The Blades of Apocalypse

Chapter 4: A Battle for the Ages

The Blade Wielder feels the pressure emitting from the three combatants . He felt it in his bones. Outside of the Obsidian Castle, these three are unlike any he has faced so far. Yet, he does not yield to these opponents. He stands at the ready, observing his enemies as they prepare themselves to attack.

The BLade Wielder also observes the weapons they are using. First is the large man with short brown slickback hair and the same axe tattoo he's been seeing from all the other axe wielding bandits. He also uses an axe, but this one has a red crystal in the middle of it's double blades, meaning it's a magical weapon that can emit fire.

Next is the woman with the eyepatch. Her leather chest armour has a print of a desert rose in the center, same image tattooed on her right forearm. Her weapons are two katars, one in each hand. A katar is made out of three blades that folds together to disguise them as one full blade. They don't appear to be magical items, but these weapons have been known to break swords like the blade Wielder is using.

Lastly, there's the older bandit. He has a short silver beard and a tattoo of a desert dragon. He wields a magic glaive, but the magic crystal is unfamilliar to the Blade Wielder, so he doesn't know what it's powers might be.

The woman charged in first, her speed far surpasses that of the bandits that have already cross blades with him. Compared to the guardian monks, however, it is a tad lacking. Her attack style is that of a boxing martial arts, using the katar as an extended fist as she tries to punch holes into the Blade Wielder.

The Blade Wielder changed the way he held his sword to a reverse grip to avoid the katars' pincer grip attacks while also being able to deliver strikes of his own. While engage in combat with the woman, however, the large man made his move. With speed almost equal to that of the woman, the large man closed in and swung his axe downwards, aimed at the Blade Wielder.

The Blade Wielder avoided the attack, but couldn't deliver his own counter attack because of the explosion of flames the axe made when it hit the ground. The woman used the kick up of dusk from the explosion to slip to the Blade Wielder's rear left flank and attack. The Blade Wielder managed to deflect the first bladed punch, but the woman's second strike found it's mark on the Blade Wielder's left thigh.

The cut may not be that deep, but it was enough to send the bandits surrounding the fighters in an uproar. This is the first time since the battle with the Blade Wielder started that any one has seen him bleed. The Blade Wielder ignored the warm crimson liquid flowing out from his thigh and focused on defending himself from his opponents.

The two skilled bandits worked magnificently together. The woman would expertly pursue a close quarter combat tactic on the Blade Wielder, and if the Blade Wielder would try to counter attack her or try to create distance, the large axe wielding man would intercept him with a flaming axe attack.

The Blade Wielder is not fairing well with the attacks, but not because of the skills of the two leading bandits. Their skills were only a part of that factor, since the guardian monks have tought the Blade Wielder to fight multiple high level combatants that are using complex formations before. The true reason was the older bandit, standing on the same spot he's been since the first two started their barrage.

You see, the Blade Wielder has found a chink in the formation of the two's attack pattern. In the end of the two's attack, there's a split second where the large man's right flank is vulnerable and the woman would be far enough away to provide support. Yet, every time he would posture to capitalize on this opening, the Blade Wielder is stymied by the gaze of the older bandit. As if he is a mouse frozen from a serpent's gaze, and will the killed if he made the wrong move.

Feeling a sense of desperation, the Blade Wielder resolves himself to deliver his counter attack. The Blade Wielder performed a sword style taught to him by the monks called the sword hurricane. This is a style where the swordsman would expertly wave his/her sword in a continuous circular motion aimed at vital parts of the opponent's body. This is a style mainly used to create distance, and once the Blade Wielder created said distance, he leaped back to stay further away from the two bandits' attack range.

Trying to gain the momentum of the fight once more, the two leading bandits charged at the Blade Wielder, falling right in to his trap. Once the Blade Wielder know they are in range, he used his Flash Ball, a small marble size magic item that emits a light so intence, it can temporarily blind anyone in the vicinity, even in broad daylight.

The Blade Wielder closed his eyes and activated the magical item given to him by the guardian monks. After the activation, everyone arround the Blade Wielder seems to have been blinded by the light. The Blade Wielder saw the opportunity and ran straight towards the large bandit.

As the Blade Wielder attacks, he enters his flow state, a state where a warrior's senses are hightend to the point where everything around you is seemingly moving slower. In this state, the Blade Wielder noticed two things. One, that the older bandit is no longer in his original spot. And two, a shadow is forming on the ground where he plans to attack the large bandit. The older bandit leapt high in the air, with his eyes closed to intercept the Blade Wielder.

Once he noticed that the older bandit was in the air, about to drop an attack on him from above, it was already too late to stop himself from moving. The Blade Wielder had no choice but to sacrifice his sword to live. The Blade Wielder stabbed his sword deep into the ground and used it as a springboard to propel himself away from danger, leaving his sword to be smashed to peices by the older bandit's glaive attack.

Swordless, yet defiant, the Blade Wielder armed himself with his sword's wooden scabbard. Roars of laughter errupted from the all over the plaza once the people that were blinded recovered their sights, mocking the actions of the Blade Wielder. "You're embarrassing yourself, young man." said the older bandit. "You'd fair batter if you use the daggers you have there. Come on, and show us what those so called ledendary weapons can do." The older bandit mockingly urged the Blade Wielder. The Blade Wielder on the other hand did not get baited and replied. "Just get on with it, old man."

The fighting commence, as the Blade Wielder, now armed with a wooden scabbard, fought tooth and nails against the three bandits. With great skills in his martial ways, the Blade Wielder managed to find another chink in this new tri attack pattern from all three bandits.

With a strong stomp, the Blade Wielder cracked the floor of the plaza and kicked the dust and rocks he made towards the ill prepared female bandit. She was able to avoid the rocks,but not the dust from hitting her eyes.

Blinded by the Blade Wielder once again, the woman howled in pain from the dust in her eyes. Distracted by the womans distress, the large bandit failed to notice the Blade Wielder moving to his left to give him a powerful kick to the face that staggered him even with his large frame.

The older bandit was unble to defend the large man from the attack of the blade wielder since he was to the right of the large bandit, the Blade wielder using said large man as a shield from him. With his two comrades temporarily unable to fight, the older bandit finaly used the hidden power of his glaive.

With what seems to be a mental command, the glaive extended in length, reaching the Blade Wielder. The Blade Wielder still managed to dodge the extended attacks of the older bandit, but not without difficulties. The elder bandit gave the Blade Wielder multiple slashes, preventing the Blade Wielder from capitalizing on the injuries he gave the other two.

As the other two bandits recovered, they joined the older bandit in his attack on the Blade Wielder. The Blade Wielder fought desperately, but with the full force of the three leading bandits, they pinned his movements down. With the older bandit's glaive attacks keeping him occupied in the front, and the large bandit's rear attacks preventing him from escaping, the female bandit managed to cut off the Blade Wielder's left arm.

Even with the pain surging from his stump, the Blade Wielder managed to kick the female bandit away, giving him a chance to distance himself from the three attackers. Now having over half of his left arm severed. the Blade Wielder glared at the three bandits, cluching his stump at the base to prevent further blood loss.

"Well, young man." The older bandit said to the Blade Wielder with a satisfied look on his face. "It looks like it's all over." The older bandit continued tauntingly. With a seemingly defeated sigh, the Blade Wielder replied "Yes. It is over." Then, the Blade Wielder let go of his left stump, and firmly grasped the pale coloured dagger with his right hand.

As the on looking bandits cheered their collective leaders' apparent victory, they suddenly fell silent, as a new, more dreadful pressure filled the air. Then, everyone focused their gaze once again on the Blade Wielder, only this time, all of them are overwhelmed with terror as they watch

The one armed man transform into what they know in their hearts is the last thing they will ever see.