The impact made the sand around Achilles rise. The amazon's movement was extraordinary; her muscles could rival even those of Heracles. Setting aside her facial beauty, her body was stereotypically masculine and well-built.
—I missed this strength. It's been a long time since we last met.
—Achilles, this time…
The struggle intensified, forcing the Greek hero back.
—You will apologize to me.
—Just that?
With a leap he freed himself from the attack, which, like the explosion of a mine, sent sand swirling high into the air.
—Tris, I've got a date with this beauty —Achilles shouted, pointing at the amazon—. You'll have to take the girl to the oasis yourself.
—Understood.
I didn't question it. I didn't want to face that mass of muscle. At full speed I picked up Porfirio, who was genuinely exhausted; her breathing was uneven and her whole body was drenched in sweat.
Carrying her like a princess, I started running toward the oasis. We were close; we would arrive at any moment. My steps had become lighter; Frost's cool air made this easier, to the point that the heat stopped being a problem.
Even Díaz's breathing had calmed as I kept her close to me.
"It would have been useful to know I could do that from the start."
The boundary between strange grass and sand became visible. One jump would be enough to reach it, but Search reacted.
Maybe I got overconfident.
Maybe I thought it would be easier.
I paid for it dearly.
A shot, aimed directly at my head, appeared highlighted in the system. There was no way to dodge it. Even knowing it, I was doomed. With the pain of my soul, I shouted:
—Pause!
Time stopped. I took advantage of the seconds of grace.
—Achilles! Finish off Penthesilea. You'll be able to move in four seconds and—
—And defeat such a beautiful warrior with such a vile trick? Who do you take me for, Tristan? —he replied clearly—. Don't think I won't take advantage of it; I'll move away from her to prepare myself, but… I would never kill through treachery.
He shut me up. I could not, nor did I want to, say anything else.
Díaz remained in my arms, frozen. I could see the trajectory of the bullet. In the distance, atop the great sphinx, stood a man with a sniper rifle.
I only had a couple of seconds to run and hide.
I had two paths: run to the oasis or run beneath the sphinx. Facing the enemy was not an option yet.
"If I use Fast-forward…"
If I ran at full speed at that point, I could reach the sniper.
"But there would still be another enemy… and with the recoil damage…"
Null was another option, but…
I was carrying Díaz.
And my opponent… who is it?
Maybe I would have preferred not to know.
Of Gold rank, nullifying Null's cover, I had none other than Simo Häyhä, also known as the White Death, recognized as the greatest sniper in history, with more than 500 kills to his name.
I had no way to get past him.
I might regret this, but I used my six seconds of movement to run toward the legs of the sphinx, keeping out of the sniper's sight.
As soon as I stepped onto the grass, the temperature dropped abruptly. The sun had disappeared and the suffocating heat eased with every step I took.
"Literally an oasis in the middle of the desert."
I could barely see the timer dropping to 3… 2… 1…
Time resumed. My silver bullet was lost, but at least we were safe beneath the sphinx's legs.
Carefully I laid Díaz down on the great feline while I waited for any reaction from the sniper, but he remained silent at the top.
There was a reason he was so lethal…
—Woof.
A bark.
—Woof, woof.
Another, and another.
In front of me, from the same sand, like marmots hiding from the heat, large hunting dogs emerged in search of their prey.
He didn't need to come down to hunt us.
He already had the sphinx under his control.
........................
—What was that?
A confused Penthesilea wondered in the middle of the sand. The oasis, just a few meters away, was briefly distracted by a stray shot that grazed her shoulder with little effect.
—That idiot… hey, weak ankles, you—
The amazon fell silent.
In front of her, the young Achilles had prepared himself. He had removed his sports jacket, leaving his body, carved by the gods themselves, exposed.
His hair was now tied in a small ponytail, slicked back so that no strand could distract him.
On his heel, a guard; a boot of silver and mithril.
And in his hand, a slender silver estus with a pair of blades on the hilt.
Gently he raised the hilt to his lips and declared:
—In the name of my beloved mother Thetis, bless this steel.
The silver blade was dyed until it became entirely blue, like the purest of rivers.
—Yes… just as I remembered you. Don't you want to start with the spear, just as you killed me?
—That would be boring. Besides… what is that you have in your hand? Have you ever used a labrys?
The amazon smiled sweetly, clashing with the rest of her appearance.
—A gift from my little sister. Just like this…
From nowhere, a cloth covering her abdomen vanished, revealing an iron and leather belt with a symbol Achilles recognized instantly.
—Ares. This will be fun.
The exchange began without delay.
Each of Penthesilea's steps was like that of a wild hippopotamus in the savanna, a charge difficult to even quantify. Her very body hid within the cloud of sand she raised with every step.
In contrast, Achilles remained smiling, expectant. His leg covered in silver and adamant floated as if waves moved through the air, without disturbing the soft sand beneath his feet.
The labrys struck first: a direct blow that would crush stone in seconds.
Achilles' smile was almost the same as the one reflected on the amazon's beautiful face, as if both were dancing violently.
Achilles did not hesitate. Raising his sword, he delivered a perfect swing at the amazon, who instantly pulled her labrys back, blocking with the iron handle.
Mistake.
At the moment of contact, as if a living current spread through the metal of her weapon, an electric shock made the amazon shudder.
In response, she could only push herself back, hoping to separate from the source of torture.
Her arms remained paralyzed; her muscles pulsed as they held her weapon tightly.
—What an interesting trick. I see your stars are interesting.
—Ha… well, three very interesting ones, I won't deny it.
—Let's play a game, handsome. I swear by my father's name that I'll tell you one of my stars, and you tell me yours.
—Oh, beautiful, I'd tell you all my secrets without you having to undress for me.
—Fine. Labrys, Ares. An imitation of my father's spear.
—Oh, well. This is Thetis, my faithful sword, embodied in my mother's love and the favors Zeus granted her.
—That explains everything.
With difficulty, the amazon stood up again.
—Let's have fun.
With her own axe she cut the palm of her hand, letting her blood drip onto the buckle of her belt.
The metal absorbed her blood.
A pair of pincers extended, embedding themselves into the woman's abdomen.
—Beautiful… that looks painful…
In an instant the amazon grabbed the young man's face, dragging him with her for several meters in a single leap.
Finally she threw him beneath the sand.
He did not take long to emerge, floating as if swimming.
The young man wiped the blood from his nose, straightening it with a rough motion.
—We moved quite far.
—Let's see who gets tired first, little doll.
The amazon had grown at least two sizes in an instant. Her muscles had expanded, but that did not hinder her speed in the slightest.
She was like a gorilla with the legs of a cheetah.
Achilles could only smile.
Because this fight was far from over.
"Bang."
I didn't know when it happened, but a shot hit a dog directly.
The others, by instinct, fled.
I couldn't deny it hurt me. I didn't have the heart to attack an animal I knew, much less a dog or a cat.
But Díaz did not hesitate for even a second.
—Thank you for bringing me…
The young woman let herself fall, beginning to crawl under the sphinx's shadow.
—Díaz, watch out!
A second bang from above rang out.