Rapi simply smirked, confidence radiating from her every step. "You fight well, Felicia. But it won't be enough. Your body… it's starting to waver, isn't it?" Her voice was cold, tinged with arrogance.
Felicia said nothing. She adjusted her breathing, then sprinted in a wide arc. This time, speed, not strength, became her weapon. Her staff flashed from every angle, like flickering shadows.
Rapi defended with nunchaku spinning fiercely, but Felicia was too quick. She darted right, twisting midair, her staff cutting toward Rapi's jaw.
Rapi ducked just in time. But Felicia wasn't done. The moment she landed, she spun and kicked Rapi's knee.
"UGH!" Rapi growled as her leg buckled for an instant. Felicia seized the opening. She raised her staff high, ready to end the fight.
But Rapi surged back with startling speed, gripping Felicia's staff. Her hold was bone-crushing, nearly snapping Felicia's fingers. "You're light as air," she whispered before slamming Felicia onto the floor.
The crash boomed through the corridor. Felicia rolled aside, narrowly avoiding a follow-up kick that cracked the stone floor.
With a sharp push of her legs, she flipped backward, creating distance. Rapi nodded once, almost impressed, before swinging her nunchaku again.
Felicia moved as if dancing on the edge of danger. Her motions were fluid, weaving through each strike. Sweat dripped down her cheek, but her focus didn't waver. She had begun reading Rapi's rhythm.
With swift steps, Felicia spun and attacked from Rapi's blind side. Her iron staff whipped toward Rapi's ribs, only to be stopped by a single, merciless hand.
"I told you. Not enough," Rapi sneered. She yanked Felicia forward and drove her fist into Felicia's stomach. Felicia choked, air bursting from her lungs. But her knee snapped upward, striking Rapi's chin and sending her stumbling back.
Meanwhile, Isabel sprinted through another corridor. Her breath was shallow, her hands gripping the Tome Omnicent tightly. Through rubble and darkness, she pushed forward, carrying the last thread of hope. If Kaivan received the book, everything could change.
Felicia caught a glimpse of Isabel from the corner of her eye. Her breath hitched. A chance, real and fragile, flared before her. Adrenaline surged through her veins, swallowing her exhaustion. Her focus sharpened like the edge of a blade.
Rapi noticed it too. She grinned, twirling her long staff until the air whistled sharply. "You think I'll just let them walk away?"
Felicia tightened her grip on her weapon. She knew, if Rapi turned around, it would all be over.
"Hey! Eyes on me! Or are you planning to run from me?!" Her voice crashed through the cold, cavernous space.
Rapi's gaze snapped back to her. "Gladly," she whispered, and lunged.
Felicia raised her staff. Metal rang through the corridor as their weapons clashed again and again. Rapi allowed no space to breathe. Punches and kicks poured down like a storm, fast and lethal.
Felicia weaved through each attack, her body moving like a dancer within flashing blades of danger.
Every strike from Rapi carried intent to kill. Her long staff slithered like a serpent, seeking the smallest gap in Felicia's guard. When she swept low for Felicia's legs, Felicia leapt, spinning before landing with perfect balance.
But she had no time to inhale. Rapi's vertical thrust shot toward her skull like a falling spear.
Felicia lifted both ends of her staff, catching the incoming thrust. The floor beneath her cracked from the force, yet she held her ground. With the last of her strength, she twisted her body, loosening the pressure, then kicked toward Rapi's side.
Rapi stepped back, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You're tough. But, "
In an instant, she vanished from sight.
Felicia reacted, swinging to her right, yet the attack came from behind. A solid blow crashed into her back.
"Ugh!" Felicia staggered, nearly collapsing. Pain shot through her spine, but she clenched her jaw and stayed upright. She could not fall. Not here.
From the distance, Ethan watched with wide eyes. "Holy… They're not normal humans," he whispered. Every movement was like a dance, yet this was a dance of death. One mistake meant the end.
Felicia steadied her breath, locking eyes with Rapi. "I won't let you win."
Rapi narrowed her gaze and raised her staff. "Show me."
Felicia burst forward, dodging attacks that should have been impossible to avoid. She leaped, her body spinning, her staff crashing into Rapi's shoulder.
Blood scattered through the air. Rapi stumbled, eyes widening. Felicia gave her no time, she followed with a second spin, a straight kick striking Rapi's chest.
"Ugh!" Rapi slammed into a stone pillar, dust erupting around her.
Slowly, she rose. Her smirk returned, even as blood trailed from the corner of her lips. "You're… truly impressive, Felicia." She lifted her chin, her eyes sharper than ever. "But you haven't won."
Felicia gritted her teeth and raised her staff once more. She knew this battle was far from over. But one thing was certain, she would not give up.
In the cold, damp chamber of steel, the slow drip of water echoed softly, blending with the scent of rust and dried blood. The concrete floor, stained in dark red, welcomed the frail body of a young man bound to an old metal chair. Wounds marked his face, his breath ragged, yet the fire in his eyes refused to fade, Kaivan had not surrendered.
Before him stood William, towering, imposing. His presence loomed beneath the flickering lamp, casting a warped silhouette across the wall. His smirk was crooked, satisfied, as though the world now belonged to him.
The gunfire outside had stopped. Silence took its place, heavy, suffocating.
William chuckled, his voice sharp like a blade dragging across steel. "No more gunshots. Looks like your friends are dead." His tone dripped with triumph.
Kaivan didn't flinch. The pain tearing through his body could not break his spirit. With a faint smirk and a hoarse whisper, he replied, "So you're just a well-trained dog?"
William's face tightened. His fist shot forward without hesitation, brutal, crushing. Kaivan's head snapped to the side, blood trailing from his mouth. But he still smiled. "A tool pretending to be a leader," he murmured.
Rage surged through William. He grabbed Kaivan by the hair and drove a fist into his stomach, forcing blood to spill from his lips. The young man crashed back into the chair, staggering but conscious.
Then, something dropped. A small karambit slipped from William's pocket, landing only inches from Kaivan's feet. His eyes locked onto it. But his body was weak, his hands still bound. The blade was so close… yet it felt as distant as hope slipping away.
Outside the torture room, footsteps approached, soft at first, then clearer. Kaivan recognized the voice immediately.
"Kaivan! Kaivan, where are you?!" Isabel's desperate cry pierced the darkness, a flicker of light, yet it only provoked danger.