‘Isaac’ glares at Xai Bai as she holds out her sword. He shakes, but then smiles as he snaps his figures with armored beings rushing into the cramped room. Xia Bai smirks swinging her sword and slicing through the armors. ‘Isaac’ panics and stumbles out of the room behind the crowd as more of them charge in.
“I feel lighter and stronger.”
Glyn smirks. “Well, I have a fully functioning circuit and I’ve taken down one other King so we’re in a bit of a better position than you were before.”
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t think you’re all high and mighty now. You're useless in a fight, so I have to be your babysitter.”
“Sorry about that. But it means you get the faker all to yourself.”
She smiles. “You have a point there.”
“Then be a good knight and escort your ward out of this mess.”
She tightens her grip on her sword and smiles. “Gladly!”
The armored beings stand in the doorway with Xia Bai charges ahead as a fireball smashing her way through their numbers. Down the hall ‘Iassc’ stands smiling and laughing as the more armors charge down the hall.
“You’ll have to do better than that!” She yells.
“Oh, I have.” He snickers and snaps his fingers with vines erupting from within the armor combining and wrapping around each other to form a giant breaking apart the armor to form several large metal fists “This vine works wonders for me and all it needs is a little encouragement!”
The creature roots itself into the ground, its colossal size blocking the hall as it fires off a punch. Xia Bai dodges the attack only for another punch to shoot forward. The punches come in one after another in rapid succession, with Xia Bai struggling to match the pace as they get faster with each subsequent punch.
She dodges the strikes but can’t find an opening as the blows come in rapidly. As she dodges a strike, she takes in a breath and calls upon the power of the Piece within her. As a punch comes in faster than she’s able to dodge, vines shoot out of the walls, forming a barrier in front of her and taking the brunt of the blow. The barrier is destroyed in a single blow with the force sending Xia Bai back knocking her into the wall.
She stands wiping her blood from her face and spitting out blood from the cut in her mouth. The plant creature throws out jabs, increasing its speed and readying for an attack. Xia Bai stands, sheathing her sword and placing her hand on the hilt, waiting for the right moment. She takes in a breath and concentrates, focusing her energy on the Piece in her chest.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“I can do this. I can do this.” She whispers to herself in a failed attempt to calm her racing heart.
“Kill that woman now!”
The monster launches all of its metal fists in one single punch as Xia Bai takes a breath. As the fists come in, she swings her sword as metal flies out of the blade. Her attack slices through a small gap between the fist at the plant creature itself, slicing it in half. The creature splits down the middle as its attacks smash into the walls of the hallway, with Xia Bai leaping up and rushing forward.
Her body engulfed in flames, she charges through the plant monster’s remains out at the fake Isaac. He looks up at her and, for a moment, his face returns to his regular look. Her flames die down and her grip on her hilt loosens.
“Don’t back down now, Xia Bai!” Glyn yells out. “You have to do this now before that thing does more evil using Isaac’s face!”
She hears Glyn’s words but still hesitates. The fake flashes a smile and slowly turns to Xia Bai, knowing this is her one chance. After this, the thing will take off with Isaac’s body and use the face and name of her friend to do evil and horrid things. It will stain the reputation of someone dear to her all to slate its selfish whims. All the while, the person she cares for will be inside, dreading every moment.
But she still hesitates. As time seems to slow around her, a flood of memories enter her mind. Moments from mundane to fantastic of standing beside Isaac as the pair go about their business. Their first meeting, their partnership, and her encouraging him to enter this contest. Each moment passes in but a few milliseconds in her mind as she tries to force herself forward.
As she struggles ‘Isaac’ stops. His body convulses, and she sees his mouth move, motioning ‘Do it’ to her. Seeing her signal, she affirms her resolve and pushes forward. She tightens her grip on the hilt as flames burst from her blade and, adjusting herself, she flies forward and in a single thrust impales Isaac through the heart.
The force of the thrust forces the pair into the other room as they go crashing into a wall. The flaming sword burns out Isaac’s insides as he lies on the ground. A black liquid oozes from his mouth as Xia Bai picks herself up and grabs the sword, impaling him. She stares down, looking at his face as she holds him in her arms.
“Isaac I’m….”
“Xia Bai.” He says weakly. “Thank you.”
Tears roll down her face as Glyn arrives, watching the pair and not saying a word.
Isaac struggles to raise a finger towards Glyn. “Mattox, please… take care of….” His body goes limp and his finger falls to the side.
Xia Bai lowers his body, removing her sword and then taking in a deep breath. She fires off a burst of flames from her mouth that envelops the body eating away.
“I’d like to let you rest but….” Glyn says nervously.
“It’s fine. I’m fine.” She turns to Glyn, her eyes red with tears.
She lowers herself and pulls out the King Piece from within Isaac. She hands it to Glyn, who absorbs the Piece into his own. His King Piece changes, growing larger as the design slowly grows more jagged. Storing the Piece inside himself, he looks down the halls as Xia Bai waits at his side.
“So, you're staying?” Glyn asks.
“Yes. I have to see this through to the end, for both our sakes.”
Glyn nods. “Fine, then let’s get moving. The throne room should be ahead. And then once we’re there, we can end this.”
Xia Bai grabs the hilt of her sword and stares ahead. “The let’s go. Let’s end this here and now!”
