Death Guard Bhishak's presence was just as dreary and brooding as ever. A dark cape draped over his thin body, causing his dark black hair to disappear into its fabric's folds. His pale skin shimmered under the high moonlight, appearing sickly and unkempt. His gait was reminiscent of slinking shadow, fleeting into an out of existence with an odd jerkiness that somehow maintained a trance-like pattern.
Anyone who laid eyes on this man knew that he was a killer. No matter what happened, no matter what he faced or what befell him, his hand would always remain steady, his expression without ripple.
The hearts of the spectators began to palpitate. After three days of these events, they believed that they had seen everything that was left to be seen. Many wanted these events to simply come to a close. A large majority had given up on ever winning the money they bet back, while another majority were happy that they bet on the Tor Kingdom as a whole despite the fact the return was far less.
However, Bhishak's appearance made their weary and tired limbs stand up tall, stretched taut as though the life he had come to claim was their own and not Ryu's.
At that moment, many couldn't help but turn their attention to Ryu. He seemed completely spent. His sweat had dried to cake his skin with a coarse salt, his self-sutured wounds were blackening to an eerie degree, the product of him repeatedly agitating them with his every action, and his aura seemed to have fallen. He had once held an unbridled will to battle with anything that crossed his path, but now he just seemed tired and finished.
No one had expected Ryu to make it this far. Even surviving the first round had been perilous, to make it here to the eighth, no matter how they felt about his treatment of Silas and Atticus, it was impressive.
Bhishak didn't speak any words. As for Ryu, he would never forget those oddly spaced footsteps as long as he lived. That feeling of weakness, the sound of the wind whooshing as his blade fell, the dull thump of Granny Miriam's head hitting the ground. He remembered it all, and it was this man before that sentenced her to death.
Without a word, the both of them shot forward, warring with their fists.
To Ryu, it felt as though every hit he suffered agitated his blood, pushing its boiling point to another level. Even in his peak state, a battle with Bhishak would push him to his limits. This man wasn't like a brainless beast, nor was he like the war trained Dragon Corps warriors. No. He was a killer.
Sharp winds assaulted Ryu from Bhishak's fists. It felt as though any error he made would lead to the end of his life.
Without fail, with every exchange, Ryu was pushed backward. Bhishak's fists were too heavy, his attacks too sharp, his schemes too cunning.
"Archers ready your arrows!" Amory's voice added a stunning coldness to the already brisk night air. His archers had made their way to line the tops of the city buildings, while his warriors created a net in the streets.
By now, the crowd no longer felt that Amory was going too far. After watching Ryu escape time and time again, it became clear that his harsh, heartless methods were the only chance he stood. The tale of two brothers fighting for a bloodied throne was one they would tell their children for generations to come, never would they know the underlying truths of these events.
The 'SHIING' sound of twin daggers being unsheathed were so faint that even Ryu missed them. After observing him for a long time, it became clear to Bhishak what his weaknesses were, or rather, what his weakness was: Silence! By the time Ryu realized his mistake and reacted, a dagger had sliced across his across his right wrist, leaving his hand limping uselessly.
Ryu had reached up to block, believing that Bhishak was throwing yet another fist, only for the matter to end horribly.
"Loose your arrows!" Amory grasped the opportunity perfectly. With Ryu's right hand gone to waste, it would be impossible for him to rely on his glaive to protect his right side, especially with Bhishak pressing him. In fact, whenever Ryu used his glaive, he had always used his right hand. His left had to be his weakness! Although he had dual wielded with his left, it had been awkward and flawed. Amory could finally see a path to victory!
Bhishak's second dagger hadn't paused for a single moment, slicing through the air with a deadly silence. Its target? Ryu's throat.
At that same time, fifty arrows were let loose from every direction. This time, Ryu's movements had far less freedom. With one opponent pinning him down at point blank range, even retreating was near impossible. With so many heavily trained archers seeking his life, what chance did he stand?
It was at that moment that the situation completely changed. Ryu's eyes shot open.
Two globes of pristine silver, shimmering in the night air. The three moons in the sky seemed to pale in comparison, unable to match their radiance.
"He's not blind!"
No one knew who said it first, but it sent a wave of shock over the crowd. They didn't understand what was happening. Was Ryu simply handicapping himself? For what purpose if so?
But there was no time to think. At that moment, Bhishak was laid bare before Ryu. He didn't know what had changed, but he suddenly felt Ryu had become an insurmountable mountain.
"That bitch!" King Tor almost couldn't restrain his roar. If Ryu wasn't blind, there was only one person to blame! Even in death, she spit in his face.
Repressed qi within Ryu's eyes surged outward, filling his body. This sort of state would only last a mere moment. Although there were numerous energy reserves left in his eyes due to him not using them, the energy expenditure of the first ranked Heavenly Pupils was far too much…
Bhishak's body shook under Ryu's gaze. He suddenly felt like he was looking into both the beginning and end of time. Even for him, a man who wouldn't be shocked by anything, he felt his soul shake to its very core. That small split second allowed Ryu to shoot backward, ducking under a swath of arrows to pull a spear out to his left hand.
Ryu stood with his breath haggard, his right hand dripping with blood, as his eyes pierced through the night. All this time, he had used a single weapon aside from his bow. It was all to prepare for this very moment. While Bhishak was preparing for a glaive wielder, Ryu would show him a God Emperor!