31 Survived (2/2)

Rolling out of the way of his foot as he struggled to clear the dust from his eyes, I jumped up and delivered a nasty uppercut. Stunned, he started swinging wildly trying to return a hit, but was still unable to see me, I dodged the reckless attacks and delivered blow after blow to vital areas. I struck his noes with a jab, a kidney punch, then I struck him in his chin with a right hook using all my strength.

I raised my fist to finish him, but the side of my face suddenly flared with pain as his knuckles cracked on my cheek following a flurry of blows. I had to switch to defending, barely able to deflect his strikes. He swept my feet from under me, sensing something I quickly rolled out the way of the fist that was aimed at the spot where my face was a second prior. He didn't give me any time to breathe, we stood there trading blow after blow, grappling for every advantage.

As the battle continued our energy drained, the time between blows grew and the power behind both of our punches became less. But even after expending all that energy with such powerful blows, his breaths were more even than mine, he wasn't letting up despite the time that passed. He dropped all pretenses and became even more serious than before.

He struck me from every side, I was used to feeling pain, I was well accustomed to it and resistant to it, but even still the pain from each blow was almost unbearable. It felt as though my arms were going break like some of my bones were fractured, I changed from trying to look for openings to trying to survive the onslaught of deadly attacks that rained down on me.

It took everything to stand up, it took all my willpower just to keep from giving in and accepting my fate, although it became harder and harder as a voice in the back of my mind kept whispering for me to give up. It would be so easy to give up now, right? I don't want to do this anymore, the pain's too much. I just want to sleep, forever.

I've tried so hard for so long, but what use was it? I was betrayed by the army I trained so hard to fight for. I tried so hard to become the best knight that has ever existed, but I couldn't even protect the few friends I had under my command, I failed them. I was even tricked into thinking I met my soulmate and fell right for her trap, I'm a failure, I'm so stupid. Maybe I should just die here, who would even miss me? Sir Richard? Aliece? I don't even know if they're alive, but would they even want me back after what I've become?

Every blow that struck me hammered those thoughts harder into me, I wanted to die fighting before, maybe this is finally my chance to be set free from all these burdens. I was beaten to my knees, blocking his attacks with numb arms.

By chance, I looked over to where Lili was, maybe to look at her for a final time before I died. I couldn't hear anything, there was no sound or feeling left in me anymore, but I could see Lili. She was struggling and fighting her guards, she was desperately crying out to me, trying desperately to help. There was nothing she could do, but she struggled anyway. ”Why is she doing that?” I thought numbly, ”She can't do anything, so why is she struggling? She's just wasting energy.”

Maybe, but she was struggling tooth and nail for me. Deep down it made my heart yearn, I hate what she did, but Lili.... I.... god.... I don't want to die..... no.. no...help.. god.. no.. ....help...not.. not yet..please. Not here, I can't die yet. There's so much I haven't done, I haven't had kids or a family.... I haven't seen my dreams realized... NO, I WILL NOT DIE HERE!!!

I jump up suddenly, surprising Rett before he quickly recovers. We're stuck trading blows again, but he becomes overwhelmed by the ferocity of my punches, each one filled with the desperation of someone with the will to live. For the first time, I see real fear in his eyes. He was completely confident, but now, he's afraid.

He becomes desperate as well, then we're both scraping and clawing trying anything to subdue the other. I grab his arm in an unyielding grip and bash him repeatedly in the face until my knuckles become bloody. Even still he doesn't let up, he grasps my neck in an iron grip and contracts his hands until the air from my windpipe is completely cut off.

Light flashes out of fingernails and he raises his moon claws to deliver a final blow, my mind starts swimming as I drift on the edge of consciousness, I try desperately to escape his grip but every frantic strike uselessly glances off him. I start to lose strength with each strike, my vision starts swimming, but I can see Rett's smiling face as he watches the life slowly drain from my eyes.

Visions of my life once again pass through my mind, I see my entire childhood up until this moment in a few second. I'm going to die, even after fighting with everything I had, I'm still going to die. Rett brought his claws to my face saying something I wasn't quite able to hear but was most likely some mocking farewell.

But before he could drive his claws through my eye socket, I felt a quick flash of desperate warmth in my hand willing me to live. It felt as though my left hand was set ablaze, as my tattoo of a flame glowed with a warm pink light. With a single, final desire to live, I unconsciously wished for enough strength to defeat him, and to my surprise, someone answered.

Shade's continuous filled my mind, she couldn't speak to me, but I could feel her intentions. She enhanced my arm with a spell and with a final desperate throw of life I struck a wide-eyed Rett with a glowing left fist. He was sent flying back several feet, rolling until he laid at the edge of the onlookers that were now silent unknowing whether to cheer or not.

I gulped air as if it was water in a scorching desert, just before I faded into the dark abyss I heard Rett's Lackey reluctantly say. ”Paladin Knight Christian wins.”