Palace Duel (Part 4)

"Hrrkk-hhaaa!"

Tears welled up as I gasped for air. The taste of blood filled my mouth as dust plumed up around me in thick clouds. In the haze, I could only see red. Blood streamed from my eyes and down my cheek.

Reaching up, I tried wiping my eyes, but my arm wouldn't move.

I looked down.

My left arm hung limp, broken, dangling from my shoulder.

"Nnngghh!" I let out a muffled scream.

Boom... Boom... Boom...

Through the cloud of dust, I could make out his silhouette approaching me. I tried pushing myself up against the wall, but my legs refused to work, sliding out from under me.

Yuddh pulled his hammer back, winding up, preparing to finish me off.

Think... think... think!

Instinctively, I let my left hand fall to the floor, touching my binding stone to the ground.

"Stop him!"

The floor beneath us split open as a massive grove of trees emerged from the ground, filling the hall.

Yuddh's war hammer stopped just inches from my face, entwined in a mass of trees and branches. I stared wide-eyed at the hammer, heaving panicked breaths.
Run! Run!

I forced myself onto my feet, weaving between the thick trees, ignoring my pain as much as I possibly could.

"Rrrgghh!" Yuddh snarled, ripping his hammer from the trees that bound it.

I could hear him behind me, smashing through trees like a wild beast. Panting, I hid behind a tree to catch my breath, grasping my left arm in pain.
There has to be a different opening...

As I watched him, something caught Ular Eye.
There!

From the side, I could see a tiny gap just under his armpit when he swung his hammer. But how am I supposed to get it? Is it another trap? I had no more chances; this would be my last one.

"Where are you? Come out, little rabbit!" His voice closer now.

I started to move again, racking my brain, trying to think of a way to make him expose himself.

Ughh—! I stumbled hard, hitting the ground.

I looked down.

A body lay sprawled out, Ruhm's body. I recoiled in disgust before picking myself back up to start moving again, but then, something clicked.
Wait... I can use this.

I gritted my teeth, dragging Ruhm's corpse behind me to a small clearing. Each breath was strained, pulling him with only one arm. My whole body was screaming in agony, but I couldn't stop yet.

Yuddh was getting closer and closer, shaking the ground with each step. I dropped the body, sprinting across the hall, my rapier scraping along the floor behind me.

Let the mana converge and flow through the conduit to become a Mist!

A dense fog rose up from my rapier, trailing behind me as I began to circle Yuddh. Bit by bit, the entire hall became shrouded in mist, leaving only silhouettes visible through the fog.

"Enough with these games!" Yuddh's voice shook the hall.

He began swinging wildly at the shadows that surrounded him. His false head almost got me killed, but that means his eyes are hidden lower in his armor. His vision must have been bad already; with this mist, he's practically blind...

I still had to practice caution. I was severely injured, and Yuddh was still unharmed. Another hit from him would be the end of me.

"RRRAAAGGHH!"

Yuddh was panting, out of breath.
Good, he's paranoid...

I darted in and out, watching as he made frantic swings at my shadow. I began leading him to the spot I picked out.

The wall became visible through the smoke as he followed me further and further back. Backed up against the wall, a silhouette appeared through the trees.

"You cornered yourself!" Yuddh raised his massive hammer overhead.

Schtk!

The sound of flesh being pierced rang out.

"Urrgh?" Yuddh froze, looking down.

"Haaa...Haaa...Haaa." My chest heaved, rising and falling. Eyes locked onto him.

Blood trickled from out of his wound, dripping down my rapier onto the cracked floor. My rapier had found its mark through the gap below his armpit. The blade drove deep into his core.

"glrgh... gurgle—" A wet choking sound bubbled up as he tried to speak.

Drawing the mist back revealed what he was trying to attack... the body of Ruhm. I had propped it up with roots and branches to mimic my stance.

Drawing on the last of my mana, I steeled myself.

Let the mana converge and flow through the conduit to become a Burst of Wind!

With my rapier still deep inside him, the pressure from the wind began to build.

"AAARRGGGHH!!!" muffled screams reverberated in his armor.

BOOM—SPLAT.

Blood oozed from every seam in his armor.

Yuddh toppled to his side, dropping his hammer, blood pooling underneath him.

I just stared for a few seconds... then collapsed to my knees. I felt like I was going to pass out any second. My adrenaline gone, the pain and exhaustion hit me all at once. My hands numb, I dropped my rapier to the side, unable to hold it any longer.

In the distance, a faint cheer rang out. I tried picking myself up to see who had won, but my legs gave out from under me. Lying on the ground, my eyes began to force themselves shut. My mind drifted off as I lost consciousness.

There's nothing else I can do... I did my task...

I won...