Rain battered the top of the structure, turning the slanted metal plating into a slick surface covered in water and blood.
William and Sahger stood facing each other.
Neither of them carried weapons or wore the armor that had weighed down their bodies throughout the battle.
Only their fists remained.
William kept his guard raised and his feet firmly planted despite his visible exhaustion.
Water streamed down his exposed face, washing over his empty, blind eye sockets.
Across from him, the hunter could barely remain standing.
The mutilated fingers of his hands trembled uncontrollably, his left knee threatened to give out with every movement, and the open wound in his abdomen poured a steady stream of blood.
William tilted his head.
"Look at us. Two old men trying to finish a fight that should have ended already."
Sahger spat a mixture of water and blood onto the ground.
"If you're tired, lie down."
William gave a faint smile.
"Still making jokes. That's why I've never liked you."
"Liar."
The chaplain's smile slowly disappeared.
For a few seconds, the two remained motionless. The strong wind howled through the twisted metal, and the plating groaned beneath the weight of the damage.
Then William advanced.
The first punch came straight toward Sahger's face. The hunter barely slipped his head aside, but he couldn't avoid the next blow.
William's left fist slammed into his ribs, knocking all the air from his lungs.
Before Sahger could recover his balance, a short hook sank into the open wound in his abdomen.
Sahger doubled forward, blood pouring from his mouth.
William grabbed the back of Sahger's neck with his right hand, pulled his head down, and drove his knee into his face.
The impact sent the hunter staggering backward.
His foot slipped on the wet metal, and he nearly plunged over the edge of the platform.
William gave him no room.
He took a wide step forward and punched Sahger in the temple.
Sahger's leg gave out, and he dropped to his knees on the steel plating.
"Is it over?" William asked, standing over him.
Sahger spat more blood, braced his injured hand against the wet surface, and let out a hoarse laugh.
The chaplain snarled in anger and threw another downward punch at his rival's head.
This time, Sahger raised his arm to protect himself.
William's closed fist struck his mutilated fingers head-on.
A sharp crack rang out beneath the crash of thunder. The broken bones gave way, and a needle-sharp pain shot through Sahger's entire arm.
Even through the torment, Sahger closed his good hand around William's wrist and yanked him closer, driving a punch into the priest's liver.
William lost his breath instantly.
Sahger twisted his hips and threw a cross into the chaplain's jaw, violently snapping his head to the side.
William staggered backward, dazed.
Sahger tried to take the decisive step forward, but his left knee gave out completely. His body buckled to the side, forcing him to place all his weight on his right leg.
The opening was enough.
William regained his stance and punched the hunter in the chest. Then another blow tore into his ribs.
On the third punch, Sahger lost his balance and fell onto his back against the soaked metal plating.
William took two short steps forward, breathing heavily.
"You can't keep up with my movements anymore."
Sahger tried to push himself up, but his injured arm buckled.
William stepped forward and planted his foot hard against Sahger's chest, pinning him to the ground.
The hunter's breath escaped his lungs in a desperate hiss.
"Look at you," the chaplain continued, leaning over him.
"You can barely breathe. Your hands are destroyed. Your leg can't even support your own weight."
He increased the pressure of his foot against Sahger's chest.
"And you still insist on fighting."
Sahger extended his arm and grabbed William's ankle with the fingers that still obeyed him.
"You talk too much."
Using what little strength remained in his body, Sahger pulled William's leg to the side.
The chaplain lost his footing and fell onto his side.
Before William could regain his stance, Sahger rolled across the plating and drove a punch directly into his opponent's cheek.
The impact sent William crashing into the base of a metal structure.
The priest's shoulder collided with the steel, drawing a cry of pain from him.
Sahger forced himself to his feet.
Every movement seemed to tear open the wound in his abdomen, soaking more blood into the fabric of his pants.
Even so, he took a step forward.
William also stood, resting his back against the metal for a second.
The two stared at each other in the silence of the storm.
Then they advanced again.
Sahger threw a punch at the chaplain's face.
William twisted his body aside and answered with a straight punch to the hunter's abdomen.
Sahger felt the torn flesh twist beneath the impact, and the intense pain nearly made him lose consciousness.
He reacted by driving his body forward and slamming his forehead into William's nose.
The crack of bone sent hot blood running over the priest's lips.
William staggered back two steps, dazed.
Sahger tried to take advantage of the opening, but his reflexes were too slow.
William noticed the delay and threw a hook into the hunter's chin.
Sahger's head snapped backward, and his legs weakened.
He collapsed to his knees once more.
William stepped forward, grabbed Sahger's hair, and pulled his head up.
"Why don't you stay down?"
Sahger stared into William's blind sockets, drawing short, painful breaths.
"Because you're still standing."
William's expression twisted with fury.
He pulled his arm back and punched Sahger in the face.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Blood sprayed with every blow, mixing with the water running across the metal.
Sahger couldn't raise his arms to shield himself. His injured fingers barely responded, and his left leg was completely numb.
As William drew back for the fourth strike, his body faltered.
His fist stopped inches from Sahger's cheek, trembled, and lost its strength.
The chaplain sucked air through his open mouth, his chest rising and falling erratically.
Sahger saw the hesitation.
With a desperate effort, he grabbed the soaked fabric of William's shirt and pulled with all his body weight.
The two fell together onto the steel floor, the plating vibrating from the impact.
Sahger managed to straddle William's waist and drove a punch straight into his face.
The chaplain turned his head.
Sahger landed another blow against the opposite cheek.
On the third punch, Sahger's arm lost its strength. His fist dropped without speed and struck the opponent's shoulder uselessly.
William didn't waste the opportunity.
He clenched his left hand and drove his fist directly into the open wound in Sahger's abdomen.
Sahger let out a howl of agony.
The muscles in his abdomen contorted in a violent spasm, and all the air left his lungs.
William shoved the hunter off him and tried to crawl away so he could stand.
Sahger reached out and grabbed William's pants near the ankle.
The chaplain fell face-first onto the soaked metal.
"Let go!" William snarled.
Sahger tightened his grip with the last of his strength.
William twisted his body and drove his heel into Sahger's head.
The impact split the skin on the hunter's forehead, spraying blood across his eyes, but he kept his grip.
William kicked him a second time, striking the side of his head.
The force of the impact made Sahger's hand give way.
William managed to pull himself free and crawled toward a support beam.
He grabbed the metal with both hands and forced his body upward.
His left arm trembled, while his right could barely maintain its grip.
Even so, he stood.
On the other side, Sahger tried to rise.
His bloodied hand slipped against the wet steel, and he dropped onto his right knee with a muffled groan.
For long seconds, neither of them moved.
William breathed heavily through his mouth, blood running from his nose and lips, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Sahger kept his good hand pressed against the tear in his abdomen, trying to hold back the blood the rain continued to wash away.
William let out a weak, lifeless laugh.
"Is this what you wanted? To die here with me?"
Sahger raised his head, seeing his rival through the blood and water running down his forehead.
"No."
He planted his palm against the cold floor.
"I'm doing this for a cause far greater than any of you."
William wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, staining his skin red.
Sahger forced his legs to straighten and stood.
His left knee nearly buckled immediately, but he shifted all his weight onto his right leg and maintained his balance.
William raised his trembling fists.
The two advanced at the same time.
William's punch struck Sahger's chin. Sahger's fist struck William's chest.
William staggered but didn't fall. He stepped forward and struck the hunter's ribs.
Sahger answered with a hook to the priest's cheek.
William struck his jaw.
Sahger landed a short punch against William's stomach.
There was no technique or evasion anymore.
The blows came slowly, heavily, hindered by pain and extreme exhaustion.
William punched Sahger in the face.
Sahger answered by striking the chaplain's chest.
William tried to raise his arm for another attack, but the limb lost its strength before completing the motion.
Sahger saw the opening and landed a cross directly against William's jaw.
The chaplain staggered back two steps.
On the second step, his leg gave out.
He tried to grab the steel beam to keep from falling, but his fingers slipped across the wet surface.
Sahger stepped forward.
William tried to raise his fist one last time. His arm trembled in the air, his fingers trying to close, but the blow never came.
The priest's legs completely lost their strength.
Before William could hit the ground, Sahger took another step and firmly caught him by the shoulder.
The two stood face to face, only inches apart.
Sahger could barely keep his eyes open. His entire body was on the verge of collapse, and the hand holding William stained the chaplain's soaked clothes with his own blood.
William tried to speak.
"I..."
No voice came out.
He drew a strained breath, but a fit of coughing interrupted the attempt.
Sahger remained silent, supporting the weight of his old friend.
William raised his face toward him, staring into the void with his blind sockets.
"I wish I had... made different choices."
Sahger tightened his grip on William's shoulder, feeling the constant trembling running through the priest's body.
"But you chose this path."
William let out a weak laugh that quickly faded.
Sahger adjusted his grip on William's shoulder as the priest's legs stopped responding.
The chaplain's head drooped slightly.
Rain streamed down his face, washing away the dirt and blood without erasing the marks of the fight.
"I wish I had been a better man," he murmured, his voice nearly disappearing beneath the sound of the storm.
Sahger closed his eyes for a second.
When he opened them, the hardness had disappeared from his face.
"Me too."
Then the chaplain's arm fell to his side.
All the strength left William's muscles at once.
Sahger tried to keep him upright, but his own legs trembled so violently that he had to bend his knees to keep from falling with him.
With the little strength remaining in his arms, Sahger guided William's fall, carefully laying him down on the soaked metal plating.
William did not move again.
The rain continued falling onto his motionless chest.
Sahger remained kneeling beside him, breathing heavily, his arms hanging limply, his injured hand trembling against the wet plating.
He stared at the fallen man's peaceful face. He searched for any movement in his chest, any sign of breathing.
There was nothing.
"Sorry, William."
The words were lost in the noise of the storm.
There was no answer.
Around them, the platform groaned against the wind.
A few meters away, among the bent and shattered metal, lay the lifeless bodies of Lutor and Yasmin.
Vladimir lay farther away as well.
All four had fought to their limits.
And now, they were all dead.
Sahger tried to stand.
On his first attempt, his injured leg buckled, and he collapsed to his knees with a torn groan.
The wound in his abdomen burned like fire, and every breath felt as though it were piercing his lungs.
He planted his hand against the ground and tried again.
His foot slipped in the water and blood, and his knee slammed hard against the steel.
Sahger closed his eyes and clenched his teeth until he tasted blood, enduring the pain.
He remained motionless for several seconds, listening only to the pounding rain.
Then he remembered that there were still people waiting for him outside that prison.
He planted his right hand firmly against the ground and pushed his body upward.
This time, his legs locked, and he stood.
He remained hunched over, shoulders slumped and arms hanging loosely. His entire body ached, and he could barely support himself.
But he did not fall.
Sahger looked at William's body one last time.
There was no pride in his eyes, nor any sense of victory.
Only the immense emptiness of having survived something that had cost him almost everything.
He turned his back on the dead.
He took the first step.
His injured leg faltered, but he planted his foot firmly and regained his balance.
He took the second step.
Every movement demanded an absurd amount of effort, but Sahger kept walking, slowly moving away from the blood-soaked platform.
Behind him, the rain continued to fall over William, Lutor, Yasmin, and Vladimir.
The Red Crest had come to an end.
And Sahger needed to go home.