Chapter 12
Anton climbed to his feet; he felt the powers flow through him like wildfire. It was something quite powerful. He felt the energy resonating through the area. Two beast blades were active in the area, and that meant either that an ally or an enemy though judging from his welcoming, an enemy.
One thing flashed through his mind, eliminate with extreme prejudice. Termination was what he was planning.
The armor appeared around him in swirling light as he felt the turbo charge of he two active powers. Each one fed the other as Anton stepped back through the door.
"He never said that there were more with the blades," Alexi laughed as he stood their across from the entrance, his broadsword at the ready, "A normal person would already be dead, so we might as well dance while he completes the mission."
"Surrender or die," Anton growled, his katana positioned for a fight, "Those are your only two options."
"I wouldn't count on it," the Russian laughed, "If you beat me, you still have him to deal with."
Anton circled right, eyeing his opponent warily, he now sensed a dormant blade, one different and yet so similar to his own Phoenix blade. Their powers echoed off of each other filling the room with a shadowy pallor.
"Anton." he heard Holly say as she walked up towards the door.
"Holly, get the injured out of here," he snarled as he leaped vertically to avoid a horizontal slash, "And take cover, it was an ambush!"
"D'ARVIT!" Trouble yelped as he saw the two armored figures go blade to blade.
"Just do it!" Anton yelled as he parried a blow, the strike sending off a spray of gold and jade sparks in all directions, both combatants holding positions against the other in the center of the stone floor.
"Gottcha," Holly yelled, as she spotted Butler laying against the wall out cold with more broken bones than intact ones, "This just gets better and better."
Anton leaped backwards, his jump carrying him up to the railing of the second floor balcony, balancing on the masonry before back flipping to the carpet. He rolled backwards, avoiding Alexi's blade by mere inches.
The Russian grunted as he yanked his sword from the floor, noticing the deep pit in it and brought the blade up vertical to parry Anton's next strike. The other bladeborne warrior was good, and a perfect challenge. He reacted to a motion, but then realized that it wasn't what he had thought it was.
Anton's armored boot slammed into Alexi's stomach before whirling around to parry another counter. Feeling the area around him, Anton was focusing his mind, preparing himself for later, his foe was attacking like a berserker, and although it would give him an edge for the beginning, he would tire quickly.
Damn him, Alexi growled as he felt the pain below his ribs, it was infuriating that this man could fight better than him, he pushed more of his anger and strength into the fight, one way or another, his foe would be in pain.
"Close but no cigar," Anton laughed as he leaped off the side and into the chandelier, "You were close though, so shall we kick it up a notch!"
Alexi hissed as he moved forwards, blade in position and leaping forwards, blade slicing through the ancient chain holding the lighting fixture up.
"DAMN IT!" Anton roared as he leaped away before the elegant crystal chandelier hit the ground to shatter into a spray of shards.
Touching the ground the chime of crunching crystal, Anton spun, glaring at the other Gun Knight with a look that would shatter diamonds.
"We only found two of them," Holly yelled, "Two Butlers, Artemis isn't on this floor."
"Shit," Anton grunted in reply as he parried another blow.
He spun into another parry as he heard a strangely familiar voice nearby.
"Blaze," the voice whispered with a voice that would freeze liquid nitrogen, "I didn't expect to see you here."
Alexi leaped upwards to the walkway above, standing besides a large cloaked figure, a figure holding a boy that must be the one he was assigned to recruit.
Anton climbed to his feet; he felt the powers flow through him like wildfire. It was something quite powerful. He felt the energy resonating through the area. Two beast blades were active in the area, and that meant either that an ally or an enemy though judging from his welcoming, an enemy.
One thing flashed through his mind, eliminate with extreme prejudice. Termination was what he was planning.
The armor appeared around him in swirling light as he felt the turbo charge of he two active powers. Each one fed the other as Anton stepped back through the door.
"He never said that there were more with the blades," Alexi laughed as he stood their across from the entrance, his broadsword at the ready, "A normal person would already be dead, so we might as well dance while he completes the mission."
"Surrender or die," Anton growled, his katana positioned for a fight, "Those are your only two options."
"I wouldn't count on it," the Russian laughed, "If you beat me, you still have him to deal with."
Anton circled right, eyeing his opponent warily, he now sensed a dormant blade, one different and yet so similar to his own Phoenix blade. Their powers echoed off of each other filling the room with a shadowy pallor.
"Anton." he heard Holly say as she walked up towards the door.
"Holly, get the injured out of here," he snarled as he leaped vertically to avoid a horizontal slash, "And take cover, it was an ambush!"
"D'ARVIT!" Trouble yelped as he saw the two armored figures go blade to blade.
"Just do it!" Anton yelled as he parried a blow, the strike sending off a spray of gold and jade sparks in all directions, both combatants holding positions against the other in the center of the stone floor.
"Gottcha," Holly yelled, as she spotted Butler laying against the wall out cold with more broken bones than intact ones, "This just gets better and better."
Anton leaped backwards, his jump carrying him up to the railing of the second floor balcony, balancing on the masonry before back flipping to the carpet. He rolled backwards, avoiding Alexi's blade by mere inches.
The Russian grunted as he yanked his sword from the floor, noticing the deep pit in it and brought the blade up vertical to parry Anton's next strike. The other bladeborne warrior was good, and a perfect challenge. He reacted to a motion, but then realized that it wasn't what he had thought it was.
Anton's armored boot slammed into Alexi's stomach before whirling around to parry another counter. Feeling the area around him, Anton was focusing his mind, preparing himself for later, his foe was attacking like a berserker, and although it would give him an edge for the beginning, he would tire quickly.
Damn him, Alexi growled as he felt the pain below his ribs, it was infuriating that this man could fight better than him, he pushed more of his anger and strength into the fight, one way or another, his foe would be in pain.
"Close but no cigar," Anton laughed as he leaped off the side and into the chandelier, "You were close though, so shall we kick it up a notch!"
Alexi hissed as he moved forwards, blade in position and leaping forwards, blade slicing through the ancient chain holding the lighting fixture up.
"DAMN IT!" Anton roared as he leaped away before the elegant crystal chandelier hit the ground to shatter into a spray of shards.
Touching the ground the chime of crunching crystal, Anton spun, glaring at the other Gun Knight with a look that would shatter diamonds.
"We only found two of them," Holly yelled, "Two Butlers, Artemis isn't on this floor."
"Shit," Anton grunted in reply as he parried another blow.
He spun into another parry as he heard a strangely familiar voice nearby.
"Blaze," the voice whispered with a voice that would freeze liquid nitrogen, "I didn't expect to see you here."
Alexi leaped upwards to the walkway above, standing besides a large cloaked figure, a figure holding a boy that must be the one he was assigned to recruit.