The Heavens Shall Fall

The moment Bren’s hand clamped down on Siu’s arm, the entire flow of the battle shifted in a way that even the most inexperienced spectator could feel and see. And nobody who had eyes could tell that this was bad... Really bad, the moment Siu's legs had left the ground. Suddenly, Siu's way of dictating the tempo and the flow of the battle was gone, and the instant that Bren's grip tightened around his arm, cracking the bones beneath the skin and muscles, it was a complete flip. In an instant, it was reversing the power to the other side, giving Bren the chance to do whatever he wanted.

Holding onto him, squeezing, Siu felt that it was more than just trouble... he couldn't just counter it, and everything was developing faster than his mind could cope with for a flashing moment. Knowing that he would not be able to tear himself away, his mind skipped the idea of counter, trying to execute the Ox's form to give himself power... to not let him lift him off the ground... but Bren was stronger. When he pulled, it felt to him as if he were a child being lifted by an adult. His body reacted again, doing its best and trying to twist, adjusting, looking to find an angle, any angle, to slip out from his grip... but he knew that wouldn't happen.

“Fucker… Now I’ve really got you!”

Bren’s voice came out rough, through ragged, heavy breaths as he kept pulling, his fingers tightening even further, digging into Siu’s flesh and straining his bones all along his hand, as if he wanted to tear off his arm, rip it out of its socket. Even if Bren's own injured arm trembled under his own strain, blood continuing to spurt and run down from the earlier wound, loudly splattering on the cracked stone below, it didn’t matter. Not now... Not when he had finally seized victory!

Grinning, he watched as Siu’s feet lifted from the ground. He even heard gasps run through the arena almost the moment it happened, their voices rising in disbelief, people standing up in slow motion to see everything, not wanting to miss this moment. This wasn’t a matter of skill or timing anymore, as it became nothing but a contest of raw strength, and Bren was dominating him in that regard.

“Kill him, Boss!”

“Finish him!”

“Siu…!”

The shouts were mixing together, forming a new voice, while Bren straightened his body fully, hauling Siu upward as though his weight meant nothing at all. By then, his other arm came around, aiming to secure the hold he got over him, to remove even the smallest chance of escape... He will cripple him for real this time around, and there will be no faking it!

By now, everyone watching understood that this wasn’t going to be a throw... This was something far worse.

“Get down and crawl back to where you belong!”

Bren’s roar echoed across the arena as he shifted his weight and began the downward motion, pulling Siu along with it, aiming to bring him directly across his knee, to break him in a single, decisive moment. It was aimed at his spine, wanting to rob him forever of standing again... or standing straight, that is.

Siu naturally felt the angle before it changed to him getting 'thrown' down. The trajectory, and mostly the intent behind it, was as clear as day the moment he lifted him above his head, and, watching, still breathing normally, his mind had already calculated the exact point where the attack would land.

If it connected cleanly... There would be nothing left to salvage, and his spine would snap into two pieces. This now threatened his future cultivation and thus... his life.

“…!”

There was no time to think in words, no time to plan, only to try and act. His muscles moved on pure feelings and instinct, forcing him to twist his torso, no matter how much it hurt or tore away under the skin. He had to shift his center, forcing his body into a position that would redirect the force... He had to change it so it wouldn't break him fully, if it were to break anything. But it wasn't enough.

"Help!" He thought out loud, but he didn't need to.

By that time, the two shadows that had been circling the fight without pause finally struck, trying to free him.

Marly came first, zooming down from above, as her small form dropped like a bird of prey, cutting through the air with a sharp whistling sound before snapping onto Bren’s injured arm. Her teeth sank in hard, far harder than her size would suggest, targeting the exact same area Siu had been exploiting all along, tearing at the flesh. She even chipped her tooth while doing so.

“—!”

Bren’s muscles spasmed, but he was so focused on finishing Siu that he ignored it all. It hurt, but it wasn’t enough to break his hold... but it was enough to disrupt the perfect alignment he needed. Not wanting to give him a chance to fix it, Arya followed immediately with her own attack.

A blur of black light flickered across Bren’s vision as she flashed by. Her claws struck the same arm, raking across the already-damaged flesh, adding to the strain and amplifying the instability... she even felt her claws shatter as they hit Bren's bones inside... but she was going at him like a rabid wolf instead of a fox.

“Get—off—!”

Bren roared, his grip tightening instead of loosening, his body trying to overpower the disruption through sheer force alone, but the timing had already been broken.

That fraction of instability that Arya and Marly managed to create was all Siu needed. Feeling the chance, he twisted harder, following the downward motion as his torso rotated within Bren's grasp. It caused his shoulder to drop by popping it out, his spine bending along a different axis than Bren had intended, forcing the incoming attack to... miss. Kind of.

The sound of the impact was crunchy. It was making multiple disciples shiver and falter as the sickening crack echoed through the arena, the unmistakable sound of bone shattering into dozens of pieces.

But... Those with good eyes could tell that it wasn’t Siu's back that was broken.

It was his arm.

The moment it happened, intense pain exploded through his left side as his arm bent violently under the force, followed immediately by the snapping sensation. It wasn't just that, because Bren's knee kept going deeper, hitting his ribs, fracturing all of them at his side, even tearing and rupturing part of his lungs. When it was done, Bren's grip loosened at once, and Siu's body hit the ground hard, rolling off his leg. The breath he was holding in left him in a single, sharp exhale, creating a bloody mist before his face, followed by actual blood spurting through his gritted teeth.

But he was already prepared, as best as he could be in that situation... As he rolled off, Siu's vision flickered, and for a fraction of a second, everything went quiet, then quickly gave way to a ringing sensation. But he didn’t go still or limp, because he knew exactly that this was the clearest chance he would have in this fight. Just as he predicted, thinking he won, Bren staggered back a step, then another, his breathing in shambles, his arm hanging lower than before, the damage clearly catching up to him, before falling to one knee.

With a savage grin, he was watching Siu hit the ground fully... but then, to his shock, he didn't stay... there... He was... moving?! Even as he could see how blood poured out from his mouth, the bastard pushed himself up with only one arm, getting a grip on the uneven ground with his feet... Did... did he miss? Judging by the wrongly-bent arm and the shattered clothes... he did. He was about to realize it, but...

"...?!"

By then, Siu had stepped forward again. Well... it wasn't really a step, he just pushed forward, towards the half-kneeling, exhausted Bren's face. Watching the attack come, Bren’s eyes widened slightly, but his muscles were spasming, locking him in place.

“…You—!”

Bren yelled, trying to make his body react... He had to block; those fingers were going for his face! He moved but chose wrongly as his injured arm lagged behind, way slower than ever before. Realizing it, he tried to switch, but by the time his other arm rose to compensate, it wasn’t enough, and Siu slipped through.

Bren couldn't do anything but watch as his fingers drove forward. He watched as the claw straightened out, his pinky and ring finger closing, his index and middle finger extending out, turning into a beak-like shape. His brain, doing its best to calculate, made him realize that Siu's fingers were going straight... towards... Towards... He couldn't help but gulp and freeze even more, because he watched how they did not even tremble... There was no hesitation! They kept flying toward his eye, growing bigger and bigger by the moment. He could even see the injuries on them, the broken nails, the previous dirt and blood stuck on them... and just then, time seemed to slow down to a crawl.

Not just for them, but for everyone watching.

"Shit..." Seloryn said, standing, watching it with her mouth open, because she understood what Siu meant to do.

The way Siu looked at Bren was way too cold, and... ruthless. What he was doing now... That wasn’t a strike meant to win... That was a strike meant to kill. She wasn't the only one who recognized the danger, because Bren, watching the finger now occupy all he could see, also understood it. He couldn’t stop it, nor could he dodge it... And after it goes in, through his eye, his fingers, especially with the momentum behind it, would keep traveling, up, straight into his... brain. If his skull isn't strong enough to withstand it... He will die now.

With the eye that wasn't targeted, he looked forward, straight into Siu's eyes. Their blue color was like ice, plunging Bren into a glacier as they were without any emotion in that moment, just hard grit and a decision he had already made... he will finish this. Seeing himself reflected in Siu's eyes, the fact that he didn't even blink or gloat, just... simply there to finish the duel for good, made Bren feel... fear.

He couldn't deny it... in his last moments... he feared him.

Then, as if time sped up again, Siu’s fingers closed the distance... it was there... only a hair's width away when... The attack stopped. But not because Siu wanted to show mercy.

An old, wrinkled hand had caught his wrist. It did it so firmly and effortlessly that nobody had even seen it happen, not even Siu. All of the force transferred through his attack was dispersed without harm, not even rebounding, as the fingers wrapped around his wrist and kept him from ending Bren's life.

“That is enough.”

Elder Faliah’s voice cut through the arena in a sense that made it feel absolute, without any anger or malice. After he stopped him, Siu’s arm remained extended, frozen in place and time, his fingers still aimed at Bren’s eye, close enough that Bren could feel the intent behind them... That didn't change at all. Naturally, Elder Faliah felt it too, but he didn't address it as his gaze moved between them, finally settling on Siu and forming a gentle-looking smile.

“That,” he said slowly, “was a killing strike.” As he spoke, his grip remained on Siu’s wrist as he paused briefly, letting the significance of his words finally bring Siu out of his state. The moment he blinked, the Elder also felt his muscles relax, dispersing the killing intent within him and returning him to a calm state. “Good..." the Elder whispered, still smiling at him, "Injuries we can fix... But lives can't be brought back." He added, before his voice strengthened again, and he let go of his arm, "The match has been decided!”

"..." Bren barely heard him speak, just half-kneeling there, seeing the fingers retreat, giving back his full vision, as the fear he felt refused to go away, still making his heart pound in his head, traveling up his throat, wanting to escape his body.

“The winner… is Siu.” The Elder repeated, taking a step back, looking towards the crowd, then back at the two and speaking in a voice only they heard. "I am disappointed in you." He echaled, his eyes examining Bren, then he moved towards Siu, measuring him again, smiling, making it clear that his statement was not aimed at him, "Both of your recoveries will be paid by the sect... It is time to end whatever feud you two had for this duel. We are of the same Sect... never forget that. Now... go, before your injuries become permanent."