If luck was real…it hated me.
So far each enemy I faced was relatively 'normal.' Similar to myself, they weren't true MageKnights, giving me a chance to kill them.
Pivoting to the side, I deflected my opponent's strike, replying with my own. I felt the momentary resistance as my sword dug through the gap in his armour, burying itself into his body.
His eyes widened slightly as they fixed on me. "Ple-"
Pulling out my sword, I didn't hear the rest of his dying cries as he collapsed to the floor.
It was foolish to focus on the mumblings of a dead person right now. If I hesitated here I might as well just stab myself.
Looking up for the next soldier, my heart sank.
'MageKnight.'
He was almost mesmerising to watch. The way he killed, it wasn't brutal, or messy like it was for me.
Instead it was graceful..swift, like he was an artist, painting scarlet strokes upon the fabric of the world.
His armour pulsed lazily with yellow runes…that armour alone was what told me he was a MageKnight.
No ordinary soldier could ever lay their hands on such a fine piece…unless it was in the moments before they were killed.
'Yeah, definitely a MageKnight.'
A cold sense of calm washed over me as I advanced. I was too close to run away, so there was no other option but to fight.
As I focused, I felt all the background 'noise' tune out. All the unnecessary thoughts and emotions…gone.
The MageKnight paused for a moment, after killing the last of my 'comrades.' His dark gaze was fixed on me, calculating.
Then he leapt forward in a blur of fury.
Immediately I was on the defence.
The MageKnight advanced in a brutal onslaught, each blow three times stronger than what seemed possible for a human.
My muscles trembled, joint popping as I barely parried each strike.
'He's not using magic…why?'
No doubt he was augmented with magic, but…was that it? MageKnights should be capable of so much more.
Yet he only fought with a sword.
Even with just that, the difference in our skill was night and day. I could feel myself being toyed with. As if I was some sort of dish to be savoured.
Armour pieces splintered off my body, utterly obliterated. Blood followed, blossoming all over my body from various cuts.
Each time I defended, I was weaker. Each second this fight lasted I gained injuries. Each moment I was alive, I was infinitely closer to death.
'I'm being whittled away.'
The enemy feinted a thrust, flicking his wrist to the side at the last moment. A felt an arc of fire across my arm, causing blood to gush out like spilt wine.
Gritting my teeth, I staggered back, trying to get out of range. Yet instead of panicking, my thoughts were calm, still fixed on the fight.
'I can't stay like this. He isn't even using magic…why? What if…he can't. Maybe he isn't a MageKnight…maybe he only has that armour.'
Growling, I just about stepped out of the way from a bone-breaking slash.
Did it even matter if he couldn't wield magic, the way he moved with that sword was already too much for me.
'He's just too good of a swordsman.'
Then, another voice whispered in my mind. My old voice, when I was Reshi.
'But is he a better soldier?'
A cold smile split the mask of desperate focus. 'No…he isn't.'
Cupping my hands, blood flowed into it from the numerous cuts all over my arm. Darting forward I thrust forward, making the motions deliberately obvious as if it was a final attempt.
The man smiled, dark eyes amused as he parried my strike.
Stepping in closer, I threw my blood all over his eyes.
"AAAHHGH!!!!" the MageKnight screamed staggering back, hands going to his eyes as he tried to wipe the blood out of his eyes.
Immediately I took advantage. Darting forward I brought my sword down with all the force I could muster.
Reflexively he raised his arms, my sword bouncing off his runic vambraces.
My standard issue sword was never going to be able to get through that armour.
The man stumbled back from the force of my blow however, momentarily caught off guard.
'This fight needs to change levels' I realised.
Running forward I tackled him to the floor not giving him a chance to recover.
He fought wildly, arms flying in an attempt to throw me off.
But my training as Reshi kicked in and I locked my legs in position, refusing his attempts.
Then, taking off my helmet I raised and brought it down.
CLANK
My helmet was one of the Aresium reinforced parts of my armour, so it held as I raised it and slammed down on his head.
The man groaned, reeling from the force.
I did it again, and again. Crashing it down with a brutal vigour, my heart pounding.
CLANK
Terrified screams echoed across the battlefield, haunting wails of final regrets and childish fear, rising through the air with the acrid smoke and smell of burnt flesh.
CLANK
I couldn't let up for a second. If I did, he'd kill me. Screaming, I continued hammering, my helmet slowly breaking his.
CLANK
"MOOOOOMM" a young soldier screamed, his voice tearing with fear and despair. I didn't know if he was on my side, or the rebels.
But then…didn't everyone have mothers? Why would that matter? Still…I hope he wasn't on my side.
CLANK
The scream of that soldier stopped abruptly. The absence of his voice, more stark than his screams.
CRUNCH
My opponent grunted, his helmet finally dented from the strike.
CRUNCH
I could feel it.
The pounding of my heart.
His heart also.
Both of our hearts, beating for life just as furiously.
One of them would stop soon, dying with the same bloody gurgle as the men around us, lost in the sticky claustrophobic heat and blood.
CRUNCH
Thunder boomed furiously above me, battling with the crackling lightning.
CRUNCH
The clanging of steel against steel filled the air like a constant chaotic cacophony of violence.
CRUNCH
His attempts to stop me became weaker. Slower. I was almost there.
CRUNCH.
Then the struggling stopped, as his skull slowly relented under my repeated strikes.
CRUNCH
He died, his arms collapsing to his side. His head now resembled nothing more than a shattered mosaic of blood, bone and brain.
"I won" I muttered in disbelief, my breath ragged.
Slowly, I staggered to my feet, light-headed as blood continued to flow down from the large gash on my arm and half a dozen other places.
'Need…to…rest' I thought doggedly. 'Too much…'
"Haah…haah."
I looked down at the dead soldiers' armour. While the helmet was destroyed, the armour was still fine.
It was quite a unique thing, runes glowing captivatingly. It had provided my opponent with enhanced strength, I could do with a similar bonus.
Reaching down, my shaking fingers fumbling as I searched for any straps that I could undo. That armour was a thousand times better than the rags I was wearing now.
But before I could, I felt a searing heat erupt to my right.
'Shit.' I had stopped paying attention to my surroundings.
Instinctively I rolled out the way as a wave of flame was sent in my general direction, incinerating soldiers in a piercing scream.
Turning I saw another MageKnight. No, not another MageKnight.
A true MageKnight.
This one wielded magic as if it was an extension of himself.
His armour was like magma shifting around him, shining with a furious blaze.
The rebel raised his hand, and the ground beneath me trembled.
Rocks and debris shot upward, forming a compact boulder that hovered ominously over the outstretched farm.
"Fuck me" I muttered. "At least it can't get any worse."
Then the Knight flicked his wrist, and the boulder ignited, flames roaring on its surface.
"Motherfu-"
Turning around I ran without hesitation, no way in hell was I trying to fight a meteor. Zigzagging like a madman, I tried to make myself hard to target, weaving between other soldiers.
Hopefully, the MageKnight would choose to target them instead.
Behind me, the fiery projectile roared like a comet, closing the distance right before crashing down just behind me.
The impact threw me off my feet as the comet shattered the ground, sending everything flying.
I landed hard on the ground, the air knocked out of me.
After a moment, I tried to look around. My vision was hazy, I could feel myself on the brink of passing out.
Right before I passed out, a yellow comet shot down from the sky, colliding with the rebel MageKnight with inhuman force.