Chapter 44: Draw


    "For the Skull!" The Skull gangsters shouted back in reply to ns rally cry.


    The Skull gangsters had by now retreated into their former campsite and could now funnel the attacking Mad Dogs into one spot. The copsed portion of the wall was the only entrance to the camp on this side of the street. So, they were able to fend off the huge numbers of the Mad Dogs gangsters by forcing the fight between this gap. All they needed to do was hold on until help could arrive.


    n was at the front of the hole fighting alongside with several of his men, while fending off Darius and a dozen other Mad Dogs. Everyone else that had made it inside were gasping for breath and recovering their strength. Every time a Skull defending the gap was injured or appeared to be weakening, they would fall back inside, and another would gantly take his ce.


    n, however, was an exception. If he left the front Darius would inevitably break through the tiring defensive line. So even though wounded and slowly losing his strength, he had to battle on. The Skull gangsters battled on with fire in their eyes on either side of n. It seemed that no matter how many Mad Dogs they hit or wounded, could ever stop them. They just kepting.


    From the right side of the street the barbaric yells grew louder. The Mad Dogs were ready and waiting for these new attackers. They had split their forces in two at Hugo''smand and had formed a defensive line in the street. Meanwhile, the remainder kept attacking n''s forces. The footsteps pounding on the road from the newly arriving Skull forces were felt by all, and feeling it, n felt a surge of hope. Stealing a nce, n saw what happened next. Men and weapons rang out as the new Skull reinforcements collided violently with therge Mad Dogs defending force. The result was like an ocean wave crashing on a jetty.


    At first the initial impact of the charging Skull gangsters forced the defensive line back several steps. At the center of it all, it seemed as if the attackers had broken through. However, the sheer numbers of the Mad Dogs quickly forced the Skull reinforcements toe to a halt. A gridlock battle now ensued as the Mad Dogs fought now on two fronts.


    Grabbing a jabbing spear and flinging it and owner away, n was able to catch a quick nce at the one leading the reinforcements. It was Steel Fist. His outrageously tall body appeared to be wading into the people swarming near him. In his hand he carried the most insane handheld weapon anyone could imagine, a huge club made out of the top of a curved streetlight pole! Nearly all the downtown streets were lined with such polls and if the one he held broke; Steel Fist would simply uproot another to rece it.


    The monster of a man was practically unstoppable. No one was ever able to block such an oundish attack. The Mad Dogs tried keeping their distance as best as they could, but a few unlucky souls had already been crushed.


    Laughing with bloodlust in his eyes, Steel Fist was able to clear out a path towards n''s campsite for his own men to move in. He used the light pole to easily push away Mad Dog gangsters like a scythe would cut wheat. The newly arrived Skull forces were able to provide temporary relief to their exhausted allies.


    "Quickly, get all the wounded out of here and cover their retreat to our base!" n yelled to Steel Fist as he locked weapons with Darius once again.


    "Don''t think that you can escape me, Bone yer!" Darius yelled into n''s face. Though the situation had now changed for the worse, he was not about to throw in the towel just yet.


    "You are starting to get on my nerves." n growled turning his attention back on his opponent.


    "Ha-ha, keep talking tough! You''ll soon be rotting on the sidewalks soon enough!" Darius said applying double the amount of pressure to his harpoon.


    At this point most of n''s men had already started to escape from the building and were jogging slowly away from the battle. Some however, didn''t retreat but stayed to continue fighting. Steel Fists forces were norger than n''s had been at the beginning of the battle. The fifty or so new fighters couldn''t hold off the Mad Dogs for long in this wide city street.


    n knew he had to change the flow of this battle. He could hear Hugo calling out orders to focus on the new arrivals, and it was now or never. The only thing he could think of was to separate Darius from the rest of his men and settle the score. He leaned back slightly from the pressure Darius was putting on him. Then giving a sharp twist, he used Darius''s momentum to cause him to fall forward. Darius stumbled past him through the gap and into the building.


    n called out once more to his men that had stayed to fight. "Join up with Steel Fist and fight there. I''ll be back soon!"


    The men heeded hismand and started to move in that direction. The attacks from the Mad Dogs were exceedingly difficult to defend from, making any movement risky. The battle, once again, shifted away from n and Darius''s position in the building. n quickly turned to follow Darius. Darius had just gotten his footing and was already waiting for him in the middle of the room, harpoon in hand.


    Looking past n, Darius noted that the battle was moving away. "Well now, Bone yer, it''s just you and me now. Time to end this."


    At these words he reached behind his back and grabbed the handle of a weapon sheathed under his belt. The weapon contributed to his name, Hacksaw. The hacksaws de had been modified to where the de was now five times the original width of a normal de. Something like this could rip through flesh and bone easily and must not be underestimated.


    n smiled gripping the handle of his tactical hammer. "There it is. Finally, you''re taking this fight more seriously. I was wondering if you still could make me excited!"


    Darius sneered and jabbed out with his harpoon. The weapon glinted in the noon light that spilled into the room. Like a silver bullet, the light shot into n''s eyes for just a brief second. The suddenness of the light made him hesitate and step back. If he hadn''t, the harpoon would have torn off his left arm entirely!


    The sharp edge of the harpoon de neatly carved off a chunk of n''s shoulder muscle. n let out a yell of anger and pain. Hearing it, Darius grinned and let out augh. He then shed viciously with his hacksaw in a furry of strikes.


    n raised his hammer in an attempt to block the saws de. The de pinged and sparks flew in every direction with each repeated hit. n was forced to retreat backwards to the far end of the room. He was cornered now and couldn''t keep his footing while taking the heavy-handed blows. His ankle rolled awkwardly on some broken flooring and he lowered his hammer for a brief moment. Seeing it, Darius went tond a decisive blow with his harpoon aimed for n''s head!


    Yet n was far from finished! Using the hooked end of his hammer, he somehow caught the blow as he desperately tried to regain his footing. Darius then shed at n middle with the hacksaw, attempting to gut him. n, however had recovered and neatly stepped to the side causing the attack to cut only air. n then twisted his hammer to the left and struck the back of Darius''s hand. Which sent the hacksaw ttering across the floor and out of reach.


    Darius snarled and swiped again at n, swinging out with the harpoon. Unfortunately, the harpoon he was stuck into the nearby wall, throwing off the attack. All that resulted from his actions was wooden splinters being tossed all around as the harpoon waspletely stopped. At this chance to create some distance, n stepped back and into the entrance of the stairwell going to the second floor.


    "That''s the spirit!" n retorted. He ced a hand on his wounded shoulder. Then looked at the deep red blood covering his hand. "Now we are even. I wounded you, you wounded me back. Now we can let the real fight start!"


    "Shut up!" Darius yelled.


    He then yanked angrily at his harpoon, fully freeing it from the wall and sending dust and splinters flying everywhere. Taking some heavy breaths, Darius dashed backwards and scooped up his hacksaw. Twirling around he faced n, who was waiting at the foot of the stairs.


    Darius then charged at n, jabbing at him again full of furry. "Just die!"


    n merely stepped up the stairs avoiding the strike. The confined space of the staircase limited the attacks of both men. Darius attacked solely with his hacksaw and n could only block with therge hammer. They battled heatedly up the confined stairs, causing no real damage to each other. Only upon reaching the top was n able to suddenly turn the tide of the fight.


    As he had reached the top first, n was able to attack properly in the open space of the room. He first made a heavy blow, swinging downward at Darius''s head with the hook end of the tactical hammer. Darius raised the harpoon up just in time and caught the blow. He was then nearly dropped to one knee upon absorbing the impact.


    Jerking backwards, n snagged the hook onto the harpoons handle and pulled hard. The action almost tore the weapon from Darius''s hand. Yet he stubbornly held on and was instead sent stumbling into the room. n didn''t give him a chance to recover.


    Swinging sideways with a wide golf swing like arc, n''s hammer smashed into Darius''s shoulder. The impact crushed his bone, like a twig getting stepped on by a bull. The impact also sent Darius''s body rolling across the rotting hardwood flooring, beforeing to a stop. He had stopped right in front of arge window overlooking the road below. Darius let out a moaning gasp and red angrily upwards at n, though has was unable to get up from the pain.


    "It''s been fun." n said resting the hammer on his good shoulder. "But I can''t y around too long. My men are going to get to far away."


    The sound of the battle was now getting much further away now. n could tell that the Skull were sessfully retreating back to their territory. From his vantage point, n could see that his sides numbers had increased. Apparently, a third Skull force had thankfully joined up in the fight.


    Darius struggled to push himself up with his good arm. The other was smashed so badly, it looked like only the skin was holding it together. Darius gritted his teeth while speaking, "It''s not over yet!"


    "Ah, yes, it is." n correcteding even closer.


    Darius shakily stood up to face him head on. Despite his crushed arm, Darius had managed to still grip the hacksaw and with the other he held the harpoon. He desperately stabbed upwards at n to skewer him.


    However, n was to close now and simply deflected the weak attack with his hammer aside. Then n nted his foot into Darius''s chest, kicking him backwards. Darius went flying out of the window, shattering what remaining ss there was and went tumbling to the ground!


    Fortunately, a car was parked below, and hended on the cab, bounced hard and copsed to the ground. n stood in the broken window and looked at the crumpled body below.


    He started tough. "Ha-ha, revenge? Kill me? You are going to have to try much better than that!" n stepped off the window ledge and jumped to the ground. Landing lightly on the sidewalk, n tossed his hammer onto his good shoulder and started walking towards the receding battle.


    Just as he did, he heard a weak cough. ncing behind him, n saw Darius was turning his head to speak at him while still lying on the concrete.


    "Youre still alive?" n said indifferently. He took a few steps towards Darius''s destroyed body. Then n knelt to hear what Darius was attempting to say.


    Darius spoke weakly as small trickle of blood wasing from the corner of his mouth as he spoke. "At least I nearly killed you"


    n started tough again as he stood up to leave again. "No, not at all. I didn''t even need to use my Inducement! If you live, you better fight me so well that you force me to use my Inducement. Otherwise, you can just die quietly now."


    With saying that he left, leaving Darius to bleed out. Alone.