Revenge Match
Clang! Our swords collided with a resounding crash. It was like the ritualistic greeting warriors exchanged before diving into the real fight—think of boxers touching gloves in the ring. The battle had officially begun.
Whoosh! The follow-up attack came sharp and swift, nothing like that first tentative clash. Holland, drawing on his experience from our previous bout, knew better than to meet it head-on this time. He sidestepped with ease.
Two more strikes followed. But they couldn't touch his fluid dodges. Spotting the opening from his narrow miss, Holland countered without hesitation.
"Slash!"
His greatsword glowed red. I sensed the skill activating and raised my shield just in time.
Bam!
Shield absorbed the blow
A heavy jolt transmitted through the shield, a sharp ache racing up my bare wristbone. But I could tank that much.
I pulled back slightly and triggered my own skill right away.
Slaughter Charge!
Kagagang! Blades of fierce wind swirled around me.
Bam! Holland blocked my assault with his massive greatsword. Seeing that, I swung immediately.
He ducked lightly to evade, then countered with a swing of his own.
"Slash!"
No blocking that with the shield. The instant that thought hit me, I activated another skill.
Evasion!
But it didn't fire in time. His razor edge sliced toward my shoulder.
Crack!
Bone fragments chipped off where his sword grazed me, clattering to the ground. My bone!
This bastard! You're done for!!
Spotting that finger-sized shard rolling on the dirt, rage boiled over. I unleashed a barrage of skills wildly.
Slash!Spinning Slash!Slaughter Charge!
A few more attacks followed. But none landed. Doubt crept in as I watched him evade every one.
Something's off. My all-out combos, perfectly timed, weren't connecting at all. No way even someone who'd fought me before could pull that off.
As my excitement cooled, my mind cleared. Thoughts I'd overlooked before started clicking into place.
Improved this much in a single day? No way.
By any logic I knew, no one got that strong in hours. What changed? What the hell was different?
Holland was dodging like he'd anticipated every move. Like he knew my patterns inside out—
"!"
A flash of insight. Does he have all my skills memorized?
I'd never considered it. Habits etched into my body from countless Wanderer fights. Like chaining Slaughter Charge straight into Slash without thinking.
Wanderers respawn. The Platinum Tree's blessing made it so. Data from anyone who'd faced me piled up, leading to this.
He wasn't predicting. He'd memorized it all. Perfectly.
Why hadn't I thought of that sooner? Idiot!
"…Why isn't it moving?"
Facing the truth late cleared my head even more. I gripped my sword hilt tight, calming my fury. I was the one being raided right now. Felt weird, like I was the boss in some game getting dismantled.
Craving
Craving kept trying to erode my control, but I fought to stay cool. I could manage it now, thanks to past lessons in reining in emotions. No getting heated. Stick to that, and I could stave off losing my mind.
"Clack!"
Steeling myself, I kept scheming. Holland was focused on dodging. Once my pattern ended, he'd counter hard. The obvious combo he'd memorized.
So I'd flip it on him.
Slaughter Charge!
Seeing me trigger it, Holland reset his stance. Planning to block with his sword, then dodge the incoming Slash, no doubt.
Fat chance!
Closing in with Slaughter Charge, I deliberately delayed my swing by a beat. Off-beat timing, baby.
"What…?!"
Holland's eyes widened at the broken pattern. But his body had already committed to the expected move.
Shlick!
"Guh…!!"
Just a shallow cut on his arm. Good enough. Proof my plan worked!
I pressed the assault, twisting his memorized patterns with off-beats. But as the fight dragged, he adapted, dodging sloppily at first, then smoother.
I couldn't help scoffing. Adapting already? Fine, try this. Half-beat faster!
I accelerated, twisting the tempo again.
Shlick!
"Kahak…!"
He couldn't evade this one. A deep gash across his chest sent him staggering back. Hot blood splattered the ground.
Not dead yet. But dying for sure.
The air reeked of thick blood. I pictured Karen in the corner, sniffing eagerly, drooling. Smiling faintly, I approached Holland slowly.
Unable to hold out, he dropped to one knee, looking up at me with dazed eyes.
"…I lost."
I won.
"You're strong, as expected."
You weren't half bad yourself.
Unspoken words. But locking eyes, we shared something unspoken. Warrior's bond or whatever?
A lump formed in my throat—well, where one would be.
"If only you weren't a monster."
Same here. But what can you do?
Born a skeleton. Destined to kill humans. Even without destiny, I'd do it anyway. The strong devour all. I'd gobble everything in sight and reclaim a human body.
That was my survival.
I stared into Holland's eyes, blood pouring from his chest. Even dying, even accepting defeat gracefully, they hadn't dimmed.
Holland was braver than any human I'd seen. If heroes existed here, it'd feel like this.
Wonder what facing a justice-driven one would be like. Just thinking it heated my skull.
"Clack."
Mood souring a bit, I raised my sword high to the sky.
And—
Shlick.
I brought it down on Holland's head as he gasped his last, blood gushing.
The Starting Village was silent. An endless hush, waiting for one man.
"S-someone's respawning!"
A brilliant light shattered the quiet—a glow bursting from the respawn shrine. People rushed over.
They flung open the sealed doors to find Holland sitting there, expression blank.
"Is… this it?"
He didn't look happy, more like a soldier defeated on the battlefield, serene in loss.
So it failed after all. Disappointment flickered across faces—
"…I brought back a bone."
"What… did you say…?"
His next words made them check his hand. A small bone fragment.
He really got a piece from the human hunter? The excited village chief took it.
Some eerie aura? Or just imagination? Nothing definite. But Holland wasn't the type for bluffing. They trusted that much.
"Submit this as proof to the management office, and we'll get support!"
"Thank goodness…!"
Folks embraced slim hope, mood lifting to festival vibes.
Behind them, Holland sat alone, replaying the fight. He clenched his fist.
Plan failed. Even with every detail memorized, total defeat.
But more than loss, that final gaze from the skeleton filled him. No words, but it came through clear.
In that last moment, Holland felt Chiron had acknowledged him.
His unacknowledged skill, validated by a mere monster…
I've got a long way to go.
Holland smiled faintly, alone. A cheap trick, really. He wanted victory that bad. Not his usual fair-play style.
Even winning that way wouldn't have felt good. Defeated in skill and smarts.
Deep reflection done, he stood. His eyes burned clear.
To become a true hero. Holland vowed never to lose again.