"Hmph!"
'Clang-!'
Sparks flew as Fujiwara's blade strikes my scythe. The brief but blinding flash from the impact left a dark afterimage in my retinas.
"Tch!"
As I was sliding backwards, Fujiwara dashed forward chasing after me. In response I wind-up a slash of myself and swung down at her right as she enters my attack range.
"Sei!"
'Clang!'
Fujiwara raised her sword to deflect my attack but she only managed to stop the attack from the pole - the blade of the scythe was able to slip right pass her guard anyway.
The blade tears into her clothes making her stop her movement, this allowed me to follow-up with another slash at her -
'Whoosh!'
But Fujiwara jumped backwards right in time to avoid it.
"What an annoying weapon. The angle of your blade makes it go pass my guarding stances...
I guess I'll have to go serious then."
Fujiwara lowers her stance as she slowly sheathes the Katana to her waist.
"The new shadow style huh?" I said as I assumed a downward striking stance in response to her.
Silence fills the air of the room as we locked eyes with each other.
Why would someone deliberately sheath their sword and make their attack trajectory so obvious? I wondered that myself a lot of times when sparring with Minuano.
The answer is simple - it boosts their power and speed. By deliberately making their attacks easy to read, it applies a boost similar to applying "Conditions" in magic, allowing the user to gain a boost in their attack immediately after a sword draw.
But a trick like this is useless against someone who can still "see" their slashes... That's where my pair of Empyrean Eyes comes in.
'Thud-!'
In the blink of an eye Fujiwara rushed forward at me whilst drawing her sword. At the same time I swung my scythe down at her...
'Clang-!!!'
Sparks flew as our blade clash. My scythe bounces off from being weaker than her attack, I was parried.
'Clang-!'
From the momentum of that attack, Fujiwara redirects the Katana and slashes at me once more, striking the shaft of my scythe.
Without letting up her pressure, she rushes forward with her blade aiming low to my exposed leg.
"Hmph-!" / "Sei-!"
'Tink-!'
Using the butt-end of my scythe I deflect the low slash instead. Immediately following the deflect I slashed upward using the sharp point of the butt-end, an instant counter slash.
'Tink-!'
The slash forces her backwards creating space for me to launch an actual attack with the scythe.
'Clank-!'
Once again Fujiwara tries to reflect the scythe but the blade slips right pass her guard, ending up right behind her.
"Hmph-!" I pulled the scythe making the blade behind "hook" onto Takina's back and sliced her while pulling her towards me - right into a leg sweep.
'Thump-!' "Urgh!"
The kick knocked her to the ground.
With the back-end I jabbed the scythe towards the woman on the ground.
'Tink-!'
She managed to block it with the flat of her blade?!
"Wha-"
"Sei-!"
She immediately throws a counter sweep kick and knocked me off my feet as well. She immediately followed her sweep with a kick, using her arms to push off the ground as she threw it.
'Thung-!' I managed to block the kick with my scythe but it sent me flying - right out of the balcony we were fighting on.
Mid air while falling, I draws my pistol and aimed at Fujiwara.
"Take this!"
'Bang-!'
The gunshot echoed throughout the whole of the castle alerting everyone to us. By instinct I fired off my gun even though I wanted to be covert at first.
I fell from the balcony. Looking at the direction I fell to, I saw a roof of a castle building.
'Thump-!' Balancing mid-air I managed to lands on it. The fall was just one floor high, but I fell hard enough to break the tiles on the roof.
But then just as my eyes went back towards the balcony, a giant piece of wood - from the columns supporting the balcony came flying at me.
"What the?!"
'Thump-!'
I jumped from the building as the pillar crash into the roof.
'Clang-!'
Immediately behind the pillar Fujiwara followed up and sliced her blade at me, forcing me to block it. But before I could do anything she releases her hand from the sword and grabbed me by the collar.
"Got you now!"
She spins mid air with me in hand and threw me downwards, slamming right into another platform.
'Thump-!'
"Urgh-!"
I could feel the shock going from my back all the way to the stomach.
"Cough!... Argh..."
I slowly got back on my feet, just in time for the woman to land on the platform as well.
Looking at it now, the platform is the Torii gate in the middle of the main road. There were buildings on both sides of the road. We are now standing on the roof of the Torii gate.
A slight grin is present on the Fujiwara's face.
"Did you really just threw a pillar at me...?"
"I used whatever I can find. You used your gun anyway didn't you? It's only fair for me to do this."
Fujiwara showed me the arm she used to grab me. A very clear bullet hole was punched into her arm, it is now bleeding profusely.
"You blocked it with your arm huh? I was sure I aimed it at your chest, this explains that."
The noise of a building collapsing was heard. The part of the balcony where she removed the column just collapsed.
"You're as dangerous as Minuano claimed.... And this is supposed to be just us making a show for the others to see?"
"I'm not worthy of such praises. I'm flattered."
Not worthy?
She's completely blind to how strong she actually is compared to others. She out classes me right now in almost everything, from speed and power and most importantly her experience.
This ticks me off, for whatever reason.
She out classes me. In fact I am only still alive because I have better reflexes with my Empyrean Eyes. But in spite of being comparable to Minuano-san she is still weaker than her.
Minuano's attacks were something else entirely - faster and stronger than hers. She's lacking the refinement in sword skills!
"If that is the case then will not lose... not even to you!"
"Oh?" The grin on her face widens. "That's what I like to see!"
On a bridge or any linear platform like this, the weapon with the longer reach will always have an advantage. I can win this!
(Chapter end)