Johny’s assault was ferocious, his blade slicing through the air with a menacing hiss. Luna raised her sword, the wind around her coiling into furious spirals as she fought to hold back the untamed flames enveloping Johny’s weapon.
The clash of their swords sent sparks flying, lighting up their faces, glistening with sweat and tension. Without hesitation, Johny pressed forward, swinging his blade in a sweeping arc.
It was raw, unbridled power—an attack that seemed capable of cleaving Luna in two. She raised her blade just in time, but the sheer force of the impact drove her back, her boots sliding across the slick, rain-soaked deck. For a fleeting moment, she teetered on the brink of losing her balance, but she caught herself with a firm step, lifting her head to meet his gaze once more.
"I didn’t want this," Johny said, his deep voice laden with more weight than the flames on his sword—regret. "But you chose to become a pirate, and I can’t let you keep spreading chaos. I respected your father, but I was too weak... Pirates are a blight that must be eradicated."
Luna raised an eyebrow, contempt flashing across her face. She shrugged dismissively.
"There you go again, preaching about making the world a better place," she scoffed, channeling her magic into her blade. The Light of Hope enveloped her sword, as though it were an extension of her very soul. The luminous aura pulsed in time with her resolve, a power born from her dream of grand adventures and the freedom to live as she pleased. The stronger Luna’s yearning for liberty, the brighter her energy shone. "I never thought you’d be so loyal to the Empire’s dogma, Captain."
Before he could reply, Luna struck. She feinted an attack from the left, but in a swift motion, brought her blade in a low arc, aiming for Johny’s legs. He realized the trap at the last second and leapt back, narrowly evading the strike.
The captain retaliated with fury. His first swing, a horizontal slash, sliced through the air toward Luna’s torso. She twisted nimbly out of its path, her movements light and fluid, carried by the winds swirling around her. The second attack followed immediately—a heavy vertical strike aimed straight at her head.
Luna raised her sword with both hands, blocking the attack. The impact crashed down on her like an avalanche, reverberating through her arms as her legs buckled under the strain. The blue glow surrounding her blade flickered for a moment but held steady, refusing to extinguish.
Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
Johny showed no mercy. His strikes came in relentless, devastating succession, forcing Luna further into the inferno of flames engulfing the deck. The heat was suffocating, the air so thick it felt like breathing through smoke. The roaring fire consumed the shattered wood and everything else in its path, its hunger insatiable.
Still, Luna held her ground, bracing herself with unwavering resolve. Her eyes burned with determination, her grip on her sword tightening with each blow. Every strike pushed her to adapt, to search for the opening she needed to turn the tide.
This wasn’t just an assault—it was a calculated hunt, she realized. Every move Johny made, every swing of his flaming blade, was designed to corner her, to leave her with no way out. He was closing in like a predator, forcing her into a trap.
A diagonal slash came down, and she raised her sword again, deflecting the strike with a resounding clang that echoed through the stifling air. A cry of effort escaped her as she twisted her blade, forcing Johny’s weapon downward and creating a small window to escape. But the force of the blow still drove her back, closer to the raging flames. The searing heat licked at her skin, leaving it stinging and raw.
Luna’s gaze hardened, and a spark of determination flared amidst the sweat streaming down her face. I can’t keep retreating, she thought.
In a swift motion, she leapt to the side, her sword sweeping in a defensive arc as she repositioned herself on slightly higher ground. Johny came at her again, the flaming tip of his blade aimed directly at her heart.
She twisted her body, the scorching steel brushing past her side by mere millimeters. Using the momentum, she swung her sword in a diagonal arc, targeting Johny’s shoulder. He reacted at the last possible second, blocking the strike, but the impact forced him to step back, momentarily halting his relentless advance.
Luna raised her sword once more, the blue glow around it intensifying, pulsing as though it were alive. I will never give up on my dreams. I will live my grand adventure, no matter the cost. The thought resonated within her like an unbreakable vow, her resolve fueling the radiant blue light. It pulsed outward in waves, a manifestation of her indomitable spirit, as she prepared to face Johny again.
The contrast was striking: the cold, vibrant blue light against the fierce, fiery glow of the surrounding flames. Luna’s eyes locked onto Johny’s—steadfast, unyielding, mirroring her own.
If he wants to play with fire, she thought, then let’s dance in the flames.
“Captain, do you remember my father’s motto?” Luna taunted, shifting her stance and steadying her blade.
Johny’s eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. The flaming sword in his hands seemed to hum, responding to her words as if it had a will of its own.
“I don’t have this sword pointed at you out of mercy, girl,” he growled, his voice low and brimming with fury. “I’m not here to test your strength. I’m here to follow orders, and I won’t let a pack of pirates continue terrorizing these seas.”
Luna exhaled deeply, her shoulders lowering for a fleeting moment before squaring up again.
“So, this is how it ends…” she murmured, her voice tinged with sadness. “We’ve really come to this, haven’t we?”