36-1
Grey used his venomous aura to enhance his physical strength. Increasing the power of the uppercut that Grey gave to the Hobgoblin.
With a massive and overwhelming shock, the hobgoblin was sent flying, crashing to the ground.
In a desperate attempt, the hobgoblin tried to hide back in the darkness.
Terror streaked through Hobgoblin. The realization that he can't hide back in the darkness sent him in a state of panic.
The hobgoblin was frantic with fear.
"You can't run away anymore." Said Grey.
The hobgoblin got up to his feet and made a desperate attempt to flee away.
"There is nowhere to run." asserted Grey, "You can't run away anymore."
Grey followed up him on his foot, but he didn't run, he just walked.
"I am standing right here, injured. If you want revenge, this is your best chance to do so."
Grey was seriously injured.
His breath was unstable and it was getting harder for him to breathe due to broken ribs. There were multiple fractures on his right hand.
His face bled to the point where his clothes were blood-stained from his neck.
Even hobgoblin realized, that the best chance for him to kill Grey was now. The Hobgoblin stopped running away.
"And besides, even if you were to die. You would die as a warrior for your family, that would make them proud too." Said Grey.
"Pick up that sword and fight me," said Grey pointing towards the fallen pitch-black swords.
Picking up the sword, Hobgoblin stood with the sword to fight Grey.
There was no stance in the way Hobgoblin stood. It was just a normal way to stand with his sword.
Grey didn't hold any weapon, he was going to fight bare hands.
The hobgoblin closed the distance with a straight forwards rush, The hobgoblin swung the sword which Grey easily dodged and countered with a punch to the abdomen.
This time Hobgoblin didn't get knocked away, it tanked the attack and bared the pain by just making a noise that sounded like a grunt.
The hobgoblin recovered his position and tried to attack by a horizontal slash. Grey also dodged this by jump.
Even though Grey can swiftly dodge attacks, but in reality, he was struggling with each move. It was getting difficult to move his body due to his injuries.
He needed to end this fight, cause he was going to lose consciousness due to excess bleeding and pain.
In the air after jumping, Grey struck with his feet aiming at Hobgoblin.
This exchange of dodging and attacking went on for a while, where the hobgoblin couldn't land a single hit and Grey connected several blows dealing heavy damage to the Hobgoblin.
The hobgoblin stepped back, he was overwhelmed.
His mind was screaming for him to run away. That's the only thing that was going on his mind throughout the fight.
The hobgoblin looked at Grey.
Hobgoblin was frustrated at his situation. Hobgoblin always knew that he was a coward, but there was never a situation in his life which tested his courage. He always ran away from this fact.
He wanted to live a peaceful life, without any danger, with safety.
But this want was taken away from him.
The situation arrived where his courage was tested, a situation where his kind was attacked.
But after looking at his kind getting killed one after another, No matter how much they resisted, they were killed.
He couldn't bring himself to fight Grey and stood there as his kind was slaughtered.
As his wife was killed, he couldn't move his body. He was paralyzed with fear.
In the end, he ran away leaving his baby girl behind.
He ran like a coward. But he couldn't run from the fact that he was a coward.
More than Grey, he hated himself for leaving his daughter behind and running away.
That's why he won't run away anymore.
The hobgoblin took a deep breath as he gripped his sword tightly. The hobgoblin decided that this was going to be his final attack.
With this final attack, he won't run away anymore.
With a determined look Hobgoblin looked towards Grey.
"That look-" Grey whispered to himself with a sense of surprise.
Grey smiled and said, " Bring it on."
Grey unsheathed his sword from his back.
They both dashed towards each other. They intended to end it all with one strike.
The hobgoblin swung his blade which Grey dodged by stepping backward.
Grey thirsted his sword forward after dodging the attack.
With a steady pace, he finally thrust his sword inside Hobgoblin's chest.
Ugh!
This was the sound of the grunt by Grey. Grey looked at his chest to find Hobgoblin's claw buried in his chest.
When Grey looked at Hobgoblin's face, he found a satisfying smile there. A smile satisfied for accomplishing something.
The hobgoblin finally faced his fear and without running away. He was truly happy and that smile showed it all.
Blood poured out from the edge of the smile, Hobgoblin coughed out blood.
The sword was pierced right into his chest. Grey was successful in thrusting his sword.
The hobgoblin fell, bleeding from his chest.
The claw wound on Grey's chest wasn't that deep for it to be fatal.
The white flower bed was painted red from Hobgoblin's blood. As more blood poured out, more flower was getting red.
The hobgoblin didn't have any regret, it didn't run away and he wasn't a coward in the end.
Looking at the black sky of the abyss, Hobgoblin thought to himself
*Did I do good?* asked Hobgoblin, this question was meant for his dead family.
A voice replied. *You did great.* said the voice.
The hobgoblin opened his eyes to find the source of the voice, what stood there was his wife. his partner.
*You are alive?* Asked The hobgoblin.
To which replied a younger voice *No dad, we are here to take you to another side.*.
This time it was the voice of his dead son.
*I see, you guys are here to take me on another side with you guys.* Said Hobgoblin, his eyes teared up.
*But, I ran away. I ran away leaving you guys, I don't deserve it.* The hobgoblin voice broke.
*No, you deserve it. You cried for us and you fought for us. We are proud of you.* Replied His wife.
*Now dad, come with us.* said the son of Hobgoblin as he stretched his hands towards his dad, those hands were meant for him to grab.
*But what about my daughter, why she isn't here?* Asked Hobgoblin, after realizing that his daughter wasn't there with them.
To which his wife replied *What are you talking about? She is still alive.*
*She Is still alive?* asked Hobgoblin in confusion.
*Yes, the human boy didn't kill our daughter. She is safe. The human boy took care of her and gave her to a goblin village. They are taking care of her like she is their daughter.*
Upon receiving the news, hobgoblin smiled as tears fell from his eyes *I see, she is alive... that makes me happy.....that makes me so happy.*
The hobgoblin, at last, accepted the hand of her wife and son as his soul drifted away with them.
Before drifting away for good the hobgoblin looked one last time towards Grey and said:
*For not killing my daughter…. Thankyou human boy.*
With this, his soul vanished away and he was dead for good.
"that was the soul of kid and wife….." Grey muttered to himself. He was shocked, his hand was shaking. There was no strength on his legs, he collapsed.
The image of the hobgoblin family couldn't leave his mind.
As he lied down, he said in low voice " I killed such a happy family... I truly feel like shit."
The abyssal place he was in disappeared and he was back in the forest.
He was half-conscious, but couldn't move an inch of his body. He lied down as he bled heavily.
Before losing consciousness, he saw a young man walking towards him.
"You good?" asked the young man.
Being half-conscious, he couldn't give a proper reply. At last, he felt the young man picking him up before losing consciousness.
The young man was the S rank hunter, Eddie.
Eddie horns, the eldest son of horns family and the big brother of Frank.