Retaliation

"C'mon let's have a good fight, little boy!"

An enraged Nercal bulldozed his way toward us dual-wielding sickles, the first attack screeching harshly against the anti-nith cuffs the following cut leaving a horizontal gash across my chest that heals instantly.

I lean back from Nercal's next onslaught stumbling into Resa behind me our backs to the wall as the next slice slightly grazes my throat.

Ducking under the sickle's swipe at my head I kick Resa to the floor yet again as the second sickle embeds itself into the spot he was standing.

Both of us roll about like dogs avoiding Nercal's swipes as furniture is broken to pieces and the house's structural state is reduced to shambles.

Resa and I collide into each other at last in the small space Nercal kicking us both through the locked door sending us sliding against the rough terrain. Splintering sounds of wood crackle escalating greatly as Nercal's running footsteps come to a stop, the house crumbling to pieces with him still inside.

Hurriedly rising to my feet, I help Resa to his holding him steady while he breathes uncontrollably. The blaring of the alarms had been reduced to ringing in the background, smoke was visible around us and the smell of fires burning was noticeable as gunshots and sounds of blades interlocking came from everywhere, chaos had ensued in the scrapyard.

A slimmer of noise came not too far behind us from the collapsed building, notes of rapid slashing echoing from the pile before bursting apart as Nercal crawled out rolling his bulky shoulders smiling at me out of the corner of his eye. The three men followed shortly after daggers in hand.

Shoving Resa off I pushed him away our eyes meeting briefly in a knowing manner. The three lackeys followed behind as Resa ran far ahead faster than I'd ever seen him previously.

"Seems you're placing a lot of fate in that weakling for whatever reason. Do you truly believe he'll succeed in what you asked? He's already died once before."

"..."

"Right, you're gagged, but I'll share my grand philosophy with you anyway."

"You see I like strong people like you, people like us, true beasts wearing a human disguise we fit in this cruel world. People like your friend are meant to be eaten as steppingstones for our greatness. The fact they died in the earlier battle solidifies they'll amount to nothing every moment they waste away on this earth."

"Life is a battle of death in every aspect both literal and figuratively. They've died once proving themselves to be worthless in battle, worthless individuals whose lives won't amount to anything because they've been snuffed out by the strong once before."

"It sucks having to kill a strong person protecting the weak, but I refuse to be labeled weak myself, so I'll kill you without hesitation to further solidify my strength. If a person can't win a simple battle to the death, one of life's most challenging and grueling tests without fail, they'll always amount to nothing!"

Nercal jumped bringing his sickles down with frenzy on my shackles as I used them to block again the force of the attack bringing me down to kneel on one leg as he further pushed his weight on me.

The ground shifted and cracked under our struggle as I protected my head. Nercal taking the opportune chance to kick me again in my side grabbing me by the leg as I fell over, twirling me around before throwing me with great force.

I'm sent into a nearby house crashing through both walls onto the other side of the small building. Nercal unleashing another strike from the air as I roll under his weapons laying just under his stomach using my feet to flip him over me.

He lands neatly on his feet throwing the chain of his sickle as it wraps around my bound hands, pulling me forward to delivering multiple punches to my unguarded face as he held me in place laughing like an ecstatic kid.

Letting go of my hands he grabbed the scruff of my shirt slamming me to the ground easily with one hand stepping on my chest with his heavy boots as he looked down from above clearly disappointed.

"I was expecting a bit more given your earlier performance and reputation Reis, or should I call you by your old name, Vagabond of the Night?"

Lingering with those words Nercal swung his double sickles aiming for my heart. Blood splattered on both of us as I raised my arms again to block the sharp end cutting through my arms down to my elbow as the dismembered pieces flew off hitting the ground.

I smiled behind my gag using my newly regenerated arm to elbow Nercal across the side of his face sending him wobbling back. He quickly shrugs the hit off glancing at me gleefully wiping the blood from his lip and face swinging his sickles excitedly.

"About time! Finally, a well-placed hit nothing beats the adrenaline coursing through you then when you battle an old friend."

"Friend, I don't have any old friends, and I sure as hell don't remember you." I snap back removing the gag tossing it in the nearest trash bin.

"You don't, but I don't forget a pair of eyes as devoid as yours were. You're about seventeen now, making it about a decade since we've last encountered each other. I've been waiting for a chance to meet you again for so long Vagabond!"

"Don't call me that name!", I shouted charging with anger, Nercal running forward with anticipation as I summoned my sword to my hand, and our weapons locked bouncing off the other.

We danced exactly like he wanted, two animals fighting wildly amongst the spreading flames that followed us. We fought through the building black smoke our eyes never losing sight of our enemy even as they burned from the inferno. Every attack or defensive maneuver we made was mirrored perfectly, our fighting abilities evenly matched.

Yet again his sickle found its way into my chest, this time sinking in deeply. Grabbing the chain with my free hand I pulled him forward his hands loosening from his weapon as I slashed him across his right side, quickly grabbing his arm before he fell flipping him to the ground embedding my sword in his stomach.

Coughing blood he rose to look at the weapon in his torso smiling shakily before laying back down breathing heavily. I pulled the sickle from my chest tossing it in the distance; eyeing a motionless Nercal I pushed the sword in deeper earning a low groan of pain from the man.

"Even now you're still rather cruel."

"Maybe, or maybe it's like you said earlier and you're just worthless Nercal."

He laughed coughing up more blood, more of it pooling below him as he grasped the hilt shaking his head.

"But see that's where you're wrong I haven't died yet which means my life still carries value. Guess that means...I'll be seeing you for round three, Vagabond."

Slowly removing his hand, a minuscule blinking object was on my hilt beeping faster and faster; Nercal gripped my hands before I moved away drawing me closer whispering one word.

"Boom!"

The surrounding area rocked in the explosion; the ground giving away and my sword dematerializing as I was thrown away tumbling against the pavement, Nercal's body long gone down the hole swallowed by the same deep dark labyrinth the three of us had emerged from.

I got up, now alone in the ever-growing fire popping my dislocated shoulder back into place as the ground kept cracking threatening to give out at any moment.

Fighting the urge to chase after a possible dead man I run in the direction Resa had earlier searching for my companion among the tumultuous scene of burning houses in the heavy tide of chaos.