---
Younes bristled, anger sharp in his voice. "Do you even fight with any honor? You used my protection of that little girl as cover—to win and take the stone!"
Rick answered, calm as ever. "I don't need to do that anymore."
Younes froze. "What… do you mean?"
Rick drew the Defense Stone from his cloak and raised it slowly.
Silence swallowed
Younes stood motionless, staring at Hina.
The stone… was not with her.
Younes thought, stunned. What do I do now? Without the stone, fighting him was hard… now the stone is his. What can I do?
Rick said, "I was hired to get the stone… and I have it now. But when I saw that girl, I wanted to have some fun. Then you came and ruined it."
"So I won't be content with the stone."
"I'll kill you… then I'll turn my attention to the girl."
Hot rage boiled inside Younes. He tightened his grip on his sword.
I'm sick of him. He knows I won't attack while Hina is behind me… he provokes me until I lose my calm… I'm done with him. I'll tear him apart.
He surged forward, slashing with all his force, but the shadow shield repelled the blow again.
Younes fell back and retreated toward Hina.
Rick said, "Now… you understand your fate."
"It's over for you."
---
Younes lunged again—an angled horizontal strike, followed by an overhead swing. Rick parried both blows with the stone's shield and countered from behind with lethal threads of shadow aimed at Hina.
Younes pulled back immediately and used his body to block them. Blood exploded from his left side, but he did not fall. Pressing on the wound, he attacked from the right—another side strike, then a low stab.
Rick stopped the sword with his armored forearm, twisted his body, and sent a shadow spike straight for Younes's abdomen.
Younes dodged and spun, bringing his blade under Rick in an attempt to slice the leg.
Rick jumped backward and, mid-air, launched interlaced threads down toward Hina from above.
Younes screamed inwardly and dashed madly to shield her with his own body. The threads pierced his back.
He dropped to one knee.
He breathed shallowly. He swayed… but did not collapse.
He raised his sword again… and stood.
Rick advanced in steady steps. Younes surged—rapid strikes from right, left, top, bottom—five blows in less than three seconds. Each was parried.
Rick answered with a heavy punch accompanied by an explosive dark burst. Younes blocked with his arm—he felt the bone splinter. A muffled cry escaped him, but he did not retreat.
He thrust his sword forward with all remaining strength—the Stone shield absorbed it.
Rick kicked him in the chest; Younes was slammed backward several meters.
He fell… then rose. His clothes soaked with blood. He gritted his teeth.
Rick launched threads again—twisting tendrils from above and the flank at once. Younes ran, swinging to sever them, but he could not cut them all. A thread slipped into the palm of his hand and shredded it.
The sword slipped from his fingers. He stumbled.
He stretched his hand, seized the blade again… and struck.
A side cut—followed by a lightning-fast straight thrust, the Needle-Lightning technique.
The blow landed, slicing Rick's right shoulder. The first blood from Rick appeared.
Younes returned to his guard.
Rick responded instantly—a composite attack: shadows lashing toward Hina.
Younes planted a foot against the wall, spun through the air, and cleaved the threads mid-turn. Before he could land, Rick struck with a compact spear of shadow that impaled his thigh.
Younes screamed, but he did not fall. He slammed his sword into the ground to steady himself, wrenched the spear of shadow from his thigh with his hand… then charged.
A direct strike to Rick's chest—the shield blocked it. Rick recoiled.
Younes pressed the assault—rapid, paired strikes: one across the edge, another along the blade to destabilize the stone's defense. Rick used the stone for protection, but the pressure mounted.
Suddenly Rick vanished from Younes's sight and reappeared behind Hina—an instant ambush.
A surprise attack!
Younes vaulted forward then backward in a blur; his blade sliced through the darkness at the last moment—he protected her. Yet another thread slashed into his side.
He coughed blood and dropped to one knee. Hina behind him trembled.
Still, he lifted his sword, planted its tip in the earth, and stood.
No matter what—he stood.
---
Younes barely remained upright.
Blood streamed from his shoulder in a slow crimson line. His right eye was half closed from the bleeding. His breaths were long and heavy. Rage burned inside him even as his body was being eaten away.
(Thoughts—slow, fragmented through the pain):
When they told me… that I'm one of the Chosen… I didn't imagine the road would be this brutal.
He moved a single step; his knee shook and his muscles refused to obey.
My body is shattered… I can't strike… I can't even lift the sword properly. All I can do is defend. But… that's not enough.
He looked at Rick from afar—calm, unmoved, as if this battle were only a warm-up.
Every blow I landed… he let me land. He wanted me to think I could hurt him… then he strips hope away on purpose.
Younes shrank slightly and pressed his hand to his abdomen, feeling the wound.
The hit to my side… it hit a kidney. I know this pain.
His eyes dropped for a moment, then rose to Rick again. He still did not move.
He isn't finishing me… because he doesn't want to end it yet. He wants to play. He is certain I'll break no matter what I do.
A flash of imagined opponent crossed his mind—one who would allow him no breath.
But what if that isn't true? What if I face an enemy who gives me no window at all?
His body trembled. He wiped blood from his eye with a trembling hand.
Why do I think about what's next? What if... this is the end for me now?
Pain flared suddenly in his hand.
My hand… it's about to tear. Even holding the sword is nearly impossible; I heard the cracking in my bones just moments ago. I can barely move my legs. Everything… is collapsing.
He fell silent for several heartbeats.
Then Hina's voice came from behind—frightened, shaking, earnest:
"Younes… why don't you run?! Leave me… just run!"
His eyes widened a little. He bowed his head for a moment. Then he slowly lifted it.
"I'm here… for her. That's the only reason I'm still standing."
He gripped the sword again—with a weak hand, but steady.
A single thought ignited within him:
He deliberately lowers his guard sometimes… he wants me to think there is a chance.
He inhaled.
He closed his eyes.
So… my plan is simple. One strike. One final attack. Either I succeed… or it all ends.
Rick's voice, cold and mocking, sliced through the charged silence:
"You've stood there long enough… It seems you're thinking of surrender. Give up now… because you'll die either way. If you keep fighting… you'll die. If you surrender… you'll die."
Younes opened his eyes.
He leaned forward slightly. The sword rose with difficulty.
> (Final thought—closing):
The last attack… one hope. Either I succeed… or I end.
---
Rick watched as Younes prepared—unmoved, expressionless—but there was no mercy in his eyes.
ragged breaths and the blood that dripped to the floor.
The moment before everything broke.
---
To be continued.