638 I’ll Settle for Killing You...
“Nice kill,” Khas said with a surprised smile.
Netra replied with a light nod, “I’m just lucky dark essence doesn’t offer much physical defense… And, sadly, I don’t plan to join either of those fights. So this is all I do.”
In a gust of wind, Khas bolted past the fox and shot himself toward the assassin fighting Rofar. Khas subtly said, “You did plenty, freeing me up.”
Oli also walked up at that moment, asking, “So we just wait until the mess is cleaned up?”
“That’s right,” said Netra. “We don’t want any unnecessary casualties among the future subjects of Iron.”
In the fray, Rofar was still positioned between his two foes. He realized real quick that all he had to do was stall and help would soon be on the way.
Advisor Hiddar rushed in with his electrified spear. His charge was always accompanied by a barrage of lightning bolts and feinting lunge.
Yet Hiddar constantly failed to get Rofar to move from the spot. At most, Rofar would make small leaps and pivots, never going more than one step away from his original spot. That way, Rofar could always reset himself without getting caught in an impossible scenario.
In the meantime, the low-perennial assassin continued to circle the Prodson heir, hurling wind blades and buffeting tempests.
.....
And, just as the assassin was beginning to feel that immediately fleeing was an option, he sensed a rush of wind essence approaching at high speeds. The assassin adapted without a second thought, cleaving through the incoming wind blades and turning to face his new opponent.
“Only an early-perennial and you believe you can win?!” the assassin howled, making sure both Advisor Hiddar and Leader Rokkal could hear of Khas’s intervention.
Ch-chting!
Swords clashed as Khas met the assassin face to face, saying, “So what? Maybe a good challenge is what I’m after, if you can even fight without hiding yourself beforehand!”
Advisor Hiddar quickly calmed his frustrated mind to keep control of himself and his essence.
But that wouldn’t stop Rofar from finally smiling, or from charging head-on against the advisor. “I guess you chose to be a casualty of war, Hiddar. So sad…”
Zrrching!
“Shut up, boy!” Hiddar spat out.
Shaking his head, Rofar calmly stated, “You lost your right to call me boy the moment I lapped your cultivation… And the only reason why I haven’t surpassed and killed Leader Rokkal is because I have a mother to feed and care for. But our proud leader knew that well, limiting my resources since years ago to make sure I wouldn’t surpass him.”
Zrrch! Fwhrr-ching!
Spear and saber clashed while Rofar’s hammer smashed through Hiddar’s extra bolts of lightning.
“And you’ve been the one advising my loving father on how to keep Mom and me under control,” Rofar continued speaking, letting his tone get drier and colder with every new word. “Isn’t that right, good old, Uncle Hid!?”
CHTING! Zrrch! Fwhirrrl!
“I’m not your uncle!” Hiddar exclaimed. But despite his loud voice, Hiddar was getting pushed back with each clash.
However, Rofar wasn’t done speaking his mind. “You might as well be. That’s what Dad always said! So take some responsibility, Uncle Hid. And die for your crimes against my mother!”
Ch-chting! Zz-Fwhirrrl! C-CRACK!! Thud!
Rofar’s essence output skyrocketed to its limit. Everything was poured out into a single charge! There was no way that Rofar would allow the advisor to have a battle of attrition, even if the odds were still in favor of Rofar and his allies.
Rofar didn’t care about the stray bolts of lightning this time. Rofar was plenty happy by overloading his saber with wind, forcing the advisor to either block or be cut in half. And Rofar felt fully satisfied with every lightning bolt that slammed into Rofar’s earth essence armor. Because for each lightning bolt that landed on Rofar, Rofar’s hammer left a crack in Hiddar’s helmet and skull.
Without delay, Hiddar’s senses gave out. Along with his senses of sight and hearing going fuzzy, Hiddar’s coordination suffered drastically, letting his knees buckle under the hammer strike.
Hiddar still knew that he was in the midst of battle and he was determined to fight until he either walked away or stopped breathing.
But the advisor’s body wasn’t agreeing with his head.
Everything was happening too fast and everything was dulled. In Hiddar’s eyes, for that split second, he wasn’t sure whether Rofar had sped up time or if Rofar had slowed it down.
Rofar stood over the fallen advisor, leering at the blood spilling from the broken helm. Rofar’s thoughts were venomous, *You both deserve to suffer, to face every form of torture for the rest of your days…*
Still, Rofar maintained full control of himself. He understood what the best choice of action was in that scenario.
CRACK!! Splat-plat…
Another hammer blow landed on Hiddar’s head, only a second after the first one. Before the dazed and concussed advisor could grasp the condition his body was in.
The broken helmet shattered. Blood and flesh splashed out of the advisor’s open skull, like a fresh egg tapped on the counter a bit too hard.
“I’ll settle for killing you, so be grateful,” Rofar’s whisper put an end to his rampant thoughts.
Ch-chting! Fwhirrl! Frrrip! Thump…
At the same time, another set of clashes ground to a halt.
Khas’s quick clash with the final assassin was over. Across the captain’s chest, a gash had peeled open his armor but failed to cut deep enough to draw blood. So, unfazed by the damaged armor, Khas flicked the blood off his knife, which he had retrieved to slash the assassin’s throat. All while lightly parrying the assassin’s wind-laced saber.
“My chestplate for your throat. I’ll take that exchange any day…” Khas mumbled while stepping over the corpse.
Rofar spared the captain a glance. Then, Rofar looked at the fox and drake once more.
But Rofar’s true focus was still on the battle between that leopard and his proud father. As soon as Rofar’s eyes were back on that fight with nothing else to worry about, Rofar shouted, “I’m ready!”