"I'm gonna kill you". Hagen said as he extended his sword out into it's whip-like form.
"I'd like to see you try." Abaddi said, his voice switching back to his menacing tone.
I saw the state Hagen was in, and it was not good. He looked like he was injured all over his body, and one of the fingers on his right hand were mangled. HIs armor which has a tinge of royal blue and silver was now completely cracked, and I could see him panting.
However, he had this manic expression on his face, almost as if he was high. Riding on a high of battle. Seeing just Hagen walk back, it's safe to assume that Gelidra is pretty much dead. The bloodlust in the air was very obvious, and I think even Abaddi could sense that too.
Both of them stood across each other, a cool breeze now rolling across the field. Hagen is the only master bloodbearer among us, and from what I've seen from Abaddi, he seems to be on the same level too. This isn't going to be an easy battle.
In front of my eyes, as I stood in awe, I saw Hagen's sword crackle with brilliant blue energy and at the same time, the familiar dark energy that put out Zorro and Valeria was also teeming with life, as both of them took a stance.
"You see, I'm on a bit of a roll now, I just killed one of your minions who called herself Gelidra." Abaddi remained steadfast, not being fazed by Hagen's taunts.
"You're not going to say anything?" Hagen asked, confidence now dripping in his voice.
"I don't need to answer you." Abaddi grit his teeth and lunged forward at Hagen. In one beautiful move, Hagen quickly sidestepped the attack, and flipped over Abaddi's lunge.
"Nice try. Now, it's my turn." He said, a small excited giggle escaping from his mouth. Before Abaddi could realize, Hagen had whipped his sword around and brought it straight on to Abaddi's face, and he just managed to dodge it despite his incredible reflexes by twisting his body mid-air to avoid it.
Just before Abaddi could land however, Hagen's whip had already caught him at his feet, and he was tossed around like a ragdoll, during which he had lost a grip on his blade, which now lay some distance away.
After a bit of tumbling around, It seemed to me like Abaddi caught a hold of the sword by his hand, and stuck a landing with all the force he could muster so he can pull Hagen to him, and with all his strength behind his arms, he yanked at the sword, and Hagen was now on the receiving end, and he got a solid punch to the face, causing him to lose his sword too.
Hagen immediately got up, and got ready to throw hands.
"Seems like I have no choice, but to wreck you." Abaddi said, as he quickly engaged Hagen now, in a series of punches and kicks.
"Bwaahahahaahaha, let me see you try." Hagen still had this confidence on his face, and I couldn't help but admire his strength in this situation.
It was clear that Abaddi held the advantage in the physical department, from the way the fight was panning out.
Abaddi and Hagen exchanged blows, their fists and feet flying in a flurry of rapid movements. Each strike was met with a countermove, showcasing their incredible combat skills. The ground trembled beneath the intensity of their duel, and the surrounding trees seemed to sway in rhythm with their battle.
Hagen's laughter continued to echo through the forest as he blocked and dodged Abaddi's attacks effortlessly. "Is that all you've got, Abaddi? You'll have to do better than that!"
Despite Hagen's taunts, Abaddi remained focused. He knew that he had to end this fight quickly. With a sudden burst of speed, he delivered a powerful roundhouse kick that caught Hagen off guard, sending him stumbling backward.
Seizing the opportunity, Abaddi lunged for his sword, which lay a few feet away. He retrieved it and pointed it at Hagen, who was now on the defensive. "It's over, Hagen. Surrender now."
Hagen's grin faded, and for a moment, uncertainty flashed across his face. But it was quickly replaced by determination and an uncanny smile. "Surrender? Not a chance!", he said as he took a fighting stance again, this time with his bare hands.
Abaddi seemed to hesitate for some reason. I know for a fact that he can easily finish him off now if he wants to, but if I am led to believe what he said before this battle started, I think there's something larger at play.
Reluctantly, Abaddi lowered his sword and turned to run, leaving Hagen behind. Hagen, however, was not one to give up easily. He charged after them, his steps heavy and determined "You're turning tail and running away from a man who doesn't even have a weapon!? You coward!"
Abaddi didn't seem to be listening to any of his words, and kept running. Hagen turned to me and screamed "Let's get that scum brother! before he exits the city, let's go!"
Hearing his bloodthirsty cry, my body automatically moved, and as Abaddi exited the Nexus' entrance, which was guarded by a couple lowly guards who were promptly knocked out as we happened upon them, we saw his cloak just turn a corner out to the right.
"There! Come on!" Hagen screamed out as he ran at full speed, trying to catch up to Abaddi. I was only a few steps behind, and I was running with him, cutting through the narrow cobblestone streets of Amberhelm as Abaddi was absconding.
"You won't escape us, Abaddi!" Hagen shouted, his voice filled with determination as he pushed his body to its limits.
I remained silent, my focus solely on catching up to Abaddi and securing Isabelle.
Just when it seemed like we were closing in on Abaddi, he abruptly turned a corner and disappeared from our sight. Hagen and I skidded to a stop, gasping for breath as we realized we had lost him.
Hagen clenched his fists, frustration etched across his face. "Where did he go? Ed, we can't let him get away!"
All of a sudden, I felt a familiar drop in temperature behind us, and a cold and icy voice whispered into my ears "You will never catch him. Not under my watch."