Did Paul stand a chance of beating the lean man?
Honestly, he had no idea. He was not even skilled enough to know how better the man was with a dagger than him, that was how much of a novice he was.
This didn't stop him though.
In his head, there were only 2 options; him either killing the lean man or the lean man killing him.
Immediately after he knew about the ulterior motive of the lean man, Paul became convinced that either of them was definitely going to die.
Afterall, it was a situation involving family.
He could not even bring himself to blame the middle-aged man. If he had a daughter and he was placed in the same situation as him, he would go to even greater lengths just to save his daughter.
The man would do anything to save his daughter, while Paul was ready to do anything to save his twin sister.
These unfortunate circumstances gave birth to the notion of no surrender.
Paul would rather die than let himself be captured by this middle-aged man, taken somewhere without his consent while his sister's fate was unknown.
As her older brother, he was supposed to protect her.
As her older brother, he was supposed to place her life before his.
As her older brother, he was supposed to die before her.
These were moral values that Paul's father taught him before he died and even now, years after his death, Paul stuck to these familial values like glue.
It was the same moral values that made his fiery mom put her life on the line, fighting a battle of impossible odds against the 6 assassins that resulted in her death.
Despite the fact that Claire Arrakis knew for a fact that she would die, she never wavered, facing the assassins with an undaunted spirit.
It was that same undaunted spirit that now burned in Paul Arrakis.
Just 2 days ago, all Paul knew was hunting down wild boars in his village with his hunting dagger. These were mundane beasts that were not demonic beasts.
It was just yesterday that he awakened his God powers, he was yet to truly grow into them and master their usage like they were a part of him.
And just this night, he was taught to wield a Stiletto.
And now, he was about to go up against his teacher in combat.
So yes, Paul was fighting a battle of impossible odds, but did it mean that he would shrink in fear because of it?
No.
Bam!
Paul charged towards the lean man, his eyes which already long adapted to the darkness focusing on his 2 hands that held the daggers.
Paul may be a novice with little combat experience and technique, but that didn't stop him from entering an unprecedented level of focus.
In this state of absolute clarity, the world became clear to him.
Staring intensely at the hands of the man, Paul didn't see them move as he closed the distance then at the last moment, he made the first move, pushing his right hand outward as he stabbed with the Stiletto on his right hand.
Whoosh!
Paul put the full prodigious power of his superhuman strength behind it as it stabbed through the air like a stinger.
With a cold look in his eyes, the lean man easily sidestepped, dodging the attack and then, switching his grip on his dagger to a back-handed grip on his right hand, his hand surged upward for a devastating uppercut.
Paul did not see the attack coming.
Bam!
The handle of the dagger hit his chin in a devastating impact.
Paul felt dizzy, he felt the metallic taste of blood in his lips as his teeth bit into his lips, drawing even more blood.
He seemed to have broken a few teeth as well.
The extreme pain made him feel even more dizzy but gritting his teeth to shrug it off, Paul stabbed forward at the same time with his twin Stilettos.
He stabbed empty air though.
In that moment of the uppercut hitting his chin, the force pushing his head up, the lean man already circled behind Paul.
And as Paul stabbed, this man used his momentum against him, grabbing him by the neck before using his own force to twist and move his body, slamming him against the ground.
Boom!
Paul felt a few of his ribs break as he hit the ground from an awkward angle.
He groaned in pain but he didn't stay on the ground, already jumping to his feet as the lean man retreated, looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"Give it up Paul, you'll only hurt yourself".
"That is what I intend to do," Paul smiled, revealing his bloody lips and broken teeth under the moonlight glow. "I never had the privilege of being taught any combat techniques by my father".
"My first teacher, he turned out to have ulterior motives in the end".
"For beggars like me, we can't be choosers. We learn to fight with what we get, and what I get is fighting against you, teacher". He grinned.
"You can beat me, but it's fine, I'll learn your combat technique".
"The only way to end this is to kill me fast, that's if you can".
Right at that moment, Paul's God essence circulated in his body, affecting nature as a thick bolt of lightning struck from the sky.
Boom!
The lean man's foresight saved him as he dodged just in time; he threw a dark look at the boy.
Looking back at him, Paul grinned. "I'm beginning to get the hang of it, circulating my God essence".
And then, he charged again at the lean man.
The lean man stared at this boy charge at him, and then he grunted coldly. "So be it".
Switching his other dagger into a back-handed grip too, he went on the offensive. And immediately, this lean man seemed to turn into a hurricane of steel.
And Paul was on the receiving end of this onslaught of steel.