Battle for Answers

In the aftermath of the battle against the Masked Hunters at Bokun, a lightning strike of deafening intensity had illuminated the entire area. An elderly man materialized beside him, as if from nowhere. With a single wave of his arm, the old man had halted the falling rain, transforming the suspended droplets into a massive hammer of destruction.

As dawn broke, the sun had risen behind a thick veil of ashen clouds, allowing little light to penetrate. Only the flashes of thunder had illuminated the grim stage set for the impending battle.

A gentle breeze caused the old man's elegant robes to flutter, revealing the intricately detailed armor beneath. His presence was unlike anything Bokun had ever experienced. It was as if he stood before an immense wave of dense water, poised to obliterate anything in its path.

Every fiber of Bokun's being had screamed at him to flee from the man, but this was the thrill he sought. It took him a moment to suppress his fear and overwhelming awe, but his pride and his relentless pursuit of self-improvement prevailed. His trembling hands steadied as he reached for the hilt of his greatsword, ready to draw it with a battle cry.

Guhin: "Bakayaro!"

A shadow fell over Bokun. As the hammer of destruction descended, threatening certain death, Guhin moved with incredible speed, appearing in front of Bokun in an instant. He crossed his arms to absorb the impact, but the force behind the blow was too great to fully deflect. KADOOOOOFFFF.

The hammer shattered Guhin's vambrace armor with ease, dissolving into a powerful stream of water that blasted both him and Bokun towards a dense oak forest.

The force of the water was so powerful that Guhin and Bokun were helpless against it, carried along until they were deposited in the forest's swampy soil.

After the hammer dissolved back into water, the rain seemed hesitant to fall again, as if needing to recover from the massive water gathering that had formed the powerful weapon. After a moment's hesitation, the first drops began to fall, soon followed by a torrential downpour. The old man's eyes followed the trail of destruction, where Guhin and Bokun now lay, covered in dirt and vegetation.

Bokun: "Thanks. If you hadn't stopped that, I would've been done for. Huh, it's raining again... Do you think these freaks have anything to do with this damn weather?"

As Guhin rose from the debris, Bokun noticed slight fluctuations in the air pressure around him.

Guhin: "...I can't tell if he's one of them... He feels... different..."

Guhin's forearm armor had lost its durability. As he began to undo the leather straps that held them in place, he dropped his vambraces one by one. Looking at his wide, long sleeves, he decided to tear them off, knowing they would only hinder him.

Across the trail of destruction, the old man continued to stare at them. He could have followed his initial strike with another, but he seemed to be waiting for Guhin to make the next move.

Guhin: "...I can't let him get away... I need answers... He must know something... Anything!"

Bokun: "Tch!! That old shit! This isn't over yet, you hear me!! I'm just getting warmed up!! So, what's the plan?"

As Bokun watched Guhin lift his leg and tap the muddy surface with the tip of his armored boot, Guhin vanished. The pressure of his forward dash was enough to strip the leaves and bark from the nearest trees, causing a burst of air that blew dust and rubble all over Bokun. As sand got into his eyes, he shouted at the disappearing afterimage of Guhin.

The moment Guhin appeared before the old man, the pressure of their confrontation shattered the surface beneath them, creating a sizable crater. Guhin pulled his arm back and launched a powerful blow at the old man's upper body.

Cracks radiated from within the crater, but to Guhin's surprise, the old man was holding his balled fist. Their arms trembling, they locked eyes. Guhin could see raindrops spiraling around him...

The droplets swirled around the old man's arms, forming a sort of armor made of water. As it condensed, it became more detailed. After deflecting Guhin's fist, the old man unleashed a barrage of heavy strikes, completely overwhelming Guhin. Each blow was precise and lethal.

Pummeling Guhin's vital organs with incredible speed, he gave Guhin no room to move or time to breathe. Accelerating with each strike, he finished his flurry with a powerful blow to Guhin's ribs.

Guhin was sent flying back along the trail of destruction, crashing into an old tree near Bokun and shattering it to its tip.

Bokun: "My turn, you little shit!"

Bokun charged, his dash splintering the surface. He didn't wait for Guhin, charging the old man head-on.

The old man frowned at the sight of this "smiling fool" coming straight at him. He thought he had crushed Bokun's fighting spirit by overpowering him earlier, but it was the opposite. Bokun's fighting spirit had only grown. Grinning from ear to ear, he prepared to swing his greatsword with another battle cry.

The incoming blade of steel sliced through the raindrops, which spiraled towards the old man's palms and formed a thin barrier of water. Every slash and strike from Bokun was easily deflected or redirected. The old man "flowed" his hands with thin waves of water, elegantly brushing aside Bokun's wild and brutal swings. It didn't even seem to bother him or disturb his calm composure.

Old Man: "Not bad, human."

Bokun: "Huh?!"

After "flowing" another strong slash to the side, he commended Bokun's fighting spirit before launching him off his feet with a violent kick to the chest, sending him back into the depths of the forest.

The old man's eyes widened in surprise. His leg was still extended in the air after the kick when Guhin was already standing beside him, his fist pulled back.

Old Man: "What?!"

Guhin's eyes were fierce. Even though the old man didn't want to talk, Guhin was going to make him. He had to know why they wanted him dead!

Unable to dodge Guhin's sudden attack, the old man had no choice but to take it head-on, crossing his arms in front of him to absorb some of the impact.

Guhin: "...Tell me... Everything!"

The impact reverberated through the old man's forearms, making it difficult for him to maintain his footing. Now it was Guhin who gave him no room to move or time to breathe.

Old Man: "He's stronger than I thought!"

The old man could only defend by taking every strike head-on, blocking with his knees, fists, or forearms. Guhin was relentless, but after a while, the old man began to anticipate the pattern of his attacks and launched vicious counters of his own.

With every collision of strikes, waves of wind and dense pressure swept over the area, shaking the earth's surface. Wildlife of all sorts tried to escape the "monsters" that were destroying their homeland.