Chapter 66: Close call

VINCENT'S POV

There's no way I can keep up any longer.

I've barely lasted twenty minutes in the fight. Sweat dripped down from all over my body, making my shirt stick tightly to my skin. Blood slowly started to roll out from my nose and head as I recovered from a fall.

"Do you admit defeat?" Zenith asked as he stood before me. His sword glints in the castle lights as he points it toward me.

I was sitting on the ground with Warrior's ballad clenched in my hands. Zenith's emotionless face made me angry but also nervous to strike.

"Never," I muttered while smirking.

In the slither of time I had, I took my chance and rolled away from his range. I got back on my feet and dashed forward, ready to strike him down.

He skillfully parries my hits, one after the other. There's no way to beat him, but there is no way I would give up either.

It's either he dies or I die.

"Pathetic," He sneered. "You know you will lose, why continue to fight?"

I didn't reply to his answer.

"Why hunt me down when I did nothing wrong?" I asked him back. "I was enjoying this party till you dragged me outside, you know?"

He dodges my attack and makes the distance between us. I stopped my barrage and panted, trying to regain oxygen.

"You're a threat," He says. "You have been acting suspiciously throughout the entire party. Always staring at me and his majesty."

"That's because you're trying to assassinate Artorius!" I shouted at him. "Why are you eyeballing him with six other spies?"

His eyebrows furrowed and looked at me with disgust. "I was told to kill him if he makes suspicious moves," He explained.

Throughout the night, it was all a game of chess. A game of mental chess between Artorius and Alaric. They are using us as their pawn.

Though as we talked through, Zenith suddenly dashed towards me while I was recovering. His speed was overwhelming and I was no match for him this time.

ARTORIUS' POV

There's no way I can reach him in time.

I spilt wine on myself on purpose, trying to find a way out of the party. But just as I was about to leave, Alaric saw me and called out to me.

"Hey, Artorius!" He called out. "Where are you going?"

He walked up to me and looked at me with a smile. "Why are you leaving?" He asked me.

Without another choice, I smiled at him. "I accidentally spilt wine on myself," I said. "I was going to clean it up so it doesn't stain."

He laughs out loudly seeing my circumstance. "Haha! I understand! Sorry for stopping you," He said with a mischievous smile.

"It's fine, your majesty," I replied and turned around.

"That title does not belong to me anymore," Alaric says in a low voice. "It must take some time for everyone to get used to."

I sigh and nod. "It was quite the surprise," I said, sounding disappointed. "No one expected this to happen today."

"That's what I wanted!" He exclaimed. "Perhaps I'm stalling you for too long."

I already knew that.

"Ah, it's fine!" I reassured him. "It's always nice to talk to someone who understands me."

"Is that so?" He chuckled. "Though you should go now. It might leave a stain on your trousers."

"Yes, I must get going,"

I turned around to leave. As soon as I started to walk again, Alaric called out one last time.

"Be sure to be back in five minutes! We will have a ballroom dance!"

I'm trapped.

The hallways were empty as all the staff were in the ballroom. There was no way I could ask them for the help anyways. The only other person who can help me is Felix.

"Artorius!" Felix shouts out as he sees me, waving his arm to get my attention.

He ran towards me and so did I. He left to find a restroom a few minutes earlier. We were pulling these excuses out of nowhere but we are on a tight schedule.

"Did you find any sign of him?" I asked him while catching up.

"No one has seen him at the party for a long time," Felix says in a panic. "The entire castle is empty as well."

"Have you checked upstairs?" I asked him.

He shakes his head. "No, I wouldn't think he would be there.

The castle has five floors, each designed like a labyrinth from top to bottom. It would take both of us more than an hour to check the entire castle.

My mind raced to figure out a plan to find Vincent in five minutes. We had no clue where he was, not even a last seen. He just vanished from existence.

"Felix, listen to me," I told him as we ran down the hallway. "Here is what we do."

Felix listened along to me as I started to run down the plan to him in a hurry. He nodded his head and looked at me with eyes of determination.

We made it to the first floor and looked around, trying to see if anyone was there. Luckily no one was around, as expected.

Both of us turned our heads to the left, where we heard sounds of metal clashing. The whole time it was dead quiet in the castle. This was the first time we heard any artificial sound coming from somewhere and it didn't sound good.

"This is bad," I muttered. "Quickly! We can't waste time!" I shouted before dashing off to the left.

"W-wait!" Felix exclaimed before following me.

There were still three minutes left. If I can catch up to the sound in time, I win.

VINCENT'S POV

Blood and sweat covered my torso as they ran down my head. A stab wound on my arm and stomach, made my plain white shirt turn burgundy.

"You could've come out unscathed, but you wished to fight through," Zenith tells me with his sword pointed at my face.

I was on my knees, breathing heavily to stay alive. "Who said?" I softly said.

"I did," He replies. "I gave you the chance to leave, but you wished to fight."

Warrior's Ballad lay on the ground behind me, scratched and damaged. There is no way it can be used to fight anymore. One strike will cause it to break in half.

"Any final words?" He asked me like a generic villain.

I looked into his eyes with a smirk. "I'll see you in hell…" I whispered.

He looked at me with the intent of murder. "Only person you will find in hell is the man you serve,"

Zenith begins to walk towards me with his sword still pointed at me. I accepted my defeat and was ready for the worst outcome.

Artorius wouldn't know of my death till it was too late. Perhaps he would never know. My family wouldn't know till Artorius makes it back to them.

So many thoughts ran through my mind nonstop. Thoughts about my children and wife, and thoughts about Lady Alyssa, who was kind enough to invite me to this party. The same party where I would be killed.

I bowed my head down in acceptance of defeat. I heard his footsteps slowly get closer and closer, before stopping suddenly.

Then, it started again. His footsteps got closer and closer, My heart started to pound from the steps he took. The footsteps continued for far too long.

"You've done well, Vincent," A familiar voice comes from behind me.

A voice that gave me hope. A voice that I never thought would come to my aid at such a moment.

I looked up from the ground and looked to my right. Artorius brushed past me with Warrior's Ballad clenched in his right hand. His coat flows past as he steps in front of me, becoming an unshakeable wall between me and Zenith.

"I'll take it from here," He tells me while facing Zenith. "You've impressed me by staying alive."

I felt peace overwhelm my mind and my heart slow down. Before long, my eyes start to close and my vision blurs.

ARTORIUS' POV

Vincent collapsed behind me as I faced off the young guard in front of me. His face, dripping from sweat, looked at me with eyes of anger and desire for blood.

"Will you fight me too?" I asked the young guard.

"You are in the path of a royal guard's duty!" He shouted out. "Move out of the way!"

"Watch your tone, boy!" I pointed my blade towards him, shouting louder than him. "Is this how you speak to a king!?"

His lips curled up. "A king that tries to take down the emperor is no king!" He exclaimed.

The young boy gets into a stance as he finishes shouting with me. I looked back around to see Felix carrying Vincent's limp body away from the two of us.

We were in an open area on the left wing of the castle. On the left of us was the castle and to the right was the wall. There is enough space for me to let loose.

I turned back around to the boy and got into my stance. Warrior's ballad is badly damaged but I already expected it.

"I will send you all to hell!" The boy screamed as he dashed towards me.

He was quick but my eyes could keep up with him. I dodged his first attack and jumped around, trying to not parry.

My blade was dull and barely together. Scratches and damages run from top to bottom, including the cross guard. A fatal

"Strike me! Come on!" He says with a psychopathic smile. "Are you afraid of a scrawny guard like me!?"

His taunt continued as I swerved and dodged. I cannot let him get to my head.

But I also couldn't waste time with him. I only had two minutes left when I found Vincent. I barely have a minute to finish this fight.

"Papa!" Amelia suddenly spoke to me in telepathy. "The dance will begin soon!"

I have no other choice.

His movement pattern was unpredictable but that doesn't mean I cannot fight back. I just need to wait for the right moment.

"Pathetic, truly pathetic," I muttered.

The guard was thrown off and the arrogant smirk was wiped from his face. He didn't understand what I said and that's what I wanted.

This was my time to strike.

I countered his strike with my sword, parrying his strike but in the process, my sword was broken in half.

The blade of my sword flings across from the rest of my sword. But the remaining part of my blade goes through his and points to his neck. If he made any sudden move, I could easily kill him on the spot.

"Will you listen now?" I asked the guard one more time.

His face dawned with dread. "I-impossible…" He muttered. "B-but-"

"I don't have time," I said in a rush. "Accept defeat and we can speak of this later,"

He pulled back his sword and put it inside his scabbard. "V-very well…" He whispers. "I lost this duel."

Warrior's ballad was now broken beyond repair. There was no way to recover it. All I had now was the handle of my sword in the grasp of my hand. It has served me well.