18 King of the Hill (1/2)

”You damn humans.” Illathar growled and let out a frosty breath. He stomped on the ground with each leg and cracked his horrifying fists.

Maven got up off the ground and grabbed his moonlight sword with one hand. The illusion of the sword dissipated a bit from the last frost beam but it was still sturdy.

Maven looked over at Han Yi and couldn't help but grit his teeth.

”You damn liar was this your plan?” Maven couldn't help but growl. Han Yi smiled with schadenfreude and stood up stabilizing himself.

”Heh, does it matter? At least you will suffer because of it.” Han Yi words hissed out like poison to Maven's ears.

Maven tightly gripped his sword and pointed it towards Illathar and with a low and cold voice, he said: ”No one will stop my affairs today.”

”Ji Shu, tend to the scroll!” Maven roared and closed his eyes. Ye Yuyan nodded and jumped for the scroll, Han Yi followed running for the scroll as well.

Maven's body suddenly exploded into thousands of shadow copies. Every copy diffused into a different direction running at Illathar. The cold auras around Illathar condensed onto his claws and he slashed the skies sending put two blue claws.

The claws slammed into the ground leaving paw prints and cutting apart hundreds of clones. The surviving clones bled through getting to Illathar feet.

”Awrrr!” Illathar roared and stomped the ground multiple times. The cold auras around him acted as a buffer freezing all the incoming clones and he stamped the other ones into the ground.

A few of the remaining clones dashed through and with moonlight swords stabbed into Illathar. A few of the cold auras became icicles and slashed down like a meteor shower onto the few clones left.

”Arghh!” The clones roared as they were skewered by the icicles becoming nothing more than moonlight.

Illathar looked around unable to find any corpses among the dissipating clones. Then suddenly all his hair stood up and he suddenly turned behind him.

There was Maven floating in the sky and around him was a swirling vortex of moonlight. The energy seemed like it was on the precipice of condensing into physical form.

Illathar's eyes glowed white and he roared again. He stepped forward once again rumbling the ground and suddenly he tumbled forward at Maven. Maven kept his focus as Illathar charged toward him and his moonlight sword started to shine.

”Too late you damned beast.” Maven gloated as the vortex condensed down and more light gathered.

Various dots of light from the sky gathered along the sword. The energy elongated the sword making it reach for the skies!

”Illusory Sword Totem: Moonlight Crescent.” Maven said slowly as intense sword forces passed all along his body in response.

”Break for me!” Maven roared as he slashed down with his massive moonlight sword.

Illathar continued charging as the frost auras around him pressed against his body. He ducked down and the cold auras against his body formed a frosty dome on his back.

The moonlight sword came slashing down at that moment and the world was completely alight with moonlight. The frosty dome around Illathar cracked in half, drifting snow into the air. The glittering light and falling snow made one think of the first winter's snowfall.

The moonlight sword's momentum disappeared as it dissipated back into light spots. Along Illathar's back was a superficial slash that bled blue blood.

”Weak.” Illathar intoned as he got back up one vertebra at a time. Maven's body drifted back to the ground as the moonlight energies dissipated. He looked up realizing the sheer size of Illathar and dreading him at the same time.

Maven's head went downcast and suddenly blood dripped from the side of his lip. His eyes turned into a deep blood red filled with malice and around him was the aura of a sharp sword.

This was the final technique of a swordsman, Sword Burning! They would absorb sword forces haphazardly without regard for the consequences and cut away at their sword foundation. This technique could ruin one's chances of forming sword intent!

”Like I said no one will stop my affairs.” He said with a low growl that seemed to cut the air. All around him drifting sword forces turned into swords that blasted out.

Maven jumped forward and started trading blows with Illathar. His unending sword strikes slashed apart Illathar neverending frosty front guards.

”Ji Shu! I can free you but you need to help me.” Han Yi said as his attention turned away from the fight between Maven and Illathar.

Ye Yuyan stood unfazed in front of Han Yi, in his left hand he held a furled black scroll. With a dull and blank expression, he said:”D....Do...it!”