We faced each other in the training hall, our weapons ready. I have my dual short swords; him, his dual shotels.
"Fight!"
I approached Tors slowly, dual swords in hand, and launched a series of quick strikes aimed at his wrists and hands. He blocked them easily, evaded then did some counter slashes aimed at my arms as well.
I dodged his attacks and countered with a slash aimed at his left arm, but he evaded the attack and performed a sweep. I jumped away, avoiding the attack.
The onlookers were silent. I caught a glimpse of Sasha, her hands clenched tightly to her knees. She doesn't want this to happen but could not intervene. This was a fight of honor. A fight of truth.
Tors and I have probably sparred a thousands times or more and I feel that this fight would lead to nowhere. It feels like I'm fighting myself!
He reads all of my moves, parrying, blocking, and evading everything. I couldn't find any openings in his defense. Neither could he with mine.
I stepped back and gave him a respectful nod, which he returned.
It was time to get serious. My hands and feet are growing numb from the cold and from blocking the attacks.
I have dreamt of this kind of scenario a long time ago. How would I be able to defeat myself?
With an opponent with the same skills as you, you cannot win a fight with the same moves. You must try something that both of you didn't train for.
Thus, I put down my swords. I've trained in hand to hand combat in the past before joining the Peacekeepers. I did some grappling as well.
Did Tors train with street fighting and grappling as well? Time to find out.
I loosen my muscles, stretched my arms, legs and body, performing some kicks and some quick punches. I performed more stretches, reaching for my feet, bending my legs and arms in different positions, flexing them.
Tors did the same. After a minute of stretching, we were ready.
I faced him and attacked him with a flurry of blows to his face, followed by a flurry of kicks aimed at his stomach, chin and legs. He nimbly evaded by swaying his head to the left and size, jumping back and raising his legs.
Damn this guy! He got some moves!
He countered with a flurry of kicks and punches of his own which I also avoided.
Hmm. Apparently, he also trained with street fighting. Time to try something else.
I ran towards him, doing a feign punch to his face, when he evaded, I tried to grab his legs but he evaded back and tried to kick me in the face. I evaded the kick by performing a quick roll to the right. He followed up with another kick, an axe kick with his right leg aimed at my left shoulder.
He fell for the trap. I grabbed his right leg.
Got em.
I pulled his right leg towards me then wrapped my legs around his body while holding his right leg and falling to the ground. Then I twisted his right, flipping him over. I then tried bending his right leg backwards, putting pressure on it, determined to make him surrender.
I looked at him as he lays still his eyes closed. Is he giving up?
He then lifted his body with both of his arms in the air then jerked his body like a salted eel, freeing his left left. What kind of move is that?
He then tried kicking my face with his left leg, but I evaded easily. We both stood up. He looked angry as he limped with his left leg. His right leg must be hurting. He knows that if this continues, I would win.
He then took 2 knives and stabbed them on the floor facing each other.
Ah, he is proposing a Knife Edge Death Match.
The match was stopped as this was never done before.
After much deliberation, the circle proposed that they would allow it.
We both stood together between the knives, with each of the back of our feet touching the blades. I need to end this fight quickly.
Walking quietly and stealth is an assassins greatest asset in went going in for a kill. A wounded feet is a no no. You might as well retire if you injure your leg.
"Continue!"
We stared at each other, trying to find out who will make the first move, how to evade and how to counter.
He made the first punch. Tors was always the impatient one.
He did a quick triple jab with his left arm followed by a right hook to my face. I evaded the jabs but I wasn't able to evade the right hook.
The punch connected but I was able to slightly evade my head to the right, so the punch didn't connect hard enough.
It's still freaking painful though. The side of my left forehead is throbbing.
He tried to finish me off with a combination of hooks to the head, I evaded the hooks and punched him in the gut.
The punch connected, and it connected hard.
I looked at his eyes. He eyes were red with tears as he winced. I stopped in concern but later remembered we are in a duel to a fight to the death. Since the rule was if I win, Tors would abandon his plans, I just have to beat him. If I lose, I'll be dead.
Well, time to finish this. I was going to give him an uppercut but I hesitated. He then gave me an uppercut.
He was smiling.
The jerk! I gave him a chance to recuperate as a friend and he really tried knocking my head off!
Okay! That's it, gloves off! Time to end this.
I realized, we aren't wearing any gloves.
We looked at each others eyes. I see hesitation. He's decided to lose. I see my friend has seen the error of his ways and decided to throw away the duel.
Still, we have to make this look convincing so we proceeded to punch each others face like there is no tomorrow.
I know he's holding back on me so I also punched him with lighter punches.
Still, punches to the faces are still punches to the face and after a few more minutes of punching without evading. We both collapsed, our faces swelling twice their size like a prune, utterly exhausted.
We were both taken to the medical quarters afterwards.
As per the rules, we will have to fight again 3 days from now. They have decided that melee combat with hands and feet will not allowed in the duel anymore and swords would then be instead to avoid any draws from happening.
Either one of us surrenders or one us dies.
I guess there's no escaping this huh? I sighed.
I closed my eyes and think of a plan.
Stupid me, Tors just need to surrender and it would all be over. I'll talk to him again tomorrow. It's that simple.
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.
(To be continued)