Swords of Justice
Chapter 13: (The Mantis Style)
Hamza imagined the scenario: if his powerful strike had been blocked, the staff would have snapped and torn open his chest—a fatal wound. That's why he had prepared to retreat and evade the attack. As expected, the staff broke in half, and Hamza leapt backward just as Muawiya's strike smashed into the ground with tremendous force.
Jalal: "Unbelievable! If Hamza had stayed in place, he'd be dead right now."
Muawiya picked up his sickle from the ground, laughing as he said:
"You're skilled—skilled enough to make the right choice and retreat before my attack reached you. But now… draw your sword, man. You can't face me without a weapon. Your staff is broken—you're completely defenseless."
Hamza glanced around, searching for something else to fight with. He would not draw his sword.
Muawiya: "That stubbornness won't help you…"
He lunged at Hamza again. This time, Hamza had nothing to defend himself with, but he rolled across the ground, spotting a metal rod nearby.
Salman: "This isn't fair—he's unarmed!"
Jalal: "Not true. Hamza has a sword, but he refuses to use it. He must bear the consequences of his choice."
Muawiya continued his relentless "mantis-style" attacks, while Hamza dodged, rolled, and leapt away until he finally reached the iron rod. Snatching it up, he blocked Muawiya's mantis strike, and the two of them staggered backward.
Muawiya: "So, you've found yourself another weapon… are you mocking me? What can an iron rod possibly do against me?"
Hamza: "We'll find out."
Muawiya charged again with his sickle, striking forward in his mantis style. Hamza blocked with the rod, but unlike a sword, the rod had no guard between the grip and the edge. Muawiya exploited this, sliding his sickle down along the rod toward Hamza's fingers.
Realizing his hand would be sliced apart if he held on, Hamza let go of the rod, leaving himself defenseless.
But Muawiya wielded two sickles, not one. He swung the second toward Hamza—
Hamza didn't give up. Just before the rod hit the ground, he kicked it forward with both feet, driving it into Muawiya's stomach. Muawiya collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for air, while Hamza also staggered back.
Wiping his mouth, Muawiya broke into hysterical laughter.
Muawiya: "Fine, fine… I'll tell you everything. Yes, I studied at the Mantis School. They took me in when I was young, raised me, and taught me everything about this style. I trained, improved, became the best among them. At my graduation, after years of hard work… do you know what happened?"
Salman (whispering to Jalal): "It seems their school was attacked while they were celebrating. He must've been the only survivor."
Muawiya overheard and scoffed:
Muawiya: "No, you fool. I slaughtered them myself."
Everyone was shocked. He continued:
"I killed them one by one—mercilessly, without pity. I became the sole master of this style. Yes, the only one."
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince of Foza finally arrived by ship at the harbor of Dar Homsan, accompanied by ten soldiers, coming to propose marriage to Princess Hasnaa.
Commander (whispering to the prince): "Are you certain, my lord? Coming to another kingdom with only ten men…"
Crown Prince: "I've told you again and again—we've come for a proposal, not for war. If I brought hundreds, it would be an insult to them."
Commander: "I understand, but we must still be cautious."
Crown Prince: "Foza and Dar Homsan share a strong alliance. No one would dare break it—especially Dar Homsan, which relies on us for weapon supplies."
The city welcomed them with great celebration. The Prince of Foza was so strikingly handsome that many women envied Princess Hasnaa for being promised to him.
Watching from the castle window, Minister Taher muttered to himself:
"Fool. Coming here with only ten guards… I'll seize the chance, take him hostage, and rule not one kingdom, but two."
King Sultan entered, worry written across his face.
King: "How will we tell him that my daughter Hasnaa isn't here?!"
Taher: "Do not worry, my king. I'll come up with a clever plan. Go and welcome him—I'll handle the rest."
King: "You must, even if it costs you your life."
When the king left the chamber, Taher whispered to himself:
"Yes… with my life, I will take control of this place."
Back at the battlefield, the duel between the unarmed Hamza and Muawiya, the mantis-style fighter, raged on. At that moment, Fatah regained consciousness after being defeated by Hamza. Deputy Salman noticed, drew his sword, and warned him:
Salman: "Don't you dare interfere."
Fatah (sitting cross-legged): "I won't. This isn't my fight. I've already lost to him."
Salman: "You villains would do anything to win…"
Jalal (interrupting): "No, look at his eyes. He accepts his defeat. He's focused only on what's happening before him."
Muawiya: "And now, after I've told you everything—how I killed the very people who raised me—what will you do?"
Hamza: "You're wrong. You haven't told me everything. This fight will continue—and I will never draw my sword."
Muawiya: "Then you've doomed yourself. And those who doom themselves… will always be the losers."
To be continued…