The view of Karn's defeat snapped something inside me.

The once invincible warlord I looked up to, now kneeling in front of me, bleeding tremendously as he screamed in pain.

I didn't know how to react, I didn't know what to feel.

Pain.

Anger.

Resentment.

All those emotions yet I couldn't dare to make a move in front of the enemy.

"K.....Karn....." The despairing sight gradually ate me. My legs were stuck as if shackled by something. Even if I wanted to move, I was frozen in place, just waiting to be struck by the enemy.

"Karn!" Lythael quickly ran up to him without hesitation, pulling Karn away from Nahci.

"You're going to be fine! Fiera! Nereus! Quickly! Heal him!"

The two of them instantly dashed towards Lythael, with a couple of hand signs and seals, they could conjure a yellow force field, with enough radius to cover up our whole group. Fiera kneeled beside Karn, her face instantly teared up as she saw the grievous wound inflicted on him.

"Don't worry Karn! The field will prevent any more damage and with your healing, your arms will grow back in a minute!"

"Is he gonna be okay?" I shouted at them, not moving an inch from my position. The fight was not over, Nahci was still standing in front of us, stunned as he licked the blood from his scythe.

"My my! Don't tell me it's already over you fat pig!"

The sound of his scythe sweeping through the air sent shivers down my spine, each swing he made in the air was lethal enough to wipe us all.

The tremor in my voice was almost uncontrollable, but I couldn’t let Nahci see my fear.

“Hey, Bastard!” I called out, stepping forward, away from the safety of the group.

Nahci’s twisted grin widened as his face turned towards me. His glowing eyes were hungry, and he was covered in a dark aura, ready to devour anything in his path.

“Oh? Are you finally stepping up? You, of all people?” he taunted, letting his scythe rest on his shoulder, dripping with Karn's blood.

"Stay back!" I muttered to the others.

I didn’t dare look back at them. I knew if I did, my resolve would weaken. I couldn’t let my hesitation bring them down. This was the only choice to protect them, to bring time for Karn to get back up.

This was my fight.

“Don’t you dare try to stop me!” I shouted at my team, clenching my fists. "I'm taking him on alone."

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The air was silent, bringing a dead silence before Lythael spoke up, her voice filled with uncertainty, “Jorr! You can't! You'll Die!”

“I said STAY BACK!”

My heart pounded in my chest, and adrenaline surged through my veins. I gritted my teeth, eyes locked on Nahci. He wouldn’t win. Not this time.

“Funny little man!” Nahci sneered, his voice filled with mockery.

"Let's see what you can do!"

His hand moved quickly, and in an instant, his massive scythe dematerialized, fading into nothing but dark mist.

*"What? Where did it go?!"* I stared in confusion as Nahci cracked his fingers.

“You want to fight me, little man? Fine… I'll make it easy for you.”

He raised both hands and flexed them in front of me. "No weapons! I'll give you an advantage!"

I could feel my muscles tense up, my blood boiling at his voice. He wasn't just underestimating me, he was mocking me.

"Tsk... Let's go!"

I clenched my fist tighter as I summoned my inner strength, drawing in the natural environment of the cave around me. The stones at my feet began to swirl and rise once again, faster this time, forming a tight vortex around my body.

“Oh, this will be fun…” Nahci chuckled, smiling at my growing rage.

The heat of the battle filled the air as I bent my knees, readying my stance. “I’m not backing down. Not this time.”

With a loud war cry, I lunged forward, all the stones and debris swirling around me in a powerful spiral. I poured everything into my attack, aiming straight for Nahci’s chest.

"LET'S DO THIS YOU BASTARD!!"

Each step I took shattered the ground beneath me, and the stones followed my movements, deadly projectiles ready to strike.

But Nahci… he didn’t even flinch. He just stood there, smiling and waiting until my attack would reach him.

With a casual sidestep, he dodged my first strike with ease.

“Too slow!” he hissed.

I growled in frustration and immediately dashed, launching another attack, this time with a heavy stone-enforced punch aimed at his jaw.

"Take this you hunched beetle!"

But again, Nahci weaved out of the way as if my attacks were leaves falling on him.

“Is that all you’ve got!! Hahahaha!!!” His laughter rang out, infuriating me further.

I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My body moved on instinct as I unleashed a flurry of strikes, from dagger techniques to desperate punches.

But no matter what I threw at him, Nahci dodged them all effortlessly, his body moved smoothly, moving through my attacks as if I were the only one doing anything serious.

“You’re pathetic,” he snarled as he danced away from my last strike. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

Before I could react, Nahci moved, too fast for me to follow. His form blurred, and the next thing I knew, a crushing pain exploded through my hand.

CRACK!

"ARGH!"

I screamed as I felt the bones in my right hand shatter.

Nahci had delivered a single, brutal blow, and in an instant, the stones surrounding me fell to the ground, lifeless. My body hit the dirt, and I clutched my now broken hand, struggling to breathe through the agony.

“Is this what you call a fight?” Nahci spat, standing over me, towering like the nightmare he was.

*"My right hand! CRAP! I CAN'T MOVE IT!"*

His bare hands were dripping with my blood now, and his mocking smile was still plastered on his face. “You’re no warrior. You're just someone pretending to be something!”

I gasped for air, the searing pain in my hand making my body burn. But I wasn’t finished yet. Not while my team was watching. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

With tightened teeth, I roared, "I'm... not done!" as I struggled to stand back up.

My hand pounded with pain with each movement. I could feel the weight of my failure hanging over me, but I wasn't going to let it break me.

Nahci clicked his tongue, unimpressed. “Get up then, little worm. Let me break the rest of you.”