Trisha's once vibrant face had grown pale, marred by an array of bruises and contusions. Her body, battered and weary, quivered with each passing moment. The Colonel had used a spell to increase his speed which left her unable to fully cushion his attacks.
The increase in speed had made up for the Colonels reducing mana, allowing him to make up for the difference in power using quantity.
Eventually the expected had happened. She blocked his electrified sword by the thinnest of margins, but Khan followed with a vicious palm strike, electricity coursing through her sternum.
Pain surged through Trisha, and she coughed up a mouthful of crimson blood. Her body recoiled, thrown back several meters. Disoriented and reeling, she attempted to regain her footing, but the electric arcs enveloping her only intensified the pain.
Colonel Khan, his smirk oozing arrogance, witnessed the chink in her defenses.
"I've unraveled your secret," he declared, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
Colonel Khan watched as she tried to adopt a fighting stance only for her to instantly wrench in pain as the electric arcs ran across her body. Trisha involuntarily, dropped both of her daggers and gritted her teeth. The electric attacks had affected her nervous system and muscles making it almost impossible to maintain her grip on her weapon. Trisha, her muscles trembling, managed a defiant gaze. Her orbs, the black spheres that had been her defense, faltered, struggling to contain the Colonel's relentless assault and seemed to have crumbled. It seemed that she was teetering on the precipice of defeat.
Khan smirked, feeling the closure of the battle drawing near, he gloated further, "You utilize these parasites in the air to siphon mana, absorbing my energy to fuel your breakthrough."
A fleeting smile tugged at the corners of Trisha's lips. Khan's discovery had been inevitable, but she wasn't about to give in to despair. Khan, however, continued to divulge his findings, his voice laced with cruel fascination.
“But you know, it’s how you cursed me that really had me puzzled.”
As Khan's electrified sword sizzled ominously, he closed the gap between them. Trisha's eyes sparkled with interest, for he was closing in on the truth.
“But then I figured it out too. One answer was so simple while the other was the most outlandish thing I could ever imagine.”
Khan looked deep into her eyes seeing that they were growing dull, she was barely conscious, probably mana overuse. His grip on her dark purple hair tightened, exposing her vulnerable neck.
"So, before I end you," Khan said, his sword poised menacingly, "tell me, does this theory resonate with you?"
As Khan finished his sentence Trisha’s body illuminated with red electric energy and she screamed in agony as the currents fried her from the inside out.
“Now, now, I need you to stay awake to answer me.”
Khan explained as he raised his sword above her.
“I remember, long ago, there was a group of villages that was wiped out by a sickness known as the black death.”
Trisha’s eyes opened wide hearing the Colonel’s story. Seeing her reaction the Colonel’s smile grew even wider, feeling as though he was on the right track.
“That’s not the interesting part, what’s interesting is how the other surrounding villages managed to cull the spread of the disease.”
Colonel Khan looked at Trisha who grew more and more sporadic as he spoke. With another wave he sent another electric burst running through her body.
Trisha’s scream echoes through the entire surrounding leaving an eerie silence and the smell of burnt meat as they subsided.
The Colonel continued, feeling ecstasy watching her ryle in pain;
“They stopped the spread by never talking about the disease ever again. And now you’ve brought back the same disease, even went as far as to name yourself off of that same illness.”
Khan said as he pulled her hair tighter and looked deep into her sharp purple eyes.
“Now, what is the one thing you can stop by not speaking?” Khan rubbed his cheek in a mocking tone acting clueless. Trisha, still making eye contact, spat directly in his eye.
“You Bitch!”
The Colonel raised his voice, but he realized that her life was already in his hands and calmed down before sending another burst of electricity gushing inside of her.
Like a cacophony of screams Trisha’s voice roared out in absolute pain and agony as she felt the raw electricity gushing inside of her trying to fry every organ and muscle from the inside out.
Trisha’s scream tapered off into a whimper as her eyes started to shed tears. Khan ignored her screams and continued, “Yes! the only thing you stop by not speaking is a spell!”
Khan finally looked back at Trisha and saw her tears rolling, once again a hit of euphoria hit him.
“Then it hit me, the only person here who can cast a tenth circle curse would have to be a tenth circle mage.”
Khan’s sword began to glow with a new fervor as it loomed over Trisha’s neck.
“And I’m the only tenth circle mage here, which means… your name is actually a universal spell. Just by saying it people can infect themselves. I would guess all you do is amplify it.”
Trisha, seeing that death was neigh, simply nodded in defeat. Khan felt even better knowing his brilliance was on the right path.
“And if that’s the truth, then only one person can dispel it.
And that’s me!”
Soon as Khan said these words it appeared as though a black fog had seeped out of his body and his mana pool that had been steadily declining stopped.
Seeing this, Trisha had lost all hope. Her tricks had been seen through, her strategy countered and now her body and mana was exhausted. Trisha closed her eyes, ready to accept death. Her only regret was leaving her little brother to re-live this pain once more.
She wanted to build a new world for him, a new kingdom. But it would seem he would have to forge his own way. She continued to cry feeling all of her talent was useless.
The sword came striking down ready to impale Trisha’s neck.
