a hidden blade protruding from out of my sole.

Roko glances down, catching my foot on his shoulder almost effortlessly. He then turns his attention to Torika, ducking under her first swipe before raising his sword and focusing his attention back to me.

I subtly gasp as my mind catches up to what was about to happen. My leg is—

Roko swings down.

I close my eyes.

Torika lets out a guttural sound from her throat as the blade lodges halfway into her forearm, straight to the bone, but blocking his sword from taking my leg right off.

I blink a couple times, a little shocked but still functioning, I lay both hands flat on the ground and force Roko apart with my other foot, separating us.

Roko skids backwards as I tumble forward, I swivel around quickly and get back onto my feet.

“What’s going on? Out of practice you two?” He casually walks forwards with a loose posture.

He’s boosting his Anku. Torika grimaces as she signals to me from behind her back. Should have a time limit but I’m not sure how it’s done.

I thought you were the one who discovered that? How does he have a pill? I quickly signal back.

It’s not my blood. Torika signals before turning her attention forward.

At the same time I cross my blades and flail backwards after absorbing a heavy blow from Roko dashing forward, letting myself be pushed a little further on purpose.

Careful of the ground! I signal to Torika as a compartment on my calf comes open and litters the ground with caltrops, sharp spikes that I recently tipped with a strong sedative. Each spike drops with a muffled thump rather than a metallic ring, individually wrapped with a thin cloth that hides the distinct shape and clattering of metal.

Don’t think I’m going to be able to recover these things like last time, I think to myself as I watch Roko step forward, eagerly trying to press his advantage.

You’ve done the same thing three times straight, I glare at him contemptuously as he steps right onto multiple caltrops, eyes slowly widening as he realizes his mistake, don’t underestimate me, dumbass.

I drop my Seks and let them hang from my waist as I load up my sling with a lead ball.

Roko hops back frantically, as I send a shot straight to his shoulder.

“Ah, you just can’t let me have my fun can you?” Roko deflects the shot with his elbow pushing it out of the way, though I could tell from the crunch that it still inflicted some damage. Torika quickly takes advantage and respositions to his behind, flinching his attention away from me.

I immediately load another shot with an unreal sleight of hand and take advantage of that momentary lapse, doming the back of his neck with perfect accuracy.

Roko gags and gives me a glaring side eye as Torika darts in like a viper, about to strike at their prey. Once she gets her blood on her target, they’re as good as dead no matter who or what they are.

I slightly chuckle, never get too comfortable in battle I guess, at that moment, reflecting on my own experiences as well.

Mmh, maybe I’ll try to avoid getting killed from now on. After all, this ability has brought me nothing but misfortune, and what if I accidentally survive? Then what? I have to—

My entire body goes cold, I blink a couple of times as my vision flickers. My heart begins to beat like crazy for some reason, trying to breathe faster as well.

My center of mass moves to my left, an unexplainable shift in gravity. I try to stabilize myself but… That’s strange, I feel so weak for some reason.

I crumble onto my knee as a blade spins in from behind, spraying me with the sticky and salty taste of blood.

I hold my arm out and try to break my fall but… In disbelief, I look to the side to see my forearm just…

Gone.

Torika

I knew I couldn’t afford to hesitate, I couldn’t miss this chance, any distraction I would dearly regret, but…

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Polly…

My attention wavers as an untouched, fresh blade comes spinning in from the darkness behind, slicing Polly’s arm through from the elbow down.

He knew… They predicted everything and came prepared. Roko catches the sword from behind and strikes down. I bend back, just barely out of reach of his blade.

But not enough, my forehead quickly opens up, a vertical gash running up to my scalp, it was shallow, but I could still feel how dangerously close it came to hitting somewhere more deadly.

“Surprised ya didn’t I?” Roko wipes the blood off his sword with a white cloth. “You must had saw it coming from behind as well! Maybe if you didn’t somehow lose your tongue you would have been able to warn her!”

…

Roko, I mouth to him.

He immediately turns his attention towards my lips.

You were always good at picking things up quickly, you never took a battle you couldn’t win, so that’s why I’m confused. As someone you have known for many years, do you really think you can beat me?

Roko nods. “It pains me to say this to someone I once respected, but you’ve become a shadow of your former self.” He states flatly. “Threw everything away for nothing, for some random little girl. If you think you can beat me now you’ve grown delusional.

I glare at him coldly.

“Well, if you really think you aren’t going to die here, show me your worst.” Roko turns his back to me, showing that he was no longer interested in what I had to say. “You know me, I do have a pretty good read on things, but maybe you’ll surprise me.” He looks down and kicks one of the bodyguards lying on the ground.

“Still breathing huh… Man you've really changed, saving the fodder? While I’m right in front of you?”

I squeeze my fist, yea that wasn’t what I was doing.

Roko flinches back as the man suddenly opens his eyes, completely red and bloodshot.

“EAHH!” The man screams before a loud pop and a spectacular fountain of blood raining all over Roko.

“You fucking!—“ Roko quickly turns around, covered from head to toe in blood, very little of it was my blood; however, enough of it was.

Brace yourself.

Roko quickly turns to flee before his legs seize up, he stumbles to the side a little dazed, before snapping back to focus.

Of course that was Yeluh’s blood, I feel the presence of a third Anku, writhing around Roko’s body desperately putting up defenses. He was the one boosting Roko’s strength from somewhere far away.

Like squirrels we dart around Roko’s body, going from organ to organ, cell to cell as Yeluh tries to counteract my attacks.

Roko’s pupils dilate and constrict back and forth, his skin flushes red and white as his vessels expand and constrict, he drops down to the ground as he temporarily loses control of his own muscles.

There are an endless amount of ways the human body can fail you, your heart can give out, your brain may stop sending signals to the right places, you can be poisoned by your liver, your own defense system starts fighting against you.

“Damn it!” Roko slams the ground and stands up, cracking the floor. Functional, but I able to completely negate Yeluh’s influence while

“You little shit.” I turn and hear a low voice from my right. Polly clutches her arm, blood cupping into her palms, before drawing her sword.

“Oi Torika, you can fix this right?” Polly turns to me, showing the stump on her right arm.

I think carefully. I figured out how to reattach limbs ages ago, but…

We have one minute to finish this. I signal to her. Or else I won’t be able to reattach it...

“That’s fine.” Polly walks forward with her one remaining arm before awkwardly dashing forward.

Roko turns his attention to Polly as they collide swords. “You want to lose another— Ah-“ Roko instinctively flinches as I trigger a sharp pain response. Without missing a beat Polly takes the opportunity to improve her leverage over Roko.

Roko quickly gives ground before getting overpowered by Polly and slips away to the side.

Polly’s pupils track Roko with perfect accuracy, as she turns and closes the gap instantly.

“You were this slow before?” With just one arm Polly rains down a hail of strikes, each one dodged more narrowly than the next. I make sure to help as well, altering depth perception, balance, movement, reflexes, anything that would lead to that one fatal slip.

For a split second, as the two swap around positions once again, Roko and I meet eyes.

They were glimmering; I would even say happy despite the situation he was in.

Polly swings forward and knocks Roko’s sword out of his hand, Roko immediately brings his hands up in a feigned surrender.

“Alright, I’m done.” Roko opens his mouth to say more except Polly doesn’t stop her assault, she practically flies forward trying to decapitate him.

Roko narrowly slides out of the way then quickly extends his arm out to catch Polly’s bladed kick, almost gutting him in the stomach. Polly instantly throws her entire body twisting out of his grasp and throws her other foot at Roko, grazing the front of his chest as he sidesteps it.

“Would you two believe me…” Roko continues to dodge. “If I told you that the masked boy is already gone.”

???

Polly finally stops. “What!?” She exclaims.

“Yea, escaped by himself, took along that other kid we had with him as well.”

“How long ago??”

“It’s been about 7 hours.”

Why are you here then? I mouth.

“Ah my bad.” Roko turns to me. “Could you repeat that? I wasn’t paying attention to—“ Roko stops talking and grimaces as I trigger a splitting headache.

“I was serious there, don’t get pissy.” He finally says after a couple of seconds.

Roko are you lying? I stare him down.

“Yes he is, no need to go through this let’s just kill him right now.” Polly wipes the blood off her face.”

Roko slightly grins, “Come on, why would I need to lie here. I’m still winning, ya know.”

Polly opens her mouth to retort, but I scoop Polly’s forearm off the ground, grab her arm tightly and begin to bind it back together with a long bandage.

“Hey! We don’t have time for this, he’s going to attack!”

Nope, we won. The other Anku is completely gone now. I signal.

“Wait so you mean…”

“Yes, the blood’s worn off.” Roko says before I finish, despite still having an air of ugly confidence behind him.

I look back at Roko. You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here then?

“I told ya I was going to kill the both of you.”

Roko then smiles nervously as his shoulders and hands seize up, his heart beginning to pulsate dangerously. I show my hand, holding it up and squeezing threateningly.

“Say, that girl… What’s her name? Avery I think right? I was told to stall you two here till we could catch her. Apparently there’s something really really interesting we could do with her blood.” From beside me I could feel Polly’s eyes narrow.

Roko gestures towards Polly’s arm. “And, I think ol chap here has done his job quite well.”

…

I look besides me, Polly’s breathing becomes faster and faster, rapidly losing any calm she had left.

Hope it was worth it. I hold my hand out and squeeze.

Avery

I hold my head down and avoid the gazes of the streets. I was nervous, but it was a good nervousness, a light edge that kept me focused. I’m ready, I know I am.

My hair stands up on end as a loud metallic ring runs through the streets. It’s begun, time to get going.

I begin to jog through the crowd. I’m going to make sure those two have a normal life together from now on. A normal life. Normal…