Hiterito charges, his steps silent and movement as fast as the wind itself. Nialuc readies himself in these last moments, he has the disadvantage on multiple levels. A step back and a thrust of his spear, connecting with the warriors blade. Back again, thrust again. Keeping the warrior at a distance. Hiterito parries each strike, stepping ever closer, forcing the lancer back.
The advantage of blade against spear.
Their speed is matched, Hiterito has an easier time moving with his sword though. A sudden opening as Nialuc missteps, the warriors blade clashes with the lancers spear, he pushes the spear aside and speeds forward, running the sharp edge of the blade along the side of the spear.
The advantage of superior technique.
Hiterito swipes at Nialucs side, the edge cuts through his skin with ease, slicing a gash open above his waist. “Ngh!” The lancer grunts and swings at his opponents head. But the attack was too hopeful. The warrior ducks and swipes at his leg. Blood spirts from both wounds. He jumps back several meters with his good leg just as Hiterito swipes again, missing.
“Are we going to take this seriously or not?”, he asks with an annoyed tone.
“Its… been a while.” Nialuc takes a few deep breaths. Hiterito doesn’t take advantage, instead prefers to wait patiently. The wounds on the Lancer begin to heal themselves slowly.
“Yet your powers seem no worse for wear”
“… I’ll make you regret this.”
“Quite hypocritical”
“What?”
“You’re a hypocrite Nialuc. Did you even consider Cutter?”
“What’s he got to do with this?”
“The way you treat him like a child. He’s always wanted to break the curse, you always scolded him. You enjoy this. You enjoy your immortality. Our fights. He never did, but we both don’t care”
“That’s… He’s… No”
“Riveting. Where’s your honor gone? In the tournament he even faced you, and what did you do? You mutilated him, pulverized him. He suffered mental trauma after what you did.”
“I.. I didn’t mean to do that. He was trying to kill me, it was a tournament. That’s the point! And I knew I couldn’t kill him if I didn’t wish to!”
“Don’t be modest. You won and kept attacking him regardless. As soon as he pushed you to your limit, you realized he actually had a chance of winning.”
“If he’d won he would’ve broken the curse”
“And now you do the same”
“Its different! I’m not actively trying to break it, you’re forcing me into a corner here!”
“So you argue self-defense in both cases?”
“Exactly”
“But in one you were protecting the curse and in the other you break it”
Nialucs eyes boil over in anger. He grits his teeth and begins to sweat.
“ENOUGH!”, He screams and throws his spear up into the air.
Hiterito watches, his expression unchanged. His hands glow with bright blue tattoos in a brick-like pattern. As Nialucs spear twirls in the air, he leaps up vertically several meters and kicks the spear as it falls towards him sending it flying at incredible speed towards Hiterito. “GAIA! BULGA!” He yells along with the kick.
Hiterito swishes his hand in the air in front of him, as it moves, it produces a thin, blue, see-through brick wall tracing behind it. The spear grinds into the wall like a drill, spinning and burning with dark red energy. The wind kicks up as sparks and flames shoot up between them. Vines and thorns sprout from the spear, attempting to break through the wall.
Hiteritos hands shake as he tries to hold firm. The spear looses momentum and after several seconds it bounces off, spinning into the air. Flames sprout all around the field, beginning to spread rapidly. Nialuc, landing on the ground, scoffs and raises his hand, the spear flies into his palm almost magnetically.
The advantage of Magic.
“I gave you your chance” Hiterito says in a hushed voice.
He dashes through the flames at the lancer. Huffing tiredly, he brings up his spear and blocks the first blow. More come quickly and Hiterito begins to strike faster and faster, running around Nialuc trying to outpace him. He knows about Nialucs passive healing and restoration. There will be no more breaks. Several slashes are deflected, but every third or so grazes Nialucs skin on his shoulder, side or arms. He begins to slow down. Hiterito stops for a moment to grip his blade with both hands and jumps at Nialuc, his eyes glowing red. Its Over, He thinks. There is only one man in front of him, thrusting at him with his katana, and yet he sees three, each attacking different parts of he body.
He twirls his spear around, trying to block all of them. The tip and butt of his spear both connect, he feels them clash against his spear. The attacks are strong and almost make him loose his grip. But it doesn’t matter, quickly he feels the third attack, going straight through his chest, penetrating his lung.
“Hhhhughgh..Hahgh..” He tries to breathe but is left gaping and gasping. There is only one man standing in front of him, and he pulls his sword out of his chest. Nialuc collapses to his hands and knees bleeding from his wounds and mouth. His eyes are wide open and the sound of his heart beating becomes almost deafening. His attempts to breath and heal are meaningless in the face of such an injury. The fire spreads around them, almost touching.
“Hey. You managed to block two out of three this time. Also I still don’t understand why you insist on yelling your weapons name when doing those special attacks. I mean, I don’t yell ‘KUSANAGI!’ whenever I do something ‘cool’.” Hiterito says in a pathetic attempt to lighten the mood. He frowns, looking down at his adversary.
“Sigh… You know that obscure reference to make? Between our curse and that game, rock, paper, scissors? Well, I never thought you of all people would try to argue rock beats paper.”
Nialuc raises his head to look up at him angrily one last time. He tries to speak, to tell him to fuck off, but all he does is cough up more blood.
“Alright… I get it. I hope you won’t be too mad at me next time.”, he raises his katana.
The tablet around Nialucs waist begins to glow a faint white, unaware to both fighters. On it a projecting image of a man with black and white skin.
“Sorry”, Hiterito apologizes.
----------------------------------------
The Sorcerers eyes open slowly. His head is dizzy, the image before him spinning from side to side. He shakes his head slightly. At first he tries to get up but rolls into the muck of the swamp when he unexpectedly struggles against his bindings.
“ugh.. I… Wh- What?!”, He raises his voice, dumbfounded. He turns and tries to get up and almost impales himself on the blade of the knight, who is sitting crouched next to him, his sword pointed at the mans neck. He breathes in out of shock, his eyes wide and full of fear.
“So. Buddy. I’m gonna need you to answer my questions now”
The ragged man gulps. “Y-you… what..”, he starts to question himself, trying to remember what happened. Then it clicks.
“WERE YOU CONSCIOUS?!”
“huh?”
“IN THE MUCK, WERE YOU CONSCIOUS THAT WHOLE TIME?!”
“I think so”
“I WAITED FOR A WHOLE HOUR! HOW DID YOU RESIST?”
Owin points to his patched up shoulder. “I told you I had a healing spell”
“But- But!... The toxic smoke! The exhaustion!”
“I dunno, I managed”
“You…managed?...” He stares at Owins bliss, dumbfounded.
“Why were you so determined to stay conscious?!”
“Well you didn’t kill me. But you also clearly wanted to make me your minion. You didn’t really have many. So I figured there was some condition or ritual that you needed to get close to me for. The muck wasn’t infecting me or anything.”
“You couldn’t have been sure!”
Owin shrugs. “I didn’t really need to be. Didn’t have much of a choice and had nothing better to do.”
The sorcerer falls silent, still confused and a little irritated.
“Anyways, I’m supposed to be asking the questions here. Theres an old, abandoned house somewhere in this swamp. Where?”
“...”
Owin sighs at the man's refusal to speak. He slowly pushes the tip of his blade closer against his neck. The man tries to put on a defiant frown, but Owin can see the concern in his eyes. The anxiety and fear building.
“Okay Okay!... there.. There is a shack a bit further east of here”
“Perfect.” Owin gets up and looks in a direction.
“...You’re looking south”
“Hm.. So I don't know where I am. Welp, I was just checking anyways. Cmon”
“Wait what do you mean c-aaoh!”
Owin grabs the sorcerer by the waist and hoists him over his shoulder.
“Hey! What are you doing!?”
“Well I need a navigator, so start navigating”
“Ngh… this is… humiliating”
“Suck it up”
“... Turn a bit left.”
Owin turns.
“No, not that way! MY left”
“What? We’re looking the same way”
“You’re holding me upside down!”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Oh my god really?!”
They continue to bicker and struggle with navigation for a long while. Eventually, they figure it out and start making headway.
“There, now turn right past that dead oak tree”
“Which one is the oak?”
“... The thickest one. Do you SERIOUSLY not know what an oak is”
“I grew up in a savanna and or desert”
“...You’re from Africa?”
“Where?”
“Fucking hell…”
“Hell is called Africa here? Man, so much is different here. No, I come from the South East.”
“No not… well, actually.. I guess that's not so wrong… Uh whatever. I’m surprised you know which way East and South even are”
“I'm surprised that you actually are a coward like I said.”
“What?! You-”
“I mean, wow, I thought you were some evil spirit maybe or some demon. You’re just an old dude.”
“Im 27!”
“Seriously!? You need a shave. And new clothes”
The sorcerer looks away.
“That really got to you? My bad, I’m sure tons of young woman like older looking guys”
“Just shut up…”
“Where next?”
The man looks back.
“There, behind that hill”
The pair, or rather Owin, climbs over the muddy hill to find a broken down, collapsing and sinking little hut.
“Hope it's seen better days.”
“It did”
“Did you already check this place out?”
“It's in my territory. I can feel everything in this place.”
“Did you happen to find a relic of some sorts?”
“...”
Owin steps into the half sunken shack. The old wood creaking under his weight. He’s surprised it's somehow not collapsing under him. A glance around paints a morbid picture. Beat up furniture, old children's toys, farming equipment and rusty cooking utensils litter the floor and walls. On the ground there is a small painting in the shattered frame. A young Nigel and his parents are depicted, celebrating something.
“What a shame. Why’d you have to go and ruin this stuff”
“I didn’t ruin it! It was already like this when I came along”
“Hmm. Sad… Well, I guess it can't be helped. So about that relic”
“There is no relic anymore.”
Owin glances at the man, confused and slightly annoyed. The man's voice trembles slightly, fearing the worst.
“I… absorbed it, a while ago.”
“Absorbed?”
“It was a pendant of darkness.”
“So your powers came from it?”
“No! I’m powerful by myself! But it helped. Amplified my power”
“Mhm.. Why would Nigel want a pendant of darkness…”
“Who’s nigel”
“Uh…” Owins eyes shoot up from the ground as if he’s realised he’s speaking out loud.
“Nobody important to you”
“Mnpf…” The sorcerer groans.
I guess I’ll be taking him with me then :)
He thinks chipperly to himself, proud of his bright idea.
“Then I’ve got one more stop. A waterfall, seen one around?”
“Ha! As if. This place was as dry as a desert before I came around”
“Well, there used to be one apparently. So do some thinking”
“... I guess there's this weird rock formation that could’ve once been a waterfall?”
“Perfect yet again! Lead on!”
“Sigh”
The men approach a jagged rock formation, but it's crumbling and overflown with muck and dirt. A large amount of debris and collapsed rock forms a massive hill of cluttered stone. Owin takes his time looking around, hope beginning to fade a little as the area looks totally busted. Until he spots a big hole in the ground, leading down and then off into some kind of cave system.
The sorcerer glances at Owin with concern.
“You’re not seriously going to jump down that distance are you?”
“Not the whole way”
“W-wait!”
With that the knight jumps down, landing on a little outstanding rock platform about a fourth of the way down. The ground cracks under his feet as he lands and Owin feels the incessant trembling of the sorcerer on his shoulder. The man feels an urge to scream but bites his tongue. Owin leaps down twice more, managing to reach the bottom without much more fuss.
“Oh god…fuck”
“Whaaat? You’re fine”
“I think I'm getting lightheaded….”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“I’ll get to that in a sec, just let me…” Owin stares into the dark cave leading deeper into the ground. Ominous feelings emit from it. Something akin the the absence of sound but the insistent feeling that someone, or something, is lurking.
“... its fine”
“Its not!”
“I thought you could see everything in the area?”
“I said I can feel everything the sludge touches.”
“You didn't say that”
“Whatever, either way, the slime never reached this place. That's what scares me”
“Sooo you don't know what's down here?”
“No!”
“Cool, so we’ll find out together”
“I can’t believe I lost to you!”
“You and me both pal”
“Stop that!”
They walk down the dark cave. The darkness is thick and makes everything beyond what's in front of them almost completely invisible. Twice Owin stumbles and almost drops the sorcerer, with which he is rewarded with a burst of shouting and angry grunting from the man. All that can be heart is the echoes of his metal boots thudding on the cave floor, yet even those echos seem… muted.
“At least there looks to be only one tunnel”, the man says.
“You can see down here?”
“Barely”
“But you see no other paths?”
“What do you mean? What do you see?”
“Nothing”
“..Nothing?”
“Just a step in front of me”
“No wonder you’re walking so slow and near the walls!”
“I didn’t know you could see better! How?”
“My eyes are adjusted to magical darkness”
“Everything in this forsaken swamp is magic isn't it?”
“Even so. My vision is still impaired. Whatever darkness this is, it's beyond my abilities”
“Well i'm glad there’s only one path”
They turn a corner. Suddenly light emerges in the distance. With caution, they approach. It's a dimly lit chamber. The walls are carved out in a brick pattern, with small golden plates hanging from the ceiling, holding black, half melted candles which burn with small perpetual purple flames. Against the back wall, there is a large statue of a head with a giant, tall forehead and blank expression. The head is tilted heavily to the right and cracked in many places, almost crumbling. There is white and grey dust scattered across the ground everywhere, some sort of thick pulver. The purple essence mixed with the cold forms a quiet unsettling atmosphere.
“Make anything of this place?” Owin asks.
The sorcerer looks around with interest and caution. “Nothing…”
“You know. How come you aren’t using those big words like before?”
“Are you really thinking about something like that right now?”
“Yeah. Was it all for show? The ‘fear’ you tried so hard to impose.” He says in a mocking tone.
“No!” The sorcerer responds like a child.
Owin notices a stone tablet on the floor near the stone head, with worn and snapped rope strung around it. “Hey look at this” Owin picks it up carelessly.
“Careful! Don't touch anything!”
“Why?” He asks, putting his hand all over the tablet.
“Traps! Curses! Anything else!”
“Why do you suddenly care for my safety?”
“Huh? Uh. Well if you trigger something, i'm right here too you know.”
“... fair enough, but here, look at it. Can you read it?”
“Hmm… No”
“Are you keeping things from me again?”
“No”
Owin puts the man down and bends over him. Suddenly the sorcerer trambles, intimidated, as Owin places his hand onto his face, ready to commit god knows what.
“Honestly! I dont! Wait!”
Then Owins hand glows green, and the man's nose begins to heal.
“A-ah…” He gasps.
“Sorry, I forgot to fix it earlier.”
“Uh yeah.. Thanks…”, He responds, then immediately starts to question why he’s thanking him since he’s the one who broke it.
Owin picks up the tablet again. “Well if it's nothing I guess this was a bust.. Shame, I was hoping-”
The tablet begins to glow white. A projection is forming on it. “..Wha-”
A scene is displayed, a tall blue man on his knees, deathly wounded, about to get his head cut off by a purple samurai of sorts. Owin grips the tablet tighter. His mind racing. Is this a recording or a real time situation? Where? What is this tablet? He needs help, he’s about to die!
Desperately he tries to reach into the tablet. His hand goes into it, glowing even brighter, It begins to pull on his entire body and starts sucking him in, absorbing and adjusting his mass. Owin shouts in surprise but even the noise gets absorbed into it.
“What's going on over there?” The sorcerer turns around with a bit of effort due to his tied arms and legs. But to his surprise, Owin is gone.
“... Knight?... Hello?...”
----------------------------------------
Nialuc coughs and wheezes. He forces one of his legs up, kneeling, he glances at Hiterito again, who watches, still prepared to cut his head off, but still refusing to.
“Nialuc, don't make this difficult”
The lancer refuses to give in, and winds back his fist throwing a punch. Hiterito calmly, takes a step back, dodging the swing with minimal effort. The lancer collapses to the ground completely, plunging into a pool of his own blood. Seeing it's finally over, Hiterito decides to end it completely. “Fights over”
As his blade comes down, a brilliant flash of light blankets the area, blinding both of them. Then a clash of swords rings through the burning field. Hiterito blinks, regaining his vision. Owin kneels in front of Nialuc with his blade held high, blocking Hiteritos.
“Who-”
“Get back!” the Knight yells and pushes himself against the warriors edge. Hiterito steps back.
“Who are you? Where did you-”
“Stand back! I won't be asking again!” Owin glances back at Nialuc’s body, knowing ever second is precious.
“A friend of his?” Hiterito prods.
There’s no time. Screw it. Owin thinks.
He drops his blade and turns the lancer over, pushing his hands against his chest, trying to heal him, his hands glowing a brighter green than ever before.
“And what do you think you’re doing?” the warrior muses.
“What does it look like?!” Owin snaps back, praying that somehow the warrior doesn’t stab him in the back.
Hiterito steps closer, but his katana is pointed at the ground.
“So you do know him?”
“No”, Owin answers the question, hoping it’ll at least buy time. Nialuc coughs become more violent as air starts to circulate again, but the amount of blood he lost has turned into a shallow pool around the two. The flames burn bright and hot, Owin starts to sweat at the temperature.
I can’t believe he’s alive! This must be at least 2 litres of blood, how is he not a shrivelled corpse?! And this heat.. Its insane, I can’t take it in this armour.
“...You don't know him? Why do you insist on helping, what if he’s a murderer or maniac?”
“Everyone deserves the life they’ve been given!”
Hiteritos face breaks character, he looks on with confused stares, then builds a slight smirk. “Mhm. And what if I killed you right now?”
“I don’t care!”
“Even if he dies too?”
“At least I'll die trying!”
“You… you’re mortal though, right?”
Owin doesn’t understand what the man is getting at, but it's buying him time. Then, somehow, Nialuc wheezes and takes his first few deep breaths, his eyes flutter open. “GHA! Ahgg.. cough cough, fuck!”
“You’re alive! Holy crap you’re alive?” Owin says, completely stunned.
Nialuc takes in the situation and rolls back onto his feet, he stands up completely straight gripping his spear tightly. He stares at Owin, Owin stares back, both mesmerised by what they’re seeing. Then Owin starts to stumble, dizzy from the heat and massive loss of mana from all that healing. Nialuc catches him before he can fall.
“Who.. who are you?”
“So you don't know him either?” Hiterito asks.
“No”
“Hm.. He seems sick”
Nialuc places his hand on Owins forehead, realising, “It's the heat”
“Oh, right.” Hiterito glances around at the burning wildfire, almost spreading to the forest. He swings his blade back and forth at the flames in every direction. From it, spew winds so powerful they douse the raging heat.
“You let him heal me? I mean, I know your whole thing is honour but-”
“He had his back to me and didn’t want a fight. I sense his heart is in the right place.”
“Still”
“This doesn’t change anything for you. You can’t beat me, even with his help. His power is insignificant. Even so, I think he just passed out”
Nialuc takes a moment to concentrate and close his eyes. The sounds fade. He feels no warmth or cold, but there is a single violin playing a complicated and quick tune. It's impressive, but surely not enough to compete. He gauges his strength. Hiterito is right.
“Ngh.. as if..” Owin says. Nialucs eyes jet open to look at him, both he and Hiterito surprised he’s conscious.
“As if I’d sit here… and watch you die… no” Owin staggers to his feet and takes a step in front of Nialuc, facing Hiterito.
“I don't know either of you.. I don’t know what's going on.. But NOBODY is killing anyone.”
“Very brave of you, I will admit.” Hiterito says, “But I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter. In fact, none of us do”
He raises his katana and points at the two of them. “Please, brave knight, whoever you may be. Leave now. The things happening here are beyond your matter or abilities”
Owin picks up his sword and whispers under his breath to Nialuc. “Run”
Then he charges at Hiterito. Nialuc doesn't move, staring in surprise.
“Sigh… Alright then.” The warrior says. Owin swings his sword at him, going for his stomach when-
He swings at thin air. He stops, then tries to move and feels the pain across his chest. Blood spirits open from a wound cut straight from the left shoulder to the right side of his waist. He staggers back and bumps into Hiterito while stumbling back who is suddenly behind him.
“You are outmatched, brave knight”
Then he quickly jumps away as Nialuc charges, thrusting his spear aimed at his head, almost hitting Owin in the process. Nialuc keeps up the pressure as the two fall back into combat, swinging and stabbing, with Hiterito expertly parrying each blow. Meanwhile Owin struggles to stay on his feet. He begins to heal.
Hiterito parries another attack, this time pushing Nialucs spear up out of the way. He tries to swing it down on his head, but Hiterito side steps and slashes Nialuc across the eyes.
“ARGH!”
“I’ll shout it this time too”, Hiteritos eyes glow red and prepares to end Nialuc for a second time. “Kusanagi!” he yells, but is interrupted by-
“ENHANCEMENT SPEED”, Hiterito glances to the side, feeling a disturbance in his senses and obviously his ears. Owin comes dashing at him, glowing yellow with acceleration. Hiterito blocks the coming blow single handedly, but Owin keeps up, swinging wildly as fast as he can. Hiterito takes several steps back as the onslaught of attacks continues.
Nialuc meanwhile is trying to focus. He concentrates on his feelings. Follow him, follow his aura. He thinks, and begins to the shinobue flute, Taiko drums, the strings of the Koto. The melody is quicker, more intense. He imagines the burnt field, flowing wind, the noise of Owins and Hiteritos clashes along with the noise of their essence. He sees it. With closed and injured eyes, he runs up behind Hiterito, ready to strike.
The warrior turns, surrounded. His palms glow with brick tattoos, waving his hand he summons the blue brick barrier. Nialuc clashes into the unbreakable force and is repelled back. Owin takes this chance to strike Hiterito while his back is turned, straight for the should, sword swinging over head, when his glow fades, his speed diminishing. Hiterito turns and easily evades, then slashes across Owins legs, a deep wound on both, immobilising him. He groans in pain but resists the urge to give in. Though he can’t feel his legs anymore, much less move them. Ngh.. I… have so little mana left… it's been non-stop since the swamp…
He looks up and sees the blind Nialuc stepping back slowly as Hiterito approaches. Owins face sinks in desperation. He decides he needs to try. Slowly, he controls his breathing and closes his eyes, trying his best to mute the outside world, though he’s never been very good at it.
Nialuc starts to panic. Fuck fuck fuck… My eyes aren’t healing fast enough! He’s coming, I sense it, but I can’t fight him one on one like this! I can’t run… he’ll always find me… Its… wait. What is that..
Out of nowhere he senses a grand orchestra, general trumpets, horns, tubas, posaunes, clarinettes, dozens of violins, cellos, basses and violas, oboes and drums. Yet each instrument plates out of synch with each other, but their noise and individual elegance is astounding.
“GEM EVOLUTION!” Owin screams, his armour and sword transforming into energy that are sucked into him, he begins to burn in mystical blue flames, his eyes gleaming like pristine sapphire. He is left bare in his black, skin-tight bodysuit, radiating incredible pressure.
Hiterito turns around completely stunned by what he’s feeling. Immediately he glows in bright tattoos. Owin pushes his hands forwards, casting his force blast. Hiterito summons his wall, but it's too late, the force already passed it and slams Hiterito across his entire body. He flies across the ground, soaring towards Nialuc who senses his approach. He grits his teeth, tightens his grip, plants his feet and firmly thrusts his spear into Hiterito as he is sent towards him. The gaia bulga penetrates his back, going straight through his chest. Hiteritos body is staked on Nialucs spear. The sheer force of the blast however sent Hiterito flying so far that his body slams into Nialuc and they tumble across the ground.
Hiterito gets up first and pull the spear out of his chest painfully screaming as he does. He pants and shakes. “Wh- what… how…?” He questions, looking at the gaping wound. Nialuc starts to wipe his eyes, slowly opening them. His vision is blurry but he can see. Hiterito takes a second to process what happened. Owins flames die out, his manna completely used up, he collapses, unconscious for good this time.
The warrior and lancer stare each other down. Hiterito turns and dashes in the other direction, sprinting into the forest, no longer sure of his victory. Nialuc gets up to chase him when he start feeling pain from his chest. Shit… my lung hasn’t fully healed… I took so much internal damage…
His gaze wanders from the treeline of Hiteritos escape, to the fallen knight.