"I forfeit…"
The moment those words weakly left his mouth, the knight shouted as if he had been waiting for Elias to speak those words.
"The duel is over! The winner is Adrian Caelis Ravenshade! No further combat is permitted now!"
His brother slowly withdrew his foot, then he turned and walked away. Elias blankly watched his back.
The terror he had felt moments ago slowly faded, and what was left after it was something heavy. Only now that the tension of the fight was gone could he think clearly.
Not giving up and continuing to struggle… What did it achieve in the end? His brother might have been right. Elias should've forfeited sooner, and it would have saved him from the pain of his brother's punches and kicks.
Just then, Knight Joran's voice rang in his mind.
'You have worked hard, and I am sure that hard work will be acknowledged by some, at the very least.'
