Scene 6 - A lotus blooms

Blood flew as Jayce slashed away at his foe with his one-handed sword without regard for his own safety. With bloodshot eyes and steam coming out of his mouth, Jayce looked more like a demon spawned in the depths of hell than a human. It was only at times like these, when he was facing a strong opponent and able to let loose that he truly felt alive.

Despite his growing murderous intent, the fiendelf kept its cold emotionless stare as they trading blow for blow, causing blood to splatter around them. Every strike was meant to kill, yet the other kept dodging at the last possible moment. This was a fight of evenly matched experts, where the one who used his cards to the best would come out the victor.

Giving a cold snort the elven expert moved in an odd manner, causing lines of air mana to build up around its feet and allowing its speed to increase little by little. With the elf's increase in speed, the balance of power between the two was destroyed.

Blood began to flow from Jayce as he wounds upon his body built up. Yet instead of making him weaker, the loss of blood actually made Jayce's strikes stronger. But even then Jayce could barely keep up with the elven expert. As his injuries increased, Jayce could feel his limit drawing near. If things didn't change soon, he would die.

His opponent grew faster with each passing second as he grew slower. In the face of death, Jayce didn't feel fear. Rather, a wicked grin crept across his face, ‘Ah~ This is bliss~. Finally, I can go all out~!

Jayce waited for the elf to rush in and dodged the blade in an uncanny way that would make an onlooker sweat in fear. With a quick spin and a step forth, Jayce kicked his foe in the gut, forcing the elf away by a few dozen feet.

“Ya see I got ta thank ya for getting me out, Elfy~. As thanks, I'll send ya off pain~less~ly~. Tell everyone in the netherworld Ecya said hi~! ”, The change in Jayce’s tone was noticeably more warm than wrathful, yet the blood-lust leaking out of his body had increased drastically.

In the face of Ecya's killing intent, the fiend elf felt its blood chill. Even the air mana around its legs started to distort.

Ecya slowly placed his hand upon his sword sheath, swiftly flourishing his arm in a strange manner that resulted his sheath hand covering his left eye and his sword hand crossed over his sheath hand, creating a strange cross At some unknown point it time Ecya's right eye had transformed, blossoming into a violet lotus bud.

With Ecya blinded, the elf was finally able to shake off the blood lust that had weighed it down, regaining full control over its body and mana. A furious growl escaped the elf's mouth as it rushed towards Ecya, the desire to kill and consume taking over its fragile mind.

The elven expert poured all of its power into its air mana, doubling its speed in an instant! Even though a murderous fiend elf was hurtling towards him, Ecya didn't move a single muscle. It was as if he had been transformed into a mountain unaffected by the wind and rain

The elf grinned evilly at Ecya's nonexistent reaction as it aimed for Ecya's neck in order to take his head! Yet when the elf was just a mere meter away, Ecya began to move. The blood lust that had vanished when he was blinded suddenly exploded out with a vengeance as Ecya yelled, “First form of the Lotus's Five Petal Dance, >!”

Jayce took a single step forward, releasing an overhead slash with his sheath. It was a simple move in all aspects, but this seemingly simple step and slash caused the elven expert to completely lose control of its mana. Even the cursed soul within the elf froze in terror as the sheath smashed into the elf’s face, sending it flying backwards and into the ground.

“First Step...”

In an instant the violet lotus that had replaced Ecya’s right eye turned crimson as a single petal bloomed.

The elf tried to recover its footing but Ecya didn't give it the chance, descending upon the elf with uncanny force!

“Second Step.”

Ecya leapt into the air and smashed his sword sheath down onto the elven expert's stomach. There was a horrible crunching sound as the elf's ribs broke, causing it to let out an inhuman screech of pain. A second petal bloomed and Ecya moved like water, using the attack's recoil to turn in the air. Raising both his blade and its sheath, Ecya brought them down upon the elf with a force resembling a small mountain falling from the heavens.

“Third Step.”

His blade pierced into one of the elf's arms, cutting through it as if it was made of paper and severing it in a single blow. His sheath slammed down onto the elf's remaining arm and instantly crushed it with a sickening sound.. The third lotus petal bloomed, yet Ecya wasn’t finished with his dance of death. Stepping on the armless fiend elf’s gut, Ecya swiftly severed his foe's legs while whispering in excitement,

“Fourth Step!”

As the fourth petal bloomed, Ecya slipped his blade into its sheath.

Ecya’s left eye twinkled as he looked down at the fiend elf that had pissed itself in fear.

His face filled with ecstasy, Ecya smiled and straddled the elf with a gleeful hum, “Let’s end this dance!”

“Fifth step~!”

Raising his sheathed sword high to the sky, Ecya grinned as he watched the despairing elf’s face, “Ah~. Just like that, your expression is the best!”

He smiled warmly as the sheathed sword ruthlessly smashed into the elf's face, causing foul black blood to splatter everywhere. Removing the weapon from the elf's face, Ecya noticed that the elf only had busted teeth and his smile only grew brighter, “We'll play until you break, lovely!”

The elf tried to grunt pleading for mercy, but Ecya stared at the elf straight in the eye, grinned, and brought down his sheath with even more force than before. Blood flew as the elf’s pleas mixed together with the sound of Ecya's laughter.

The fifth petal slowly bloomed while across the battlefield, both enemies and allies alike shuddered in fear.