As our blades met, a surge of energy surged through my veins, mingling with the frosty air. The winter wonderland around us seemed to respond, crackling with an otherworldly aura.
I'm not going down like last time. I want to win.
Zorro stood on the sidelines as he watched us clash, but I was barely keeping Hagen at bay, similar to my last encounter with Gelidra.
It took everything I had to perfectly parry and block all of Hagen's rapid and successive strikes.
As our blades continued to clash and we weaved and dodged around the falling snow, it was clear as day that Hagen was the one leading this lethal dance. Our duel was on his whim, and I was merely an observer in this dance of death.
Those same feelings of frustration started to come back up, and anger swirled within me.
With a resounding clash, both of us distanced ourselves, Hagen not breaking a sweat at all while my breathing ran ragged. In a battle of attrition, I will not last.
"Looks like you're not all talk, huh?" Hagen let out a smirk and pointed his sword at me.
"Come at me until you've got none left, Ed!" Strangely, he seemed to be enjoying this.
Channeling strength into my lower body, I launched myself up in the air and towards my brother. If I have to end this, I have to be quick and decisive.
As I closed the distance, I could still see a smile plastered on his face, but unlike my encounter with Gelidra, I didn't sense any malice from it. Hagen is definitely enjoying this.
"Oraaaaaaaa!"
I put all the strength I had into one swift downward motion, hoping I could break Hagen's guard with this attack.
He easily blocked it with a single hand.
I just couldn't believe I was outclassed this much.
The metallic symphony of clashing swords rang out, and the force of the impact actually blew off some of the freshly fallen snow. Hagen held his head down, and I again put some distance in between us.
"Not bad, Ed. You're putting up more of a fight now, so let me enjoy this a bit more." He let out a small chuckle and motioned himself back to a battle stance with his sword pointed right at me.
After saying that, Hagen's eyes started glowing a brilliant blue as I felt the intensity change.
I strengthened my resolve and put my guard up. Hagen isn't playing anymore.
As I stood there, ready to respond and react in kind to anything he could throw at me, Hagen took a step towards me.
Then another.
Then another.
At the next step, he bent his knees slightly and hunched forward, as if bracing himself.
The next thing I knew, all I could see in front of me was a wall of white. A single one of Hagen's movements stirred up so much snow in front of me that I was totally blind and disoriented. He's trying to throw me off.
I quickly regained my thoughts and cleared out the snow with a swing of my sword, and as I cleared it all, Hagen got right up into my face. At first, gone was his laughing and cheerful demeanor, and now it was replaced with someone who had the intent to kill. I could feel every part of it as the hair on my neck stood up, and I froze like prey in sight of its predator.
I felt his sword poke into my side ever so slightly as he leaned in to tell me, "Now that is one point for me."
I immediately stepped back, shocked by his sheer speed.
"One point for Hagen, Reset!" Shouted Zorro from the side. He was refereeing this whole charade.
On cue, Hagen stepped back a bit and took his stance once again.
I was down one to zero. At this rate, I am going to lose.
I assessed my immediate surroundings, trying to look for anything that could lend me an advantage in this battle. I saw a small buildup of snow that had been kept up over to the side to maintain the lawn, and an idea sprung into my head.
"Start!" Zorro called out, and Hagen lunged at me. I stepped back further and further, leading Hagen to the loosely held pile of snow, and I jumped over it backwards to avoid his advances. That small mound of snow now lay between us.
Hagen appeared confused for a second, but I knew I had to take advantage of this momentary lapse in his function. I thrust my sword with all its might at hip level, hidden behind the mound of snow, and broke through it, catching him in a blind spot. Surely this will hit Hagen.
He jumped back, narrowly avoiding the thrust through sheer reflexes despite noticing it at the last possible moment. But that wasn't the aim of my attack. My goal was to get him to his landing spot.
Without hesitation, I ran up to where he would land and lunged at him mid-air, knowing full well that even if I miss my attack here, I will get another chance when he plants his feet in the ground to regain his balance.
Just in the nick of time yet again, he twisted his body, using his core, out of the way of my sword. Knowing he would be recovering, I immediately repositioned and swung my sword across in a crescent-shaped strike to reach him.
Clang!
Just in the nick of time, he managed to block my sword with his, but I noticed a slight tear in his fabric, and so did Zorro.
"One point for Ed, Reset!" Zorro called out, his face lighting up with joy as I glanced at him.
We stepped back and resumed our positions. Tied in the score, I felt a surge of confidence. This proved to me that I could fight back instead of being a helpless observer. For once, I had taken the lead in this deadly dance, and the power balance had shifted. I can do this.
The fight continued, and for a moment, it seemed like the tables had turned in my favor. However, as the battle wore on, Hagen's true skill emerged. He began to anticipate my moves, countering with even greater precision and force.
Despite my best efforts, I found myself on the defensive, struggling to keep up with Hagen's relentless onslaught. It was as if he had tapped into a reserve of hidden strength, pushing me to my limits.
In the end, I was no match for his expertise. With a swift and decisive strike, he disarmed me, sending my sword flying. I stumbled and fell, breathing heavily, my body aching from the exertion.
"You fought well, Ed," Hagen said, extending a hand to help me up. "You're improved, but I still have the upper hand."
I took his hand, feeling a mix of exhaustion and respect for my brother's abilities. "I'll keep training," I replied, determined not to let this defeat deter me.
As Zorro led me back to my room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment in myself. But Zorro's expression was filled with determination.
"You never cease to surprise me, Ed," he said softly as he gently placed me on the bed. "You have the spirit of a true warrior."
"I couldn't defeat him," I admitted, feeling defeated.
"It's okay; you managed to score a point against one of the strongest warriors Heraklion has to offer, so rest easy."
Saying that, Zorro closed the door and left.
"I'm going to look for you, my honorable queen. And I will bring you back home. Ed needs you." His eyes were filled with determination as he walked down the winding hallways. "Fifteen years ago, all this would have been very different. If you hadn't found me there, Isabelle, I'm the one responsible for all of this." He muttered to himself and walked off.