The figure behind the cloak looks unclear—another Vanguard, I assume.
He starts to remove the cloak.
"I thought my brothers would have already come to face you. I'm curious what it feels like," he says, tying the cloak around his waist.
I lift my hand slightly toward Rose, signaling her not to do anything—stay behind me.
He pulls something out.
"Doesn't this sound fun?" he says, placing a pipe in his mouth and lighting it. Smoke coils into the air.
"Can you entertain me?" he asks, staring at me sharply.
He walks forward slowly, both hands in his pockets.
I step forward as well. I close my eyes. He rushes in without a weapon.
But it isn't a punch—my vision shows it clearly. He attacks with his legs.
I open my eyes as he charges.
Head—his kick snaps toward my head. I block it hard, my eyes shutting again.
Ribs—from my head he shifts to my ribs in an instant. I barely manage to stop it in time.
"All you ever do is defend, huh?!"
A fighter who uses his legs—my sight struggles to find an opening. I have to endure long enough to strike back.
Then something small comes to mind. A trivial thought, but it creates a gap.
"Your brothers couldn't beat me. What makes you think you can?" I say as he switches his attack from his left leg to his right. I block it again.
"Huh?!" he mutters.
There—an opening.
"You think you're tough?" I drop into his stance—the very stance he's about to use. He freezes.
SKLAK—The gap is his pipe. I kick it out of his mouth.
No more openings. At this range, the distance isn't in my favor. My vision guides me to create space. I step back a few paces.
His face twists with anger.
Amusement to Fury in a Single Breath,
"You know," he says, "I thought I was the one who'd be entertaining you."
The fight has only just begun.