"Don't worry. I was warned enough about this." She replied while hitting her handle against the side of his head. "I heard about your cruel nature and how you abuse your servants. I think I have suffered enough of it in one lifetime.
"I prefer to spend the remaining time that I am alive, doing what I wanted to but missed."
Kazimir didn't even flinch at her words. "Well then... I am determined to win." He threw her words back at her. It only enraged her even more.
I am not going to be used again!
She surged at an opening, ignoring his strike to try and take away her earring. However, he barely even grazed it, she had already moved a couple inches away from his blade as her own sword pointed at his throat, drawing a drop of dark blood. Her eyes widened at the colour of it.
What the fuck?
She gasped while leaping back, her eyes narrowing as she watched the blood immediately evaporate. Her eyes fell on her own blood around her body. No wait... My blood isn't black.
"What is the matter? Cat has got your tongue?" Kazimir asked with a laugh. He seemed pleased at her reaction after knowing he was a devil and something more. Worse than a devil, at least.
"If that really did happen... It would have chased after your hair, won't you think?" She asked while wiping the tip of her blade where his blood was still there. She straightened up while flicking her sword in a smooth arc across the air. He did the same thing.
"You know something?" He asked while lunging forward, forcing her to only block. "I was quite surprised at your agility when you already had your blade aligned to take my life."
"Your surprise is too short-lasted, that is all I can say." She girtted her teeth while stepping on his toe to get away. I can't even attack properly. It is too difficult right now—at this state.
She ran forward to create some distance, but he was still faster. By the time she was alert, his blade's sharp tip was pinching her back while his claw was at her face. Her eyes widened to pinpricks, still managing to match his momentum and lifting her right leg to hit the side of his neck. Her blade dropped from her head, and her left hand grabbed onto the chipped part of his blade.
At the exact same time, she applied enough pressure to bleed her own hand, and to break it. Luckily, the fruit of her labour had paid off.
Snap!
As he stayed kneeling on the ground petrified, she was already holding her bleeding hand and the sword she broke. Spectrum stay on the ground forgotten, while her hair fell in wild tangles around her face. She used her right hand to hold it back as she watched him stare with disbelieve at his broken blade.
But his eyes fell on Spectrum. He tried to reach it out of greed—without knowing it was a cursed sword who couldn't stay away from its owner for long. As soon as he lay a finger, electric current sparked onto his hand. He lay on the ground, gripping the hand he had just got burned.
That is more like it... Aefia used her fingers to pull on invisible strings that brought the sword to her fingertips. She stepped up to his place, holding two blades, ready to make him suffer for what he did for her all the time that she had been trying to find out who was behind the problems she was facing. When he looked up, her eyes were glowing brighter than the sun at his direction.
She was tired of suffering anything anymore. Firstly, his and his father's greed over the Empire. Then his situation with Cedric, forcing her to unwillingly confront him, and almost killing the many knights she wounded just to get past them. There was his alliance with the duke and the hunting competition situation where he assaulted her with a brick to her head.
She was tired of hearing "Mides family, this and that".
Now, she would end him once and for all. Even if it meant having to kill a royal family in front of Lewis and earning the name of traitor. She was done—this will be the finale. The end of a long run she had to suffered because of him.
As she held the blade above him, he rolled to his side and shouted at her.
"Cedric is being held captive at the palace!"
"What...?" She froze completely.
She didn't go through all that for him to be held captive, she didn't help him return to have him suffer again, did she?
"Are you serious?!"
"What? Are you worried that your pitiful friend has been suffering after that you had done for him to return safely?" He laughed at her direction. "Are you feeling guilty... That people in your life just have to suffer like this? At the end of the day? Too bad... Next up is your brother."
She stayed silent for a long while. The pain around her arms screaming at her, she lowered her weapon in a moment of pure agony. Really? Is this how it all will end up as? My life is just... Full of casualties.
"Are you going to kill me now?"
"Do you prefer it that way?" She asked while lowering her gaze. She still lifted her sword above his head. "Actually nevermind... I prefer it that way."
She started to lower it.
"Wait!"
"..."
"Do you know that how you treat people... You will get treated that way as well?" He shouted in protest.
"Like how? You were probably the one who sent Cedric under unwanted imprisonment." She answered back. "Actually... I don't think he is captive at all... You are just trying to put me in a moment of rare vulnerability to weaken me."
He grinned wider.
Lewis sensed something was off and observed closely, but before he could speed forward and stop anything...
"You are a hell of a beast." Kazimir muttered while staring up at her with eyes that beheld some sort of justice.
She arched her brow on confusion. Before she could register anything suspicious, an arrow hit her at stomach. Her eyes widened as blood flew out of her mouth. She stumbled backwards, the world becoming stark white for a second before she stayed sprawled on her knees—clenching the arrow with both her hands. She gasped for air while pulling out the arrow that was lodged into her.
"Hahaha! That was deserving!" Kazimir laughed while sitting up on the ground in front of her. "How does it feel?" He asked her.
She covered her mouth with her palm as she coughed out blood while staring at the shape blade that was still scratching against her organs. She groaned while pulling it out entirely, slamming her blood-stained palm flat on the ground while the one which withdrew the arrow, shook against the stab.
"So? How does it feel?" He asked again.
"Aefia!" Lewis shouted out while being stopped by his own knights, keeping him from entering the unguarded area even after seeing the pain at his sister's face. He struggled against their grip as Kazimir's hands reached out to grip her single earring.
But only because he didn't know...
"Sir? What do you think you are doing?"
Aefia gripped his wrist with pressure that was bruising him. Her left eye black, save for the red iris. Her expression stiffened, as if she was not a human.
"Huh—How is that even possible?!"
"I will ask again. What are you doing? Sir?" She spoke. Her teeth grinding together in frustruation the more he didn't speak.
"Are you going to stay silent?!" She shouted while gripping him even tighter. Lewis let out a sigh. It's the devil... Thank God...
"Geez! Calm down!" Kazimir gasped while trying to pull his hand back. But Daphne didn't allow it. She took her sword and plunged it into his gut, pushing it through the otherside while standing up.
Her eyes fell on the injury at Aefia's side. "Ah! I see..." She whispered to herself while lifting her knee to kick his face. "You were the one who laid a brick on this person... How strange... But aren't you a devil yourself?" She muttered to him with a smirk, gripping him by his hair, pulling the sword out, which was slick with dark liquid.
"You are a devil... Recover that body by yourself." She spoke while lifting the sword again, kicking him across his wound to sent him reeling backwards into his back. She stomped on him before launching the blade into him multiple more time. The slick dark liquid splashing everywhere. The Mides knights were panicked, but they were also stunned at how the devil was recovering back just fine.
"A devil doesn't feel pain. Do they? A humanoid one in particular." She laughed maniacally while making him suffer. Usually, this would disqualify her. However, that strange recovery meant the game was not ending.
"Stop, stop, stop! Ah!" He shouted while rolling around on the ground in pain. She stepped back, reaching her blade to prick at his ear and pull off the earring. Her fingers wrapped around the navy blue and gold gemstones, before she turned to face Lewis while shutting her left eye.
"So now... I am the winner. Do you declare it?" Daphne spoke using Aefia's voice. Wiping her face using her sleeve, trying her best to clear the remains of a battle. "And don't worry about that guy. He has a healing energy inside of him that allows his regeneration. Afterall... He did stab my gut using an arrow."
"No I did not!"
"Oh shut up! Mr. Bad haircut!" She shouted while kicking him again. "As you can see. I have the last earring and I have the highest ranking, leaving his choice to have a final battle of strength. Sure thing that I participated. Now he needs to accept the fact that the Countess house has won. Otherwise... He is just a cheater and I wasted my energy on bullshit."
The Mides knight had to step back and nod at the other knights' orders at the display of such shocking truth. Aefia didn't even need help from other people or need a secret person behind the bushes to shoot arrows at someone.
Besides, her strength levels were obviously higher since she was injured and survived an assault since morning. Then survived a chase, and an explosion. Also, an arrow to her gut. Powers didn't matter, but she displayed more than she needed to. Though, it was a huge help to be a Guardian.
Lewis bit his tongue for a short moment before pushing through the blade. "I think that would be right." He whispered while walking towards her, extending his fingers to check her wounds, but he was scared to touch a devil who took the shape of his sister. Instead, he took her arm and yanked her forward. The arena was a short distance away, and the winner could only be declared like that. Rules were rules. The audience served as witnesses and they paid large amounts to attend.
If they didn't do this much, they would start to shout about having their money back.
Even when, Lewis didn't want to harm his sister. He needed to finish this fast. The bright late-afternoon sun bit down at her skin as she was brought out in light in front of the rows of people from around the entire Empire and some of them neighboring.
He held her name high above her head just as Daphne's time in the body was up. Luckily it was at such a good time—she was at a person's care unlike when she was at the lake. This time, her lungs were filled with air, her injuries were severe and she was with her brother. It was better this way then any other possible scenarios for her to leave.
With a simple sigh, her eyes shut. Her knees buckled and she fell onto the ground at her side. Exhaustion had taken Aefia away long ago, the injuries continued to flow out blood. But at least a victory before leaving was a beautiful way of exit.
***
Aefia's eyes fluttered open to find herself laying flat at the Countess' guests' tent. Her fingers were trembling from the pain she had taken from the tree barks and the stab Half of her body was wrapped in bandages that were tight against her skin, while the atmosphere around her made her want to gag.
The stench of ointments and heavy iron hang in the air as she tried to sit up, grabbing her side that was thundering with ache. She grunted while managing to swing her legs off the edge of the cot, her head was pounding beneath heavy white gauge.
What a nice experience for my first hunting competition, right?
She hooked her fingers into her pocket, pulling out the watch to check the time. She didn't know why but everything that happened, she expected herself to be dead. Starting with Lewis's betrayal to all those injuries... The miracle was expensive and cheap.
It was not like she hated that or didn't want the miracle to happen... But why does the miracle happen when she was at her lowest? Like when she is one step away from knocking at death's door.
Aefia tried to get up, placing her feet onto the wide spread carpet.
However, she didn't even afford one step before collapsing to the ground. Cluntching at her stab wound while groaning into the red fabric. Her desperation was not enough to lift her up again like the last time. She had won, but at what cost?
Her eyes drifted towards the side-table, but there was no orange bottles like she had imagined. Her fingers tightened around her wound as she managed to lift her upper body and lean against the bed. Her head dropped onto the white sheets, too lazy to lift her remaining body up onto it.
Had she ever suffered this much before? If it wasn't for that bastard Kazimir, she wouldn't have to go through all this.
Nada came rushing in after hearing the sounds of shifting. She had grown concerned when she heard a muffled thud on the ground.
"What are you doing like that Aefia? Get up!" She hooked her arms beneath her cousin's left arm.
Aefia bit onto the sheets as a tear of struggle left her eyes. She snatched her arm away from Nada's, and stared into her eyes.
"I am in so much pain..." She sobbed out, while clenching her cousin's sleeve. "I am struggling Nada... Give me something to stay away from it..."