"Ugh —"
The captain grimaced, his body twisting on the ground like a crushed worm as pain tore through every nerve. He sucked in a sharp, ragged breath, then forced himself to push up despite the agony ripping through his ribs.
The world wobbled.
His vision swam, the ground tilting beneath him. Gritting his teeth, he shook his head hard and slapped his temples, trying to beat the dizziness back into submission.
Across from him, the bald man straightened as well, rolling his shoulders as he rose. A smug smile spread across his face, a slow and satisfied look on his face, like a predator already convinced the fight was over.
"Ha! So this is the level of an elite soldier, huh?" the bald man scoffed, rolling his shoulders a few more times.
A sharp twinge flared along his ribs, the lingering pain from the repeated punches, and the sneer on his face slowly twisted into something darker. He had taken damage too, and that realization only fed his anger.
