章 133: The Plan is Simple

Emile entered the labyrinth again with a clear plan in mind. Having talked it through with Willow, the reality was as she said: Emile doesn't react quick enough.

It's an issue that can be solved in two ways: first, Emile could simply move faster. If he moved faster he could continue to rely on his vision while successfully evading the onslaught of arrows.

The issue with that option, however, is that it only applies to his fight against the three bowmen; which doesn't even touch on the fact that Emile can't just move faster as he pleases.

With option one essentially being impossible, he's left with option two: train his other senses until they're greater than or equal to his vision. Of course, this is the correct option, it was always the correct option and will always be the correct option—the issue with this one lies in its stringent requirements.

The fact is it takes a really long time to rely on your secondary senses; and it takes even longer to train the fabled 'sixth sense' that is often referenced in these scenarios.

But, while constructing this plan, Willow made an excellent point: when most people dedicate themselves to training their sixth sense and heightening their secondary senses, they do it in a safe, steady manner.

Emile is a healer. Emile is a healer who is able to heal himself. Although unappealing, due to Emile's Gift he's able to train much more severely than ninety-percent of his peers.

So then, what's the plan?

The plan is simple, Emile is going to enter the labyrinth and face the stone samurai once more. The difference, however, is that Emile is only going to defend, and if he can, he's going to try and evade every arrow.

So Emile entered the labyrinth. He defeated the slime and the lizard and the python and quickly made it back to the fourth trial.

The samurai spawned, slowly pulling themselves from the viscous magma. They drew their bows and knocked their arrows and just like before released the first wave simultaneously.

Having gone through this already, Emile leaned back like limbo and watched as the three arrows crashed into one another above him. As they fell, Emile straightened up and observed his three opponents.

With only a quick glance, Emile memorized the order in which the statues were readying their next shots. This was his first mission, to be able to dodge the arrows without looking.

As a handicap, he allowed himself to know the order in which the arrows were arriving, but in the grand scheme of things Emile still had to actually dodge the arrows blind.

Suddenly, Emile heard the crisp snap of the bowstring launching an arrow. The noise came from his back left, as expected, but the moment Emile heard the snap he froze.

The arrow slid between his collar bone, erupting through his skin and piercing through to his chest. Just as the pain ignited, Emile's peripheral vision caught the tip of the arrow, bloodied and rough, hanging beneath his chin.

Before he had time to think, another snap reverberated. The pain from the first arrow, and his unexpected terrible performance, wiped Emile's thoughts clean.

He has no idea which of the two samurai shot that arrow.

But how could that be? Emile was facing one of them, but before he could connect the dots the second arrow lodged itself between his ribs, just beneath his elbow.

Annoyed and disappointed, Emile glared at the final bowmen. He needed to at least dodge this arrow, after all, he could see this one.

The bowstring snapped and Emile didn't take his eyes off the arrow. He followed its trajectory, estimated where it would hit his body, and moved as little as possible to avoid the arrow.

It soared past him, nearly skimming the ruffles of his clothes and then sunk in the inferno behind him. Emile gripped the arrow stuck in his ribs and ripped it out, blood splattered on the ground and sizzled from the heat; creating a heavy iron aroma in the atmosphere.

Before he could grab the arrow near his shoulder, the infamous snap returned. Like the first time, Emile's anxiety spiked and panic began to take hold.

Even so, he knew the arrow was coming from his right, the arrow he just removed. It struck him again, piercing the edge of his thigh.

Emile grit his teeth and pulled the arrow out, his mobility was the most important thing right now. Another arrow exploded towards him, this one from the front, and Emile stepped to the left.

As the arrow flew past him, another arrow slammed into his left shoulder.

'What?'

Shock wiped his mind clean and Emile returned to a helpless victim. Frozen stiff, Emile ran the scenarios through his head.

'Did they fire at the same time?'

'So I could only hear one of them?'

Emile's gaze was aimed forward, locked onto the bowman in front of him, but his eyes were empty. Although they were open, Emile wasn't seeing anything. He was too caught up in his failure, trying his hardest to pick apart every moment to find the one, single mistake that led to it all.

But of course, the epiphany never arrived. Emile remained motionless as another arrow broke though his chest.

The impact rattled him. The fog over his eyes retreated and he was brought back to an arrow impaled in the center of his chest. Looking up, the bowman in front of him already had his next arrow knocked.

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