Chapter Seventeen

"Quite a blade you have there. Seems I judged it too quickly," Lafon cooed with a serene calmness. It was clear the man was not troubled with any thoughts of defeat.

"I seem to remember you making fun of it," Vito responded, humoring the man. He gestured at the man's scythe. "Yet you use a blade and not a gun as well."

"The point stands. In the hands of an unworthy person, a blade is no substitute for the ease a gun provides. Not many men are skilled enough to be worthy," he said dismissively, as if he already figured Vito was in this group.

Vito took a moment to look back at his brother. He was still down on his buttocks where he had fallen - struggling to digest his near-death experience. Vito could only hope logic would outlast his rage and he wouldn't again throw himself in harm's way.

He had been offered the choice of a legendary weapon, but detested the idea of relying on a weapon in general. Now, it meant he was severely outgunned.

As Vito's thoughts strayed to his brother's wellbeing, Lafon aimed to capitalize. He lurched forward, thinking his speed would make up for his lack of subtlety. Vito heard the stomping of the man's feet, but moved too late, Lafon was already upon him, and if his weapon was of a lighter weight, he might've been in grave danger.

Instead, he again positioned the rapier to take the brunt of the blast on its side, but this time Lafon was not caught by surprise. Instead of providing any form of resistance, Vito was sent catapulting back at a momentum so great that he rolled back into his brother and both went skidding back a few dozen feet.

Vito's shoulder felt like it had struck a jagged rock and his hands especially stung from holding the rapier, but it was nothing compared to the disorientation he felt in his brain. No ordingary weapon could've made his rapier buckle like that. It was clear Lafon somehow had gotten his hands on a legendary weapon, but how had it completely overpowered Vito's?

Before, every person he encountered with his blade had been unable to outclass him. Try as he might, it was impossible not to feel the whispers of invincibility. Now, that thought had been turned on its head - literally. It was a great shock.

"Snap out of it, Vito!" Jekio yelled dangerously close to Vito's ear from beneath him.

He looked forward and saw that Lafon was charging at them again, a hungry glint in his eyes. Vito tried to force his thoughts under control and stood, drawing strength from his rapier. If he grew stronger with every drop of blood the rapier consumed, he need only chip away at Lafon and win a battle of endurance, he thought hastily.

That thought process was quickly slammed away by Vito's first attempt at a parry. Before had been no fluke. Vito's rapier almost flew out of his hands from the sheer force behind Lafon's seemingly effortless swing and his palms once again roared with pain.

For whatever reason, Vito couldn't contend with the man in a battle of raw strength. That much was now blatantly obvious.

Vito ducked under the man's second horizontal swing and lunged at the man's chest with his rapier at the ready, but Lafon eerily danced out of the way. Vito took the opportunity to extend a flurry of similar thrusts, which Lafon had his hands full dodging.

Though Vito didn't succeed with his primary objective of drawing blood, he did with his secondary objective of putting space between them and Jekio.

He let his barrage falter and extended his rapier in a still, threatening position, regaining some of the stamina he had expended.

"You fight like a trained madman," Lafon commented dryly. Vito noted he did not seem fatigued in the least. "And not in a good way." He raised his scythe and licked his chops, his eyes clouded with surprising bloodlust. "I assume it's my turn to go on the offensive?"

The man's next attacks made his prior ones feel like child's play. It was clear he wasn't simply stronger than Vito; his footwork was more precise, his speed comparable and his reach superior. The only saving grace for Vito, which kept him from being turnt into chopped meat, was his agility.

Vito resided on his back foot in the exchange, constantly appearing inches from defeat. However, the sharpness of his mind hadn't evaded him, and even under such a complete onslaught, he tried to discover details that could break this tidal wave before it drowned him.

What he realized was simple; Lafon was eager to be permanently rid of him, each swing from the man, whether vertical, horizontal or slanting, was aimed as the killing blow. This meant his full weight was behind each blow, causing him to constantly shift his weight from one foot to another, which was a feat of dexterity that shouldn't have been sustainable, yet Lafon didn't seem prone to tiring.

But superhuman physicality meant he was off balance for a shorter period, not none at all. As Vito fought off his swings and his right arm started throbbing and gradually started to numb, he waited for his opportunity. If his timing was even slightly off, the consequences would be dire.

Though he wouldn't make a habit of making it known, the knowledge that his older brother was watching him, after years of him being the much better fighter as they grew up, sharpened his senses more as he tried to show just how much he had grown.

After some close calls as he studied the evident rhythm in Lafon's furious, unrelenting charge, Vito finally saw his opportunity. He had to start his counterattack from the time he read the incoming vertical swing. Instead of backpedaling, he pushed off of his back foot this time, launching himself forward and outside the wide sweeping arc of the scythe.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

In the crucial moment where Lafon was in no position to defend, Vito had slid inside his guard. However, Vito's alert eyes couldn't help but pick up an anomaly. Instead of his eyes widening in surprise, Lafon's seemed to shine in cocky anticipation as his lips parted into the faintest smirk.

Even the most experienced players who were more cocky than the average person had the tendency to show a tell when the player they dubbed inferior fell into their trap. Vito was trained to notice this on the gambling table, and in battle was no different.

He was in far too deep to completely evade Lafon as he planted his feet and brought his vertical swing completely around with an athletic hip swivel that sent the curved tip roaring at Vito. He skipped to the left, and instead of driving the blade up his neck and into his chin, it sliced his right shoulder.

Vito's body stiffened in shock as a blazing trail of agony traced his newfound incision. His rapier fell with a muffled thud as he instinctively grabbed at the wound to staunch the bleeding. When he looked back up, Lafon was bearing down on him with his scythe raised and a hungry glint in his ice-cold pupils.

With the background of flames behind him mixed in with the chorus of screams and the grunts of fighting, he seemed like an agent of death himself, ready to claim another soul for his master.

He paused, glancing to his left with sudden alarm. Vito followed his gaze and saw a form that could only be described as a blur illuminated by the silver glare of the moonlight. Lafon leaped out of the way right before the new entry sank twin swords into the soft earth that he had just retreated from.

The blades, with their intricately carved indentations on the outer edge that created a swivel design resembling waves, were as much an indicator of identity as his wide-toothed grin and matching wide-brimmed sombrero.

Draven looked back at Vito with a slightly mad look in his eyes, but that wasn't too far off from his usual appearance. "Watched you get manhandled, pal. Frankly, I was enjoying the show, then that old man Zliksay starts tryna lecture me about district pride and how watching your ass getting handed to you made me look bad by extension. A real talker, that one. So here I am, disobeying your stay behind orders - if only to shut up an old man."

Vito almost let out a choked chuckle. He might've too, if his hand wasn't ringing the alarm bells of excruciating pain. The damn fool had cut deeper than Vito had thought. The initial pain was just a starter, and the main course had come right on time.

Jekio appeared next to him and immediately took some of his weight, before digging into his pocket for his roll of bandages. He had made keeping them on his person a habit from his days training in fighting forms. He roughly applied it across Vito's shoulder after ripping off his t-shirt sleeve. Vito could tell it didn't have the ointment used to accelerate healing on it, but he was grateful nonetheless for the tight pressure.

"I know I'm dashing, but are you going to come for a piece or not?" Draven asked in a good-natured tone that didn't fit his words.

It was then that Vito noticed that Lafon had not attacked or moved from the position he had landed on - a few feet away. His bloodlust eyes had been replaced by contemplative, cautious ones. It was a great deal more caution than he displayed in his fight with Vito.

"I don't think we have to go down that path," Lafon said, his voice effortlessly switching back to the warming, friendly tone.

"Oh?"

"Look at this self-proclaimed leader of the District 35; beaten with ease, wounded as is your district's pride, as you rightfully said. Join me, the victorious side. You will benefit more under my leadership."

Draven didn't even take a second to consider before replying. "And what will be the difference?"

Lafon adopted a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Either way, I'll be working for a boss I could kick the crap out of." He took a moment to look over a positively astonished Lafon. "I don't see much of an improvement."

Lafon managed to close his gaping mouth and burst into hearty laughter. "I see now that your vision is sorely lacking." Vito was sure that any chance of him proposing that offer again in the future was gone after that insult.

"Is it?" Draven asked, idly twirling his swords on each hand. "I'm afraid you'll have to prove that."

As the two madmen faced off, Hades walked up to Vito and looked at him with a worried expression. "Report?" Vito asked him, noting that he seemed unharm, safe for a few minor scrapes to his clothing.

"Our force easily overcame Lafon's, as predicted, overwhelming them with sheer numbers. Some of the feeders escaped into the forest, but we believe Zliksay's werewolves should be able to hunt them down." Hades' nose quivered, "Assuming those mutts are capable, of course."

"Of course," Vito echoed.

"What happened?" Hades asked, his voice softening as he tried to gauge the extent of Vito's bandaged wound.

"Lafon has a darn better toy than expected," Jekio growled in frustration. "Has him moving like a supernatural. Else he'd be rocking two new piercings in that skull of his."

Hades' face took on a troubled look. "A legendary weapon?"

"So it appears," Vito responded.

"Is it wise to allow Draven to battle a legendary weapon user alone?" Hades asked quietly so Draven couldn't hear. It was obvious he was referring to control rather than ability.

Vito shook his head. "No. Not in the least."

Hades' skin started to turn its natural motley gray as he prepared to use his full strength. "'ll assist then," he said, stepping forward.

"Don't even think of it, old man," Draven said without looking in his direction. "I don't accept help during my fights. That's a coward's way."

That thinking felt so foreign coming out of a member of District 35's mouth that it momentarily silenced Vito.

Luckily, Vito didn't need to say anything. A bugle horn blew from the direction of Zliksay's location. It was the signal that Lafon's main army had arrived. Almost as if the horn acted as a permit for the army to announce their presence as the stomping of many boots at once created an intimidating roar.

Vito had a split-second decision to make. He could order them to attempt to overwhelm Lafon and end the conflict right here, but that was a risky call. With the unexpected addition of Lafon having his scythe, he was very dangerous, and though Draven's dislike of help didn't come from a sound tactical space, it was true that Hades had never fought with him before and they could get in each other's way. Not to mention, he wasn't sure Draven would be willing to work with him at all.

Then, Lafon needed only to stall them while his army closed in. Even with Zliksay and Draven's gang attacked from the outer edge, the inner clash could be fatal. Vito was practically out of commission himself.

He surfed through these possibilities in his mind in under thirty seconds and came to a grim conclusion. "We're retreating," he said in a voice that held no room for argument.

Draven looked back at him in disbelief then looked back at Lafon, who still hadn't moved, though a smile had formed at Vito's words. "Go run away with your boss, fool. I wonder if you're beginning to see the error in your choice."

Draven said nothing, which was rare in itself. He walked back in Vito's direction and walked past them toward the perimeter. Atleast he had listened.

Lafon chuckled. "Run away, little ant, for the next time, there will be no chance to."

If looks could kill, Jekio's would have incinerated him on the spot.

Vito felt a sudden calmness, feeling some control seep back into the atmosphere. He cast a cold look Lafon's way and offered him some parting words.

"Death will arrive for you on time, still."