"I request a duel!"
His voice resolute as it echoed across the surroundings.
Some would think it's idiocy but his friends knew Jinn for a long time and they know that he wouldn't act without properly thinking something through or—at least, having a plan.
"What the hell is he doing!?" Vox blurted before pausing—and snapping his fingers in realization.
"Ah! I think I've read this in one of the books before—about the empire of Zerafhon!"
Kain visibly trembling, "W-Whatever it is, I hope it works!"
Vox further explains, "Zerafhon is a brutal empire, yeah—but it honors a code called 'Creita Courtex Zivaliz.'"
He then raises his hand to point his finger at Jinn, "Glory to those who stand at the face of death. Glory to those who oppose destiny. And glory to those who act with conviction."
"Cliché," replied Hector—another child that belonged in Jinn's group—he looked at Jinn and continued, "But this cliché is the only thing standing between us and death."
Vox then stares at Jinn's back, "You're goddamn right."
"B-But how can Jinn win against that woman?" Kain's voice stammering.
Another one of Jinn's friends—Orin, looked at Jinn, her grip on her arm tightened.
"I don't know either—all we need to do is trust Jinn as we always did."
The surrounding grew quieter as Jinn requested for a duel. What remained were the whistles of the wind, the crackles of nearby flames, and the silent murmurs coming from the civilians.
The soldiers who mocked and snarked at Jinn's idea of even comprehending the possibility of saving—also stood silent as they awaited the decision of the leader they served, Battlemaster Venedix.
With eyes full of determination, Jinn stared at Venedix, hoping—that maybe, she would accept the duel.
He walked forward, still feeling the pain radiating around his stomach and stood in front—face to face with the entity that would potentially slaughter all of the innocent civilians and his friends that were behind him.
"A duel you say?" The sound of Venedix's boots hitting the ground as she walked towards Jinn, slowly closing the distance until she was a few inches away from him.
Not taking his eyes away for even a moment, Jinn stared at the eyes of Venedix—anger, determination, and fear swelled up inside him—threatening to swallow him whole as he remembered the fate of Nevi.
Venedix stared down towards Jinn momentarily, her menacing aura—like a cold wave seeping through his bloodstream, sent chills down his spine.
One of her knees hitting the ground, she knelt—her face meeting the level of Jinn—face to face with this peculiar boy who dared to challenge her on a duel in which he will "surely" lose.
"You must have known that the Zerafhon honors those who stand against great peril…" Venedix's gaze directed at Jinn, seemingly judging his actions before continuing.
"Yet those are reserved for 'warriors'."
She then released a mysterious and malevolent aura that surged towards Jinn. Every pore on Jinn's skin felt it—no, his entire being felt it.
This person was nothing he had ever seen before, it made him sweat, made him struggle to breath, made him "feel" true despair.
"Are you—a 'warrior', boy?" Venedix questioned, her aura relentlessly attacking Jinn.
Jinn began to suffocate as he struggles to gasp for air—his legs began to shake and waver at the presence of Venedix.
Yet he did not avert his eyes. instead, he kept them focused on Venedix's, "It does not matter if I'm a warrior or not—this is who I am. I would gladly risk my life for my family, for they are all that I have left!"
Jinn spoke with conviction, not a single lie spoken—as he glared at Venedix.
"I see." Venedix's eyes narrows slightly as she brings her knees back up to stand.
At the same time, she releases the aura gripping into Jinn's body. His breath started to stabilize and the discomfort from earlier was gone.
Flipping her cape at the side, Venedix started to move her hands at the hilt of one of her swords—her other hand, seemingly holding the other side of her sword belt.
Jinn's instincts kicked in, his muscles tensed and his chest started to pound fast—he was preparing for battle.
Yet what happened next wasn't what he expected—at least, at that very moment.
With a soft clunk, Venedix let one of her swords fall in front of Jinn—specifically, at his feet.
Upon Jinn's inspection, the sword's frame looked light, the and the sheath was contoured with an astonishing design to which mixed the colors of gold and red, like a flame being wrapped in light.
"You have courage, 'boy'," remarked Venedix, her tone calm at first—then serious, "but 'I' will be the one who will decide the terms!"
"Eskaren, fren Kazar!" Venedix shouted a language unknown to him
The ground and air started to tremble as the soldiers repeatedly hit their metal chest plates with their hands turned—fists.
The sound almost deafening as it blanketed the whole area with percussion, like how warriors raise their morale and intimidate the enemy with their presence.
A few moments passed and the soldiers stopped. The area fell into stillness, swallowed by silence, before Venedix—broke it.
"Pick up the sword, child" Venedix declared, her fingers wrapping around the hilt of her sword as she unsheathes it, "Your destiny was to die, yet you chose to bare your fangs against it—Pick up the sword and show me how you rebel against it!"
Without hesitation, he leaned downward to grab the sword laying down at his feet. His fingers—wrapping around the hilt as he raises it.
Unlike the one from earlier, he noticed that this sword is significantly more lighter.
"This would do," he muttered, focusing his eyes once again on Venedix. "So what are the terms?"
Venedix raises her hand and brings out one finger. "One hundred civilians… for each minute that you could withstand my attacks," her eyes sharpened as she continues, "A thousand if you manage to hit me."
"And If I lose?" Jinn replied
Venedix raises her arm—clenching her fist, "They all—die, simple as that"
For a brief moment, by turning his head—he looks behind. He could see the faces of the civilians, some at distraught while others looked at him with hope.
He pans his eyes til he could see his friends—no, his family, looking at him with gazes as if their lived depended on him—which on this exact situation, evidently.
"One minute" was what he thought, after the moment Venedix introduced the duel's terms. One minute is all he needed to save all of his friends—other civilians be damned.
A selfish person Jinn was. All he cared for were his family, everything he did up to this moment was for them and no one else—for they are his everything.
Yet at the corner of his mind, he knew what kind of person Nevi is. A kind and cheerful friend who had a heart of gold, if she were to be alive and present as of this moment, she would scold him for not even trying to save these civilians—alas, she is long gone and her body—already cold.
Jinn remembered that Nevi always liked heroes, especially those that belonged to children story books since she always read it to Jinn all the time before they slept—he could remember her face, gleaning as she talked about this "specific" hero and how he resembled Jinn.
Jinn laughed at the idea at that time. How could he be a hero when he knew deep within himself that he "only" cared for them—his family.
Jinn closes his eyes, re-imagining the face that Nevi always made during the times when she talked about the story book.
Then as if destiny foretold that very moment, a spark started to ignite deep within Jinn's very being—a spark that ignited, bursting into flames, as it filled every part—every inch of his body.
He looks behind him one last time as he realizes that in that very moment—for the very first time in his selfish life, he bared the fate of multiple lives on his shoulders. The lives of each child, each parent, each father, mother, and friend rested upon his very being, weighing him down.
But the flames that ignited within him—strengthened him, making him curl his fingers and grip the sword on his hands tightly.
On that day—at that very moment—a hero was born.
"Deal" With his very voice filled with conviction as he gazed directly on Venedix.
Silence came for a brief moment before it was broken.
"Prepare yourself, child." Venedix's eyes narrowed as she dropped into position. "Here I come."
Every fiber of muscle in her legs tensed as she dashed—no, it was almost like she blinked towards Jinn, her blade coming from down below.
Jinn wasn't even yet in fighting position before could even react to Venedix's move. But instinctively—he rose the sword in a defensive manner as he slightly leaped backward, just in time.
With a loud clunk, Venedix's sword hit the lower part of Jinn's blade which caused his arm to shoot upward, the force of the hit almost made Jinn's hand let go of the sword's hilt—but he held on and gripped it as hard as he can and counterattacked.
The sword from his hand already coming down from high above, but Venedix was faster— already on her second move as she twisted her body to perform an attack—her blade slicing horizontally, coming towards Jinn at the side.
With a loud clunk, Jinn's counterattack made contact with Venedix's blade—but she was clearly stronger and so Jinn's hands trembled due to the vibrations that was produced when their blades made contact.
Venedix didn't waste no time—using more of her "held-back" strength, she pushes her sword into Jinn's sword. His arms visibly trembling, he couldn't handle the pressure being pressed upon his blade.
With no effort and struggle, Venedix used merely one hand to make Jinn struggle
"What's the matter? It has only been ten seconds, child." Venedix's eyes looking down at Jinn.
Holding the sword with two hands, his armed trembled as the pressure being exerted by one single arm made the muscles from his upper body, core, and forearms started to feel like it was "burning"—an indication that fatigue had started to settle in.
With a split-second decision, Jinn decided to let down a knee, raising his elbows to one side while slightly angling his sword to make Venedix's blade slip down—he then makes a fist and striked towards Venedix's hips.
"Clever." replied Venedix as she uses her elbow to strike the side of Jinn's face, making him stumble—making him miss his strike and stumble at the side.
Angling her body sideways while extending her arms, she then follows it up with another piercing thrust targeting one of Jinn's eyes—it lands, making him scream in pain.
"AHHRG!" Jinn yelped, instinctively moving his head backwards—releasing the blade that pierced his eye. Using one of his hands, he covers the already bloodied eye—his vision, permanently blind on the right side.
Without rest, Venedix once again leaped towards Jinn—releasing one of her legs to snap and kick Jinn from the side—the motion was almost instantaneous and the sound it made was akin to whip.
The force of the kick made Jinn fly a significant distance before skidding towards the ground. Stains of his blood scattered along the path where he landed.
"J-Jinn!!" Ophelia screamed, her voice filled with terror and concern as she pushed and ran towards the front of the crowd.
Throughout all that onslaught, Jinn's grip on his sword was still tight. The blood from his already gone eye continued to ooze—dripping down on his face, his muscles ached as it pulsated, sending ripples of pain across his whole body.
Still, he moved his legs and arms to push himself up and stand.
"Is that all you got!" blood oozing down his mouth as he rushed towards Venedix.
Pain—"pain" is all he felt for each step he took. His vision began to blur as his heart began to scream as it pounded within his chest—any child would've collapsed at that very moment.
But Jinn—at that moment—was not "any" child at all, in the eyes of his friends and the civilians he is trying to protect, he was a bona fide hero in the flesh.
Flicking her sword downward to remove the bloodstain on her sword, Venedix eyes widened at the sight in front of her.
"Commendable fighting spirit at such a young age…" she muttered, sighing. "A pity—truly."
With both of her hands, she angles her sword upward before dashing towards Jinn—the wind behind her cracked as she moved.
Jinn tried to block Venedix's attack but this strike was even faster than before—thus, it landed.
With a swift and agile strike, Venedix cleaved one of Jinn's arms, the blood from the severed area started to spurt.
At that very moment, Despite having one of his arms severed—Jinn only thought of one thing, "One strike." to which all he needed.
His fingers curled and trembled as it gripped the hilt of the sword even more intensely than before.
"AAARGH!"
With a battle cry, he delivered his strike towards Venedix with all the might his small body could muster. Yet despite giving everything he has on that attack, all of it was for naught as Venedix perfectly parried his attack.
She then follows it up with a frontal kick towards Jinn's kneecap, snapping it as she plunges it with he foot—with force, at the wrong direction.
"N-NO!!" screamed Kain as he tried to run towards Jinn, but was stopped by one of the Zeraf soldiers, pulling him by his shirt, and throwing him back.
"You've died a 'warrior' death, child." In a final action, Venedix grabbed Jinn's shoulder and pulled it towards her blade as she plunges it straight into Jinn's stomach—the blade completely pierced him as it exited at the other side.
Yet even during his final moments, he greets his teeth, raises his arms and still tried to deliver a strike.
Jinn thought that It didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter if he dies, as long he landed at least "one" strike—then everyone will be saved.
Yet his arm collapsed mid-strike as his body could not handle everything anymore. The pain and blood loss were just too much for an inexperienced child like him.
The hilt of the sword slipped through his fingers as it completely fell down the ground.
With a quick motion, Venedix pulls the sword still plunged in Jinn's stomach, his blood oozed out as his body fell on the ground.
The boy who bared his fangs and fought against destiny has failed.
The boy died a tragic—yet, heroic death