Malik's shiny teeth glistened in the spotlight as the announcer began to count down the match. Sachi readied his weapon in front of him.
"3… 2… 1… Go!"
Hawke grabbed a knife off his vest and threw it directly at Sachi. The speed and trajectory were easy enough to avoid, thanks to his Foresight. Malik charging him would be a much more difficult problem.
Malik's longsword struck downward onto Sachi, only being blocked by Sachi's own blade.
'This is manageable… Just deal with the swordsman and avoid the knives…"
He use that singular moment to launch a counter attack. Pushing his blade upward to throw off Malik's balance, he rushed into a horizontal slice across Malik's body. Despite his opening, his attack wasn't quick enough to catch Malik.
Malik's blade dropped vertically, clashing with Sachi's Kazekiri.
"Not bad, Sachi! You've got an interesting fighting style… Not exactly a trained soldier, but not completely inexperienced, like all the other Champions."
Their blades were intertwined in a struggle for power, and so were their eyes.
Malik smiled briefly. "It's a shame that it all ends here."
While they held their blades against the other's, Sachi felt something wrong in his Foresight. Something was approaching from behind, and fast.
There wasn't enough time for Sachi to duck out of the way before a blade grazed his arm. A small amount of blood spurt from his arm as the small knife returned to the hands of Hawke, who leisurely spun it around his fingers.
"Neat, huh? I can control the knives to my liking, even from far away."
Sachi's grip on his sword weakened slightly and his vision grew hazy. The two in front of him began to smile as Sachi stumbled backwards, struggling to stand.
Hawke laughed through his raspy voice. "Poisoned knives, curtesy of my own god. How do you feel, kid? Losin' your senses yet?"
Sachi could barely hear him now. He was beginning to lose his sight, his hearing, and even the feeling in his body. He could barely hold himself upright, and not much longer after did he collapse on the grass in front of him.
All of Sachi's sense began to dwindle, leaving a gnawing feeling of dread within hin. Despite that, there was still a ringing sensation he could feel clearly.
It was his Foresight picking up the hostile presence in front of him, and now they were much clearer than he had envisioned prior.
Hawke squat down in front of Sachi, staring into his wide and dimly lit eyes.
"Wanna put him down, boss?"
Malik nodded, and pointed his sword downward.
Sachi was unmoving in the grass.
'…I can't fight the same way I have been…'
'I can't rely on my senses to get me through this, I have to rely entirely on my Foresight.'
'…but how? I can't even feel my hand on my sword…'
'…'
'That doesn't matter, I'll die here either way. I need a new way to fight.'
Malik licked his lips. "Shame the fights already over. Thought I might've actually enjoyed this one."
He looked into Sachi's eyes. They were murky, and he was very clearly blind now. Even then, he could feel Sachi's gaze piercing through him.
Malik drove his sword downward, expecting it to pierce the skull of the young man before him. To his surprise, as well as the audience holding their breath, the swipe of the Kazekiri threw his blade to the side.
'If I can't use my kendo techniques, I need to use what I have left… and all I have is Foresight.'
Sachi slowly pushed himself to his feet. His body was completely numb, he wasn't even sure if he did push himself to his feet.
'I can only tell I'm moving because their presence in my Foresight moves… that'll be my opening!'
Malik flourished his sword and he grit his teeth. "Hawke! Your poison is working, isn't it!? Why the hell is he moving!?"
Hawke stumbled through his words as he watched Sachi rise from the ground. Sachi stood hunched over, breathing heavily. The sword in his hand was held loosely, and his dim eyes stared forward.
"I-it's definitely working! You saw how he reacted to it, and look at his eyes! Maybe he already became resistant to it!?"
Malik gripped his sword tighter. "No… if he's with the Goddess of Luck, it must've been a fluke. That's all luck is, isn't it!?"
He charged forward, swinging his blade at the man barely standing.
'...I can see it.'
In a strange, almost unnatural motion, Sachi swung his blade counter to his attacker, bouncing the steel off each other.
"Wha- what the hell is he!?"
'It's strange... I can't feel anything, but based on the way the presence is moving, it's working.'
Hawke reached for more of his knives. "Tch, I'll handle it!"
He tossed three knives at Sachi, each one clashing with the steel of his blade before falling to the ground.
'Defense is working, but I'll need more than that to end this...'
Hawke bore his teeth. "The hell is this!?" He reached into his pockets, pulling more knives out and throwing them one after another.
Malik grunted and attacked along side the onslaught of weapons.
'...There has to be something...'
His body moved strangely, as if it was a puppet being controlled from above. He dodged beneath Malik's sword and deflected the oncoming knives.
"He's not even looking at us! If he can't see, how the hell is he fighting back!?"
The announcer leaned over his table, his eyes lit up with excitement as the young man steadily fought for his life.
"What an incredible match! It's two on one, and Team Malik is becoming frustrated at the incredible resilience of captain Sachi!"
Hawke's face scrunched up. "'Resilience' my ass! Something must be controlling him!"
Malik jumped back to evaluate his situation. "No, the Lady would've picked up on it if that was the case. Whatever he's doing, it's his own power!"
'...!? They let up? Now I can think of something at least...'
'Wait... That might be it!'
Hawke let out a frustrated sound. "There's just no way he's keeping up like that..."
He shouted angrily. "That kid ain't human!"