118: Stalemate

Halia ducked another barrage of spit, her sword dripping with the naga's blood.

The monster girl, snarling through her pain, swung her tail at the hero. Halia dodged it with ease, the tail stiff from the blood spilling crimson over the blue scales. Halia thrust her sword at the naga's chest, right for her heart.

The naga snapped her head down and did something absolutely insane. She caught the buzzing blade with her powerful bite. She arrested the sword with the strength of her teeth.

Halia gasped in shock at the desperate feat the naga had pulled off. Halia had never seen its like.

Her shock gave the naga an opening.

With a snap of her powerful body, she shoved back on the sword, driving the hilt into Halia's stomach. The air burst from the warrior's lungs.

Coughing, she doubled over. Releasing the blade and hissing, the naga's head snapped in, jaws opening wide. Fangs extended like a snake's, a pair of needle-thin sabers that would pierce Halia's flesh and poison her body.

Halia did the only thing she could. She headbutted the naga. Her skull cracked into the naga's. The monster girl cried out, her own head snapped back. She swayed, eyes blinking from the hard blow. Halia's own temple throbbed, but she had been ready for it.

She wrenched her blade free of the naga's hands and then rammed it forward. This time, the naga, stunned from the headbutt, didn't catch the blade. It rammed right through her heart. She stiffened. Her tail thrashed.

Then she vanished.

***

The pain sharpened my mind. I could focus. Act. I thrust my hand against Baaghi's chest as her claws raked over my stomach.

"Sizzling touch, the spark of pain, let the prowess of Lord Enlil stun!"

She convulsed on me and collapsed on my body, as stunned as her master. I heaved her over, panting. My stomach and chest pulsed with pain. I groaned, blood welling from the wounds, soaking my gray robes.

"Fuck," I groaned and stood up. I forced myself to my feet and stared down at Jindag.

The swarthy man lay stunned. His mouth opened. Twitches spasmed through his body. It was hard to tell he was breathing with the scale armor he wore. I staggered over and grabbed my spear. The tip crackled with lightning. I leaned on it as I stared down at him.

He was vulnerable. I had to finish him off. Kill him. But he was helpless. I swallowed at the prospect of killing a man just lying prone. It was fucked up. Twisted. I gripped the spear, my hand shaking as I stared down at him.

"You have to finish him off," Halia said as she stumbled over. She coughed, a hoarse and rasping sound. A bruise swelled on her stomach. She clutched her buzzing sword in one hand. "Kill him, Leo."

"He's stunned," I groaned. I glanced at the cage where the violated village girls lay. They looked catatonic and helpless. Hopeless. Anger surged through me. I raised my spear to finish him off and...

He was helpless, too. He just lay there. Vulnerable. It would have been one thing to kill him in the middle of the fight, but now... Now it felt so much like murder. My stomach twisted. Was this how dungeon builders went evil?

They did acts like this. Forced themselves to batter down their humanity. The first time I murdered, it would be hard, but it would become easier and easier with each subsequent time. My hand shook. I didn't want that to happen to me.

"He can't be allowed to live," Halia said.

"I know," I croaked. "But..."

Halia stared at me. Then she smiled like she understood. Sympathy flashed across her face. Then she smoothly thrust her sword down into his heart, punching through the scales of his armor, and into his chest. He stiffened. His fingers curled.

Then he exhaled and lay still.

She ripped out her sword and said, "You are a good man, Leo. Hold onto that."

**********_***********

Support my hard work! 💪 ✍️

💎25+ Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support, while enjoying lots of novels in one place. There are Patreon exclusive works too:

patreon.com/HappinessIsBlissTL