Cutting Up The Shore Of Katana Creek  

Splash!

A fiery orange glow was being reflected on the cutting shore of Katana Creek. The tide crashed against the jagged rocks, creating a rhythmic symphony of nature's power. It was here, at the edge of the wet world, that the epic battle between Hao and Kiera's gang of Bastian Bandits was about to unfold.

"Get him!" Hollered an impatient bandit.

"Let's cut him apart!" Responded another.

"Huh, here they come." Hao, already exhausted from his previous skirmishes readied himself as Kiera and her gang, six in total, closed in around him with their scary Bastians screeching and clawing at the air, hungry for blood.

CLANG!

The fight began with Kiera's weapon crashing into her opponent, forcing him to falter backwards. Hao quickly regain his standing by adroitly flicking to his feet and within that same breath, he blocked another sword strike while flipping backwards.

Both sides utilized their abilities backed with their raw emotions. The bandits' swings were wild as hell and Hao's parrying was precise and on point.

"Somebody cut his little head off already!" Kiera shouted with raw hatred pouring from her lips.

"That's what we're trying to do, big sis, but the scallywag is too nimble." Replied one of the larger frame bandits.

"Then chop off his legs! That should solve the issue." With this new order from their leader, the Bastian Bandits began aiming their swords consistently to sever Hao's legs from his torso.

'These bleeding brutes!' Hao was feeling the mental stress of fighting 6 opponents at once (more than 6 if you include the Bastians), yet he was still able to dance around the battlefield, employing Night Tamer and Quick Draw in perfect harmony. CLASH! CLANG! He vanished in a veil of dark noise, only to reappear seconds later with a rapid slash that sent one of the bandits reeling onto the ground. He got knocked clean off his Bastian.

"Argh! The bloody bastard wound me!" He yelled.

"Don't worry, Stitch. I'll get your revenge!" Hollered another bandit.

"If you're so eager to be next, come on!" Hao boldly flashed the existing blood from his Blade Edge and readied to cut down another adversary.

Seeing this, one bandit said, "Keep acting cocky brat! You won't be able to for long."

Kiera's gang was no less impressive, they were coordinating their movements to counter Hao's every move. With each clash of metal on metal, sparks flew and the sound of battle echoed across the shore, frightening some aquatic lifeforms below. The tiredness in their limbs did nothing to slow their unbending attacks.

"Why won't this nimble, shitty worm die!? I'm getting fed up chasing him around this shore!" Yelled Kiera, clearly peeved at her opponent's resilience to survive this long.

"If you keep shouting like that, your panties just might fall off." Remarked Hao upon hearing what she said.

"I'm not wearing any underwear!" Her voice was pronounced as she made this clear to everyone, even her sinful mates looked startled by this revelation.

Hao slightly stumbled in his tracks, "Oh, commando style?" Covering his nose, he added, "No wonder my nostrils have been bombarded with that rancid smell. Here I was thinking that the awful scent was coming from the creek but it was coming from your smelly underneath this entire time. You really need to employ the use of soap when you're washing down there. If you even wash it, that is."

"You've insulted me with that stinking mouth of yours for the last damn time!" Kiera couldn't stand to stomach any more of Hao's insults, thus she yelled, "Boys get him!"

"With pleasure, big sis!" The bandits heightened the force of their swings as they rushed their target.

Slash! Slash!

Frustration bubbled between the combatants while they exchanged a series of foul, angry words. Kiera's anger only intensified when she noticed her T-Biter lying lifeless on the ground, beside Maelstrom who was showing signs of recovery.

"You killed my beast!" She roared, hurling a string of insults at Hao followed by a series of strikes as they continued to fight.

The battle was a whirlwind of acrobatics and dynamic action. Hao spun and dodged, narrowly avoiding a swipe from a bandit's blade. Kiera's gang displayed equally impressive agility, leaping and twisting through the air as they attempted to corner Hao. He felt the weight of the odds against him, yet he gritted his teeth with determination surging through his veins.

"I'm not going to let either of you cut me down!" Saying this, he alighted in a defensive stance and had a brief conversation with Vibe Edge using a unique frequency that he alone could decipher. Regarding what they converse about, he received the following response:

<Passive Skill – Blind Fury – Activating>

Suddenly, a dark blue aura began to radiate from him, this of course, didn't go past the keen observations of the bandits.

"Hmm… what is that energy swirling around him?" One individual was hesitant to charge ahead.

Another bandit wasn't so frightened, "Who cares, just cut him down!" He dashed towards Hao, sword thrusting forward, however, moments later he received the shock of his life. SLASH! "Huh! Where did he go?" The bandit who attacked Hao had no clue where he was until another bandit warned him:

"He's above you!"

"Above me?" Looking up, the bandit saw that indeed, Hao was above him swooping down with his Vibe Edge bearing its sharpness.

Slash!

"Kyah!"

That bandit was down for the count, the blood that spewed forth from his fatal wound was quickly being gulped down by the sediments. Hao's speed was insane and his flexibility was off the charts, not even cats could compare in nimbleness. After landing, he surged forward, unleashing a flurry of attacks that sent Kiera and her bandits staggering.

"Impossible! How is he so freaking fast all of a sudden?" Kieara was mind blown while observing Hao cutting through her goon squad. His Passive Skill-Blind Fury had boosted his physicality but it wouldn't last for long. She recognised the danger they were in. Upon forming their retreat, she spotted an opening in Hao's movement and commanded Maelstrom to strike him from behind with its tail.

"Maelstrom, my dearest, attack!"

"Roar!" The beast happily complied, slamming its powerful tail into Hao's back which knocked him to the ground.

"Ouch!" Wincing from the pain, Hao spoke to the beast, "Still loyal to your former owner, eh?"

Kiera overheard and shouted back, "I'm still the owner, you dirty thief!"

"Oh, really? I'm about to change that." In response, Hao launched himself back into the fray.

"He's coming! Let's show him that we're no pushovers!" Kiera and one of her bandits teamed up, executing a coordinated combo move they dubbed, "The Cyclone Splitter" that left Hao with a deep gash across his arm. The pain was excruciating, but he had no choice but to keep fighting.

"Come on Vibe Edge bear with me!" With a weary sigh, he flipped backwards, creating some distance between himself and his enemies, while dislocating the sediment below his feet. "I was saving this to use on the beast, but you guys leave me with no other choice," he announced while sheathing Vibe Edge at his side and within the next breath, reaching for Judgment Day on his back. He was preparing to unleash something diabolical, BUT, would he be able to?