The tip of Kairo's sword shook, his jaw clenched and brow scrunched.
"Adon! You ok?!"
Kairo kept his eyes on the goblin as he said this. As he his ears perked, hoping to hear a response, the goblin drew a short sword and started slowly circling him.
Not hearing a response, Kairo took a chance to glance back at Adon crumpled body.
Laughter erupted from the goblin, bringing Kairo's attention back to the monster.
"Foolish human. Worry 'bout self. You alone, girls next. Have extra fun with them."
Kairo's teeth creaked. His hand tightened on the grip of his sword.
The next moment Kairo took a deep breath and relaxed. His sword steadied.
"You've over used your common tongue today. Let me take care of that for you."
The goblin didn't have the time to laugh again as Kairo rushed him.
A downward swing, sideways slash, stab for the heart; each one was either dodged or blocked.
It was Kairo's turn to twist out of the way as the goblin countered.
Duck. Parry. Block.
Their blades locked up. They jumped back. Circled.
The goblin was the first to charge this time, leading with a wild swing.
With the flat of his blade, Kairo slapped the goblins sword away. The creature sprung to the side right before Kairo's blade would've impaled him.
A hiss escaped the goblins lips as he grasped his side.
The first strike was landed. While it looked to be superficial, Kairo knew that the fight would change from there.
The goblin snarled. Kairo loosely smiled back.
Then the intense exchange of attacks was resumed.
Kairo's technique was flawless and powerful, the goblins unpredictable and fast.
Both of them received new wounds in each exchange. They started out minor, but steadily became worse.
'I'm taking too much damage!'
Kairo parried the goblins sword to the side and feinted an over head swing.
"Gah!"
Instead he stabbed downward. A slice was made along the goblin's achilles and it fell to the ground, holding its ankle.
"Dirty filthy human!"
Kairo panted for breath as he flipped it off.
The goblin shouted back at him, cussing in its own language. It's sword lay next to it as it pressed one hand into the wound. Purple blood spilled from between it fingers and onto the pine needles underneath it.
With the goblin not going anywhere, Kairo had time to glance in Adon's direction. He couldn't see any movement. A low chuckle caught Kairo's ear.
"Stupid human."
His focus went back to the goblin as it rose to its feet and scooped up its sword. The cuts on its chest, arms, and the big one near its ankle were knitting back together.
The goblin chuckled then screamed,
"DIE TO DEATH!"
Kairo could only sputter in shock before he was forced back into combat.
The goblin pressed forward with attacks from all angles.
'How did he heal?!'
Kairo didn't have the room to think on it. His opponent was attacking in a more ferocious and unorthodox manner than before.
The goblin glared at Kairo with a vehemence as he poured on the assault.
Kairo blocked a sideways slash, parried a downwards strike, twisted out of the way of a stab. He was being kept on the back foot and couldn't go on the offensive.
A powerful blow blew Kairo's sword back and the goblin lunged forward.
As his arm was flung, Kairo swung his right leg back and replanted it at a forty five degree angle. The goblins look of triumph turned to one of surprise as Kairo's left shin battered into it's jaw.
*CRACK!*
"AUGHFGHMNE"
A strange garbled cry of pain tore from the goblins throat as its jaw snapped and teeth shattered. The lightweight metal greaves on Kairo's shin were now spattered with purple as he planted his foot in front of him self.
*SNAP!*
The sole of Kairo's boot slammed into the goblins chest.
The side kick sent the goblin stumbled back, wheezing. The goblin swung it's sword weakly in front of it. Strangely the creature was also grasping at its waist.
Kairo wasn't taking risks this time.
First hitting the blade out of the goblins hand with his sword, he followed with a leg kick. The goblin howled as it's knee snapped sideways.
It tumbled to the ground, howling in pain a second time as Kairo stabbed one of its wrists to the forest floor. With force he stomped on and broke the other hand that had held the goblins weapon.
One hand was a broken mess, while the other hand a strange looseness to it. A white root rolled out of its limp fingers. Kairo's eye's widened.
He kicked the goblin to its side. Ignoring the goblins yelp, it didn't take him long to find a small pouch containing another one of the roots.
Without a moment to spare, he grabbed it and scooped the other root off the ground, then ran over to Adon.
"Adon, you'd better not have bitched out on me!"
His co-trainee was a mess. The axe was buried in the crook between his neck and shoulder, blood coating his face and torso. The red stain on the pine needles beneath Adon slowly continued to expand.
Kairo already knew the answer to a question he didn't want to ask. He double checked. After a minute, any faint hopes were dashed.
Kairo punched the ground, fighting the pressure building up behind his eyes.
It was clear he lost the battle as droplets started quietly pating the forest floor.
"Fucking asshole, did you really have to die on me?"