Two men galloped toward cave entrance. They demand Yuki's blood,
Yuki hates close combat and would be drowned to hell if they reached him.
On the other side, Titus gets bogged down by five men, plus Joo fucking Dae Tae. Thanks to Titus' reckless charge, he got trapped there, alone, away from the rest of his crew.
Yet, both Wedge and Biggs hand at full. They busied themself with fighting enemies and couldn't do much help.
Ji Sung could help those who needed it but couldn't split himself into two. He must choose between Yuki and Titus.
"Help!" Yuki called once more. On the ground, he struggled and pushed a man above who tried to thrust a sword into his chest. "Help me!"
Ji Sung rallied to the cave entrance. He snatched the dead man's sword, throwing it into one of the enemy's backs.
The man died, drowned in Yuki.
His friend turned and confronted Ji Sung with a sword ready. Yuki stabbed his upper hand from behind, using a bolt allowing Ji Sung to act.
Ji Sung swung his ax onto his enemy's chest, pushing him down.
Blood dripped on the man's chest and rivered from the tip of his lips. He tried to say something, but his mouth was full of blood. He stop moving completely
"I'm, I'm becoming a killer." Ji Sung kneeled, his eyes trembling facing both shivered hands. "I'm doing a bad thing. I-I kill someone. i—"
"Stop it, stop!' Yuki slammed Ji Sung, tried bringing him back to reality. "Listen, In the war, people kill people, they are not killers, they just do what they must do. We are the same, we fight for our life, we defend our life!"
"You didn't kill people, I did."
Both stopped moving for a while. They pass on gazed, yet, fail to read each other's hearts. Ji Sung knew his word landed a fatal blow on Yuki's heart.
"You're doing it to save me. Thank you." Yuki hugged his savior hard. "Thank you, friend. I will remember this. I will."
It changed nothing. Ji Sung still murdered someone. He was full of sins. He never could return from this, never.
The battle cry echoed from outside as Yuki gathered his bolt. "Our battle still rages on. Help our friend, help them, or you will be sorry if we lose." He released two bolts already. "Stand, hurry!"
Ji Sung back to his feet, still hardly holding his ax, he realizes everyone tried to survive, trying to live on another day.
Their enemy realizes Yuki showering bolts on them. Three men with shields charged directly to the cave entrance. Yuki faces them faliantly, and holds them back for Yuki to shoot.
His bolt pierced one of the attacker's ankles and the battle raged on.
Minutes felt like hours. Many injured men hand to hand ran from the battlefield.
The clank subsided, the rest of the enemy retreated, leaving their dead friend to fend off themsel.
Ji Sung down hard on the rock. His entire body drowned into sweat and blood, shimmering cold as the wind hammered skin. His wound was countless, his bone emptied, yet he felt strong.
This was his first experience as a fighter, as traveler, as someone who survived from battle. He proved to everyone his capability as a man. He won respect from these men.
"Great job, Sung." Yuki patted his shoulder as he drooled on the ground. "You know, there is a bond that you never find outside of the battlefield."
'What?" Ji Sung's voice soothed.
"Blood bond."
"Band of Brothers." both laughing, then they coughed, they patted each other back.
He was right. This experience, he never found in another palace. This experience that reshaped him into a different person.
"Yuki, I am a killer."
"Yes, yes, you are. But listen, this is not Earth. You do what you must. They knew what was going to happen, so did we, ya "
Ji Sung shocked. He sinned, he needed forgiveness from god. But, which one? This is not Earth. Which god's domain did he stand on? "Did we manage to kill Joo Dae Tae?" he asked.
"I don't know." Yuki closed his eyes. "Let me rest for a while, ya."
He fell asleep like a log. Seriously, he, the only one who could sleep beside many dead bodies.
After regaining his strength, Ji Sung rose tried to ensue sunrise. His legs empty cell, his tongue dead leaf, his pure smile raised as he captured three figures gathered, drinking together.
"Noobie, drink!" Wedge threw a container of water for Ji Sung. "You do well, Kiddo."
"I told you, he is good." Titus' legs rinse by blood. It trembled, but he kept smiling. "Nah, it could be worse, you know."
"You need a doctor. Come, let's bring him to Wingse." Ji Sung tried to help raise Titus up, but he fell. He lost every drop of stamina.
"Come on Titus. Your legs need some care. Come, perhaps your wife wants to see your dumb face." Wedge and Bigs, helping Titus back to his feet, or, one feet.
They really are a pro on these. They already battered like a shit, yet, they showed little fatigue.
"Noobie, you catch your breath. We leave two Wingse for you and Yuki. Return if you are done. Meet us at the Tavern. Yuki knows which one.
Those three leave, leaving Ji Sung stuck there with Yuki sleeping in the cave.
Minutes become hours. The sky reddened. The night is almost here. Ji Sung wake Yuki up, and they rose together, ready to leave.
A strange noise came from the man who Ji Sung butchered early.
"Is it normal on Terra?" Ji Sung murmured, his eyes on that corp.
"Perhaps a rat?" Yuki recovered his dead body. He was stranded while the dead slowly rose. "Wah, what the heck? Ji Sung! Ji Sung look!" He patted Ji Sung's legs, when he turned his head, he found the Ji Sung victim already standing.
"Aaaaa, Aaaaa, Aaaaaa!" Yuki peed on himself.
Ji Sung has no word for it.