11: The War of the Blades -- A Great Battle!
Wind. That was their only barrier. Wind. Its walls would not hold long.
In a flash, Jack soared after Fumus with his blade raised high and his lungs screaming. The demon crossed his swords and caught the attack, holding the samurai's deadly blade at bay. Kenshin jumped in after his friend, his own reverse sword screaming in the wind, but before he could cut anything, Melville's fencing sword cut the attack off and held it firmly. Kenshin glared at the older man as the he defended himself, and shoved him away as he went on a solo assault. Jack kicked Fumus hard and charged after the devilish man, but he was already spinning wildly, throwing his swords in the air and creating nasty noise as steel crashed against steel.
Jack thrust his blade down, Fumus stepped aside; Jack swung horizontally and Fumus ducked underneath, then countered with a slice to his arms. Jack quickly hoisted his arm into the air to avoid the attack, and used the height of his blade to swing back at the devil from above. Fumus jerked to the side and cringed as he received a small cut on the shoulder--a nick, really, but it burned like a hot coal had been placed on it. He glared, but suddenly turned around as Kenshin was thrust onto him.
Now Kenshin had been fighting Melville all that time, and while the wiry man was a truly good fencer, he couldn't match up to the Battousai in pure power and skill. He had held his own using jabs and lunges to keep the red samurai at bay; he thrust his pointed sword violently, or slashed at the air with it, making sure Kenshin would not go anywhere near him. Himura decided to run and leap out at him instead, but once he was in the air, a mighty slap from Rygar sent him sailing, straight into Fumus' waiting grasp.
Now Kenshin was in on the action. He quickly wheeled around and slashed, but Fumus easily protected himself and assaulted the man-killer with both blades at full speed, rendering him useless to do anything except defend. Jack rushed in screaming, but was tackled by Melville before he could save his friend. The sophisticated killer cut at the samurai and sliced his sleeve, but Jack fought back and shoved Melville across the plains. He rushed after the Englishman with his sacred blade singing in the breeze.
Jack suddenly bumped into Rygar, who had stepped in and used his bulk to freeze the warrior in his tracks. The mighty man hefted his greatsword in the air, swinging it like the blades of a windmill before bringing it crashing down to the ground. Jack gritted his teeth and rolled across the ground, narrowly missing mutilation. The sword came down again and again, slashing the ground apart as it swung closer and closer to the rolling warrior. Jack's dizziness was the least of his worries.
Meanwhile, Kenshin could not detect any kind of pattern as he fought off the feral attacks of the Vanishing Smoke. The man's speed was astounding and his technique was unlisted; he just slashed madly at anything that came his way. The swords whisked through the air and made songs as they struck down and around Himura's waiting blade; Kenshin was cut several times as a few stray slices managed to get around his guard. He was being driven further and further away from Jack, who was now under the assault of the gigantic Rygar.
He growled to himself and used as much effort as possible to shove Fumus away, and gave him a cut across the face before he leaped over the mad killer towards his friend. Kenshin ran down the field and tackled into Melville, but was stopped as the wiry killer threw a dust cloud in his face. Kenshin coughed violently and tried to clear his face, but before he could regain his senses, Melville knocked him with the blunt end of his fencing sword, sending him to the ground.
He quickly regained his bearings and held his sword out in front of him, using it to shield his chest from the soaring deadliness of the epee. His foot found Drakemoth's leg and swept at it, sending the man to the floor alongside with him. Kenshin flipped over and heaved his weight on the other man, digging his elbow in until Drakemoth shouted and hurled him aside. He desperately scrambled to his feet and tackled Kenshin, who was just flipping up. Both men landed in the ground again and wrestled for control of a fleeting foothold.
Jack dug his fist in the ground and pulled out a clod of dirt, thrusting it into the face of his pursuer as he rolled away from the deadly blade. This gave him a tiny window of freedom to stand back on his feet and retrieve his blade. As Rygar wiped the soil off his face, Jack charged in with his blade shining in the sunlight. Rygar winced through his blinded eyes and carefully kicked at the samurai before he could be cut. Jack was sent flying, and soon both men had lost their disadvantages. They ran at each other and Rygar swung first; Jack crouched underneath the heavy sword and leaped up into the air to deliver a blow from above.
Rygar patiently waited for the white-robed man to descend, and grabbed him suddenly just before his thin blade could split him in twain. He whirled him around like a sling, tossing him further across the field and into the fight between Kenshin and Melville. Jack crashed into both of them, flattening them and himself with a nasty boom. Melville and Kenshin groaned; Fumus saw his window of opportunity open and rushed towards them all, his blades blazing in the sky. Melville groaned and shoved both warriors aside with a kick; Kenshin tumbled up and saved his friend from the wrath of the devil by raising his sword and stopping the twin blades. Fumus cackled and swiped at him secretly.
Kenshin shouted as his robe was cut; he jumped back in surprise, almost tripping over Jack. The other samurai quickly rolled to his feet and guarded against the pointed epee of the brilliant killer, his back against Kenshin's. Both warriors were at a standstill, trapped against each other with an assassin bearing down on them. The ground began to rumble as Rygar the Red tore off after them, his steps shaking the ground. He screamed out a vicious roar, his broadsword raised in the air ready to cut everything in two.
Kenshin quickly jumped up and kicked Fumus in the face, holding his sword out to parry the oncoming blow. Jack followed by ducking down and butting his enemy in the stomach, whirled around quickly, and hopped over to join his friend. His sword was out in a flash and met the large blade of Rygar. Sparks and embers hopped out madly, like little demons, as the sacred sword and reverse blade struggled just to keep the mighty steel from descending down. Both warriors bared their teeth as they fought against the immense strength of their opponent, but Rygar didn't look fazed at all. He just glared down at them, coldly.
Sensitive ears picked up footsteps--the samurai realized that their foes were back in the battle and heading right for them. Their immediate concern was still bearing down on them like the hot sun above, and with no way to move out of the lock without tearing their bodies apart, they were defenseless. Quickly, Jack and Kenshin kicked Rygar's chest with all their might, knocking the wind out of him briefly. He was forced back just long enough for them to turn around and face their persistent foes.
Fumus and Melville fought as one, three blades flying against two in a hailstorm of steel and fire. A blazing sun bounced off the shining swords, shooting light out in every direction as the madness resumed. Jack decided to quickly pick off Drakemoth, since his skills with a sword were the least of his worries. He was slower than Fumus, so Jack had to fight off the dark devil alongside Kenshin before he had the honor of facing the other man. Fumus was more than happy to accommodate them both and quickly threw himself back into the fray as he twirled his blades in the sky.
Kenshin hoisted his sword and smashed it against the left blade, quickly strafing in that direction so he could fully concentrate on just one side. Jack took the right, and together the two samurai fought against a single opponent, crashing and clanging steel upon steel in a tornado of raw power. Fumus' arms danced in a frantic effort to keep up with two skilled warriors at once, but even his fanatical speed was no match for their combined efforts. He screamed suddenly as Jack sliced his arm, and forced himself to retort back with his other hand. Kenshin took that split second of time to slam his sword right into Fumus' ribs, making the devil cry out even more.
He immediately swung out and met the lunge of Melville as he caught up to the battle, but was suddenly thrown aside as Rygar returned to the battle and swung at him. Jack found himself trapped with three villains to face, but quickly gathered his strength and will, holding his blade firmly and daring them all to strike. They did.
His sword sailed up first to smash against Fumus' knife, then sideways to parry Drakemoth, then back around to redirect the massive broadsword. He leaped backwards, cutting at Fumus' swing just as Melville plunged in again, and came out on Drakemoth's other side. The Englishman turned and swung again, but Jack sidestepped the blade and crashed his sword down hard, completely shattering the man's epee. Melville cursed and punched Jack in the face before he retreated.
The samurai was knocked back but not far; he thankfully avoided the fury of Fumus Adhvanit as the devil swiped at the air. The Vanishing Smoke was not through just yet, and raced after his prey like a thundering lion. Jack recovered just in time to see a black-skinned devil with a white face chasing after him, and instinctively raised his sword to protect himself from whatever evil would befall him. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Kenshin ran in and tackled Fumus, shoving him away before Jack could face him.
The Battousai quickly sliced at Fumus' body with delicate grace and furious power, cleaving scars everywhere on the creature's body as he pushed him further away. A whirlwind of steel and embers scorched the creature, and pain was inflicted heavily as many of the blows fell upon the large scar on his chest, the one Jack had made. Fumus growled furiously as his body was being torn apart, but could do nothing under such a surprise attack. He received unexpected help when Kenshin suddenly yanked his sword around and swatted a dart from the sky. Kenshin glared at the thrower for the briefest of seconds, and shouted for Jack to take care of the crafty Drakemoth. These few seconds of distraction away from Fumus cost him dearly; he received a nasty cut in the back once Fumus got his bearings back.
Kenshin snarled and turned around to fight his opponent, taking a few seconds to notice that the wounds he had given his enemy were slowly healing. His blade was no longer as fast as it was; its skill was now being spent on defending himself and spotting flaws in Fumus' attack. As his blade swirled around the air and made sparks from smashing against the smaller swords, he took note that Fumus' swings mostly aimed for the neck, chest, stomach, and other vital areas. He quickly stabbed back at Fumus' shoulder, expecting him to move aside. The devil swerved just as he expected, so Kenshin gave him a kick to the chin just as he strafed.
He rushed in and slapped the blunt end of his blade on the Vanishing one's shoulder with enough force to split a log, crushing his arm, nerves and muscles and everything in between. Fumus yelled out loud and quickly countered with his other arm, crushing Kenshin on the chin as he swung. Both warriors smashed up against each other again and again, likes waves on rocks, one of them disabled and the other bearing injuries from the fight. Kenshin's face was like a lion during the kill, snarling with nostrils flared wide open and teeth bared and white.
Jack swung after Drakemoth and missed, but the man was not so fast as to avoid another blow. Jack slashed horizontally and cut the man's bowler in half, revealing a small puff of hair beneath the hat. Drakemoth snarled and threw the wasted object away, producing a cane to take its place. A small pointed tip popped out of the cane, so Melville improvised and used that as an offensive device. Jack had no objections and fought the man deep in the nearby bushes.
It was the samurai's turn to be on the offensive. Jack weaved his weapon up and down, painting pictures of silver and orange as his sword crossed through the air and forced Melville away. As he attacked Drakemoth, he could feel the trembling of the ground as Rygar ran off after him, and knew that he had little time. Jack ultimately decided to shove his foe deep into the bush--he jumped up and grabbed hold of the branch of a tree, swung on it, and used his momentum to knock Melville far away, where he landed in the thick of a painful thorn bush. Jack landed and wheeled around just in time to face the wrath of Rygar.
The mighty killer plowed through the trees like wildfire, using his great blade to slice through several in a single blow. The great forest was devoured by his sword and strength, but Jack stood firm and waited for his foe to come. Leaves spewed out everywhere as birds screamed and flew away from the dreaded force. Jack scooted aside to avoid the crash of a nearby tree, and stood in silence as he stared back at the Blood-Red Battousai.
He and Rygar glared at each other, just as they glared before and would probably glare again, one noble hero standing up against an infamous slayer of men and cities. Rygar swung his sword around, pointed it at Jack, growled, and dared for the samurai to strike. Jack rushed in screaming, his blade splitting apart the air, but Rygar remained perfectly motionless. His hand shot out like a snake when Jack was just a breath away, knocking the samurai away with a blow as powerful as a wrecking ball. Jack rolled and bounced on the ground, until he came to a motionless stop.
"Get up," grumbled a voice from above. Rygar lifted Jack up with one hand and twirled the man's body around until his face was looking at him. "You are a warrior. You cannot possibly be spent already! Rise up, warrior, and show me your strength!" Jack groaned, opening his eyes to meet the fire in his foe's, and slowly jerked himself away as he glared. He wiped sweat and blood off his face before answering.
"I have not yet begun to fight," he said in a low voice. Rygar nodded his head in approval and even seemed to smile, and gave Jack a wide berth so that the two could battle again. Rygar suddenly felt a stab of pain as Jack lunged forth and slashed with all his might, carving a scar on the mighty man's chest. Rygar growled in pain as his hand shot towards his chest, clutching the wound as his heart throbbed in agony. A husky sound came from his throat.
"Grr… ha… ha… ah, yes… that's the way. That's what I wanted to see, yes. You are definitely strong. If I had met you in my youth, warrior, I would have been a happier man. It's… too bad that I must do away with you, though. Tell me, what is your name?"
"The people call me 'Jack'," answered the samurai firmly. Rygar actually smiled and stood up despite his scar.
"Jack… That doesn't sound like an Oriental name. Very well, Jack--you and I shall fight as adversaries and not enemies, since I have no quarrel against you. Would you like to accept my challenge?"
"Very well," replied Jack with little time for consideration. "This fighting is pointless and our struggle meaningless, but a fair duel between two warriors is a challenge far too honorable for the battlefield. I shall fight you and see what you are made of, Rygar."
"Good, good." Rygar's mouth curled up in a sinister grin, and the monster of a man ran after Jack with his mighty lungs bellowing out ferociously. Jack screamed towards his opponent as well, his body and soul completely free of fear or restraint. Their screams came to a disastrous climax as they crashed against each other, but Rygar's large blade and mass was so great that he actually knocked Jack backwards from the charge. He instinctively swung his sword, but only hit empty air since Jack had thankfully fallen. The samurai saw an open spot and quickly lunged forth, slicing off a part of Rygar's side.
The redheaded warrior scowled for only an instant before he launched his foot against Jack and sent him flying through the forest. The samurai crashed into a tree, shuddering leaves off as his body thundered. Rygar screamed and mercilessly charged again, quivering the ground with every footfall. Jack came to and quickly dove to the side as Rygar's sword split the tree in two. The top part crashed to the ground, leaving the other part standing and Jack with a means of escape. Using the confusion of the falling branches, he ignored the pain in his body and sprinted away as fast as he could.
Meanwhile, Kenshin had been busy with Fumus. The skilled warrior had fought valiantly since he only had one killer to worry about, cutting and slicing at the dark fighter as two swords of blinding speed and devilish power tried to devour him. Kenshin's scars had slowly healed as the Battousai fought against his foe, but Fumus' injuries were whole as well, save for the ones that Jack dealt him. The warrior snarled and fought slower than usual, his swipes only going so fast or so high. Kenshin was giving him the fatigue blast treatment, keeping his pace slow and steady as he weathered the storm of the Vanishing one.
Fumus shouted in pain as he felt the blade of Jack suddenly scar at his backside, but the blow was meant to distract the dark one and not kill him. Kenshin noticed that the samurai was running away from something, and as he saw the forests trembling from some unknown power within, it didn't take long for him to figure out what it was. Kenshin did a 180 and ran alongside his friend as they retreated from the battlefield, but the fight was not over by a longshot.
Jack had a plan to ensure their survival and to eliminate all three of their pursuers at the same time, but he needed to run and separate the three in order to do so. He had already disposed of Melville, and Rygar would never catch up with them in time. Fumus was quick, but had been injured too greatly by the combined forces of the two samurai, so their window of opportunity was wide as they raced away from the battlefield.
Fumus Adhvanit, though, was known for his quick recovery and his speedy legs. He followed Jack and Kenshin the moment his senses came back to him, whole and complete and ready for a final confrontation. He swore to himself that one of them would never make it out of the final battle alive.
To be continued…