Guardian's Redemption

Chapter Thirty One

Those blades screeching at one another to give a sparking display from the harsh contact that came. Ben moving his feet as fast as he could, his arms working to the pace of his feet as he kept defending every blow the assassin threw at him. Long ago the man had read it wasn't the speed of your arms but the speed of your legs that would keep you alive in this kind of battle. It was only in a fantasy book, but since he had become a swordsman this became a fact for him.

The assassin had the advantage though, two blades working against the one. Those deadly scimitars twisting and spinning over Ben's katana with water leaping at the assassin from every direction to try and grab the deadly opponent. The assassin back flipping over and over to escape each reach of the crystal clear liquid. Not a single drop landing on the deadly killer.

Water came to an immediate stop as the two opponents began to circle one another, analyzing the other for an opening and a weakness. Ben was a Naturalist and this assassin seem to be just a deadly normal human to Ben but anything could happen and Ben knew that. Ben was about to ask how the killer had found him, but decided to push the question back. His mind needing to stay focused on the being in front of him; there could be no distractions. The first encounter was nothing to this now. Only one could leave.

"Is this all the Hunter can do," the deep voice of a man came taunting from beneath that black mask. There had to have been a smirk for Ben could hear it in those mocking words.

Ben couldn't help but give a smile to the killer in front of him, seeing the joy in his opponent's eyes. "Perhaps, would you like to find out?"

The assassin sprung at the Hunter, lunging forward with those blades weaving in front. Ben's feet went working backwards, blocking every weak attempt to distract him. Then came the attack from Ben's right, a hard side swing that Ben blocked with Moonlight. His left side was now open for the second sword.

Ben predicting this incoming second strike was already in motion, his left hand acting on its own. From a hidden sheathe on his back, a bowie knife was pulled free from its hiding place. The assassin was faster than Ben anticipated and the Hunter almost missed the block, almost.

The man pushed both weapons wide with a slicing spin at his enemy but the assassin was rolling back quickly. Circling each other again, both opponents moving on the balls of their feet. Once again they lunged at each other with the intent to kill. Blade for blade striking each other away, the two deadly combatants were entwined in their favorite deadly melody.

Water shooting forth from Ben, the assassin rolling along an invisible bar to the side. Ben knew what was coming and sent another river of water low to catch this killer off guard. The assassin used one of its scimitars to force its entire body upward in a perfect vertical escaping the rushing water. The blade parting the raging torrent like an old proverb.

Ben was amazed at this skill but even more he was tired of this battle. His arms were beginning to go numb and was losing feeling in his hands. This killer would not relent, those two scimitars against a katana and a large knife. Lines of red appearing on both opponents as they worked their weapons against one another. After minutes of parrying and striking, their blades became locked together. Neither of them could move for to do so would leave an opening for the other and that was their hope.

Water forming on Ben's katana that grabbed onto the assassin's eyes and his foot kicked Ben hard in the gut. Ben took the kick with best effort to absorb it. He swung Moonlight vertically as the assassin retreated and left just a moment for an opening. Ben poured his mana into that swing.

A slice of raging water came racing at the assassin, who barely dodged, that black cloak torn to shreds by the blade of water. Rolling uncontrollably on the ground the villain hit a large tree. Ben was upon the assassin with a raging bowie knife baring down on top of the assassin.

The killer pushed off of the tree to send its body sliding away as a scimitar came in to deflect the deadly knife. Then came something that Ben didn't expect. Wind whipping around the Hunter forcing the man to lose his footing. He recollected his positioning from the unnatural wind.

Ben went at his opponent in a sprint. His katana slicing down while the assassin took a simple side step. The Hunter's dagger came at the villain from the side but was stopped in its track by those scimitars in a parallel position. The assassin lunging at Ben when he saw that the Hunter was wide open once again. A pillar of ice shot forth from the ground, both opponent's springing away. Then Ben felt that powerful wind again, the pillar cracking and shattering into pieces. Ben stood there with his eyes locked on the assassin on the other side.

Ben could almost see the air flow circling around the killer's weapons and he gave the assassin a smirk, "an air Naturalist huh?"

"Very good," came the rough reply of his opponent. There was a bit of mana starting to become visible in that element.

"So that's how you got out of the room," Ben said. His mind was working out the obvious now. "Explains why you are so fast. You use your element to propel your limbs increasing your speed."

A high current of water consumed Moonlight, Ben dumping more of his mana into the element around the blade. He felt the assassin do the same to both of the scimitars. The battle ground starting to quake as their power went climbing. The trees were trying to move away from the power of their mana. Ben threw his dagger on the ground and his now freehand gripped onto the hilt of Moonlight to force more power onto his focal point. The assassin was doing the same.

Ben felt that strong intensity to kill. This vibe pulsating from the creature across from him. He felt a familiarity in the depths of the soul but decided to keep pushing his own power and try to win the battle of mana. They struck.

Two scimitars came to an X as Ben's katana came down hard among them. Their eyes locking with pure hate for one another; both speaking the names of their attacks. These attacks were nothing more than muscle memory but it felt natural in that moment to say the attack names. 'Crescent Strike' and 'Wind Scissor.'

Water erupting in every direction with the intent to break through the crossed air slices that held the raging torrent at bay. The fighters yelling at one another with growling emphasis to overpower one another. The liquid was going wild in its attempt to break through the air barrier. The whole battlefield was a mixture of ravishing air and raging water. The two combatants were at the cent of a raging hurricane. This storm, however, had no calm at its eye. Desperation, anger, pride, and the will to survive ruling the glade where the two men danced.