Chapter 53: Desperate

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing, and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares." —Henri Nouwen, Out of Solitude: Three Meditations on the Christian Life

"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone... just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." —F. Scott Fitzgerald

"To perceive is to suffer." —Aristotle

***

"I'm down on one knee?!"

The fake Zeb could barely follow Xenia's actions as the kid inflicted injuries upon him with his swiftness and utter precision. And the fake Franzia could not even retaliate when Xenia inexplicably and undoubtedly excel in both strength and speed.

"That brat has the chance to finish me and yet he is targeting my sister?! Is he fucking with us?!"

Indeed, Xenia has the opportunity to kill the fake Zeb, however, he decides to go after the fake Franzia.

The latter forms an insane smirk on her face as she runs beside Xenia, trying to match his increasing speed.

A quick glance in Pack's direction from Xenia informed her of his thankful facial expression. It was for a split second but the female kid clearly saw it.

Another lunge movement was executed by the fake Franzia, shortening the distance as soon as Xenia averted his gaze. But he was expecting her to do so, thus allowing her to enter his field or range of attack, which was crazily short.

"How would you like yourself to be minced meat, punched tens of holes in your body?!"

And a barrage of quick thrusts using her kukri knife flew through Xenia's defense. This resulted in Xenia having to rely on dodging rather than parrying each and every attack, which he thought to be easier than evasion. For him.

"Low, right flank, my chest, now my neck."

None of each attack was slow but as the fake Franzia continually thrusts with her kukri knife, his attack progressively slowed down because her stamina was, of course, limited. So was Xenia's but he built himself for these past months to train his body and let his physique be accustomed to grueling training.

"Ow!"

A graze on Xenia's right arm, then on his left leg, and another one on his flank. All three wounds were shallow and nothing to be worried about. However, the fake Franzia does not seem to be thinking of stopping. Her attacks might have become predictable and inaccurate but, of course, Xenia could not help but be pushed to the corner. If he does not do something about it, things will become harder for him.

"Haha! Bleed! I'd love to see you bleed even more!"

"Her brother's presence disappeared. I don't see him anywhere."

It was not the time to be paying attention to his surroundings, for the distance between him and the fake Franzia was close to 1 meter. Even so, Xenia had to proactively search for the fake Zeb as he constructed a foolproof plan for victory.

"Taking your eyes off your opponent-- that's reckless!"

Another solid set of fierce thrusting attacks was deliberately intended to do so. And Xenia was starting to suspect the blatant and desperate actions of the fake Franzia, so he concluded that...

"Is she buying him time? If so, then he is getting closer to me. But where?"

Pack, being away from the fight, seemed to have made another purpose for Xenia. Her distance from both Xenia and the fake Franzia allows her to have a full and clear vision of their surroundings and the area where they were fighting. For what purpose did she serve? Well, what Xenia could not cover with his vision, in other words, his blindspot, Pack effectively sees everything.

"On the ground, Xenia! He is behind you crawling on all fours!"

That was why he could not see him. The fake Zeb used Xenia's blindspot to completely lie on the ground on his stomach as he sneakily crawled forward.

"Below?!"

Pack was right. Xenia spotted the fake Zeb creepily crawling on the ground. He was around 2 meters away from him and in that position, the fake Zeb leaped like a frog.

"Hehe!"

"We got you now!"

A predicament that was impossible to get away, Xenia was in. In the distance, Pack screamed, horrified and worried for Xenia's wellbeing.

"Nooooo!"

The sight of blood deeply scarred Pack's heart as Xenia suffered two severe injuries from the siblings. He didn't even try to dodge, as though he expected it, and intentionally let it happen.

Blood came out of Xenia's mouth. It turns out that the fake Franzia had stabbed through his abdomen whilst the fake Zeb had struck Xenia's left shoulder with his arms. It stuck on his shoulder. Everything was painful. He won't deny it and he somehow regrets his reckless plan just to lure the siblings together.

"You're fucking smiling?"

"This kid is nuts!"

"You betcha!" An utterly outrageous smirk was displayed on Xenia's face. His body subsequently stiffened in the process that both of them tried to pull out their weapons. "None of you are getting away this time!"

"Is that so?! Make sure you are not pulling our legs!"

"Hahahaha! This is fantastic—!"

A sharp pain she felt in her mouth. Xenia had reached her using his obsidian blade and managed to slit her mouth open.

"Gya!!! My precious mouth!"

When the fake Franzia tried to pull away her kukri knife from being stuck inside Xenia's body that had pierced through, inevitable and excruciating pain almost had Xenia passing out and losing all of his reserve strength. He fought through it, gritting his teeth as tight as he could just so he would not lose consciousness. Moreover, the fake Zeb did the same thing; he was successful in doing so at the cost of freeing Xenia's left arm. Another event followed another.

Even if he was in so much pain, suffering through his bleeding injury, Xenia used his left arm to grab onto the kukri's hilt, preventing the fake Franzia from succeeding in using her weapon.

"I told you not to run away! It's either me or you two!"

Screaming to every flinching pain, Xenia's dumbfounding next action was amazingly dangerous, proving that he has the most will among them to live, yet he further put himself in danger. He walked forward, which made the blade go more painfully deeper into his body.

"Ahh! Gya! Gurgh! Gah!"

"Damn you, brat! Die!"

Her neck was slit open, and her brother watched her panic over having her neck injured. It drew his pain and anger all in one move, thus throwing another strike toward Xenia.

She lost strength, eventually having to let go of her weapon, and falling on both of her knees as her hands aided her neck. No matter how hard she tried to cover her wound, the bleeding won't stop.

"Shit! I won't be able to dodge or block him! My hands lost their strength!"

Knowing his fate, the bitter truth, Xenia closed his eyes and just accepted everything...

~