I blocked off Viktor with my palms, he dashed forward and kicked with a thick hoof; I caught his leg and snapped his knee with a quick punch, letting go of his leg I ran forward and lunged into a dive; with a tackle I him pinned to the ground, wrapping my hands around his neck I shook his head colliding it with the ground, I clenched his throat and heard a snap; I punctured into his chest and tore out his heart, the organ burst in my hands and he faded away into a shadow; I felt him hanging above me as I rolled out of the way, he staked down a three pronged golden trident nicking my side; I shot back up and drew my sword, I caught my blade between the second and third prongs I twisted my wrist spinning the polearm out his hands, it landed with a clang, Viktor reached for his weapon; I shot forward and punched him the face, knocking him to the ground. I sheathed my sword and raised my hands, I saw him scramble for his weapon; he was never supposed to be a fighter, I looked at Kefira being hammered down by Nolan's wrath; even buffed to the point of a god she was still leagues out of Nolan skill and ferocity, breaking her armor with a clean vertical slash he put away his sword, regaining his composure he took a deep breath. Viktor shot forward with his trident while I distracted, "Have you no honor"? I stared him down and broke down his shell, he cowered in terror as I approached him; I saw his hands shake, he fell on his knees and looked at me, I had no pity or compassion for people who fought like him; I only wanted to carve him apart, "Get out of my sight". I raised my hand and charged my anger into my fist, "No I had enough fighting". I dropped my stance and approached Kefira, "What the hell are you doing, we're in the- "Shut up, Nolan". I clocked Nolan in the jaw and watched him fall back like a statue, saw Viktor smile and saw the inky shell around him start to wisp, it hissed more and more as I walked closer to her: I wrapped my arms around Kefira, the cold metal of her cracked armor started to fade away into warm flesh and bone; "Don't be afraid anymore, you'll be alright my child". I felt her tears, and looked at her; she was still a child inside, alone and scared just like all other people, the shell surrounding Viktor broke complete he looked at me with genuine emotion; "You're the first person to understand compassion is stronger than actually strength". I heard a quick gasp, "You're supposed to the best of the best, I trained you and her; this is what you become instead". "Get up I'm going to kill you right now". Pulling him to his feet by the neck, I saw Viktor's mouth drop letting out a shocked gasp- "you're pissing me off". Nolan impaled Viktor through the stomach with his fist, pulling out his hand he was kicked to the ground; Nolan flicked his hand and shook off the coat of blood, resting Kefira on the ground I ran between them and stopped Nolan from killing Viktor, "That's enough... they had more than they can handle". "That's the price for biting off more than you can chew". "Were you always such an asshole"? I shot back on my feet and kneed Nolan in the stomach, I stabbed him through the stomach with my sword and yanked it out, I slashed down as an after image cutting the first layer of muscle and tendons in his head and torso, with eight slashes I cut out a bloody spider web in his pale chest, I shot forward slicing off his head; from the bloody stump showed out, I thrust my arms back and stabbed him in the back; I turned and pulled the sword up cutting his body in half, I sheathed my sword as I saw him regenerate back together. He spit out bloody mucus, and seethed with rage; "Why didn't you kill them, but killed me hmm"? "Tell me damn it"! I dashed forward and clenched his throat, "Shut up". With my off hand and I impaled his left side, grabbing three of his ribs I cracked them in my hand; he screamed in agony, "Let's see how beautiful death is when you experience it for real". "Stop"! I heard Kefira scream, "Papa... he's had enough"! I looked at her and felt my heart constrict, "Focus on me you bastard". Nolan croaked out as he punched my chest again breaking through the cartilage, he grabbed my heart; "You know we don't have to be friends". I let go of his throat, "You're weak, you show mercy, and compassion... that makes me want to puke". He let go of my artery connected to my heart, the blood flowed normally; I gasped for air, he looked at me with spiteful eyes before turning his back, he walked away leaving me on the ground to recover, I stood back up and Nolan stood ready for a quick draw; "I promised myself not kill you... you mean too much to me, but I swear to God get in my way again and I will end you". I took my stance, placing my hand on the sword handle I took my drawing stance; he dashed forward and I pulled out my sword, we clashed blades sending sparks everywhere... the heated metal sang out a calming tune. I blocked his wild string of swings, I shot forward and cut Nolan down with a blow to his midsection; he fell on his knees before hitting the ground sliced in two; I saw his waist reconnect to his torso, we looked around us and saw that we were back in the empty field alone, Kefira and Viktor had run away in the thick of things; I sat down next to Nolan, he looked at me with a saddened look as he calmed down: "Was it really that easy to hold back... Ragnarok be honest with me". "No, it never is". "Then why didn't you cut loose, you never held back for anyone else before". "She's my daughter how can I hurt her knowing that"? "I suppose the same can be said with Viktor, but you want to know something... everything we just been through was a lie". "What... how, it felt so real". "Deception is the ultimate skill, and we just fell for it hook, line and sinker". We started walking the desolate whiteout, I looked at my feet and saw two trails both mostly disappeared; no this really is a trap, those two weren't cut out to fight their opponents head on at least not without extensive preparation, everything I had just been through in the last fifteen minutes was a way to get me and Nolan out of energy. We heard a bow string being pulled back and the cock of an assault rifle in the cover of the blizzard, I collapsed on my knees from the earlier fight; "You got some fight left you"? Nolan asked me as he helped me to my feet, "How did you know that it was a trick"? "You ever see anyone die so easily"? "Point taken". I aimed my shotguns and Nolan readied his assault rifle, we stood back to back; I heard the sound of a grenade pin drop in the snow, a cylindrical canister landed at our feet; we rolled out of the way and covered our eyes from a blinding flash of light, nine blasts went off from the epicenter of the explosion each accompanied by an intense flash; I heard a snap and the world around us went dark, an arrow whizzed past my head; I caught the shaft and saw a blinking light in the sharpened head, knocked to the ground with a concussive blast I was looking at the normal world upside down; I heard another arrow being notched being me through muffled ears, rolling out of the way I crawled behind a tree, coming to senses I tilted my head to the left to avoid being impaled through the neck with an arrowhead; I rolled behind a mound of snow as I saw a small timer countdown, shrapnel flew everywhere ripping the tree inside out, I heard another arrow being notched, I peeked out of cover and pulled the trigger tracing the glint of harpoon bolt; "Fucking hell". I saw my titanium slug get ripped in half by the harpoon, the bolt grazed my right shoulder, sealing the wound on my shoulder I threw down a psychowheel and escaped deeper into the woods, I leaped head first off a hill, as I ran I caught glints of tripwire deep rooted into the canopies; I dived between the thin blades of carbon fiber wire, I let thin drips of blood coat the wires connected to the plastic explosives, my eyes caught a glint of sliver as I slammed right into a epicenter of the blast dome, I heard calm footsteps, I saw that Kefira was dressed in white and grey insulted recon armor as she came out of camouflage, she flexed her beautiful powder white wings; "Hey dad". She notched an iron bolt, and aimed straight for my heart; "Don't take it personally, Kefira... but you just lost". "You're the one trapped in a nest of- "No, you're insane". "It's a shame we had to meet this, hugs and kisses you know all that fluff". "And correction you're the one trapped with me". I sealed the cuts on my body, I held my arms out before putting the bottom of palm together; I saw the explosive wrecking ball of psycho energy I had made in my mad descent to the geographical center of the forest, "All that effort gone down the shitter, ain't that a bitch". I laughed out as I stepped out of the way, I collapsed the web I was trapped in with a snap of my fingers; I saw the a string of explosions as the wires all came rushing toward Kefira as a single ballista arrow, I stepped right in front of her caught the mass of molten carbon fiber; I set it on the ground to cool in the thick sheets of ice, smiling toward Kefira I tossed her the block charging it with a small bit of magic. "Now we're even". The block of wires collapsed into a smoke bomb, I shot forward as she coughed out dust; "The problem is you don't know how to adapt". I sent her flying into a tree with a heavy punch, I shot forward and ducked into a baseball slide to dodge a swing from her glaive; hopping to her feet she staked the ground with her glaive and went into glaive kick holding the weapon behind her, I pulled out my shotgun and stepped out of the way, I let her pass by me; I let the barrel of my gun brush against her head, she landed and swung her glaive knocking me off my feet, I blasted the ground with a grenade slug and send out a flurry of snow. On landing I dived into the cover to dodge three arrows, I looked as she rolled after the arrows I drew my sword placing the shotgun in my right hand back in its holster; I slashed down hearing the sound of the string being pulled back, I cut the bolts in half and shot out a slug of my own; Kefira sidestepped the round as she closed the gap between us with a slide, I pointed the barrel of my gun at her head and she pointed an arrow at my neck: "Do you yield"? She asked keeping a firm grip on the bolt; "I do". I holstered my gun and she dropped her arrow, I helped her to her feet and dusted the snow off her wings; "You've certainly grown into fine woman". She hugged me, "I'm always going to love you". I tightened my arms around her, I felt the tears well in my eyes: in the distance we saw a smoke plume, "What the hell"? A loud boom echoed across the woods, Kefira ran forward, "Viktor is going to die we have to save him". I chased after Kefira, we stopped at a large clearing decorated with drips of black and red blood; I found Nolan and Viktor clashing knifes, with a kick Nolan broke Viktor's guard and sent him crashing to the ground, he breathed heavily as he pointed the serrated metal tip at his throat: I drew out my shotguns and Kefira notched an arrow, we aimed at Nolan seeing the murderous intent in his eyes. He took a deep breath and put away the knife, "Next time you will die". I barely made out the words, I got the gist of it, he helped Viktor to his feet, and Nolan looked at us with frustration in his eyes: "When the time comes can you save those that matter the most to you"? I put away my guns and Kefira put away her arrow; "We'll just have to see".
Thirty minutes earlier
I traded fire with Viktor as we hopped between the dead trees, ripping them to wood chips we walked toward each other ripping chunks of flesh off each other; we toughed out the crossfire of lead and stood toe to toe, I drew out my knife and Viktor drew his. "We never settled our score, did we"? "In a sense you're more my rival than my teacher". "I can the same my pupil". I took off my ballistic vest and threw it toward Viktor, he ducked under and let it drop into the snow behind him, flecking out blood from the bullet hole from his arm; I turned my head as his blood smeared across my cheek, I ducked under his swing and dashed forward, raising his arm he glanced my blade off his, I stepped back and caught his arm as he threw out a left jab, I bent his arm back, pulling him closer to me by yanking the collar on his sweater I kneed him in the chest he coughed out blood and I threw him into a tree smashing it into splinters; I held my knife and stepped to the right as Viktor charged out of the snow, I kicked his thigh and downed his leg: he tasted my boot with a kick to his face, he scrambled up; with his knife ready he stabbed forward, I stepped back taunting him just by being a hairs length of out his grasp, I caught his upward thrust aimed at my neck turning my head; I smashed my knee into his groin and stabbed into his stomach; I yanked out the blade, he bleated in pain as he raised his arms to block my next attack, I punched forward holding my knife back handed; he's been training after all, I ducked under his fist to slice his left side, he twisted his arm and blocked my knife: I stepped back relaxing my grip on my knife, dodging his string of slashes keeping it arms reach I threw my knife hitting him the left shoulder, he pulled out the blade and tossed it to the ground pointing down, I dashed forward and caught the knife as it fell, I rolled out of the way and tilted my wrist as I spun the knife in my hand: I thrust forward and Viktor slashed down to stop the blade from cutting his muscles in his right leg, he stabbed down as I spun on my hands to get myself out of the previous slide, positioning my legs against his I wrapped one over the other on his ankles and tilted my waist for a takedown, I let go of the hold and scrambled to my feet; I saw Viktor hop back to his feet and charge forward in a blur, smashing me through six trees; I was flung out his hands smashing into a sheet of ice frozen between two trees, behind me was wide clearing... please snow... be soft, I heard heavy breathing as he lunged forward to break his wild sprint; I braced myself as he punched forward and tossed me out into the clearing, I landed on the padding of grass and snow, I barrel rolled out of the way, Viktor leapt through the air and slashed down with a sabre on where I landed barely missing cutting me half. We turned our feet as I drew my sword with my dominant hand as I shot up to my feet, I pulled the blade toward me for a guard; this is his specialization: gruella warfare, I blocked off his attacks as he kept a flurry of accurate strikes with his sabre and knife, catching his ending strike in a x pattern with my blades I broke his momentum, I directed his body positioning toward the open field, I spun forward and turned into a raging pinwheel of metal, I launched him the air with a high kick to his neck, I jumped after him, I slammed down my elbows on his back as I aligned my arms with his spine; I slashed into his body during free fall, I kicked his torso and sent him crashing into the snow, I spun in the air; I dropped down into a guillotine kick, blowing his body further into a crater. He moaned in pain, I put away my sword and stood ready with my knife as he staggered back up; even after a beating like that he moved fast, just a little out of my range of perception; I put myself on guard and instinctively blocked his swings, he was being desperate, he was out of gas and wanted to end it quickly. I held off the blur of fur and metal he became as he kicked his ferocity into overdrive, he stumbled on a pebble and gave me my chance, I raised my leg above me as he went into a tackle; I slammed down my leg on his neck and sent his chin crashing into the ground, he shot back up and I saw his movement slow to a crawl. I dodged his slashes sliding my boots into on the snow, I kicked up a spray of white and blinded him; I slashed back of his wrists through the white dust as he raised his arms for cover, he broke his guard and dashed forward, before I react he cut the main veins in my arms and legs with four lightning fast slashes; I sealed the wounds and I matched his knifework with mine, our blades sang out an insane tune formed by two madmen struggling to survive; I pulled back my knife and ducked under his thrust, bending my knees, I pointed my arm downward and cut his chest with an ascending slash, spinning on my hands I kicked him to stand upright; I landed on my feet as I tilted my body downward, I dashed forward cutting away; Viktor struggled to hold off my rage as I kept up my attack against his desperate counters, once our blades were at a safe distance from each other I pulled back my knife to a fake a slash and kicked him to ground, I pinned him to the ground; his head crunched against the snow, as I held him down with a knife at his throat.
I smiled at their answer, "You never fail to amaze me Ragnarok". "Tell me who matters the most to you"? The question cut my heart deeper than any blade or bullet, our friendship or the relations I have with so many others: it's like you're in a room with a person you can connect to in so my levels, like staring into a mirror image but except you have a loaded gun pointed at each-others heads and you're itching to pull the trigger but you can't because their secrets are looking right in the eye... you every aspect of the person, you humanize with them... that's why it's so damn hard to pull that trigger. "I lost that person years ago... now I've got a second chance to keep her safe: I know now that I can save her when it comes down the wire, I can protect Astoria".
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