Sakashima walked through the Bluehawk hotel's hallway. He was slowly making his way to the 6th floor where he would intercept anyone attempting to flee. However upon ascending the staircase to the sixth floor he saw someone standing there waiting for him.

This man was thin with buzzed hair and a white tank top. In his hand was a Katana with a wheel around the base.

Without hesitation Sakashima pulled his own blade off his waist, it was not one you would assume someone from Edoland would use. He had a cutlass, a sword more fitting of an Iborian pirate. The man who had been waiting for him was Nobunaga Heida, Sakashima could not afford to hesitate.

“Tha fuck are you lookin at?” Nobunaga asked with a snort.

“The annoying obstacle in front of me.” Sakashima hissed.

“...”

“...”

The pair looked at eachother, waiting for any kind of opening or signal. Neither wanting to make the first move nor defend against it.

Then at the same time it happened.

[Yellow!]

[颱切: Typhoon Slice!]

Nobunaga's Katana shot bolts of electricity which crackled throughout the hallway ripping the paint from the walls and burning the carpet.

Meanwhile Sakashima sliced the air in front of him. The air split like it was water and the projected slice was as sharp as a knife and powerful as a torpedo.

Sakashima deflected the bolts of electricity with many more [颱切: Typhoon Slices]. Nobunaga on the other hand rushed towards Sakashima bringing his Katana over head. He flicked the wheel at the sword base which spun flashing a variety of colors before settling on red.

[Red!]

As Nobunaga swung his katana downwards, fire poured from its end like a dragon's maw.

[颱切: Typhoon Slicer] Sakashima cut the sprinkler line above him, water spewed downwards extinguishing the flames. [Wolf Fang Style: Lupus!] Sakashima leapt forward bridging his cutlass down diagonally on Nobunaga's neck.

“Wolf Fang Style!?” Nobunaga hissed. [Dragon Slayer Style: Snow Fall!] Nobunaga brought his Katana upwards, blocking and deflecting Sakashima's cutlass.

Nobunaga flicked the wheel on his Katana.

[Purple!]

“!”

Sensing something powerful incoming, Sakashima enhanced his legs and jumped backwards. As he did so the place he was just standing before had the ground beneath it crumble violently as if the gravity had been increased.

An elementalist spell which imbues an element into his Katana based on what color that wheel spins… it being random is a restriction which makes the attacks more powerful… Not only that but he’s using an [Abstract] element like Gravity.. What a tricky opponent. Thought Sakashima with a frown.

“What's this about an annoying obstacle now?” Nobunaga sneered.

“You deflect an attack and brag? Hehe, you’re truly desperate to impress me it seems.” Sakashima laughed.

[Yellow!]

Bolts of electricity shot from Nobunaga's katana towards Sakashima and used the sprinkling water as a conduit.

“Not bad!” Sakashima laughed, bringing his cutlass upwards. [颱切: Typhoon Slice!] He spun around slicing his cutlass through the air. The air split creating a bubble around him which deflected the bolts of electricity.

Nobunaga leapt forwards with his own [Wolf Fang Style: Arctic Howl] an overhead leaping strike meant to slice one cleanly down the middle.

[Dragon Slayer Style: Counter Atlas!] Sakashima swung his Cutlass upwards. The form he used is meant to defend from an overhead attack by swinging your sword upwards to not only deflect it but also gut your opponent.

The cutlass and katana clashed, sending bolts of mana throughout the hotel's hallway. The air around them rippled and writhed with intensity.

The glass shattered from the overwhelming pressure as their blades pressed firmly against each other.

[Dragon Slayer Style: Kamikaze!] Sakashima pushed his Cutlass forwards with all his power and to the right.

“Tch!” Nobunaga grunted being thrown backwards and across the hallway.

[颱切: Typhoon Slicer!] Sakashima sliced the air, throwing dozens of projections at Nobunaga who flicked the wheel on his Katana.

[Pink!]

BOOM!

Nobunaga's swing caused an explosion which blew a hole in the hotel's side and destroyed the projected slices.

Sakashima was pushed back by the blast and his vision clouded by the smoke.

“!”

Nobunaga emerged from the smoke with his Katana over head. [Red!] From the tip of the blade came a blast of fire which engulfed Sakashima.

“Damn!” Sakashima cried, feeling the flames burn his skin. Nobunaga was blocking him from the sprinkler and there was no other source of water near him.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

[颱切: Typhoon Slicer!]

“!?”

Sakashima sliced his own stomach, not deep enough to gut himself but enough that blood sprayed. From his body erupted projected slices which in tandem with his blood destroyed the flames surrounding him.

“You crazy bastard!” Nobunaga hissed throwing his Katana up to defend himself.

[Wolf Fang Style: Rufus!] Sakashima drew his Cutlass from his side with enough speed to ignite the blade itself. The blade clashed with Nobunaga's Katana once again causing sparks of mana to fly.

“Damn!” Nobunaga groaned trying to fight back the force of the attack. Flicking the wheel on his Katana it spun around until reaching [Black].

Sakashima was suddenly engulfed in darkness, a haze surrounded him, one which was not exactly physical but an abstract concept. That of Darkness itself.

He can even use a primitive element like Darkness!? Sakashima thought with worry.

Then from his side came Nobunaga’s katana aiming for his neck. Sakashima threw his cutlass up just in time blocking the attack as it pierced his skin drawing blood.

“Damnit, you're in the way!” Sakashima cried. [颱切: Typhoon Slicer!] He projected a slice from his neck, one which Nobunaga had not been expecting, causing his stomach to be sliced open.

“Gah!” Nobunaga coughed, blood flying from his mouth. The haze faded and Sakashima spun around with a roundhouse kick, throwing Nobunaga to the side.

[颱切: Typhoon Slicer!] Sakashima projected dozens of slashes towards Nobunaga who spun his wheel in a panic.

[Purple!]

The slices were crushed along with the floor. The entire hotel shook from the damage done as the floors below were also crushed.

“Ha-ha-ha.” Nobunaga panted, his stomach sliced open pretty badly. He couldn't use healing magic very well so he had to defeat Sakashima and then find Dekumaru who could heal him.

Sakashima also felt the exhaustion from a heated battle. Like Nobunaga his healing magic was subpar and could heal shallow wounds at best. His skin was covered in fresh burns and the wounds on his stomach and neck throbbed. He knew Nobunaga was tough but this was beyond his expectations. However, his interest in Nobunaga was still minimal. Like he’d said before, Nobunaga was an annoying obstacle. Nothing he shouldn’t have been able to deal with himself. His true target, like Otsuga, was Ugoki. While Otsuga had a form of honor to uphold with his grudge, Sakashimas was not at all noble. Ugoki was a powerful man, if he could defeat Ugoki he could not only receive the reward for his head but also prove his own strength. Sakashima was a slave to his own ego. His many scars were tales of this Ego. Fighting opponents more powerful than him until he won. Even when his face was cut open revealing his skull or his organs spilling outwards he would continue fighting.

“This next attack will decide it all.” Nobunaga said, extending his Katana.

“You want to play that game boy?” Sakashima asked with a cruel grin.

Without responding Nobunaga raised his sword over head, a form which struck primal fear into Sakashima. But he could not let his fear overtake him.

Sakashima responded with his own form. Placing his Cutlass at his side he prepared himself.

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“...”

The two stood there silent, neither making the first move. They watched each other with hawk-like eyes examining the breathing and contractions of each other's muscles. Preparing for the upcoming attack, the one which would decide the outcome of this battle.

They stood there silently.

“...”

“...”

Then just like how the battle had begun it ended. At the same exact time they moved.

Nobunaga brought his Katana downwards while flicking the wheel at its base. Sweat flew off his body along with the blood from his stomach.

On the other hand Sakashima drew his Cutlass quickly, a quick draw attack one of the oldest in human history. All the speed and power coming from the hips rotation.

[Wolf Fang Style: Black Jackal] x [Purple]

[Wolf Fang Style: Rufus] x [颱切: Typhoon Slicer]

Both attacks were glorious, the pinnacle of their ability. The Black Jackal form was an attack powerful enough to cause a gust of wind capable of slicing even trees from afar. Imbued with the Gravity amplification of [Purple] it was a devastinging attack. Like a straight line of destruction it soared towards Sakashima.

Sakashima drew his Cutlass fast enough for the blade to burn bright red and burst into flames. As he did so he vibrated his arm which through the use of Energy Manipulation increased the swings power by adding more kinetic energy. Just like Nobunaga's attack, Sakashimas had a small radius but an enormous amount of power.

The two attacks clashed. This was not like a battle of swords but that of emissions.

The one who won was Sakashima. His attack was not meant to brute force its way through Nobunaga's emission. He knew such a thing to be impossible. He instead focused on changing the attack's course. His projection slammed into Nobunaga's emission and flung it to the side. Making the attack fly through the wall next to Sakashima and leaving him unharmed.

Then Sakashima leapt forwards. Just like he’d done at the start he used [Wolf Fang Style: Lupus.]

Nobunga attempted to defend but it was futile, he had put his all into the last attack which Sakashima had deflected.

“I guess I was just an obstacle to you, ya bastard.” Nobunaga smirked.

Splash!

Sakashima's cutlass ripped through Nobunaga's neck. The sound was horrific. Like a large tree following over you could hear the snapping of fibers. The smell of blood and the popping of arteries. A rain of red liquid and the toughness of the spine.

Sakashima cleanly decapitated Nobunaga.

Nobunaga's head fell to the floor with a splash falling into a pool of blood.

“I wonder how I’ll explain this one to Otsuga, Kenken and Nordon…” Sakashima frowned. He was told specifically to avoid killing at all costs. Now here he was clearly breaking that promise. Well to be fair it was always going to be a fight to the death and Otsuga would surely understand even if he didn’t agree with the outcome.

Nordon and Kenken on the other hand…

“No, Nordon is far more frightening than Kenken…” Sakashima sighed. When Nordon is angry you feel his rage through the air. He was truly the son of a corporation's head and he ran the Edoland Venator Society as such.

Well that was Sakashima's future problem. Picking up Nobunaga's head, Sakashima placed the head cleanly onto his torso. Desecrating the dead was a horrible thing. He would surely be cursed by Nobunaga if he didn’t properly lay him to rest. It was the least he could do after taking his life.

With that Sakashima progressed further up the stairs. He left a trail of blood behind him as he did so. His wounds throbbed and his head felt light. But he was close to his main target. After he defeated Ugoki this job would be over and a promotion was surely in his sights.

Finally reaching the penthouse suite, Sakashima opened the door slowly. What he saw was like that of a Warzone.

In the center of the room was Ugoki and Otsuga, both dripping in sweat and clearly in a heated battle.

How did I not hear them!? Sakashima wondered while pulling his cutlass out quickly.

“!?”

Then as if teleporting Ugoki appeared in front of Sakashima with a grin.

“I thought I put up a do not disturb sign…” He scoffed.