For survival

One after another one, Holbe parried each of Oppoa's attacks.

She was on the defence while he came after her, swinging his staff like a maniac yet his movements didn't have any unnecessary steps. He handled his staff like it was part of his body and only swung it to aim for Holbe's pivotal points.

It was a wooden staff and Holbe was sure she could cut it. As Oppoa jumped at her, he was briefly suspended in the air. His staff pointed straight at her, she dodged it and held her sword up to vertically slice the staff along the length in two.

Oppoa instantly retreated yet Holbe rushed up to him, kicked one of the staff's half out of his hand, spun it in the air to grab it only to stab it in his shoulder.

Both of them coughed blood. The second she reached for the staff and penetrated his skin, the second he took the other half and pierced it into her abdomen.

"Haha! This is great!" he grinned like a child who has tasted for the first time what it was like to be naughty.

"I don't have time for you," Holbe kicked her sword on the ground towards her and threw it at him.

But the moment, the sword was about to leave her hand, Oppoa jumped out, ripped out the staff in his shoulder and stabbed her palm with it.

The sword dropped to the floor and was kicked away by him.

"What's a swordsman without a sword?"

Holbe fell to the ground. She knew she had to leave the staff in her body to minimise blood loss, but it was impossible to move with the long thing stuck in her.

Instantly she pulled it out. But once again, she was stopped by Oppoa who stepped on the staff, causing a larger hole to rip in her stomach as the end of the pole in her tore upwards.

Holbe's blood dripped onto the ground. She started to get dizzy, but she couldn't afford to waste her power on healing herself.

She grabbed the staff with both hands and quickly pushed herself backwards. Her hands moved back on the wooden weapon as her wound constantly rubbed against it until she finally freed herself.

Now, the blood poured out in masses.

"This is a shame, I had thought the captain would be stronger than this. If you don't fight me with all you got, you won't even make it out alive to chase after the prince."

"Ha," Holbe spat out, "You didn't fight me seriously too."

"I can afford it," Oppoa shrugged his shoulder, "It's a shame it ends like this."

No, Holbe thought, if she was gone, no one could help Frozen Milk anymore.

She really was a disgrace as the captain. She wasn't even a match against a single opponent who wasn't using all of his strength.

She should stop getting distracted by Frozen Milk.

Focus everything on the fight before you, Holbe huffed out, it was naïve to think she could spare some of her power.

She held her hand over her wound and healed it on the surface, enough to stop the bleeding.

1, 2, 3-

She dashed towards Oppoa.

Focus, focus your power on the feet and hands, speed and strength were necessary. If I can't fight with my sword-

Once, twice, thrice-

Hit, kick, hit.

Both of them moved across the whole place. Holes were punched in the walls, on the ground, in the ceiling.

Holbe was never worked up like this. As Oppoa pressed her against the wall, she could clearly feel once again the insane amount of strength he possessed, despite his body looking like that of an average male.

She put one of her feet against the wall and with force used it as a springboard and tackled Oppoa to the ground.

Swiftly, she put her hand on his shoulder and the golden light appeared again, "I need you to be laying quietly for this to work."

With the other hand, she clenched his neck to stop him from moving.

"What... are you doing?" Oppoa rang for air.

"I'm healing you," Holbe could feel the exhaustion draining her consciousness.

"Healing me?" Oppoa was taken aback.

"Yes, however," she sped up the process, "As a result, it's inevitable that you'd pass out because your body needs to regenerate on your own."

"You- "

Healing was the most energy-consuming but Holbe knew she couldn't fight him any other way. In addition, she had to end the fight as quickly as possible.

"Haha, this might not be too bad..." Oppoa passed out and Holbe staggered to her feet and dragged her beaten up body down the hallway.

One after another step, she clung onto the wall to move forward. The sweat on her forehead rolled down her eyes and clouded her vision. The blood from her palm dripped and she couldn't move it anymore.

But none of it mattered as she prayed and hoped.

For what?

For survival.

His.