Chapter 19: Pyrrhic

Alexander dropped his bandaging and immediately started crawling. He must leave before the sword arrives.

Mud and blood spattered across the ground as Alexander desperately dragged himself out.

However, as the sword jetted toward his location, a shadowy hand appeared, grabbing its grip. With a slight touch, it redirected the weapon towards the escaping Alexander.

Knowing that there was no way out, he did the most logical thing one could do.

Alexander angled his body and put his left hand in front in preparation for the weapon's arrival.

Without any mercy for its master, the dulled weapon sliced cleanly through his left arm, eviscerating his muscles, radius, and ulna. However, thank to Alexander's strategic positioning of his body, only his left arm was damaged.

"AGHHHH!"

Choking in his own blood, Alexander was now sure that he wouldn't survive the next 30 seconds, let alone 3 minutes.

On the brink of death, unnecessary thoughts flowed into his mind.

'What if I fail this mission? Will Cillian force me to redo it? Are there any checkpoints?'

Although his body was a far cry from the male model look before, Alexander was technically still alive. Of course, minus most of his skin, blood, ribs, some organs, a hand and a leg.

He was still alive, somehow.

Alexander focused his mind, clearing away the unnecessary thoughts.

'No, I haven't died yet! I only need one more hit.'

And one more hit it was.

Alexander lifted his only useable hand and struggled to remove the Shortsword pinning his left arm to the ground whilst thinking of a plan.

As the sword wiggled under the shower of Alexander's blood,

'That could work! The odds are very low. However, it's the most feasible plan.'

After removing his swords, Alexander struggled to stand up. He had to use the weapon to pull himself upwards.

With crimson blood bathing his entire body, scars littering his body, Alexander had become the embodiment of Destruction.

As Destruction looked Death in the eyes, Death glanced back. However, Death doesn't fear Destruction as Death was the end of all things, including Destruction.

To clarify its point, Anlaf channelled spells upon spells. Shadowy daggers belonged not of this world materialised en masse surrounding Anlaf.

They ebbed and flowed, wrapping around Analf like fishes. Yet they were sharp beyond anything Alexander had ever encountered.

Without anything left to lose, Destruction charged. Seeing Destruction's futile struggle, Death released its spells, granting Destruction the very death that it craved.

The school of shadowy swords swam to the sky. As they reached their height limit, they descended on Alexander like god's judgement.

Limping as fast as he could, Alexander used what remained of his left hand to cover his face.

As the sword rained down, they care not for accuracy as superior numbers triumph all.

However, that gave our one-legged hero a chance, albeit the odds were low enough to make a snowball in hell look like a normal occurrence. It was a chance nonetheless.

So he limped,

He dodged,

He weaved,

where he could, charging through a hail of swords.

He even attacked, blocked and counterattacked those swords in his way.

Regardless of the countless cuts he received and the never-ending blood loss on the way, Alexander was unrelenting.

He will remind Death that without Destruction, there would be no Death.

And it was his duty to return Death back to its eternal rest.

As Alexander arrived closer to Anlaf's zoning area, the sword rain intensified.

A stray sword sliced through the side of Alexander's mouth. Its crossguard bashed him in the face, cracking his nose.

Alexander staggered yet never faltered.

However, as more and more weapons would claim a spot on his body. Alexander's movement slowed.

Had Death finally claimed Destruction?

"Hahaha!"

A maddening laugh echoed across the battlefield as Alexander continued on his suicidal dash.

"I HAVEN'T DIED YET!"

He pointed his Shortsword at Anlaf and roared.

No one will stop Alexander's one-man crusade. Not even himself. As his mind had already become blurry from injuries, he was but a mad beast that only knew to charge forward.

And charged forward, he did. In his unyielding pursuit, he finally arrived at Anlaf's zoning area, forcing the creature to stop its attack in favour of using Fire Stream.

***

A shadowy stream of blackish-red inferno welcomed Alexander back into its embrace.

Like a moth towards the flame, the madman welcomed its warm caress.

He never dodged. He just ran forwards.

As the fiery blanket eloped him, the madman laughed.

"Got you!"

"Now!" Alexander yelled.

With the last of his strength, Alexander lobbed his Swordshort into the stream, aimed at the unsuspecting skeleton on the other side.

*BRUMMMMMMMMMMM*

The flame arrived, carrying the firey destruction of hell. His flesh and blood instantly ignited as his already battered body couldn't muster any resistance.

Yet, even under the scorching heat, he didn't feel anything since all of his senses were already gone.

He didn't even know if his gamble was a success. He just tried to hold on as long as possible.

Finally, a series of notifications arrived in sync with Alexander's charred body collapsing on the ground.

_ _ _

_ _ _

_ _ _

As the battlefield quieted down, Chibi Cillian materialised near Alexander's body. He glided towards Alexander's head before whispering softly.

"Well done, brother!" Before tapping him in the head.