Chapter 03 Fight (Re-written??? Read the actual final notes.)

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Erick's POV (enemy player) (moments before the attack)

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The Gorgon's escape attempts have been thwarted by Borak's barriers and the wound he already had. Despite that, he is still fighting back, showing admirable determination.

Yet the more the players fought, the more noticeable it was that the Gorgon was barely staying afloat. His scales were cracked and bloodied, his eyes were dull and weary, and his movements became sluggish and erratic. It's easy to realize that if they keep it up like this, the Gorgon will fall at any moment.

Erick commented in the midst of the intense battle with the Gorgon, "Ha, This is really easy, don't you think? We are just slightly tired... LETS KEEP GOING!"

All of them were slightly exhausted. However, their expectation of a challenging place was quickly shattered as they faced an unexpectedly easy situation; the machine told them this was supposed to be a challenge.

There was no way that thing would kill any of them soon. At most, it's gonna knock out one, and then they'll finish him off. But one of them didn't like that. A strange feeling of a bad omen looming over him has been with them since he came here. Maybe there are several gorgons, and soon, they will appear to help him. Who knows what else lurks in this dark and damp forest?

I see out of the corner of my eye that the bleeding from Joe's arm hasn't stopped, but he keeps fighting even in that condition. He's the strongest among us but also the most reckless, continuing to charge ahead without thinking of the consequences.

I remark, "Don't think that we will forget you triggered the gorgon's attack by finding and breaking one in 'ACCIDENT'."

He responds, mentally rolling his eyes, "I told you that I thought it would give me something. This place is similar to those old games. According to the female voice, we can have everything we want if we are strong enough-"

Before he finishes speaking, something interrupts him, breaking their peaceful atmosphere. The sound of rapid footsteps reverberated through the place.

All of them turned their heads in unison to see four persons running toward them with weapons in their hands, ready to clash at any moment.

I muttered as I gripped my weapon and prepared for a different fight, "Tsk, why is it that my hunches always seem to be spot on?"

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Dante POV

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They noticed their rush down immediately, their eyes widening in alarm as they approached. Quickly, all of them got into combat positions, ready to take them on.

'Well, it doesn't take a genius to know that if four people approach you with weapons, they don't come with good intentions.' thought Dante.

Dante charged forward with all his strength, his shoes thudding against the ground as he aimed for the closest player. The machete sliced through the air, and he could feel the wind rushing past my face. He aimed to end this in one quick slash.

Clang!

But just before his blade can make contact, it is blocked by a steel tube. A jarring clash of metal fills their ears. As soon as his momentum is over, while their weapons are colliding, Dante is pushed backward, losing balance by the impact.

His feet slipped against the ground as he struggled to regain his balance. Dante was perplexed. He didn't expect to lose his balance from the impact and almost step out.

With his scarred face, shaved head, and leather jacket, he thought this would be an average Joe or ordinary thug, but only now did he realize that he exuded a sense of danger and skill. He picked his fight wrong.

Dante could see how the enemy player gritted his teeth and groaned in pain after the strike. He must have felt the vibration of the metal in his bones. But even so, the grip over his weapon didn't change, nor did his posture break. He glared him back with a murderous intent.

At that moment, with my adrenaline pumping in his system and his hands trembling, he realized something: "I have a chance."

His left arm was almost unusable. At a glance, you could see how it was visibly injured and bloody despite his efforts to hide it. The blood dripping through his sleeve betrayed him.

"He must have injured it before we got here, maybe in another fight. He is relying solely on his right arm to hold the tube, which gives me an opening." Thought Dante.

My hands shuddered. I don't know if it's because of the impact or something else.

An overwhelming feeling invades Dante in these moments. A cocktail of chemicals courses his veins as he moves closer. He's not afraid. Contrary to what anyone would expect, he is excited.

In order to protect himself, his brain released certain chemicals for this fight so he doesn't get scared by the fight that decides his life, instead rewarding him for fighting back.

He shifts his stance and prepares for another strike, not giving Dante a chance to make the first move. A smirk crosses my lips as I taunt him, "And here I thought you were gonna be an easy one."

He approached his opponent as fast as he could, swinging his machete towards his neck. But once again, it clashed against the steel tube. They continued exchanging blows back and forth, the sound of metal ringing through the air.

In a desperate attempt to slash their opponent, he darted towards them at full speed. Dante was faster, but the enemy was more experienced. He easily blocked his attack with the metal tube. But the thug knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Being wounded and tired would make the task a total ordeal.

They clashed multiple times, each strike resounding loudly as both fought with all their might. Dantee suddenly felt a sharp kick to his chest. Gasping for air and feeling immense pain in his ribs, he realized he had left himself open in his focused attack.

"I can't breathe!" I thought desperately as the world started to spin around me.

Dante falls to the floor, his chest heaving and eyes bulging in panic. But all of his attempts to move turned out useless. His body has been rendered immobile from the damage his vital organs received.

He feels like he's suffocating, like his lungs are collapsing. Desperate gasps escape his lips as he watches the enemy player slowly approach, a smug grin on their face as they hold their weapon like a trophy.

'Shit! I can't just stand here, frozen. I need to do something, anything will come fancy now.'

As he came closer and closer, my mind started to panic. I can't think clearly. I can only feel fear. Fear of dying, fear of losing, fear of failing. I don't want to die, not like this, not by his hands. I need to fight back. I need to survive.

...

Dante's heart starts to beat faster and faster. Pounding in his chest like a drum. It's the only sound he hears, the only thing he feels. A voice in his mind tt's urging him to live, to fight back, to win.

...

Suddenly, something inside him snaps into place. Something inside him changes as if two pieces of a puzzle have finally connected, revealing a piece of his true and primal nature.

While he is lying down, Dante grabs all the dirt he can with his left hand and some tiny rocks with the other one.

In a decisive moment, Dante threw the dirt and stones on his face. Using the small window he had created, he swiftly waved the machete against the part of the body that was closest to him at that moment.

The foot

Dante feels the impact reverberate through his arms as blood sprays from the wounded foot. But there's no time to celebrate. He quickly rolls away from the scene before he can retaliate.

'It wasn't a clean cut, but the damage it did should be enough to make it unusable.'

Gasping for air and barely catching his breath for a second round, he saw Shannon get knocked out with a crowbar in the distance. Mere seconds ago, she was holding herself on her own until she made a fatal mistake and let her guard down, paying the price for failing at such a critical moment.

Dante's body moved towards Shannon instinctively, but it was too late. The attacker smashed her head with the tip of the crowbar, leaving a bloody mess on the ground as she fell lifeless with dull eyes.

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My mind and body went blank for a moment. I didn't know what to do. Should I keep going against the other guy? Should I fight him and buy time? Shoul-.

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"KID, DON'T JUST STAND THERE!!"

Magnus had shouted at me from across the place. He was fighting another player, a man with metal claws instead of hands. Yet even full of several cuts that might kill him any time soon, he kept swinging his weapon with the same ferocity.

As he stood still with his body paralyzed, staring blankly ahead, he felt a sudden jolt course through him. He regained its color, and his body started to move again.

I can't afford to be shocked by this sudden change; in the midst of a battle, I need to stay focused. "He's right..." I muttered.

I can hear Magnus yelling at me from his place, "take care of the one that killed Shannon The other one, leave him; he won't be able to do much, As soon as Daniel finishes, he will take care of it" he says all that while he keeps fighting against the player that has claws instead of hands.

As they fight, the enemy player speaks in a cold tone, "Old man, how do you know your friend will win?" He is not insulting Magnus; he is genuinely curious.

Magnus lets out a small laugh and responds, "If he doesn't, that means that all of us are dead then!" His eyes narrowed as he prepared to keep this fierce dance going till Dante or Daniel finished.

Dante's eyes darted away from the commotion, fixing on the lone figure that he slowly approached. With a quick glance, he could tell he was exhausted and damaged by his charred and lifeless left arm.

Towering over him, he stood with an air of menace, unflinching and emotionless as he gripped a bloodied crowbar in his hands.

The only solution Dante could think of was that he had a trick up his sleeve or something similar.

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As I cautiously edged closer, I could feel the tension in the air. Every movement seemed amplified. Each sound echoed loudly. My heart pounded in my chest. My breaths came in short gasps as I prepared for what could potentially be a fight for my life. No... this is the fight for my life.

Rushing down to him, I attacked erratically with my machete. I don't know stances or anything like that kind of thing. I swing my blade with all my strength, hoping to land a hit.

Our weapons clash, and in that clash, I realize how weak his grip feels. The fight with Shannon really knocked the wind out of him. He is barely holding on to his crowbar.

Again and again, I pressed forward with relentless attacks, overwhelming him with sheer force. But as the stalemate dragged on, I, too, began to tire. My arms ached, and my breath grew ragged.

Like a wild animal, I continued to press on, attacking without any pattern or elegance. He hardly blocks or parries my attacks.

After a few moments, I can see how he barely stands up even though I am not better;* Huff* Shaking your weapon tires you out more than I thought. My arms are sore, and my breath is ragged.

As we keep up this pace, the stalemate keeps growing even more. Both of us are covered in sweat, and all I am doing is throwing attacks with no reason while looking for an opportunity.

Suddenly, an idea struck me, one that could potentially give me the upper hand. I glanced up at the tree above us, my eyes scanning for a way to get an opportunity.

I realized that the branches were just low enough to reach with a jump. If I could climb onto the branch above him, I might be able to strike with surprise from above. But the risk of being caught in mid-air was high.

Gathering my courage, I took a step back to build momentum. There is only one chance...

But thanks to a strike of luck, Dante's whole complex plan is completely destroyed. The enemy stumbles over a piece of the place that is uneven. Losing his balance.

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!!!

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FUCK THE PLAN! I throw myself at him with all my might as soon as the blade is about to slice him.

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Eh?

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"What happened?-" Confused, before Dante could look up and see that he had not been injured. He feels a sharp blow to the head, and everything goes blank.

A deafening white noise fills his ears, and all he can see is the enemy's silhouette, laughing maniacally, coupled with the taste of blood and dirt that coats his mouth from falling on the ground.

From his perspective, everything starts to move in slow motion.

He's smiling with my machete in his two hands. He slowly wields it toward my head.

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So that's how it ends, eh?

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I...

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I don't want to go back to that place...

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I am sure that the "thing" that gave me a second chance was my biggest stroke of luck. I am not unique or special. There must be more interesting people. I am just a mere toy; there will be nothing similar, there is no other side, and there is no heaven or hell. The only thing that awaits me is the bitter embrace of darkness...

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I refuse...

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I will not die...

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NOT YET!

Meanwhile, his mental apotheosis happens; Dante's body begins to swell in width, and his hair turns purple, increasing its size. The process is harrowing. He feels like every part of his being is melting. From his perspective, he is about to implode at any moment.

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Thomas POV (enemy player)

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And with just a swing of that machete, I'll cease to think.

A wave of sadness washed over me, and a million questions filled my mind.

Huh, it's funny. It seems it's true that you will watch your life flash before your eyes before you die.

Bitter memories come back to me: life never treated me well, others took all my opportunities, I worked hard and fairly but... never made it. Isn't it funny, I am merely another human being trying to climb a hill just to end up falling over and over,

Why am I even thinking this? No one likes sour losers

Ha...

Ha...

My head was already clear and ready to leave, but...

The blade of the machete never got where it was supposed to. It instead passed through me as if I didn't exist.

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My body moved independently without questioning what happened, with some laughter coming out of me.

Finally, Lady Luck smiled at me for once, without hesitation. My hands grabbed his dropped machete, and as my grip became tighter, I could feel the rough handle. Victory was mine

.

But as soon as I started wielding it, The air around him began to shimmer and glow. A blinding light began to engulf him.

That's not good...

FUCK if I used my ability when I was about to die, he should be able to as well

Desperate, I summoned every ounce of strength left in me. He couldn't finish whatever he was doing.

I feel how I hit something. I can't quite make out what is exactly.

DID I SUCCEED!!???? Is it my victory?

The light fades, but what receives me is not a corpse but a kind of fantasy animal with a horn in the center of its head. It looks unrealistic and seems to be a kind of stuffed animal taken from a Tale or Book. Strangely, it doesn't look like anything I've ever seen.

I realize that what I cut was its hair and "a bit of its fur with some skin.

Before I could compose myself, it jumped, and its horn pierced my neck,

A searing pain shot through my body as blood gushed from the wound. I tumble to my knees, hitting the floor.

In a desperate attempt to save myself, I frantically placed my hands over the wound, but it was no use. The blood continued to pour out, and I struggled to breathe.

As my vision grew hazy and my throat constricted, I couldn't help but laugh bitterly at the irony of the situation. Just when I thought the universe had finally given me a chance at victory, it all came crashing down in one final, fatal blow.

"Ha..."

A feeling of disappointment and sadness envelopes me, darkness covers my eyes, and everything starts to fade out.

The thought that the universe wanted to give me hope, what a joke...

And with that last thought, darkness enveloped me and everything faded away.

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FF: pinkie pie full name is Pinkamena Diane Pie

(AUTHORS NOTE 1 it may have errors and i'll change them later on I already explained myself

2 FM, you know sometimes i am thinking why the fuck do i even write like i could just write for me but NOOOO for a F reason i want to write it and show it to the world, right now it's 3:18 am now i just want to sleep good night or day depending on where you are at)

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New author's note! (From re-written!)

Sorry, but I have a limit of time that I can waste per chapter; the quality died a bit after half of this chapter, but I need to work on the new ones.

Two reworked chapters are an entire whole chapter of time. I'm sorry. This chapter was too long!

Also, I wanted to keep the first-person style of this chapter... just so I can turn back and remember how they looked.

And I think it's pretty decent!

Rewritten Chapters aren't meant to be like the newer ones. It's just small touches, so they are more bearable to read.

Like I added a whole 1.1k more words out of text!