The faceless man slowly approached me with its sword raised. The lack of features was even more disturbing up close. I was given much time to focus on that, though, as it started to charge at me.
I quickly scrambled away, but the loose sand dragged at my feet slowing me enough for it to get in range. Its sword quickly sliced down at me the gleaming edge, threatening my life.

I barely reacted in time, throwing my shield up to meet its strike. My shield let out a groan as sparks flew from its full-powered attack. It clumsy recovered its posture to strike again. Its reaction, though raised my sprits it seemed like it barely knew how to handle a sword.

Maybe I had a chance. My heart rate accelerated as it heaved his second swing at me, which I once again met with my shield. I had firmer footing this time and was able to reply with a thrust of my own aiming for its chest. It managed to swat my sword away with its shield but not without taking a step back of its own.

There was a pause then as we both sized each other up or heavy breathing showing the effort both of us were putting into our swings.

The pause didn't last long as it charged once again sword raised to strike. But by this time, I had regained my composure wondering how my dad would laugh at me almost dying to some amateur swordsman. I quickly shifted my weight to its side meeting its strike before its sword could fully come down and opening up its unprotected side.

Before it could react, I quickly thrust my sword into its chest, impaling it to the hilt. I jumped back ready for any last flailing attempts before it died, but my thrust was true, and with one last step, it collapsed with its blood pouring out slowly turning the sand into a dark brown mud. When it died my wrist starting burned. But when I looked down their was no wounds, just a strange black mark.

I trembled with a mixture of relief and fear. I had survived whatever hellish game this was. The thought of my first kill washed away by the joy of survival and the knowledge that it wasn't genuinely human but something else entirely. I stood like that for a minute or so when my relief was quickly dashed by the appearance of another identical figure walking towards me.

"Fuck"

I quickly wondered if it was even worth fighting. Maybe I should just let it cut me down and get it over with. Yet even as I thought that I quickly raised my sword and shield preparing to fight. The old lessons I had tried to forget in childhood started to come back to me. I swear I could almost hear my dad yelling.

"What kind of stance is that! Are you trying to fight your enemy or make it easier for him to shiskabe you just to be polite?"

He would then proceed to slap me with a practice sword for every small mistake I made while grumbling about the family legacy. As much as I hated those lessons at the time, I certainly was happy to have them now. I took up the stance I practiced thousands of times. Shield up sword ready for any mistakes the enemy makes as it slowly approached.

And the approach was slow. This new one didn't rush in like the last one instead favoring a calmer approach as the distance between us slowly narrowed. We were approaching sword range, and it hadn't prepared any wild overhead swings instead hiding behind its large shield. I grimaced this was going to be more difficult.

I quickly considered my options and decided to go on the offense. I did a slight feint to the right before dashing in and slamming my shield into it, knocking it slightly off balance and exposing its body. I feinted a thrust into its chest to bait a block. It didn't disappoint bringing its sword to parry. I saw the chance and quickly changed the thrust to a slash taking him at the wrist as its sword and hand flew away.

It didn't even flinch at the sudden amputation the pain seeming not to bother it as it bled out onto the sand, still approaching me. It was disturbing to see it shrug off such a large wound, but I wasn't too worried it wasn't my match with two hands much less one. I quickly circled towards its wounded arm and used the gap the wound created to get in a quick thrust to his neck, causing it to collapse to the ground, which was now littered with two bodies.

Once I was sure it was dead, I quickly attempted to control my breathing readying my self for another fight. If it didn't stop at one, I doubted it would stop at two. All I could hope for was that there was more at the level of the first ones skill rather than the second.

I wasn't in luck. When the third one appeared, I recognized the poise with which it held its weapon. It was reminiscent of many of the students within my dad's gym who had finally got used to wielding a sword. I knew this fight would not end as simply as the first two.

Luckily the first two fights had jolted my memories. The thousands of lessons I had tried my best to forget now rushing back to me. The sword now sat comfortably in my hand as I approached my opponent. We circled each other barely in range to strike neither of us wanting to give the first opening.

Then it moved. It started with a thrust to my legs, which it then turned into an upwards slash as I moved to block it. I raised my sword to parry his blade sliding off mine as I countered with a slash above its shield, which it barely deflected before it jumped back into a defensive posture.

I grinned it was good sure. But I knew I was better as I moved towards it pressuring it. I fainted a lunge causing it to bring up its shield. That was my chance. I lashed out with a kick to its leg, knocking it off balance. As it struggled to regain its balance, I slashed down with my sword opening up a gash on its chest.

I got overconfident though, forgetting their weird immunity to pain as it slashed back. I managed to dodge most of the attack, but the tip of the sword opened of a swallow wound along my forward causing blood to leak into my eyes.

Luckily the wound I gave it was deep enough. Even it's immunity to pain couldn't overcome blood loss as it slowed down before finally collapsing like the other two. I tried cleaning the blood off my face, but the next one showed up too quickly.

It's demeanor let me know these fights were getting no easier. I gritted my teeth and stood my ground. Damned if I wasn't going to takes as many of them with me as I could. We started trading blows, and I quickly realized this one was even more skilled.

We were fairly evenly matched neither of us exposing any errors. Yet it was fresh, and I wasn't. The previous battles had worn on me. The built-up exhaustion dragging like lead chains at each of my movements. I knew I needed to take a risk to win this.

I deliberately gave him an opening at my shoulder. It didn't disappoint thrusting at the small opening, taking my bait. I stepped into the thrust as it pierced my shoulder, trapping the hilt of its sword with the edge of my shield, then stepping back, pulling it off balance.

It must have surprised it because its neck was opened up, and I didn't miss the chance thrusting into the gap and quickly ending my fourth opponent.

I wanted to collapse in a mound of pain and blood as I quickly pulled its sword from my ruined shoulder. But I knew there was probably more coming. I tried raising my shield, but my arm wouldn't move, only rewarding me with throbbing pain for my efforts. I then reluctantly dropped my shield and raised my sword, waiting for my next opponent.

I knew I was screwed when I saw it. It prowled into the arena with the cool ease of hunter. Its sword held comfortably in its hand with a relaxed attitude I had only ever seen from masters like my dad. I knew even in my best condition with two working arms and no exhaustion, I'd lose 9 out of 10 times. But now there wasn't a chance.

I refused to give up though even as I trembled from a combination of exhaustion and blood loss, I walked towards my opponent. I had one last desperate gambit. Each blood-soaked step brought me closer towards what I knew would be my last opponent.

Then when I was mere feet away, I let out a scream and lunged. He smoothly brought up his sword to defend, but that's what I wanted as I impaled myself on his blade. I then stepping to side throwing us both to the ground as I brought my sword up, thrusting it through his neck before he could recompose itself.

I rolled over laughing as my blood slowly soaked the sand. I had at least taken one more with me. My blood continued to flee my body as my vision gradually failed until I was fully overcome with black.