A sword is crafted to kill people
It should serve no other purpose
Or Should it?
*******
As Joshua turned to face his opponents, he began to recall the words his father had told him at the academy a few years back:
"You are like a sword. Your only purpose is to slaughter your enemies. You have no other purpose"
Then he looked down and stared at his sword in his hand.
Joshua: (to himself) A sword is meant to kill the enemy. But that can't be its only purpose, can it? Here I am, facing opponents who want to kill me and take my power. And I can't kill them because I can't bring myself to do it.
The memory of that little boy flashed in his mind once again and he heaved a sigh.
Joshua: I guess that makes me a broken sword, huh?
Then the Kaimi Daja sprang into action.
Korra: [BLACK: FOREST EMERGENCE]
The ground erupted violently as giant tree branches burst from the lake, twisting and growing until they completely surrounded Joshua, nearly obscuring the Kaimi Daja from his sight.
But Korra wasn't finished.
Korra: [BLACK: FOREST EMERGENCE, INFESTING APHIDS]
A swarm of aphids poured toward him like a living tide. Joshua drew his sword with his right hand, slicing through them, but there were too many. With a swift motion, he unleashed a Crescent Moon Slash, cutting the swarm in a single, fluid sweep.
Before he could react further, Zero appeared to his left. Joshua attempted a Striking Palm attack, but—
Zero: [GHOST TRANSFORMATION]
His strike passed harmlessly through Zero, who slipped behind him, reaching for his sword. Joshua sensed the move just in time and activated Spinning Vortex, forcing Zero backward and keeping his blade out of reach.
From above, Joshua felt Jokita's presence. Tiny pillars, no bigger than ants and brimming with shadow energy, fell toward him.
Jokita: [BLACK: SCALE SHIFTING, ENLARGE]
The pillars expanded midair into massive, tumbling columns. Joshua realized even his Spinning Vortex wouldn't be enough to stop them, so he sprinted out of their range. Each pillar slammed into the lake, sending shockwaves rippling across the water and the forest which had formed from Korra's technique.
But there was no time to breathe. As Joshua landed, Desmond charged, intent on striking him next.
Desmond: [WHITE: FALSE REALITY, SWORD]
Desmond formed a sword with his technique and lunged at Joshua, immediately engaging him in a fierce duel.
Each clash of steel pushed Joshua to his limits. Desmond's skill was sharp, keeping Joshua constantly on edge, forcing him to adapt to every strike. But after a grueling exchange, Joshua found an opening and overpowered him.
Just as he prepared to deliver the finishing blow, Korra intervened. A thorned spike shot toward Joshua's left hand—the one gripping his sword. The thorns sank into his skin, spreading rapidly.
Joshua's eyes narrowed. He knew that severing his arm could break his connection to his fragment power.
With a surge of strength, he wrenched the thorns free, letting them tear from his hand rather than giving up his arm. Blood ran freely, but he quickly channeled his energy to heal the wound, regaining control and keeping his sword ready.
Joshua: (to himself) This is getting troublesome. There's her, she keeps firing these thorns at me. Is that Forest Emergence? Or maybe it's just flower thorns? And she can use Harmonic Restoration, same as me. Plus, the bugs she sent earlier… They almost resemble Sorin Hashido's shadow bugs from 500 years ago. Could there be a connection? Maybe it explains the shadow bugs used in the mass shadowfication a few months ago.
He looked at Desmond.
Joshua: Then there's him. He has that illusion technique. (glances at Jokita) And he shrinks objects. (observes Lokk) He hasn't shown any techniques, but he's skilled in hand-to-hand. (finally looks at Zero) And then there's him. He has a copying technique that gives him Sanito's ghost technique and a water ability. No doubt, he's the most dangerous here. With two techniques, he could probably steal more. I can't let him get my Divergent Moon Technique or the Luminary Sword, or else…
In the next instant, Zero closed the distance with terrifying speed, catching Joshua and the rest of the Kaimi Daja completely off guard.
Joshua reacted instinctively, swinging his sword in a decisive strike, determined to take Zero out for good. But as the blade descended, Zero's right hand shot up and clamped around it, halting it dead in its path. Joshua strained against the grip, but it was immovable.
Joshua: WHAT!?
Zero (smirking): I've got quite the grip, don't I? I can't have you waving this thing around, so…
A surge of Nexus energy coursed through Zero's hand, and with a sickening snap, Joshua's katana fractured in two. Shock froze him in place, he had reinforced that blade with Light energy specifically to prevent this.
Zero seized the opening without hesitation.
Zero: [WATER MANIPULATION: PISTOL]
A compressed bullet of water shot from his hand at point-blank range, striking Joshua square in the chest. He flew across the lake, landing hard, but his Harmonic Mantle Essence absorbed much of the impact.
Joshua looked down at his broken sword, the shattered steel a dark, mocking reminder of his own words.
"I guess that makes me a broken sword, huh?"
Zero: Now tell me… what can you do with a broken sword?