Chapter 94: Golden Climax

The two men stared down one another, their wounds still present, yet they did not cared. The dunes blew across the two, staring down one another. Despite him being blind, Ennio was seeing Talus' resolve grow more and more. An animal finally maturing and knowing how to fend for themselves. The cowboy was ultimately proud of him for pushing such lengths, despite the costs he has paid. Despite the price, he persevered. The two would clash once more, with Ennio aiming low to try and strike at the Elite's stomach, whilst Talus aimed for the Cowboy's head, weaving himself to the left to evade the Cowboy's strike. When such shift in the directions were made, Ennio merely raised his arms up to block the strike at the given direction, knocking him down amidst the sand, but still retaining his body. As he'd get up, he'd try to lunge in for another attack, much to the curiosity of Talus. "'Why are you throwing yourself like that....? Why are you planning to risk a hit if you can die blind....?' That was the question you were gonna say, right?" Ennio would ask, right before Talus would begin to speak. Apart from the one instance, the Cowboy ensured to keep the Elite's Vow to not speak unless it is vital. Instead, the Elite would answer, nodding to affirm his suspicion, to which the cowboy answered.

"If a Lion is wounded, do they cower in fear? If a Tiger is blind, do they accept defeat and move on? If a beast is crippled, do they have the heart to admit they're wrong? Of course not. That is what makes a Man. An Animal. A Warrior. To fight until your last breath. Remember that." Ennio's words came as much as his next strike, where he would see the silhouette of the man and try to send a barrage of bullets down his path, before charging forward. Something was off, and Talus knew that well. He'd try to dodge the bullets and approach him to his side, where Ennio would give a smile as he saw his course of action. "You're learning more and more over there! Good! You even did it without using your magic there, either."

Such compliments fell on deaf ears as Talus would attempt to strike at the man's head once more, being reminded of his previous injury once he got close, seeing the wound still cauterized after having his neck sliced. Ennio would react just as quickly, letting him raise his arms to block the strike, before having him move it slightly so as to grab ahold and lock him in a position where he is unable to move, grappling him in a spot where he cannot use his magic on his arms. Talus would try to strike back, attempting to surpass him in strength and overpower the Cowboy's grip, yet it was too much. As an answer, the Elite would try and use his head instead, ramming it right at Ennio's mouth, using a headbutt to break the man's nose and teeth. Despite such strain, such damage done to him, Ennio still remained smiling. His blood leaking from his face, his teeth most likely damaged, yet he didn't cared. As a retort, he'd time the man's attacks, opening his mouth and trying to bite into the man's head. 

SHIKK!!

Both would connect once more, with Ennio's teeth fractured, forced to cough some out alongside the blood, while Talus would have his frontal lobe somewhat bitten, barely grazing the skull to keep him alive. Ennio would be forced to let go and take a breather, giving Talus an opening in the form of a right hook towards the left side of the Cowboy's cranium. Alas, The Cowboy was more than prepared, as he'd throw himself once more, angling his body to tackle the man straight into the sand, using his body weight as a means to throw off the Elite. He aimed this tackle at the man's stomach, forcing Talus to have the wind knocked out of him, allowing the two to halt themselves. They looked worse for wear, and at any moment, one of them could give out without them noticing it. The Cowboy wiped off the blood spewing from his lips, while the Elite regained his breath, standing up, still living, his heart still beating, his soul still unwavering. He'd look at Ennio, watching him get up from the sand, no words being shared amidst one another. They knew fully well what the other would say, with the Cowboy's praises and the Elite's questions. They knew what was gonna be said next.

They knew that this was nothing more than a trial between them. Talus' vision grew somewhat faint due to the injuries he sustained, yet he still took initiative once more. He'd kick up the sands to act as a wall when approaching him, shielding him, concealing him, from his next attack. A straight left directly at Ennio's stomach, followed by a right uppercut. He quickly learned that Ennio was using the sands to "see" him, so by being abrasive and swatting the dunes like they were flies, it would allow his movements to be "masked" to a degree. It would make the sands act volatile, unable to be traced after with each kick. Despite such aggressive moves, the Cowboy remained calm. His gauntlets prepared to shoot. When Talus made his first strike, the same went for Ennio, winding up a punch directly towards his chest.

BA-BOOM!!

The point of no return. The Cowboy would feel the same pain the Elite had, stumbling back and gasping for air, struggling to even do such an act due to the damages. Talus, on the other hand, would be struck down. His chest now having a large hole on his body. He'd reach through the hole to see if it was genuine, grasping at the empty space even. Without question, he could feel his own blood dripping down his hand.

His heart was shot