???: "The dance can begin!"
The fire only grew as I pressed on through the hall.
Heat pressuring me from every direction. A roaring cage of orange light.
The blood dripping down my blade from the puppets began to evaporate.
I must be getting close.
The spine of my blade glowed a dull red. The blade itself was heating up to a degree like this from the flames.
The end of the burning hall opened into a circular area. Similar in size to the one everyone else and I first entered into.
Floor made of scorched stone, littered with burning wood and metal. An arena of fire. Made by the death of many.
Across from me he stood.
The man who caused all of this.
The man whose name I still did not know.
He creaks slowly in rhythm with a song nobody could hear.
A dance meant to be shared with a person who could no longer dance.
Faint strings of red light flickered from his fingertips. Weaving around the room.
He slowly turns his body to me. Hand extended out to me, palm facing up. Shoulder raised slightly.
???: "You've come to dance?"
His voice no longer sounded like that of a maniac. No longer crazed or sporadic.
It sounded as if he longed for this.
???: "The crowd is here."
Just as he spoke. Puppets rose up from around the room. Each and every one moving as if it were still alive.
Kareth: "You're sick."
His arm fluidly moved around. Bringing his hand to his chest.
???: "So mean…"
He looked up. Through the smoke into the sky.
???: "Just like her… up there in the stars."
Her?
It doesn't matter. Whoever 'she' might be. He hurt innocents and will hurt again if I don't stop him.
Kareth: "You're dead."
???: "I thought I was sick?"
His tone mocking. A deep breath out seemingly taking all of the sense he might've had left.
The crazed man I saw just before had returned.
There's no time to think. To wonder what he might've been talking about earlier.
There's only time to move. To act.
I bring my sword to my right hip and dash at him.
It's the same stance as the first time I attacked him. But this time I'll swing instead of thrust.
Low swing. Though same as the thrust from before he managed to move barely out of range and dodge it.
Bring the blade back down towards his right shoulder.
The blade tore through his clothing. He wasn't able to fully dodge.
Red begins to show on his shoulder. The wound opened to the world.
It's not a deep cut. But at least I finally hit him.
One more hit.
I bring the blade up. Tip pointed at his abdomen.
He's too close to dodge properly.
I drive the blade into his abdomen.
The sound of the blade ripping through skin and muscle rippled through my ears.
My eyes snap to his right arm. Lifting from his side with a dagger in hand. The blade swung in a direct path with the side of my head.
I duck the blade before ripping my sword from his abdomen and jumping back slightly.
He stumbled back a few steps. Caught off guard by being injured for the first time.
He flicked one of his hands forward at me. The other clutching the hole in his torso.
Multiple puppets lunged at me.
I jumped far back. Eyes darting around for an escape.
A post above me. It's about to fall.
I drive my sword up into the post. Pushing it in front of me towards the puppets.
The post crashes onto the puppets. Causing them all to explode.
He's already readied more rats to throw?
He reels his hand back before throwing yet another rat.
If they explode from blunt force. I should be able to redirect them if I do it calmly enough.
I dash towards the airborne rat. Flat side of my blade facing up.
The rat lands against the flat end of the sword. Parallel to the direction it was thrown.
Slowly now. I rotate the blade. Redirecting the rats momentum up. Then back towards him.
I push the sword forward and down. Completing the rotation as the rat goes flying back at him.
Perfect.
He brings his arms up in front of his head to block the incoming explosion.
*BOOM*
The explosion looks much larger than any of the previous ones caused by rats.
Maybe he can change the amount of explosive power each one has? Or a puppet got in the way?
It doesn't matter.
While he can't see it's my time to get in close again.
I dash in. Sword positioned by my left hip.
I swing through the smoke left by the explosion. But my sword doesn't connect with anything.
???: "A clever one aren't you."
He moved? How did he recover so quickly?
A puppet must've blocked the blast.
He's already charging again.
Puppets circling me like I'm some sort of prey animal.
The mindless red glow still behind their eyes.
Shit.
The world feels like it's slowing down. My eyesight is getting sharper.
My chest is pulsing. Same as before. Same as at the guild hall when I cut off the hand of that drunken man. Same as during my very first fight with Rhovan.
My breathing steadies. My heart isn't racing.
Any and all unnecessary things cut from my senses.
I can see the air shifting around the man and his puppets. The tremor in the ground with each collapse of the building.
Every motion. All connected. All visible.
I dash forward.
A puppet lunges in from my left. Sidestep, twist the blade up and force the blade through. Move out of the blast of the explosion and use the shockwave to push me towards the rigger.
It's like I understand every movement now.
Another puppet behind. Plunge my sword into the ground and fling a loose rock backwards.
It doesn't feel like I'm moving at all. It doesn't feel like I'm the one in control of my body.
*BOOM*
Another puppet gets caught in the explosion of the previous. Amplifying the blast.
Before I get sent flying into the fiery wall I drive my sword into the ground. Slowing down my movement to a stop. I pull my sword from the ground and dash back in.
Two more rats come flying at me. Both get redirected instantly. Though he had already moved by the time they were redirected.
???: "Beautiful! So beautiful! You move so perfectly!"
He pauses for a brief moment. Several emotions running across his face.
???: "You move… like. Her."
Her again.
I don't respond. He won't listen to anything I say.
He snaps his fingers. Five more puppets drop in from above. Each was already about to explode before landing.
So he can trigger them at any time?
I roll forward. Picking up a piece of metal to hold between me and the blast as I do.
I twist my body and get up. Flinging the metal sheet at him. Following it towards him.
He uses his dagger to redirect the sheet up. Ducking my swing right after.
His body bends in ways no human should be able to.
I bring my left elbow down into his jaw. The sound of cracking bones overpowering the flames. The flames that somehow only grow.
Yet he keeps laughing. Not even flinching despite having his jaw broken.
???: "It doesn't matter if my bones break! I'll keep dancing until I can't anymore!"
He's truly insane.
???: "And you'll be dancing with me!"
His neck creaks as his gaze snaps up to mine.
He grabs my collar. A dagger appeared in his right hand, on the path with my chest.
Before he has the chance I grab his wrist. Twisting it back. Bringing my knee up into his gut.
He wheezes. Pushing away from me and stumbling back.
He swipes his hand at me. Signalling another wave of fucking puppets.
I cut down puppet after puppet. Dashing away before I get caught in the explosion
Yet no matter how many I cut there's still more.
He's trying to box me in.
I can't let him.
I sprint around to the side of the fire-walled arena. Using falling debris as cover.
I throw a rock into the crowd. Causing a chain reaction of explosions to burst through the entire building.
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
Kareth: "STOP RUNNING COWARD!"
My blade moves even quicker than before. The physical exhaustion gives way to a second surge of power.
Though mentally I've been engaged the entire time.
One puppet.
Another. Another.
I'll cut down a hundred if it means getting to and killing this bastard.
???: "Faster! Stronger! Don't you want to see how far we can push your limits!"
A flurry of rats comes flying at me.
Dodge. Weave. Duck.
I come forth from the explosion with a swing.
The blade catches his arm. Severing it clean.
He doesn't even scream. Just jumps back and plunges the wound into fire to cauterize it instantly.
???: "Ah… This is amazing. A real battle."
He starts laughing again. The sound crawling under my skin. He looks even more psychotic with messier hair and a severed arm.
???: "She'd love to see this."
Enough.
I dash in. bringing the sword through a full arc. Cutting a slit through half of his chest.
I put all my weight on one foot and turn back to him.
Lunging forward with the blade ready to pierce his heart.
He turns. The sickening smile still plastered on his face.
Blood splatters.
My sword plunges through his chest. His heart.
He coughs up a large wad of blood.
He freezes up. Eyes wide.
Mouth agape slightly. Appearing shocked.
My eyes look up at his.
He smiles.
*Tick*
I hear it.
First from him. Then from everywhere else in the room.
*Tick*
All the puppets I didn't kill
All the rats scattered around the floor.
And him.
*Tick*
They were all about to explode.
He was a puppet all along…
Kareth: "Yo-"
The explosion erupts. Consuming the entire area.