The energy sword pierced part of Mako's chest.
He was on the ground, having been agile enough to deflect the other two swords aimed at him, parrying with his rapier.
But the third struck true.
"That's what you get for playing dirty," Sir Arthur II said.
Arthur, with his palm open, slowly began to close his hand into a fist.
The energy sword dug deeper, causing Mako more pain.
Reacting, Mako struck the energy sword with his rapier's blade.
The energy sword vanished with the blow, dissipating, but Mako felt a searing burn in the lower part of his chest.
He rolled across the ground, trying to distance himself from Arthur in case of another attack, but Arthur didn't move.
Mako held his rapier in one hand, pointing it at Arthur, ready to counter. His other hand clutched the open wound.
"You're dead," Arthur said calmly. It wasn't arrogance; Arthur's words sounded like an unshakable truth.
It was a mortal wound.
Blood began to spill from Mako's mouth. The gash was too large to close, bleeding profusely from his chest.
Mako managed to stand, but his knees trembled.
He was going to die.
Faced with this reality, Mako couldn't help but smile.
Arthur looked at him, puzzled.
"I really thought I was screwed," Mako said, his voice eerily calm.
Though he was bleeding out and on the verge of collapse, Mako feared only one thing: dying and returning to a past where he was immobilized, unable to act.
But now, not only had he freed himself, he'd wounded Arthur.
On that wooden podium in the city square, the true duel between Arthur and Mako finally began.
"You're delirious," Arthur said, preparing his palms for another attack.
Seeing this, Mako didn't hesitate. Using his last moments of life, he launched a suicidal assault.
Arthur, a warrior and hero of the kingdom, had far superior combat skills. Mako's attack only grazed his shoulder, but the opening was too wide.
Arthur countered with a direct blow, sending Mako sprawling, staring at the blue sky as he bled out.
After the strike, Arthur shook his head with faint disappointment.
"Poor devil," he muttered to himself, turning to watch the fight between Zork and Rebecca.
Zork was losing. Rebecca was overpowering him and his copy…
Arthur smiled, proud of his daughter.
"A shame the queen got away," Arthur said, glancing at the distant castle.
◇◆◇
Arthur closed his eyes for a moment, confident it was over.
But his warrior instincts sent him into a panic. Not from a wound, but the opposite.
Arthur no longer felt pain in his leg or shoulder.
"Surprised?" Arthur heard Mako's voice.
Opening his eyes, he realized he wasn't watching his daughter fight Zork. Instead, Mako was before him, on one knee, unable to move.
Arthur glanced aside, certain he'd seen Zork die at Rebecca's hands, but now Rebecca was soaring through the air again from the copy Zork's surprise attack.
"What kind of spell is this, witch?" Arthur said, enraged.
Though immobilized, Mako saw his ability finally take effect. The rags that were Arthur's clothes began to tear at his shoulder and leg…
The wounds Mako had inflicted reappeared, like ghostly attacks.
Though not lethal, the pain and shock were enough to break Arthur's hand position. Disoriented by the time shift, he couldn't maintain focus.
Mako seized the moment. With an agile move, he rose and unleashed rapid slashes at Arthur's face.
Arthur didn't freeze; he tried to dodge the rapier's strikes.
But he wasn't fast enough.
A cut on his cheek.
A deep gash in his left thigh.
A direct hit to his arm.
After Mako's initial flurry, he saw Arthur retreat to resume his fighting stance.
"Well," Mako said, panting, "I was too cautious."
At first, Arthur didn't grasp the meaning.
Mako rolled his shoulders, still feeling the weight from Arthur's ability.
Then Arthur realized what was happening. He still had his three energy swords.
"I should've gone all out; this would've been over," Mako said confidently.
"Youngsters are always so cocky," Arthur replied. "Don't underestimate me, boy."
Mako readied himself. Arthur did the same, moving his arms to guide the energy swords floating in the air.
But then, Mako felt a sharp pain in his chest.
He clutched his chest, suddenly spitting blood from his mouth.
'The wound… it closed,' Mako thought. 'Why…?'
Arthur, seeing this, didn't waste his foe's confusion.
Despite his gray hair, Arthur was a battle-hardened veteran, a hero to his people.
With masterful skill, he sent his three energy swords in different directions.
Mako saw them as blue flashes. He tried to parry to dissipate them, but Arthur had more tricks.
Arthur's arms began circular motions.
The swords mimicked the movement.
Mako tried to strike one heading for him, but it swiftly changed direction, circling him.
Normally, when Mako looped back in time, the pain lingered as a faint burn on his skin—a scar from a mortal wound. But now…
'It hurts… too much…'
Mako gritted his teeth. It was a sharp stab in his chest.
The wounds from those energy swords were far more dangerous than he'd anticipated.
He lost his composure.
The energy swords lost shape to him. Moving so fast around him, they seemed like blurry lines streaking through the air.
He turned repeatedly, but Mako couldn't keep his guard up forever.
He was trapped.
"You and that orc disgust me," Arthur said sternly. "Cheap tricks, magic acts. Illusions. Spells."
Sir Arthur II extended his arm, fingers spread wide.
"You nobles make deals with demons and angels, pay fortunes for power, for unique abilities," Arthur continued.
With his hand outstretched toward Mako, he clenched it into a fist.
The swords, which had been circling Mako, paused for a second before hurtling toward their target.
"This is the divine punishment you deserve!" Arthur shouted.
This time, Mako couldn't deflect most of the attacks.
The energy swords hit their mark.
Droplets of blood began to pool around Mako's feet.
"Damned… old man…" Mako said through gritted teeth.
But Arthur didn't claim victory. He noticed something odd in Mako's stance.
He realized he hadn't hit any vital points.
"Hmm." Arthur studied Mako, scratching his short gray beard. "You protected your vitals."
"Heh," Mako grinned.
One energy sword was lodged in his left arm. Another in his right thigh. The last had been parried by his rapier, dissolving into glittering dust.
"I'm not going down that easily… old man," Mako said, his voice thick with pain.