Mort had just enough time to stare at his pickaxe passing right through Nessa's body with wide eyes before her fist hit him like a brick shot out of a cannon in the face. Even until the moment he lost consciousness, he couldn't understand the image his eyes had sent to his brain.
His pickaxe as supposed to pierce her armor and, if necessary, her torso. It was low enough that it wouldn't hit her heart and thus wouldn't be fatal.
Mort wasn't sparing her life out of pure mercy. It was self-preservation and respect toward a member of the younger generation and a worthy foe.
It was just a fight to determine whether they could be allowed access to the tunnel. It wasn't a fight to the death.
If that were the case, Mort would be the second to die. Nessa was this strong. She might not be the weakest of the bunch from Gjula, but she definitely wasn't the strongest. She was even a good matchup for Mort since most of her skills were ineffective against him.
