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.

I genuinely apologize. I shall

red light descended upon the plains. Miyamoto opened his eyes wide as suddenly the sun seemed to disappear from the sky above, only to

”Sunrise.”

of water protected him as he smiled. He landed on the ground and shifted his stance

”Rainblade.”

Sword Saint responding in kind.

relax. The gaze of his foe was calm and collected. He did not panic in the slightest, even as he took

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

deterred, he moved forward again and pointed

“Ten Thousand Droplets.”

vast wall of red flames met them, evaporating most, but some got through as Ell’Hakan was hit and stumbled back

of the three forks lit up. The sun behind him then began rising as the temperature rose,

and countered the fire descending towards

simply rely on his physical stats. Every attack was infused with a powerful concept. Not that the Sword Saint found himself on the

once more gain the upper hand. With an upwards strike, he made Ell’Hakan attempt to dodge, but the blade pivoted to the side and turned the slash into a

his movements ever-so-slightly. The blade sank

halfway cut through in what would have been a lethal blow pre-system. Miyamoto considered charging again

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 you have to

by invading the planet of another Chosen? Much less one who has nothing to do with you. You are the only one who chose to make an enemy, not him. In my eyes, the questionable decisions in this entire conflict are one-sided. There is an aggressor and a defender, with

bit more before shaking his head. “You have no reason beyond personal sentiment? Do you honestly see your clan thrive more under the oppressive rule of the Order of the Malefic Viper

of your words,” Miyamoto smiled. “He who stands before you is nothing more than a simple lone swordsman. Order, Alliance, gods. Nothing else matters when two warriors meet. Unless you choose to continue this meeting as non-warriors, then cease your needless words. I say

his foe was something he would never do,

A beam of light descended upon him as Miyamoto saw the air shimmer. His water droplets began to evaporate, and his

“Scorching Noon.”

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

a foe in their territory is always

his blade once more and, with the draw, released a torrent of water as if he had just opened a floodgate. The nahoom was taken by surprise and sent blasting back as Miyamoto followed the flow of water

the feet of his foe embedded in the ground from the impact. The water covering his body allowed Miyamoto to ignore the sunlight for now, but he felt

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

and stabbed forward. The blade extended and penetrated into his foe, but as it was just a blade of water, it

raised the trident and

“Ember Chains.”

chains as they came from all directions. He cut through several, but

“Sunwrath.”

fire descended upon the lone swordsman as he stood chained. He knew it was too late to dodge, so he used one of his rare defensive skills just

the ground as everything around it burned, yet no one