🔥 The Path of Fire (Path of Light and Fire Book #1)(Completed) 🔥

Chapter 26.5 - A Man Apart

Sabin clenched his fists. The theory of battling these men was fine, but standing here about to fight an army of Acadians and Yuans was enough to make him second guess himself. His tongue felt like sandpaper in his mouth. He had passed the point of no return long ago, but here faced with the men that he wanted to be, his hands shook.

Then his eyes fell on Takuya and the anger returned. He rushed forward.

The four armored knights formed into a square formation: The female katana-wielder in front, Asako wielding her massive great-axe to the right, Hide with his naginata to the left and Hima behind.

"Take Moussa with you," Hima said to Takuya. "Find out what's going on and do something about it!"

Takuya gritted his teeth so hard, the veins sprung from his neck. He glared at Sabin.

The feeling is mutual.

"Captain! Are you not a Knight of Acadia?"

Takuya put his hand to his chest, gave Sabin one last dirty look and sprinted away, Moussa in tow.

"Knights of Acadia! Show some spine and face your sovereign!" Sakima shouted.

"Ours," one of those Yuan giants said. They stomped in Sakima's direction.

"It's just us now boy. Before you is the best Acadia has to offer. We will show you just what a foreigner like you can never be."

Takuya was right. I was a fool to think I could ever belong.

Sabin prepared his fire whip and lashed out at the center of the Knights. The woman stepped to the side so quickly that it took him a second to register what happened.

Meita Swiftfoot then.

His shadow strike was not an option and Wade was in the hand of Hima.

Meita thrust her blade towards his heart. He shadowed to his right, only to have Asako's great-axe whizz inches from where he landed. Sabin shadowed a bit further back to reassess.

The warrior's square rotated, with Asako in front.

"You've been going around telling lies, claiming to be one of Schewa's messengers," she said.

It's the truth.

Asako's swung and ducked, then dashed forward. Hima thrust with Wade and he dodged to his left. Right into Meita's blade.

She stabbed him in the side of the stomach. He screamed and shadowed back a few feet.

Meita spat. "You will pay for the KoHeika's death with your blood!"

He wanted to retort that she was wrong, that she didn't know the truth, but he kept those words to himself. Instead, he focused on healing what had to be serious internal damage.

The square converged on him, giving him no time to breathe. He summoned his whip and slashed at the formation. The Knights dispersed and his whip sizzling along the ground. They reformed as he pulled it back.

I have to be quicker.

He lashed at the space between Hima and Asako. They dispersed and he shadowed in the air between Hima and Asako, kicking Hima in the face. As Asako prepared a counterstrike, Sabin shadowed to Hima's right and sheared through Hima's sword hand with his fire whip. The square retreated and Sabin picked up Wade and Hima's severed hand.

The man screamed and sent all types of curses Sabin's way before pulling his own katana with his off hand.

Sabin pried the severed hand from Wade's hilt and flung it at the square.