I Woke Up 120 Years After The Apocalypse-Chapter 33: Oathbearers (2)

"It’s me. I am Akram Crimson."

"Akram... So you are the Cursed One."

A slight shiver ran down the young Vulkan’s spine, born from a pride he struggled to hide: his name was known.

"My name is Rubayd. I am one of the four pillars of the Oathbearers."

"And you stand before Aphroa, daughter of Phaistos the Titan."

With a respectful gesture, Rubayd presented the young woman.

She was defined by an imposing physique: broad shoulders, thick arms that would make many men pale in comparison. Her short hair was as white as snow, and despite the scars marking her skin, her face retained fine, harmonious features.

Aphroa said nothing. She merely snorted.

"It is neither me, nor her, that you will face to prove your worth."

Rubayd stepped aside, allowing a soldier to move forward and take position.

The man was no less impressive physically, though not as imposing as Rubayd. He wielded a long metal spear, its blade nearly as long as the shaft itself.

"My name is Zulfar. A pleasure to face you, WARRIOR!"

At the final word, the Oathbearers erupted in a unified roar.

"AOUH-AOUH!"

Most of the Vulkans watching were unsettled by the sudden cry, exchanging uneasy glances.

Yashyn lightly tapped Akram’s lower back, urging him forward.

"My name is Akram. A pleasure to face you as well."

Akram drew his blade and took his stance, the tip of his katana aimed straight at his opponent.

Zulfar did the same, adopting a tight guard, a wide, confident grin spreading across his face.

Rubayd then announced the rules in a rough, powerful voice, loud enough for all of Vulkania to hear.

"Fight with everything you have. There are no rules, except the prohibition of retreat."

He turned his gaze toward the Vulkan champion, his expression grave.

"You do not need to win to prove your worth. But you must fight until the very end."

Akram nodded once and stepped forward.

Zulfar mirrored him, advancing with confidence.

They stopped less than a meter apart, staring each other down.

A long silence followed — so heavy that the wind sweeping the dust around them sounded deafening.

Then, after a deep breath, the pillar roared at the top of his lungs:

"BEGIN!"

Steel clashed instantly.

Zulfar maintained that same arrogant smile, as if already convinced of his victory.

Akram felt it immediately. That confidence did not leave him indifferent.

Blows rained from both sides. Akram parried each thrust of the spear, designed to keep him at bay, while Zulfar deflected the young leader’s strikes, denying him any chance to close the distance.

For the first minute, the fight remained perfectly balanced. Everyone — including the Vulkans — understood what Akram had become.

He was clearly no longer the same. His reflexes were sharp, almost as if he could see the attacks coming before they happened. His technique, though academic, was refined, his movements precise, leaving little room for error.

The training had paid off.

Yashyn watched silently, arms crossed. Deep down, he felt the same thrill as his student — the satisfaction of seeing months of effort finally take shape.

After a minute, the balance broke.

Akram disrupted Zulfar’s stance with a flawless parry and did not hesitate.

Damn it! Zulfar thought, leaning at a forty-five-degree angle.

Akram feinted a blade strike, then drove a charged prosthetic punch straight into Zulfar’s jaw, sending the Oathbearer flying several meters back.

The Vulkans exclaimed in unison, smiles spreading across their faces.

Zulfar got back up just in time, blood seeping from his lip. He wiped it away with the back of his hand... and smiled.

Akram returned the smile, resetting his guard.

Zulfar lunged again, this time greatly increasing his pace. His strikes were sharper, more precise. He fully exploited the reach of his spear, forcing Akram to retreat and narrowly dodge.

Some blows eventually landed. Just scratches, but the pressure was mounting. Akram knew he had to react fast.

With a perfectly timed motion, he parried the spear with his prosthetic, slipping inside Zulfar’s guard.

Zulfar barely managed to push Akram back with a brutal kick to the stomach.

But he fell straight into the Vulkan leader’s trap.

With a sharp motion, Akram sliced across Zulfar’s thigh.

The soldier groaned, grimacing in pain, but recovered instantly. He could not afford to lose ground against an opponent of this caliber.

With the shaft of his spear, he struck back, smashing Akram square in the jaw.

The young Vulkan was thrown backward, stumbling. A cut now ran across his cheek.

Leyla and Elliot watched, sweat glistening on their brows, even more anxious than their leader.

"Damn, it’s close... But he’ll make it, I know it!"

Leyla stared at Akram, worried. His injuries and the blood flowing from them left her anything but indifferent.

"I hope so..."

The two fighters stared at each other, catching their breath, circling slowly.

They both knew it.

The next strike would be the last.

Akram was no longer just trying to prove his worth. Months of training had not only strengthened his body — they had also forged his ego.

After all these efforts... all these sacrifices... I will not lose.

He wanted to win. At any cost.

For seconds that felt like entire days, the two men focused completely.

Silence.

Silence.

Then a single clash of metal shattered the quiet — and ended the fight.

Zulfar lay on the ground, his spear broken. The tip of Akram’s blade rested beneath his throat.

Akram had won.

Cheers erupted throughout the colony. The villagers celebrated as if they had fought alongside him.

Zulfar, though defeated, never lost his smile.

Akram sheathed his blade and extended his hand.

Zulfar took it without hesitation, standing up before pulling Akram into a tight embrace.

"Hahaha! You’re a true warrior, MY BROTHER!"

The Oathbearers celebrated in their own way, howling instinctively:

"AOUH-AOUH!"

Rubayd then stepped forward and handed Akram a pendant.

"This is the mark of an ally of the Oathbearers, my brother. No one will touch you. We will fight for you, and you will fight for us."

Akram took it, a broad smile of pride lighting up his face. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Aphroa, standing slightly behind, took a few steps forward and nodded once to the Vulkan leader.

Then, suddenly, time froze.

Akram’s eyes widened — as did Aphroa’s.

A bolt.

A bolt hovered before him, suspended in the air, moving at an absurdly slow pace.

Instinctively, Akram tried to react. To catch it.

But his body would not respond.

His arm felt impossibly slow. He managed to move only a single finger.

The bolt continued its path.

Time snapped back into motion.

A dull sound echoed — flesh tearing under impact.

Akram looked up — and understood.

Aphroa stood before him, the bolt buried deep in her abdomen.

Her legs gave out instantly.

She collapsed heavily to the ground, blood spreading beneath her.