Esther vs Arthur

I sighed, brushing my hair back with my fingers. My gaze remained calm, locked on Arthur in front of me. 

"Another tiring person," I muttered under my breath, my voice low and laced with disdain. 

Arthur's lips curled into a grin, his red eyes gleaming brighter in this dark room. The knives in his hands reflected the moonlight as he raised one lazily toward me. 

"Don't worry," he said, his voice sharp and mocking, "you won't feel tired if I just kill you right here and now." He tilted his head slightly, watching me like a predator sizing up its prey. "It'll be a one smooth, clean slash." 

My expression didn't falter. Instead, I tilted my head to the side and replied, my tone casual, almost bored. "And there Hina said you were such a generous, kind person. Helping the little elves with medicine and all that." 

Arthur's grin faltered for a split second, his brows furrowing. He lowered his knife slightly and scoffed. "Hina? Who's that?" His eyes narrowed in suspicion, and then he clicked his tongue in frustration. "Ohh that blue haired bitch, Serina brought with her along with you." 

He spat the words out like venom, his irritation palpable. I didn't bother to answer, just stared at him with the same calm detachment, watching him unravel. 

"After you all," he growled, his voice dropping into something darker, "I'll take care of that traitor. Serina… what the fuck was she even thinking bringing you all here?!" 

He groaned in anger, his grip tightening on the knives. His eyes burned brighter, the crimson glow almost unnatural now. His frustration echoed out into the silence of the room, his aura filled in the space around us was amplifying his rage. 

"We were so close—almost there!—and now we have an unnecessary problem to deal with! Arghhh!!" Arthur's voice cracked as he shouted, his emotions spiraling out of control. His chest heaved, his anger consuming him as he lifted his hands to his face, gripping his head like he was trying to keep it from splitting apart. 

"*Aarghhh!* Serina, you bitch!" His voice roared through the room as he threw his head back. 

For a moment, the only sound was his ragged breathing, heavy and uneven as he struggled to compose himself. 

"Huff… huff…" Arthur lowered his hands slowly, his chest still rising and falling as he caught his breath.

"Huff..Ahh- " His grip on the knives slackened, the blades swaying slightly in his hands. But his red eyes never dimmed—they stayed fixed on me, glowing with unrelenting hatred and bloodlust. 

He wasn't just angry. He was losing control. 

For a moment, the room fell silent. The tension hung in the air like a storm about to break. I stood there, watching Arthur's ragged breathing and wild eyes, unsure if he'd completely lost his mind—or if he ever had one to begin with. 

"Umm... you okay, bro?" I asked, my tone as casual, though my guard was already up. 

Arthur didn't respond right away. He tilted his head slightly, his glowing red eyes narrowing. 

"Just die." 

Before I could even blink, he lunged at me, a knife flashing in his hand, aimed straight for my chest. 

*CLANG!* 

The sound of metal colliding with metal rang through the room, sparks flying as I blocked his blade with a black dagger that had materialized in my hand. My reflexes had kicked in just in time. 

"Hehehe..." Arthur chuckled darkly, his face lighting up with a craze. "So you can fight as well!" 

Without warning, he raised his other hand, red aura swirling around it like a violent flame. The energy crackled dangerously as he slashed toward me. 

*CRASH!* 

The window behind me shattered into countless shards as I leapt outside, twisting in the air before landing gracefully on the ground outside. Dust settled around me as I straightened up, brushing off my hoodie with an air of indifference. 

"Come down," I called up to him, my voice calm but sharp.

Arthur didn't hesitate. The red aura around him grew brighter as he crouched, then leapt from the broken window like a beast descending upon its prey. His knife glinted under the moonlight as he aimed another attack at me. 

*CLANG!* 

Once again, I blocked his blade with my dagger, the force of his strike making my arm tremble slightly. His aura crackled around him like static, and his grin widened. 

"You're so desperate," I muttered with a sigh, tilting my head in mild exasperation. 

"You Fucker!!" he roared, his anger boiling over. 

His attacks came faster now, relentless and wild, each strike aimed to kill. But I moved with precision, deflecting every blow with my dagger, the sound of clashing metal ringing out like a deadly symphony. 

Arthur's movements became more erratic, his rage clouding his judgment. I saw the opening I needed. As he lunged forward once more, I sidestepped his attack and spun around, channeling all my momentum into a single, powerful kick. 

My shoes connected with his face, the impact sending him hurtling backward through the air. 

*THUD!* 

Arthur crashed into the side of a house, the wooden structure broke under the force before collapsing partially around him in a cloud of dust and debris. 

I straightened up, lowering my dagger and exhaling slowly. 

The rubble shifted, and I saw a faint glow of red through the dust. Arthur wasn't done yet. 

The debris shifted, faint groans of wood and stone breaking. A low vibration pulsed through the ground as Arthur pushed himself up from the wreckage. Slowly, deliberately, he stood, brushing the dust off his coat with a nonchalant air. 

His red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, the same unsettling intensity as before. 

A low groan escaped his lips as he stretched his neck from side to side, the cracks audible in the stillness. 

I tilted my head slightly, "What are you guys up to?" I asked, my tone casual yet firm. 

Arthur didn't answer right away. He stepped forward, his boots crunching against the shattered wood and debris beneath him. He stopped just a few feet away from me, the faint glow of his aura pulsating like a heartbeat. 

He stared at me for a moment, his glowing eyes narrowing slightly as if he were analyzing every inch of me. Then, finally, he spoke. 

"I seriously didn't imagine you could fight as well," he said, as if mocking himself. "My mistake." 

He twirled one of his knives lazily in his hand before gripping it tightly. 

"It won't happen again." 

He bothered to not answer my question, his dismissive tone making it clear that he wasn't interested in conversation. 

I sighhhh 

The tension between us hung heavy in the air, his glowing eyes locked onto me, and my dagger ready in my hand.