The Legend of Black Eyes 183 Wanda, The Merciless - Part 2

That was a development I didn't expect, but gladly welcomed. Beatrix screamed as she blindly punched and kicked her cousin. Wanda, on the other hand, silently dodged and backed away. She was waiting for an opportunity to strike back, I knew it. Wanda wasn't one to leave herself open to retaliation.

She patiently waited for Beatrix's rage to fade before she struck. A calculated punch to the chest propelled Beatrix a hundred feet backwards and into the rubble. Wanda's body was still glowing, albeit with less concentration. She was beginning to lose her monstrous energy.

"So you're the merchant robber, dear cousin," she screamed as she walked toward the rubble in which Beatrix landed. "I knew it was someone close to our family, I just didn't expect it to be the weak crybaby."

Rubble flew in the air in a loud explosion. Beatrix reappeared, cloaked in dark energy, floating above the destruction we had just caused.

"I've suffered your injuries long enough cousin," Beatrix yelled back. "You've been a constant reminder of my father's favoritism. I will no longer live in your shadow."

"Bring it on then," Wanda screamed. "Hide in your dark circle and try to stab me. Let's see how that will work for you."

Beatrix didn't need to be asked twice. She threw her head backwards, and the energy enveloping her expanded. A pool of dark energy whirled below her like a raging whirlwind. The rubble got sucked in. Wolf carcasses, as well as the corpses of Wanda's fallen men, disappeared inside.

"You're not the only one who's merged with her Fragment cousin," Beatrix called out. "Let me show you what I'm really capable of."

From the pool of whirling darkness they came; bony carcasses of the dead wolves, enveloped in a dark aura, groaning corpses, holding swords and ready to attack. Beatrix raised her left arm then pointed at her cousin. Her dark army ran toward Wanda then. Their voices sounded like wailing ghosts that were forced to do someone else's bidding.

"Is this all you're capable of cousin?" Wanda asked.

She extended her arms to the side. They glowed brighter than ever. Then light extended from them. She was suddenly holding two ethereal swords in her hands. When she swung them, a horizontal shockwave, similar to the one she created with her real one, followed.

The corpses dissipated, along with the dark aura that enveloped them. Beatrix must have expected this reaction though, as she ducked below the deadly shockwave then ran at her cousin. She quickly reached her then they crossed swords, Wanda with glowing ones, Beatrix with dark ethereal sabres.

Instead of the sound of metal clanking against metal, the resulting clash of their weapons sounded like otherworldly explosions. Wanda fiercely attacked, while her cousin guarded and countered. Their attacks were slow at first, but as soon as they got lost in the fighting fever, they picked up speed.

Two opposing blurs fought that night. Light against dark. Underdog against powerful villain. Wanda was faster though, more aggressive. Beatrix began faltering after five minutes or so. She slowly reatreated while her cousin advanced with overwhelming confidence. She made sure to change her pattern of attacks.

She'd swing vertically with one sword then immediately follow up with a thrust attack or a jab at the legs. Beatrix only countered and jumped aside whenever Wanda sent her devastating shockwaves toward her.

I leaned on my elbow and watched the furious exchange. I couldn't move. The Fragment of time vibrated violently inside of me. My conduits were expanding, dangerously reaching their limit. I couldn't think of anything I could do against this sudden invasion. I was too tired, too beaten to even try to regulate my essence.

I'd gotten stronger, sure, but I'd used all my trump cards to capture Beatrix earlier. Whatever spells were left for me I had used to get rid of Wanda's men. I felt helpless. My body ached and my bones complained whenever I tried to move. I couldn't help even if I wanted to. I had no ways of countering Wanda's super beams.

Beatrix kept moving back. Wanda was slowly gaining the upper hand, despite Beatrix having a clear advantage in the night. 'Bodrick didn't spare any expense in training his protégé,' I thought as Wanda landed the first blow on her cousin.

Beatrix's painful shrieks pierced my eardrums. Wanda had struck her left arm. Blood gushed out as the lady of the dark fell to her knees. Wanda stood before her cousin, brandishing her ethereal swords in the air. She brought her arms together and merged the swords into one, which expanded toward the sky.

"You're weak cousin," Wanda said. "Father would never have chosen you, even if he knew you had the gift."

"He's… not… your… father…" Beatrix said, gasping for air, struggling to move while blood flowed out of her arm.

Wanda roared in laughter. "You still think he considers you his daughter?" she asked. "He can't wait to get rid of you. I knew you had something to do with the merchant robber when your last bethrothed was attacked. I just thought you had a secret admirer who hated father."

"HE'S NOT YOUR GODAMN FATHER!" Beatrix screamed.

Their immediate vicinity was cloaked in darkness. I heard grunting and guttural screams. Then Beatrix flew out of the dark bubble.

"Presumptuous bitch!" Wanda screamed as she limped out of the dark.

Beatrix managed to wound her. Wanda's left arm had gone limp. Her right leg was bleeding profusely. The light that glowed in her had faded. Despite the surprise attack, Wanda managed to counter. Beatrix flew a hundred feet then landed with a loud shriek. They were both wounded.

My heart beat faster against my chest. I could end the fight if I managed to move. I could end it this time, surely. Nag lay on the ground a few paces away from me. He was bleeding and unconscious. If things went on like this, we'd all die. I crawled toward Wanda. I had to do something before it all ended in calamity for all of us.

"I've been holding back for the sake of father," Wanda screamed as she limped toward Beatrix. "You've gone and done it now. I'll show you what I'm really capable of."

She raised her functioning arm and screamed, "PRIDE OF THE SUN!"

The dark night was no more. I flinched as the field we fought in suddenly lit up. I could see the destruction our brutal fight had caused. Our hideout had disappeared. Around it, deep crevices, caused by Wanda's shockwaves, looked like a giant creature had clawed its way through the land. I could see everything clearly as though it was day.

Above Wanda, a giant orb glowed like a miniature version of the sun. Her injuries magically healed. She slowly walked toward her sword and picked it up. Beatrix was groaning in the distance, struggling to get to her feet. She was smeared in her own blood. Her arm dangled by loose, meaty threads.

"You don't know what real power feels like cousin," Wanda called out to Beatrix. "You'll have the chance of experiencing it before I end your life, as well as your pathetic little helpers here."

She turned to look at me and Nag. She let out a devilish smile that made my hairs stand on end. "Now," she said, tilting her head to the side. "Which one should I start with?"

In a flash, Wanda disappeared then reappeared next to Nag.

"Sebyan…" she said with a disapproving tone. "You think you're more powerful than humans. You should have stayed in your hole."

She raised her sword and plunged it deep within his chest.

"NO!" I screamed. "No, no no no no no no no…" I couldn't believe my eyes. I got to my knees and tried to crawl toward him. My injured leg complained. I slipped and fell on my face.

Wanda turned to look at me. She vanished and reappeared before me.

"You've been an annoying thorn in our side, Zedd Darkstar," she said as she stood above me like an angel of death. "I think I'll play with you a little before I kill you. Have you ever known despair?"

My mind took me back to the day when Kiera died. I felt as helpless as the day Utar had annihilated my team. Nag's lifeless eyes stared at me, as though he blamed me for what happened. I couldn't forgive this bitch for what she had just done. She kicked me in the stomach then, bringing all the pain I was trying to subdue back.

"What's with that look?" she asked. "Do you think you can do something against me?" She roared in laughter then. "You've ruined my father's plans. I advised him to stay and fight, but you scared him by your little stunt back then. Looking back at it now, we could have kept some demons to our side. What a pain in the ass…"

She kicked me once more and I coughed out blood.

"Look at you," she said, her voice felt like venom seeping through my ears. "This is a lot more than you bargained for, isn't it?"

I looked at her, angry and desperate.

"ISN'T IT?!" she asked once more.

I couldn't answer even if I wanted to.

"Where's your stupid witticism now, huh?" she asked once more then kicked me.

Each kick felt like a sledgehammer breaking my bones. Each kick made my eye bulge, made me look at my friend's corpse, lying there, looking at me, blaming me. I found myself wishing for it to end. I couldn't take the pain and the mental strain anymore.

I wanted to die and leave this godforsaken earth. It was too cruel, too corrupted to live in. I was done. Who would want to live in this shitty planet anymore?

Fuck it all! Curse all the schemes and the schemers.

Fuck!

Fuck!

Fuck!

Fuck…

F…

Wanda was about to deal the last blow when a dark shockwave hit her right in the chest. She flew away from me and landed against a tree trunk. Her body slid down as her eyes closed. The light ball she had created started fading.

"We're not done here, cousin!" Beatrix screamed. Her injured arm was coated in dark energy. She was holding a sword, bloodied, and in a sorry state. She hadn't given up though. She was still willing to fight. "I won't tolerate your haughty, arrogant attitude anymore. It's time we ended this!"

Chapter end