Chapter 329: A Puzzling Scene (1/2)
”I… WILL… KILL YOU!!!!”
The man spewed rage-induced threats and curses towards the masked figure only a dozen or so steps in front of him.
His posture clearly wasn't stable, each step required immense willpower. His legs were wobbling, his body was trembling. He was out of stamina, the only thing that kept pushing him forward was his own pride and madness.
He refused to go down like this. He refused to accept that what happened today would be the cause of his downfall.
How did it come to this? Why is he failing so spectacularly against this masked wanderer? His opponent barely did a thing, and all his men and even himself were immediately incapacitated. Why… just why?!
After the first step, his contorted facial muscles reformed into a frown, as he tried to withstand the pain and pressure he was continuously feeling. Even just one step felt like a bigger challenge than anything he had done before.
As he raised his left foot for the second step, he almost fell to the right. His right leg was barely holding onto the full weight of his body. He felt like the mail armor he was wearing for protection was like heavy bags filled with sand.
In an effort to ease the difficulty, he shook his left hand and threw the gauntlet to the ground, freeing his hand in the process. Whilst his left foot stomped down, and his body regained his light illusion of stability, he took the weapon from his right hand before he threw the other gauntlet to the dusty ground as well.
Immediately, albeit most likely just a mirage created by his mind, he felt as if he threw down two huge boulders from his body. He felt a sliver of hope shining through the clouds of despair that settled in his mind.
With a renewed vigor, he lifted his right leg again, and this time, as it clashed against the ground a fraction of a second later, a slight curvature could be even seen at the edges of his lips. He felt that heaven's bestowed this chance, this hope to him. He could enact his 'just' revenge on this heathen, this defier of the natural order!
He continued slowly pacing towards the calm-looking masked stranger, who despite the captain's snail-paced assault, remained cool, nonchalant. He did focus his golden gaze on him, but besides awaiting his arrival, he did nothing to thwart the comical assault.
This… this lack of respect, this lack of wariness did nothing more than to provide even more fuel to Captain Gregory Horst's already crazed madness. He gritted his teeth and reaffirmed his grip on the hilt of his long sword as he took the 6th step and arrived at the halfway mark of his journey.
As his feet touched the ground and stabilized his posture, he slowly raised his weapon-holding arm, pointing the blade at the stranger's mask.
A vicious, contorted grin stretched across the captain's sweat-covered, unshaven dark, dirty face.
”You… You RUINED EVERYTHING! You… You HAVE TO... DIE!!” He shouted the words from the very depths of his grimy, corrupted heart, giving voice to his heart's deepest, purest desire once more.
He slowly raised his sword above his head, ready to strike down. He took one last step closer and swung his blade downwards, using all of his remaining energy, and will to bring forth the end and hopefully a satisfying closure to this drama.
Unfortunately for him, life isn't fair. No matter how hard you wish for something, sometimes, they are just not meant to come to reality. Even though his last strike carried all of himself with it, in reality, it was a weak, powerless blow, a futile attempt.
Not even bothering to block the blow, Aiden simply took a single step to the back, effortlessly evading the captain's last-ditch effort for revenge. As soon as Gregory registered the fact that all of his efforts bore no fruit, and everything he did, his adamant defiance was just a mere joke to this guy, his last struggling strand of consciousness broke apart, and he fell face-first to the ground, right after his swinging arm.
The loud thumping sound as his body hit the dusty road marked the end of their debate.
Giving one last glance at his fainted body, Aiden heaved a sigh under his mask and turned to look at his partners.
”This will be a problem…. We should find an alternate route, Aiden…” Drake, the closest cloaked figure voiced the concern that both men were thinking about.
”Yeah… No matter what happened, he was still a member of the city guard. Unless we want to blow our covers, we should go.” Aiden sighed with agreement.
Remembering the route, they took with his Master before he turned towards the south. Albeit he originally wanted to avoid such an entry, there was nothing they could do now. Galina and even himself had to keep their identities a secret unless they wanted to bring forward even more problems.