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

as a wave of red light descended upon the plains. Miyamoto opened his eyes wide as suddenly the sun seemed to disappear from

”Sunrise.”

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

”Rainblade.”

he stormed forward, the Sword Saint responding in kind. They exchanged several blows, the

but that all changed now. Several small scratches began to appear on Ell’Hakan, but Miyamoto did not relax. The gaze of his foe was calm and collected. He did not panic in

sent a long crescent wave of water out, making Ell’Hakan vault over it. He pointed his trident forward and shot a condensed beam of

moved forward again and

“Ten Thousand Droplets.”

ten thousand small droplets appeared and shot forward. A vast wall of red flames met them, evaporating most, but some got through as Ell’Hakan was hit and stumbled back with dozens of minor puncture wounds

the three forks lit up. The sun behind him then began rising as the temperature rose, and the sky itself began burning. An endless inferno descended upon the

made his sword an instrument of the element itself. He slashed as a wave of water appeared that rapidly multiplied and countered the fire descending towards him. In

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

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 sideway

but droplets of water had landed upon him to restrict his movements ever-so-slightly. The blade sank into the side of Ell’Hakan, but he managed to turn to flames, leaving a

halfway cut through

spoke in a contemplating tone. “I wonder, why is someone like you working for the Malefic’s Chosen? What do you have to gain by

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

looked at the Sword Saint a 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 compared to the United Cities Alliance? An alliance that is even protected by Valhal from outside forces. Meanwhile, the Order tends to make the areas they control living hells

purpose 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

nahoom’s smile faded as Miyamoto knew something was coming. Underestimating his foe was

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

“Scorching Noon.”

similar as his skin began glowing orange. The plains – now entirely clean of vegetation - also glowed, and the Sword

their

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 and made

in the ground from the impact. The water covering his body

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,

of water was relentless, and so was he. After dodging an attack, he found an opening and stabbed forward. The blade

and stumbled back as his eyes burned. He raised the trident and slammed it into the

“Ember Chains.”

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

“Sunwrath.”

very moment. From above, a massive pillar of pure light and fire descended upon the lone swordsman as he stood

as everything around