Een gritted his teeth. Was standing up against Frederick the right choice? It didn't look like Karabell would try to stop him. He couldn't count on his sister to do that, either. Gull was, for whatever reason, completely exhausted. It couldn't defend itself. And Frederick was getting closer and closer. Een felt like he needed to do something. But what was he supposed to do? First of all, why did he want to protect the creature? Gull was just another Aberration. Sure, it had helped them find and defeat the Ringleader, but that didn't mean they owed him anything. Eliminating the Aberrations had always been their goal. So why were his hand tightening their grip around his weapon's handle? Why was his body moving on its own?
"The other creatures are probably alive as well. Shouldn't saving out friends be our top priority?" Een asked, slowly assuming his battle position. "We have no idea what's actually happening outside right now. Killing Gull can wait," he said, unable to prevent his voice from shaking.
Een glared at the Commander. He wasn't going to stop. Frederick took another step toward them, his signature grin plastered across his face. Een planted his feet on the ground and held his axe horizontally. It was a weapon designed to kill Aberrations. But so were Frederick's knuckledusters. What in the world where they doing, using those weapons to fight each other? Was the Commander going to attack him? Probably. That guy didn't think twice before trying to kill someone. They'd learnt that at first hand.
"We're really doing this, aren't we?" Een murmured, watching his opponent's feet. He didn't want to hurt Frederick. Well, he kind of wanted to punch him in the face, but that guy was stronger than him. Een knew that. He wasn't as fast as the Captain, but he wasn't exactly slow, either. Een couldn't help but sigh. Seriously, what was he doing?
The knuckleduster on Frederick's left hand suddenly clashed against Een's axe. He used both hands to steady his weapon, barely managing to block the man's attack. Een adjusted his grip on the axe. He widened his stance and braced himself. Frederick stared at his fist for a second as his grin grew even larger. He was enjoying it. Een found himself smirking too, despite the cold sweat covering his forehead. He didn't want to hurt Frederick? What was up with that? That guy was trying to kill Gull. He was a murderer. He'd killed others just because he'd felt like it. He wasn't any different from an Aberration. Without a trace of hesitation, Een swung his axe. His swing was precise, but way too slow. Frederick dodged to the side and drove his fist into the attacker's stomach. Een lost both his breath and his grip on the weapon. The axe fell to the floor with a loud clang. Not wasting another second, Frederick grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground. Een immediately let out a choked cry of pain. The hands tightened around his throat as the Commander lifted him into the air. He couldn't breathe. He could barely think. Een looked at Frederick's face, uselessly trying to free himself. The first blow had robbed him of all of his strength. Oddly enough, the Commander wasn't grinning. He wasn't sad, either. If anything, he seemed a little disappointed. Een felt his consciousness fading. He'd lost. It was finally starting to sink in. Everything had happened so fast. Was Frederick going to kill him? What about Alice and the Captain? What was going to happen to them?
"Didn't I say you weren't allowed to die?" Karabell's voice suddenly echoed through the cave.
Een faintly heard something swish through the air. Frederick let go of the soldier, essentially dropping him onto the floor. Pained groans escaped their mouths at the same time. It took Een a moment to realize what had happened. The Captain's spear had hit its mark. Frederick jerked the weapon free from his foot and threw it aside. A few drops of blood landed on Een's uniform, and the Commander turned around slowly.
"The look on your face is priceless, Captain Karabell," he said in an almost joyful tone. "Finally decided to answer my summons? Quite fierce, the look in your eyes. But are you sure about this? About protecting that creature?"
"Aberrations have saved us before. More than once. I'm just returning the favor," Karabell responded with a smile. "Plus, you were about to kill Een. Do you really think I'd just overlook something like that?" he added as he brandished Alice's sword.
Karabell steadied his breath. Frederick was already closing in on him. He couldn't kill the Commander. Nor did he want to. Immobilizing him seemed to be the Captain's only option. He needed to either dodge or counter Frederick's attacks and wait for an opportunity to strike back. It was just like fighting a smaller, slightly faster Aberration. No. Had he been an Aberration, Karabell could've easily killed him. But Frederick wasn't an Aberration. He was probably stronger than one, though. Karabell couldn't go easy on him. With that being said, he knew the Commander couldn't afford to fight carelessly, either. Karabell's attack range was a lot larger, thanks to the sword. And, although Frederick was taller than him, having such close-range weapons put him at a disadvantage.
Frederick's whole face lit up as he charged at Karabell. The Captain swung his sword in a vertical arc. To his surprise, Frederick didn't even try to dodge. He thrust his right fist forward, deflecting his attack. At the same time, the Commander brought up his knee, aiming for his opponent's stomach. Karabell jumped back to avoid the attack and dropped into an offensive stance. He couldn't let Frederick land a hit, so staying on the defensive wasn't going to work. Moreover, they were wasting precious time. Karabell frowned. Alice and Een were safe for the moment. But what about the others? Were they alright? Karabell shook his head. He couldn't afford to get distracted. The sooner he defeated Frederick, the sooner he'd be able to help them.