Holes littered Eve's body, and yet her bones continued to move. She couldn't afford to stop; if she did, it would be the end of her.
Her gashes spewed blood to no end. One, then two beams barely missed her nimble figure.
Only the two upper arms kept shooting, and yet, why did the arm in her chest become passive?
After Eve bound herself truly to Nightfall, a few things changed. Her irises changed colors. But more importantly, she could wield Nightfall in a single hand without any problems. With the addition of power and the defilement's transformation, both of them were in a bigger stalemate than they were before.
Something had to change.
This is a long shot, but I can definitely pull it off. However, if I do, I will be left vulnerable.
Eve burst into a dash toward the corpse, her body zigzagging from side to side so she didn't get blasted.
Her body came to an abrupt stop, her left foot forward and her right foot pivoted back. Her core turned to the right. Nightfall was gripped tightly by the hilt, and with all of her might, she launched it toward the defilement. The sword flew across the distance, aimed directly at the center of the horror.
The corpse obviously dodged to the side, but that was exactly what Eve had planned.
While the defilement dodged the incoming Nightfall, Eve broke into a sprint again, aiming for the feet of the corpse. Right there, before the woman's dodge, lay the smaller sword that Eve had previously used.
Nightfall pierced the wall behind the defilement's original position.
Eve managed to snatch the discarded sword from the ground, her sprint never stopping until she reached Nightfall again. Once she reached it, she had to dodge two attacks before she could retrieve her primary weapon.
You have one shot, don't waste it.
Eve dodged two more attacks.
She exhaled deeply, then threw Nightfall horizontally into the air. As Nightfall finished its ascent and began descending, Eve threw the other sword, its tip pointing directly at it.
The smaller sword crashed heavily against the fuller part of Nightfall, and to Eve's surprise, it flew wildly toward the defilement. Eve had wanted the other sword to pierce the middle arm, but somehow, it cut off the left pale arm that protruded from the corpse's left shoulder blade instead.
The pale arm landed in the sand—and with it, went Eve's chances of winning.
Why?
Because the eyes of wonder thrive on chaos.
One.
Two.
Three.
...
Seventy-seven.
Seventy-seven eyeballs filled the arena, sprouting from the walls down to the grimy sand on the ground.
The remaining upper pale arm moved to the right and shot at one of the eyeballs. The eye absorbed the beam, and suddenly-
Eve had a clean hole blasted through her chest from behind.
If she hadn't moved by pure instinct when the pale arm shot, the beam would have pierced her heart.
What is goin-
Eve turned her head to look behind her, and she saw only a detached eyeball looking back at her.
SHIT, the eyeballs serve as a conduit-
The pale arm shot again at one of the eyes, and Eve's right calf was pierced straight through.
Nightfall landed uselessly at her feet.
What the fuck do I do?
Eve bent down as fast as possible to retrieve Nightfall, dashing back with all of her might. She pierced the eyeball that was behind her.
Seventy-six to go.
Another hole appeared in Eve's body, this time in her shoulder. Then another hole, and another one. Her body resembled a colander almost perfectly.
Eve stood there, all the fight draining out of her.
What's the point?
Another hole appeared through her biceps.
I'm tired.
An extra hole appeared.
A dog's death awaits me.
Another hole.
"There's one more thing you haven't done yet," Nightfall whispered in her mind.
Shut up, let me die in peace.
Another hole.
"Ask for his help."
Him? Who is he? Right, him... I'm sure he left. Why would he watch his pitiful student get killed?
"You have nothing left to lose, you already got my strength. Why not get his boon also?"
Another hole appeared in her body, and she could barely stand upright.
No, I'm done Nightfall. I'm too tired to even try.
"You killed your mother, Eve, but there's someone out there who still wishes to see you."
Who?
"Your father, Eve. I'm sure he is still out there."
Eve's eyes shot up in pure surprise. Her father could still be alive out there.
Just as a hole was about to appear in her forehead, she yelled with all of her might into the roaring stands.
"THREE! GIVE ME THREE, ELYON!"
Someone in the crowd smiled from ear to ear, his eyes shifting to display the literal number "3".
Nightfall increased Eve's total strength by two, and Elyon increased her overall speed by three.
She could win.
Just like an afterthought, Eve disappeared before the beam could go straight through her head.
Sixty-three.
Thirteen eyeballs were gone in just a split second.
A fine line of dust appeared along half the arena's walls, then fifty eyeballs remained. The whole arena walls were filled with a rising cloud of dust. Only the eyes on the sand remained.
Eve began to zigzag through the arena, destroying every eyeball that came into her path.
Forty.
Twenty-seven.
The corpse of the defilement still managed to hit her a few more times, but she didn't care about the pain anymore.
Fourteen.
Someone was waiting for her.
One.
Zero.
I know how to defeat you.
Eve dashed toward the corpse, stopping just in front of it. In one clean, blinding slash, she managed to sever the final pale upper arm.
The corpse's right hand closed around Eve's forearm, but Eve cut it clean off as well. She thrusted her sword into the left arm, severing it completely.
Only the pale arm in the corpse's chest remained.
Eve dropped Nightfall into the sand, and her right hand closed around the pale wrist.
Thank you, Elyon, for everything.
In a swift, brutal motion, she pulled the entire arm out from the defilement's corpse, spewing blood everywhere. What lay at the end of the appendage was a heart, fused directly to the bone, still beating rhythmically.
Eve's left hand grabbed the heart and squeezed.
The heart exploded in bits of blood and flesh.
The corpse and the severed pale arm fell limp onto the sand.
Eve's body grew incredibly weak as Elyon canceled his power. Her gaze wandered up at the crowd.
For a moment, everyone was dead silent.
"SHE DID IT! EVERYONE, SHE DID IT! EVE WON! SHE KILLED THE DEFILEMENT!" the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers.
The crowd began to applaud, then scream. All of them were glorifying her. Even a boy who looked familiar shouted at the top of his lungs, his parents doing the same beside him.
Tears began to fall from Eve's eyes. She extended her hands outward to embrace the crowd.
Mother... father... look... they see me... I'm fina-
The pale arm twitched on the ground.
Then, BANG.
Half of Eve's face was blasted entirely away.
Eve's body fell onto the sand with a heavy thud, completely motionless.