章 32: Pain

The sword, still in Amis' right hand, lunged directly at Rafael's stomach. Seeing the blade coming, Rafael twisted his body to minimize the impact. To Amis' surprise, the sword cut through Rafael's clothes but only grazed his skin, leaving him largely unharmed.

As Rafael lost his balance and fell to Amis' right, he grabbed the club that had become wedged in the sword and yanked it free. Amis seized the opportunity, attempting to punch Rafael in the face. Though Rafael was focused on the blade, he managed to evade the punch at the last moment.

Amis' fist struck the ground with tremendous force, the pain from the impact causing him to howl, "AAAAAAAAAGGHH!"

Rafael took advantage of Amis' moment of agony to roll away, creating some distance between them. He got to his feet, breathing heavily.

"You... Aaaghh, I will... Ahhh ahhh uufhhh... I'll kill yooooouu!" Amis roared, his breath ragged and his left arm hanging limply. How is he still alive? Where's the blood?! he wondered, convinced the sword had struck its target.

Amis swung his sword in a wild, downward-right to upward-left arc, followed by a left-to-right swipe. Rafael evaded the attacks, his retreating steps keeping him out of harm's way. When Amis completed his left-right swing, he was left wide open. Seizing the opportunity, Rafael tackled him in a bear hug, forcing him to the ground.

The world spun for Amis as he hit the hard ground. The temperature seemed to rise, and his sword felt unusually heavy. Disoriented, he subconsciously gripped the handle and, with his last ounce of strength, thrust the blade into Rafael's left side.

It clearly hit its target. The blade traveled across the entire back of Rafael. Some clarity returned to him, and with it, confusion, despair and fear. He saw that the only thing his attack did was push Rafael to the side a bit. No cut, no blood, no death.

"What..."

Amis' arm was pinned by Rafael's left foot. The sunlight blinded him, and all he could make out was a dark silhouette looming above him. His final realization dawned: Rafael had won.

"Heheh... Hahaha... You can kill me now, but people will know you're a criminal and will hunt you down wherever you go, ahahahha." His voice, though mocking, was filled with a hint of fear. Rafael took the sword from Amis' hand and placed the blade at his throat.

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Sitting next to the lifeless body of Amis, Rafael's hands shook uncontrollably, his heart racing. He still gripped the blade, taking deep breaths to calm his racing mind. The experience of killing someone left him feeling nauseous and disoriented. He sat in silence for a minute or two, struggling to regain control.

I can't waste any more time. He searched Amis' body and found only a small pouch of coins. He took the short sword, sheathed it, and set off on the horse.

"I had to do it. I had to," he muttered, his voice barely audible. The trauma of the killing weighed heavily on him. He rode away, leaving the corpse behind.

With the sun nearing its zenith, the day was sweltering. As he rode, he realized he was on the horse of the man he had just killed. The thought made him sick, and he nearly vomited. He dismounted and switched to the horse he had originally fled on.

Riding through the winding road, Rafael lost track of time. His body, relaxed after the fight, began to ache from the bruises and impacts. The blade had hit him several times but hadn't cut through due to his white coat, which was a blend of Kevlar and graphene and others materials.

That bastard, he thought, wincing from the pain. Everything hurts.

I hope they aren't searching for me yet. He glanced back, seeing only a distant dot on the ground. The horse maintained a steady pace, and after ten minutes, he looked back again. There was nothing in sight. He repeated this check every few minutes until he noticed a small forest entrance to his right.

Did I finally arrive? he wondered, spotting a simple but larger house compared to the village homes. The passage led to a modest wooden house with a small fenced area containing three chickens and an open space behind.

He approached the house and saw an elderly woman sewing while two young girls watched her attentively. The woman looked up and stood as he neared. I hope they know if the city is nearby.

"Hello, sir. What brings you here?" she asked with a forced smile, her grip on her hands revealing her nervousness. Rafael glanced at his clothes but saw no blood, unable to deduce why she was so apprehensive.

"Hello. Do you know if Floutt City is near?" As he finished asking, two men—presumably father and son—emerged from behind the house and hurried towards them.