Tales of Yibixus: Provocation | Ending (Patreon)

Provocation

The ground beneath their feet crumbles as they both deliver quick but probing blows. The crowd goes wild as with each connection of their swords, the metallic ring echoes in the bowl shaped arena.

Seemingly matched for speed and strength, Ursula can’t find an opening to strike her lover and provocation challenger down quickly, as she has done in so many challenges previously. Her heart thuds in her chest like a war drum, and her breath feels like fire.

Did all that time they’ve spent together not matter? She trusted him like no other. Why is he challenging her?

Enraged by his deceit, Ursula sprints across the arena with her sword thrust in his direction. Green, having battled with her so many times now, knows her too well. She’s going to fake an attack to his right, then swiftly deliver a sweeping kick to bring him to the ground.

The air cracks as Ursula jabs her blade at speed. Green reacts by parrying her sword with his own. Their swords spark and crack together like thunder, shuddering any glass in the nearby area.

“No, you don’t,” Green shouts, reacting to her swift movements designed to break his legs, rendering him unable to stand.

He jumps from the ground, avoiding her powerful leg swipe, and counters with a sucker punch of his own. His fist moves like a dart through the air. Directed for the top of her head, he’s about to make contact before she blocks for her forearm and jumps away to safety.

They stand several feet apart, both panting and catching their breath.

“I saw that coming,” Green smiles, somehow enjoying the moment.

Ursula spits and wipes her mouth. “Same,” she replies, baring her fangs.

Glaring into the eyes of the man she’s somehow fallen in love with, it sickens her to think he’s turning against her. She doesn’t understand why, and although it breaks her heart, she will repay him for it with swift relief of death.

“You seem stronger,” Green admits, adjusting the armor on his arms. “Faster, too.”

Ursula won’t admit it during the battle, but she feels stronger. She allows her mind to wander for just that split second, thinking about the shard that Sophia had given her. Having placed it into a necklace, it hangs from her neck, concealed by her chest armor.

Distracted, Green’s lightening fast speed put him within striking distance. Ursula looks up in fear as Green’s blade draws ever closer to her with every passing millisecond. Having never battled someone who displays such incredible speed, Ursula’s instincts take over.

Her muscles snap her sword to deflect the attack. Her blade almost appears to teleport her movements are so fast. However, even though she’s able to parry Green’s sword away, she isn’t fast enough to avoid the savage attack completely.

The tip of Green’s sword cuts through her chest armor like a hot knife through butter, and it pierces her skin underneath. Blood splatters to the floor, and she jumps away, avoiding another killer blow as Green strikes again at nothing but air.

She heaths, trying to breathe through the pain. Bringing her free paw up to the wound, she can feel her warm blood seeping out.

“Ursula,” Green calls out, now some distance apart from each other. “I’m still faster and much more powerful. Please, give up and let me assume control. It’s for the best. I don’t want to hurt you any more than I have to.”

Looking at the blood on her paw, Ursula bares her fangs once again. She’d never surrender. He’s a fool to think she would.

The crowd demands more. They are made restless by the two warriors only trading warning blows. The thousands of Grimalkins watching thud their feet, causing the entire arena building to vibrate and shudder.

“Have you just been using me all this time!?” Ursula bellows back, allowing her emotions to boil over. “I will never surrender to you. You will die by my hands.”

Spurred on by his disrespect, Ursula forms a fist with her free paw. She looks around the arena, looking for any advantage. Then she remembers something from their very first date that could be used as a distraction tactic.

“Look,” Ursula points behind Green. “There’s something behind you!”

Remembering the moment well, Green can’t help but laugh at Ursula’s feeble attempt to trick him. Forgetting himself for a moment, his love for the woman he’s battling takes over, and he closes his eyes and laughs in reminiscence of a happy memory.

“Very fun—”

Ursula unexpectedly emerges inches from him, her fist barreling forward his face. Having to move at breakneck speed, he’s unable to fully dodge her attack. Ursula’s fist scraps his face and cuts his cheek.

However, that wasn’t her main target. Green feels her blade, concealed by her punch, driven straight through his armor and into his side. Yelling out in pain, Green swings his sword for her neck in counter, but Ursula swiftly retreats, pleased to have his blood dripping from her sword.

Green bites his bottom lip hard as he clutches his side, torn open. He feels the warmth of his blood soaking into his underclothing, but he can’t help but laugh. He’s so gosh darn proud of her.

“Just give up,” Green coughs, catching his breath. “You can’t win, and I won’t fall for that trick again.”

Ursula’s legs ache, and she can barely stand. Her body is starting to feel like it’s made of stone. She put everything she had into that attack and only managed to wound him. However, she can’t give in.

She braces herself for another attack. She feels the muscles in her legs tighten as she winds herself up like coil, ready to pounce. However, her heart stops as milliseconds later, Green’s looming figure appears directly in front of her, already swinging for a killer blow.

She’s able to deflect his attack with her sword, but the speed and ferocity of his swipe pulls the blade from her paw, and it goes flying off across the arena. It eventually buries itself deep into a solid wall that separates them from the crowd, leaving her weaponless.

Ursula can only bring her arms up in defense as Green’s eyes light up with the pleasure of battle. Not attacking with his sword, he batters her with his fists. Each one of his attacks hits like a freight train.

Ursula’s forearms take the brunt as she tries to defend herself, but her armor breaks, and her bones begin to shatter with each and every vicious blow. Trying to escape him, she’s light and agile on her feet, but he is quicker.

The crowd roars to life as Ursula’s arms begin to falter and break. Her left arm gives in first, and she howls out in pain as it goes limp and loses all power. Her broken arm flops to her side, and Green takes advantage of the opening and strikes a powerful blow to her chest.

It hits with such force all the wind in her lungs is driven out as she’s thrown to the ground in a heap. Barely able to breathe, Ursula finds herself lying in the mud facing the sky with a broken arm and a punctured lunge.

Panic begins to set in, and she tries to control her heart rate, but she knows she’s beaten. Without her sword, she can’t attack, nor can she use portals to her advantage.

Green stands over her, his sword pointed at her neck. “Please,” he says as tears stream from his eyes. “Give up.”

The crowd begins to chant, wanting her death. They demand it.

Ursula looks up at the clouds passing by, then at Green standing over her. The tears running down his cheeks tell her everything she needs to know. He still loves her. So, why is he doing this?

“W-why?” she says, spluttering blood from her mouth. Her entire face scrunches up in pain. “I love you. Why do you betray me like this?”

Green raises his sword into the air with both hands. The sword's tip aimed directly at Ursula’s heart. However, he is reluctant to kill her.

“I love you too,” he mutters, tears now streaming from his eyes. “I’m not the one doing the betraying,” he howls. “One life for six billion others,”

Ursula, now sobbing as she faces certain death, looks into the eyes of the man she loves, utterly confused. “I’d never betray you!” she screams. “You are the father to our unborn child!”

The blood drains from Green’s face, and he falters.

“Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill!” the crowd chants, but the two of them are completely stuck in the moment.

“What!?” Green cries out, shaking his head. The sword in his hand shakes wildly as he hangs it directly above her face.

“It’s true,” Ursula cries out, barely able to speak through her tears. “We’re having a kitten!”

“Lies!” Green hisses, shaking his head violently in disbelief. “You creatures are vile! You only lie and cheat to get what you want!”

Stunned by his words, Ursula’s heart aches with heartbreak. She’s planned to tell him tonight over some coffee and Javi cake, but it seems fate is curel and had other ideas.

“I’m not lying!” she wails, trying to squirm away. “Please, Green!” she pleads, desperate for him to listen.

“Lies!” Green screams, gripping his sword tighter. “I won’t let you things lie to me anymore! I thought you loved me, but I now know the truth about your kind. I know what you creatures plan to do!”

Ursula’s instincts warn of imminent death. She sees the anger and bloodlust in Green’s eyes. It’s like their love means nothing to him.

Her heart is pounding wildly In her chest. She’s furious he thinks she’s lying. Having never had a partner up until this point, Ursula is new to the heartbreak of love. If he’s going to kill her and his unborn kitten, she’s not going to go silently into the night.

Broken arms or not, she won’t give in.

As Green’s blade is driven toward her heart, Ursula feels a warmth on her chest. She feels elation like she’s never felt before, and time appears to stop. The crowd’s chanting for her death is but a gentle hum. Green’s movements are but moments in time that feel like they take a lifetime to happen.

Ursula doesn’t move a muscle, but she feels her entire body being dragged up from the mud, almost like a giant has taken pity on her. She rises above the ground and hangs in the air. Green doesn’t even react. It’s like he’s stuck in time, forever driving his blade towards her even though she’s no longer on the ground.

Before her eyes, the necklace around her neck floats into the air. The light emanating from it is brilliant and so comforting. She can’t take her eyes off it as it floats slowly above her head.

“I….I…,” Ursula stutters, feeling a warmth wash over her like she’s bathing in the royal hot springs.

Confused, Ursula notices the pain in her arm and chest as all but disappears. She feels renewed. Still, even if her body feels light, her instincts are telling her something is terribly wrong. Like poison is seeping into her blood.

A wave of noise hits her, and time suddenly restarts. Green’s sword strikes the ground where she once lay with such force a creator is created upon it’s impact. Dust is blown up into the air, and he growls in frustration.

Green then looks up in complete bemusement. He stares up in disbelief, and fear strikes his soul as Ursula floats about him. A wide grin forms across her face as she now knows she has the upper hand.

“Ursula!?” Green shrieks, worried for the woman he loves. “What have you done!? They really have poisoned you against me with that orb!”

Ursula says nothing. She feels the power to move mountains at her fingertips. She won’t allow him to kill her or her unborn kitten.

“I shall protect our child!” Ursula screams, spitting blood down at Green. “I don’t care what you say about me. You’re the one who’s had your mind poisoned against me, Green. You will die by my hand for the heartache you’ve caused me.”

The shard floating above Ursula’s head begins to glow brightly, and it lights up the entire arena like a second sun. She charges an attack, directed down him, cowering below her. “Let’s see how quick you really are!” Ursula screams, her voice torn and warped.”