Categories > Original > Fantasy > Ryumake-Tetsu
Sho shuddered as he pondered this. He had to give up a portion of his own being, to appease an Oni? He didn't like this bargain at all.
"I cannot fulfill such a barbaric task! I am on a mission of great importance, and time is just another enemy for me. I refuse to forfeit anymore of my time with you ogre! Either step aside and let me pass, or we shall do battle!"
The Oni started to laugh wickedly. Sho became uneasy as the peels of laughter echoed off of the trees surrounding him.
"Come out now!"
The laughter stopped, "You dare to give me orders in my countries woods?! Here, you are the ogre human! If battle is what you hunger for, than I'll oblige you whole heartedly!"
A loud crash followed by a flash of lightning deafend and blinded Sho momentarily. When he regained his senses, he saw a large claw-like object connected to a chain, hurtling towards him at full speed.
With a flick of the wrist, Sho released his grappling hook anchor, retrieving the tool. He let himself free fall through the trees, he only hoped he didn't hit any usagi wire on the way down.
The crashing continued behind him, following his descent. Splinters of wood and shreds of foliage followed him down. Sho turned so his back was facing the ground that was quickly approaching, he now faced the attacker. He saw the same large clawed weapon plummeting towards him, it's keen edge whistling through the air. Sho knew he didn't have much time to act, he withdrew his sword and held it blade down behind him. The clawed weapon sliced by, missing sho by inches. Sho saw his chance, and grabbed onto the trailing chain and held on tight.
"Feisty little cuss!" the Oni shouted as he whipped the chain back hard, trying to shake Sho off.
Sho swung his sword down hard, shattering the chain links. With the weapon disabled, he continued his fall. Suddenly, a second chained claw flew at him. Sho had just enough time to dodge, the razor edge of one of the claws cutting him under his right eye.
Sho winced in mute pain, he should have anticipated a counter-attack.
He kept his sword at the ready, he held it as he had before, underhand and behind his back.
"Perish!" cried out the Oni as he sent his weapon straight into Sho's path.
Sho rolled in mid-air, the weapon passing by harmlessly. Sho grabbed onto the trailing chain, only this time he wasn't going to sit idle again.
He used his own momentum to aim himself towards a tree, pushing off of it with his feet, and burying the claw into the thick wood. With the claw disabled, and the chain wrapped and tangled around the tree, Sho used the chain as tight rope. With blinding speed, Sho ran up the length of the chain to the hidden wielder. He saw a faint flash in the darkness and immediately leapt high into the air, dodging a salvo of two foot long blades thrown at him.
Sho regained his footing, not slowing his sprint up the chain. He saw another flash, only to realize too late that it was usagi wire. He ducked down and slid along the chain, but a strand of the wire caught on his left shoulder and cut a thin laceration.
Sho cursed himself for his carelessness, but didn't have time to chastise himself.
A long chain came out of the darkness, tangling up Sho's legs and body in it's cold steel embrace.
Sho tried to hack his way free, but to no avail. He was snagged, trapped, and at the Oni's mercy. He now hung upside down, like an insect in a spiders web.
"Did you really think you'd win here?! In my woods?!" boasted the Oni.
Sho looked around him, trying to pinpoint the speaker. He still couldnt' locate it.
Suddenly, a large red skinned hand shot out of the darkness, grasping the chain trapping Sho. Sho now dangled thousands of feet above the ground.
"Should I just drop you? Or crush you like the parasite you are to my people? Or should I simply take what sacrafice I see fit, and let you live your life as a cripple, a liability to the empire you serve?" boomed the Oni.
Sho was helpless, he was dead if he didn't do something soon. But what could he do?
His legs were pinned, his arms restrained. His sword had falled down below, and now was buried deep in the trunk of a tree hundreds of feet below, glinting in the lightning crashes.
The Oni reached out another hand towards Sho. Sho saw a long sharp claw coming straight at his face...
"I cannot fulfill such a barbaric task! I am on a mission of great importance, and time is just another enemy for me. I refuse to forfeit anymore of my time with you ogre! Either step aside and let me pass, or we shall do battle!"
The Oni started to laugh wickedly. Sho became uneasy as the peels of laughter echoed off of the trees surrounding him.
"Come out now!"
The laughter stopped, "You dare to give me orders in my countries woods?! Here, you are the ogre human! If battle is what you hunger for, than I'll oblige you whole heartedly!"
A loud crash followed by a flash of lightning deafend and blinded Sho momentarily. When he regained his senses, he saw a large claw-like object connected to a chain, hurtling towards him at full speed.
With a flick of the wrist, Sho released his grappling hook anchor, retrieving the tool. He let himself free fall through the trees, he only hoped he didn't hit any usagi wire on the way down.
The crashing continued behind him, following his descent. Splinters of wood and shreds of foliage followed him down. Sho turned so his back was facing the ground that was quickly approaching, he now faced the attacker. He saw the same large clawed weapon plummeting towards him, it's keen edge whistling through the air. Sho knew he didn't have much time to act, he withdrew his sword and held it blade down behind him. The clawed weapon sliced by, missing sho by inches. Sho saw his chance, and grabbed onto the trailing chain and held on tight.
"Feisty little cuss!" the Oni shouted as he whipped the chain back hard, trying to shake Sho off.
Sho swung his sword down hard, shattering the chain links. With the weapon disabled, he continued his fall. Suddenly, a second chained claw flew at him. Sho had just enough time to dodge, the razor edge of one of the claws cutting him under his right eye.
Sho winced in mute pain, he should have anticipated a counter-attack.
He kept his sword at the ready, he held it as he had before, underhand and behind his back.
"Perish!" cried out the Oni as he sent his weapon straight into Sho's path.
Sho rolled in mid-air, the weapon passing by harmlessly. Sho grabbed onto the trailing chain, only this time he wasn't going to sit idle again.
He used his own momentum to aim himself towards a tree, pushing off of it with his feet, and burying the claw into the thick wood. With the claw disabled, and the chain wrapped and tangled around the tree, Sho used the chain as tight rope. With blinding speed, Sho ran up the length of the chain to the hidden wielder. He saw a faint flash in the darkness and immediately leapt high into the air, dodging a salvo of two foot long blades thrown at him.
Sho regained his footing, not slowing his sprint up the chain. He saw another flash, only to realize too late that it was usagi wire. He ducked down and slid along the chain, but a strand of the wire caught on his left shoulder and cut a thin laceration.
Sho cursed himself for his carelessness, but didn't have time to chastise himself.
A long chain came out of the darkness, tangling up Sho's legs and body in it's cold steel embrace.
Sho tried to hack his way free, but to no avail. He was snagged, trapped, and at the Oni's mercy. He now hung upside down, like an insect in a spiders web.
"Did you really think you'd win here?! In my woods?!" boasted the Oni.
Sho looked around him, trying to pinpoint the speaker. He still couldnt' locate it.
Suddenly, a large red skinned hand shot out of the darkness, grasping the chain trapping Sho. Sho now dangled thousands of feet above the ground.
"Should I just drop you? Or crush you like the parasite you are to my people? Or should I simply take what sacrafice I see fit, and let you live your life as a cripple, a liability to the empire you serve?" boomed the Oni.
Sho was helpless, he was dead if he didn't do something soon. But what could he do?
His legs were pinned, his arms restrained. His sword had falled down below, and now was buried deep in the trunk of a tree hundreds of feet below, glinting in the lightning crashes.
The Oni reached out another hand towards Sho. Sho saw a long sharp claw coming straight at his face...
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