Ryolos staggered and would soon be forced to take an unwilling pause. Mike ran to his side, and just before the other guardian could impale Ryolos, the dagger and the horns clashed. The sound echoed through the entire throne room and even the shadow tiger king watched with interest. Mike showed no weakness and held back the unnatural strength of the tiger. Then Mike turned and sliced his dagger along the guardian's side. After a scream, drops of blood flew through the entire room. The attack finished off the already weakened guardian as he fell to the ground. With one swift cut Mike collected those horns as well.
Mike looked at Ryolos."Hey, are you alright? Sit down. I will take care of everything. If I need help you can still step in."
Ryolos swayed and nodded weakly. Mike was not even sure Ryolos understood everything, but he simply assumed he did and turned to the king. The white fur stood on end and trembled. Mike held his dagger tightly and looked at the king with a serious expression. Then Mike opened his mouth with a battle hungry look."I assume you are strong, right?"
Mike closed his eyes briefly, focusing on the king's face, but the king said nothing and stepped down from his throne. Now he was not small at all, in fact he was quite large. Suddenly golden medium sized horns grew from him. They shot toward Mike immediately and new ones grew back the moment they launched. Mike lifted his dagger lightly and deflected both in a flash. The king, unfazed, let longer horns grow, probably for close combat. That was confirmed right away when the king leapt forward with his head lowered toward Mike.
Mike held the dark dagger a little higher. Now his dagger was the only distance between the horns and his head. This time Mike did not want to test whether he would take damage, because the king was very strong. If it failed, Mike would probably be torn apart in a single strike.
Mike pulled the dagger slightly to the right, and the entire creature was thrown with it. Then Mike kicked the king against the wall. The king rose again, even more furious.
The beast leapt at Mike with a speed no human eye could follow, yet Mike caught it for a brief moment and barely managed to react. He raised his dagger above his head in defense.
The king slammed his entire body down onto the blade. Mike shoved the dagger a little to the right and this time tried to cut, but the king dodged and then, at close range, shot out his horns. They were impossible to dodge. They plunged into Mike's shoulder and he yelped as blood flowed and the horns stayed embedded.
"Pain? But my HP still shows nothing?"
Mike could not check further because the king performed a two jump attack. It was too late. Mike had lost his chance. The king landed on him and ripped his tunic. The claws dug deep into Mike's body and dragged him to the floor. The king began to thrust his claws in and out, blood spraying everywhere.
"Argh, damn!"
Mike did not think; overwhelmed by pain, he accidentally activated his hyper scale. It expanded across his body just as the king's claws were plunging in, and something unexpected happened. The hyper scale armor sliced through the king's claws and paws as it spread over Mike.
The white shadow tiger screamed. It was horrible to hear and even painful to watch. Mike himself was pierced, so of course it hurt. The king must have suffered terribly now that both of his front paws had been severed. They despawned immediately and the king writhed beside Mike. He did not speak or move anymore. He just lay there and writhed.
Ryolos was standing over him with his sword. When the two of them had entered the throne room, their weapons and armor had respawned in their inventories. Pure luck that the tigers had stored them here in the throne room.
"Shall I finish it?" Mike asked, lying on the floor and looking up at Ryolos. Ryolos staggered.
"He should have recovered," Ryolos muttered.
Suddenly Mike saw the king's horns grow again and drive straight through Ryolos's stomach. The horns shot out and Ryolos slammed into the wall. Mike sprang up and, lightning fast, slit the throat of the shadow tiger. He obtained the white pelt and a golden horn, but the gear he received did not interest him. He had other things on his mind.
"Ryolos!" he cried.
Ryolos lay on the floor, his back having taken the full force of the impact, two horns still protruding. Mike stood over him, but did not speak. He only stared. Ryolos smiled weakly.
"Uh, take care... please watch Trix and... good luck with Ice... thank you," he said.
Suddenly Mike could see Ryolos's life bar. It gave him no hope. HP: 0. It glowed red, which meant game over. Ryolos shattered into a thousand pieces, blue crystal shards scattering everywhere.
On his knees, Mike felt tears well up. He could not say anything. Then he heard footsteps a few paces in front of him. Two figures entered. It was Trix and Ice. Whether that was luck or misfortune did not matter. Mike had to tell them what had happened.
A smile had been on Ice's face as she and Trix came in, but it vanished when they saw all the blood on the floor. They scanned the room and tried to understand what had happened. Mike destroyed that small hope completely when Trix started to speak.
"Mike... where is Papa?"
Mike could no longer hold back the waterfall of tears.
"Ryolos died bravely in battle against the mighty king of the shadow tigers."
Those words made Trix collapse. She screamed in despair and cried uncontrollably. Nothing could cheer her up now. Ice and Mike only exchanged glances. Ice looked at the little girl, but Mike was startled by what she said.
"I hate this stupid game. I hate all the bosses, every NPC, stupid game!"
Mike expected something terrible to happen. And something terrible did happen. A glitch split open across the girl's face and, suddenly, she shattered into a thousand pieces as well. Two losses in one day.
Ice knelt down and looked at Mike. With tears and a trembling voice she said,"W......what?"