Clashing of steel echoed across the sandy shore, as the sun burned high in the sky with a powerful heat. Kaze swam through the air as his sandals slapped against the grains beneath his feet, his longsword smashing against a sandstone pillar that had erupted from the earth.

“He’s incredible!” Naix sputtered from under his helmet, as Kaze blocked and parried every attack. The God raised his left hand into the air as a dozen sand knives emerged from below, floating for a moment before launching towards Kaze.

The swordsman stood firm as his lime eyes burned like embers, outstretching his arm to his right, sword held tightly in his hand. “Fifth Stance.” He stated with conviction, as he aimed his left hand towards his opponent, uninterested in the attacks rocketing towards him as blue sparks flowed along his blade. Seconds passed like minutes as the Gods attack had finally reached its mark, with Kaze sweeping his blade horizontally, cracking like a bolt of lightning as all of the blades fell apart to the earth below separated grain by grain.

The snow-haired godhunter flipped his blade in his hand, holding it in a reverse grip before bringing it behind himself. “Second Stance.” He commanded himself, again aiming his left hand towards the God, before he began sprinting at an incredible speed.

Sand began to flow from Kaze’s opponents blue, brittle-looking feet, flowing to and around his back as he began spinning his hands through the air, as if shaping the wind. “This is getting interesting…” He muttered to himself as he slammed his fists to either side of his body, sand enveloping his fists and arms entirely, before hardening into sturdy stone gauntlets. “Show me what you’re made of, Mercenary!”

The God broke into a sprint towards the Godhunter, his fists flying behind himself as he dashed across the beach like a bullet. As the gap closed, he thrust his right fist dead ahead, only for Kaze to swipe his blade up and block the strike, chipping away some of the sand, before flipping his sword back to a regular grip as it flowed up towards his left shoulder, slamming down from above causing the sand-wielder to bring his right forearm up to block the strike, the impact causing him to slide across the beach.

“How can he stand against power like that?” Michaelis sputtered, jaw-dropped.

“It’s true he doesn’t have power, but his swordsmanship…” Naix replied, looking on in just as much awe, “I’ve never seen anyone that can strike as clean and smooth.”

Kaze and the God exchanged blow after blow, deflecting punches, blocking counters yet neither landing a hit. “And Titania?” Michaelis muttered, biting the knuckle of his thumb.

“She chased that guy up into town, I doubt she needs our support, but at this point does he?” Naix stated, still in shock at Kaze’s intense flurry against the deity.

As a left hook that flew towards Kaze was blocked with the fuller of the longsword, a burst of sand flew through the air. A cyclone of coast erupted from the earth, slamming into the side of the kimono wearing warrior, catching him off guard and knocking him to the water. A large wound was now present on Kaze’s right ribs, after the blast had torn through his clothing, his bruise black and red, weeping blood.

Kaze spat into the ocean as he held his blade tight in his right hand. “I’m just getting started!” He exclaimed with a sinister tone, swinging his sword into the air to his right, before bringing it down, resting it on his shoulders and aiming his left hand towards the God. “First Stance.”

The God looked in Kaze’s direction, as something burst from the earth next to him. Karrow, covered in blood, water and earth erupted from the beach, with a blade of sand wrapping his left hand, stabbing directly into the Gods head.

The blade thrust into the hood of the cloak, only for the hood to fall down. There was no target within, only a thin blue neck with floating particles of sand where the creatures head should be.

“Nice try!” The deity exclaimed condescendingly, his left gauntlets fist turning into a blade.

“No!” Kaze shouted, his hand lowering as Michaelis threw his chain blade towards the pair of sand-users. Kaze looked on in shock as Karrow was run through the chest, blood spouting from his mouth. “But I think your blade is a bit dull. Even if I had a head, I doubt it could’ve gotten as far as mine has.”

Michaelis appeared in the air next to the two, launching a roundhouse kick with his left leg towards God, only for it to be caught between his powerful sandstone fist. “I am the God of sand, Gaineamh.” He stated, as he began crushing Mick’s leg, Naix dashing to join in on the combat. “And I will destroy you all!”

Naix’s sword burned bright, with a yellow flame as it slammed upwards against the arm gripping Michaelis, causing the grip to falter, allowing him to fall and dash backwards, limping on his caught ankle. Kaze leapt down on the other limb from above, wielding his weapon in both hands, before slamming the blade down on the Gods elbow. The arm crumpled from the pressure, exploding blue energy erupting from the blade, as the snapping of bones echoed upon the sword's impact. Blood spouted from cracks in the struck armour, as the God leapt away, Karrow falling to his knees before landing face first in the beach below.

“Karrow!” Kaze shouted, beginning to lift his ally by his shoulders, complete upset and shock taking refuge in his eyes. But just after, Michaelis grabbed his allies arm, teleporting the pair of them towards Naix, the God raising his hand into the air. The maw of a crocodile emerged from the sand, consuming Karrow with a clench of his fist barely missing the other two Godhunters who had just transported away.

“I’m going to kill him.” Kaze growled, looking towards Gaineamh with complete rage, as Karrow’s body emerged from the falling apart jaw. The Godhunter’s body was red with blood, barely recognisable from what he once was. Lightning began flowing along Kaze’s blade, howling with power, the wind around Kaze beginning to roar with force, flowing around him like an aura.

“I never expected him to be capable of this.” Michaelis sputtered, in complete awe as Kaze’s white hair flowed upwards, raised by the wind.

“We can’t just sit by and do nothing!” Naix shouted, his boots sinking into the coast as he stomped behind Kaze, raising his own sword into the air, a yellow flame erupting from the hilt to the tip of the blade.

Michaelis bit the knuckle of his thumb as he looked to his leg injury, before slamming the same leg forward in front of himself, following behind his fellow Godhunters.

Kaze reversed his grip on his blade once more, bringing it behind himself, “Second Stance,” He exclaimed, his stomp immediately turning into a dash, as Kaze lowered his body and the wind danced like a bullet. Gaineamh snapped his left arm into the air, more blood spouting out as more snapping sounds were made. His hood lifted itself over the particles that floated where his head should be, as he aimed the same arm towards the oncoming storm approaching him. The sandstone hand turned from a blade into a hand once again, with the palm open, before the arm was rocketed into the air. Crimson red staining the earthen fist, as scarlet leaked and dripped down the sides of the gauntlet.

“Show me what you’re made of, God Hunters! Because so far I’m disappointed!” The deity exclaimed, as a sandstorm just like the one before burst from the coast just in front of Kaze, ramming straight into the warrior. In a single slash, the tornado turned to nothing but dust, Kaze sprinting through it swiftly, in what felt like a moment he was suddenly right in front of Gaineamh.

His blade raised high in the air to his left as it was before, he slammed it down on the God from above. Gaineamh raised his arms above his head, crossing them as the blade slammed down and pushed him into the sand around his feet, his arm spouting more blood. The God knocked the blade upwards, bringing his arms to both of his sides as he dashed forward, thrusting his right fist towards the Godhunter.

His blade fell to Kaze’s left hip in the reverse grip of his right hand, his left hand at his side too. The God stopped in his tracks before his punch could land, Kaze’s lime eyes shined with fury as energy exploded at his hip, “Third Stance.” He stated, before the blade burst upwards from his side and removed Gaineamh’s right hand, causing blood to fountain from what was now his blue stump, the gauntlet around his arm falling apart.

The deity dropped his right arm to his side as he leapt backwards, “You…” he muttered, clenching his remaining fist tight. Kaze looked dissatisfied, swiping his sword through the air, the blood that stained the steel falling to the ground below.

The God brought his left hand to the ground below, dipping it into the beach and retrieving a sword, of incredible size. A dadao, with a crisp white blade. The entire weapon was at least five feet long, with a pure white and blue handle, which he gripped tight in his left hand, aiming the sword towards his opponent.

Kaze aimed his left hand forward, bringing his right hand far back, his sword aimed forward with the metal resting against his cheek. “Fourth Stance.” He took a single leap forward, thrusting his blade forward as hard as he could, only for the strike to be blocked by the side of the grand weapon the deity held. The snow haired warrior brought his weapon back to his side, and began slashing at intense speeds, Gaineamh’s arm moving with insane reactions, blocking every strike that came his way.

“I said we should help too,” Naix commented, “but at this rate we’ll just get in his way. I didn’t realise he was so incredible though.” The knight continued, in awe of Kaze’s speed and power.

“That’s not what’s important now, what about the God?” Michaelis stated, watching from the sidelines alongside the heavily armoured mercenary.

“What do you mean?”

“He seemed like a raw power type, like Fenrisolace. Sure he has some tricks here and there, but I wasn’t expecting him to be a swordsman.”

“Raw power type?” Naix replied with confusion, as Michaelis bit the knuckle of his thumb once again.

“If you look at Kaze, he isn’t the most powerful especially compared to the likes of Fenris, and at least from what we say yesterday, Ilgar.” The shadow-themed warrior remarked, as none of Kaze’s strikes landed, the God not even attempting to hit back. “Kaze’s strength is all in technique, trained skills, and those different stances. These guys are all different breeds.”

Naix looked to Mick, before returning his gaze to the battle, “He looks like his sword is dragging him.” The knight commented, as Michaelis’s eyes widened.

“Wait…” The man gripped his chain blade as he looked onwards at the fight, “You’re completely correct. He isn’t a swordsman, that sword is purely defensive. Titania was right, you aren’t completely useless.” Michaelis snickered, thrusting his dagger towards the clashing tornados of power.

Naix reached his arm out in worry as Michaelis appeared above the pair, slamming his dagger down from above, the sword sweeping upwards. The grand blade dragged the deity with it as it blocked the piercing strike from above. The deity didn’t even have time to look up, as Kaze slashed across his chest, blood beginning to erupt. Michaelis teleported away as a pair of sand spears erupted from the ground towards him, the God stumbling as he held his sword high.

“That’s his weakness!” Naix exclaimed, as Michaelis landed on the ground with a thud, holding his injury.

“How can he keep fighting with damage like that?” The limping mercenary muttered, holding his leg as he watched Kaze continue his onslaught of attacks, “He has completely taken the pace of this fight, but that blow to his ribs from earlier wasn’t nothing.”

Naix lifted his blade behind his shoulder, holding it like a javelin as it was ignited in a sun-like blaze, before it was launched towards the God like a spear. The massive weapon knocked the attack away, the sword landing behind him as he continued blocking Kaze’s attacks, his legs beginning to quake as Kaze began to bead with sweat, panting in between every blow.

“We need to give Kaze an opening now!” Michaelis shouted, still crouched on the ground holding his crushed leg, as Naix clenched his right fist tight, his blade shaking while stabbed into the ground.

“We’ve already won!” Naix bellowed, thrusting his hand backwards as if yanking a chain, the ignited, flaming sword spiraling like a saw blade, launching back towards the knight, with the God right in the middle of its path.

Kaze continued pushing Gaineamh back, before he was spun around on his heels, blocking the blade coming behind himself.

“No!” The God yelled, fear and anguish in his voice. He couldn’t see it, but he felt it, the eyes Kaze had placed on him. The meek warrior’s emerald eyes burst with life as the sword erupted in blue thunder, being brought to the warriors hip. “Third Stance!” He shouted, a bloody rage in his voice as he stepped forward, his blade slashing upwards the Gods back. The grand dadao swept backwards attempting to block the attack, but at this point Kaze had begun walking towards Karrow’s lifeless body.

The God’s breath fell ragged, and despite no eyes to cry from, the feeling of a person's last tears boomed throughout the Baile coast. His upper half fell from his lower, blood spouting from the massive gash apparent within both halves of his body, staining the golden grains beneath him ruby red, Kaze sheathing his blade without a stain on it.

The young man fell to his knees, flipping Karrow’s body onto his back, blood continuing to leak from his torso. His body was lifeless, and his eyes blank as Kaze looked down to his corpse, holding it within his arms. Titania appeared at the top of the seawall, looking down at the scene of carnage from above, enraged beyond belief.

The kimono-wearing warrior’s eyes were smokey, filling with tears as he looked up to Titania, who threw the man she was fighting's body down onto the sand, the body covered in blood. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She muttered to herself as Naix and Michaelis simply looked up to her, no words able to leave their mouths.

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