Elegy: Lost Shadow

Kano exhaled as the aura covering his body intensified, the water that covered his blade turned into a blue aura. "Anemone, I am going to try something. Don't interfere okay."

  She smiled as she said, "That's okay…I won't then. Does that mean I will get to see your best?"

"Not exactly, but as much as I can control." I am the water, both the waves and the calm currents. I am the ripple as well as the vortex. I am volatile and free. He dashed towards the bystier when he was met by a volley of flaming arrows. He dodged and parried some arrows, using the blunt of his sword to send the arrows flying in several directions. He jumped, propelling himself at it. He swung his blade going for a vertical slash. The bystier's aura solidified before it roared.

    His blade collided with its aura before he flipped through. "Water Art: Discordant Torrent, plunge pool." He landed on its skull, stepping on its aura. He sent his blade plunging downwards as the aura surrounding his blade transformed into water. The water was spiraling against the blade as though it was a drill. Upon impact, the aura cracked as a shockwave was generated sending him flying upwards.

   The bystier fired a volley of arrows at him from its mane. He parried them as he was descending. "Wind Art: Volley Of Zephyr," she muttered as she directed ten of blades at him. The blades released gusts of wind trapping him in a sphere of wind. They pulled him towards her as they repelled some of the arrows. They dropped him next to her.

   "I never knew you were that proficient at using the way of water. I always just assumed you had a greater magic reserve than me," she said as she smiled.

"It is a pain to use though. With every move I make, my speed and power increase but its harder to control the more force I acquire," he explained as he was exhaling.

      She thought, I see, so the way of water makes use of water's volatility. I can think of it as a technique that works the same way as a stream heading down hill. The speed of the waves increase as its power hits the banks.

   "So like what did you think about my attack earlier….have you figured out why I could crack it?"

    "Oh yeah that….I was kind of dazed. My strongest art couldn't even scratch that thing. I was impressed," she said before she jumped dodging the arrows.

"No, I don't mean that," he said as he was parrying the arrows, "I mean have you figured out how you will be able to break through and land an attack."

    She stepped on her blades before landing on the ground. "Earlier you clashed your physical magic against the one it possesses. But beyond that, you coated your blade which is also like solid aura with magic making it stronger, that plus the force you absorbed from parrying, running around, and attacking. It must have been enough to crack it.

    I can't do any of that stuff though," she dodged the arrows as she projected her blades, sending them at the beast. The blades bounced off the aura. "I think I understand what I can do. Thanks for that." It might be a solid aura but it is still a construct of physical magic. Both my unique ability and spiritual magic should be effective. So, I will have to evolve my prime visualization to do considerable damage. I need to distort them.

      The grass began burning as flames were released from its pedes. It then ran forward, jumping over the hot spring. It landed on the other side, towering over Anemone. It raised its paw as it was about to strike her. She jumped to avoid it before placing her hand on one of her blades. She flipped through propelling herself over it before she was met by its tail. It flicked her, sending her towards the ground.

     She directed her blades toward herself, allowing them to generate a gust of wind to cushion her fall. When she looked ahead, she saw a volley of flaming arrows heading toward her. Three-blade alignment, Wind Art: Sudden Impulse. She thought as three of her blades formed a circular formation in front of her. They released gusts of wind which scattered the flames.

    Her breathing was heavy as she thought, I guess this proves it, spiritual magic will work but I highly doubt an output this low will have an effect on the solidified aura. I can't raise my output too much otherwise I will my damaged nodes. That just means, I will have to learn more about my prime visualization. My unique ability will be the only way I can tear it down effectively.

   As that was happening, Kano dashed towards the bystier as he dragged the tip of his blade against the ground. The bystier raised its paw as the flames around it transformed to aura. The aura then solidified as it went for a swing, aiming to crash him. The aura surrounding his blade transformed to water as he exclaimed, "Water Art: Discordant Torrent; Shifting Tide." He went for a diagonal slash upwards. His blade clashed against the aura that solidified under its paw.

   He quenched his teeth, clutching the hilt of his blade tightly as its aura began cracking. Four of Anemone's blades surrounded it as they began slicing against its body. "Four-Blade Alignment," The blade flew towards each other forming a circular alignment. "Wind Art: Rampaging Blades; Spiraling Zephyr." The rotating mass of blades flew towards the bystier's neck aiming to cut through.

   The flames from its mane transformed to aura as they solidified and shielded it from the incoming blades. The blades bounced off as Kano thought, This is my chance. He gripped his hilt tighter as the stripe that covered his arm lengthened and reached his wrist. The aura under its paw shattered and generated a shockwave pushing the bystier back. He coughed out blood as he fell to a single knee. Crap, I went overboard.

  The bystier staggered before regaining its footing. He was busy coughing when he heard a call. "KANO, GET OUT OF THE WAY!!" As soon as his eyes rolled to his left, he saw its pede sliding against the ground. He held up his blade before it struck him. It sent him sliding against the ground, all through the grassy terrain.

   She jumped off the layer of wind that she was sitting on before directing fifteen blades at it. They slashed against its body repeatedly but all the cuts released flames which closed them up immediately. The blades then scattered as they had successfully surrounded it. "Fifteen-blade alignment, Wind Art: Rampaging Blades; Volley of Zephyr." The blades began revolving around it as it roared. The flames from the tip of its tail lengthened and so did those of its mane. It opened its maw as flames were being released by its teeth. The flames from its teeth then transformed into aura.

   "Huh," Her eyes rolled towards her right slightly before the blades accelerated. A blue light moved over the revolving blades as Kano emerged from it. His blade was covered by water that was spiraling in opposing directions. He raised it, going for a vertical swing. The red aura solidified, forming the bystier's defense. "Water Art: Discordant Torrent; Shifting Tide!" he exclaimed as his blade clashed against its solidified aura. The blades that were revolving around lifted to the sky.

     He tightly clutched his blade as he clenched his teeth, grinding them. Visualize myself sinking deeper, more water penetrating me. The stripe covering his arm lengthened until it covered even his finger tips. The aura protecting the bystier begun to crack. One more push! The water spiraling against the blade begun moving much faster. The aura then shattered.

    Anemone jumped to the sky as the rotating mass of blades began descending behind her. I won't waste this chance, "Wind Art: Rampaging Blades; Spiraling Zephyr." She swung her right arm forward as the blades following a similar path, moved in a circular path before striking the bystier's neck. She stood on a layer of wind that her other four blades were projecting.

    The blades began barreling into its neck as it roared. It shot a volley of flaming arrows from its mane. She held up her left arm and opened her palm before saying, "Wind Art: Sudden Impulse." She felt a slight stinging in her arm as soon as she released the gust of wind to scatter the flaming arrows.

    Passed the smaller arrows, the bystier had released one massive arrow from its maw. It was heading directly at her. Damn it.... I need to dodge. No, I don't think I can, its way too fast. As she was thinking, she suddenly heard, "Water Art: Discordant Torrent; Shifting Tide." He had jumped in front of her. He held his blade in front of him before the arrow struck it. He coughed out blood before he clenched his teeth and successfully parried the arrow. The arrow flew and crashed into the trees before the flames scattered and began burning everything around then.

    He continued coughing out blood as his shivering got worse. "Kano…" she muttered before he pushed her off the layer of wind on which she stood. As soon as he did, a flaming arrow struck him. The bystier had released it from its tail and it was far bigger than the last. The arrow sent him flying into the trees. He violently crashed into one of the trunks as he coughed out blood. The flames scattered and so did the ash from his hoodie and shirt that had completely been burnt off. He then fell to the ground.

    The rotating mass of blades emerged from the other end of the bystier's neck. It's head fell as it began dangling from the wind pipe. It was still somehow, by some miracle, still attached to the neck. The cut portions erupted in flames as the blood dripping from it stopped.

     She rushed towards him only to find him barely hanging on. His breathing became shallow as his trembling got worse. He moved up his head only to see her down on her knees. He began forcing himself back up before he coughed out blood and fell back to the ground.

    She began tearing up as she said, "It's okay. Just stay down. It will be fine. Walter and I can finish this one." He began to force himself back up before he collapsed again. He blinked slowly as he could hardly stay awake. What should I do? He's covered in burns. The blue stripe that covered his arm began to shatter as it reverted back to aura.

    Anemone sensed a large amount of magic heading their way. She turned around only to see another flaming arrow heading their way. Four blades aligned themselves in front of her as she thought, I can't let that attack anywhere near him. No, I won't let it. "Prime Visualization: Distortion; Absolute inversion!"

   The blades began rotating before she pushed her arm through the center. The arrow was about to make contact with her palm when the flames began to scatter and transforming to chunks of ice which crushed into the ground. The four blades fell to the ground as they reverted to bracelet pieces. She fell on her hands as she continued hyperventilating. Sweat ran down her face as she thought, The flow of magic was too abrupt but I was able to do it. I altered the magic completely. "Kano," she said as she turned back only to see that he had fallen unconscious.

    She got back to her feet as the fifteen blades aligned themselves behind her. Even with all the magic I absorbed earlier, it took four blades full of magic to use a single distortion. If I scale that up to my individual magic reserve, I am looking at a solid two-thirds of my magic reserve for a single technique. I will save four blades for when I need them. But other than that, I am going to wrap this up quickly. I can't leave Kano in that state.