Novels2Search
Hoshi : Pandara's Fate
Chapter 17 : Resolve

Chapter 17 : Resolve

As the day was progressing to the time of afternoon, clouds soaked with rain enclosed this side of Pandara inside a natural roof. Another invisible force that shook even the tallest of trees strolled the surroundings of Hirishima's house as Sharon's mind was brimming with worry.

"I can't take this anymore. Something has happened, that much is true. I have decided, I will go."

She got up and hurried towards the front door.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

A voice accompanied a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" asked Sharon.

"I am a messenger sent by Sir Hirishima. May I please come in?"

The voice was both polite and unsettled at the same time.

"Wait, I am coming outside."

Sharon opened the front door and walked outside to converse with the warrior who was ordered to deliver the message earlier.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?"

"Sir Hirishima wouldn't be back home until tonight. He is busy training someone," the warrior delivered.

"Is that true?" doubted Sharon.

"Yes ma'am. He told me so himself," the warrior stated.

Sharon kept quiet and began thinking. "(Yet Again, he has sent someone else to give his message. If it is just training, can't they even stop by to eat something? I know Hirishima very well, he would travel back and forth a hundred times just for my cooking.)"

"Alright Ma'am, I am off."

The warrior turned around and began walking away.

"Wait! What's the hurry? Tell me more about what Hirishima and Hoshi are doing," Sharon raised her voice and spoke.

"Sorry ma'am I can't answer that question. Besides, I have to hurry back to work," the warrior firmly replied.

"He is in some kind of trouble isn't he? He can't fool me. Tell me the truth!" snapped Sharon.

"He said don't worry about him. There is no trouble ma'am," the warrior mumbled.

"Your expression tells a different story. Trust me, I know the meaning behind people's faces. Just tell me already! Otherwise take me to your headquarters. I am going to ask him myself!" Sharon demurred.

"Sir, you didn't tell me she would be so difficult to deal," the warrior mouthed.

"So, aren't you going to tell me?" pressed Sharon.

"(Looks like I have no choice. Sir Hirishima, forgive me)." The warrior sighed.

Back at the battlefield, Erashi was quickly wearing out as he had to keep his attacks at high precision and affinity in order to match his opponent's strength and speed. On the contrary, Tamura was still quite energetic and was enjoying the clash. None of them managed to leave any notable lacerations on each other but the shape of their weapons impaired with each move they made.

"You have become significantly stronger than before I will give you that much," conversed Erashi as both combatants struck their weapons.

"Give it up already and I may spare you," said Tamura.

"To hell with that, if I give up now all the deaths of my warriors were for nothing! So get that thought out of your damn mind!" fumed Erashi.

"Good grief, you are more stubborn than he described. I am getting bored of this, it's time I got serious as well," spoke Tamura as he increased the speed of his attacks.

He followed up with an aggressive combo that forced Erashi to go on the defensive and counter each attack, otherwise it would deal fatal damage. After managing to block each slash from Tamura's dual katanas, the last attack knocked Erashi's sword out of his hand only to fly back beyond reach.

"That's it! What are you going to do now?" Laughed Tamura as he kicked Erashi and used the pommels of his katanas to brutally thump his knee joints to throw him on his knees.

"(That's enough! Pruflas! You are severing our contract!)"

"Don't tell me what to do you wimp! I need to leave a mark on him to show that he encountered the great Tamura!"

"Who are you talking to?" questioned Erashi.

"That's none of your business!"

Tamura angered as he swung his right katana vertically at Erashi's left shoulder.

"(Damn you liar! That's the one person I asked you not to harm!)"

Erashi grabbed the blade by his bare hand before it reached his shoulder and stood up with it. Blood sprayed out of the crevices of the fresh deep wound and finally dripped down like a cascade along his entire arm.

"You aren't Tamura! That's why you don't get to take my brother's name! I get it now, somewhere inside he is suffering and I will make sure I defeat you to free him!" Determined Erashi.

"You are both right and wrong but that doesn't change the fact I have won this battle. That makes me the strongest warrior alive!" boasted Tamura.

"You aren't even an entry level warrior. Strength to inaugurate change for a much more ameliorate future for the weak and a bright heart that counters the sorrow of the depressed is what makes one the strongest warrior!" emphasized Erashi.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

"Whatever. Now that I have won, I give you a final chance to walk away. Otherwise this voice in my head will not give me the end of it," Tamura said, casually.

"Walk away? I am not aware of such words. Especially not when I am carrying the weight of the anguished fallen and my last remaining family!" responded Erashi before he struck the elbow of his unharmed arm on the flat surface of the katana's blade to break it in half and stab it in Tamura's chest.

"Hmph. You really live up to that commander title. But too bad, this puny injury is nothing!"

Tamura targeted Erashi's neck using his other katana horizontally but his opponent placed his forearm up to block the attack. Getting a sword impaled till his long bones didn't stop him from tackling Tamura and forcing him to release that weapon. Without wasting a second, the injured commander grabbed the katana's Tsuka (handle) with his half cleaved hand and pulled it out of his forearm to use it as his weapon. The blood spraying out of his sizable wound weakened him considerably but his mind was still undaunted. During the time Tamura pulled out the broken blade from his bare chest and threw it away, Erashi ripped his cape to tourniquet the fabric around his upper arm to minimise bleeding.

"Even though this might weaken my army, you at least deserve to be killed by my most powerful weapon!"

Tamura held his last severed katana between both his hands and focused a faint amount of purple aura from around his body towards it. All of a sudden, a new purple crystalline blade extended from the broken area. His eyes were glowing a deep shade of purple as he dispersed all the aura around him.

"(Damn it, I have no chance of winning against him now….….)"

Erashi looked around and noticed The Warriors getting brutally killed by the demonic guards as the extent of their corpses on the floor proliferated.

"(Even though I know that….)"

He saw the thin grass soaked with the sweat of the elite warriors who were still giving their all to cover for his confrontation.

("Even though I know that….)"

He finally glared at Tamura and saw a barely visible shadow of his brother who gave his hand out while weeping.

"Even though I know that! I will give up my life if that is what it takes to prevail!" exploded Erashi.

Tamura rushed at the commander with his enhanced weapon and landed a vertical slash at him. The range of the attack was extremely high and even though he backed up, Erashi still had to raise his katana to block the move. The oppressor didn't stop there as he relentlessly began attacking, forcing his adversary to keep blocking despite the harsh condition of his katana.

Hirishima and Subaru, even though they were using the weaker weapons of their subordinates scattered around the battlefield, noticed a slight decrease in the demonic guards' vitality and speed.

"Am I getting more familiar with their moves or are they a bit easier to slay now?" asked Hirishima as he sliced off one guard's head with a single slash.

"It isn't just you brother," said Subaru after splitting a guard in half horizontally after delivering a momentum based attack.

Kieri, who faced difficulty in downing a single guard, now managed to kill a couple.

"What is going on? Did the drug they were given finally began to wear out?"

Xiang, who still didn't lay a hand on the guards, found himself dodging attacks without taking damage at all.

The Warriors however, were still reducing in numbers gradually but at least now managed to defeat a few guards by themselves.

Erashi's breath became heavier from each counter and block as he was losing his ground. Even though Tamura's stamina also began depleting, he was in much better condition. Same could be said for their weapons as Erashi's blade was close to shattering.

Tamura lost his cool and delivered a stronger attack which in effect did render his opponent's katana useless. Before both of them could even think of their next moves, the ground started shaking and alerted everyone on the battlefield.

"What the hell?"

"An earthquake?"

"This can't be good."

The three elite warriors reacted.

"What are you upto now?"

questioned Erashi after he threw his broken weapon away.

"Looks like something tipped him off. Is that outsider that strong? Damn, now I wish he doesn't kill the brat. I would love to fight him!" chatted Tamura.

Erashi stepped towards his distracted opponent and punched him on his cheek. The punch had enough force in it to push Tamura back.

"You have done it now! Die!"

Tamura enraged as he swung his enhanced weapon relentlessly.

Erashi had no choice but to dodge each attack but his exhaustion, constant bleeding and impaired balance because of his limping arm had a hefty effect on his mobility. That and the considerable range of Tamura's attacks introduced shallow to deep cuts throughout his body, penetrating through his armor.

Erashi's sight was becoming hazier by the second and the elite warriors took notice of the deteriorating condition of their commander.

"Subaru! Cover me! I am going to help Erashi!" yelled Hirishima as he ran towards the said person.

"Understood!" Subaru replied as he held his position.

"Hold your ground! Erashi!" Hirishima continued towards his commander but was interjected by a band of demonic guards all targeting him.

"I will not let anyone interrupt this fight!" fumed Tamura.

"Damn it! Out of the way you bastards!" angered Hirishima as he was held back.

"Commander.. please don't die. If even you can't defeat him, how would any of us stand a chance?" mumbled Kieri.

Eventually, Erashi's balance lost completely and he got kicked back by Tamura. He was now in a condition where he struggled to even get back on his feet.

"You have proven yourself, Erashi. That's why I will not laugh at you and will grant you a quick death."

Tamura walked towards Erashi with his aura infused katana.

Once close enough, he raised the weapon and launched a slash enough to split Erashi in half. The receiver glared straight in his opponent's eyes and didn't show a single bit of fear of his imminent death.

Just before the attack connected, Xiang jumped in and tried to counter the attack using his sword.

"Your majesty? Why would you?"

"When I saw you in this powerless state, it reminded me of myself. Now that I think about it, It's almost pathetic to see someone as strong as you being saved by trash like me," conversed Xiang before being overpowered and thrown back by the force he tried to nullify.

"Where's that skin of steel Commander!? Don't tell me that bastard exceeds your ten! Also don't call me that again!" yelled Xiang before he flew back and hit the ground.

"(I used to think of changing the world by becoming king. I used to think I would end her suffering. I used to think all fighting would come to an end eventually. I was such an idiot. That's why I am counting on you. Rejuvenate this world for me where there are people who could even love someone like me.)" Xiang wanted to cry but only a few tears escaped his burnt face as the demonic guards closed in on him.

"Thank you, Xiang."

Erashi forced his body with all his remaining might and grabbed Tamura's head with his one hand and pulled it towards his own causing their foreheads to clash.

Tamura didn't appear to falter for a short moment but suddenly afterwards he clenched his head and started screaming in pain. The aura disappeared from his body and his katana reverted back to a broken state. He raised that severed weapon to force it straight into his abdomen and then pulled it out. This made him fall to his knees as a massive amount of blood sprayed out of the wound. He even threw up blood as he gasped for air.

This sight left Erashi flabbergasted as no words escaped his mouth.

The demonic guards all halted to their positions which perplexed the elite and the remaining few lower ranked warriors. It seemed like time had come to a halt in the forest painted with blood. The air was much quieter and the severe bloodlust of the guards was dulled out.

End of chapter seventeen.