Traitors (2)

My instincts forced me to duck my head as I felt the whisper of a passing blade through the strands of my hair. Shards of wood scattered away as the blade collided with the sturdy body of the tree behind me, narrowly missing my head. My heart quickened its pace as I leaped backward onto a neighboring branch, creating some space between us.

There stood a young man of about twenty, his hair cropped close in a military-style buzz cut. Despite the attempt of his oversized garments to conceal it, his bulky physique was plainly visible. I knew who he was. He was one of the strongest among the traitors within the camp. He was a character meant to appear at a later time, yet here he stood before me.

"I don't understand why he sent me to hunt you down when you are so weak. Such a bothersome job indeed..."

'This man is dangerous. I doubt I can even come close to beating him in an actual fight."

He was the son of Ares, god of war. His aggressive attitude was a common trait among Ares' children. Being the son of Ares, his battle senses and knowledge were sharp and collected.

His blood carried the inheritance of Ares, the god of war, evident in his aggressive demeanor—a characteristic typically inherent in the children of Ares. As a son of Ares, his battle senses and knowledge were where he most excelled.

A tense silence formed between us, our gazes intensely locked, each awaiting the other's slightest motion. Amidst this tension, I noticed a subtle twitch in his quadriceps. With heightened senses, I braced myself to swiftly counter his incoming attack.

In an instant, he vanished from my sight, leaving only the whisper of wind in his wake. My senses failed to track his movements as he deftly reappeared behind me. With startling speed, he launched his elbow toward my neck, which I was narrowly able to deflect with my crossed forearms. The sheer force of the impact jolted me backward, sending a searing pain radiating through my forearm.

"Not bad, kid. It would be quite anticlimactic if you were to succumb after just one blow."

'This guy is beyond my league. I've gotta make a run for it.'

"If you think so mighty of yourself, how about you try to withstand my punch while standing still, huh?"

The man raised one of his eyebrows, astonished by the challenge I presented to him. Seizing the momentary silence, I pressed on.

"I will take your silence as no. I guess you are scared to face even a fledgling like myself head-on."

"Very well... I accept your challenge. Give it you all got, or else you will meet a fate far worse than death at my hands."

'He actually fell for the bait. What a muscle head.'

One thing Ares and his children struggled with was their pride as warriors. In a way, they were the embodiment of what a muscle head was. Confronted with a challenge that dared to question their fighting abilities, they would invariably rise to the occasion, driven to uphold their honor and validate their prowess on the battlefield, to honor Ares.

"I hope you don't die from this..."

With a smirk, I murmured just loudly enough for him to catch, knowing it would taunt him to defend his honor all the more. As the divine energy surged through me, I launched forward with a burst of speed, closing the distance between us swiftly. Anticipating a direct confrontation, he braced himself for impact. But just as our clash seemed imminent, I swiftly veered off course, pivoting on my heel and streaking away in the opposite direction. The dumb look on his face spoke volumes as he grappled with the sudden turn of events.

"Stop! You piece of shit! You will pay for this dishonorable act with your own life!"

"If you really think you can catch me, I respectfully advise you to give up on trying!∼"

"Hahaha... I guess you actually want to die!"

For the next ten minutes, I sprinted with all my might, the rush of wind against my face as my feet pounded the earth beneath me. Finally, upon reaching a relatively secluded section of the forest, I came to an abrupt stop. Glancing around, I spotted my opponent emerging from behind the trees.

"Nowhere to run now..."

He charged toward me with roaring footsteps, each stride sending chunks of dirt flying behind him. I steadied myself, taking a defensive stance, while internally focusing on calming my racing thoughts. I knew I couldn't afford to make a single mistake. I didn't have a second chance in this fight.

With great speed, his first hook came from the right, carrying immense force. I quickly raised my arm in an attempt to shield my head from the blow. The impact reverberated through my arm, sending waves of pain coursing through me. Clenching my teeth against the pain, I swiftly retaliated by delivering a kick aimed at his knee. The kick connected but had no effect whatsoever.

Frustrated, I unleashed a uppercut aimed at his chin. Just like the kick, it seemed to merely stagger him, causing him to recoil a few steps back. On the other hand, the impact I felt was like striking solid stone, numbing my hand.

Shaking off the lingering ache in my hand, I refocused my attention. His gaze bore into me with a chilling intensity, emanating a discernible killing intent.

"You asked for it..."

All of a sudden, he vanished from the spot.

'Is he behind me?!'

I turned around, thinking I would confront him but there was no one behind me. Frantically scanning my surroundings, I sought to ascertain where he was. However, I was too late. I felt a creeping sense of dread as a shadow fell over me, realizing his presence above me. In a chilling display of killing intent, he had raised his katana high, poised to strike down, aiming to cleave through me as effortlessly as slicing through butter.

The incoming death spurred my reflexes into action as I unsheathed my daggers and grasped them in a reverse grip, crossing them defensively in front of me just in time to intercept his descending blade. The impact sent a jarring shockwave rippling through my arms, reverberating up to my upper body. Gritting my teeth, I struggled to maintain my stance against the relentless force exerted by his blade, feeling the pressure intensify with each passing moment.

As the relentless pressure persisted, the strength drained from my arms, and I found myself unable to withstand any longer. With a final, desperate effort, my grip faltered, and my daggers slipped from my grasp, clattering to the ground below. With nothing left to shield me, his blade pierced through my defenses, driving with merciless force as he shoved it downward toward me.

With death looming inches away, I realized I had no choice but to make a split-second decision to protect my vital organs. With stern resolve, I twisted my body at the last possible moment, sacrificing my arm to avoid a deadly injury. The searing pain of the sword slicing through my flesh sent shockwaves through my body.

"Aargh!"

As the blade dwelled deep into my flesh, a tidal wave of agony engulfed my senses, sending my mind reeling into numbness. In that split moment, I lost all semblance of control over my body. It was all the opening my opponent needed. He delivered a powerful kick to my abdomen, sending me crashing into a nearby tree. The impact drove the air out of my lungs.

Reappearing before me, his hands closed around my throat with an iron grip, lifting me effortlessly off the ground. The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth, and my vision blurred as darkness threatened to overtake me. A numbness spread through my right arm, and a burning pain emanated from the deep gash that marred its surface, stretching from shoulder to forearm. The crimson droplets trickled from my fingertips, staining the earth below.

"It's over, kid. You will be buried along with your camp."

Despite the menacing tone, he didn't get the reaction he expected from me.

"Hehe..."

"What's so funny, huh?"

"You lost before the fight even began..."

My fading vision caught the sight of a cluster of vines snaking their way toward us.

"Tsk... I guess you lost your mind. Did I hit you that hard? Anyway, be thankful I'm granting you the opportunity to reunite with your father!"

Just as his hand was about to penetrate my chest, it froze midway as the vines clung around his legs with a strong grasp.

"What the hell?"

Before he could even grasp what was happening, the vines yanked his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. As he lay sprawled on the forest floor, momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events, I seized the opportunity. With a swift and calculated motion, a hidden blade emerged from the sleeve of my functional arm. I drove the blade toward the vulnerable spot at the back of his neck before he could react or defend himself.

Silently, his struggling body halted as my blade found its mark, piercing the precise juncture where his nervous system connected his brain, snuffing out his life in an instant. With the last traces of strength draining from my exhausted body, I crumpled to the forest floor, spent and breathless. In the distance, the clamor of war echoed faintly, reduced to a husky murmur.

"ha... hah... haha..."

Disconnected consecutive sighs of relief found their way out of my mouth as tension left my body. My gaze drifted downward, fixing upon the lifeless form of my fallen opponent, his blood seeping slowly into the earth, wetting the soil a somber crimson. Amidst the swirl of obscure and unsettling emotions of taking another's life, a singular thought surfaced in the recesses of my mind...

'I won...'

And in that moment, amidst the chaos and turmoil, that single thought was all that truly mattered.