"I taught you everything you know," she hissed, her dagger flashing in the dim light.
"Is this how you react to your opponent's attack?" Her eyes locked on me fiercely.
"I..."
BANG!
A kick slammed into my torso, shoving me away. Before I could gather myself, she was already following the motion.
I leapt back, coiling around, then stood up, straightening my posture.
"Is this all you can do now?"
"Is this what I taught you?" she shouted venomously. However, there was anger etched on her face, rather than deep dissatisfaction.
Her words struck deeper than any blade. Each strike came sharper than the previous ones.
I faltered, barely able to keep up. The weight of facing someone close to me, whom I managed to meet after a long time, threatened to drown me.
Her eyes stared at me sharply.
CLANG! CLANG!
I deflected her attacks clumsily while staring at her face.
"You never taught me like this," I muttered, forcing myself to breathe.
"You were kind and gentle. Also, I have become a bit rusty," I muttered with a chuckle, regaining my composure.
My mother.
She was a fencing expert, a martial artist, and a very good one. Her sword movements were a treat of delight.
My father fell for her while watching her in the tournament. She was the epitome of grace and a lethal beauty.
"Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?" she spat.
"That I am a bit rusty, so I can't fight my enemy properly?"
I laughed, hearing this.
"Despite being an illusion, you crafted something quite real."
"Yeah, despite that smiling face, her tongue was quite sharp."
"Stop laughing," she interjected and slashed, aiming for my head, which I avoided by ducking down.
Instead of anger, I found joy in her scolding.
An indescribable feeling surged.
She struck again, her blade catching my arm. Pain shot through me, but I refused to back down.
"Fine," I said, finding my resolve. "If this is what it takes, then I'll face it."
Her gaze flickered as she attacked again, faster this time. I pushed back with everything I had, letting my regret fuel me. Each clash of our daggers ignited my focus.
"I can't live in the past," I shouted, blocking her strike.
She was fast, too fast. Her blade cut through the air, and I barely managed to twist away. The edge still scratched my side, leaving a stinging trail of pain. I gritted my teeth, feeling the blood seep through my shirt. Across from me, she smiled, sharp and confident, as if the fight amused her.
"You're slow," she said, as if teasing me with those gazes.
I didn't answer. There was no point. I shifted my stance, grounding myself, and lunged at her. My dagger cut through the space between us, but she was quicker. Her blade met mine with a deafening clang, twisting sharply to knock me off balance. The impact jarred my arm, but I held firm, refusing to back down.
She came at me again, her strikes looked delicate but struck harder as though testing my strength. A numbing pain arose in my hands as the sickening metals rubbed against one another.
'A feint to the left, then a low sweep.'
I analyzed the pattern. Something I remembered from the time she used to teach me but...
I tried to retreat, but her dagger bit into my thigh.
'Fuck! The habit isn't the same,' I cursed underneath.
Pain shot through me, hot and sharp. My knee almost buckled, but I forced myself to stand and chuckled.
"You're enjoying this," she said, her tone laced with amusement as she circled me.
I wiped at the blood dripping from my lip, a grin tugging at my face despite the pain. "Maybe I am."
This time, I didn't hesitate. I surged forward with all the focus I could muster. Our daggers clashed again and again, the sound reverberating in my skull. She cut my shoulder sharp and quick, but I didn't stop.
I stepped into her space, locking our blades together. Her eyes widened, just for a moment, as I pushed forward, forcing her back. I twisted my wrist, breaking the lock, and drove my blade toward her. She shifted at the last second, my dagger grazing her side instead of finding its mark.
Before I could press the advantage, she spun away. We both froze, blood dripping onto the floor. I was breathing hard, my arms trembling from the strain.
"Enough," she said, lowering her blade. Her smile returned, faint but as sharp as ever.
I didn't lower mine right away, staring her down. My chest heaved, but I forced myself to straighten.
Her laughter was soft and cutting as she sped toward me.
For a moment, she hesitated. I saw something soften in her eyes, but then she charged at me again, one final strike aimed straight at my heart.
I read that intention.
I met her head-on, deflecting her blow and driving forward, my dagger finding its mark, but she grabbed it while her dagger almost touched my chest.
I didn't make a move to counter.
I didn't hold back and shoved it.
She froze, inches from my face, surprise in her eyes. "You've finally learned, but not enough to defeat," she whispered, her sharp expression beginning to waver.
"Okay, I accept I lost."
Seeing this, I dropped my guard and moved closer to the dagger, letting it pierce my chest, which startled her.
I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around her in a desperate hug. "I missed you, Mother!"
The figure froze entirely, unsure of what to do next, and this was what I waited for.
At that moment, I revealed a hidden dagger from my sleeve, plunging it into the back of her neck as a smile broke across my face.
SPLASH!
Blood spurted from her neck, drenching my face. I looked up to see her expression. I was prepared to see the look of pain and anger, but instead of pain, it was a sweet, blossoming smile.
She raised one of her arms to hold my face, squeezed it, and then wiped away drops of tears squeezing out from my eyes.
"You have grown wonderfully, my son."
Those were her last words as her figure slowly started to melt.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"After all, I am your son, isn't it?"
"Of course," a melodious voice echoed.
"Thank you for letting me see you one last time," I whispered,feeling her warmth fade.
The forest regained its silence and the fog began to lift. I stood alone, with a gash on my arms and a dagger still struck on my chest that fell down with the world distorting,preparing for the next.