Headed by a Snake

Chapter 271 Justice (Part Two)

?Tycondrius held his sword horizontally, low and in front of him. It was a similar stance that made Ferrutius charge at him like a fool, but it seemed that Justus remained hesitant. He remained in his spot, 10 fulms away, illuminated by the hole in the ceiling, an allegory representing the good and just Tyrion forces and the big, bad evils shrouded in the darkness.

There were a half-dozen ways that Tycon could have ended the fight effortlessly. He could have used his ?Vexing Gaze? skill while Justus was off-guard. He'd get a sharp headache, but it would be tolerable. He could have rushed forward and pierced the Decanus through with ?Legionbreaker?.

Stars and stones... He could have just asked Isidor to deal with him.

He didn't. It was a foolish decision, a peculiar whim. He felt that... somehow, the young Decanus, the ally-turned-enemy, deserved this fight-- a chance to defeat the deceiver and live on.

"You are... a very poliiiite swordsman, Brother-Tycon," Isidor hissed.

"Thank you. I try."

It was nice that someone noticed.

Justus nodded slowly... "It... this all feels like a nightmare..."

"Unfortunately, it is real, young Decanus."

"Do we... really have to fight?" Justus asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Tycon scoffed, "Tss... Really? Think about that for a moment. I'd very much not like a bounty placed on my head-- I have a very unique appearance."

And such a bounty would be on top of whatever bounties Tycon didn't know he had.

"And you, Decanus..." Tycon gestured with his offhand, "--could you rest easy, knowing that I was integral to the Rhodoks' failure?"

Justus grimaced, taking a step back like he'd taken a physical blow... "I... I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Tycon shrugged. "Never question me again."

The young man stared at the cavern floor, "What... what about Gianna?"

Tycon hesitated, "She has to die, as well."

"But she hasn't done anything!!" Justus retorted.

Tycon sighed, "If any Rhodoks escape and report the mission failure, another guild will be sent to hunt Isidor-- the Church may intervene, as well. No, we need to eliminate the guild in its entirety to buy Isidor time to move."

"I... have to whaaaat?" Isidor raised his head in surprise.

"Oh, shut up." Tycon glared at the bigger, heavier snake. "Did you really not work that out? Your location is tied to your stupid mountain and the humans will keep sending forces to kill you. Of course, you'd have to move."

"I thought... Bah... I'll go get my things..." Isidor slithered back into one of the large caverns, quickly disappearing from sight despite his size.

Isidor had possessions? Tycon furrowed his brows, trying to think what exactly he meant... And how would he carry them? In his mouth?

Justus shut his eyes, "Then I have to fight... in order to protect Gianna..."

Returning his attention to the fight, Tycon smirked, "You've finally steeled your resolve then."

Justus opened his eyes, emanating a thick, golden mana that had been suspiciously absent throughout the battle with Isidor, "Yeah... I have."

He stepped forward, the cave lit up by his aura, his hair flourishing upwards even in the absence of wind, "Duplicarius Zehr-- no, Tycon... You have betrayed your oath to protect your brothers and sister Rhodoks, actively murdering the defenseless."

Tycon had sworn no such oath. It was a huge oversight that would have strongly affected his plan.

"I trusted you... We all did... And you've stabbed us in the back."

That was an amusing choice of words. He'd shot Fortuna in the throat, poisoned Cyrac with magic, and shoved two swords into Sixtus' neck and armpit. He hadn't literally stabbed anyone in the back.

"And thus, I pray... Eternal Flame, grant me strength to punish the Rhodok traitor... This is my ?Avenger's Oath?..."

...Empty night. Tycon quickly reviewed his options. Was it too late to just kill Justus outright?

Decanus Justus charged forward, slicing his glowing sword through the air, "?Sunblade HEAVEN SLASH!!?"

Oh, that sounded familiar. Tycon ducked a crescent of golden energy, then twisted his body and spun to the side to dodge a secondary projectile-blade. Justus' abilities as an Avenger meant his attacks were twice as hard to dodge.

"If your opponent does not make mistakes," Justus growled, rearing his sword back for another swing. "--force them to."

...Seven bleeding hells. That wasn't good to hear from the opposite side.

Tycon lifted his sword in a reverse grip, bracing it against his forearm. He blocked a heavy strike, which threw him off balance and forced him to stumble to the side.

Justus switched directions and swung overhead. Oh, that one wasn't so bad. Tycon steadied himself, deflecting the sword to the side--

Oh... Aw... He expected a full strike and used too much force to strike it away.

Justus grabbed Tycon's collar, "My entire body is a weapon."

Tycon's vision grew white as the Decanus smashed his forehead into his nose. In response, Tycon quickly cut his forearm across his chest, freeing him from Justus' grip.

He jabbed his sword out quickly, but it was deflected. The young Decanus had very, very good reflexes. However, Tycon redirected his blade's momentum by spinning his left leg back, managing a light cut across Justus' face.

Distracted by his new injury, Tycon planted a solid foot to Justus' midsection, pushing him back.

"If you're being pressured, create space," Tycon sighed. He touched his hand to his nose. Blood ran from it, freely.

"Kicks and shoves are superior to retreating," Justus nodded, knocking his knuckles against the muscled metal cuirass covering his stomach.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" Tycon smirked. "The offer's still open."

Justus shook his head, "You know I can't."

Tycon dodged Justus' overhead slash, stepping to the left, deep into Justus' circle of movement. He sliced against the side of Justus' armor, but his sword glanced off the Tyrion steel.

Justus swung his sword again-- bah, too close. Tycon braced his sword to block instead of dodging or deflecting.

"?LEGIONNN-BREAKKERRR!!!!?" The Decanus yelled.

Aw, shite. That wasn't so easy to block.

Tycon channeled mana into his sword, bracing his offhand palm against the flat of his blade. At least it was a slash, not a stab, so the piercing effect wouldn't be as precise.

Justus' sword clanged against his, the blades sparking and a brilliant burst of mana exploding outward.

The secondary blast of mana, however, followed past the sword, cutting deeply into Tycon's chest and sending him hurtling backward. As he rolled and tumbled against the rocky terrain, he was internally thankful that Isidor wasn't here to see him struggle.

He got to his feet. His head hurt. He considered removing his visored helmet-- but he remembered that that was stupid. Blood ran down the gash on his armor, down its front.

"Surrender!!" Justus ordered, "You can't continue with that level of injury, Zehr!!"

Tycon twisted his lips into a smirk, "And what? We'll go see the healers together? Behind that large rock over there, Fortuna lies dead with my crossbow bolt in her neck."

Justus paused... closing his eyes and finally allowing the situation to set into his brain.

"T-to the death, then?" Justus asked, his lips quivering slightly.

Tycondrius readied his sword and nodded, "Either yours or mine."