Hector smiled faintly: "I'll win, after all."
Then he glanced at his gauntlet, which was linked with a comms tool.
"Hey, you two, we'll end this match soon. Those idiots dug their own grave."
Right after that, laughter echoed.
"Hahaha… what a coincidence. I actually thought things would turn out like this… I can't wait to see his face when you use the artifact… hahaha!"
Another voice cut in.
"So how much longer? I can't stand this girl anymore!"
"I guess you're toying with her too much. I wish I could switch places with you."
…
Hector glanced at his cane, which was occasionally filtering and absorbing mana from the purest streams around. Its absorption had grown much stronger after Aileen used his tubes, filling the place with pure mana.
He didn't know exactly what it was—maybe so imperial product or whatever—but it had helped him a lot.
A small change crept into his plan.
He looked at it for a mont, then reassessed.
"Three minutes. I think you can head back."
"Got it."
Sensing danger closing in, Hector leapt away and landed on the ground. The next enemy strike—he couldn't dodge it, his weakened body lagging behind even though his mind had seen it coming.
But he didn't panic. He kept his breath steady and controlled, raising his cane near his throat and deflecting the blow down into the earth.
Then, rolling smoothly, he twisted like in a dance before springing back onto the top of the earth spikes.
The whole exchange lasted only a few seconds, without a single wasted movent.
His breathing grew shallow, but he still forced out words:
"I guess… you can't follow through after what you just did."
Aileen just grimaced. He was no longer shocked like before. He had predicted this, yet it was still really discomforting, so he shouted,
"Don't be arrogant! It's just a matter of ti before you die."
This ti, Aileen struck the ground again, but he used it in a different way. A wave of mana ran across the place, and the ground began to vibrate violently. There might be sothing strange under it. Hector noticed imdiately. No unusual mana in this place could escape his eyes, so he moved his feet to run out before whatever was happening could fully take effect.
Hector's action left Aileen astonished again. His head was full of questions. Who was this guy? He was blind, right? How could he do that without eyes? Even soone with eyes—Aileen doubted they could manage it.
Desperately, he hoped Hector wouldn't escape his mana range.
The ground trembled and a wall rose up, forming a circle around them. His aim was to trap Hector so he could strike easily. But at this mont, it all depended on luck—Hector was almost at the wall, ready to jump out.
And he was really a lucky guy.
Hector suddenly moved slowly, as if sothing in the stone was holding him down.
He coughed up a handful of blood, his face twisted strangely.
"Damn!"
Soon, the entire area where Hector and Aileen were fighting was enclosed by an earth do. No streak of light could get in—but it didn't matter much, as Hector didn't need light to fight.
"You guys, I think it's hard for to hold on much longer. Please, move quickly," Tyrone's voice rang out from Hector's gauntlet.
"Don't be maniacal, I'll be there soon. Just don't use it—I beg you a hundred tis."
…
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed through the entire do. It unsettled Hector. He couldn't hear anything. His ears were useless now. He ragged, looking around with hollow eyes.
"You're blind, so I suppose you use your ears to sense everything. But now, your ears are of no use. Your body weakens, and your six senses are no longer effective."
"You're a goner now."
Aileen's bell echoed as he slowly approached Hector, giving Hector no chance to realize his position. Yet, contrastingly, Hector seed to give up and sat down, leaning against the wall of the do.
However, he wouldn't let anything reckless happen. His experience had already told him that.
After several seconds, Aileen stood in front of Hector. He took a short look and spoke, his voice filled with respect, not a trace of humiliation or mockery. He felt sorry for Hector, a man of great ability but with a few flaws.
"If you give the badge, I'll spare you."
At this mont, Hector's body was hard from the mana poison. His body shivered violently, blotches of blood spreading across him.
He slowly raised his head, trying to breathe, and gave Aileen a smile, a blank, distant gaze.
Silence.
For now, Aileen was completely drawn to Hector's eyes. They were hollow, ghostly, carrying the guilt and loneliness of a man who had endured countless sins. Such eyes weren't ant for soone his age.
At that mont, Aileen felt guilty, too.
But then, he began to feel the sa pain Hector must have carried. His heart twisted in agony—not physical, but ntal. His eyes beca tearful and red. He wiped his tears away, wondering where these feelings ca from.
"Y-You're a poor guy."
But the next mont, Hector vanished.
"Huh? Where are you?"
He glanced around, confused, but more than that, his feelings remained—they didn't disappear, still lodged in his heart.
He cried.
"W-What the fuck are you doing to ?" he shouted in agony.
"Nooooo! Get out of my mind!"
His vision blurred, as if everything were an illusion. He howled in pain, smashing everything he saw.
He scratched himself, muscles torn and broken, yet the feeling remained.
"No! Forgive !"
He hard himself for what felt like an eternity, but the physical pain could not overpower the agony of his emotions.
"F-Fuck! I want to die! I want to wipe out this feeling!"
He sobbed maniacally, slamming his head against the earth wall.
Again!
Again!
Again!
Until he was dead, leaving the pieces of brain fresh and a pool of blood around.
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