Substitute [bxb] ✔

Seven beasts

"If I had a flower for every time I thought of you... I could walk through my garden forever."  - Alfred Tennyson

...

Victor huffed, falling to his knees as his legs gave out, losing his grip on the blunt training sword in his hand and he collapsed on the ground, all the while his Captain looked at him with disdain. The man only gave him a few seconds to recuperate before he flung his own identical sword outwards and whacked his weapon away from his hand. Knowing the match was as good as over, Henry planted his sword on the ground in a terrible show of strength.

He was absolutely merciless.

"Fine! I yield!" Victor threw his hands up.

"As if you have any other choice." Henry narrowed his eyes.

"Whatever." The recruit shrugged, standing up on shaky legs and dusting himself off. Then, with a bright expression on his face, he asked, "Can we move to the firearms now?" One could see the stars in his eyes.

"No."

"What?! Why not?!" He whined. "You said we could do it after the sword match!"

"Seems like you have a bad habit of only hearing what you want to hear." Henry patronized. "I said we could move to firearms after you've defeated me in a duel. Right now, you can't even hold a fake sword right. You're just going to blow someone's brains out with a gun in your hand." He reasoned. "So get up, and fight me till I drop."

"But!" Victor exclaimed. "That's impossible for me to achieve!"

"Don't be silly. Of course you can."

...

"Don't be silly!" Victor said in a mocking voice as he ran around the field, letting Henry chase him with his sword. "You maniac!" His voice couldn't hide the fear in his eyes. Once Henry caught up with him, it was over.

There was no way he could defeat Henry in terms of brute strength. The man was a beast on field, with or without a weapon. No, that would just not result in victory for him. He had to think differently, plan something else. He had to use his brain, it was his best asset. And also his tongue, it was his best weapon. He had to make the best out of what he had. A soldier had to think of all possible situations and then choose the best one. It could very well become a matter of life and death, after all.

It was the only strategy he could come up with. Just run away. It's what he knew how to do best anyway.

"Victor! What the hell are you doing?!" Henry yelled as he ran after Victor. "Are we playing a game of tag?! Is it your genius plan to somehow tire me out with all the running? Because it is not going to work, you ass! You'll tire yourself out before me!"

But Victor already knew that. That was not his plan. The running was just a ploy. A farce to earn time for his brain to think. They did say that a run is good for the mind.

He wracked his mind for a plan restlessly for a plan while he ran. He legs worked restlessly, but his mind was working overtime. He had to think of something before his legs gave out on him and Henry caught up to him.

And then it hit him.

Why had he not thought of this before?!

He sped up his pace, and then suddenly, as if tripping on empty air, he fell down in a heap. He let out a groan of pain as he the ground impacted his legs and he clutched his shin in agony.

"Victor!" A voice said suddenly, laced with concern.

He hid a smirk. It worked.

"I told you not to run!" Henry nagged at him as he caught up to the fallen man, bending down to help on his feet. "Now look, you'd be lucky if you didn't sprain your-"