Chapter 46

"Stop yapping nonsense and let's fight", said Judith folding her sweaty palms.

"A fight you want", Kied replied, "and a fight you shall get."

Hypernox screeched, the sound making the floor shake, with everyone apart from Kied and Equivax, stumbling as they tried to keep their balance.

A magnetic force pulled Judith towards Kied, stopping a few feet away from him. A metallic and hexagonal lift took form beneath Kied and Judith, lifting them into the air, its sides flared as a holographic screen stretched from them, stretching across a few yards it formed a circle. The same force which had drawn her previously now pushed Judith backwards, enlarging the distance between her and Kied.

"I don't think you know where your weapon is.", Kied revealed.

Judith searched all over her armour fervently but couldn't find anything, was Kied playing games with her ? If he was trying to ...

"You're too quick to react", Kied said, "even though you're more arrogant than I am, I'll still tell you to seek advice from those who are more experienced than you. Tap the plate on the left side of your belt."

She did and in its place, a flaring sword appeared, on condensing, its silver surface glistened white making her stare at it in awe.

"I'll try to be as merciful as I can", Kied continued, "I'll only face you as a beginner, not as a grandmaster warrior therefore, I'm fighting you unarmed."

Was he crazy ? Judith wondered. She was capable of cutting him into half with this savage sword but, she didn't need anyone to tell her that Kied was a skilled fighter, she could testify to this having seen Kied beat up other boys his age and she knew he could do the same to her - not in such brutal manner anyway, Judith nevertheless winced, knowing that she was going to get hurt a little bit. Although haunted by the dread of getting wounded, she was excited to having gotten an opportunity to somehow find a way to inflict some form of injury on Kied as well - no matter how small - all she needed was the perfect opportunity. Like a storm from the heavens and without warning, Judith charged, unsheathing the sword from its scabbard.

Kied sidestepped her as she slashed at him, the force of the miscalculated and dodged blow sending her stumbling forwards and the sword striking the floor with a clang. That painful spasm shot through her abdomen and spread down her legs, knocking the wind out of her, Judith fell crouching on the ground - Henry had kicked her.

"Is that all you can give me ?", Kied smiled, "I expect intense battles from my rivals and it rarely happens that they fall with only one hit."

Staring at Kied's feet, Judith saw those high heeled metal boots glistening, no wonder it had hurt so badly. Once again, without warning, Judith charged at Kied, slashing like an injured bull, she drove him backwards as he dodged and sidestepped every move she made, always sending her stumbling forwards. Judith fell for it for the sixth time, then that painful blow landed on her arm as she stumbled with a kick striking her face sending her falling backwards.

James and Trident stared with eyes wide open, they had never expected Kied would have hit her that way, while Equivax stared on, his countenance cold and fixed as always.

Judith lifted herself halfway from the floor, not looking in Kied's direction, she said, "I never knew you could be this heartless - so you are capable of becoming such a monster."

Kied saw her bleeding nose and lips, then felt something rip in his heart - No ! He didn't want these emotions, he hated them, he hated mercy, he hated feeling pain, especially for an opponent, she had come as a fighter and he had treated her like one, the same way he would have faced Novic and his likes, he had confronted her the same way he had done with Sam. This wasn't classroom, this was a battlefield and in a battle, the enemy is never shown mercy, had they shown him any while he was growing up ?

"I have only one advice for you", he said, "if you want to be a fighter worthy of facing me, then stop competing with others, you only end up playing their own game."

Turning around, Kied walked towards the edge of the ring, about to jump, he heard the clanging of metal boots from behind, why was she so stubborn ? Kied wondered. He knew what she wanted and he wasn't going to give it to her.

Judith felt that force burst from Kied's body, sending her flying into the air then crashing once again on the floor. She had attacked him again and he had responded in a different manner. Instead of striking her, he had thrown her away without inflicting anymore injuries on her.

"I know what you want Judith", Kied said, "you want me to beat you the same way I had beaten Sam up, I won't be the one to satisfy your suicidal instinct. Trying to goad my conscience was a really smart move, but know that I won't fall for your tricks."

Judith watched Kied jump from the edge of the ring, his boots clanged as he landed on the metal floor of the armoury. She lay on the ring's floor for minutes on how ruthless Kied truly is, he must have fought really hard to get to where he was today. She felt a metallic arm lift her head from the ground, she realized it was Equivax and Hypernox who was standing on his shoulder. Placing his palm which was flaring of a blue like radiance on her forehead. The cold sensation spread across her entire being and slowly, she felt the pain she was experiencing subside.

Seeing Equivax and Hypernox stare at her intently trying to see if she was alright, Judith couldn't make herself believe that Equivax was Kied's higher form. Kied was supposed to grow up to become like him, but she couldn't see how someone as dark and ruthless as Kied could ever be like Equivax. Anyone who saw Equivax would know they were standing before a noble warrior, not a savage like Kied, even Hypernox still had some compassion having stayed to see how she was faring.

"Why can't Kied be like you Equivax ?" Judith asked.

"The Kied I know could have done worse", Equivax replied with Hypernox screeching in agreement.

"But if he was like you, he wouldn't have hurt me at all", she continued.

"And didn't warn you about trying to annoy him ?" Equivax reminded.

Judith went silent, she had been warned and therefore couldn't blame anyone, she was the cause of the pain she was undergoing right now.

"But Kied is somehow right", Equivax revealed, "maybe you are actually goading his conscience."

*** *** ***

Walking along the hallway, his metal boots clanging and dark cape fluttering behind him, those wisps of darkness rose from his being and his blackened eyes glistened of their intense and turbulent depths - the raging seas of his dark mind.

Those memories resurfaced from their graves, those memories which had haunted him all his life. He was Darkness, he agreed and of the State, War. Had been separated from the rest simply because the traits he possessed went against the status quo of his world. And after destroying his pillars of light, had been sent on exile, an outcast of his race.