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Desmond emerged from the trees, sprinting in a zig-zag pattern to avoid wind attacks which came from the ori-tandemon.
As he closed in, lightning sparking around him, he dashed with speed burst, and ducked—back and palms on the ground, legs up.
The demon's eyes lowered, gaze locking on him.
It attempted to punch him into the ground but he performed a kip-up, feet slamming into the demon's chest.
The kick knocked the air out of the demon and sent it flying back.
It managed to balance itself halfway through the flight and landed hard on its feet.
It immediately went down, hyperventilating, hands on its chest.
Desmond stood there, breathing heavily. 'Did it work?'
He frowned, taking a stance. 'No. It's gonna take more than that.'
"You brat!" The demon grinned, getting its breathing under control.
Wind current belted around its neck and waist and immediately, it burst forward, air skating towards Desmond.
Desmond also moved forward.
Both clashed—wind drill arm against lightning ignited sword.
Both attacks bounced back but then, the demon used the recoil to spin around, wind drill arm swinging for his ribs.
Desmond's eyes widened. "Sh-shit!" His expression tightened. "I can't avoid this one."
The strike connected, sending him flying through three trees before crashing into a fourth, bark exploding around him., landing on his butt.
He coughed, blood coming along with it. 'Did... Did that guy... have a technique like this?'
He looked up, eyes growing bigger and moved to the left as the demon crashed into the tree.
— —
Huff... Huff... Huff
Rexford breathed, slowly but heavily. "Dammit."
He looked over at the demon spinning the joined blades in one hand, water torrents coiling around both blades.
"What should I do?"
The demon rushed at him.
He also charged, water current coiling around his blade. "Dammit! There's no time to think."
They clashed, steel ringing against steel, again and again, the river beneath their feet exploded with each strike, as if responding to their battle.
Both jumped away from each other.
The demon was quick, sprinting forward first the moment it landed.
Rexford landed, skidding to a stop.
He glanced up, seeing the demon descend with its blade upon him.
But then, his expression suddenly softened. "Guess I have no choice. I'll have to use my trump card now."
The demon—in mid-air—swung its blade down, the water torrents around its blade stretched toward Rexford in whips.
Rexford's frown returned almost instantly.
He spun his sword in front of him, the spin picking up water currents from the river, creating a spinning water shield.
The demon's water whips bounced off the shield.
It grinned, retracting the whips which came back to coil around its blades again.
"Oh? I'm surprised you could create a shield with just one sword. I've never heard of any water user doing that before. You're something else kid."
It clutched its blade above its head. "Too bad you're going to die anyway." It growled, swinging the blade down with all its might.
But Rexford lunged, sword carving upwards to block the demon's strike.
Two water blades sliced from the river, colliding with the demon's blade the same time Rexford's blow landed, one on each side of his blade.
[Triple edged blade]
The force of the impact pushed the demon back.
Rexford didn't waste any time, going after the demon.
His blade disappeared in a flashing light as water girdle shot out from the river, encompassing his arms, fingers stretching into water claws.
The demon landed but Rexford was already coming down at it, water claws attempting to tear it apart.
The demon was fast enough to jump out of the way as Rexford landed on that spot, claws digging into the river.
The demon frowned. "Did you think you could end me with that?"
Rexford just grinned, not attempting to pull his hands out of the river. "That wasn't actually my plan."
And then—
A small circle whirled on the river around him. A second around the first. A third, fourth and a fifth, expanding beyond where the demon hovered.
And the demon was yet to land.
The circles started glowing as Rexford closed his eyes. "I'll surpass your copycat with this."
The demon looked below at the glowing circles. "I don't like this."
"Emerge."
Rexford stated. Suddenly—
Multiple tentacles burst out from the river all around Rexford and the demon.
The demon landed in the midst of the tentacles, turning in every direction. "What is this? Why didn't I access this technique?"
Rexford grinned, listening to the demon's disappointment. "So what I heard was right."
He slowly looked up, locking gazes with the demon. "Ori-tandemons can only copy perfected techniques. You shouldn't have been surprised when I used the water shield with one blade. The question is, why were you able to use it first?"
The demon gasped. "Impossible."
"That's right. I perfected it with one blade while all others did it with two."
"Hmph!" The demon smirked. "So it's not perfected, right?"
"Something like that."
The demon took a stance. "Then don't think you can beat me with such a half-baked technique."
"Why don't we find out?"
Then, one tentacle lashed at the demon.
The demon sliced at the incoming attack, the torrents around its blade lashing out in multiple whips. "I'll just have to stop the attack."
But upon contact, the whips just passed through tentacle.
The demon gasped, not getting the chance to move out of the way as the tentacle slammed into it, sending it flying.
A second whip lashed it from behind, sending it crashing hard on the river surface, water exploding around it.
Rexford licked his lips, wearing a wicked smile, hands still buried in the river. "How did you like that?"
The demon slowly got on its limbs, coughing out blood, breathing heavily. 'What... was that?'
It slowly directed its gaze at Rexford. 'My torrents just passed through the attack... but it hit me? How?'
Rexford's grin widened. 'Damnit. I don't have much energy left. I have to finish this quickly.'
The demon got on its feet, blade in right hand, blood leaking from the corner of its mouth, teeth clenched, brows furrowed.
It gripped its blade hard, sprinting forward at Rexford.
"You can't touch me you damn demon." Rexford roared as multiple tentacles thrashed out at the demon.
Before the tentacles could get to it, it dive into the river.
Rexford's expression turned... unreadable. He didn't move. Didn't even try to.
The demon rose from the river right behind him, blade swinging down at Rexford.
But then, a tentacle—out of nowhere—parried the attack.
The demon's eyes widened in shock, leaping backwards a few meters. "What—"
The two were now in a midst of tentacles moving in circles.
Rexford turned his head to the side, grin returning, gazing at the demon. "Sorry but, as long as you're on or under the circles, you can't do a sneak attack on me."
He turned fully to face the demon, hands still submerged in the river. "I created this technique on my own. The key principle is becoming one with the water. With that, I can tell wherever you are in these circles."
The demon watched Rexford, frustration written all over its face. 'And he said its not perfected? What a sick joke.'
"Hey demon..." Rexford called out. "Have you died before?"
He asked with a chuckle.