Ansei

*Plinkplinkplinkplink!*

The arrows all prove useless, lacking the strength to pierce the beast's hide from such a distance, along with its travelling speed making the arrows unable to catch a purchase.

"IT'S COMING BACK AROUND!" Farkas shouts, readying his shield in preparation.

"Surtr! Get down! It's coming for you!" Jackle exclaims, firing a couple arrows at the beast as it glides.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!"

Surtr isn't able to get into cover in time, he raises his hands in a vain attempt to protect his face from the fire, but he and everyone else knew it was for nought... That is, until Saeko came to his rescue.

"Suekue!" she intones as she utilises said technique, her feet blurring at a sprinting pace, despite the fact she'd been standing still. She slides in front of Surtr and draws her blade, swiping a vertical line in front of her, "GAHEIL!" she exclaims, her attack literally parting the hellish flames and leaving the two unharmed, if a bit toasty.

"Gods...!?" Surtr mutters at the sight, both amazed and horrified at how close he and his saviour had come to death.

"Stop standing there and move!" Saeko growls, while Gaheil was a useful technique, it took a lot out of her, especially so against something as powerful as a dragon's breath.

"T-thank you-" Surtr breathlessly starts, wondering where this magnificent woman had come from, only to be interrupted by Irileth's shout.

"KEEP FIRING!"

Saeko ignores Surtr and runs towards a boulder, noting that she had the dragon's full attention. Her blood was boiling, her heart furiously beating, her spirit thrumming with excitement. This was what she'd been searching for. "COME AT ME YOU DUMB BEAST! Hahahahaha! IF YOU DARE!" she almost hysterically shouts, a manic smile on her face.

"She's..." Surtr trails off.

"Mad? Yeah, I know-" Raiden answers for him, only to be surprised by the Nord's response.

"Beautiful..."

*Clang!*

Raiden smacks Surtr in his helmet, "That is not a ship you want to sail on, trust me." he states, "Now, get a hold of yourself!"

Surtr gives a curt nod, though, disregarding the man's advice.

The dragon attacks again, attempting to burn Saeko alive, but she was too slippery to properly hit. Whenever it turned to her she'd already vanished from his view, as if she was intentionally working right at the border of its sight. "LAAS YAH NIIR!" it growls, eyes glowing red as the life force of every living creature around it becomes apparent.

THERE!

It makes a tight turn in the air and clips Saeko with the tip of its wing, launching her a dozen feet before she managed to recover her balance.

"Jall fen hi taan wahk dwiin!?"(How will you fare without steel!?) "ZUN HAAL VIIK!" the dragon roars, firing a rippling wave at Saeko which tears her weapon from her grasp despite all her efforts to keep a hold on it.

It twirls through the air, leaving her and making most of her training seem utterly pointless until now... What could a swordsman do without his blade!?

The dragon quickly approaches and her vision filled as it prepares to bite her in half, the vicious gleam in its eyes telling how much it was enjoying this.

"NO! RUN!" Surtr exclaims, running to help her, block the attack, do anything!

Raiden himself was shocked by the sudden change, he'd never seen Saeko lose her weapon, ever. It was the antithesis to everything he knew about her. The fact the dragon could force her to drop it had him stepping back in shock, so severe the threat was in his mind.

Saeko stands stock still for moment, looking to everyone that she'd accepted her fate... Only for her to glare at the beast shooting towards her. "I DON'T NEED A SWORD TO BE A SWORDSMAN! I AM THE BLADE!" she roars, raising her hands and slicing downwards as if she was still gripping her weapon.

Thoughts of dying completely left her mind as she made the attack, so focused was she that the absence of her weapon didn't even register. It felt like her spirit was about to explode, the excitement, fear, and other emotion overwhelming her until... Calm took her, with only the dragon in her sights.

Then, a single word appeared in her mind. One that she needed to shout, whether or not she died was irrelevant.

"SHEHAAAAIIIIII!!!!!"

*FLASH!*

Everyone watching was blinded, even Saeko herself as she made her cut.

*SLAAAAASH!*

*SHKKSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!!*

*ROAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR!*

*THUD!*

Saeko's vision soon cleared, the first thing she noticed was not the fact that she was alive, but the large glowing, see-through katana held in her grasp. It felt natural, as if it'd been with her at her birth, and would follow her in death.

Then, she spotted the large furrow in the ground directly in front of her, a large wound in the earth that was spattered with steaming blood... Dragon blood.

One of its huge wings was lying next to it, spilling blood from its freshly made cut.

*ROOOAAAAAAAARRRRRR!*

She looks to the side, finally seeing the one-armed dragon roaring as it breathed fire around it at random, too furious, too in pain to rationally think.

A grin makes its way to her face before her eyes flutter closed, fainting as the weapon in her grasp dissipates.

Surtr arrives just in time, having still sprinted in the direction despite his momentary blindness. "WHAT IN OBLIVION WAS THAT!?" he shouts in shock, only to accidentally catch the attention of the raging one-armed beast. "Oh, gods..." he mutters, looking between Saeko and his own weapon. He needed to draw it away from the unconscious woman he'd found himself smitten with.

Out of everyone's expectations, he runs directly towards the dragon, giving a warcry as he does so.

Raiden arrives and stares at the girl for a moment, "You've truly surpassed me, Ansei." he mutters before throwing her over his shoulder and running to safety.