"Era Ending Strike!"
Hirudo's technique bounced off the thick armor of Goemul, the large Planetary Star literally shrugging off the sickly man's attack. Meanwhile, Roland ran up and began swinging his swords against the giant knight only to find it difficult to cut into the honed steel. The two of them could not make so much as a dent in Goemul's defenses and in comparison, Goemul dislodged both of them with a single swing of his broadsword, forcing them both to regroup.
"My apologies." Hirudo coughed, "This sickly body cannot draw forth enough strength in my techniques to damage Goemul."
"Yeah, but we already knew that." Roland scowled, "What did Roko say to do at this time?"
"Goemul's defenses are high but you should be able to cut through them. He doesn't know any magic at least so that shouldn't be a problem. Just keep an eye on Hirudo, one hit and he'll probably turn into dust. Roland, you're going to have to keep his attention on you. Your twin swords should be enough to hold off his attacks. You can attack if you want, his defenses won't hold forever but you're going to have to be a shield for Hirudo mostly."
"Screw that." Roland growled, "I dropped my shield so I can attack with an extra sword and that's what I'll do!"
Roaring loudly, Roland ran towards Goemul who just smiled at Roland's approach. Without ever moving to defend himself, he let Roland unleash a flurry of slashes onto his armor. Neither moving away or defending or even bringing his sword around to counterattack, Goemul just stood there and let Roland's blades bounce off him. But Roland kept going. Roko had said he should be able to cut through them so it was just a matter of time before he finally landed a hit. But when his arms became tired and he had to stop, Goemul was still unharmed and unfazed.
"Are you done little man?" Goemul grinned that annoying smile of his.
Anger pushed Roland to launch one more attack at him but he was so exhausted that Goemul simply smacked his hand away and his sword out of his tired arm. That was when Hirudo jumped up into the air to catch onto Roland's thrown sword.
"Split Edge: Mirror Crush!"
Hirudo lunged down from the sky, both swords in hand and Goemul, watching this happen...was forced to raise his sword in defense. Hirudo jabbed twice, one attack glancing off with little effect but the other one letting out a flash of rainbow light as Goemul was forced back a few inches. It was small but it was enough to let Hirudo grab Roland and pull him back again.
"You know two sword style techniques too?" Roland gasped, irritation in his voice.
"Naturally." Hirudo replied matter-of-factly, "But more impressively is this sword. I didn't think you'd be one of Specular's wielders."
"Exspecular."
"Excuse me?"
"Exspecular." Roland repeated, "I changed it's name."
"Why?"
"Because my name is cooler."
"If you say so." Hirudo shrugged.
"Still, what was that rainbow light?" Roland frowned, "I've never seen it do anything like that before."
"Oh, were you not aware? Specular, excuse me, Exspecular is a special sword that leaves a rainbow trail if swung in the right way."
"What the hell, that never happened when I used it!"
"You must not have been swinging it properly."
"Bullshit!" Roland snapped, "Give me that!"
Roland grabbed his sword back from Hirudo and swung it around randomly, creating no such rainbow light in it's wake.
"What the hell am I doing wrong?!" Roland cried.
"Like I said, it has to be swung in the right way."
"What way is the right way to swing a sword?!"
"There is no wrong way to swing a sword but Specu- Exspecular is particular about it's use."
"How'd you do it then?"
"I probably just used a compatible sword style."
"You're telling me I have to learn a sword style?!"
"Not necessarily." Hirudo shrugged, "But I imagine it could help."
"Great." Roland rolled his eyes, "As if I don't have enough trouble with Roko's stupid training program."
"Is your second sword named too, perhaps?" Hirudo asked.
"Huh? Yeah, it's Grievegrave."
"I've never heard of that sword."
"That's because I named it." Roland held up the black-ish sword in his other hand, "It didn't have one so I named it."
"Oh? What are its achievements?"
"Nothing really." Roland sighed, "I just wanted to say I have two named swords."
"It's not quite as simple as just naming-"
"I know that!" Roland snapped, "Helena wouldn't let me get TWO named swords so I had to compromise."
"I see. My apologies."
"No, it's fine." Roland sighed, "You're actually the first person to care about my swords."
"Well it did create some sort of impact against Goemul." Hirudo nodded, "Perhaps you might let me-"
"No." Roland said stubbornly, "I will master Exspecular if it's the last thing I do!"
"Well...good luck with that. But in that case, we don't really have a way of damaging Goemul now."
"Nonsense! Now that I know my sword can actually affect that guy then I'll bend him over my knee in no time! Yaaaaahhhhh!"
Roland charged at Goemul again, swinging his swords wildly to no effect, neither from Exspecular or on Goemul.
"It's not good to be prideful, you know." Goemul said, "Humility can introduce you to some great teachers."
"I don't need to hear anything from you!" Roland snapped at Goemul, "I'll take you down on my own if I have to!"
"Friends are important. You can't expect to do everything alone."
"Spare me the yap sesh and die!"
Goemul sighed as Roland went back to slashing away at him pointlessly, "Kids, do not grow up to be like this man."
"Okay!" The kids said as they watched from a safe distance.
"What are you, a presenter for a kids program?!" Roland cried.
"One must always be an example for the kids." Goemul nodded, "They are the future of humanity."
"I hate kids."
"You seem like the type that would hate kids."
"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!"
"See, this is why Corissa doesn't like you."
"Shut! Up!" Roland snapped, "And what are you doing here, Helena?!"
"Heyo." Helena said with her drone popping out of the ground, "Just came to say I'm finally in position."
"You better be after all this time." Roland rolled his eyes.
"In position?" Goemul raised an eyebrow, "Where are you, young lady?"
"Flattery won't get you anywhere." Helena responded, "But if I had to give you a hint..."
A glint in the distance was the sole hint that Helena gave and Goemul caught onto it fast enough to turn his sword in that direction and block a large spinning ice saw that screeched against his sword and pushed him back several meters before it finally lost it's momentum and dissipated as it fell off. Goemul looked down at his sword, where a large gash had been carved onto its side by the attack.
"That direction..." Goemul frowned as he began to piece things together, "Is that from the direction of William's Vineyard?"
"Wow, you got it." Helena smirked, "We set up a nice big tower in the middle of your city for me to snipe across the entire city."
"You can fire a spell with such intensity and from such distance?" Goemul stroked his chin, "That is impressive."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere with me but it will piss Roland off."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I would give the poor man a compliment but..."
"No no, it's fine. I didn't say to stop."
"Still..." Goemul turned to look at Roland, "He doesn't seem enraged that much anymore. Just...depressed..."
Roland looked down at the ground as he finally began to understand the situation. "Goemul's defenses are high but you should be able to cut through them." Roko was talking about Hirudo's techniques and Helena's ice spells. His plan never expected Roland to do anything than be a meat shield. And while that infuriated Roland, the reality of it could not be denied. Where Hirudo had his experience and Helena her training, Roland had not made any substantial progress.
"Am...am I weak?" Roland said to himself.
"N-No no no, you're plenty strong." Hirudo said walking up and placing a hand on Roland's shoulder.
"That's right! There's no need to be sad young man, you can always improve later!" Goemul said encouragingly.
"Don't coddle him, you two." Helena said, "He needs to learn his lesson."
"This is bullshit!" Roland cried, "I followed Roko's stupid training program like the rest of you! Why ain't I any stronger?!"
"Well for one, you didn't like using Roko's training program so you didn't take it all too seriously." Helena explained, "Second, and this is coming from Roko himself, while you are talented with two swords, it's still an entirely new style that you had no experience with so in order to become stronger, you have to learn the basics first. Something you still haven't quite gotten."
Normally Roland would snap again or make another snide remark but he could not deny the facts. He had gotten it into his head that he was a natural with two swords but in his short time using them he had not truly learned anything about how to improve using them. Was his talent not as big as he thought? Was he still only a novice with them?
Roland gritted his teeth. No. Even if he was weak now, that didn't change how he had to fight now. He couldn't just do some training in the middle of this fight and come back stronger. He had to believe in himself. Believe that his "talent" no matter how big or small it may be was significant enough to offer him an advantage. It was...all he had right now.
"Ha!"
With renewed determination, Roland went back to striking at Goemul. The giant man simply stood there, watching Roland attack him with a focused determination and slight desperation. But this new perspective didn't result in any better a performance. Roland's sword still clattered uselessly against Goemul. The Planetary Star was quite perplexed on how to handle this situation. His pity wanted to leave the poor man be but he did have a job to do which involved defeating this small man. Maybe he could just ignore these two and just head to the battlefield? But that'd just make the poor man feel even worse. But he couldn't just lose for him. Even Goemul wasn't that generous. That's when his phone began ringing.
"Ah. Hold on a second." Goemul said as he casually ignored Roland's attacks to pick up his phone, "Ah, Zhong. What's...yeah I know there's a sniper. She's over in William's Vineyard."
Goemul's conversation put a pause on Roland's assault as he listened with a foreboding feeling.
"She took your hand? At that distance? Wow. What's that? You want me to head there and cut her off?" Goemul looked down at Roland with pity as he answered, "Yeah sure. I can do that."
"Wait..." Roland's face paled as Goemul just turned and began walking off towards Helena's direction, "WAIT!"
Roland chased after the strolling Goemul, sword continuing to clatter against his enemy's armor as he began to panic again, "Helena, run!"
"No can do." Helena replied matter-of-factly, "Frontline needs my support!"
"Defend yourself first!"
"What do you want me to do?"
A saw of ice came flying out of the air towards Goemul only for the knight to swat it away with his sword, breaking it with on swing.
"Once a sniper's been found, they lose all their advantage." Helena replied, "And besides, you're supposed to be the meat shield right? Do your job."
"Easy...for you to say..." Roland said through tears of frustration.
"Look little man, just give it up." Goemul said as he swatted Roland away with little effort.
"No...WAY!"
Roland jumped up to launch another reckless attack at Goemul. Goemul lifted his arm and blocked the attack, Roland's sword popping out of his hand in the recoil. The blade flew up in the air before it was suddenly caught in the air.
"Reality Bleed: Breakaway."
Hirudo's strike hit clean against Goemul's side. The technique hit with such power that it threw Goemul into the air though the seasoned knight managed to roll himself back to a kneeling position, still unharmed.
"Hirudo." Roland grimaced as he staggered up to his rebel companion, "Good work."
"Not at all." Hirudo replied as he offered Roland his sword back, "You've got good swords."
"Thanks." Roland said as he took his sword back, "...Wait, this is Grievegrave."
"Indeed. It's quite a powerful sword. Quite heavy as well."
"Heavy?"
"Indeed. Not quite like the broadsword that Goemul uses but quite dense for it's size class."
Roland looked down at his swords. Especular, a light sword that refused to show it's true colors. Grievegrave a heavier more powerful sword. Where had he seen this combination before?
"No, there's only one sword. You'll be swinging a regular practice sword with your other hand."
"Well then what's the point?"
"The point is to get you to be aware of your own openings. Dual wielding swords is a balance of responsibilities. When one goes on the offense, the other is not just preparing for another attack but covering one of your blind spots. When one retreats the other attacks. When one attacks the other guards. Until you learn this balance of roles, how your body can and should move and the tempo for a balanced and continuous assault, you have no right to call yourself a swordsman."
"That rat bastard." Roland said as he finally began to understand, "Did he know all along? Why didn't he just tell me?"
"Why didn't you notice yourself? It's your own damn swords."
"Shut the fuck up!"
"Huh? Who are you talking to?" Hirudo looked around confused.
"Nothing, just...voices in my head." Roland sighed, "Right...let me give this one last try."
"You seem to have figured something out...again." Hirudo nodded, "Good luck."
"I've got this."
Roland walked up Goemul who stood back up, now quite sick of Roland's persistence.
"Is this going to go anywhere?" Goemul sighed as he dusted himself.
"Only one way to find out." Roland said as he raised Grievegrave, "And if it makes you feel any better...I kinda hope this doesn't work."
And Roland swung.
Roko had said, "You wield your swords like they're bats."
So Roland swung it like it was a bat. He built up as much strength as he could muster and he swung Grievegrave into the side of Goemul's armor. He didn't cut through the armor. But he was able to push Goemul aside a few step. And it was then that Roland could finally see a way to win. And seeing the hope in Roland's eyes, Goemul couldn't help but be intrigued.
"Oh?" Goemul said as he raised his broadsword and swung down on Roland, the first attack he has made since this fight began.
Roland blocked the attack with Grievegrave, the force of which sent him stumbling back a few steps more than what he did to Goemul, but he managed to hold strong before the attack could end. And once he stopped the attack, Roland struck out with his sword again, this time with Exspecular. The lightless blade punched into Goemul's side once more, failing to pierce but enough to push Goemul away. This opening was what Roland needed, pushing the Planetary Star away and keeping Grievegrave in front of Goemul's broadsword as he forced the sword out of his way. Exspecular then went for Goemul's head, the only unarmored part of the giant man's body. Goemul didn't seem quite worried, easily tilting his head to dodge the attack from an awkward angle. But this left Goemul's body in an awkward position as well with his body tilted away from Roland and in towards his sword arm. Without an easy way to build up an attack with his sword, Roland was able to press his assault, putting a boot on top of Goemul's sword and using it to spin his body around, building up momentum for a giant swing with Grievegrave into Goemul's side once again. This attack hit so cleanly that Goemul was sent staggering away from Roland. As he shook off the recoil, Goemul passed his sword to his other hand as he reached out to touch his side.
"Been attacking the same spot over and over again huh?" Goemul grimaced, "Are you hoping to break my armor by attacking one spot enough times? Sadly, my armor's more sturdy than-"
Goemul paused as he heard the cracking of his armor. Right where Roland had struck so many times before, a crack had appeared over his armor. The smallest of openings yet it was made with persistent effort from one man. With Roland's own strength.
"You look so pleased with yourself." Goemul scowled, "You've only gotten this far because I ALLOWED it."
"Yeah." Roland gasped, exhausted but with the smuggest of smirks on his face, "But I've made my point. Now...now I can take a break."
"What?"
And with that, Roland tossed both his swords into the air. And like so many times before, Hirudo flew through the air, catching onto both of the swords and diving onward to Goemul.
"So that is how you use your swords." Hirudo smiled, "Then I think I know just the technique for this."
"Oh no." Goemul raised his sword in defense.
"Sculpting Arms: Chisel!"
A rapid series of jabs rained down on Goemul, the knightly Planetary Star holding back most of it with the flat of his broadsword. Hirudo on the other hand was practically leaping around Goemul, using the impact between Exspecular and Goemul's sword to bounce back up into the air and maneuver around the giant man to attack in various directions from midair. It was a feat of equal strength and dexterity but it wasn't making much of a dent in Goemul's situation aside from keeping him rooted. But Grievegrave had yet to strike, Hirudo holding the sword behind his back like a hidden weapon building up power. A precarious situation but not one out of Goemul's capabilities. All he had to do was push back against Hirudo's attack to fling him far away from him once again. But when he moved to do so, a glint in the corner of his eyes caught a new attack. And it was the moment that Goemul's attention broke that Hirudo moved to strike.
"Sculpting Arms: Hammer!"
As Hirudo finally began to raise Grievegrave, Goemul was stuck in a dangerous situation that he was not prepare for and could not prepare in time for either of them, the two attacks hitting him with earth shaking impact.
In the dust that followed, Hirudo quickly leaped back to Rolands side, holding onto his arm holding Grievegrave with a nasty grimace on his face.
"You good?" Roland asked.
"Yes well...I'm not particularly strong enough to properly use a sword like Grievegrave. My arm might need some time to heal. ...Might need a cast."
"So...did you not get him?"
"No, I- or rather...We got him."
The smoke began to settle down and where Goemul was standing...was Goemul. Armor cut apart so thoroughly that the straps holding onto them could no longer support them and the shattered armor pieces just fell off of his body. Helena's snipe had cut straight through Goemul's sword and then right through his armor, cutting through the steel but stopping at the chain mail that, while saving his actual body, was now so damaged that it was slipping off his body. But otherwise, Goemul was alive and uninjured.
"You know when people ask if you got him, they usually mean if you killed him."
"Oh, I try not to kill where I can."
"That's not helpful right now." Roland growled.
"Ahhhh..." Goemul flex his incredibly muscular body, grabbing onto his remaining pieces of armor and stripping them from his body. With his arms and legs now fully free of his armor, he grabbed onto his chain mail and pulled them apart, snapping several links as he pulled them off from around his body. With all his armor gone, Goemul was left in a skintight body suit that contoured almost fetishistically to his toned and muscular figure.
"Damn, he mad buff." Helena remarked.
"So am I." Roland said.
"No you aren't. You're like half his size with maybe a six pack."
"Hey I got more muscles!"
"Dude, chill. Steroids isn't exactly a good look anyway."
"Steroids?" Goemul sneered as he flexed his body, "This is all natural, madam."
"That right?"
"Yep! Remember kids! Work hard at your dreams and goals and you can stand as tall and powerful as me!"
"You're awakening a lot of fetishes for those girls right now." Roland scoffed.
"And some of the guys. Let's be inclusive here." Helena added.
"But you lot are the more impressive ones." Goemul reached down and picked up the handle of his sword, the broad blade lying on the ground next to him, "To think you would strip away all of my armor like this. You're strong. All of you. Each of you. Independently. Including the young knight."
"That would've been more flattering if you didn't have to add so much specifics to include me." Roland frowned.
"Quite the shame that you are on the wrong side." Goemul shook his head, "You all would've made good heroes for the kids."
"Yeah, with Roland? I don't think so." Helena scoffed.
"As Roland, I would not want kids imitating me." Roland scoffed as well.
"Oh wow, you're self aware now. This is real good progress." Helena clapped semi-sarcastically.
"Haha! Shame." Goemul smirked, "There is no shortage of heroes for the kids. But if you don't want to be role model for the kids then I'm afraid there is no chance of your winning." Goemul drew his arm back, aiming in the direction that Helena had fired from, "For there is no chance of you beating a childhood hero!"
And with that he flung his handle through the air and in a few seconds a cry rung out from Helena's drone, "Kyaaa!"
"Helena!" Roland cried and quickly grabbed a sword from Hirudo. Raising it against Goemul once more, he swung at Goemul. Goemul stomped on the side of his broken sword, flipping the broken blade into the air and around his arm as Goemul pushed the makeshift shield against Roland's sword, blocking it with an irritating smirk.
"You see?" Goemul grinned as he raised a fist, "You can't beat a true hero!"
Roland cried out in shock as the Planetary Star pushed his sword aside and punched him square in the stomach. Though his armor dulled much of the blow, it was more prepared to deflect slashes than it was impacts so Roland could feel his steel rattling as he was thrown back and tumbled across the ground. Though nothing was broken per say, he was still a tad rattled from the shockingly powerful blow. And it was in his shock that he heard Goemul rumbling towards him, shaking the ground with his steps as he ran with his broken sword under his arm and then jump into the air.
"For the kids!" He shouted as he pulled his legs in for a drop kick and placed the broken blade underneath his feet.
Roland could only yelp and put up his sword in defense before he was smashed in the face with a broken sword and sent tumbling even further back.
"Owwww..." Roland moaned as he laid on the ground, thoroughly disoriented. He thought he had felt the flat of Goemul's sword smash into his nose so he might be bleeding but he still hadn't regained enough of his facilities to check. Instead he could hear Goemul approaching again and then get picked up by the neck.
"You're not bad. But you can't win against me."
"How..." Roland coughed, struggling to get his words out.
"Because I fight for the kids!"
"Not-" Roland coughed again, "-what I was going to ask."
"Oh? Well, no matter. I won't kill you, that wouldn't look good in front of the kids. But I can leave you just barely alive. Don't worry, you'll probably recover from this."
"You..." Roland grimaced as Goemul raised his arm holding his piece of a sword, "You don't fight for the kids."
"Rubbish." Goemul shook his head, "You saw for yourself how loved I am by the kids."
"Then what about the kids in Mulapin? The impoverished who starve and steal? The ones who cry everyday along with their own parents for their situation? The ones who need a hero the most? Where are you then?!"
"..."
"You're not a hero to the kids. Just a hero for the rich and posh. You don't care about those who need help. You only care for those who can afford you. You've made no difference in the world. Your work has no importance."
Goemul looked displeased. Not quite angry. Not quite incredulous. But unable to come up with a retort. The only thing he could do was bring his blade down on Roland. But just as he was about to connect, Hirudo was there right beside him, back turned to the man and his sword sliding slowly back into its scabbard.
"Hanauta Sancho." Hirudo said, "Yahazu Giri."
Hirudo's sword clicked into place and immediately, Goemul's body became riddled with slashes. Blood splattered out from multiple shallow but strategically placed cuts. Roland fell to the ground as Goemul dropped him before he himself fell to the ground defeated.
"Are you alright?" Hirudo asked, kneeling down next to Roland.
"I'm cool." Roland coughed, "More importantly, that was fucking cool!"
"Huh?" Hirudo blinked, taken aback by Roland's enthusiasm.
"You did the thing! The thing where you slashed the opponent but he didn't react until you sheathed your sword! The...the delayed causality thing!"
"Uhh...yeah?"
"Teach me how to do that! I've always wanted to do that!"
"Oh!" Hirudo chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry but I don't actually know how to teach any of my techniques. I stole them after all so I can't really teach something I don't know the intricacies of."
"Also, don't you use two swords? How are you going to sheath a sword when you've got another sword in your hand?"
"Oh hey Helena." Roland said, turning to the drone, "You okay?"
"Yeah, he didn't really hit me. Got damn close though so I got startled."
"Well...so long as you're safe." Roland nodded, "Everything worked out well then. Goemul's been defeated and I know how I'm going to get stronger!"
"How?" Hirudo asked curiously.
"I'm going to learn a swordstyle!"
"What kind of-"
"You're not seriously going to try and learn an iaido style with two swords are you?" Helena moaned.
"But it's so cool!" Roland insisted.
"Hirudo's not going to be able to teach you anything!"
"Then I'll find a teacher! One who knows a real sword draw technique!"
"Well...at least he's motivated." Helena sighed.