The Forsaken Hero

As Gayron and Victor clashed in a fiery duel, Verity turned her attention to me, her beautiful silver eyes filled with grim determination. Her form blurred, projecting afterimages out before her, as if she were moving in multiple directions simultaneously. It was a dizzying display, making her attacks nearly impossible to predict. Even with the Oracle of Eternity allowing me to lock onto her soul, I found myself disoriented, unsure of where her strike would come from.

Korra had no such hesitation. She dashed forward, surrounded by a swirling storm of mana, and leaped directly at the real Verity. A crystal-clear note rang out as her fist met the tip of Verity’s sword, a shockwave rippling across the battlefield. Without giving the Fate Hero a chance to recover, Korra unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, her limbs flowing with water mana.

Verity was immediately forced on the defensive, struggling to keep up with the relentless assault. There was no need for Korra to resort to exhausting seventh-level arts or techniques; the sheer pressure of her attacks was enough to overwhelm the Fate Hero completely.

Verity’s sword flashed with silver light as she desperately parried each blow, forced back step by step. While graceful, her movements were stiff and hesitant compared to Korra’s fluid, almost dance-like fighting style. Every time she attempted a counterattack, Korra was already a step ahead, having effortlessly maneuvered out of range.

Even to my untrained eyes, the difference in combat experience was stark. Even if their levels were reversed, I doubted the outcome would change. It was painfully apparent that Verity had very little combat experience, or even rigorous training for that matter.

Verity let out a small, pained cry as Korra’s fist slipped past her guard, landing squarely on her chest. The impact sent her flying backward, crashing through a large boulder and crumpling onto the ground. She struggled to her knees, coughing wetly, splattering the ground with droplets of blood.

"Damn it," she rasped, wiping away a trickle of blood from her lips. "I hoped to touch you at least once."

Korra snorted and advanced, a long, coiling water serpent swirling around her arm, its form shimmering with power. "You’re young, Verity, and I’ve been doing this for a long time. I don’t know what kind of training you have or what masters have taught you, but it’s nothing compared to the lessons of the battlefield."

Verity bit her lip and struggled to her feet, her eyes flashing with resolve. "Still, I have to try," she said, her voice breaking with emotion. "I can’t let you do this. The people in this world are so kind and giving. How could you just hurt them like this? Don’t you know what you’re doing is wrong?"

"You know nothing about this world," Korra countered, her voice laced with bitterness, "only what the gods have selectively allowed you to see. Your arrival may have been heralded by trumpets and flower petals, but did they tell you what happened to the last Fate Hero?"

Verity’s gaze flickered towards me, and she shook her head slowly. Her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath, and Korra seemed content to let her recover.