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Again Achilles struck at hiely into Ender's nose, breaking it Blood spurted from his nostrils and covered the front of his shirt almost instantly

Valentine cried out as Ender staggered and then fell to his knees

"Fight me," hissed Achilles

"Don't you get it?" said Ender "I will never raise ainst the son of my friends"

Achilles kicked hi hiht like in the silly vids, where the hero and the villain delivered killing blows, yet their opponent got up to fight again The dae to Ender's body was deep and real It et

He's not going to kill ht Achilles

It cahed aloud

And then he thought: It's Mother's plan after all Why did I ever iine I should let him kill me? I'm the son of Achilles Flandres His true son I can kill the ones who need killing I can end this pernicious life, once and for all, avenging my father and the hive queens and those two boys that Ender killed

Achilles kicked Ender in the ribs as he lay on his back in the grass The ribs broke so loudly that even Valentine could hear them; she screamed

"Hush," said Ender "This is how it goes"

Then Ender rolled over--wincing, then crying out softly with the pain Yet he ed, somehow, to rise to his feet

Whereupon he put his hands in his pockets

"You can destroy the vids you're recording," said Ender "No one will know that you murdered me They won't believe Valentine So you can claim self-defense Everyone will believe it--you've made them hate me and fear me Of course you had to kill me to save your own life"

Ender wanted to die? Now? At Achilles' hand? "What's your game?" Achilles asked

"Your supposed eance for her fantasy lover, your fraudulent father Do it--do what she raised you to do, be who she planned you to be But I will not raise ainst the son of my friends, no matter how deluded you are"