I charged at Sin, raising my right arm and shooting a stream of fire in her direction.

Sin mirrored my attack, raising her right hand and calling a gale of wind that swept over the rooftop.

I gasped as my stream of fire flew back into my face!

Spirits below!

I covered my face with my forearms, wincing as the wave of heat washed over me. Over the roar of fire, something whistled through the air.

I crouched seconds before Sin's crooked knife flew over my head!

I looked over my shoulder, watching the spinning weapon fly over the side of the rooftop.

If I hadn't ducked, that would have killed me!

Realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.

This wasn't sparring. This was real.

"Why did you do it?!"

I turned back to Sin. She stood with her chin raised, her left hand on her hip.

"Why did you defile yourself with their magic? Why did you make yourself into their dog? Why?!"

The air around us changed.

She was angry.

No, she was seething.

It was worse than our argument in the Red Room.

"I... I wanted to be like you!"

Sin stiffened at my words and then laughed.

"Then fight, and NO Landbound Magic."

I stood up, pacing from left to right. This ground was too narrow. I could try to go around the main spire and attack her from behind, but if she stayed in the corner, she could see me from either side of the rooftop. I couldn't flank her, and I would only end up wasting my will.

No, the only path was forward.

Sin groaned.

"You're stalling! What's wrong, Jacob? I'm unarmed."

"Liar!"

I felt her smile.

OK, new plan.

I put my short sword in my right hand and judged the distance. In the next heartbeat, I was running.

I darted in low, jumping up as I closed the distance with Sin and swinging down with my short sword, using the full weight of my body.

The hand on Sin's hip disappeared into the secret pocket of her pleated skirt. She pulled out a dagger with a thick, triangular blade and met my short sword in the bind.

CLANG!

I balled my left hand into a fist and hammered down at her collarbone. Her right hand snapped up and grabbed my wrist an inch from her chest.

Perfect.

I willed my dagger into my left hand in a reverse grip, but she pushed it back at the last moment. The dagger's blade materialized in the air in front of her instead of stabbing her in the chest.

Sin scoffed.

"Elmer made your weapon based on my instructions. Did you think I wouldn't know how it worked?"

Her grip around my wrist tightened. She pushed my arms apart and smashed her forehead into my nose.

THWACK!

Stars exploded in my vision, and as I blinked them away, I caught the sight of Sin pivoting on her left leg.

Ugh, her favourite move...

Her boot heel smashed into my solar plexus. The force of the spinning back kick sent me sliding a few feet back.

"Not bad. That's the first time that kick didn't put you on your ass," Sin said.

"You're getting predictable in your old age."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

She laughed.

"You're funny, Jacob, but how long can you keep it up?"

With a slow, deliberate movement, Sin raised her right hand in front of her.

I stared at her palm, confused… and then I ducked!

Her crooked knife whistled over my head, flying back into her waiting hand.

Spirits below! That was the second time she almost killed me.

Sin pointed her triangular dagger in her left hand, sinking into her stance with her right arm bent and close to her body.

I mirrored her, pointing with my dagger, short sword held in my bent left arm.

"Good," Sin said. "Remember, you asked for this."

Sin jumped, flying through the air and landing on the side of the main spire!

That's new!

A red crystal embedded in the blade of the triangular dagger flashed, and the dagger shot out of her hand like an arrow!

I jumped back, the triangular dagger cracking into the stone floor in front of me.

Sin followed after it, gliding down to grab its pommel. She twisted and ripped it free, spraying dust and rubble in my face.

I leaned back, avoiding the debris and the crooked knife blade that slashed through the dust where my face had been a second before.

Now!

I used the momentum to roll onto my back, press my knees against my chest and kick two feet into her stomach.

Sin jumped!

The soles of our feet met, and as I kicked up, Sin used the force to backflip in the air, pulling back her crooked knife for a downward swing.

I kicked the ground, sliding across the floor. The crooked blade buried itself in front of my feet.

Sin yanked it free, pulling her arm across her body for another attack.

I wouldn't let her.

I threw my dagger. She twisted out of the way as she swung her knife. It flew out of her hand, its lopsided tip stabbing into the ground beside my left arm.

Sin reached out with her right hand, and the eyes of the hawk's head pommel glowed. The knife slipped out of the floor and flew back to her waiting hand.

"No!"

I grabbed the handle of the flying knife, and it yanked me to my feet! I stumbled forward, slashing at her right hand with my short sword. She recoiled, and the crooked knife fell limp in my left hand.

I held it close to my body in a reverse grip as Sin circled to my right. Her free hand grabbed my right wrist and pulled me forward.

She swung her triangular dagger with enough force to cut off my head.

I ducked, the dagger brushing my top knot. She followed through with the momentum, pivoting off her left leg to kick me in the stomach with her right.

As I grunted from the impact, metal glinted in the corner of my eye. Sin raised the triangular dagger to chop down at my head.

I raised my right elbow. It smacked into her left forearm mid-swing.

She laughed, threw my right hand up and ducked under my arm! She swung her dagger to the side for a disembowelling slash.

CLANG!

I blocked the dagger with Sin's crooked knife.

She pulled the dagger back and thrust it forward.

I stepped to the right, avoiding the thrust and wrapping my left arm around her thrusting hand.

Now!

I clenched my right hand and, with all my will, I swung my short sword down on her head.

I had her.

I trapped her weapon hand in my left armpit, and she couldn't block my attack with her right.

It was over…

Until Sin did the last thing I expected.

She pushed her arm deeper into my hold, freeing her trapped hand. She passed the dagger from her left hand to her right and swung it over her head like she was brushing her hair.

CLANG!

The dagger blocked my short sword. She followed through with the momentum, whirling the dagger around to slash the side of my neck.

I hunched my left shoulder. It absorbed the force of the blow, loosening my grip on Sin's left arm. She pulled it free, cocked her left fist and smashed me in the face!

One moment, I was standing; the next, I was on my back, sliding across the floor.

The pain came next. A dull throbbing in my mouth and the back of my head. The metallic taste of blood on my tongue.

"I admit… You have gotten better," Sin said.

I rolled to my side. The world was a dull haze. Through the mental fog, I heard footsteps.

Clack.

Clack.

Clack.

She's coming!

Clack.

Clack.

Clack.

I had to run.

Clack.

Clack.

Clack.

I couldn't beat her.

Clack.

Clack.

...

I lifted my head. Sin was staring down at me, the crooked knife back in her right hand.

"Get up, Jacob. Let's end this."

The end.

Why did I have to die now? Away from my friends, my family. Would they find my body? Would some part of me remember them in the sea of souls?

No…

I wanted to live.

I blinked, the fog behind my eyes lifting.

I was going to live!

I scrambled to my feet, moving my short sword from my right hand to my left. I pushed my shoulders back and stood straighter, meeting Sin's veiled eyes.

Her breath caught, her voice fell to a whisper.

"That look on your face... It's just like him."

"Like who?!"

"You're father."

I furrowed my brows.

"What?!"

Before I could form a whole question, Sin darted forward and thrust her dagger between my eyes.

I jerked my head out of the way.

She pulled the dagger back a few inches and turned it on its side. The broad blade blocked my vision.

I gasped and jumped back.

A heartbeat later, the tip of her crooked knife brushed against my stomach.

In the next heartbeat, I realized my right foot was stuck.

Sin had turned to the side with her second attack, slipping her right foot behind my heel.

She kicked my foot in the air. It was easy with all my weight on the back leg. Her left arm scooped under my foot, trapping my right ankle in the crook of her elbow.

Fuck!

I swung my short sword at her exposed back. She slapped it aside with her crooked knife, sheathing it in the secret pocket of her skirt. With her free right hand, Sin lifted my leg and ducked under it!

The movement sent me stumbling back. It gave her time to slip her triangular dagger into her other skirt pocket.

I willed my dagger into my right hand, slashing to my side in one last desperate attack. She grabbed my wrist, kicked out my supporting leg and sent me crashing to the ground.

The wind was knocked out of me. Before I could breathe in, Sin's knee pressed into my chest, and another pinned my right arm to the floor. She loomed over me, panting, her mask creasing in a frenzied grin. Sheer terror ran through me. I lashed out with my short sword, only for an iron grip to wrap around my left wrist and smash it to the ground. I tried to plead. I tried to beg.

"Sin-"

THUMP!

Her mask blurred into a red smudge.

THUMP!

Another punch, and the stars in the sky were swirling in front of my face.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Each blow bounced my head against the floor, doubling every injury.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Over the wet thud of her blood-soaked fists, she laughed.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Sin was killing me...

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

And she was laughing about it…

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

I'm dead…

THUMP!

Thump.

thump…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.