Chapter Text
The two of them stood bloodied and covered in battle wounds on top of the recently lit Venus lighthouse, their legs just barely carrying them. Menardi attempted to raise her scythe but her arm wouldn't allow her to lift it more than a few centimeters off the ground. Dejected she let it sink again. She attempted to gather her psyenergy into a fireball but all she managed was a puff of smoke and to make her legs tremble even more violently under her.
Saturos also did his best to keep fighting but he had sustained several large wounds to his dominant right arm and was now using his comparatively healthy left arm to wield his sword. The downside was that the muscles weren't as well-trained and it was more difficult for him to manage a proper swing. Even more now that he had nearly depleted all of his energy. He attempted to slash at Garet, who was standing the closest and conveniently was one of the slower opponents, but his movements were sluggish and inaccurate. Garet easily returned the blow and knocked Saturos's sword right out of his hand, and as he did Saturos's knees buckled and gave way beneath him. Saturos attempted to reach for his sword but a kick from Garet sent it clattering down into the hole at the center of the lighthouse.
"Is this as far as we go?" The blue haired man muttered in disbelief. His body wasn't the only thing that was aching, his pride as a warrior also was, perhaps even more so. His mouth tasted of blood though it was nowhere by far as bitter as the taste of loss. The kids in front of them might be adepts, but even so they were still kids. He couldn't fathom how they'd reached this conclusion. Everything indicated that he and Menardi should be the stronger party, yet they had lost. It was true that the kids had taken them by surprise when they began firing off summoning spells, but he'd never thought that such a gimmick could trump years of experience.
Menardi groaned as her legs also collapsed under her. She had sustained fewer wounds than Saturos but each individual wound was more severe than most of his. "How... How did we lose? We were superior in every way, and yet..."
Her sentence was cut short as the lighthouse shook violently. Saturos and Menardi had no energy left to withstand the force and were both flung into the hollow center of the lighthouse. How far down was it? Saturos hadn't a clue but he was certain that it was lethal. He tried to reach for his partner's arm as they fell but found that she was too far away. The fact saddened him. He would have liked to die just a little closer to her.
Oh well. Soon it wouldn't matter anyway.