Bab 127: 127: Done holding back!

Clang! 

A resonating clang echoed throughout the shrine as the sword and claw met, sounding as though metal had clashed against metal. Val had narrowly managed to dodge a direct hit, but the force behind Gruul's attack was so immense that it flung him backward like a ragdoll in a tornado.

Bam!

Val collided with the bone-littered floor of the shrine, rolling and tumbling through the scattered skeletal remains. As he tumbled through it, some sharp shards of bone scratched his skin while others punctured him like a host of tiny daggers.

-2 HP!

In a desperate attempt to stop his involuntary movement, Val plunged his sword into the ground, which helped in halting his momentum. He was left crouched on one knee as he came to a stop.

His gaze met Gruul's, a defiant look in his eyes as blood began to seep from his wounds, blood that slid down his skin and stained the already grim and dark surroundings of the Shrine of Evil.