Chapter 109 Four down
four down
Milo pov
The arena erupted again, barely taking a break.
For a second the world spun around me. The cheers, the screams and curses of the crowd blurred around me. I could feel the metallic taste of copper in my mouth. I was shaking so hard I could barely stand upright. My tired muscles screamed to rest, despite Lior who relentlessly kept on pumping warm energy into my system, I was already close to my limit of what my body could handle.
“Can he really reach the diamond mark...”
“Don’t tell me he wants to continue, despite getting injured.” different stunned voices floated in my ears. But I hardly paid them any attention.
Tick 162… Tick 172,
For a whole 10 seconds. Nobody moved in the arena, Two of the remaining shadows were still in shock. Their burning eyes hadn't dimmed for a moment, but I could see their eyes now shine with something else apart from their burning light. respect.
“Enlighten us senior.” The two of them bowed, before they charged once more.
I froze, shocked at what just happened. Had the two shadows just bowed down to me…?
But they didn’t give me the luxury to think, they closed on me very fast.
My vision tunneled, then widened. My hands moved faster than my breath. I baited the whip-user with a step-and-fake, and he took it. I felt the hot sensation of the leather hiss past where my shoulder had been, then lunged in before he could recover. Grabbing his hands, I twisted my body in the air, using my weight to wrench the whip free. It snapped and slithered away across the floor.
Four down.
Tick 177.
One remained,
I had disarmed one, within 5 seconds. It should have felt like victory. But instead, I felt like I was looking at an unfathomable being. We continued to circle each other slowly,
My heart pounded in my chest, my lungs burned, and my limbs trembled so badly, I feared it might collapse at any time.
Only one left. All the training and hard drills Damon had made me pass through, narrowed down to this one remaining last shadow. He moved, his movements different from before, like he was gliding in the air, instead of running towards me.
I drummed out my surroundings, willing all the fiber in my body to cooperate this time.
Tick 185,
I moved towards him with a small war cry. He struck for my side; I rolled the other way, fast, but he had seen through my movement, and came up with a follow up kick. My side flared in pain, as I flew through the air, landing unceremoniously on the ground. Dangerously close to falling off the arena.
Tick 190. The pendulum's loud grating sound echoed, like a judgment bell.
My vision darkened, my chest heaved heavily, as I struggled to get up on my feet, while gasping for breath.
“You have gone a long way, admit defeat,” His voice came like thunder. It was not mocking, but it sounded so emotionless like he wouldn't care if I win or lose.
I gritted my teeths, “noo”
“Then I wouldn't show mercy” He swung again after his speech, a timely roll saved me, but he continued to strike, parked with lights flying from his sword contact on the ground.
My eyes burned, my head tried to find an escape route but the sword man seemed to read every inch of my movement. I was almost at the end of the arena, and as if that was not enough,
The 195th Tick rang.
Finally the sword man stopped his insistent attacks. his sword pointed at me in a final showdown of pride and victory.
“You are qualified to wield the gold badge…, but apparently you are not qualified for another diamond appearance.” His emotionless voice, hitted home.
Desperation creeped inside me, together with helplessness. I wouldn't lose here, not now. I have come a long way to lose…
“Little wolf, get up and fight…”
I paused. A completely different foreign voice had spoken in my head. But when I looked around, I could see anyone or anybody that might have done that.
“Get up…, don't think, get up, now!!!”
As if my body was on autopilot, I launched myself like an arrow that was let free from a cross bow, towards the swordsman.
Tick 198th,
I saw his eyes widen, but I was already in the air, my leg closed on his hands in a hard deathlock, letting out a final grunt filled with desperation and one last will to fight, I twisted with all my strength.
Tick 199. The sword man reacted, but I was still milliseconds faster, the sound of the metal clatter echoing throughout the room, at the same time…
The last swing of the pendulum ticked 200!!