Zayla Eternal

The True Power Of The Dragon Slayer!!

Bodoku removed his arm from Skarra as they approached Tanjiro, Seth, Tidus and Zai who was holding Zayla hostage. "Lads", Bodoku said calmly. "Bodoku, I'm so glad you're alright", Tidus began, "this guy here is Zai. Apparently he will let us all go, if he gets those two with you", he explained. Tanjiro looked at him hopefully as he felt his heart flutter knowing that Zayla was in danger. Bodoku straightened holding in a strained breath, he glanced at Zayla with a calm smile, "are you alright Zayla?" She gave a nod, her lips trembled at the sight of him, "stay calm", he said then glared at Zai, "so you're Zaizen". "I prefer Zai, Bodoku". "You'll release Zayla if I hand over these two?" Ryku and Skarra glanced at him. Zai nodded, "I give you my word, I don't want to hurt anyone, I just have a job to do". Bodoku looked at Zayla, "Ryku and his sister Skarra, they saved me when I fell and stopped the paralytic poison from killing me. What do you want me to do?" "You're asking me?" Zayla replied surprised. "Yes. It's your life for theirs, I don't want to hand them over, but I don't want you to get hurt either so I'm kind of at a loss of what to do here", he shrugged slightly with a small snort. Zayla frowned feeling a little taken aback by his sudden change in attitude. She took a long breath and smiled at him, "don't do it, if they saved you then they're good people, so please... protect them with your life". Bodoku looked into her eyes then drew his huge sword standing to protect the siblings. "Bodoku..." Ryku muttered. "But your friend..." Skarra added. "As far as I'm concerned you are my friends too, and besides, you heard the lady". Tanjiro and Tidus rushed to his side, "what are you doing!?" The former asked. "Have you gone mad? He'll kill her!" Tidus added. "Will he now?" Seth mentioned calmly while walking towards them, "I don't think he will. Because if he does, he will lose his only leverage, and then he'll have to deal with us", Seth's expression darkened as he drew the red sword. Tidus shook his head but followed suit. Tanjiro pulled out his dagger, "whatever you say... I hope you know what you're doing..." Bodoku stepped forward so he was in front of them all, "release her, and we'll let you go. How does that sound". Zai laughed unsettling the group, "you fools, you really think you have me cornered", he adopted a malicious grin, "I killed the dark flame dragon, the enigma dust dragon, hell I even took down the gargantuan dragon! And finally the azure ice dragon. You think a pathetic child-" "I'm guessing that was aimed at me..." Tanjiro interrupted before Zai continued, "a limping liability-" Seth straightened, "Ouch" "A sorry excuse for a swordsman-!" They glanced at Tidus, "what? Hey! He could've been talking about Bodoku!!" "And a know-it-all, oh so calm supposed legend of the blade-!!" Tidus slouched, "oh no yeah that last one was definitely an insult to me..." "Could ever hope to even stand a chance against me!" Zai finished finally, now flustered and irritated. Bodoku gave a small sigh, "you finished?" Zai took a breath, "don't take my words so lightly, you should just take your friends and go, this is your final warning", he growled. Bodoku glared, "nobody threatens my friends and get's away with it, you do what you have to do but know this, if you lay one hand on her, or anyone else here, I will kill you. Slowly..." Bodoku mentioned, a dark shadow seemed to fall on his face, the others glanced at him with slight concerned expressions. The tension was so thick even a sword couldn't cut through it as the conversation had come to a standstill. Zai was watching Bodoku carefully, everything in his eyes said that he was dead serious, he was concentrating so hard on his next move that he couldn't have predicted it would be made for him as Zayla suddenly yanked his arm down and bit into it, she followed up by stamping on his foot and clasping both hands together into one full swing smashing her knuckles into his cheek. She staggered away from him reaching a hand out to Bodoku who lunged forward for her. Ryku yanked Bodoku back as Zai thrust his other dragon slicer out, it swept under Zayla's armpit almost stabbing him in the chest. Ryku and Bodoku fell back with a thud as Tidus and Seth chopped down on Zai's dragon slicer attempting to break it or at least disarm him. Their attacks did neither and only spurred Zai on to retaliate. He growled swinging both dragon slicers, Tidus and Seth attacked while Tanjiro pulled Zayla out of danger, Skarra helped Ryku and Bodoku to their feet. Zai span clashing weapons with Seth who twirled the sword in his hand smashing it several times against both dragon slicers, he gave a small groan as Zai whacked the red sword so hard it was knocked from his grip shocking him. Zai slashed his arm then went for a stab towards his chest, Tidus blocked the attack barging Seth aside with his hip then gasped as the other dragon slicer slightly cut his neck. "Tidus!" Bodoku called rushing to his side as he grabbed the wound, "are you alright!?" Tidus gave a small smile, "yeah, he didn't hit anything vital..." Zai swung his dragon slicers, "you know that nobody here is a match for me, not even you in your current state Bodoku!" he put one of the slicers onto his back, "any fool could tell you're injured, there's still time for you to leave, before I get serious". Seth brushed himself off and retrieved his red sword, standing beside Tidus and Bodoku. Tidus tor a part of his top tying it around his neck to stop the bleeding then glanced at the other two as Bodoku steadied himself ignoring the pain in his side and leg, "I don't know what you mean. I am in perfect health", Bodoku said smugly, Tidus snorted with a smile. Zai shook his head, "fine, then I'll kill you all and take them anyway!" They shielded their eyes as a blue light shone from behind him. When the light was gone Zai's green eyes had a dark rainbow like colour and his green hair had dimmed growing all the way down to the ground nearly. He put away the other dragon slicer holding both of his arms out to reveal long sharp claws. "What the-!?" "The azure ice dragon was the most difficult challenge of my life, but after I fell into a pit of glowing energy, I became that which I hunted!" Dark green wings sprouted from his back and he roared, his bellow so loud that it pushed Bodoku and the others back, Tidus slouched slightly as he straightened, "ya know it's times like this I wish I didn't know you..." He said to Bodoku who couldn't help but smile, "you'd be bored without me Tidus", Tidus shrugged, "true". "Now prepare to die!" Zai rushed towards them, Tidus pushed Bodoku into Seth as Zai swept down to attack. He was raised into the air, "AHHHH BODOKU!!" He yelled before he was tossed into a boulder on the beach, he thudded down. "TIDUS!" Zayla ran towards him but Tanjiro jumped on top of her pushing her to the ground. Zai flew overhead and breathed fire. Zayla screamed as hot flames seared around them, Tanjiro dug his hands into the sand that exploded around them both and put out the flames. Zai began to chuckle as Zayla moved, Tanjiro slumped to the ground beside her, "Tanjiro? Tanjiro!!?" "FOOLS. I WARNED YOU!" Zai said with a smug smile. He opened his mouth, about to torch Zayla and Tanjiro again, then cried out in pain as something hit him in the eye. He looked down seeing Ryku with small metal balls floating above his hand, "Zaizen. The fight is with us. Leave them alone", he mentioned, Skarra was standing beside him seeming terrified but she stood strong with her brother. Zayla looked at them, "what are you doing!? Just get out of here! Bodoku!" Bodoku and Seth stood to protect them, "are you crazy, you two should get out of here while you still have the chance", Bodoku warned. Ryku shook his head, "but thy friends... no. We will fight". "No you won't, I was told to protect you and that's exactly what I'm going to do". Ryku sighed, "then... I shall fight beside you. My abilities will assist you". Bodoku glanced at him seeing in his eyes that there was no changing his mind, "very well", he looked up watching as Zai zoomed down towards them. Zayla dragged Tanjiro to sit him beside Tidus, "Tidus... are you okay?" She asked moving his head slightly, the back of his head felt wet, she brought her hand forward noticing the blood, "oh no..." she muttered. She turned hearing a cry and watched as Zai smashed against the ground where the others were standing kicking up sand. She peered closer as the dust began to settle to see Seth unconscious and Bodoku barely standing, he would've fallen already if not for the huge sword he stabbed into the ground moments before impact. Skarra was on her back but Ryku had used the iron in his body to plant his feet in the ground. "Y-you still, okay to fight?" Bodoku asked struggling to pull himself upright. Ryku chuckled, he coughed blood before replying, "of course... is thine self also willing to go on?" Bodoku smiled, his expression wavered slightly as he lifted his sword, "ah", he groaned but kept his grin, "you even have to ask?" Zai glared down at them, "you really are stubborn aren't you!?" Ryku held up a hand, "I like to think of it as persistent and brave, yes. Now face the full extent of MY abilities!" Bodoku put his head down watching as several iron daggers seemed to peel away from Ryku's skin, "iron dagger attack!" They all shot at Zai who was still in the air, the daggers continually formed from Ryku. Zai let out a deafening screech as some of the daggers stabbed into his wings, he dropped from the sky landing near Zayla, Tidus and Tanjiro in a clash of sand. Bodoku raised his brows, "that was amazing..." Ryku coughed blood smiling under his mask, then fainted. Bodoku knelt beside him, "Ryku!?" "He'll be okay..." Skarra said dragging herself towards them and cradling his head, "his abilities rely on him using the iron in his body as a weapon, he just needs rest to regenerate". Bodoku gave a slight nod then moved to check on Seth, "Seth are you still with us?" "MMmmm." Seth moaned, he glanced blinking slowly up at Skarra as she put a hand on him, "he will be fine", she mentioned. Bodoku stood up, "are you alright to take care of these two for the moment?" Skarra nodded. Bodoku held in a groan as he walked towards Zayla, "Zayla, how are they doing?" He called. She looked at him, "I'm not sure about Tidus but Tanjiro is just a little singed- uh! Watch out!" She cried. Bodoku gasped unable to avoid Zai as he burst out of the sand and grabbed him by the throat. He caught Bodoku's wrist as he tried to slash at him with his sword then squeezed so hard that his bone cracked, "Argh! Let... go!" Zayla scrambled to her feet and began quickly towards them. Zai held Bodoku higher as he gasped for air, "all you had to do... was let me do my job! But no you had to stand in my way!" Bodoku leant his head back trying to get even a little air into his lungs, "ugh-like I-I could let... y-you take them... after they s-saved me!" "Well now they will be the cause-" He released Bodoku's sword hand, "of your death!" He thrust his hand forward with his fingers together using his sharpened nails like a sword. He penetrated skin, "n-no!" Bodoku yelled, "Zayla!" Zayla looked down at the hand through her chest and glanced up at Zai who frowned in shock, "Zayla..." his features started to change back, his wings returning into his back, his hair losing it's length, "I-I didn't want to kill you..." Blood oozed from her mouth as she attempted to say something, he removed his hand and she collapsed. He released Bodoku who coughed and massaged his neck, Skarra looked on with anticipation as Zai chucked Bodoku's blade that Zayla once held to the ground in front of him then drew his dragon slicers and extended them both, "all that's left is for me to prove that I am superior to you. Once I've killed you, I'll deal with the siblings..." He said with melancholy in his tones. Bodoku stared at Zayla as he slowly reached down to pick up both his sword and his blade, he looked up with an expression of pure fury, "not again..." he muttered barely able to contain his rage, "I was supposed to protect you... I swore it. You died again, because of me..." Zai readied himself as Bodoku felt a rush of adrenaline allowing him to completely forget about his own wounds and focus on one target, "you. will. pay!" He rushed forward, Zai defended against his first attack then batted his previously broken leg. Bodoku grunted falling to one knee but managed to block Zai's strike, he then let go of his huge sword and balanced on his hand then flipped to his feet all while hitting Zai in the belly with a hard kick. Zai backed up winded but had no time to recover as Bodoku mercilessly sliced the back of his right leg and the crease of his left arm. He adopted a terrified expression dropping to one knee and letting go of one dragon slicer as Bodoku rushed at him, spinning in a way that made him avoid all of Zai's desperate attacks. Bodoku sliced the back of his other leg dropping him to his knees, then slashed the crease of his other arm watching as his other weapon fell. Unarmed and barely able to move after having his nerve points severed he looked up at Bodoku with a pleading expression, "wait... I please I got carried away...but I can explain". Bodoku put away his huge blade then let his blade rest on Zai's shoulder, towering over him without feeling.