Chapter 51: Chapter 48 – Warrior

I talked big, but this was honestly a terrible situation. My mana was all but exhausted, and I had been worn down by the creatures in the catacomb. I had no idea how to eak out a win against this ancient undead knight.

Iris: Licht, I need you to figure out a battle plan for me. I have to completely focus on the fight. I told him, using my inner voice this time. He agreed without words and at the same time, the Knight burst forward with explosive speed, aided by the boosters on his armor. I could see him heaving the massive blade over his shoulder, and dodged sideways to escape the intended arc, kicking off the ground.

Except I felt a heavy pain from the side I dodged to, and I realised I fell for the faint as I was sent flying by a kick in the opposite direction. "Ge-hak!" a vulgar noise escaped my mouth as I choked back the pain and gasped for air. He didn't give me a chance to recover as he stomped into the ground and kicked off, switching shoulders on his blade as the hulking soldier lunged at me.

My stance broken, all I could do was activate PE at half capacity and get to my feet. The blade came down at a diagonal arc and I matched it with my own blade, barely deflecting it as it hit the ground hard. I redirected my sword and made a horizontal slice at him, gritting my teeth. Yet he quickly deflected my sword with the back of his gauntlet, gripping his blade tighter and heaving it from the ground to swing it up at me. I could sense how much power was behind the swing, how it would cleave me in two with ease.

In a moment, I decided to drop down into a crouch. It flew over me and he grasped the handle with both hands, positioning it over me. I darted left, focusing power on my legs as he canceled his attack into another form. I gripped the floor with my claws, positioning my sword behind me. We eyed each other, waiting for whoever would make the first move.

???: "Most warriors would have been killed within the first three moves, yet you have survived. Was that your lone skill, or is it the combined skill of two souls?" He growled out curiously, not losing focus on me for a moment. The pressure was relentless.

Iris: "I don't know how you're aware that there's two of us, but it's purely my own skill. The other is more of a planner. I'm the survivor." I said truthfully. He hummed deeply in response, and stood straight.

???: "You are more than just a mere interloper. You have my apologies, young warrior. I can tell you have been through much to survive, but this tomb will remain your final destination. Young warrior, my name is Dura'Kahn, The Dark Blade. Know you will die with honor." He went on, as I looked at him with surprise. Seriously? Honor? I'm at a huge disadvantage here!

I bit my lip as my face turned to a scowl, my claws digging into the stone floor. This made my blood boil. An unfair, helpless death against an enemy that far outmatches me? An end that makes all my efforts at survival vain? I could feel a fire building in my soul. Something was trying to quell the fire, but I could hardly feel it anymore as the fire grew brighter and hotter. I could feel it in my veins and muscles. My vision brightened and sharpened, I could even see the faintest scuff marks on the Knight's armor. Scratches and dents, weaknesses from degradation. I could hear an unbalanced noise coming from the armor's mechanisms.

It was old, and overused. The only thing keeping it intact was the knight's magic and willpower. I wasn't going to lose to this RELIC. I wasn't going to die in this dark hole. I watched him regain his stance. He was slower than before... No, I perceived it as slower. In the next moment, I watched him boost forward in an explosive lunge. I lunged forward to match, and he swung the blade in a perfect horizontal swing, with no instability. As we drew closer, as the blade was mere milliseconds from reaching me, I ducked under and dug my claws into the ground. The momentum forced me to pivot, and as the blade sailed over me, I used the momentum to launch a double-kick into Dura'kahn's side, who didn't foresee such a maneuver.

The kick connected, forcing his posture to break from the sudden shift in his momentum. I rebounded away from the kick, and landed on my feet, gripping my sword with two hands and focused my strength into a single strike. I dashed forward with incredible speed, and wreathed my sword in magic force, that glowed orange and burned like fire. He was unable to regain his posture, but could still react. I swung diagonally from my left, and attempted to brute-force block my blade with a fist. It was a contest of weapon against armor, a contest of brutality and will.

Weapon and Armor made contact. CCCLAAAAAANG! Sparks flew in all directions, and as he forced the fist of his armor into my blade, I folded it towards me and the Knight stumbled past, placing me just past him. My Body was glowing with power, my muscles burning with fire, yet I let out a breath and focused. I spun in a moment and turned my blade up, before bringing it down into the back of Dura'Kahn in a flash strike. My blade sliced into the armor, cutting through the power cell housing.

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The metal burned red, yet in the next moment a stream of deep blue mana exploded outward, dissipating into the air. I could feel the energy seeping into me and adding fuel to the fire inside me. Every last bit would burn up as it entered me, and a faint cloak of magic fire burned on my body. I reformed my stance, using Licht's school of swordsmanship now.

The ancient knight knelt down, seemingly injured by my attack. He supported himself with his blade, and looked at his left hand, the one he matched my blade with. Moments that felt like minutes passed, before he spoke once more.

Dura'kahn: "I must once again apologise, young warrior Iris. Your will is immeasurable, and so is your potential. Despite being so young, you are incredible skilled, and your will burns brighter than even my own." He said, balling his hand into a fist as he stood. The Knight turned toward me, without hostility. I now sensed a deep respect from him.

Dura'kahn: "You are a true Warrior. That arm clearly has deemed you worthy to accept it, as it accepts your mana. Your will. And as the Emperor's legacy accepts you, so too shall I." He said, and his mechanized armor opens up. The lights began blinking unusually, beginning to lose power. The chestplate opened, folding open and revealing the black, obsidian-like ribcage of the knight and more of his deep crimson fire. Within the ribcage was a blood-red, flawless crystal in the shape of a 6 pointed prism.

Dura'kahn: "I want you to accept my legacy. If it's you, you may ḥ̷̟͇̍̏͆ą̷̜̟̻̤́͌̍̃v̵͍̪̻͗͒̌͊͠ę̸̾͘ ̴͓͙̝͇̀w̶͓̤̻̻̭̓h̷̭̲̖͘ą̵͚͙͆́͌t̷̗̬̀̓́͛͋ ̵̘̩͍͕̈̇̑̽i̸̙̬̩̜̳͛̂͂́̕t̸̛̩̞͎̩̮͌͝ ̴̹̄͐̓͝t̴͕̩̙̀a̵̧̤̩̬̔͂k̵̡͍͕̟͚̈́̽̐̂ẻ̶̛̘̻͎̈́͌̕s̸̢͈͙͖̜̀̾̈́ ̵͕̌̀̀̇͆ţ̸̪͕̜̂̿̆̌̋o̷̼͕̲͕͝ͅ ̶̰͔̌r̶̢̨̛̛̯̈̆̃e̷̢̹̓b̴͖̠̥̬͋e̷͔̓̒̋l̷̠̘̤̟̽͑͆̽ ̴̥̦͔̍̀͂͌̏ą̵̫̉ͅg̴͕̀̓̀á̵̗̋̏͜i̶̛̬͕̻̔ṇ̸̈͗s̸̨̛̳̭̠̩̅͑͊̿t̴̢͔̤̩͊͆͌̿ ̸̲̝̿̆̂̅f̶͍̼͈̱̏̀͐̚͜o̸̖̬̼͈̩̊̿r̶̨͉̈́̚c̸̮̝̪͗̉͑̋e̴̗̦̯̠̾͜ṣ̵̪̅̎̀ ̴̨͎̱͈͂́g̷̬̯̈͛r̴̩͖̂͊ë̴̢́̀a̴̻̯̤̳͍͛̈̉t̴̤͖͓͇̒ȅ̶̛͎̋͝r̶̺̰̆ ̶̱͖̖̀t̸̯̥̀̈́ḧ̵̝́̉͆̆͝ä̴̯́̀̐͜ͅn̴̛̺̲̺̩͌͑͐ ̶̨̡̢̘̦͛͛̄ớ̷̳́͛u̴̢̮̬͔̐̋̍͑̾ͅȑ̵͖ ̶̛̠͋̎̇͂o̷̯̯̓̀͋̌w̷͕̓ñ̷̞͙..."

Suddenly, something interfered with what he was going to say. It was like listening to a garbled radio feed, and I couldn't make out what he said. It seems he realised this, perhaps from my unsettled expression, or because he knew aswell, but ignored it. Instead, he reached into his own bones and pulled out the crystal, handing it to me.

Dura'kahn: "Use the Emperor's arm. It can absorb my legacy for you. I wish you luck, Warrior. Sharpen yourself for what is to come." He spoke as if he was dying, and with haste. I was still trying to absorb all of this information, and the shift in mood. Thr crystal was basically forced into my hand as he slowly collapsed onto his knees, the fires fading and the mana from the power cell expelling slower. Ah... The cell kept him 'alive'.

I took some time to come to terms with everything. My head was spinning and the flames around my body dissipated, steam emanating from my body as I, too, collapsed. I only had time for one question.

Iris: "What... Happened...? To your... Empire..." I asked, only on instinct. In response, I heard a quiet scoff.

Dura'kahn: "Youll find out, someday" he uttered his last words, his soul dissipating, severed from his physical vessel. A metal prison, perhaps. As my head spun into unconsciousness, I thought of his answer.

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