I turned my attention back to the fight as Zorro, Adante, and I took on our respective foes in a three-on-three duel across the streets.
Fortunately, or rather, unfortunately, me and my opponent seemed to be evenly matched to each other's skills.
Zorro and Adante had finished their respective fights and were now watching me try to finish this guy off.
"Ed, can you, uh, do this a bit quicker? We have more reinforcements coming in from there." Adante pointed in the direction where Aurelia was, and sure enough, there was a small army's worth of people charging at us.
"Adante, do you mind helping Valeria out a bit? Ed looks like he can handle this. Adante said, in a totally nonchalant way, that it ground my gears.
Neither me nor the assailant could get the upper hand in combat, and I honestly do not have time to waste on this person alone, now that there was a small band of around thirty to forty men headed for us.
Alright, Ed, you take your time; we will do our best here to help Valeria and also join us. Zorro said, as both of them started to walk towards the approaching horde of men without looking back.
As I continued to struggle here, fatigue was starting to show on both sides, and even though now I could imbue my strikes with powers, it just wasn't enough to overpower someone of this guy's caliber.
What really annoyed me was the fact that this guy in front of me was really good at defensive and evasive maneuvers. He very rarely switches to offense, but I quickly overwhelm him, and he goes back on the defensive again, forcing me to go on the offensive and try to break his defenses.
I was starting to get frustrated. As I saw Zorro and Adante engage with the horde out of the corner of my eye, a familiar feeling took hold. A feeling of despair. A reminder of just how much further I have to go if I even have to stand.
*Kashink!*
At that momentary lapse of concentration, my enemy's sword pierced through and slashed me clean across my shoulder. I managed to deflect most of the attack, but the tip of the blade landed, and I had a kind of deep laceration on my right shoulder.
Combine that with my fatigue from already fighting Adante, and I was being pushed to my absolute limits.
Why am I always the one to be the weakest? Why am I always the first to fall? I couldn't accept the fact that I was this weak. The heir to a kingdom as powerful and as storied as Heraklion couldn't even beat an average thug.
Unacceptable.
I want to get stronger.
Faster.
More powerful.
My opponent finally went on the offensive again! Defend! Counter! Overwhelm him again!
More.
More.
More!!
At that exact instant, I found my back against a wall, and my opponent had cornered me.
I finally cornered you, you annoying rat! He said it, fatigue clearly showing in his voice. "Hyaaaaaaa!" With my back to the wall, he put all his strength into one powerful thrust aimed straight for my neck.
"An annoying rat, huh?" I managed to speak out with ragged breath. "Finish this pesky rat if you can, you bitch! I shouted, a strange feeling of confidence enveloping me.
I've been having this strange feeling grow inside of me ever since the start of this fight. This is a strange feeling to let go of. Let go of how I'm consciously fighting. Suddenly, the entire world around me slowed down, and I could perceive the sword headed for my neck.
*Swish*
I dove in the nick of time and launched myself at him, ducking under his sword while aiming for his torso.
*clang!*
That was the sound of my sword banging against the armor that he was wearing, but that didn't matter anyway because my end goal was this.
With one big blast of energy, I sent him flying, crashing into the wall opposite the one on which I was just standing.
Adante glanced back from his busy fighting, looking at the noise I caused, and when I saw him, I couldn't help but crack a cocky grin.
"Finally starting to realize his own potential, huh? He chuckled to himself. "Come on, Ed! Join in with us! He said, his voice now emphatic.
The gang of thirty to forty fighters had now been reduced to eight, and Zorro and Adante seemed to show no signs of slowing down.
I quickly caught up to them, and in the fray, I saw Adante dealing with four men at once. I instantly dove in to help him.
Much to my surprise this time, I was able to keep up with Adante much more easily, and for some reason, I was in peak form, cleanly parrying and avoiding all strikes aimed at me, despite a gash to my shoulder.
Adante quickly put some distance between the four of them and us, and I followed suit.
"Two for you, two for me. Adante's voice carried an exhilarating challenge. "Let's see who finishes them off quicker!"
Agreeing with a determined nod, we lunged at the opponents, each of us engaging a pair of foes.
Adrenaline surged as I parried their attacks, the clash of steel ringing in my ears. With measured precision, I countered their moves, deflecting strikes and seeking openings. The pace intensified, and despite a slight lag behind Adante, I felt an undeniable rhythm guiding my actions.
In a synchronized maneuver, we re-engaged. The adversaries battled valiantly, but the outcome was inevitable. My strikes grew more decisive, each parry leading to an effective counterattack. Sweat dripped down my brow, my breath labored, yet my resolve remained unshaken.
I can see it. My path to finishing this quicker than Adante The best way would be to line both of them up for a single attack and take them down at the same time.
But by the time I was done thinking up my strategy, Adante had already finished off the two men, with him holding one of their heads in his hand as a trophy. "I'm done here! What's taking you so long, Ed?"
I didn't say anything as I was trying to look for a break in between the relentless assault of two people. It was much harder to keep up with than the attacks of one person, but I somehow managed to persevere on, and I finally found my lucky break, a momentary pause in between their attacks for me to utilize.
In one swift maneuver, I hit the ground with my shockwave and swept both of my opponents off their feet. With both of them in the air and disoriented, I launched myself out for one final, and with a calculated strike, I bested both of them.
"Looks like I won this round," Adante grinned, his eyes alight with a mix of pride and camaraderie.
I grinned back, my chest heaving with exertion. "Not by much," I quipped between breaths, savoring the hard-fought victory we'd achieved side by side.
"Uh, guys, a little help here? Zorro's voice sliced through the victorious atmosphere. "Strangely enough, it seems your foes were weaker than the ones attempting to overwhelm me. His words flowed as he nimbly dodged and evaded the relentless coordination of his own adversaries, a quartet of foes working in unholy harmony.
Adante and I exchanged a swift, knowing glance. Without a word, we shifted our focus to Zorro's struggle. Engaging in sync, we hurled ourselves into the fray, ready to tip the scales in his favor.
But amidst the chaos, I could sense a problem within me. As my blade clashed with one of the enemy's, another one of them dove in, aiming for my neck.
Move. Evade. It was a simple command, but my leg remained rooted in place. Confusion gnawed at my mind. Why wouldn't it move?
With immense effort, I managed to sidestep just in time, the edge of the sword grazing my neck. But something was amiss—my strength waned, my vision faltered.
I took a couple steps back, and my vision suddenly started to get hazy.
"Not now of all times," I muttered to myself as I steadied myself again.
In that momentary lapse, I made the fatal error of staying still.
In that fleeting lapse of focus, two assailants advanced, hemming me in from front and back. My body moved, but every action was sluggish, as if submerged in water. The adversaries closed in, their attacks coordinated and ruthless.
With a supreme exertion, I deflected their strikes, but my legs trembled and my stamina was on the brink. This battle was getting dangerous.
I can't afford to lose here. Not when so much is at stake.