The Sword of Darkness

9 Return to the past

2nd avenue was carved, the street hollowed out and the sides of the buildings were in the shape of a crescent. This tunnel shape stretched through half of the city. The citizens that were caught in the string of dark matter were vaporized, a merciless attack without a hope for humans. At the origin of the blast, Jigoku leaned over. His right arm droopy.

Lithe flew off a strip of road that had not been destroyed aiming for Jigoku. As he neared darkness materialized and enveloped his swords making them jagged. He planted his feet in front of Jigoku then he had thrust his sword up and through Jigoku’s stomach. Jigoku could only hunch over the blade creeping closer to Lithe. The man of shadows stared at the obscene creature then to the massive sword on the ground next to him. Itazuki’s sword was a curse. “So Dark Matter is a double-edged sword.”

Jigoku remained silent feeling the blade only deepen as Lithe pushed it in. The steel toyed with his organs shifting them out of place, tearing occasionally. Lithe kept the blade inside then plunged his other sword inside Jigoku. Jigoku lifted his head up. His engorged black eyes encompassed most of his craggy face.

“I could tear you in half.” Lithe uttered, convinced he had the upper hand.

“Then do it.” Jigoku said. His voice was raspy. He took a breath, the blades pressing against his stomach and lungs but not cutting surprisingly. He’d been through worse, this being only a minor discomfort. Minutes passed with Lithe about to slice his swords out.

Jigoku’s right hand twitched and with that he jumped and kicked off Lithe, the swords tore as he slid out of them. The shadows started to fade from the swords. Jigoku landed on his back then crawled on all fours to his sword. He reached out to grab it but was shoved in the ground with Lithe standing over him. His swords were lodged in Jigoku’s back. Lithe pulled them out intending to cut Jigoku’s head off. Jigoku tumbled forward out of the way.

He picked up his sword and swung with both hands. Lithe ducked and charged forward. Jigoku was still in mid swing when Lithe jabbed one sword. Jigoku held the sword with only his left hand and caught Lithe’s sword with the tip almost touching his eye. Lithe swatted with his other sword. Jigoku shifted his position moving to the left, out of Lithe’s reach. He slammed the thick sword. Lithe hopped back.  Jigoku’s stance slackened bolting in a fury of swings at Lithe while screaming a deafening ensemble of jarring sounds only Jigoku was capable of making.

With each swoop Lithe maneuvered past nearly touching the blade. He bent back to avoid the bite of the sword. With a gap between them Jigoku jutted his right arm out in an attempt to blast his foe away. Instead a black haze fizzed on his palm and hand then nothing. He winced from the inflicted pain. Lithe charged and a swarm of shadow tentacles gathered behind him and jolted thrashing Jigoku. He flung back then rolled feeling a burn paralyze his right arm.

The shadows snaked back toward Lithe then surged out like a wave. It was one solid wall sliding across the ground with a mess of tendrils squirming in the air. Jigoku stood calm with his view of Lithe blocked by the shadows. The wave advanced. Jigoku squatted then tossed himself back and far crashing into a window of a building. He was on the third story. The wave changed direction like it was on a railroad track.  It sped along the ground then scaled up the building. The tendrils wove together forming arms pulling itself higher and closer to Jigoku. The wave shrunk and expanded like a man’s chest taking deep breathes. The mass of shadow dwindled starting to resemble a plump torso.