Torn apart

Zayn would have died if the fight would have been dragged on any longer. Fighting against two Skeletons who were both stronger and faster than him was simply not possible, not while lacking special powers and proper equipment. He would be a fool to even think of taking them down single handedly.

The iron pole and his non-existent physical strength would have never been enough to reach the purple marble of the two Skeletons, let alone squash it.

Both Skeletons had been wearing leather armors, adding an extra layer of protection, and in Zayn's opinion, an unnecessary one. There was no need for the Undead to receive further protection.

However, now that the smaller Skeleton was crushed, Zayn saw an opportunity in front of him.

He was injured and barely able to move but that was fine as long as he got hold of the smaller Skeleton's Soul Wisp!

'Wait…it's not dead!'

When Zayn was looking for the Soul Wisp, he noticed that it was not there. He might not be able to see much right now but he could still tell that the Soul Wisp had not yet been released.

This forced him to take a second glance at the pile of broken bones. Zayn was only able to make out something purple that was hidden underneath a bunch of bone fragments.

Overcoming his exhaustion, Zayn went beyond his limits once again. He dashed toward the stash of bone fragments while ignoring the larger Skeleton for a short moment.

His right hand reached out for the weakly moving hand of the smaller Skeleton and quickly snatched the silver iron shortsword. Grasping it tightly without slowing down, Zayn was able to reach the purple marble of the smaller Skeleton just a moment later.

He picked it up while running, threw it in the air in front of him, and slashed at it while cold sweat trickled down his temples. His school uniform was already drenched in sweat and it was uncomfortable to move but it would have been great if that were to be his biggest problem.

The purple marble was not even cut in half when he slashed it. Zayn's current exhaustion didn't even allow him to exert the little amount of strength he possessed. Fortunately, the sharpness of the silver iron shortsword was enough to cut faintly into the purple crystal if not completely break it into two.

It was just enough to eliminate the smaller Skeleton, whose Soul Wisp emerged from within the purple marble.

Zayn's hand reached out for the Soul Wisp when he heard a noise from behind him. He tried to jump to the side or accelerate his steps further, but he quickly noticed that his body was not in a condition to obey his orders.

Time was running out and once he fell on the ground, Zayn wouldn't be able to get up again. That was what he realized at this moment.

The Warhammer smashed down on the ground right behind him. Dread began to crawl up his spine and he willed himself to think straight. He didn't let go of the Soul Wisp nonetheless.

'Should I do it?' He wondered at this moment, his mind just as exhausted as his body. The Soul Wisp was in his hand and Zayn's mind began to rattle for a moment before he shook his head.

'...no time…no strength…'

He absorbed the soul particles of the smaller Skeleton's Soul Wisp and took a deep breath while he observed the hazy figure of the larger Skeleton.

It didn't seem bothered about the death of its comrade, but it was not as if Zayn could read its mind. The only thing this bunch of bones did was make his task difficult, either way!

His vision cleared up a little when he finished absorbing the soul particles and his head felt much clearer as well. He was still bleeding due to the wounds on his back and the thigh but his condition was not as bad as he thought before.

The exhaustion that was threatening to take him down faster than his opponents had momentarily subsided thanks to the soul particles he had just absorbed.

It was not as if he was fully reinvigorated but his condition was much better, good enough to charge at the large skeleton that smashed the Warhammer down on him.

Zayn evaded the Warhammer while maintaining a steady grip over the silver iron shortsword. He twisted his body and slashed down at the closest arm of the Skeleton.

'As expected…I'm still too weak!'

He noticed quickly that he couldn't cut through the forearm of the Skeleton. It would require someone stronger to slash at the Skeleton a few times. Zayn's attack inflicted scratches but that did little to deter his opponent.

Furthermore, it was not as if the Skeleton wouldn't retaliate. One of the Skeleton's arms reached out to him all of a sudden. The sudden movement took Zayn by surprise but it was not fast enough to get to his neck. Zayn reacted quickly enough. He jumped back while swinging the shortsword upward.

The Skeleton's arm was pushed aside but Zayn ended at the cavern tunnel's wall. He couldn't retreat any further!

'All-in? All-in!'

Even if Zayn would rather change his fighting style, he didn't know many tactics to begin with. He did not even have the luxury to take his time and think about the next steps. Retreating was not possible and running away was not feasible either.

His physical strength was lower and he was already exhausted. Furthermore, he had no idea how many more opponents were hiding in these tunnels. The fight against the large Skeleton caused the loudest commotion because the Warhammer made too many noises when crashing into the ground.

Unsure of how long it would take before more Skeletons would find their way toward them, Zayn had to defeat this one as quickly as possible.

'Avoid the Warhammer…and get closer!'

The arms of the larger Skeleton were not as dangerous as the Warhammer. Thus, Zayn ended up closing in on the distance while piercing the shortsword toward the shoulder of the Skeleton.

To defeat his opponent, its purple marble had to be destroyed. Damaging it lightly would do the trick, but there was leather armor and some bones in the way.

Zayn removed the leather armor by cutting through its loose seam. In exchange, he was caught by the Skeleton who grasped him tightly as he lifted him into the air.

'You want to tear me apart, you bastard?! Fuck off, you ugly piece of shit!'

Feeling that the Skeleton's fingers were about to dig inside his chest and back, Zayn used the only advantage he had gained from being lifted into the air.

He thrust the silver iron sword downward and pushed it in it in the small gap just above the Skeleton's collarbone. The tip of the blade slid through the gap and it pierced deeper inside before getting stuck.

'Why the hell is their upper body so densely packed with fucking bones?! Give me a normal human corpse to fight, bastards!!'

In retaliation to his attack, the Skeleton lifted him higher in the air while pulling its arms to the opposite sides.

"Argh!!" Zayn screamed while instinctively circulating every bit of soul particles inside his body in his left leg as he kicked the handle of the shortsword, shoving it deeper inside the Skeleton.

"Die, you bastard!"