Chapter 18 | The Samurai showdown

The Samurai sprinted towards Hiroshi with extreme speed as Hiroshi slammed his Axe against the ground. The marbled floor shook in violent flames, aiming at the Samurai who was closing distance between the two. The Samurai dashed to his right aiming his katana toward Hiroshi. But Hiroshi rose his Axe from the ground, blocking the attack. The Samurai stepped back and winded up his Katana for another attack. Then, he let out a barrage of attacks. Hiroshi desperately tried blocking every incoming blow, but he was struck in the chest knocking him backward.

He felt a painful burning sensation in his wound. Like a flame was ignited deep inside of it. The blue flames from that Samurai's katana must've done something.

"How odd, you have Samurai armor but not a helmet." The Samurai said. "I guess it makes it easier for me to slash your face!"

"He's too fast, or is it that I'm too slow?" Hiroshi wondered. "I need to become sharper with my eyes."

Hiroshi leaped forward striking his Axe down at the Samurai, but it was quickly blocked by the Samurai's Katana, Hiroshi retreated by propelling himself back to where he was.

"Nice try, but now it's my turn!" the Samurai exclaimed. Sprinting towards Hiroshi in a zigzag-like pattern.

"Focus! Focus!" Hiroshi thought, focusing on the incoming Samurai. "Predict his movements!"

The Samurai paused to swing, and Hiroshi noticed immediately. The Samurai aimed his Katana toward Hiroshi's stomach. Hiroshi quickly responded by parrying the attack, launching the Samurai back in place.

"Great, but that won't be enough." The Samurai said. "My blue flames are much more powerful than yours, this was because I became a demon, and as a reward, it enhanced my red flames into a beautiful blue color."

"I see," Hiroshi said. "So blue flames are stronger than red ones?"

"That's right." The Samurai said. "And say, do you know what a Demon blood technique is?" The Samurai asked.

"No, I've never heard of it," Hiroshi replied. "But I'm assuming it's an attack."

"Bingo!" The Samurai exclaimed. "It's very similar to the special attack of a swordsman, except it's for demons."

"Oh, I see," Hiroshi said. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I'll show you mine right now." The Samurai said winding up his sword. "So, prepare yourself."

"Whatever his technique will be, it will be the strongest attack he has." Hiroshi thought to himself, readying up his Axe. "I'll try my best to see through it!"

"HERE I COME!" The Samurai Yelled. "DEMON BLOOD TECHNIQUE! BLUE MOON!"

The Samurai launched toward Hiroshi intensely, the wall and floor behind him crashed from the jump. His Katana violently burst into blue hot flames. Hiroshi kept his eyes on the Samurai but felt like he was too fast. The Samurai started maneuvering in a strange but fast pattern around Hiroshi that was starting to confuse him. The Samurai was bouncing off the floor, ceiling, and walls with extreme speed. Hiroshi could only sense the heat of the flames but not the Samurai himself.

Finally, the Samurai approached Hiroshi who was frozen for a second. He struck his blade against Hiroshi's chest plate, and it shattered completely. Hiroshi immediately noticed and panicked. The Samurai's blade was about to drive into his chest and Hiroshi could feel the intense flames approaching.

Was this going to be the end? Was he going to die because a Samurai out sped him? Hiroshi felt scared, he felt cornered. He knew he wasn't fast enough for the Samurai; His eyes weren't even quick enough. All he could think was about death.

But he wanted to make it to the end! He wanted to fight along with Steven and Jel. It was far too early to die at this point.

"Try! Try! Don't let yourself down! Even if you're not a true Samurai you still wield that Axe!" Hiroshi's deceased partner's voice echoed in his head.

"Tadashi..." Hiroshi thought. "I won't give up here! I'll take the flames and use them as my own! The fire burning in my heart is stronger than these small blue flames!"

The Samurai's Katana drove into Hiroshi's chest, but it did not harm him at all. The Samurai's eyes widened in shock as Hiroshi struck the Samurai in the stomach with his Axe, knocking him into a wall.

The Samurai struggled but emerged from the rubble. Hiroshi's eyes turned blue, and he tossed his Axe which was now flaming with intense blue flames towards the Samurai. The Samurai blocked the attack with his Katana and laughed. But Hiroshi's legs ignited in bursts of flames propelling him towards the Samurai at an intense powerful blazing speed!

Hiroshi's fist ignited in a bright ginormous blue blaze that struck the Samurai's face. The punch blew the Samurai's head from its body. And the area ignited in violent blue flames. The rest of the Samurai's body fell on its knees, and into the floor, vanishing in the blazing flames.

"The one mistake you made was not opening your eyes," Hiroshi said. "Thank you, Steven, for slashing that helmet that held me back."

The Samurai woke up in the void. Everything was empty and silent. For some reason, he could not see. Footsteps approached the Samurai. a beautiful girl approached him and stood Infront of him.

"Who are you?" The Samurai asked. He reached to his belt to grab his Katana, but it was not there, and neither was the sheathing.

"Can you not see me? Hatori?" The girl said in a sad tone.

The Samurai recognized a voice he hadn't heard in a long time. "Aiko? Where are you, Aiko!?" The Samurai said looking around. "I can't see you!"

The girl reached her hands out to his helmet and took it off. The Samurai had light blue eyes and black long straight hair.

"Aiko..." The Samurai said. "I-"

The girl slapped the Samurai in the face. His expression was surprised but not angered.

"You called that young man a false Samurai, and yet you continued the path of a demon." The Girl said. "That is far from the path of Samurai, and because of that helmet you didn't take off for twenty years, you became blinded to the truth."

The Samurai dropped to his knees and cried tears of shame. In the end, he became too cocky and let his guard down. He never tried accepting the truth or seeing the world for what it was.

"I still love you, Hatori." The Girl said. "But we cannot be together."

Blue Firey flames rose underneath the Samurai, burning him. He felt true pain and could not move nor speak no matter how much he tried.

"Those flames are the flames that burned inside the young man, and they will burn you for eternity." The girl said turning his back on him. "Goodbye Hatori, may you apologize to all the innocent swordsmen you slay."

The Samurai was still and frozen, with only tears streaming down his face. He hurt so many people in his life, even letting his master commit seppuku for letting his student turn into a demon. And he did it all to become stronger. The only mistake in his life that he made, was not realizing anything.

The flames underneath him rose, burying him under them. As Hiroshi walked down the corridor, continuing his path.