Henry Guhn took a deep breath, steadying himself as the oppressive force of the Stallion's King's Presence bore down on him. The sheer intensity cracked the ground beneath his feet, distorting the air with its suffocating pressure. But Henry did not falter. He slammed his gauntlet against his tower shield, creating a resounding clang that echoed through the arena.
"I don't care if you're one of the Four Horsemen," Henry said, planting his foot forward. "I've fought my way through worse. And I'll carve my way through you too."
The Stallion chuckled darkly, his glowing lavender scimitar humming with an eerie resonance. "Bold words for a man moments from death."
Henry surged forward, shield raised high, charging through the invisible force that sought to crush him. The ground trembled beneath his charge, dust and debris flying in his wake. He closed the distance in an instant, his tower shield an unstoppable wall of force.
CLANG!
The impact sent a shockwave through the arena, but the Stallion merely sidestepped at the last moment, his scimitar flickering in a blur of motion. Henry barely had time to react as a slash aimed for his ribs forced him to pivot, his shield absorbing the brunt of the attack.
With a grunt, Henry retaliated, swinging his gauntlet-covered fist toward the Stallion's midsection. But the Horseman twisted effortlessly, evading the blow with unnatural grace.
"Too slow." The Stallion's voice dripped with amusement. "Is that all you've got?"
Henry gritted his teeth and launched a series of calculated attacks. His shield became an offensive weapon, battering forward in quick, crushing movements while his gauntlet sought openings. Yet, each attack was met with flawless precision. The Stallion's movements were almost dance-like, his scimitar flowing effortlessly between counters and parries.
Henry barely dodged a counterattack as the scimitar carved a deep gash into the ground where he once stood. He staggered back, sweat dripping from his brow. His chest heaved, but his determination remained unshaken.
The Stallion tilted his head, his glowing eyes narrowing. "You're durable, I'll give you that." He lifted his scimitar, the inscriptions glowing even brighter. "But you still don't understand, do you? You never had a chance."
Henry spat blood onto the ground and steadied his stance. "Then I'll make one."
With another roar, he charged again, determined to break through the indomitable force before him.
Henry gritted his teeth and charged forward once more, his tower shield raised like an unbreakable wall. His gauntleted fist clenched tightly, ready to strike. The Stallion stood motionless, his glowing scimitar resting loosely in his hand, as if mocking Henry's relentless effort.
Henry closed the gap with a powerful shield bash, aiming to break through the Stallion's guard. At the last moment, the Stallion flickered to the side, dodging the attack with inhuman precision. Henry followed up with a brutal right hook, his gauntlet soaring through the air, but Stallion barely moved his head, avoiding the strike by mere inches.
"You're persistent, I'll give you that," Stallion mused, stepping back effortlessly. "But persistence won't save you."
Henry growled. He spun, bringing his shield in a wide arc to catch Stallion off-guard. The attack forced the Stallion to step back for the first time, and Henry seized the moment. With a thunderous stomp, he lunged, delivering a crushing downward strike with his gauntlet aimed at Stallion's chest.
This time, Stallion barely evaded it.
At that moment in the fight, Henry saw a brief flicker of acknowledgment in his opponent's eyes.
"So you can adjust," Stallion remarked. "Not bad."
Henry smirked. "I just need to land one good hit."
But in that moment, before Henry could press his advantage, Stallion's form blurred—his movements faster than Henry's eyes could track. Before he could react, a monstrous fist connected with Henry's stomach with devastating force.
The impact sent shockwaves through Henry's body. His breath hitched, and blood spurted from his mouth as his knees buckled. His shield dropped slightly, and for a moment, his vision blurred from the sheer force of the strike.
Despite the pain, he remained on his feet, shaking from the impact but refusing to fall.
Stallion scoffed. "Still standing?" He wiped a hand across his mouth, unimpressed. "Maybe this fight won't be so boring after all."
Henry took a deep breath, steadying himself. His body screamed in pain, but his spirit refused to break. He slowly raised his shield again, staring directly into the Stallion's glowing eyes.
"This fight isn't over," Henry muttered through gritted teeth.
Stallion grinned. "Then let's keep going."
Henry steadied himself, shaking off the impact of Stallion's devastating counterpunch. Blood dripped from his lip, but his eyes remained locked onto his opponent. He could feel the weight of the battle pressing against him, yet his will refused to waver.
Stallion, seeing that Henry still had fight left in him, let out a low chuckle. "Not bad, but you should know... resistance is futile."
Without another word, Stallion lunged forward, his scimitar cutting through the air with lethal precision. Henry raised his tower shield in time to block the strike, but Stallion didn't let up. He pressed on, launching a relentless flurry of slashes and thrusts, each one calculated and deadly.
Henry barely held on, his arms trembling under the sheer force of Stallion's attacks. Every blow sent vibrations through his bones, threatening to tear his defense apart. With a desperate grunt, he managed to parry one of the strikes and swung his gauntlet-covered fist toward Stallion's ribs. But Stallion twisted his body just in time, evading the strike with unnatural agility.
"Too slow," Stallion taunted, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
Henry growled and charged forward, using the full weight of his body behind his shield to force Stallion back. The impact created a brief opening, and Henry threw a fierce right hook aimed at Stallion's face. For a split second, he thought he had him—but Stallion moved with terrifying speed, dodging just enough to let the punch graze past him.
Before Henry could recover, Stallion made his move. With monstrous strength, he brought his scimitar down in a two-handed strike. Henry barely managed to raise his tower shield in time to intercept it. The sheer force of the blow sent a shockwave through the arena, cracking the ground beneath them.
Then, with a sickening crunch, Henry's shield gave in.
The mighty tower shield split down the middle, shattering into fragments as Henry stumbled back. He stared at the remains of his trusted defense, his breathing heavy.
Stallion stood tall, his scimitar glowing ominously.
"Looks like you're running out of options, warrior. What will you do now?"