Monster In Your Eyes

Shin? Well, either way, we win! I can just surrender. Nice!

"Welp, I'm gonna go lose real quick and we can talk later okay?"

"Lose?" Alfie raised an eyebrow.

Well... I mean if Shin wins then I did beat Foxy for a reason... right? I'm sure I can get a portion of the coins... or steal them...

I'm really bad at convincing myself...

"Either way, our party wins and we can split the money right?" I smiled and walked off.

Sure I have my pride and my worth is only backed up by me not losing physically... but when it comes to fighting Shin... does it really matter? I've already stabbed him in the back once I just can't do it literally this time.

"The guilt I'd feel just weighs out my pride," I mumbled to myself.

I looked onto the entrance of the raining arena to find Fay cautiously hiding in the shadows as her opponent's frantically looking for her. She sprinted in and slashed a small wound at her foe's arm, retreating back to the shadows once he noticed.

It's slow... not a single step was taken that wasn't intended. Always striking where her enemy couldn't counter back in time. A beautiful slow dance of destruction, slowly leaving him to bleed out.

"This will take a while, I have to wait just to surrender? Such a pain," I sighed.

"You're gonna fight and this time, you'll fight me back!" Shin came from behind, surprising me.

"No way, either way, we win so how could fighting possibly help?" I stood my ground. Arguing with him... I feel like I don't have the rights to go against him... but this is for the great good!

"It's not fair to them! I'll beat you at your best... and you'll understand what it's like to feel powerless..."

His eyes... they look so determined. I... don't know how to answer that... what do I say? What can I say?

"I won't fight you," I swallowed my pride and walked back to the changing room, not knowing what else to say.

I reached out to grab for the knob of the door, but suddenly I heard Alfie's voice in an unfamiliar tone, "That was a lie wasn't it?".

Lie? What is she talking about?

"W-What do you mean?" Foxy stuttered.

"I heard your first conversation with Amber. You said you'll buy your freedom. Never underestimate an elf's ears."

"Y-Yeah. I'll buy my own freedom so I could be with Galatea!"

"A name too! You really thought this through."

I paused in front of the door, listening in.

"I love her! I really do,"

"Liar... how did you meet then?"

Silence... he wasn't able to answer. He lie to me? I... should've been more cautious... Alfie saw through him so easily...

I'm not mad at Foxy for lying to me... just disappointed at myself for not seeing it coming.

"Even if you're telling the truth... just give it up. A romance between races just can't work. Eventually, the girl will die from natural ageing while you'll be left behind... grieving for years on end."

Strange... I thought she'd support it. She seems so hopeful all the time... seeing her say give up feels so odd.

How did I not see this coming? Pathetic... all these moments surrounded by good people are making me forget what kind of a person I really am...

"Winner! Silent Assassin!" I heard the faint sound of the announcer.

Bet that's Fay... I'd better go.

Walking into the moonlight, I saw Shin waiting inside his iron armour that I forged. As I went into the arena, the crowd roared from my entrance he looked at me straight in the eyes.

"You. Will. Fight. Me," His voice commanding, gripping his sword with pure determination.

"If I'd actually give you everything I've got... you'd be dead where you stand," I pointed at him, threatening him. I've tried reason... frankly I'm tired of it.

"Then do it! Kill me! It'll prove that I was right. People like you don't change... they c-can't..." He sprinted full speed towards me.

Once I blinked, he disappeared into the darkness. My eyes wandered, searching for a gleam from his sword or armour. Suddenly, a strong wind came from behind, blowing my hair forward, blocking my vision for a second.

When I finally got my hair out of my way I found myself surrounded by walls of strong wind with only one way to escape... forward. Shin stood in my way waiting for me to strike...

No way... I stood still refusing to fight.

"Tch... just what the hell are you planning?!" He jumped up preparing to strike from above.

Gosh, darn it... just, "How many times do I have to say I'm not planning a thing!"

It's starting to get irritating!

I dodged his slash from above but tanked all his consecutive attacks just to spite him.

"Fight back! It's your plan to make me seem like a villain isn't it?" His stare's filled with anger and hatred, but it also looked so broken at the same time...

"Fight back!" He kept saying.

"You want me to fight you that badly? Fine!" I cracked... kicking his sword up the moment it was in reach.

Being a GOOD patient person just doesn't suit me, does it?

"Forge," I punched back with my fist reinforced with iron knocking him onto the wall. Shin got up and attacked me, mindlessly like a wild beast. I ran around his attacks, frantically dodging as Shin tries his best to hit me with wind slashes.

Until finally my stamina started to run out and I slowed down, giving him the window of opportunity to attack me. With that, he slashed me across my chest. Smirking, thinking that he'd shown me pain, he lets his guard down for just a second.

Unfortunate for him, that second was all I needed to smash his hands together, dislocating some bones and forging a shackle to make sure he couldn't strike more with his most powerful weapon, his hands.

As the floating lights of the colosseum started to lit up, I threw him up high. Soaring in the night sky, he'll need a few more seconds to adjust to the light.

Although, it would give him enough time to locate his bones again... once he's down, I should be able to attack before his eyes could adjust.

My breathing stabled as I regained some of my stamina, I watched him fall back down. As a precaution, I forged a trampoline made out of plain iron and chains.

That should make him give up... the gap of our levels are just too wide...

I stood still waiting for him to fall as I noticed how fast we were really fighting. The raindrops seem so slow... it almost seems like it's on slow motion...

Suddenly, I felt pain from my back as I realized I was pushed into the wall.

"You don't give up, do you?!" I shouted out of frustration.

My eyes locked on his every movement. Striking onto his stomach and spin kicked his head, breaking apart of his helmet. Reinforcing every attack with iron layers, slowly breaking his armour apart while he was wounding my body.

Before I knew it I was covered in blood...

"You're still not taking me seriously! I know what you're capable of! Use that frozen spell! I'll beat you either way you monster!" He pointed at me with half of his helmet destroyed.

As if I could... if I used that again on the same day I'd die from the pain. Trust me, if I could I would!

"So you say that I'm a monster, cause I laughed when pretty boy couldn't choose the right path? I'm a villain yeah it's true don't compare me to you!"

Shin smirked, "Now they can finally see you for what you are!".

"It could've been SO easy! You could've just let me surrender, but no, you just love making my life hard don't you?!" I pulled out my dagger and struck to finally shut this annoying loser up!