Gaul, The Last Knight: Part Two

"You sound pretty confident," Lyra said. "I don't suppose you have a way to beat him."

"Time," he answered vaguely.

"I don't understand."

Gaul was fast approaching Batu and Lyra, and it wouldn't be long until he was upon them.

"We just need to stall him for a bit, and you'll see what I'm talking about."

Lyra nodded. She would have to place her trust in him since she had no other options left. Fighting Gaul alone was next to impossible.

Lyra and Batu quickly split both ways around the knight. The ground beneath the giant rumbled as he prepared to swing at both of them.

Grabbing a stone from the ground, Batu threw it at him while shouting, "Hey, asshole! What kind of guy is your Lord if he can't even defend his own home against demons!"

He wanted to taunt Gaul; to get the knight to focus on him instead.

"How dare thee," Gaul growled in anger. "To disrespect the Lord's name; a painful death only awaits thee."

Dirt caved under Gaul's feet as he burst towards Batu, hellbent on slicing this insolent fool into pieces.

"Shit!" Batu hastily rolled out of the way, dodging a swing that came for his head. However, Gaul didn't let up for a second, twisting his sword into a diagonal cut.

Batu quickly retreated back from the sweeping blade; his shirt bore a large cut, and a thin trail of blood trailed down from his wound.

He was just inches away from death.

"A slippery one, art thou?" Gaul mocked; his respect nonexistent towards Batu. "Befitting of an insolent wretch; soon, the frail shell of thy flesh shall tire, and only death will come."

Gaul ripped through the air as he swung his sword again. Yet, Batu still managed to evade by a hair's breadth. Suddenly, a kick. Batu didn't even see it coming before it smashed against his stomach.

"AGH!" Batu coughed out a mouthful of blood as he was thrown onto the ground. He helplessly rolled and flipped before he finally came to a stop.

Batu was in tremendous pain. That kick had knocked the wind out of him, and he felt like throwing up. He wiped the blood from his mouth and slowly got up. Despite the pain, he could still fight.

"Don't get too cocky, ya bastard!" Chin cried out; his short sword glimmered with a strange, luminescent energy, plunged deep within the crevice of Gaul's armor.

"Argh, wretched coward!" Gaul roared.

As Gaul prepared to kill the both of them, his sword arm was frozen in place by Lyra. It was quick and well-timed, and it was enough time for Chin and Batu to retreat to a safe distance.

"Ice prison!" Lyra continued to cast ice spells at Gaul to hold him in place, freezing all of his limbs.

"Hey, you alright, boy?" Chin worriedly asked.

"I'm fine, thanks for helping me out," Batu asked.

"That's what warriors do, boy!" he replied with enthusiasm. "Besides, I finally got to use my skill, [Fierce Thrust], now that I have this bad boy here!"

Chin showed off his sword. He wouldn't have been able to use his skill if he didn't have it.

Batu's lips grew a small smile. Batu didn't have any friends back on Earth. Besides work, he would normally stay at home all day and watch anime and play games. Now, he had someone like Chin who would gladly fight by his side.

"Enough!" Gaul broke the ice around him. "I grow tire of this!"

A red glow slowly swirled around Gaul's sword. The sword shook with overwhelming power; ghastly shrieks and wails had echoed from the weapon, itself. It was truly a haunting sight to behold.

Batu and Chin was ready for Gaul to charge, however, he didn't. Much to their shock, the knight had thrown his sword. At them.

The sword spun with wild ferocity, shredding up the ground beneath it like a saw.

"Move, move!"

Chin and Batu jumped out of the way as the sword ripped past them.

"Damn! This guy ain't playin' around!" Chin wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He couldn't imagine the brutality that would unfold if it had actually struck him. He was for damn sure that he wouldn't be alive in one piece.

"Perhaps you should look behind you," Jack suddenly warned Chin.

"What're ya- OH SHIT!" he hastily dived out of the way. As if it had a mind of its own, the sword went straight passed him again and right back into Gaul's hand like a boomerang.

"Souls of Kinsisle Knights, lend thy strength to me one last time, so that I may slay these sinners that dare invade upon the Lord's domain."

The ghastly screams grew louder as Gaul raised his sword high into the air. The red glow became more intense, slowly molding into a red orb at the tip of the blade.

Batu had a terrible feeling about this. All the death flags were raised, and if that wasn't stopped, they would surely die here.

"Uh, Louise, are you done yet?! We're about to die here!" Batu screamed in panic.

"Way ahead of you!" Louise pointed her wand at Gaul. "EXPLOSION!"

The pulsating white orb shot towards Gaul like a missile. It had taken Louise a much longer time to cast this spell than she did with the Smiling Demon; and it had drained all of her mana even when she drank the mana potion Batu had given her.

Louise wanted to make sure that [Explosion] would end this battle in one shot.

BOOM!

The fiery explosion rocked the land and devastated the area where Gaul stood. The players who stood by the sideline froze in silent awe as the smoke and dust settled.

And there, the broken knight kneeled. His armor nearly in shatters; pieces of broken metal fell to the ground, revealing shriveled, pale skin.

His old sword now crumbled in his hands. It was crying out to him as if it was in deep pain. Soon, the red glow faded into nothingness.

Gaul simply dropped the broken sword onto the ground where it will lay to rest.

"I will not let ye into the Lord's castle," Gaul slowly stood up with wobbled legs, his left arm was broken. "Even if I, Gaul, will have to sacrifice my very own soul!"

"He's hurt!"

"We can finish this fucker off!"

The players grew excited; they were desperate to leave this god forsaken place. With new found excitement, the players attacked Gaul in his vulnerable state, casting all of their skills to bring the broken knight down. Yet, he still stood as blood ooze through the holes of his armor.

"ARGH!" Gaul roared as a burst of demonic, red energy exploded from his body. It was his soul burning; his last resort.

However, he was much slower than before. But, Gaul still teemed with power. With only one arm, he could still crush bones like they were tofu.

"Fuck, how is this guy still so strong!"

"Guys, get away from him!"

And he killed. Those who were too close to him had their jaws crushed and their heads smashed in.

'Damn, the explosion couldn't even kill him," Batu bit his lips. Batu glanced at [Willpower]. It seemed like he was going to have to use it here.

"Lyra, I need you to try to trap him as best as you can!" he shouted at her.

"You better end it now because I'll run out of mana once I cast the spell."

"That's good enough for me," he nodded.

Taking one deep breath, Lyra casted another [Ice Prison] spell, freezing the knight one last time.

It was now or never.

They couldn't afford to let this opportunity go to waste.

(Willpower | LVL.1): For a period of 10 seconds, your limbs will be strengthen by mana to increase power and durability beyond your body's limit.

Note, you may experience painful drawback once the time limit is over.

Cost: 60 mana

Batu suddenly felt his body being overwhelmed with foreign power. The power surged to his limbs, strengthening beyond the limits of his body. It was like he was reborn anew.

However, he only had 10 seconds to end this. And so, he ran. Faster than what was humanly possible.

9.

Gaul used all of his strength to break free from his frozen prison; he needed to kill all of them.

However, he saw what seemed almost like a blur. His helmet suddenly cracked as a punch smashed against his face out of nowhere.

8.

Gaul roared in pain as he fell backwards. Batu continued his relentless assault, pummeling Gaul's helmet with punches. His fists were bleeding, but he didn't care. He couldn't even feel it anyways.

7.

The players stood in silence as they watched the battle unfold. Their anxiety were through the roof as they waited. Hoped that Batu could beat the knight.

Chin cheered him on, Jack smiled with amusement while Lyra watched with clenched fists. She too hoped that this would end.

Louise, however, had her hands in a prayer, hoping to the One above that Batu would be safe.

6.

Gaul's helmet finally shattered, revealing an old man with a shriveled face. His eyes were dull of color, and his long hair was like ash. He looked as if he was one step away from death.

5.

Gaul's soul continued to burn away in exchange for more power. With a war cry, he knocked Batu off of him with a vicious punch and charged at him.

He would not lose here.

4.

A war of fists ensued between them. They were sloppy, they were wild, they didn't care. There were no words exchanged between them. They only wanted the other to go down.

3.

Gaul felt his vision blurred. He was heaving. He was in tremendous pain. Just why? How can this boy have such power? What did he have that Gaul doesn't?

His mind began to falter; his life weakening.

2.

Then, Gaul fell onto his knees, battered and bruised. Batu held his bleeding fists out close to Gaul's face as he breathed out heavily. His face had also been beaten to a bloody pulp.

They both gazed in each other's eyes. One of acceptance and understanding.

1.

"I've failed you, my Lord."

Then, Gaul collapsed onto the floor, dead. The red glow around him slowly faded away, and his body turned to ash, whisked away by the blowing wind.

Batu smiled.

It was over. It was finally over. He had won.

[You have defeated Gaul, The Last Knight of Kinsisle.]

"YEAAAAAHHH!"

The players roared with excitement as they saw the message. They cheered and hugged each other now that it was finally over.