"I was saving this to use on the beast, but you guys leave me with no other choice," Saying this, Hao began reaching for the X-Class sword that was situated on his back, his movements were carefully timed and executed.
“Hmm, what is he up to now?” Inquired one of the bandits while watching Hao’s every action with a keen sight.
One of them responded, “I think he’s going to try his luck with that other sword of his that's been on his back this entire time.”
“What difference will that make? He will taste death very soon, right big sis?” He turned to Kiera to back his arrogant claim.
“Hmm…” Kiera didn’t say a word, moreover, she acted hesitant while watching warily as Hao dramatically unwrapped the black cloth covering the X-Class sword. In a mocking tone, Kiera finally spoke up, "Aren't you going to unsheathe it, or are you going to defeat us with a coated sword?"
“Hahaha! That’s so laughable, big sis. Not even in his dreams would that be possible. We’re too skilled to be defeated with a sheathed sword.” This bandit boasted about the skillset of his gang, however, he was in for a real treat.
‘Keep laughing.’ Ignoring their taunts, Hao focused on analysing Judgment Day's hilt, based on what he understood so far, activating Bio Esp should be as easy as letting his enemies come into direct contact with the sword’s hilt. With this thought in mind and no time to waste, he charged into battle once more, using the hilt as a secret weapon against his enemies. “Let’s get it!”
Slash! Slash!
“What is this punk doing? He’s not even using the blade. Does he take us for some chicken feeding that he can scoop up in his beak and spat out at will?”
“Let’s dismantle his braggadocio!” The bandits took the fight back to Hao who was desperately trying to absorb their essence, but to no avail.
‘Why won’t this bleeding thing work when I need it to?’ He cursed internally. The frustration on his face grew as he came to the realization that, ‘Vicky that overgrown bitch must have tampered with Judgment Day somehow and disabled the Bio Esp functionality. No wonder she looked so smug when I took Judgment Day back. She knew she had me played this whole time.’
“What are you spacing out for you fool!?”
The Bastian Bandits capitalized on his momentary distraction to pummel him with a barrage of powerful strikes from their Beast Companions. In response, Hao tossed away the thought of figuring out how to reactivate Bio Esp and instead, unleashed the full brunt force of Judgment Day, even though it remained sheathed. He deflected their attacks with its scabbard, sending shockwaves and sparks through the air with every heavy impact. The sheer power of the X-class sword, even coated, was enough to send several bandits sprawling backwards with their arm muscles torn.
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Hao became more exhausted by swinging around Judgment Day so consistently, hence he secured the weapon at his rear and switched back to Vibe Edge. Before long, he pulled off a desperate move to end his enemies in one fell swoop.
He flipped forward then stamped the ground with Vibe Edge. BOOM! The blade vibrated with an intense frequency, generating a powerful sonic wave that tore through the air, striking down both the bandits and their beasts. With each impact, the sonic wave forced his enemies backwards, their bodies contorting in pain as they struggled against the rising force. Hao's bones were filled with steely determination as he stood his ground, focusing his energy on maintaining the destructive wave. Pulling this off required the use of additional Tunes.
“Amplification!” BOOM! One by one, the bandits and their beasts were sent tumbling into Katana Creek, their bodies battered and bruised from the songful assault.
Kiera could only watch in horror as her gang was defeated. “No!” With a guttural scream, she launched herself at Hao with rage powering the deadly swings of her Serpent’s Lash.
Slash! Slash!
Hao who was pushed to his limits, managed to counter her strike. Their blades were clashing in a shower of fireworks. With each clash of their weapons, the desperation in Kiera's eyes grew more pronounced. She could sense her control over the battle slipping away, before long, her frustration turned to reckless aggression.
“Huh!” Hao, recognizing her vulnerability, calmly and methodically evaded her attacks. He deftly weaved through her barrage of swings and slashes until he exploited her blind spots.
‘Right there.’ Sensing an opportunity, he unleashed Night Tamer, enveloping himself in a spherical veil of darkness. He blinked across the battlefield, reappearing behind Kiera and delivering a swift, precise slash to her spline.
“Kyah!” Caught off guard, Kiera faltered, her balance disrupted by the surprise attack, yet she still continued to fight, showcasing the full force of her mettle. “Is that all you got, little shit!?”
“I’m not done with you yet.” Hao followed through with a ruthless flurry of strikes, each one calculated to keep her on the defensive.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
With Kiera backed into a corner, Hao prepared to deliver the finishing blow. But, in a final act of defiance, she launched a desperate counterattack, only to be met with Hao's Spin-Off ability.
“Go!” Vibe Edge spun like a whirlwind around him, deflecting Kiera's wild swings with ease. The momentum of the spinning blade was too much for her to overcome, hence, Hao landed a decisive strike that also sent her crashing into the murky waters of Katana Creek to join her companions.
Now that the last of the Bastian Bandits had disappeared beneath the surface, Hao collapsed to his knees, exhaustion and pain finally catching up to him, so much so, that he didn’t act quickly to collect all the Tunes that had generated in his vicinity. He had won the fight but at a great cost. His injuries were severe; also he needed medical help.
“Finally… it’s… over.” While panting, he looked afield again at the area where the Skyship had crashed, fearing that the worst had happened to his friends.
The epic battle at Katana Creek had come to an end, but the story was far from over.