On my knees, still struggling to rise, I watched as Jake began summoning a Card.
To my surprise, it wasn't his Origin Card.
Instead, he was deploying a long-range Spell Card.
If I had to guess, his plan was to severely hurt from a safe distance — then jump in for the kill.
Typical.
The coward's way to play predator.
"You might already know this," he said as the Spell Card took shape above him in a swirl of light particles, "but I always admired you, Sam. You were just so fearless. Strong. Effortlessly popular. Iron-willed. And most importantly... you were my friend. Or at least — I thought you were."
He took a slow step backward. "But with you, I always felt like a background character. Like you were the hero, and I was just... there. In your shadow. Because no matter how much spotlight there was, it would never be enough for the great Samael Kaizer Theosbane, right?"
His voice trembled with rage barely held in check. "But I still stayed. Because I thought you were my friend! I helped you conquer the streets of Luxara! I acted as your right hand! I defended you — stood up for you, ti and ti again — all because you! Were! My! Friend!"
The Spell Card was fully ford now, hovering behind his head.
He extended a hand, palm aid straight at .
Wisps of crackling violet energy from around him began to converge into a glowing orb — like a cannonball, if cannonballs were made of unstable plasma.
"But where were you when I needed you?" His voice rose to sothing raw and bitter. "You didn't just abandon … you humiliated . Humiliated ! And for what? So you could go suck up to that… that peasant orphan?!"
He spat the words like poison and shook his head.
"I loathe you, Sam. You've lost your spine. I don't know where the old you went, but he'd be disgusted by what you've beco." Jake snarled. "So I'll do him a favor… and just kill you."
As if on cue, the crackling violet orb burst into a focused beam of raw energy and whooshed toward .
I was still on my knees…
But just before the beam could hit , I snapped my head up — and the air in front of wavered like the rippling surface of water.
Then sothing strange happened.
The beam struck the wavering air — and instead of hitting , it reflected.
Right back at Jake.
His eyes flew wide in alarm. He barely managed to twist aside as the beam skimd past his face, nearly blowing his skull off.
The blast slamd into the weathered wall behind him and tore open a hole wide enough to drive a truck through.
You see… while Jake was busy monologuing like every other third-rate cliché villain, I'd quietly deployed one of my own Cards — «Mirrorcloak».
⟨Mirrorcloak: An invisible cloak capable of reflecting a single spell or projectile aid at the wearer back to the attacker. Needs to be resummoned after one use.⟩
The reason Jake didn't see summon it was simple — my back had been pressed against the half-broken column.
And the Card had materialized just behind it.
It was a neat little trick, if I do say so myself.
I could've summoned my Origin Card… but I didn't have enough Essence in to perform a transmutation.
So I went for the next best option.
Anyway, as soon as Jake was disoriented by his own attack reflecting back on him, I rushed in like a hamr shot from a trebuchet.
He barely had ti to regain proper footing before I jumped — and introduced his face to my knee.
A sickening thud rang out as he stumbled back, clutching his broken nose. Blood poured down his face in streams like a faucet left running.
I hit the ground in a roll and imdiately sprang forward again.
Jake turned frantically and swung a wild hook.
I ducked under it and drove a punch into the exposed side of his torso.
He grunted in pain and brought his other hand — the one still gripping the obsidian dagger — down in a desperate slash.
But the result didn't change. I sidestepped the downward strike and slamd my fist into his ribs.
He wheezed — doubling slightly — and I followed up with a swift uppercut to his chin. His head snapped back, more blood spraying from his split lip and fractured nose.
I grabbed his collar and slamd him against the cracked column behind him before letting loose another punch to his gut.
And another.
Each blow echoed like thunder in the hollowed-out ruin.
Jake squird, thrashing a knee into my side, but I tanked it, gritting through the pain.
He then tried to stab — but I caught the dagger mid-thrust. Its edge cut into my palm and drew blood… as I ramd my forehead into his face.
—Crack!
His head whipped sideways — and for a mont, he sagged under the weight of the beating.
But then—
He growled.
And with a flick of a wrist, another pulse of violet light ignited in his free hand.
I noticed the glow a second too late.
—FWOOOM!!
Another blast of crackling energy burst from his palm and struck .
I was flung back, skidding across the debris-littered floor, coughing as pain flared through my ribs. It wasn't as strong as the first blast — but it hit clean.
Jake dropped to a knee, panting hard. Blood trailed down his face, mixing with the dirt on his chin.
I stood up first. My body was screaming, every muscle pushed past its limit, but I wasn't about to let him see that.
Instead, I straightened and rolled my shoulders like the pain was nothing.
Jake imdiately began charging another crackling orb of violet energy — but he didn't fire it recklessly.
He knew I could dodge it at this range and rush him.
So he was simply aiming it at … holding it as a threat in case I tried to call for my sword again.
I wasn't worried. And instead took this mont to finally catch my breath.
"Since you claim you helped conquer the streets of Luxara," I said, keeping my voice cold, "then tell … do you rember what they used to call there?"
Jake didn't respond.
He just glared.
So I stepped forward. "Say it."
Still nothing.
My boots crunched closer on the fractured stone.
My voice turned icier. "I said — say it."
He hesitated.
Then muttered through gritted teeth, "…The Beast."
"You're goddamn right! They called the Beast because I used to leave my enemies bloodied, broken, and begging for rcy that I never granted!" I barked out, laughing bitterly. "You think you were my right hand? My friend? You were nothing but a leech, you fat fuck. A parasite clinging to my wealth, feeding off my victories! I conquered Luxara alone! . My fists. My money. I crushed every young Awakened gang in those streets! Anyone who dared to challenge always ended up groveling at my feet! While you just stood there, basking in the scraps of my glory!"
Jake's fists clenched, his jaw trembling.
I kept going. "And now look at you. Playing the villain. Crying betrayal. You pathetic fool! You think you're the first to challenge when the odds are stacked against ? You think you're the first to kick when I'm already down?"
My voice dropped to a low snarl. "I've been fighting impossible odds my whole damn life, you worthless pig! I've fought terminal illness. Crawled out of crippling depression after my mother killed herself for . Endured my father's scorn, my sister's mockery. I've stood against n and monsters twice my size. And I've survived traitors who thought they could finish off when my back was turned."
I laughed again, no doubt sounding every bit as mocking as I was trying to. "I was born surrounded by enemies. I was raised with a knife to my throat. And every ti soone tried to bury — I clawed my way out and made them choke on the dirt."
His shoulders started to shake.
"You say you were always in my shadow? Just a background character while I soaked up the spotlight? Well guess what? You're fucking right! You are nothing, Jake!" I took one last step forward. "And nothing's all you'll ever be!"
The words hit him like a hamr to the chest.
His face contorted — an ugly mix of humiliation and hatred — as rage boiled over in his eyes.
Then, like a bull loosed from its cage, he roared — a sound more animal than man — and launched himself at .
All grace gone.
All precision forgotten.
Just raw, blind fury.
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