Chapter 20. Manslayers Part 2

"What strength! Finally! Someone who can exchange blows with me! I've waited so long for you. At last, I can go all out!"

"Show me!" said Jaken.

Shura leapt forward. Jaken did the same and once again vanished. He came at Shura's side, aiming a horizontal swing to sever her in two. But what he cut into was an afterimage. Shura was already behind him. Jaken ducked low avoiding her swing and launched his counterattack. All four swords were now locked in combat. Jaken and Shura muscled at each other. They pushed even harder and were knocked backwards by the equal show of force. Neither lost their footing but slid until all inertia had passed.

Jaken suddenly changed location to the stony backdrop behind them. Shura quickly memorized her surroundings and how to better use the diversity of them. There was a moment of silence as they shifted back and forth, changing the direction of their blade, and studying the movement of their opponent. Shura was the first to make a move. She bolted at Jaken and spun around. He parried with one of his Tachi, sparks flying past them. Again they spun, their swings quickening to inhuman speeds. All four swords exchanged blows. Each opponent aimed for an opening, only to be intercepted while their other sword stopped an incoming strike. The battle was at a speed that would normally only allow chaos and error. Instead, both master swordsmen were interlocked in a beautiful dance.

Their dance went on for another several seconds. Shura then leapt backwards over one of his long strikes. While still upside down from her jump, she twirled around with blades trailing on either side of her. Jaken blocked her showy maneuver and moved in as she regained her footing.

Shura found her swords clashing once again against Jaken's own. Rather than free them, she pulled her chest past her arms and launched her legs at him. She then spun several times. Jaken mimicked this movement and neutralized her kick with his own. She aimed yet again with a low tripping kick. Jaken pulled his feet over. Shura's katana was already at his throat. He vanished again from her sight but reappeared a meter away. He leapt up in the air and launched a horizontal attack. He came crashing down onto her position, obliterating the earth in an explosion of dust and rubble. Shura's reflexes were fast though. She leapt back, flipping several times before touching the ground again.

Jaken however was far from discouraged. He crashed both his swords down this time, dragging them down into the stony bed and then swinging them forward. The earth ahead of him seemed to split and erupt. Large fractured stones were dragged out by this avalanche. Shura sidestepped it. She began her own assault this time, coming in close to Jaken. She swung her leg, which he blocked with the flat of his sword. Jaken then aimed a thrust for her eyes. Shura titled her head to the side and dodged it. Jaken's knee came into contact with her this time. But the impact of the blow was lessened as a well timed high counter kick knocked him back several yards.

"Nice reflexes." he said. He hammered the ground again causing a large amount of rocks to fly up. Jaken then leapt up and kicked several stones at Shura. Shura sliced through each one. To her sudden surprise, Jaken had picked up a boulder heavy enough to crush a man twice his size. Without much effort, he threw it at her. Shura casually cut it in half and both sides rocketed past her. But Jaken had already come through. She barely managed to shield herself with her katana. Jaken's second sword came bashing down on her blocking katana. He moved to the side to avoid Shura's Rajiin-Maru and used his agility to evade her flurry. He sent several fast strikes at her chest to which Shura weaved left and right.

Jaken once again leapt up into the air. Shura blocked but Jaken's own strength combined with the impact of his fall pushed her back. While she was still recovering, Jaken shifted to her side. She blocked again, but his second blade cut the top of her wrist. He rotated to directly behind her. She aimed her swords backward, through the opening of her opposite arm and side. Jaken knocked the blade tip away with his cross guard. Shura whipped her other sword around, intending to take advantage of his momentary lack of movement. He arched himself backwards so that the top of his head was inches from the earth. Her blade had gone so low that it was only centimeters from his chin. Shura had already turned fully to face him now and sent both her swords down at him. He was faster. He straightened up again and threw forward his fist as he did. The man's fist came into full contact with her face, sending blood spurting from her mouth.

He seamlessly switched to his next attack. He grabbed Shura by the collar and flipped over her back, bringing down his sword as he plummeted. The move proved too fast for her to dodge, so Shura blocked instead. Blood spurted out of flesh dangerously close to her neck. She realized he had the speed and strength to break through her guard.

The bandit commander stopped his barrage and appeared to be awaiting a response to his actions.

Shura said, "Heh. At this rate, I might really die. So this is what it feels like. Splendid. To think there was someone in this world who could kill me, I'm so happy."

"Shura… don't die."

Haru's words had reappeared- haunting they seemed with the responsibility they carried. Shura's smile that had showcased her delight weakened. Jaken noted her grimness and feared that something was now holding her back.

"I guess I have no choice." said Shura, "You're the first opponent who has forced me to unsheathe them. Prepare…"

She threw Raijin and Fujiin-Maru up into the air. Her hands grasped a hold of the two wakizashi strapped to her waist.

Jaken said, "You expect to beat me with such small blades? My Tachi now hold a huge advantage of reach over your own weapons."

Her two katana now returned from their flight. Shura tossed up her wakizashi and grabbed her original blades. She flew forward as fast as lightning. She spun around multiple times as she moved, switching out her swords constantly.

Her opponent quickly utilized his two blades to stop the incoming strikes. Shura pushed away his Tachi with her katana and used her wakizashi to stab at him.

Jaken thought, "What movement… I can't keep up."

Her whirlwind forced him to steadily retreat. He flipped and dodged, but found no time to either utilize his full speed to escape or to attack since her attack kept him on the defensive and threatened to dice up anything within reach. Small cuts began to open up on his arms and legs as he was overwhelmed.

Shura suddenly thrust her arms forward, temporarily abandoning her katanas altogether. Her wakizashi punctured through Jaken's collarbones. He used the opening to come down with his Keitou-Tachi. Shura swiftly reacquired her katanas. She maneuvered them to her throat and blocked his blades. She then pushed them forward and to the side, pinning his swords towards the ground and creating an opening for an inner swing, past the defense of her opponent's blades. She pulled her katanas up and then down, cutting off his arms. She immediately used them to slash open his chest. She slammed them down through his shoulders and then cut open his throat.

Shura said, "It's true that alone and in such a spacious battlefield, my Wakizashi hold no advantage to your Tachi. But when used in conjunction with my katanas, I am at my strongest!"

Jaken could only stare in shock as he was slain. But as his eyes began to shut, they stopped and returned to life. His wounds began to glow with a red aura. The blood that had escaped him was residing. His fallen limbs reattached as well.

Jaken said, "So he wasn't skilled enough to defeat you after all. I'll have to finish you myself."

Shura licked the blood off of one of her swords. She said, "So you finally show yourself… demon!"