Rufus vs Gadaric

Rufus was walking through the camp. He was called by Junez Flores to meet with him. As he entered he saw Juan sitting on a stool in the middle of the tent.

"You wanted to meet me," Rufus said.

Juan didn't answer and was just sitting still.

Rufus felt weird. He walked closer to him and as he touched his shoulder, the cold corpse of Juan Flores fell to the ground.

He then started to hear explosions coming from all over the camp. He rushed out and saw the Soul Watchers attacking brutally at everyone. They moved lightly and dodged attacks like they were floating in the air. Their weird curved blades left weird marks on their victims, where it looked like the body would start to rot with just the smallest of cuts.

Rufus then rushed to join in on the defense of the camp. He destroyed one assassin's blade with his hand and dared more to come to face him.

He saw Gadaric watching the battle on top of one of the watchtowers. He started to leave the scene along with the other assassins.

As the soldiers and warriors of the allied army thought they had won, with the Soul Watchers fleeing, they felt the earth rumbling. The cataphract cavalry charged the tent and caused confusion. These heavily armored riders were almost impossible to stop, with one rider easily running over tents.

They carried torches and lit the entire encampment ablaze. They rode over soldiers and with their long spears, pushed through even the toughest of armors.

All this time the Soul Watchers had been just a diversion. Rufus didn't though care about the enemy cavalry and instead went to chase after Gadaric.

The Soul Watchers were about to vanish into the darkness of the night along with Gadaric, but then a divine sphere flew past them and created a large crater in front of them.

"Not a single more step...." Rufus yelled.

The Soul Watchers were about to fight back, but Gadaric with just a wave of his hand called off his assassins. They left Gadaric to face Rufus all alone and continued forward without their leader.

"Why do you struggle so much....?" Gadaric asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You fight and fight, but all this is futile. You must know this."

"Well....many have called me a pushover, but I think I am pretty stubborn as well."

Rufus rushed at him, but as he connected with his fist, his hand just went through him like it was a mirage. He then started to hear a steady finger-snapping and started to feel dizzy and tired.

His ears started to bleed. He fell to his knees and realized that Gadaric's sound could put him in a trance and make him feel like he was drunk or intoxicated.

"Stop struggling already. You cannot defeat me," Gadaric's voice said as Rufus was feeling like he was on a boat.

Rufus flayed around hoping he could hit Gadaric, but every time he thought he made contact, it was just a mirage of him. It was now hard for Rufus to know even what was up and what was down and he fell to the ground.

Rufus started to get mad. He punched his fist to the ground out of frustration.

Gadaric was snapping his fingers around ten meters away. He took a small knife and was walking toward the disoriented Rufus.

As he was walking toward Rufus, the earth started to crack. Rufus smiled as Gadaric felt panicked.

The earth exploded around both Rufus and Gadaric.

When the dust settled, Gadaric was covered in dirt and the rubble that had hit him had wounded him.

Rufus then jumped at him and tried to punch Gadaric. He dodged it, but Rufus then grabbed him by his clothes.

Gadaric snapped his fingers at point-blank range at Rufus. He thought he had won, but then saw Rufus was unfazed.

Rufus threw him to the ground.

"You really have annoyed me for too long now," Rufus said as he pinned Gadaric down.

He then saw that his mask was still on.

"I want to look you into the eyes as I end you," Rufus said and was taking off Gadaric's mask.

As he did, he stopped pinning Gadaric down. What he saw had shocked him completely.

Gadaric had no eyes and only the blood dried, wounded and grotesque eye sockets remained. His face was also mauled in other ways as well.

"What.....never killed a blind man before...." Gadaric said.

Rufus didn't know what to think.

"Don't show me pity...pity will only get you killed," Gadaric said and swept Rufus and got himself back up.

He picked up his mask from the ground and put it back on.

"You are too naive to be a king...." Gadaric said with a somber voice.

Rufus then snapped back.

"I may be naive but I also have people to protect. I have rules to live by. What I have seen so far, is your empire is a danger to my people and goes against everything I believe in."

Gadaric sighed in a way like he had had the same conversation before.

"Aesis needs order. The nations and kingdoms are warring constantly. Under emperor Ala, the world of Aesis will finally know peace. It will finally be a place where even a cripple boy will have a place to be," Gadaric explained.

Rufus clenched his teeth.

Gadaric heard the Ghersengs were coming to their direction.

"I will leave now, but I think we will meet again, Rufus Fairfax," Gadaric said and left the battlefield.