The Wind and the Void (41 page)

The two of them danced a duel that would have been legendary if anyone else had the ability to see it. The speed of their cuts was blinding, and Ryuu gave up on his vision completely. Only his gift of the sense gave him the warning he needed to react in time. Their swords crossed and crossed again, but neither could draw blood on the other.

The two of them passed again and again and Ryuu wondered how long the battle would last. He felt nothing, but he suspected Nameless didn’t either. They were two of a kind. Neither was able to gain an advantage over the other. In the back of his mind Ryuu felt Moriko making short work of anyone who got too close to their battle. If this continued, soon it would be just the three of them.

Nameless must have sensed his distraction. Without warning, his speed seemed to increase. Ryuu thought such a speed impossible, that there was no way a man of such size could be so fast, but the reality was right in front of him, trying to kill him. Ryuu found himself on defense, dodging and deflecting the short black blade that seemed to be everywhere at once. He was cut half a dozen times, but there wasn’t any way to retaliate. Ryuu was already moving as fast as he could, and it was all he could do to defend himself. Nameless was incredible.

Nameless made a mistake, a thrust that brought him just the slightest bit off balance. Ryuu didn’t have time to strike with his blade, seeing that Nameless’ blade was already coming back for protection, but he summoned all his energy and leapt forward, driving his elbow hard into the hunter’s chest, knocking him back a few satisfying paces.

The thrill of victory surged through him. He was about to leap and make the killing strike when he saw that Nameless was poised and ready for the attack. It had all been a ruse to get Ryuu to over-commit, and it had almost worked.

The knowledge frightened Ryuu, and he stopped in his tracks. Sweat started to bead down his brow as Nameless stood there, perfectly still. Not only could he not penetrate the hunter’s defenses, he felt like he was being played with.

Without warning, Ryuu lost his grasp on the energy that had been powering his attacks. He collapsed to the ground, falling to his knees. All around him, the battle continued to rage. Moriko was a blur, keeping him safe from other attacks. But she couldn’t hold them back forever, and his most dangerous opponent was still in front of him. And he had no energy left. His body felt as though he had been run over by a whole herd of horses. Nameless looked at him and laughed. He took his stance, and Ryuu knew he was facing his last enemy.

The sun’s heat was fierce for this season. The cold of the early autumn morning had given way to the warmth of a perfect fall day, without a single cloud in the sky. As the forces took a deep breath, Akira looked up and thought about how beautiful the blue sky was compared to the blood-soaked ground beneath him. It had been, he thought, a good life.

He heard the charge of the Azarians and brought his gaze back to the earth. He summoned what strength he had remaining and let out a primal yell, his own men rushing towards battle. The two lines met and bled into one long conflict.

In the midst of the battle, Akira lost all track of time and space. For a while they advanced, and the Azarians fell beneath his blade. At other times, they pushed back, and he would barely be able to keep his feet underneath him as he stumbled backwards over the bodies of his men. The combat raged back and forth. At one point, Akira looked up and was surprised to see the sun was still high in the sky. It seemed as though they had been fighting forever, but almost no time had passed. He was covered in blood, as was his blade, and a fair amount of it seemed to be his.

Whenever he got a moment, Akira looked up and down the line. The fight seemed to be stalled, going back and forth over the same ground again and again. Captain Yung was near him, fighting one handed, an arrow embedded in his left arm. Despite the handicap, the man fought as fiercely as ever.

And then Akira faced an opponent he had hoped never to meet in person again. He saw the tooth hanging from the leather strap around the man's neck, and knew he faced a hunter. A space cleared around them, other Azarians unwilling to interfere with the hunter. Akira saw Yung and some of his honor guard try to come to his aid, but the Azarians formed a circle around them, cutting Akira off from his men.

Akira took a deep breath. There was only one way forward, and he had no regrets. He had no further attachment to this life, but he would kill this hunter. He made a few tentative strikes, keeping his balance steady and his sword in front of him. There was no way he was going to give the hunter an easy opening.

The hunter deflected the strikes as though he was playing with a child. His sword was smaller and faster than Akira’s, and Akira knew he had little hope of penetrating the hunter’s defense. He had to try though.

The hunter went on the attack, and Akira brought his guard in close, managing just barely to block the hunter’s attack. But it gave him confidence. He had survived a pass with a hunter. There weren’t many who could say as much.

They passed again, and in this exchange, Akira left with a shallow cut on his neck. It wasn’t fatal, but he was only alive by the width of a hair. He tried to think of some way to get inside the hunter’s defense, but nothing came to him. The hunter was too fast.

On the third pass, Akira tried to go on the offense, stepping forward to strike, but the hunter leapt forward with incredible speed, and his short blade sliced easily through Akira’s stomach. Akira didn't feel the cut itself, but he felt his organs trying to escape from the confines of his body. He felt himself going into shock, a comfortable numbness, but in that moment, the hunter turned around, his attention drawn by something off in the distance. Without thought, Akira stabbed out with the last of his strength, his sword piercing the hunter’s back. Akira pulled his blade out and the hunter turned around to face him, a look of surprise on his face. It was the most satisfying sight Akira had ever seen. The hunter collapsed at his feet.

Akira dug his blade into the ground and supported himself on it. He didn’t think he could fight anymore, but he didn’t want to fall.

A shout rose up, but it wasn’t from his own men. It was from the Azarians. Akira managed to raise his head and follow the gaze of the Azarians. Off in the distance, he could see people in black robes running down the hill, the glint of steel clear as day. Akira smiled. The nightblades would break what was left of the Azarian lines. His kingdom would survive.

Akira’s strength left him, and he fell to the ground. His mind was still clear. He thought it silly that after all he had been through, it would end with a single cut on the battlefield. But, he supposed, that was the way it always was. They were all just hanging on by a thread, a thread that was all too easy to cut. Still, he had killed a hunter by himself, and there were few men alive who could say that.

He heard the sounds of his men retreating, and he hoped they would be okay. They had given everything for the Kingdom, and he would honor their memories forever. He hoped they would honor his.

And then his vision swarmed with black robes, darting all across the battlefield. Akira tried to smile, but the effort hurt. So he gave up and looked at the blue sky. And then Akira's world went black.

Ryuu struggled back to his feet, but there was nothing left. He had no energy, no strength to fight the monster of a man in front of him. Nameless knew it, too.

“Your strength is great, and your skill is similar to my own. But your body and mind lack the stamina for a fight of this magnitude. You cannot win.”

Ryuu glanced over at Moriko. She was bleeding from dozens of small cuts, but still she circled, preventing any hunters from reaching the duel happening between the two warriors. But there was no way she could hold out much longer. This battle would be decided in the next few moments. Ryuu wanted to hold her one last time.

Nameless saw him looking at Moriko, and his gaze followed Ryuu’s. Surprisingly, his attitude softened for a moment. "You are both very strong. This has been a good fight. It has been a very long time since I have needed to raise my blade against another."

Ryuu took it as a compliment. "Thank you. You are by far the strongest I’ve ever faced."

A hint of a smile played upon Nameless’ face. "I did not believe such strength still resided in this land. The People will tell stories about you for generations. You were our final test."

Ryuu didn't know what he could do. He had done everything in his power, but he hadn't even gotten close to Nameless. And Nameless wouldn't give him a chance to figure out a new strategy.

Nameless attacked. Ryuu searched desperately for strength, leaping out of the way, running backwards, staying out of Nameless' reach. He was able to avoid being cut, but he couldn't evade forever. He would run out of space or strength, and it would all be over.

His mind raged against him. There was no way he could allow himself to lose! He had come too far, had accomplished far too much. There had to be a way to beat Nameless.

Nameless halted his attacks to taunt Ryuu. "What's the matter, boy?"

He pointed his sword at Moriko, still desperately fighting off hunters. "She can't hold out much longer, and all you're doing is running away. Is that all you have, after all of this?"

Ryuu's mind flashed back to his fight with Moriko in the woods, back when he had been without his sense. Then, he had found clarity of purpose. There was a reason for him to live. He thought of Takako, beautiful and innocent and dead. Shigeru, the man who had been much more than just an adopted father, who had been a master and a friend. Orochi had been a strong warrior, the man who pushed Ryuu to realize what he was capable of. He thought of Tenchi and Shika and Rei and Akira and everyone else who was depending on him. This fight was bigger than the two of them.

And there was Moriko. She was the strongest person Ryuu knew. More than anything, he wanted a future with her in it. She was worth it.

His mind calmed, and he found the energy that flowed around him. It had always been there. He just needed to move beyond the fear he felt. He summoned it, and his exhausted limbs filled with a newfound strength. Losing was not an option.

Nameless straightened up, sensing the difference in Ryuu. "Good. I was hoping it would be more of a fight."

It was all the warning he gave. He leapt forward, and he and Ryuu's blades met for the final time. Their first passes had been powerful and focused. These were still, but now they had a desperate edge. Ryuu knew if he lost his focus again he would never regain it.

Their swords clashed, and Ryuu kept himself low to the ground, slashing at Nameless' ankles. Like their first battle, Nameless danced backwards, but Ryuu didn't give him time to strike back. He kept attacking, kept Nameless moving. When he thought he had a chance, he cut upwards, hoping to catch Nameless off-guard. His hope was in vain. Nameless dodged the cut and got his blade in between them.

They passed again, Ryuu trying to make use of the extra length of his blade. He kept himself just outside of Nameless' range. But Nameless was patient and wouldn't make any mistakes. Ryuu couldn't get inside the hunter's guard.

Desperate for something, Ryuu closed the distance with a single thrust. Nameless slid to the side of Ryuu's blade, and a quick cut sliced into Ryuu's right forearm. It wasn't deep, but Ryuu grunted in pain. He couldn't bring his sword around in time, but his body was inside of Nameless' guard. He focused all his effort on driving his elbow into Nameless' chest.

The blow knocked Nameless backwards, and each of them took a moment to catch their breath. Neither of them had landed a fatal cut, but Ryuu was the one running out of time. The circle was closing around them, and Moriko and the other nightblades were having a hard time holding their ground. Already the battle was pressing uncomfortably close to Ryuu.

Ryuu didn't see any options. When all was said and done, Nameless was faster, stronger, and just as skilled a swordsman as Ryuu. He didn't see any way he could win. But he wouldn't give up.

Ryuu summoned more energy, afraid of what would happen when this battle was over. Even if he lived through the combat, his body might give up after this.

Nameless attacked, and immediately Ryuu found himself on the defensive. He kept his guard close to his body, favoring protection over a counter-strike. His only hope was to wait for Nameless to make a mistake. Nameless attacked and attacked, and although he was faster, he wasn't quite fast enough to make it past Ryuu's guard.

When it happened, Ryuu couldn't believe it. He and Nameless were engaged, their swords a furious blur of steel. And then she was there, behind Nameless, and a single cut was made. It wasn't deep, and Moriko went right back to defending against the hunters, but she had somehow found the time to cut Nameless.

Ryuu was astounded. She was fighting multiple hunters, and still had positioned herself behind Nameless. Her skill was beyond compare.

The cut slowed Nameless down, but more importantly, it made him wary. Ryuu took the advantage away from Nameless, pressing the attack. He summoned every bit of energy he could, cutting with all his speed. Nameless retreated, and Ryuu thought for a moment he would win.

Then Nameless exploded once again, an incredible burst of speed and energy, and Ryuu found himself on the defensive once again, doing everything he could just to stay alive.

When all of Nameless' focus was on Ryuu, she came again, her sword slicing through his calf. Nameless howled in rage and turned on her, but she had disappeared once more, placing a hunter between her and Nameless.

Ryuu seized the opportunity, thrusting his blade deep into Nameless' side. It wasn't necessarily a fatal blow, but it had the chance of killing him.

The giant hunter turned on Ryuu, his face a mask of rage and pain. Ryuu had never seen a sight more terrifying. Nameless swung his short sword with all his strength. It was an obvious and slow attack, and Ryuu got his blade up in time to block it. The attack hit with such force Ryuu's own blade snapped back towards his body, and he felt his wrist break as he held on to the sword. He flew backwards, struggling to push himself up on his good wrist. His focus fled, and he collapsed, unable to move his body.