Chapter 182: [182] Taming The Storm

Cleopatra seemed to have torn right through the confines of the tower, sending them both into uncharted territory.

Ark was surrounded by pure darkness filled with shifting strings of colours. Below him, the darkness seemed to go on forever, and it felt as though he would fall through it at any moment.

In the distance, he could see the hole that Cleopatra had pushed him through, but he could not hear anything from outside.

The Stormy Legion stood in the way, blocking him from reaching the exit.

’One minute left,’ Ark thought. If he did not conclude this fight in that time, then he would have to contend with whatever was coming, and he was sure he would not like that very much...

Somehow, they had both lost their weapons in the struggle. Cleopatra pulled out a dagger from her belt. The weapon had a serrated edge and a thick, vulgar blade.

"What is it that my sister has that I do not?"

Ark resummoned the hero’s blade, but this time in dagger form to match hers.

"Is it her body? Her curves?" Cleopatra stared at herself, and even though she tried to sound confident, Ark could sense an inferiority complex that had been built up over years.

"We are twins!" she said with pain in her voice. "Why couldn’t you love me like you did her? Why did you never look at me the way you looked at her?"

Unlike last time, when he had spoken without meaning to, Ark was silent.

Cleopatra shook her head. "I see. I must have been a fool to fall for you."

She closed the distance in a heartbeat, her dagger streaking towards Ark’s face. He blocked the strike with a slash of his own, then stabbed twice at her eyes.

Cleopatra darted to the side, dodging the first stab, then leaned back as the second sliced right past her nose.

Ark launched a blow with his other hand, and she blocked with the side of her arm before driving her knee into his gut and elevating him from the ground.

Ark staggered back, feeling his already cracked bones groan. He had been sure that he was stronger than her in their first exchange, but now her blows felt as though they had been weighted with steel.

More blows came flying. Ark dodged them, then swung his foot at her face. She shifted back to dodge the strike, the wind cutting past her—

Then she stomped down on the back of his knee. An A-rank shield appeared, cushioning the attack a little before her foot exploded into it, sending hot pain climbing up his leg like tentacles.

"Fuck!"

His vision was blurred with stabs of pain.

The first came at his neck. Ark moved back, and she followed up with a kick that brushed over his shoulder, rattling him, just before jumping to deliver two more kicks in close succession.

He blocked the two of them, each one sending a shockwave rippling past, before sinking his dagger into her shoulder. Cleopatra gritted her teeth, and Ark twisted the blade.

"You bastard," she hissed.

In a flash, Ark found his neck wrapped up between her thighs.

For a second, he experienced heaven, just before she drove him down to hell.

Booom!

Ark landed headfirst. Wind cut past them, and even the darkness below trembled from the impact as light fizzled into the space.

"How did you like that?" she mocked. "There is more from where that came from."

"Don’t threaten me with a good time," Ark said in a muffled tone, his head still ringing.

Cleopatra’s dagger fell as she got up. But she stomped on it, flicking it into the air before driving it towards the back of Ark’s skull.

[Rewind]

Ark’s body vanished. He appeared behind her, right at the spot he had been a few seconds ago.

?!

Stab!

Blood splashed out of her back as the dagger slipped past her armour and into her flesh. Cleopatra gasped, then let out a battle scream as she spun around, lashing out with her dagger.

Blink!

Ark vanished again, this time appearing on the floor.

Stab!

His dagger dug into her knees, tearing into bones and ligaments. Ark twisted the dagger, feeling it horrendously grind over her bones.

"Arghhh!" She swung her dagger down, unleashing an aura slash that ripped through space, but all it met was an empty floor.

This time, Ark appeared in the air. His dagger sank into her shoulder at the exact spot he had struck earlier.

It was meant to be her neck. She had managed to shift out of the way just in time.

"NARGHHH!

Cleopatra tried her best to catch him, but each time, Ark would vanish just as he was inches away from her fingers, only to teleport to an area she could not predict.

The space around her blurred with flashes of steel, Ark moving too fast for her to track. All Cleopatra could do was helplessly defend herself as her body was riddled with stab wounds.

But not long after, Cleopatra finally figured out the pattern. There were specific areas he could appear—

’Here!’

She suddenly turned around, her fist whistling through the air, coated with a thick layer of her aura.

KAK—BOOOM!

Her hand slammed right into Ark’s chest, shattering his chest plate and flinging him in the direction of the fissure.

Cleopatra was exhausted. She had lost so much blood that her entire body felt weak. The world blurred in her vision.

But she could not give up. Not yet. Not until those who had caused her pain were all dead and buried!

She put the last of her energy into her feet and launched herself at Ark, her body cutting through the distorted space like a missile.

Cleopatra caught up to him and grabbed his neck just as the two of them burst right back into reality.

Her eyes blurred with tears as she lifted the dagger, her fingers firmly clasped around his neck.

She was close, she was almost there, so why?

Cleopatra stared into his forest-green eyes that stared back at her with the intensity she had grown to love, and at his locks of golden hair.

They were nothing like her coarse, rough hair that had been sullied from fighting in thousands of wars. His hair was soft, like freshly rolled yarn.

Cleopatra stared at the man she had grown to love, and she hesitated.

Everything had happened in the space of a second, and in the mess of battle, Ark had not noticed her hesitation.

And hesitation or not, the battle had long been decided—

He phased right through her as they landed, and then used stealth to disappear into the environment.

Cleopatra staggered to her feet, bloodied and bruised, her eyes searching the hall.

Splurt!!

Her eyes widened as blood slowly began filling her throat, drowning her. Ark materialized behind her, his dagger lodged in her side, right in her heart.

He hurriedly grabbed her in a chokehold. She was dangerous; he doubted even a fatal wound would stop her.

Ark felt bad as she struggled in his grip. She had launched an attack on the city, killing thousands, all for the sake of taking her own sister’s life.

And yet, he could not bring himself to hate her. If anything, he felt pity. He had no idea if this was a simulation or a replaying of a scene from the past...

But his objectives were clear, and the real Cleopatra, if there ever was one, was long dead.

He squeezed—

Cleopatra grasped at his arms, trying to break free. She screamed, she kicked out her feet, she struggled for her life.

Ark felt his heart ache. The alloy armour groaned.

Cleopatra stared at her sister with bloodshot eyes. All of her men had been slaughtered, and yet there she was, still alive, still beautiful.

Maybe she was going mad from the lack of air, but her mind went to a time in the past.

—

"You want... Sir Ark?" Cleopatra’s father had never really been a very expressive person, but she could see the look of shock in his eyes.

"You said I can ask for anything for winning you the war against the dwarves. Will you go against your word?"

The king’s gaze hardened as he took in a deep breath. Thinking back, it must have been at that moment that he had decided to abandon her.

"What would you profit from antagonising your sister so?"

"My sister?" Cleopatra frowned. "I have no idea what you speak of, Father."

Lies. The lies she had told herself a thousand times to feel better. She had recited them so many times that they had become her truth.

But in reality, she knew that Clyeretha had loved Ark since childhood.

She knew that they often snuck out to see each other under the cover of moonlight.

She knew they had spent many passionate nights together...

But most of all, she knew that taking him would break her sister.

She wanted to see her perfect composure crumble. She wanted Clyeretha to grovel at her feet. To beg.

Cleopatra wanted her sister to understand how it felt to have everything taken from you, just like she had done to her.

Tears poured out of her eyes as she stared at her sister’s anxious face. Even now, was she still worried about her, even after all she had done?

"SIR ARK! STOP, THAT IS ENOUGH!!" Clyeretha screamed at the top of her voice as she ran forward.

’Ha...’ Cleopatra smiled bitterly as she stared at her. Her sister was shining. Just like an angel.

"Now, I... see. I see why you loved her..."

"And why you could... never love me..."

Ark felt his chest burn from anguish. It was too late for her; keeping her alive would only prolong her suffering.

"K-keep her safe." Quiet words slipped out of her bloodstained lips.

"I will take care of her." Ark looked away. He lied, knowing that the real Clyeretha was long gone. "I will watch over your sister... I swear it."

"CLEO!!"

Pop!

Her body fell into her sister’s embrace, and Clyeretha screamed out in grief as she held her sister tightly.

’It’s warm,’ Cleopatra thought as her consciousness began to fade. ’So this is how it feels.’

’Love.’

Cleopatra, the Stormy Legion, died with a smile on her lips, in the embrace of the only person who had ever loved her.

She could not have wished for a better death.

[00:00]

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Quick question!!

Do you guys like these highly detailed fight scenes? I try to write them in a way that makes it easy to visualise. Tell me if I am doing a good job or if they need more work!