14 – Catastrophe (3)
As I stepped into the hut, a thick blood stain was the first thing to catch my eye.
The floor we used to tread was dyed red.
A crimson stain had formed on the carpet that Hena took care of every day. I clearly remember her shaking off the dust every morning, but now it was a mess with mud smeared all over.
The dishware we used daily lay shattered into pieces, and the sofa on which Terion often slept had its leather torn.
I felt disgusted.
It was as if our precious haven had been violated.
This cabin was a place everyone longed to leave. It was a prison, an exile, which none of us would have endured without each other.
However, it wasn’t a place that should have been invaded with filthy dirt-covered feet.
Though they may be painful memories, they were still our memories. This is where we’ve lived. We could have come back once in the distant future and reminisced.
There was one corpse in the direction of the kitchen.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a face I knew.
The corpse spoke no words.
There couldn’t have just been a corpse here. But the cabin was too quiet.
“Brother? If you’re here, answer me.”
There was no response.
All I could hear was the sound of my own breath, sighing faintly.
A chill settled in my chest.
It seemed the enemy was hiding. If Terion had killed everyone, at least one of them would have answered, and if he hadn’t, that meant there were still enemies left.
In this case, the likelihood that Terion was incapacitated was high. Gritting my teeth, I noticed that Hena and Sirien were nowhere to be found.
I couldn’t help but hope they were well hidden.
“It’s me, Lazen. If it’s okay, just give me a word.”
“….”
“Alright. Sirien, Hena? Stay hidden if you can hear what I’m saying. I’m going to end it soon.”
Again, no response.
I gripped my sword tightly. I had thought my body was at its limit, but it seemed there was still some strength left.
Was it because of anger? Or was it some sort of last-ditch effort? Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. I just needed strength to fight right now.
My eyes quickly scanned the inside of the cabin.
The first thing to look for was the traces of the fight. Chairs and tables lay toppled and in disarray. The chess pieces that Sirien played with were scattered like trash.
There were quite a few bloodstains which seemed inflicted by one another. However, the footprints on top of them were not enough to come from three people.
‘Did the fight not last long?’
No. There were knife marks on the curtain in the kitchen. The torn part happened at a not-so-high location.
I remembered Terion’s height. Maybe at that curtain, Terion’s surprise attack worked perfectly. This side probably started a one-on-one fight from the beginning.
Thanks to that, it seemed Terion was able to buy quite some time.
An image of him desperately fighting came to mind. A guy who, despite being prone to mood swings, was tough when it came to battles.
He would have fought without caring for himself and managed to leave some injury on his opponent.
The remaining enemy must have been quite strong. But the thought that they remained unscathed after facing Terrion, didn’t cross my mind.
What was troubling was the fact that Terrion’s sword was broken.
‘It’s not an easily damaged sword. It’s not like Terrion is bad at taking care of his sword either.’
The remnants of the sword strike in the surrounding area were also unusual.
At a glance, it appeared to have been carved with immense force.
It was then that a small sound came from behind the momentarily paused wall.
The sound was like the rustle of clothing. It echoed particularly loudly in the silence. Without hesitation, I rushed towards it.
And just as I was about to swing my sword…
I couldn’t help but open my eyes wide.
“Terrion? Hena?”
I coul
I was wrong. Even if my body had been in perfect condition, competing with this guy in strength would have been futile.
I quickly decided to give up on this impossible fight.
As I tried to withdraw my sword, a kick flew toward me. I managed to block it, but my body was pushed back several steps.
“Ugh!”
“You’re in a pathetic state. I’ll put you out of your misery soon.”
His voice was deep and husky.
If it were in my nature, I would have fired back a retort, but I truly had no room to do so.
I was at a significant disadvantage. The confined indoors made it difficult to induce out-fighting. Not to mention my smaller stature to begin with.
The guy, feeling confident, ruthlessly swung his sword down.
Clang! Bang! Crash! The sounds of our swords clashing were unbelievably loud.
My blade scraped, and strain coursed through my arm.
‘Just blocking a few times has already damaged my blade.’
It meant that the durability of my sword couldn’t handle it.
Unable to hold on any longer, I retreated another step, quickly lowered my stance, and moved to strike at the guy’s side.
Facing him head-on was out of the question. Managing only to switch places and inflict a minor wound on his calf.
It wasn’t a substantial injury. I could feel the shallow strike. His expression remained largely unchanged.
‘If my body had been in better shape, I could have inflicted a deeper wound.’
At this rate, I couldn’t change the tide of the battle.
If I continued to let him attack, I’d die helplessly.
Bang! Crash! Each time our swords collided, a sharp pain ran up my arm. I clenched my teeth and bore it, struggling to stay conscious.
My sword cracked on the fifth attack.
‘Can it even withstand two more hits?’
I had to make a decision before then.
But how?
Swordsmanship wasn’t the answer. Although my skills seemed superior, my physical condition rendered them meaningless.
Magic and hand-to-hand combat weren’t even worth considering. Attempting close-quarters combat with this body against that guy would be a foolish idea.
There was no optimal angle to throw my sword like before. So, there was only one option left.
To abandon survival entirely.
‘Let go of the desire to live.’
With death resolved, I felt like I could manage one plausible attack.
That rascal was the last one.
Even if I die, Siri and Hena can survive and escape.
At the moment when I braced myself for death,
a miracle happened.
“Argh! Urgh?”
The rascal abruptly paused, spitting blood from his mouth.
A broken blade was stuck in his neck. I thought I saw a figure wavering behind him.
Terion, it was you.
I seized the opportunity. My sword pierced straight towards his heart, hitting accurately. I heard the sound of his sword falling onto the ground.
His breath didn’t stop yet.
I stabbed into his heart and thrust several more times. By the time my face was covered in blood, his body had crumbled.
At the same time, Terion also collapsed.
“This… This rascal is the last one…?”
Terion asked with a dying voice.
I quickly supported Terion. I hadn’t noticed it before, but his neck wound was serious.
I couldn’t tell if he would survive, even if we stopped the blood right now.
“Don’t talk! You’re losing more blood.”
What should I do? Is there any way to treat such a wound in this hovel?
I had no idea. We needed someone to help. Thankfully, Hena was lying nearby.
Someone who could come up with a way to help Terion. Hena was the most dependable person at the moment.
I hurriedly woke Hena up.
“Hena, Hena! Wake up, Hena!”
Thankfully, shaken several times, she opened her eyes faintly.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Help. Terion is in danger. We have to do something.”
Hena, who opened her eyes seeming dazed, took a look around as soon as she came to senses.
Soon, Terion must have entered Hena’s sight. Hena’s face turned pale instantly.
“Oh, no… my lord. No…. My lord!”
Good fight scene ngl