To expect victory... that is something I have never done.
I was never given the chance to, nay, the luxury to.
Battle courses through my veins like water runs through rivers and nourishes the tree's.
This opponent, this Scarlet Demon, I will unleash everything I have and crush him.
I will win.
I must.
///
Victory is never assured, but I will surely never lose.
To lose has always meant death, both in this life and the last.
Be it being beaten near death to the hand of my mother, or be it in this life at the end of a blade or a hateful spear.
Death has come for me many a time, and it has failed every time.
It will not succeed now.
I will not lose.
///
Everyone held their breath.
Even those who did not have qi, could feel the storm growing between the two inert fighters.
Silence filled the ranks of both sides.
Those chiefs eyes hardened and their own qi moved to block out the violent waves forming, unlike anything they had before.
Alias, Hardvar and those other's with the ability to use qi within Durlivan did the same, standing at the front of the palisades just past the ditches.
Shion spoke from above the wall as Seramia ground her staff into the wall beneath her releasing a powerful wave of her blessing, protecting everyone's souls from the carnage of qi.
"Watch closely, you two," Shion said lightly, "See what meaning you can scrap away from this battle."
She could naturally sense the scarlet qi running through Agashi's blood.
It was exposed like an open book as he poured everything into this final strike, and so she could feel it, his emotions and thoughts which were exposed.
She smiled and her scarlet qi burned silently within with the urge to fight.
His emotions affected her so.
Suddenly, there was a change.
The storm of qi changed direction flowing in reverse.
The ground immediately shattered beneath the two fighters and their figures vanished.
///
"Reverse Scale Strike!" The Titan roared madly rushing at me, his club reminiscent of a divine cleaver coming from for the heavens.
His muscles bulged and ballooned, eye's shining like search lights.
My gaze was like lanterns in a graveyard.
My sabers rushed towards the heavens.
"Scarlet Cry." My voice was overpowered by the howl of the sabers as they rushed forward to meet his Reverse Scale Strike.
Boom!
Crap...!
///
"Ah!" Dratan and the Wyrm both made a small noise at the exact same time.
Other's may not have sensed it, but they did.
As spirits connected to a mortal being, they were naturally aware of their physical and mental condition at all times.
Rushing forward the two no longer bothered with one another.
After all, their luck has been rotten to be stuck with humans, but, they were still stuck with them.
If they died, then the two of them would become wandering spirits until eventually they would shatter and waste away into the cycle.
The massive dust storm everyone expected after the strike did not occur.
It was as though the land had imploded, not a single spec of dust had risen all of it had run into the surroundings leaving a crater where the two once stood.
"Ah... ahhhh!!!" From the ditch came a blood-curdling roar.
A single saber was raised high as the other laid broken at the side of a massive club with a terrifying cut in it's side and a titan leaning on it, his eyes rolled back.
Those from Durlivan's side roared their cheers, yet no one was aware of the true damage to these two fighters nor the reality of the battle.
Dratan who had arrived at Agashi's side looked over him and immediately understood what was happening and didn't know whether to feel proud or exhausted.
'To win, he put everything out. Right now he's unconscious and on the last fumes of scarlet qi before he falls away, he took the brief moment right after his win to give his people strength. A lord till the end.' Dratan cursed, 'That's how you get killed.'
On the other side, the Wyrm pulled out the shard of saber out of the tree trunk, scales had appeared along with the club at the last instant of the clash which was what broke the saber in the club despite being one of Dratan's claws.
"It's a tie," The Wyrm said coldly, "Neither fighter can continue."
"Wily snake, it's your loss," The faces of the chieftains were grave as Dratan spoke, "Your titan is unconscious, my demon is standing. Responsibility breeds strength."
"Don't use this chance to spit out those venomous ideals. Responsibility breeds death and disaster." He replied coldly, "Tynas tied. We will ally with you, but not be subservient."
Dratan growled, "I wouldn't want a snake like you for a subordinate anyway."
"Dog."
"Snake."
The two continued cursing, using words no one even knew the meaning to before looking away from one another.
Both fighters were unconscious, yet one stood tall and the other leaned against his weapon.
In the eyes of many, it was clear as to who had won.
The gates of the city opened and the upper echelon of Durlivan stepped out approaching fast.
The chieftains of the Waste also moved forward protecting Tynas and bringing him back into their army quickly.
///
Agashi looked up for a brief moment, his gaze blurred and his legs prepared to give out at the slightest support.
Everything was used in that fight.
All of it.
The weight of the saber was crushing.
Several figures approached and his slowly began to fall.
As if the world was in slow motion he faced the earth.
His saber came down stabbing into the ground and grit his teeth shaking off the hands that came to help him.
How can I accept assistance right now?
We need to put up a strong front.
With such thoughts, he forcefully raised himself using his saber as support.
His entire body screamed for rest, his soul chomping at the bit.
The scarlet qi was exhausted and couldn't support his injuries let alone it's own, the backlash from going all out having cut deep.
As he walked, those upper echelon walked beside him closely prepared to catch him at any moment.
Yet, there was one who stayed very close after it all, holding his free arm and nourishing him with scarlet qi.
Feeling this, he tried to shake her off but felt an immensely powerful grip keep him in place, a voice at his ear.
"Shishi. Aren't we the Lord and Lady of Durlivan? What would they think if I didn't support you?" She whispered with a smile he couldn't see but heard in her tone.
Ahh... this wife of mine... I'm tired...
The cheers rang like silent screams in his ears.
Despite the victory, Agashi thought little of the consequences of it, and instead thought drearily of what preparations had to be made for the future.
Soon, those Rekarsus nobles will strike since they are closer. Then Kendogan will strike like a wave, lead by an Imperial Princess of their Empire.
Ahh...
He felt exhausted.
The moment they entered the mansion and the doors closed behind him, the sound registered and he fell forward, the saber slipping out of his hands.
But he did not fall.
He felt many hands reach out and catch him.
That was the last thing he felt before the darkness took him.