Game of Insomnia | ✓

Chapter 27: To The Rescue

If Cloud didn't come, then Noctis would've been dead.

            He ducked and warped a long distance away from Ardyn, summoning another crystalline sword and then charging towards him. He scowled as he stroke a strong blow towards the opponent's blade recklessly, "Die you imbecile!" He didn't care if the blade would slash against his skin. He didn't care if he would get wounds that blood would spill from the gash. He was too focused of Ardyn's moves. For Noctis, Ardyn didn't deserve to win for that man was too treacherous. Ardyn had taken away the love of his life— you— from him and now Ardyn had also allured Ravus, making him submissive and eventually letting him turn against Lucis. And when Ravus had learnt of his mistake, he was still urged to fight Noctis.

            Noctis dodged Ardyn's blade. The clash of deafening iron filled the room once again. Their swords locked, but Ardyn found a hole that Noctis didn't realize he had been tricked-- he thought he had overcome Ardyn's weakness, but it was too late before he knew that Ardyn summoned another weapon and attempted to stab it to the prince's side. Noctis' eyes grew wide as he felt pain in his side, only finding a sharp metal pierced into it. The crimson liquid flowed continuously out of the gash. His breathing automatically slowed down, the air in his lungs running out. He gasped for air and knelt down the ground after Ardyn pulled the knife out of Noctis' side, more blood spilling into the floor.

            His sight went hazy, allowing his lids to close but he forced them not to. He gripped his injured side and focused his sight on Ardyn, who stood before him. The man didn't hesitate to point his sword towards Noctis' neck. A sly smile formed in his lips. "I thought you said that you wanted me to die, but look at you now. Sitting on the ground helplessly as you await for death to come and take you. Shouldn't I be the one to call you imbecile? A useless prince who had no idea what the true meaning of ruling is," the blade of his sword hardened on Noctis' neck, blood trickling out of it.

            Noctis gritted his teeth. "You'll never succeed in your plans."

            "Oh I will never," Ardyn laughed, "unless you die." There was a brief moment of silence filling the room. The dim light flickered that made Ardyn's dreadful face appear and disappear. He didn't have a second thought to raise his sword high.

            Noctis stared with a stern face as the blade goes down towards him, eyes closed. If this were what it took, then he had nothing to do about. He swallowed and looked down. The silence killed him more; he didn't know if the blade had already lunged into his body. However, before the blade would pierce right into his heart, the chandelier above swayed and the ceiling creaked. Ardyn paused for a moment and looked up to the ceiling, realizing cracks had formed in it until it exploded.

            Dust filled the air and Ardyn's sight went unclear. Debris were scattered among the floor. Soon the entire ceiling fell, and Noctis had to run away before it would disintegrate on him. He tried his best to stand up. He couldn't see anything clearly, but he could hear the noises of robots and shooting guns. He turned his head once again to the sight; Ardyn was nowhere to be seen, but he was astounded of the sight laid before him. Some of the magiteks were in sight and they were destroyed, scattered among the broken concretes. He smelled a different scent filling the air that nearly intoxicated his nose. Smokes hurled from different directions. Flames spread throughout the room. He could hear explosions and the sound of machine guns and onagers filled his ears. Despite of the smoke that made his sight unclear, he could see five figures walking towards him, their shadows getting more human-like. He noticed that one of the five had spiky hair, and now he realized who had come to rescue him.

            His blue eyes widened as the faces were now to be recognized. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out and he was about to fall towards the ground.