Nathan had just ended up in Zandar's capital when his communicator had gone off, so the fact of how tense he was on it was clear when he listened in on the situation from Kendall. "A yellow monster with a black coat, huh? It's sounds like it would be Horn, but it doesn't go with his usual way of things," Nathan spoke as he leaned on a wall in an alleyway, looking at his wrist as he thought over the situation. Right now, he was only a few blocks from the main castle, the night lights on this side of the world making it look in a way which reminded him of the past. Now, however, he was more aggravated than anything over the situation happening at Amber Beach. "Of course it'd be my luck that Furio decides to go into action on the same day I head to Zandar…"
"More importantly, you said this isn't Horn's usual style," Kendall spoke, snapping Nathan out of his thoughts as he heard some tourists walking past the alleyway entrance, making him walk further in. "The data here shows him stealing the weapons from Terra Venture, but not much else outside of that."
"As to be expected, he's a mercenary with a love for weapons, more importantly in the theft of them. He usually even takes weapons for himself when he obtains them," Nathan responded as he looked up at the alleyway to make sure that no one was there. "However, he almost never moves as open as he is right now, preferring to act on the sidelines when the opportunity arises or being stealthier about his actions. Add the fact that Furio knows that there's a lot of Rangers and myself on the planet, and it begs the question on why."
"So you think there's another motive?" Kendall asked, Nathan closing his eyes to think as he heard typing coming from the communicator. "We don't have any signs of other alien signatures entering the planets atmosphere, though."
"And that's what concerns me," Nathan responded as he opened his eyes. "Either way, keep an eye on Horn while he's there. He was hired before when me and Ivan were protecting Zandar from Furio, and stole a large supply of Zandarian weapons after our last fight. If you give him too much leeway, he'll try the same with you guys."
"Got it," Kendall responded, Nathan soon moving to turn off his communicator before he thought of something.
"Also, you said he appeared at the zoo," Nathan spoke as he looked at the communicator. "Is Eric alright?"
"Chase went up to help him out, and the cameras showed him helping clear the café before he went further into the zoo," Kendall responded, making Nathan tense up as he looked at the communicator. "I'm planning to go up after managing the situation, so I'll try to find Eric as I'm going through."
"Good, keep me posted," Nathan simply responded with a sigh before he turned off his communicator, cutting the connection. 'Knowing Eric, he probably went further in to help people that could be caught in there,' Nathan thought to himself as he tuned in his communicator to reach Zika. 'Even if it's another timeline you never change, despite you being older now. You always have to help others, don't you Eric…'
-Horn, current timeline-
"Alright, keep moving through the zoo," Horn spoke as he looked to a group of Stingwingers, only getting a nod before they moved into it. At the same time he pulled out a communicator, turning it on as he walked into the zoo. "Furio, we've started moving to round up people here."
"Good, and it seems like the Rangers have already started arriving inside the zoo," Furio responded, making Horn shutter at it.
"A-already?! I-I thought they'd at least give me time to get some people rounded up," Horn spat out, looking at the communicator before he heard a smack from the other side, making him flinch.
"This works better since there's so many people in the area, so don't start cowering out now," Furio responded before he laughed. "If you want, you can hide as you like while they try to find you, maybe even find the scanner in the zoo if you think you can."
"Furio, come on, you're asking for too much," Horn sputtered before he heard the communicator click off from Furio's end, making him mutter worriedly as he stuffed it back into his outfit, moving further into the building. "At least he's paying me well for this…"
As he went in, however, the sound of alarms started blaring through the area, making him look around shocked before he started to move through the zoo more silently, watching as the Stingwingers moved past him and into the area.
-Eric, Dinosaur Exhibit-
"This way, quick," Eric spoke as he ushered a group of people past him, leading them to an emergency exit as the alarms connected to it went off. He hadn't wanted to use it since it would probably agitate the dinosaurs, but with all the monsters now roaming the area he had no choice. 'Alright, that should be everyone on this side of the zoo,' Eric thought to himself as he looked out, seeing the creatures from before popping up again. He was correct on his assumption that they were the same ones he saw in the cave, so he could only guess they were possibly here for the scanner. However, when he snuck to Ms. Morgan's office to find her already gone, he got worried and started moving through the building, sneaking people out while keeping out of the sight of the monsters. 'It's strange though, Chase said she was working on something when he went to go see her, didn't he?'
Just as he thought that he heard the sound of blaster fire, making him duck behind a t-rex mannequin that held a sign leading to the zoo and museum. As he lifted his head from behind it, he soon saw a person in a pink suit shooting into the monsters, making him almost sigh in relief. He had seen her and the others on the news, and after digging into it found they were here before during the monster attack last year as well. They were Power Rangers, from what he recalled being said in the videos. "-find the monster that came in with these Stingwingers," Eric heard the ranger finish saying as she dealt with the monsters, pulling off something at the front of her belt as she looked down. Eric could've swore he had heard her voice from somewhere before, but that thought was shifted when he watched her nod. "…got it, I'll keep searching for more people in the zoo and get them out. Be careful guys."
'Well, at least they're also protecting people,' Eric thought to himself as he looked to the monsters the ranger had taken care of, watching them twitching before a few seemed to shatter, vanishing as he walked up to them. 'No doubt about it though, after rereading the stuff from the Battle of Steel and Fang. These are the same creatures that were in that fight…'
As he looked down, something caught the sliver of his eye, making him look to it to find a yellow and black form seem to go behind a wall nearby. 'That's an interesting direction to go, it leads to the zoo's lab that Ms. Morgan frequents when she isn't dealing with paperwork,' Eric thought to himself before sighing, resolving himself before he started moving in that direction. 'Even if she may not still be there, I'm not leaving her again…'
As he turned another corner, however, he soon found himself face to face with four other Stingwingers, making him stop in his tracks as they all looked at him. "Well then, this is just my luck," Eric muttered to himself as he brought his fists up in a fighting stance, watching as the Stingwingers were heading towards him. "Guess it's time to see how well the training's paying off…"
-Kendall-
"Tyler, start moving towards the Triceratops exhibit with Shelby, Chase and Riley in the meantime should head to the Brachiosaurus petting area," Kendall spoke through the communicator as she stayed at the computer, looking over the situation before she got up, grabbing her dino charger. "Those are the last big areas with civilians in them, so afterwards we can fully focus on the Stingwingers in the zoo."
"And what of my end," came a voice from the communicator, making her look at it confused as she looked up at the camera's, seeing someone armored like Nathan was standing at the front entrance with several Stingwingers laying around him. To his right was James, morphed and putting up his blaster as he looked into the entrance. "I was a bit late since I was close to the mountain, but I came with another one of your rangers at Nathan's request."
"I'm guessing you're Zika," Kendall asked, getting a nod from the figure before she looked at the cameras, flipping through them. "Right now we can't seem to find Horn since he entered, so the current situation is a matter of where he went inside of here. James, try to go through the back entrance and look around the boxes for anything else."
"Got it," James responded, soon running to the side of the camera and vanishing from sight as Zika looked towards the main entrance, tapping his foot as if thinking.
"Knowing Horn's usual pattern, he's probably moving in areas where the Stingwingers aren't at the moment, trying to find something he can take with him," Zika responded as Kendall watch him start walking in, his blade glinting as he soon vanished from that camera angle. "Try looking through areas that the Stingwinger's already passed through, it could be he's hiding in locations fights already happened at."
"Got it," Kendall responded as she started flipping through the camera's. As she did so, however, her eyes soon halted on one camera showing a different scene, Eric surrounded by several Stingwingers as he ducked under one of their attacks and punched into it's chest. "Eric's still in here?"
"He disappeared after getting the people out of the café," Chase responded through the comm as Kendall watched Eric seeming like he was dancing around the Stingwingers. It was certainly explaining the ones she had found unconscious along the path to him, though. "Why, did you find him?"
"He's currently fighting some Stingwingers in one of the main hallways, section 3F," Kendall responded, her gaze watching as Eric blocked a strike from another one, grabbing its outstreched arm as he slammed his elbow into it's head. "It's near one of the entrances to the lab. I'll go-"
"Tell me the location and focus on finding Horn," Zika interrupted, making Kendall tense as she looked back towards the entrance camera, where Zika had already vanished from. "This isn't that mercenaries usual agenda, so it's giving my gut a twist since we can't see him. Besides, if Eric's anything like Nathan then a few Stingwingers can only wish they weren't fighting him."
"If Eric's like Nathan?" Kendall asked, causing her to hear a chuckle in response.
"I guess that means Nathan hasn't told you guys about his connection to Eric yet," Zika responded, Kendall just looking back to the fight Eric was having as he took down the last Stingwinger, shaking the hand he punched it with as he looked around before he started running in the direction of where the public lab would be. "I won't spoil that knowledge since it's for Nathan to talk about, but I can guarantee I'll reach him before he gets into any more trouble."
"…Okay, he's heading back towards the café so you'll be able to meet him if you just continue down the main hallway," Kendall responded before she changed the monitor again, continuing her search for Horn. "He's already finished his fight now, so he'll just need you to get him out of there."
"Understood," Zika responded before his communicator went silent, Kendall just focusing on the camera's as she looked over the zoo.
-Furio-
'That man's a problem,' Furio thought to himself as he watched the current situation unfolding at the zoo, his grip on his throne getting tighter as he looked at Eric. Horn had been doing well in the situation at first, even getting close to catching some of the civilians in that moment of surprise, but the man had managed to move the majority of the people that had entered, making it difficult for Horn and the Stingwingers to keep any hostages. However, this wasn't impairing the major reason that Horn was there, which was a good thing for him.
"How is he dealing with the Stingwingers as well as he is though…" Furio muttered to himself before he noticed a light popping up on one of the buttons to the communicator on the side of his throne, Furio clicking it as he leaned back.
"…Master Furio," came a ruffled voice from the intercom, making him turn to another viewing screen, this one showing the lab Starcog was to go into. "I've found the area they're holding the scanner at, but it's locked. I'll need some time to work on it."
"And the Rangers are all at the zoo along with one of the Defenders," Furio responded as he turned his gaze back on the zoo. As he did, he pressed several buttons on his throne, allowing the cameras to trail back to where Eric was, now seeing him having found three more Stingwingers. "However, there's something in there which doesn't sit right."
"Must be serious if you think that," Starcog responded as Furio kept his gaze on the zoo camera. "I'll focus on making this fast then."
With that Starcog cut off his connection, leaving Furio to look back at Eric as he was fighting again, his mind not helping but wandering to another time he saw someone like that centuries ago, and the anger that was festering in him…
-Eric-
"You guys really don't want me to have a break, do you," Eric spoke as he was side stepping several swipes from one of the Stingwingers, backing up as he kept his gaze over every strike. If there was one thing he was certain of now, it was that he did much better against these creatures when he wasn't in tight spaces, and now it was especially apparent as he was so easily dodging the creature's attacks at the moment. As he took one more step to the side of the Stingwinger, he lifted his foot into a hard kick that sent the creature sprawling, feeling a dull pain on his shin from how hard the shell was as he shook his leg a bit. "Jeez, what I wouldn't give to have a weapon right now, you guys are as hard as stone-"
Just as he finished that statement, the two other Stingwingers he hadn't been paying attention to had flown in from behind him, green electricity making a sort of net that caught him and threw him on the ground as he felt an electric shock run through him, making him tense involuntarily as the third got back up. 'Right… always be aware of your surroundings,' Eric thought to himself in a condescending tone as he watched the third creature walk up to him, one of its hands changing into a stinger as he couldn't help but struggle at the prospect.
"Well, seems I was missing a party here," came a voice suddenly, followed by a set of sparks coming off each Stingwinger as they were thrown back, the green tendrils vanishing as Eric looked up in shock. Then, picking himself up, he saw a familiar form in black armor, or at least he thought it was familiar save for the red markings on the armor. The figure just looked down at him as he heard a chuckle from behind the helmet. "I see why he praises you so much, though, even if he's never introduced you. Taking on Stingwingers without any armor is no small feat."
"He?" Eric asked, the armored figure just looking over the Stingwingers as the man dusted himself off, soon looking back towards where he could now see the café. "More importantly, aren't you the Ebony Knight?"
"That title belongs to a friend, I'm just here because he decided to take a trip to Zandar," Zika responded as he walked up to one of the Stingwingers he had knocked back, tapping them with his foot as Eric shook his head.
"That brings up more questions for me than I'd like, but now's not the time for them. For now, I need to focus on getting people out of here."
"Shouldn't you be heading out with the rest of them," the figure questioned, making Eric look at him confused. "It's not like you can do too much as you are. You aren't a Ranger or have the abilities of one, after all."
"Maybe, but I can't just leave people here unprotected," Eric sighed, shaking his head before he looked over at the figure. "Look, Mr…"
"Just Zika."
"Well, Zika, I'm not someone who leaves people without knowing they're okay," Eric spoke as he looked at his hand, remembering his time at the cave. "The one time I was forced to I hated with every part of me. I don't care if I have to go through an army this time, I'm making sure everyone makes it out…"
"That's quite a goal," Zika responded as Eric looked over to him, closing his fist. "Do you think you can manage it with your strength?"
"Not in the slightest, but it's something I intend to do anyway." With that Eric lowered his hand and started to walk past Zika before the armored figure held up his sword, blocking his way.
"If you go unarmed at the moment, all you'll be is a burden to the rangers and those you're trying to save," Zika spoke, making Eric look at him before he sighed.
"Also true, but it's not like I can grab anything I know how to use," Eric responded before Zika pulled something off his belt, holding it out to him.
"I heard you were trained in certain weapons," Zika started as he held it over. "I brought this over with me to give to someone who hasn't arrived yet. Give it a test run to see how it will be for them, if you're so adamant on fighting."
Eric just looked at the item before taking it, looking it over. In his hand was a clear grip of a handle to a black hilt, the sheath itself smaller than it should be for the size of the handle as he looked it over. "A dagger?"
"It only looks that way while sheathed," Zika responded as he lifted his sword, setting it on his shoulder as he walked past Eric. As he walked the way that Eric had come by, he continued talking. "I'm expecting you to give that back, alright?"
Eric just looked at the weapon before he looked up, turning to Zika. "Where do I find you?" Eric asked, soon hearing a laugh from Zika as he did.
"I'll find you once this is all said and done," Zika responded as he kept walking. "Now why don't you put some merit to that statement?"
Eric just looked between Zika and the sword before he gripped the hilt, drawing the weapon as he watched it grow out of the sheath. 'How in the world can this thing fit in such as small sheath,' Eric thought to himself as he looked over the sword, pointing it out in front of him as he felt it's weight. Weighted evenly despite the hollowed form it seemed to have, and despite the handle being a bit smaller than he'd like, the blade itself was well made and looked sturdy. 'Perfectly balanced even with the fact it should have a loss in weight due to its design, while also maintaining a straight edge despite the way that the blade collapses together in the sheath…'
As he spun it once in his hand, he turned to look back at Zika again to say something. However, he only found the fallen creatures as he sighed. "I guess I'll just have to keep my ears peeled…" Eric muttered to himself before looking at the sword. Then, sheathing the blade he nodded to himself before he started walking along the hall again. His current goal, the lab.
-Kendall-
Kendall had just gotten out of the Dino lab when she found herself facing a few Stingwingers, quickly morphing and cutting through them with her saber as she thought over the situation. 'Still no signs of Eric or Horn,' Kendall thought to herself as she looked around the area, soon moving through quickly as she went into the zoo, seeing the lack of people and Stingwingers already being dealt with by Tyler and the others. 'Looks like most of the people who came here got out, too. Now the question is what they could be here for…'
As she thought this, she soon heard something clang behind her before she turned around with her blaster ready, soon seeing Horn having entered the area with a group of Stingwingers around him. "Come on, this map Starcog gave me said the lab was somewhere here..." Horn started to mutter as he looked at a piece of paper, soon looking up before he flinched in surprise at seeing Kendall. "A Ranger?! Why aren't you distracted like the rest?"
"That doesn't matter, you're not going anywhere," Kendall spoke as she spun the barrel of the blaster, firing a few shots at Horn as he fell back, the shots tearing through the paper he had in his hands as well as scattering the Stingwingers around him.
"No, that was my only copy!" Horn stuttered as he stumbled up, looking at Kendall as he reached into what looked like a loincloth addition to his jacket, being long enough to be more like a drape than not, before pulling out a blaster and firing it at Kendall in retaliation. Kendall jumped to the side to dodge as he kept firing, moving quickly into the hallway she had come in by. As she hid behind a wall, she pulled off her communicator.
"Guys, I found Horn, he's in the hallway between the café and the lab," Kendall spoke as she opened her communicator. "What's everyone's status?"
"Me and Tyler are currently clearing the Stingwingers by the dinosaurs," came Shelby's voice as Kendall ducked from another blaster shot, soon firing a few of her own rounds as it managed to shoot through Horn's blaster, making the monster yelp as he dropped the broken weapon.
"Same thing with me and Chase, there's some Stingwingers that chased after people who got out of the building," Riley also responded. "We've met up with James, though, so we'll head back in."
"And what about Zika," Kendall asked before she saw a blue light heading her direction, making her jump out of the way as a blast tore through the air past her and knocked over a trashcan in the hallway. As she looked at the direction it had gone stunned, she soon looked back to see Horn holding what looked to be a blue bow, the two ends looking similar to blades as Horn drew back another string on it.
"I can never get tired of how easy this is to use," Horn spoke as he released the string, another bolt firing towards Kendall as she ducked behind the wall, soon hearing another voice pop into the communicator.
"I helped Eric and am looking into something," Zika's voice responded in the communicator as Kendall peaked her head out, seeing the scorch mark on the wall where Horn's shot had landed. As Horn drew back another shot, Zika continued. "Last I saw he was heading your way, so he may be of some help with it."
"He's on his way here?!" Kendall shouted, looking at the communicator before another bolt shot past where she was hiding. She didn't wait long for the opportunity before she jumped to the side, aiming the blaster at Horn. the monster, however, managed to land a lucky shot on the blaster at the same time, knocking it out of her hand as Kendall rolled to the side.
"He's adamant on getting people out, so I figured I should see how far he's willing to go on it," Zika responded as Kendall went behind another wall, drawing her saber as she looked at Horn. "Either way, he's heading in that direction with an addition to his arsenal. If he's anything like Nathan told me, he'll probably put it to use when he sees what's happening."
"Wait, what do you mean by-" Kendall started before she heard the sound of flapping wings, making her look over to see a Stingwinger flying towards her. As she watched the Stingwingers moving towards her, they all heard a trashcan tipped over in the entrance between her and the group, Eric stumbling out from it with a metal trashcan top rolling beside him as he looked around.
"Real subtle, Eric," Eric muttered to himself as he looked around, the fight having stopped as he found himself surrounded by a few Stingwingers, Horn on the other end just trying to process the situation. "Well then, I suppose saying 'into the fire' would be rather ironic at the moment given my current job here…"
"What are you doing here," Kendall shouted as Eric looked down, seeing her blaster by his feet as he knelt down and picked it up, looking it over.
"Huh, never seen a gun like this before," Eric spoke as he looked it over, tapping the barrel with the knuckle of his free hand, noting the size of the barrel and the lines on it. Then, after looking at it he looked at Kendall before nodding. "I guess this belongs to you then?"
"Put that down, that's my reward!" Horn shouted, making Eric turn to look at him confused, a few of the Stingwingers soon surrounding him as he tapped the blaster on his shoulder.
"I doubt it, this thing matches her outfit far too well to be yours," Eric responded with a smirk, looking at the bow in Horn's hand as the creature drew back the string and fired a shot at him. As Eric side-stepped it in a surprised motion, Kendall moved out from behind her spot as she cut down one of the Stingwingers that had managed to get behind him, soon standing in between him and Horn. Eric just chuckled slightly at the situation as he looked at her. "Well, can't say I'm not a burden for getting caught up in this, sad to say. Sorry about that."
"It's fine, but you need to get out of here," Kendall responded as she readied her saber, pointing it at Horn as the monster was spazzing out. "Meantime I'll be asking why you even came here."
"This isn't right, I was supposed to only distract you guys," Horn sputtered out as he seemed to be throwing a tantrum, Kendall's weapon shaking slightly from the revelation. "Why couldn't all those people just stay put like good hostages? Then I wouldn't be having to deal with you like this!"
'Distraction?' Kendall thought as she looked at the Stingwingers that were now surrounding her and Eric, his hand still holding her blaster while his hand gripped what looked to be a small sheath at his side. 'More importantly, we're surrounded, I should-'
"Messing with innocent people is what you call a distraction," Eric asked, his voice showing clear anger as he walked past Kendall, pushing her blaster into her free hand before she could even try to stop him from moving forward, his feet soon resting by the trashcan lid as the Stingwingers moved in on him. "Not only that, but doing so when they should be enjoying themselves in a place like this…"
"Why should I care what you think," Horn spat as Kendall noticed what looked to be a shift in Eric's standing as he seemed to be straighter than before, his free hand moving to rest on the hilt of whatever he had in his hand. The next moment was almost in an instant as Eric drew the sword in a flash, two slashes flowing fluently together as they made contact with the Stingwingers in front of him, knocking them down as Horn started to draw the bow again. Before he could even get the chance, however, Eric kicked the trashcan lid into his direction, smacking into the monster's hand as he jumped over and slashed upward, knocking the bow out of the creature's hand. "How-"
"That's enough of that," Eric interrupted before his next slash smacked into the bow, throwing it to the side before he immediately moved in with a stab, making Horn stumble back in surprise as he barely avoided it. As he kept the blade pointed at Horn, his next words went to Kendall. "Sorry for causing you to worry over me, but can you deal with those insect-like things while I fight this monster? If he fights as well as he reacted to me, then I have the advantage in this."
"What," Kendall started before one of the Stingwingers started moving towards Eric, making her lift up her blaster and fire into it to catch the other's attention as Horn got back up, pulling what looked to be another blade out of his pouch before she started to respond. "You can't expect me to-"
"I don't, but there's no way I'm going to simply leave when this thing treats people like objects," Eric interrupted, soon standing straight as he kept the blade pointed at Horn before looking to her with a smile. "Besides, it's the first time I get to use my swordplay against someone else outside of my master. To be honest, I'm interested in the results…"
Eric then turned back to Horn before he moved forward before Kendall could say anything to stop him. 'He sounds completely different from his usual self,' Kendall thought to herself before she saw another Stingwinger move towards Eric, firing another shot into it before catching the undivided attention of the rest. As she looked back at Eric for a moment, she soon found herself stunned as she watched his swings, Horn trying to keep up with the strikes as they seemed to weave through his defenses and strike into him, the sparks from each strike driving him back. 'Could he always fight like that?'
Then, before she had time to think again, the Stingwingers swarmed her, and she found her sight on Eric and Horn blocked as she began defending herself.
-Eric-
Eric's movements were timed and precise, his body seeming to flow with each strike of his weapon, surprising Horn as he was being pushed back into a hallway, away from the Purple Ranger that was fighting the other monsters. 'This will be better, that way I can keep from getting in that person's way,' Eric thought to himself as he soon ducked under one of Horn's strikes and went for another stab, this one actually making contact as he pushed the monster back further into the hallway.
"Stay still already!" Horn shouted as he slashed down at Eric, making Eric grimace at the way the strike was made as he sidestepped it again. He had only attacked based on a hunch from how the monster had been using the bow, but the slashes basically confirmed his thoughts as he slammed the pommel of his sword into Horn's head.
"Sure, like I'd willingly get cut by someone," Eric responded as Horn staggered back, soon using the next strike to knock the monster's sword in the air before he went for a second slash, this one causing sparks to fly off the monster as it fall further back from the attack. Eric then sighed as the sword he had knocked up clattered to the ground, picking it up with his free hand as he felt it's weight. "Good grip for a hand-and-a-half sword, even a balanced weight that isn't leaning one way or the other, and you still can't swing it like it's meant to be. It's like you only grabbed it because you wanted it…"
"Like that even matters," Horn shouted back as he picked himself up, looking at Eric as he weighed the two blades to each other. Then, as Horn was reaching into his pouch again, Eric suddenly dashed forward and slashed with the blade Zika gave him, forcing Horn to stumble back in surprise as he pulled his hand out of the cloth before stomping his foot. "You're only able to beat me like this because of that dang blade you have!"
"Oh really? I honestly think yours suits me better" Eric asked as he looked between the two swords before he sighed, soon sheathing the former before he raised the blade he took from Horn. Then with one swift motion he was in front of the monster again, slashing even faster as the sparks seemed to fly harder from the strike, blasting Horn back as he groaned in pain. Eric then sighed as he lifted the blade up and rested it on his shoulder, looking at the monster. "Then again, the blade feels a little too light for me… Do you need something so light to actually attack with?"
As Horn got up practically seething at Eric's reactions, he smirked as he took the blade off his shoulder. 'Even if an opponent is stronger than you, that doesn't necessarily mean they're better,' he remembered his master saying as Horn reached into the pouch again, this time pulling out what looked to be a mace. 'If you make them aggravated or unable to act with a calm head, you can simply use their own strength against them. My personal favorite way is by taunting them, it makes it much more fun to see them squirm when they can't land their attacks, and all the more satisfying to bite into their ego.'
"Give me that sword back!" Horn shouted as he swung the mace down towards Eric, the man side stepping it as he noted how much rougher the attack was as he spun and slashed the blade into Horn's back, making him cry as he stumbled forward.
'Master, your idea of fun really terrifies me,' Eric thought to himself as he shook his head, preparing a new stance as Horn turned around, the antenna on the creature now looking as if they were twitching from the event before he charged at Eric, now swinging wildly as Eric moved in time with each strike, ducking and weaving as he felt his body getting accustomed to the speed of the fight. 'Adjusting to the rhythm is easier than I thought, at least compared to sparring my master…'
As he thought that he spun his blade, using the simple motion to redirect Horn's attack as he stepped forward, turning as he watched Horn spin around to look at him before his blade was at the monster's throat, stopping it. "Careful not to lose your head," Eric spoke with his smile still apparent. As he looked at Horn, his mind returned to the blue bow the monster had used, more prominently the features of it. It was similar to things that he had read when looking over the translations of the wall, so it was bothering the back of his head even before he started attacking… As much as he wanted to end this creature right now, his curiosity needed to be sated. "That bow you were using, I happened to start reading about a similar item in my free time. How did you obtain it?"
"Why should I tell you anything," Horn spoke before he swung the mace up, knocking Eric's sword up as he went for another swing, only to have Eric barely side step it again as he felt the monsters shoulder hit his, making him spin from the force momentarily as he took a few steps back.
'Right, I'm still weaker than him,' Eric thought as he felt the light pain in his shoulder from the event as he watched Horn spin around back to facing him again. However, instead of acting on that pain he simply chuckled, feigning his own strength.
"You're right, finding things out through sources is the job of a historian anyway," Eric spoke as he walked to the side, watching as Horn as he lifted the sword onto his shoulder. "So then, how about I make an assumption through what I've read recently and see if it lines up?"
"If you think you can," Horn responded, slowly moving his free hand into the pouch again as Eric watched, soon walking lightly on his feet as he kept his gaze on the monster.
"Then I'll start with my assumption that it belonged to the Azure Knight, which by other accounts was given the title of the Phoenix Knight," Eric spoke, making Horn freeze momentarily. "Right on the money, am I? Then I can be safe to assume that you took it during a moment of weakness?"
"Hrm, a lucky guess," Horn responded as he started feeling around the pouch again, looking for something he could use as Eric nodded, closing his eyes.
"However, if what I read is true then it was something that occurred right before a major conflict," Eric continued as he stopped walking, tapping the sword on his shoulder as he kept his eyes closed. "Despite the theft, however, you still couldn't use it's full potential, nor could you change its form since it still rejects you…"
"How do you know that," Horn shouted, making Eric open his eyes as if realizing something before he looked to Horn with a smirk.
"I simply love my stories about the two knights, all the way down to the niche details that most people don't know," Eric responded before he tossed the sword he had taken from Horn towards the creature, making him pull his hand out of the pouch in surprise as he caught it while Eric drew the sword he was given again, taking a stance as he smirked, feeling the pain in his shoulder subsiding. "It's written that the weapons the Azure knight used had never accepted anyone until they took them, but who knows, maybe that bow would accept me more than you simply because I know more on it."
With that statement made, an enraged Horn now went after Eric with both of his weapons now, and Eric simply kept his smirk while his mind reeled over how best to fight in this situation. 'I definitely can't defend myself for long, my attacks haven't even seemed to do anything to him,' Eric thought to himself as he began to lose himself to the flow of the fight, his mind becoming more fluid to it as he moved. 'All I can do now is hold out…'
