Berserker

The sound of their blows had reverberated throughout the area, causing the ground to shudder. Guhin and the old man had continued their relentless exchange of fists.

Meanwhile, Bokun had risen from the dirt and plantation, cracking the bones in his aching body.

Bokun: Damn. That old man was as tough as they come.

Etro neighed in response.

Bokun: Etro! Come here, boy. I'm glad you're alright.

Despite the deafening sounds of battle resonating in the background, Etro had been concerned for his master's well-being. He gestured for Bokun to mount him and escape the chaos.

Bokun: I'm sorry, boy, you know I can't do that. Hand it over.

As Bokun reached out his hand, Etro shook his head and took a few steps back, distancing himself from his master.

Etro neighed again.

Bokun: Hey, don't start with me, mister! Besides, who's in charge around here?

Etro's refusal to cooperate had further infuriated Bokun. He shouted in anger at his unyielding steed.

Bokun: Why you! I'm going to count to three, Etro! And I swear if you're -.

Before he could finish his sentence, Etro had dug his hooves into the forest soil and bolted, leaving his master behind.

Bokun: DAMN YOU, ETRO!

Abandoned by his steed, Bokun spotted his greatsword lodged in a nearby tree.

Bokun: Stupid horse.

But as he reached for the hilt of his greatsword, an immense pressure collided in front of him, blasting his sword in the opposite direction of the forest.

Bokun: Oh, come on.

Guhin and the old man had continued their battle, oblivious to Bokun's presence. Perhaps rightfully so, as their feats were beyond the capabilities of a mortal man. Bokun could only watch as the old man gained the upper hand on Guhin, landing a flurry of hard strikes deep within his torso.

After the old man's attack, the rain had ceased to fall.

Thousands of raindrops had spiraled around the old man's arm, condensing into a hammer of destruction. As the water solidified, it took on the detailed form of dragon scales. He raised it towards the sky before bringing it down on Guhin. The impact was so immense that it shook the entire area, filling the forest with dust and debris.

When the dust settled, the old man was surprised to find Guhin holding the massive hammer above his head, having stopped it with nothing more than his bare hands.

In a desperate attempt to understand his situation, Guhin had tried to reason with the old man.

GUHIN: Who are you. Tell me... What do you want from me?

OLD MAN: I told you... I have no reason to introduce myself, nor is it important.

He raised his hammer towards the sky, preparing for another attack. Instead of moving or launching an attack of his own, Guhin had chosen to stand his ground.

OLD MAN: Have it your way.

As the old man placed his other hand on the large hilt of his weapon, the ground beneath his feet had shattered. A two-handed swing, meant for double the devastation.

OLD MAN: Shi-ne, Die!

Just as Bokun was about to grab his greatsword to join the fight, the hammer

came down with such force that it blasted him away with the pressure of the impact.

BOKUN: You've got to be kidding me.

OLD MAN: Impossible.

The sight of Guhin holding the hammer above his head for the second time had startled the old man. An uneasy feeling had stirred within him as he stared into Guhin's determined eyes.

GUHIN: For the last time... Who... Are you... And what do you want from me... What have I done?

For a moment, the old man seemed willing to respond, a flicker of sympathy in his eyes. But it was fleeting, and he quickly resumed his stern demeanor.

OLD MAN: Poor soul, you really have no idea, do you. They told me you turned into a wild beast. I'm disappointed, I'd say you're well-mannered.

His hammer dissolved, drenching Guhin in the water it was made of. As it disappeared, rain fell from the ashen clouds, illuminated by white lightning crackling through the sky.

OLD MAN: It seems brute force is no good against you.

The old man extended his arm, and some of the rain had begun to spiral towards his palm, condensing into the form of a highly detailed, one-handed sword. As soon as his newly formed weapon was finished, the pressure he was emitting had increased even more. Bending every tree in his vicinity towards the ground, he wore an arrogant smile.

When all of the oak trees simultaneously snapped and pierced the earth's surface with a hefty thud, the old man disappeared. At the last moment, Guhin saw the sharp edge of a sword looming beside him.

Guhin had managed to twist his body, narrowly avoiding decapitation. The old man continued his onslaught from all angles, but Guhin kept dodging the sword, his body reacting instinctively to the threat of death. Their speed increased with every exchange, their movements so fast it seemed they were disappearing and reappearing in rapid succession, leaving afterimages across the area.

Watching their battle from a distance was Bokun, clearly frustrated at being left out.

BOKUN: Those monsters think they can ignore me. We'll just see about that.

Secret Technique, "Berserker".

All of Bokun's veins had bulged with blood, and the same reddish glow had returned to his skin. He finally picked up his greatsword from the ground and started walking towards the destructive impacts of battle. His eyes tried to follow the flashing afterimages, and as he sprinted towards their last fading image, Bokun leaped into the air with his greatsword held high.

Moving his eyes from left to right, he calculated where the next clash would be and made his move. Diving with his greatsword towards the ground, he unleashed a powerful vertical slash with all his strength followed by a battle cry.

His battle cry had caused a brief pause in the exchange between Guhin and the old man. As they both turned their gaze to the sky, they saw Bokun raining down on them in his "berserker" form.

Having experienced Bokun's destructive power in the past, Guhin leaped out of his way. Contrary to the old man, who formed a water barrier with his free hand, ready to deflect Bokun's sword.

OLD MAN: Fool.

Seeing the greatsword miss him on purpose, he was too late to realize it wasn't him Bokun was

for. As Bokun destroyed the surface beneath them with his destructive force, the old man lost his footing.

Finally, an opportunity to turn the tide had presented itself. Guhin closed the distance in the blink of an eye and took advantage of this moment. He delivered a series of devastating punches to the old man, each impact tearing the already destroyed surface to pieces.The wild berserker that was Bokun charged between them and pushed Guhin aside to get a shot of his own. But this allowed the old man to regain some of his footing and create some distance between them, easily avoiding Bokun's greatsword in the process.

GUHIN: Idiot.

BOKUN: What? You jerk.

Almost bumping heads, Bokun and Guhin had started insulting each other, while the old man had already recovered from his beating.

OLD MAN: How dare you lay your hands on me like that.

For a moment, the old man's strict expression had faltered, replaced by a wicked look in his eyes. Extending both of his arms to the side, all of the remaining raindrops that were still hovering in the air had formed into dozens of highly condensed swords, aimed straight for both Guhin and Bokun. The sky was filled with hundreds of shining edges of steel, ready to fly at them at any moment. A long pause of silence fell over the land, as a second standoff presented itself.