The Primal Hunter

Sword met trident as the clang of metal sent them both back. The blade rose again as the robed nahoom retreated with measured steps. Miyamoto pressed forward as several more blows were exchanged, his opponent backing away with every attack.

The mana in the air began to heat up as the swordsman dodged to avoid a beam of concentrated sunlight descending from far above. Around the alien invader, a ring of golden light formed as the very plains around them seemed to resonate with him. The ring moved to be in a position in front of Ell’Hakan as the trident stabbed forward, releasing an explosion of golden flames and forcing Miyamoto to leap back.

”This planet keeps perplexing me,” Ell’Hakan spoke as he spun his trident, leaving trails of flames behind it. ”The information on you was limited. I genuinely expected those two to be capable of killing you, and even if they failed, to at least put you out of commission for a good while. It appears I was way off.”

”To reach for true power is to subvert fate and expectations,” Miyamoto simply spoke as water droplets formed around him as if it rained around him.

Ell’Hakan responded by sending out a wave of golden flames as the sunlight above intensified. Several golden orbs appeared in the sky, all of them burning with deep flames. The Sword Saint countered as a thin mirror of water appeared and blocked out the flames entirely.

The nahoom had taken this brief chance to move as he turned into golden flames and appeared further back. Rising into the air, a magic circle appeared above him as he pointed towards the Sword Saint.

He wanted to move, but Miyamoto suddenly found space itself acting up. Like he got separated from reality itself.

”I must apologize, but I simply do not have the time to be fighting you right now,” Ell’Hakan spoke. ”Please be so kind as to begone.”

The magic circle above him intensified in energy. Miyamoto had heard of this, and even if it was far weaker than what was used on Jake, it was still a very potent skill.

“Celestial Alignment of Yore.”

Everything spun as the Sword Saint was sent flying. While in the air, he pointed his blade forward and closed his eyes. A plane of water condensed as he inserted his sword into it. Colors began to appear on the plane, and soon it depicted plains with a lonely small house sitting in the middle. The painting was not made from memory but one he had painstakingly painted only the day before.

Miyamoto willed the plane of water to move as he also stepped into it, appearing standing on the plains only a few hundred meters from where he had been before, a confused Ell’Hakan whipping around to see him stand there.

”I must also apologize,” Miyamoto said, not a hint of being sorry in his voice. ”My hobby happens to be painting.”

”That was not space magic,” Ell’Hakan said with a frown.

”No, it was not,” Miyamoto spoke.

”Then was it-”

The Sword Saint charged forward without answering as water condensed around his blade. Ell’Hakan frowned even more as he was forced to block and sent backward. Miyamoto did not give him time to rest as the water droplets condensed even more around the tip of his blade as he stabbed forward.

A single droplet was shot forward, drawing the first blood of their battle. A thin cut tore through Ell’Hakan’s robe and left a slit on the side of his arm. Miyamoto moved to attack again, but his opponent’s body language made him reconsider as he stepped down hard and jumped back.

Just in time, too, as a massive beam of sunlight shot down and left a huge scorch mark just where he would have been standing. Opening his eyes wide, the Sword Saint swept his blade upwards and sent out a crescent wave of water that encountered another massive beam.

It was cut in two, leaving him unscathed as the water refracted the light. However, even so, Ell’Hakan was clearly done playing around. A dense aura of heat spread from him as the plains themselves were set ablaze. The sun seemed to almost turn entirely red as the sky above resonated with the burning plains below.

genuinely apologize. I shall take you

plains. Miyamoto opened his eyes wide as suddenly the sun seemed to disappear from the sky above, only to reappear below

”Sunrise.”

ground and shifted his stance as he held

”Rainblade.”

turned into red flames as he stormed forward, the Sword Saint responding in kind. They exchanged several blows, the Sword Saint slowly winning out as

Several small scratches began to appear on Ell’Hakan, but Miyamoto did not relax.

Ell’Hakan vault over it. He pointed his trident forward and shot a condensed beam of light, singeing the Sword Saint’s left arm slightly as he failed to dodge

forward

“Ten Thousand Droplets.”

vast wall of red flames met them, evaporating most, but some

moved again as the middle of the three forks lit up. The sun behind him then began rising as the temperature rose, and the sky itself

itself. He slashed as a wave of water appeared that rapidly multiplied and countered the fire descending towards him. In the same fluid movement, he positioned his blade and blocked the trident of Ell’Hakan,

attack was infused with a powerful

upper hand. With an upwards strike, he made Ell’Hakan attempt to dodge, but the blade pivoted to the

movements ever-so-slightly. The blade sank into the side of Ell’Hakan, but he managed to turn to flames, leaving a spray of blood in his

up. His left lumbar was halfway cut through in what would have been a lethal

that blade… you cut through my bones like they were nothing,” Ell’Hakan spoke in a contemplating tone. “I wonder, why is someone like you working for the Malefic’s Chosen? What do

one who has nothing to do with you. You are the only one who chose to make an

the oppressive rule of the Order of the Malefic Viper compared to the United Cities Alliance? An

than a simple lone swordsman. Order, Alliance, gods. Nothing else matters when two warriors meet. Unless you choose to continue

knew something was coming. Underestimating his foe was

water droplets began to evaporate, and his skin burned as the temperature rose even more than before. Up in

“Scorching Noon.”

power as he fully activated his boosting skill to stave off the constant exposure. Ell’Hakan also clearly did something similar as his skin began glowing orange. The plains – now entirely clean of vegetation - also glowed, and the Sword Saint felt the

a foe in their territory is always more

draw, released a torrent of water as if he had just opened a

his foe embedded in the ground from the impact. The water covering his body allowed Miyamoto to

Miyamoto back a few steps. Refusing to lose momentum, the old man attacked again but was blocked. Blocked and countered. His speed fell behind his foe as he took a minor cut on the arm and another minor scratch on his thigh. Both wounds burned with golden flames, forcing him to expend even more energy

After dodging an attack, he found an opening and stabbed forward. The blade extended and penetrated into

burned. He raised the trident and slammed it into the

“Ember Chains.”

condensed and formed chains as they came from all directions. He cut through several, but two managed to wrap around

“Sunwrath.”

pure light and fire descended upon the lone swordsman as he stood chained. He knew it was too late to dodge, so he used one of

everything around it burned, yet no