"It's been many days since I've eaten, My body is all hollow now... Until now." the skeleton said as he summoned a golden light. The light transformed into a gold broadsword covered in white soulless eyes.
The air grew heavy on Miriam's lungs. "Why does my body feel so weak?"
"What are you doing to her?!" Hitori asked with disdain and irritation in his tone.
"I commend your strength boy, but I don't answer to you." In a second, the skeleton had flash-stepped to Hitori and batted him into the wall. "You'll go no further than here."
As Hitori tried to catch his breath, the skeleton grabbed Miriam by the throat, lifted her off the ground and began to choke her.
"Please... Stop." Miriam mustered out of her partially crushed wind-pipe.
"Your plead for mercy has fallen on death's ear." Its grip, fueled with a cold and merciless drive, tightened.
"Get your hands off her!" Hitori leapt back into action, his muscles, pumped full of adrenaline. Hitori brought a bone cracking strike down on the skeleton's wrist.
The skeleton swung its blade and torn through Hitori's clothes, branding him with a gash. Hitori back-stepped at a frightening speed whilst cradling Miriam in his arms.
"Are you okay Miriam?" Questioned Hitori, his eyes never straying from the skeleton's eyes. His chest tense and dripping blood.
Miriam's eyes fell shut, her heart still pumped it's rhythm. Hitori placed Miriam against the wall.
"Hey skeleton guy, you listen closely." Hitori raised Ethos and channeled a immense burst of mana into it... "I'll turn you to dust." His gaze held a malicious glint.
"You managed to severe my hand, I'm gonna need payment for my lost." The skeleton's bones expanded and lengthened as it warped into a juggernaut three times Hitori's height and armored in shimmering gold.
Hitori brandished both of his blades, and sprinted toward the juggernaut. The skeleton swung with precision, but Hitori slipped between the openings and chipped away at it's armor with Ethos. The skeleton slashed the ground, slicing the tip of a stray hair.
"You're fast, and yet so slow." The skeleton instantly switched to a punch, pinning Hitori against its suppressive force and fracturing one of his ribs. As blood ran down his cheek, he summoned the strength, and pushed back enough to slip away from death's cold, lifeless grip.
"You're resilient, but steel can be dulled." Hitori slashed the skeleton's left eye however, Ethos was fragmented upon contact, leaving only a small scratch. "Now perish."
Whilst Hitori attempted to grasp what just happened, his body was met with a bone-rattling blunt blow. Hitori's body was embraced by the wall... As his vision faded he glimpsed gilded robe tattered in gold marks, a face enveloped in black, four benevolent and beastly eyes... The skeleton gradually made it's way to Miriam. Just then, a light echoing promises of hope emanated from the abused wall.
"I'm not giving up... Not yet!" Hitori mustered the will to stammered back onto the battlefield, his body now engulfed in streaks of orange flames. The gold treasures covering the floor began to melt...
"What's this? You've summoned new strength." The skeleton manifested a golden sickle. "I am the great demon king Midas, and your soul will be most delicious."