50 Bushido Blade (1/2)
My falchion clashed with the mask rider's katana just like the last time our paths crossed, but with one major difference. This time, our mounts didn't charge past each other, almost as if they sensed that their riders desired the trading of sword blows.
The high-pitched shrieking of metal grating on the surface of metal rang out as my falchion's shadowblade swung down and slid off the edge of my opponent's katana.
Weirdly enough, my falchion's vibration effect didn't mince her katana into swiss cheese. It was if her shadowblade was made of stronger stuff than the enemies whose swords I cut in two. This was most probably the case, and assuming I survived, I would have to ask Zarz if my sword's new abilities were ineffective against higher-tier weapons.
With my falchion free of her block, I twisted my hand one-hundred-eighty degrees and sent the shadowblade back through the path it came through. But her katana was there to block my sword's path a second time.
Our weapons were blown back. Our mounts moved nervously from side to side.
I attempted another slash to her gut, but this too was blocked. As my shadowblade swung around to her left side, she responded by slapping my falchion away with a downward thrust of her sword's pommel. Immediately afterward, her katana whipped forward at superhuman speed toward my neck.
She would have cut my head off if the heightened perception provided by Fool's Insight hadn't warned me of her intention. Thanks to this cheat of mine, I was able to pull my right shoulder back and narrowly avoided decapitation.
Her attack didn't end there. She converted her failed upward slash into a sideswipe that would have slit my neck if I hadn't pulled my head down to the left. Her reaction to my dodge was a horizontal slash moving in a downward angle that would have cut deep into my shoulder if my falchion hadn't come up at the last second to block her.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized that her three attacks were coordinated and that they cut an inverted triangle pattern in the air. It was brilliant swordplay which meant she was obviously far more skilled with her sword than me. I was just lucky enough to have Fool's Insight backing me up.
The weight of her katana as it bore down my falchion increased. It got so heavy that I had to hold my sword aloft with both hands just to keep it up. I braced. My arms strained against the weight. Sweat streaked down my face in buckets. I thought I was finally winning. Then she did something too unpredictable for even Fool's Insight to forewarn me.
She jumped up and vaulted over me like an acrobat sommersaulting over an obstacle in her way. Next thing I knew, she was above me with her feet dangling in the air, and then she landed lightly behind me with her toes balancing nimbly on top of my swifthart.
I had half a second to feel impressed by her acrobatics before she drop-kicked me off my mount and I went crashing shoulder first onto the grass.
Seconds ticked by while I lay there disoriented and bruised. My vision was back to normal. The smell of wild grass and dirt were all around me. I tasted them too as my mouth was open when I fell. It was the texture of powdery chocolate but didn't have that sweet taste we all loved. It was just bitter and made me want to puke.
I spit out the coarse stuff as I got to my knees. I took another second to catch my breath before I turned my attention to my surroundings.
The battle was ongoing around me like a scene from a fantasy movie. Mounted grey-armored soldiers clashed with pixies and drow who dodged sword swings while they flew through the air.
I caught a glimpse of Pike—the short-cropped, chestnut-haired pixie with a crush on Luca—as she lifted a pale-skinned, dark-haired elf from his mount and into the sky. When they were maybe thirty feet high, Pike dropped him in the air and he hit the ground with a splat.
It was a well-executed move as Pike was clearly taking advantage of her maneuverability. It made me think that she was wasted under Qwipps' command. This thought was quickly replaced by another—and that was the thought of my impending death.
Despite Fool's Insight being deactivated abruptly by my crash, I could clearly see the shadowblade of the katana as it came hurtling down my head.
My reaction was to roll to the side. Once I'd created enough distance between me and my attacker, I pushed myself off the ground and swung my sword arm sideways in case she'd stepped into my range. However, my hand was empty. My falchion was gone and I had no time to search for it as my enemy's katana sang through the air to try and decapitate me yet again.
A split-second reaction was all I had to pull out my dagger and block the attack, but the force of her swing sent my dagger flying out of my hands.
I backed away as quick as I dared. One step. Two steps. The masked rider mirrored my movements. On my fifth step back, her katana's shadowblade came hurtling at me again. Luckily, instinct made me dodge to the side.
”Oh, great fool, let me see—”
The katana came at me again. I stumbled back.
”Oh, great fool—”
There wasn't enough time to concentrate or finish my chant as my attacker continued her advanced and harried me with each step I took away from her. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
In frustration, I decided my only option was to pin her down or disarm her. But either option would prove difficult to achieve because I wasn't facing some street thug but a true warrior with amazing technique and incredible acrobatic ability. Still, I wasn't about to back down. Years of training under my dad gave me the confidence to believe in my skills.
My chance to show off the Muto Dori techniques dad taught me came the moment the enemy raised her katana for another swing.
Instead of pulling away, I pivoted on my left foot and swung around to my right in that crucial moment where the katana came rushing down.
I mentally patted myself on the back for doing it right despite not having the aid of Fool's Insight to make things too easy for me. Not only was I able to avoid the shadowblade's edge cutting me in half, but I also sneakily set myself right next to the enemy's outstretched arms.
The next step was to go danger-close.
I used my left hand to slap at her left hand which was holding onto the bottom half of the katana's hilt. I then used the momentum from my slap to wrap my wrist on her handle and twirl my arm around it like I was trying to hook it in.
The masked rider pulled back her arm but I held it in place with all the strength my fifteen-year-old body could muster.