Corrupted Love| XIAOVEN

Chapter 17: two monsters (3/4)

TW: slight gore, blood

No one was there. On the night, which would decide over life and death of two mighty fighters. It was probably better that way, because anyone getting between the two, would surely be dead soon. If residents had been present, this fight would probably have gone down in history.

 But as so often the case, the most epic battles were never seen by mere mortals. When one legend crashes with another, the world can't even watch. 

It doesn't have to shout your name, proclaim you king, or immortalize you in statues. No, that happened only in a few cases.

But still, that didn't stop them from standing back up over and over again and getting in the way of those who threatened them. Here they were, not folk heroes, not known fighters, and yet more deadly than the vast majority. 

They were the monsters who would never be seen, whose names would never be remembered, and whose faces would eventually disappear in the dust of time without ever being thought back on. 

This was exactly what they were born to do. They did not need tears from people.

Eventually, others would learn about these monsters after all. Centuries later, they would go down in history. Because legends like them, cannot be forgotten. Stories about these creatures would be sung by bards until the end of time.

 In the shadows away from everyone, they would slowly grow stronger and stronger, until eventually people would look up at them and wonder how these monsters had ever made it this way. Xiao had long, perhaps never, had such a powerful opponent and he knew full well that this night could well be his last.

 It was that simple, arrogance did not help him in fights. The only ones who escaped battles alive were the strong and cowardly. Whereby he needed to be the former to win. He was afraid, regretted things, and did not want to die.

However, these weaknesses, as they were called by the general public, were the strongest weapon of any fighter. Without those, even the best could not survive.

The art of winning, however, was the way one dealt with them.

No being was perfect or untouchable and that is where those who won and those who lost differed. If you knew how to deal with those feelings, you knew how to win. It was as simple as that.

 But Columbina did not need this. The only exception to this principle was simple: 

Insanity.

 The second thing that is known to be part of success is a little madness. Craziness could be relied upon surprisingly well in such a case, which was why Columbina stood there as peaceful and calm as seldom before.

The air was still as the two moved at inhuman speed toward each other. They moved so fast that earth and dirt were thrown up each time, enveloped in smoke with each movement.

 Xiao was surrounded by black karma as he flew through the air so fast that he almost looked like green lightning.

 His spear glowed in the darkness and spun quickly as he elegantly moved the pointed blade. His slender body twisted expertly with each movement, following his spear like an extension of his body. 

As fast as the two moved it was hard to tell what was actually happening. Both monsters were a storm in their own ways. Xiao, swift and agile. 

Columbina, delicate and elegant, ice-cold and as sharp as glass. Small black holes formed around Xiao, sucking up everything in the vicinity. 

The yaksha spun his spear around so fast, there was no way to reach his body. Black karma in the form of smoke continued to flow out of him and he felt his mind getting more twisted and wilder. He swung his spear with so much force that he probably could have killed a person instantly.

 His heart was racing, and his breathing was fast and shallow. They could have both destroyed armies and yet they were evenly matched.

The ground exploded and dirt and black smoke flew up continuously. It was hard to breathe or see as the world around them continued to be destroyed.