Hollow Knight: The Horrid Vessel

Chapter 4

The Horrid Vessel and Mantis stood afar from one another. Both ready for the other to make the first move. The sounds of the gassy fungal caverns all around them, the moment however when the sound of escaping gas was heard both immediately blitzed towards one another.

The Horrid Vessel used his great nail and swung from it to give him loads of forward momentum, while the Mantis wouldn't give him a chance and went to swing at the vessel’s great nail yet the Mantis's lance would just clang aginst it. "Such a nail! The clang between my weapon and his was like a great bell being rung!" Mantis said as he then turned his head only to get met with a swing from the great nail.

Yet when the Vessel swung he hit nothing but air, he could have sworn the Mantis was right in front of him. Thats when the Horrid Vessel would be hit in the back repeatedly in just a matter of moments. He swung his great nail back and still once again hit nothing but air. Azazel would watch from afar as this continued for the next few moments.

"How fascinating, it would seem this Mantis is even faster then the Mantis lords! No, no hes just as fast, but his attacks hit that much harder.

Its very impressive, the Vessel really is a horrid one, not even able to pick up on the brief shockwaves left by the Mantis." Azazel thought. The Horrid Vessel fell to one knee, it's blade stabing into the ground.

"Ah, my horrid companion. If I may have some words, I do believe that you may be out of your depth with this one. This Mantis is far too quick, and you are just too slow." Azazel said.

The Horrid Vessel knew this was true. The Mantis was moving so fast that the brief shockewaves it left behind seemed to be leaving quite large gaps in the ground where it jumped from. The Horrid Vessel looked around for a few moments, the change in the direction of the gas particles alerted him to the direction of the Mantis.

The Horrid Vessel then got up and gripped his blade with both hands. The Mantis would blitz to the roof of the cave before then shooting down towards the Horrid Vessel. Thats when the Horrid Vessel would turn on a heel, casuing for the Mantis to stop mid attack and slide across the ground. The Vessel reacted to this and grabbed the Mantis by the leg and began to slam them into the ground.

"GACK! YOU BRUTE!" shouted the Mantis as the Vessel repeatedly slamned the Mantis into the ground before then chucking him away. The Mantis dropped to ground, weakened from beat down. The Horrid Vessel then raised their great nail, the Mantis turned around and used their Lance to block the attack. The Mantis struggled aginst the Vessel and his great nail. Azazel watched, eager to see just how far the Vessel would go for victory.
"I WILL NOT LOSE TO A SLAVE!" shouted the Mantis.

The Horrid Vessel's grip tightened as it then reached out and grabbed the Mantis's neck tightly, the Mantis attempted multiple quick jabs and strikes at the Vessel yet somehow unlike before, it did no damage. "Ooooo, it seems the finale is close at hand!" Azazel said.

The Mantis attempted more jabs yet nothing worked, it would be until the Vessel would raise his great nail like a sun is where the Mantis would truly begin to see the intense difference between both his speed and the Vessel's strength. "Damnit! I should have kept my distance! Getting up close was a death sentence!" The Mantis thought, however before the Vessel could strike the sound of a great many feet began to be heard. The two immediately looked over, it was coming from one of the entrances to the Mantis kingdom. "Seems we're about to have company." Azazel said. The Horrid Vessel and the Mantis looked at one another before parting and standing off towards the entrance.