Darwin stepped out of the battered remnants of the bandit hideout, the acrid smell of smoke and blood assaulting his senses. Soldiers' shouts and the screech of steel on steel surrounded him as he was encircled. With a small sigh, he activated his obsidian gemstone on his twin swords, channeling power into the swords and invoking his support magic, "Power Surge". The shadows danced around his blades, swirling, and coiling like ethereal tendrils, amplifying his every move.
Twirling one of his swords, he engaged the nearest soldier, dodging a swipe and landing a slice on the man's sword arm. The shadows wrapped around the soldier's wrists, dragging his blade down. Darwin slid close, jamming his second blade up under the man's ribs before shoving him aside. Another soldier attacked from the left using a water blade but was slowed by the shadowy essence from Darwin's blades, giving Darwin time to slit across their neck. As the blood sprayed, the remaining soldiers coordinated, coming at Darwin together with fireballs and earth spikes.
Darwin's sword sliced across a soldier's thigh, dropping him screaming. The shadows from Darwin’s blades swarmed the man, coiling around his neck and snapping it. The final soldier circled Darwin, flames blazing in his hands as he looked for an opening. Seeing the red gleam of the enchanted bracers, Darwin rushed in, severing the man's hand to disrupt the magic. The soldier fell screaming, clutching the gushing stump. Darwin watched dispassionately before decapitating the helpless man in one clean stroke.
As the last soldier fell, a black-armored captain approached Darwin with disciplined confidence. "You must be the one called Darwin," he proclaimed in a clear baritone. Darwin's mouth curved slightly as he lifted one of his blades, pointing it confidently at the captain. "And if I am?" he retorted, gravelly voice tinged with challenge.
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The captain lifted his ornate longsword, its golden dragon hilt glinting as he touched tips with Darwin's blade. Darwin tensed, drawing on the gemstone's power to wreathe his blades in more shadows. The captain moved his foot and then declared "Then you shall meet your end today."
The captain's blade darted in fast, pushing Darwin back on his heels as he barely deflected it left with his sword. But the captain instantly stabbed forward again, attacking Darwin, and making him leap away. Chasing Darwin, the captain rained crushing blows on him, forcing Darwin to increase the shadows on his blades, supplementing his desperate parries. Agile footwork kept Darwin barely ahead of the captain's impaling blows as the onslaught continued.
Yet, with each passing moment, Darwin sensed the tide shifting against him. The magic he had invoked was fading, and the captain's superior strength and skills began to dominate. Darwin's muscles screamed with exertion, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fought to hold his ground against the unyielding onslaught.
Sweat mingled with the dirt on Darwin's furrowed brow, stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. The weight of his fatigue settled upon his shoulders, threatening to sap his strength. The shadowy essence on his swords was dwindling. Sensing the opportunity, the captain pressed forward, driving Darwin backward step by step.
Seizing a fleeting opportunity, Darwin leaped backward, creating a gap between him and his opponent. He scanned the battlefield, his mind racing to devise a new strategy. The realization sank in that the soldiers had either slain or captured his fellow bandits, leaving him as the last resistance. With a deep breath, he steadied his trembling hands and prepared to face the captain once more, ready to defy the odds and seize his chance for victory. The remnants of shadows clung to his blades, awaiting his command to strike.