Kyar Ye's roar shook the tomb walls. The sound rolled like thunder through the stone halls. His golden blade caught the torchlight as he pointed it at Soe Gyi.
"You killed my blood! Now I'll make you pay with your flesh!"
He turned toward the dark corridor and growled, "No one disturbs me."
Then he charged.
Steel met steel. Sparks flew as Soe Gyi lifted his axe to block the first strike. The clang echoed through the chamber. Dust rained from the ceiling.
"So be it," Soe Gyi muttered through his teeth, pushing back.
Kyar Ye swung his golden blade in wide, brutal arcs. Each blow made the ground tremble. Stone cracked beneath his feet.
Every time Soe Gyi met the strike, the shock tore through his arms and shoulders. He dodged a downward slash that shattered the floor where he had stood a second earlier.
He's too strong, he thought, feeling the vibration travel up his bones.
The tiger-man moved like a storm—fast, precise, unrelenting. His blade sang through the air, leaving golden streaks of light. Soe Gyi tried to counter low, aiming for the legs, but Kyar Ye leapt aside with animal grace and spun, driving his sword back down.
Soe Gyi caught the edge on his axe, sparks bursting. His arms went numb from the force.
What kind of power is this? he thought, jaw tightening.
Claws flashed. Kyar Ye's swipe tore across Soe Gyi's chest, shredding cloth and skin. Blood ran down his ribs. He looked at the wound and muttered, "He's strong…"
The tiger's eyes glowed brighter. "You fight well, human," he growled, circling. "But you bleed too easily."
Soe Gyi's breath came harsh and heavy. His axe felt heavier with every heartbeat, yet his eyes never left the beast. The air was thick with dust and smoke. The torches flickered, throwing broken shadows across the walls.
Kyar Ye lunged again. Their blades met, grinding metal to metal. Soe Gyi staggered back, boots scraping over loose stones.
Every block sent a jolt through his shoulders. His grip burned. Blood from his wounds dripped onto the floor, mixing with dust.
They crashed into the corridor. Flames from fallen torches guttered and died. The light flickered red across their faces—man and beast locked in fury. The sound of steel and roars filled the halls like thunder.
Kyar Ye's golden blade swept in wide arcs, his movements smooth but merciless. Soe Gyi parried one strike, ducked another, but the third cut deep across his arm. He bit back a cry.
I can't land a hit. He's reading every move.
"Stand still!" Kyar Ye roared, driving forward.
Soe Gyi blocked again, the axe trembling in his hands. His arms shook from exhaustion. His chest ached with each breath.
Too strong. Too fast.
A heavy blow smashed against his weapon, knocking him off balance. He stumbled back. Kyar Ye kicked forward, the impact sending him crashing into the wall. Pain burst across his back. He slid down, gasping for air.
The tiger raised his blade high. "You killed my brother! I'll grind you into dust!"
The blade came down. Soe Gyi rolled aside; the sword split the ground where he'd been. The shockwave hurled him across the corridor. He slammed into stone, spitting blood. His ribs screamed.
I can't take another hit, he thought. Move. Now.
He forced himself up, legs trembling. Blood soaked through his shirt. His vision swam, but he kept moving.
Kyar Ye stalked after him, fury burning in his eyes. "Run, little rat! You can't escape me!"
Soe Gyi stumbled into a side passage. His mind raced through the haze. Left. Right. Anywhere. There must be a way out.
The tiger's footsteps boomed behind him, each one closer, louder, heavier.
A sudden crack echoed. Soe Gyi's hand brushed a loose stone in the wall. It shifted beneath his touch. He shoved harder, and the section slid aside, revealing a narrow passage just wide enough for one man.
He slipped inside, breath ragged. The stone door closed behind him with a dull thud just as Kyar Ye's roar exploded through the corridor.
"Soe Gyi! I'll find you! You can't hide forever!"
Silence followed, broken only by Soe Gyi's labored breathing. The hidden tunnel sloped downward. Its walls were smooth and damp. He leaned against the stone, pressing a hand to his bleeding side, then began to slide carefully down.
Minutes passed. The tunnel curved and dropped deeper into darkness until, at last, he reached the end. The narrow passage opened into a small stone chamber.
Inside, the air was still and cold.
Soe Gyi pressed his back to the wall, legs giving way. He slid to the floor and let the axe rest beside him. His hand clutched the wound in his side, warm blood seeping through his fingers. Every breath came short and sharp.
"Still alive," he whispered.
He closed his eyes. Pain throbbed through every muscle. The fight replayed in flashes—each strike, each roar, each moment where death had been inches away.
That tiger… too strong. Too fast. I couldn't even touch him.
He tilted his head back against the cold wall. His heartbeat slowed, echoing in the quiet.
His fingers brushed the engravings on his axe. The metal was chipped, streaked with blood, but still solid. He traced the handle slowly, grounding himself in the familiar weight.
"Next time," he murmured, voice low.
A faint tremor ran through the walls far above—the echo of Kyar Ye's roar fading in the distance. Soe Gyi stared at the darkness ahead. Pain burned through him, but deep in his chest, something else stirred: resolve.
He exhaled long and slow, the last of his strength fading. His eyelids drooped. Before sleep took him, he whispered into the silence,
"Kyar Ye… next time, one of us will die."