​     It was brutal. 

     The Coal-Maiden's punches grew more powerful with each passing second. Now it was the Coal-Maiden's turn to try to drive Adam into the ground. 

​     "I want to see you splintered," she said. "I want to see you smashed." 

     She'd already shattered his jaw. He couldn't reply even if he wanted to. 

​     Tindriss went into a complete fury for a full minute. She smacked Adam hundreds of times from dozens of different angles. All that was left of Adam after that was broken bones and shredded flesh. 

     She left his skull intact, though.  

     His eyes still peered at her, eyes filled with remorse over his own destruction. To look into Adam's eyes made Tindriss laugh. That's why she'd left his skull intact in the first place, because it amused her so much to see the pain and defeat in his eyes.  

     Sooner or later, though, the fun had to come to an end. 

​     "Now I want to see your brains," she said. 

     She tried to pry his skull apart with her fingers, but she found it to be a difficult task. His skull was nothing more than pebble-sized pieces wrapped in skin and slippery from Adam's sweat and blood. She pounded Adam's skull into oatmeal, and it still wouldn't reveal his brains. Oh well... 

     Adam made no more sound, but Tindriss knew he still lived. He was Adam Forwarder, after all. Given time, even if it took thousands of years, Adam would eventually regenerate and return to full strength. 

     Therefore, she wasn't quite done with him, yet. 

     "I'll be back for you later," she said, although she had no idea whether he could still hear her or not. "I've still got a mission of fulfill."

     "It's time to go kill your new girlfriend."

END OF CHAPTER NINE

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