Swish—

Wisps of steam snaked off the glowing Aether Sabre as Sorah levelled it at Warden Poahf. Her alluring facade had crumbled, replaced by a grimace of pure fury.

Poahf observed the old man with a predatory grin. "So, you've decided to dance, old man?" she purred, the words laced with a hint of sadistic pleasure. "Very well, let's see if you can keep up with my wolves."

With a flick of her wrist, she lashed the air with her Aether Sabre whip which left behind pink energy trails. The seven metallic wolves that formed her Okami pack began to circle Sorah slowly with an eerie gaze that reflected their mistress's predatory intent.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The guards and Sand Devils, sensing the escalating tension, took a collective step back, creating a wide berth for the impending clash. None of them wished to be caught in the crossfire between the enraged Warden and the enigmatic Aerithran.

Behind Sorah, Brokk and the villagers scurried towards the huddle of Aerithran prisoners. Among them, Elara cried out, "Plutak!" and rushed into the arms of a man whose earth affinity brand was partially obscured by a healing scar.

"Elara, my love," Plutak whispered, relief washing over his weathered face as he held his wife close. "I feared I'd never see you again."

Anya peeked out from behind her mother's legs, "Papa, is that you?" she whispered.

Plutak knelt down and embraced his daughter tightly. His heart was aching at the sight of the air affinity brand that marred her forehead. "Yes, little one, it's me."

Brokk clapped Plutak on the shoulder. "Glad to see you in one piece, brother," he said gruffly. "Though this reunion's a bit... untimely."

Plutak surveyed the tense standoff between Sorah and Warden Poahf and said urgently, "We need to get out of here. That woman... she's a monster. And those metal wolves... I've seen what they can do."

He herded the villagers and Aerithran prisoners further back, creating a safe distance from the impending clash. The guards who were more focused on the brewing confrontation, momentarily ignored their movements, providing a brief respite.

Daichi, on the other hand, remained rooted to the spot. Though he lacked the capacity to use any sophisticated techniques or elemental powers, his youthful face conveyed a mask of resolve. He saw the Okami circle his master, their mechanical shapes emitting a terrifying aura, and his fists clinched hard.

"Go with them, Daichi," Sorah said without turning around. "This is not your fight."

"But Master Sorah," Daichi protested. "I can't just leave you to face those... those wolves alone!"

"You will only get in my way," Sorah replied sternly. "Go and protect the others."

“Ok.” Though he agreed, Daichi only retreated a few steps with his gaze still fixed on them.

…

A tense silence descended upon the courtyard, broken only by the soft growls of the Okami pack as they circled Sorah.

Whoosh!

A sudden gust of wind swept through the courtyard, carrying with it the scent of ozone and anticipation. It was as if the very air itself held its breath, waiting for the spark that would ignite the battle.

“Tsk, enough eyeballing each other!” Warden Poahf made the first move. With a flick of her wrist, she sent her Aether Sabre whip snaking towards Sorah. It crackled and hissed as it sliced through the air heading directly for his throat.

With his ZenFlow Kana guiding his movements with graceful fluidity, Sorah responded instantaneously. He dived beneath the whip, letting the wind tousle his hair as it passed. Then he jumped back, separating himself and the Warden for a bit.

"You're a fool to challenge me, old man," Warden Poahf slashed the whip downwards and struck the dusty ground with a resounding crack.

“HOOO!”

The Okami, sensing their master's intent, pressed their attack. The wolf closest to Sorah, a sleek creature with silver-grey fur, lunged at him with its claws extended, aiming for his exposed back.

Sorah, without turning to look, sensed the wolf's movements through the subtle shifts in the wind currents, and with a fluid twist of his body, he flipped backwards over the lunging beast while bringing the Aether Sabre down in a swift arc.

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Swish!

The blade sliced cleanly through the wolf, cleaving it in two from head to tail. The metallic halves clattered to the ground, spewing wisps of steam and sparks.

"Yeah! That's how it's done, Master Sorah! Slice and dice those metal mutts!" Daichi cheered.

“Wow!”

A murmur of astonishment rippled through the onlookers. The guards and Sand Devils stared in disbelief, their confidence was shaken by the old man's effortless display of skill.

Warden Poahf, however, merely smirked and commanded, "Okami - Arise!"

The two halves of the slain wolf shuddered and began to glow with an intense pink light. Aether Steam poured from their severed edges, swirling and condensing as their forms shifted and transformed.

Moments later, two smaller wolves, each half the size of the original, stood where the single one had fallen. They growled and snapped their jaws while glaring at Sorah with a burning intensity.

Sorah landed lightly on his feet. He was taken aback as he witnessed the unexpected transformation.

“Tsk, I see…” He had miscalculated. He had assumed that destroying one of the wolves would weaken Poahf's forces, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect.

“Eight against one, the odds are in my favour geezer!” Poahf exclaimed with a sadistic grin. "It won't be that easy, old man. Now I'm going to crush you until your bones turn to dust!" She dashed towards Sorah, lashing out her Aether Sabre whip like a viper striking.

Using his Aether Sabre, Sorah met her whip in a shower of sparks, parrying the first several blows. He had the dexterity and elegance like a dancer, and his ZenFlow Kana guided each step.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

But he was engaged in combat on several fronts. The wolves of the Okami pack were circling him, and their movements were swift and unpredictable. He could sense their predatory intent, their hunger for his flesh.

“That old bastard is fast,” Poahf thought, as she pressed her attack, trying to overwhelm Sorah with a flurry of strikes.

"Okami - Kana Bomb!" Poahf yelled while flipping backwards with a graceful twist of her body.

The wolf that had been lurking in Sorah's blind spot lunged forward and unleashed a miniature Kana Beast Bomb – a concentrated sphere of explosive Aether Steam. The projectile shot towards Sorah with incredible speed, leaving a trail of dust and debris in its wake.

"Master Sorah, look out!" Daichi screamed.

Sorah whose senses were sharpened by his ZenFlow Kana, saw the onslaught coming. He used his Zephyr Dash technique in an instant, and as he blended in with the wind, his shape shimmered and blurred.

Whoosh!

He vanished from sight just as the Kana Beast Bomb detonated. Its explosive force ripped apart the ground where he had been standing moments before.

Boom!

The courtyard shook with the force of the blast, and a mushroom cloud of dust and debris erupted into the night sky. The guards and Sand Devils shielded their eyes, coughing and sputtering as the shockwave washed over them.

Poahf laughed coldly and jeered, "Foolish old man. Did you really think you could escape the wrath of my Okami? My Vayrukumer is superior to your flimsy martial arts! Now show me your guts."

She expected to see Sorah's mangled body lying amidst the wreckage, but as the dust settled, she frowned in confusion. There was no sign of him.

"Where is he?" she muttered while scanning the courtyard suspiciously. “Has he become fertilizer for-”

Her words were cut short as a cold sensation prickled against the back of her neck. She could feel someone's breath, hot and heavy, against her skin.

"Looking for me?"

"What the..." she gasped, spinning around and summoning a wall of iron to protect her back.

Clang!

A glowing yellow Aether Sabre blade sliced through the iron wall as if it were butter. Sorah stood behind her. His eyes were blazing with intense fury, so much so that it illuminated a small cut across his right cheek.

“Huh!” Poahf staggered back fearfully. How had he survived the Kana Beast Bomb? And how had he moved so quickly, so silently?

"You're not the only one who is swift, Warden Poahf," he growled menacingly. "Zephyr Dash!"

Before she could recover, Sorah lunged forward with the speed of the wind, his blade was moments away from tasting her flesh.

"Yeah! Die, you bitch!" Daichi yelled from the side, filled with righteous fury.

Whoosh!

Poahf lashed out instinctively with her whip. But Sorah was already there aiming for her head.

Clang!

She barely managed to raise her own weapon in time to block the attack. The force of the blow sent a jolt of pain up her arm. Sorah pressed his attack as he forced her back.

Clang! Clang!

Their blades clashed in a deadly dance, sparks were flying as condensed Aether met condensed Aether. Warden Poahf fought with a mix of fury and desperation, but Sorah's ZenFlow Kana guided his every move, allowing him to anticipate her attacks and counter with lightning-fast precision.

"Damn you, old man!" Poahf growled, blazing with hatred. She flipped backwards swiftly, creating some distance between them.

"Okami - Annihilate him!" she commanded.

The wolves of the Okami pack that had been circling the perimeter of the courtyard, charged forward intensely. Their jaws gaped open and revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth, and their metallic bodies pulsed with raw power.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

From the wolves' mouths came a torrent of Kana Bombs, their explosive might trembling the prison's very foundations. With his movements a blur, Sorah dodged and darted between the explosions, squeezing past each one with a close escape.

The courtyard was transformed into a scene of utter chaos. Debris flew through the air, and dust clouds billowed upwards, obscuring everything in a thick haze. Amidst the thunderous roars of the explosions, the guards, caught in the crossfire, scurried for shelter as their cries of agony and fear mixed in.

Daichi, who had been observing the battle from his hiding spot behind a steel pillar, watched in awe as Sorah danced through the chaos with the blade as he deflected the Kana Bombs with impossible speed and precision.

"He's incredible," Daichi whispered in admiration. "He's like a... like a wind spirit."

The other Aerithran prisoners, huddled together behind a sturdy rock wall that was erected by the combined efforts of Brokk and Plutak, stared in astonishment as their saviour single-handedly held his own against the Warden and her fearsome Okami pack. A surge of hope coursed through their weary hearts.

Brokk, who stood beside Elara and Anya, observed the battle with unsettled emotions. "That old man... he's something else. But how long can he keep this up?"

Elara's gaze was fixed on Sorah. She had never witnessed such a display of power and skill, and it filled her with a strange sense of hope. Perhaps, just perhaps, this Aerithran stranger could actually defeat Warden Poahf and free them all from this prison.