He charged the moment the words left his mouth. His blade became a blur. Kael met him head-on. Steel clashed in showers of bright sparks, no finesse left in either of them now. Just raw fury and desperation.
Kael ducked under a slash. His elbow slammed into the assassin's throat with all his weight behind it. The man stumbled, gasping. Kael stabbed forward, aiming for the chest. A killing blow.
CLANG!
The assassin parried at the last second. Then he headbutted Kael hard. Stars burst across Kael's vision. White spots everywhere. His balance faltered. He nearly went down.
Kael stabbed low blindly. The blade bit into the assassin's thigh, muscle parted. The man grunted in pain. His return slash caught Kael's forearm, opening it to the bone.
Kael's grip weakened slightly. The dagger shook in his hand. His body was failing completely, systems shutting down one by one. But his mind stayed sharp, crystal clear.
"Now or never," he thought.
