398 Enlightenment

As Arran faced his opponent, there was but a single thought that pervaded his mind: that he must seize the Knight's techniques for himself, no matter the cost.

His thoughts had long since grown hazy from the exhaustion that tore at the edges of his consciousness, but this single truth still stood clear in his mind. Even now, he recognized that the chance before him now would not soon offer itself again.

Countless hours of ceaseless battle had caused him to enter into a state where insights almost seemed tangible, and the small part of him that still held reason knew that if he allowed it to slip for even a moment, there was no telling when — or if — he would succeed in regaining it.

And so, although waves of fatigue swept through his weary body, his thoughts nevertheless held only a single-minded determination.