Roven and Selvaria's footsteps echoed across the destroyed earth.
Toc.
Toc.
Toc.
Broken stones cracked beneath their feet.
Neither of them slowed their pace.
Boran and Garrick remained motionless.
The two passed them.
Selvaria on the left.
Roven on the right.
At the same instant...
Both cast a brief glance at Garrick.
The front of his armor was destroyed.
One of the chest plates had split completely, exposing the dark fabric beneath it.
Another remained attached by only a small strip of metal, tilted over his abdomen.
Fragments of armor were still scattered across his body.
A thin line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Garrick watched them for a moment.
Then...
A small smile appeared on his lips.
Boran followed Roven and Selvaria with his eyes.
The two continued forward without looking back.
Toc.
Toc.
Their footsteps slowly faded away.
CLANK.
A metallic sound echoed.
Boran's eyes shifted toward Garrick.
His body began to move again.
Slowly...
He began to rise.
The muscles in his arms and legs tensed beneath the weight that still seemed to be pressing him against the ground.
The weapon remained firmly gripped between his hands.
The black staff groaned beneath the pressure.
CRRACK.
Boran narrowed his eyes.
Garrick continued rising.
Little by little...
His torso stopped being inclined.
The leg that had been pushed backward returned to its original position.
Blood still ran from the corner of his mouth.
Garrick planted one foot firmly against the ground.
His hips turned.
His shoulders followed the movement.
The full weight of his body entered the rotation.
The war hammer moved with him.
CLANG!
Boran's weapon was repelled.
SKRRRRT!
His feet slid across the stone.
He retreated several meters before firmly setting his stance again.
A discreet smile appeared on his face.
"Ah..."
His voice came out low.
Calm.
Almost amused.
"Now I understand why they call you the Wall of the North."
Garrick did not answer.
CRACK...
A fissure crossed the stone head of the war hammer.
CRRACK...
The rock began to crumble.
Fragments broke away one after another.
They fell around his feet.
Until only the black staff remained between his hands.
Garrick lowered his eyes.
The staff was bent.
"This damned thing has been with me for years."
His voice came out hoarse.
Without any apparent emotion.
"And it didn't even have the decency to die with me."
Garrick raised the black staff before his eyes.
For a moment...
He simply watched it.
Then, he threw it aside.
CLANG!
"Coward."
Garrick turned his eyes toward Boran.
He held his gaze for a moment.
Then his eyes lowered to the black staff.
After...
They returned to Garrick.
"So..."
He calmly rested Dharmapala over his shoulder.
CLINK...
The chain attached to the weapon swayed.
His smile grew slightly.
"What are you going to do now?"
Garrick remained silent.
For several moments...
PLOFT.
He spat the blood to the side.
The red liquid struck the destroyed earth.
He ran his thumb across the corner of his mouth.
"Don't worry."
His voice came out hoarse.
"I still have both hands."
Boran narrowed his eyes.
Garrick raised one foot.
And drove it into the ground.
BOOM!
The ground sank beneath the impact.
Two large stone slabs burst from the earth at the same time.
CRACK!
They rose violently.
One on the right.
Another on the left.
Garrick struck both slabs at the same time.
BOOM!
The stone exploded around his fists.
But the fragments did not scatter.
They remained attached to his hands.
CRRACK...
Stone after stone began to fit together.
The fragments covered his fists.
Climbed over his wrists.
Reached his forearms.
Until...
Two enormous stone gauntlets enveloped his arms.
Boran watched them.
Then...
He calmly removed Dharmapala from his shoulder.
CLINK...
The heavy chains slid around the shaft.
Garrick followed the movement.
Boran swung Dharmapala once.
The gigantic axe blade turned downward.
THOOM.
The end of the weapon met the stone.
The ground cracked faintly beneath its weight.
Boran kept one hand on the shaft for a moment.
"Among my people..."
His fingers released Dharmapala.
The weapon remained planted between the cracks in the ground.
"it would be disrespectful to answer empty hands with a blade."
Garrick looked at Dharmapala.
He let out a brief laugh through his nose.
"Hah."
CRRACK...
The gauntlets groaned as his fingers closed.
"You're going to regret that shit."
Boran brought one hand to the opposite forearm.
He calmly tightened the old bandages.
Then did the same with the other.
His fingers closed.
The knots snapped.
CRACK.
CRACK.
Boran moved one foot forward.
His enormous body lowered slightly over his base.
The wind passed through the destroyed passage.
Small fragments of stone rolled between them.
Then...
Boran moved two fingers toward Garrick.
"Come."
BOOM!
The ground exploded beneath Garrick's feet.
A crater opened in the same instant.
FWOOSH!
His body crossed the distance like a projectile.
Boran did not retreat.
His eyes followed Garrick throughout the entire approach.
The right gauntlet came first.
All the momentum of the lunge entered the blow.
Boran planted his stance.
His fist closed.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Fist against fist.
The air exploded between them.
A shockwave tore through the passage in every direction.
Dust and fragments of stone were ripped from the ground.
CRRRAAAAAACK!!
Cracks burst from the point of impact and raced through the destroyed passage.
The pressure struck the rocky formations around them.
Stones trembled.
Fragments fell.
At the center of it all...
The two remained face to face.
Arm against arm.
Garrick's gauntlet groaned.
CRRACK...
The muscles in Boran's arm remained tense.
The impact reverberated beyond the stone.
The very Flow of the World fluctuated around the two.
Neither looked away.
Boran yielded.
His elbow suddenly bent.
The resistance against Garrick's fist disappeared.
Garrick's arm moved farther than expected.
Boran stepped out of the line.
His left hand found the side of Garrick's right gauntlet.
Pushed it aside.
Garrick followed the deflection.
He turned his hips.
The left gauntlet came from the side.
FWOOSH!
Boran pulled his face back.
The stone fist passed before him.
Garrick was still completing the rotation when Boran entered.
One step.
His left foot occupied the space between Garrick's legs.
His palm advanced.
THOOM!
It struck the center of his chest.
Garrick was pushed backward.
He did not fall.
He dragged one foot across the destroyed stone.
SKRRRRT!
His body absorbed the displacement.
Boran advanced with him.
He did not allow the distance to open.
The right fist came toward Garrick's face.
He had not yet recovered his stance.
The left gauntlet descended toward the ground.
His fingers closed.
And pulled.
CRACK!
A block of stone rose violently in front of him.
Garrick's right palm met the surface of the stone.
THOOM!
He pushed.
FWOOM!
The enormous slab shot forward.
Boran did not retreat.
His fist closed.
BOOOOM!
The stone exploded in the same instant.
CRAAAAACK!
Hundreds of fragments were hurled through the passage.
Dust and shards covered the space between the two.
For a few moments...
Boran lost sight of Garrick.
When Garrick appeared again...
He was already in front of him.
FWOOM!
The right gauntlet came from below.
Boran turned his face aside.
The fist passed before his chin.
Garrick did not interrupt the movement.
His hips turned together with his shoulder.
The left gauntlet came right behind it.
Boran leaned his torso back.
WHOOSH!
The second blow passed before his chest.
Garrick took another step forward.
He gave him no space.
The knee rose.
Boran lowered his elbow at the same instant.
THOOM!
The forearm met the knee.
Garrick's leg was deflected to the side.
Boran seized the opening.
His left arm passed beneath the deflected leg.
Pinned it against his own torso.
Garrick's eyes narrowed.
Only one leg remained on the ground.
Boran struck.
His palm drove toward the chest.
THOOM!
Garrick's body was launched backward.
His trapped leg remained where it was.
His balance disappeared.
Boran advanced with him.
His right hand seized Garrick by the side of his armor.
His body left the ground.
Boran turned his hips.
And threw him.
Garrick reacted while still in the air.
The right gauntlet descended toward the ground.
His fingers closed.
He pulled his arm violently upward.
BOOM!
A mass of stone burst from the ground toward him.
Not to catch him.
To change his fall.
The formation struck his back while still in the air.
THOOM!
The momentum diverted his body.
Garrick spun.
One turn.
BOOM!
He landed on both feet.
Slid several meters.
SKRRRRRT!
One of the gauntlets touched the ground.
He raised his head.
Ahead...
Boran was advancing.
Garrick slammed the palm of the gauntlet against the ground.
BOOM!
The passage answered.
CRACK!
A stone spike burst from the ground before him.
Then another.
And another.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
A sequence of rocky formations shot toward Boran.
He did not slow down.
His right fist advanced.
BOOM!
The first exploded.
The left came right after.
BOOM!
The second crumbled.
Boran crossed through the fragments.
Another formation burst from the ground before him.
This time...
Boran did not strike.
He crossed his forearms before his body.
And advanced.
CRAAAACK!
The stone spike struck his guard.
It broke against it.
Boran crossed through the fragments without slowing down.
Dust and shards covered his vision.
For a moment...
Garrick disappeared.
SKRRRRT!
Stone slid somewhere inside the dust.
Boran's eyes moved between the fragments.
FWOOSH!
The right gauntlet broke through the curtain of fragments.
Straight toward his face.
Boran pulled his head out of the line.
The fist passed inches from his face.
Garrick tried to pull it back.
At the same instant...
Boran's hand closed around the right gauntlet.
CRRACK...
His fingers tightened around the stone.
Garrick turned his hips.
The left came from below.
BOOM!
The gauntlet struck Boran's abdomen.
The muscles in his abdomen contracted at the instant of impact.
The fabric over his belly sank inward.
But Boran remained motionless.
Garrick began to pull the left gauntlet back.
Boran moved faster.
The hand holding his right gauntlet twisted.
Pulled the arm downward.
Garrick's shoulder followed.
His weight shifted forward onto his front leg.
His torso tilted.
Boran was already coming toward him.
THOOM!
His forehead struck Garrick's face.
His head was thrown backward.
Blood burst from his nose.
Garrick staggered.
One step.
Boran did not release him.
He pulled Garrick back.
The knee rose.
Garrick saw it.
The left gauntlet descended before his abdomen.
THOOOOOM!
The knee struck the stone.
The gauntlet was crushed against his own body.
Garrick's back arched.
The air escaped his lungs.
"GH!"
Blood ran from his mouth and fell onto the stone.
Everything happened in fractions of a second.
Boran's knee descended.
At the same instant...
He released Garrick's right gauntlet.
His hips turned over his base.
The right fist came with them.
BOOOOOOM!
It struck Garrick on the side of the face.
Blood cut through the air.
His body spun with the impact.
His feet left the ground.
CRASH!
Garrick rolled.
Once.
Again.
Broken stones leapt around his body.
He drove his left gauntlet into the ground.
SKRRRRT!
His body immediately arrested its own rotation.
At the same instant...
A shadow grew over him.
He looked up.
Boran's enormous body descended upon him.
Both hands joined above his head.
Garrick slammed his palm against the ground.
BOOM!
The stone broke through the ground beneath his body.
THOOM!
The formation struck Garrick from below.
His body was ripped out of Boran's trajectory.
FWOOSH!
In the next instant...
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Boran's hands struck the passage.
The ground sank.
CRRRAAAAAACK!!
A crater opened around the point of impact.
Cracks shot through the destroyed stone.
The impact wave hurled dust and fragments in every direction.
Garrick was still in the air.
He turned his hips.
One leg descended.
THOOM!
His foot found the ground.
The other leg came right after.
SKRRRRT!
His body slid sideways.
His knees bent.
One of the gauntlets touched the passage.
Garrick stopped.
At the center of the crater...
Boran remained inclined.
His hands still near the destroyed stone.
Then...
He began to rise.
Stones slid from his arms.
Around his body...
The air began to contort.
Distorted waves crossed the space around him.
Like heat above a furnace.
His face lifted.
Garrick's eyes met his.
Neither moved.
Garrick took a deep breath.
He spat.
PLOFT.
Blood struck the stone between his feet.
He brought the back of the gauntlet to his nose.
His hoarse voice broke the silence.
"What kind of monster are you?"
He ran his hand over the blood.
When he pulled it away...
A red stain covered the gauntlet.
Garrick narrowed his eyes.
Through the distorted air...
Boran's very silhouette seemed to deform before him.