Against the King as the Queen
Sam merely smiled at Kartikeya's reminder and let him make move and Sam's next move is for him to attack the king with his queen.
This time, Sam didn't behave like a madman or a maniac, instead, he behaved calmly and went back to his ninety percent light element fusion form. But this time, he didn't take out the staff, instead, he took out the Executioner sword.
There is a reason why wouldn't use this blade normally. Because it was nurtured with hydra's blood and it has an extensive bleed effect on the wounds along with some wicked corrosive effect. In a normal fight, even before he could enjoy the bout, he was already kicking the ass of his opponents. So, with this blade, it will be all too easy.
So, he wouldn't use it. But since he is going against one of the best, he has to be at his best. He has to use all his tricks up his sleeve and that is why he made sure to damage Kartikeya dearly even at the cost of sacrificing himself.