Soul of Blades - Chapter 11: Death vs Destruction (Patreon)

In the world of martial arts, there are countless techniques, and in the realm of the sword, they are all said to stem from eight different movements- eight attack angles. Well, nine if you include the stab.

4 Vertical slashes.

4 horizontal slashes.

And of course, the stab. Once you truly delve into the complexities of sword play and the complexities of combat, the 9 multiplies into 18, then 36, and then endless variations for endless scenarios.

All stemming from 9 movements.

Take, for example, Kendo’s Multiple Strike Combo- The Ren Dan- a technique that often exhibits this complexity. The move is all about maintaining offensive pressure and overwhelming adversaries with a barrage of attacks, all while barring your opponents from finding an opening. Having to Strike targets twice your size, targets with claws and canines as sharp as any blade would turn this technique into an exercise of daring and precision. The technique would transform when faced with opponents with unnatural agility. If one found themselves battling beasts that fly and slide across mountainous terrain with the ease of birds in flight, a particularly talented person could use the technique to deliver a series of quick, controlled strikes, each targeting a different point and different opponent with inhuman precision and speed.

In Kenjutsu, the Enveloping Cut, known as Kesa Giri, faces another real test. The typical cut starts from the shoulder of your unfortunate opponent, with the sword sweeping across in a large, diagonal arc, the body turns in harmony with the cut, with feet pivoting for balance and reach. The Kesa Giri's broad, sweeping motion is said to be designed to engage multiple adversaries in one fluid movement. The diagonal path of the blade makes it a versatile strike, capable of both offense and defense, allowing for quick transitions between targets. Against a wolfman leaping with physics-defying speed, you would have to adapt this technique. Your cut, traditionally a wide sweep, would need laser-like precision, adjusting mid-air to the creature's unpredictable movements. It becomes less about elegance and more about slicing through an impossible whirlwind.

Against a wolfman that propels itself with explosive blasts, the Swift Turn, or Hiraki, would enter the fray. You would find yourself quickly pivoting. Spinning, not for grace, but to keep your limbs intact, each turn a calculated gamble against the fiery advances of this adversary.

You would need to adapt the technique to predict the explosions, watching the twitches and shifts of fur and muscles with all the focus of your vision- peripheral and otherwise- to leap back and avoid any blasts of fiery death, rock, and clawed momentum.

When facing deadly creatures from all directions, Battojutsu’s Turning Strike, the Mawarigiri, becomes the difference between life and death.

Using the technique, you would find yourself constantly turning to face a new threat while drawing the sword in a sweeping motion, often culminating in a powerful strike. The turn and draw are blended into one seamless action.

And against countless beasts chasing after you from all sides, and three hulking wolfmen that outstip you in size and magical capabilities, you would need the agility and dexterity of a gymnast and the precision- or intelligence- of a marksman. The technique would evolve into a strategic whirlwind, where every turn and strike keeps you one step ahead of being cornered, outflanked, skewered, or dismembered into charred chunks of gore.

Such an environment would require ingenuity.

Against a creature with the ability to slide through rock as if skating on ice, bisecting all who enter its path, Muay Thai’s Flying Knee, Kao Loi, completely transforms. It is a move based in surprise and high-impact. Typically, you would leap, driving one knee upward while the other leg provides thrust. The arms used to either guard or assist in targeting. The knee is aimed at the head, chest, or abdomen.

Of a human opponent.

For an opponent with deadly claws and paws setting the ground aflame. Here, you would leap and strike in one fluid motion, a race against the creature's fiery path. This technique becomes a fiery duel, where the ground is as treacherous as any blade. Coupled with the magical skill to propel yourself through the air at speed in any direction, the technique evolves.

It turns into a daring leap, boosted in mid-air in an attempt to meet the explosive power of a dangerous wolfman with equal force. ideal for quickly downing an aggressive opponent. It combines the elements of surprise, power, agility, and force making it a formidable move not only in close-quarters combat, but in ranged combat too.

It’s an essential technique for when you find yourself outnumbered. But nowhere near as essential as your footwork and positioning.

Fluid footwork could be said by some to be a swordsman’s lifeline. And Kendos fluid Footwork, The Ashi Sabaki- even more so. It’s a series of dynamic shifts and movements including sidesteps and pivots, used to instantly grasp deadly terrain and rapid repositioning, enabling one to strike out at all angles. The technique focuses on controlling distance, positioning, and range, as most footwork techniques do. As all martial movement tech Allow even the most unhealthiest of fighters to engage or disengage enemies at will, dictating the pace and flow of combat in impossible or desperate conditions.

Say, for example, if someone were trying to maintain balance on a sloped battlefield, a constantly shifting battlefield filled with magical projectiles- flying with explosive effects in all directions- the application of this technique would shift from the practiced steps of a training hall to a frantic race of survival, where every step could be your last.

Maybe the errant beam of red heated air shooting your way will pierce through you like tofu, or maybe it will liquify your insides. With this technique, adapted, you'd only have to wonder, as a swift pivot would cause it to miss you by inches, the heat blistering your skin as you focus on much more immediate threats.

Mastering these techniques is a journey with no set ending. Against formidable creatures, It's a challenge that demands not just practice, but ingenuity, adaptability, instincts, and an inhuman level of awareness and reflexes, where each move is a calculated risk in the battle of survival against beasts of nightmare.

Basically, it’s hard as hell.

And Alex was discovering all of this the hard way, as he fought for his life. Rediscovering, and learning.

Alex sprinted, the flashes of magical projectiles and the chaos of the battlefield propelling him forward. Phoenix leap, he thought.

He soared.

Explosions erupted behind him, distinct bursts of light and heat chasing him as he fled. The roar of each blast was jarring, surging heat and erratic light pressing on his back. Adrenaline surged through his veins, sword gripped firm in his hand.

The three pursued from all sides. Their fur bristled with raw power when they bounded through the melee, their presence had dominated the battlefield's chaos. Titanapes were blasted apart, and wolfmen were shredded to ribbons. Any who had gotten to close or impeded their path had been swiftly obliterated by their monstrous charge.

Except Alex.

Alex had used his knowledge of the mountains paths to gain distance, and purposely led them into traps he'd planted days before. He sent a prayer of thanks to the heavens that his attempts at securing the perimeter- a lesson learned from his time spent in the jungle- had paid off in ways he couldn't imagined. The rigged placements of countless wickedly sharp horns had played their part and slowed his pursuers, causing to become more wary and add caution to their reckless charge. Now he was too far ahead and too far apart. But the the three grew more confident and reckless with each step and twist devoid of further traps, as Alex hadn't deigned to plant any this high up. The gap between them was closing again. His lead would not last for much longer.

***

From above, the third wolfman descended, eyes flashing with predatory hunger. Alex twisted to avoid the fiery swipe, feeling the heat graze his cheek. He ducked under another claw, the wind from its passage ruffling his hair. He then parried the claw with his sword, the sound of metal ringing in the night air.

The explosive wolfman closed in from behind, its charred fur cloak matted with sweat and blood. Alex spun, sword extended, but the creature was faster. Its palm strike connected with Alex's shoulder, an explosion blossoming on impact, sending him crashing through rocks and landing on his back. Everything hurt, and his ribs felt numb and swollen. But Alex gritted his teeth and stood, staggering. His ears still rang with the sound of each explosion, the distinct thunder of detonations echoing through the mountain air.

Pain is just information, he thought, reminding himself of his family's teachings as he raised his sword.

He leapt, narrowly avoiding another explosion. The force of it sent him off-balance, stumbling forward some meters ahead as his surroundings brightened with flames and heat.

Ow, god I hate these guys. I need to take one of them out. The explosive guy is too dangerous, he has to go first. But the others, they’re too fast.

He turned to see the sliding beast speeding towards him from the side. It cut through the air, claws outstretched, aiming for him.

The sliding one needs the ground to move. I haven’t seen it slide on any other surface, and if it could slide off the air it would have already.

So what if I remove the ground from the equation?

Alex readied himself as he ran once more, knowing the next moments were crucial. He had to outmaneuver them, to survive. He had to make it to the peak. If this worked, it could give him an edge and create the gap he needed to break free from their formation. He eyed the path ahead, all he needed was a moment, a chance to gain some distance.

But they were relentless. As its two allies pursued from behind, the fire trailing wolfman swerved, cutting off Alex's path in an arc. Alex skidded, sending a spray of pebbles down the mountain. But he didn’t stop.

Pivoting on the ball of one foot and using the other for balance, Alex leapt, driving one knee upward while the other leg provided thrust. Phoenix leap, he thought in mid-flight, and the world blurred as he careened towards the fiery wolfman as if propelled.

Crash.

His knee impacted the creature's chest and drove the air out of it with a hollow and meaty thud, the force of its momentum having been turned against it. Alex raised his sword in the same instant and stabbed.

He thrust his blade forward, angling his blade to shear through the wolfman's heart and spine. He felt the wind rush past as it’s claw swished past his head and missed, the futile swipes of a dying beast. The wolfman's snarl turned into a fading howl as his blow severed its spine, ruptured its heart, and took its life.

Alex then felt a sharp sting across his chest, and a searing pain

The dying wolfman had struck again, its claws leaving a deep, ragged gash. A glimpse of white hinted at ribs being bare to the world, and his blood flowed freely. The pain was intense, and nausea began to set in, but Alex attempted to push through. Pain is just information, your body’s way of informing the brain of injuries, you don’t need to let it control you. He tried to recite one of his family's mantras, but it didn’t change the fact that his chest felt as though it was on fire from the inside. His breath came in ragged gasps as he hacked and coughed blood.

[You have defeated level 48 Apex Canid - additional experience points due to the level difference]

“Good riddance” he wheezed through the growing pain in his chest. He’d always enjoyed skating as a kid, and dogs throughout his life, but that thing had been seriously ruining the appeal.

For skating, not for dogs. Nothing could ruin his love for dogs, not even these things. Maybe there are some nice ones out there? Friendly killer werewolves? He laughed despite himself, then hacked and wheezed in pain as he struggled to breathe and made to move from the dead beast.

[Level 16 > Level 19]

[15 unassigned stats - Speak or think ‘Status’ to allocate pending stats]

Without hesitation, Alex dumped all of his free stats into dexterity. A warm feeling embraced him as he felt the world buzz and slow down, before resuming its normal pace.

[Strength: 67 (53)

Dexterity: 83 (57)

Endurance: 61 (42)

Intelligence: 90 (62)

Wisdom: 41 (28)]

The two remaining threats howled with rage at the sight of their dead comrade and closed in on him from behind.

And Alex made a sound that he intended to be a roar, but came out more as a wheezy scream as he leapt off the beast and drew for his second healing potion. The pain in his chest was unbearable, and he couldn’t run or move his arm properly. The numb feeling in his chest spread as he wheezed, it felt as though his lung had been punctured. He eyed the potion for a what felt like milliseconds as his brain fired off thoughts at speed: after using this to heal himself, there would only be one potion left. After this one was gone, he would only have one final chance at healing deadly injuries. Better to die later than now, he thought with finality. That wasn’t a saying or teaching of his family’s, but he felt as though it should be.

He downed the potion.

Alex ran and marvelled at the effects as his wounds healed almost instantly. His dexterity had increased by almost a third, and his speed had increased exponentially as a result. It sent him off at a pace the remaining beasts could not immediately follow.

He felt faster than he’d ever felt in his life, despite the exhaustion assaulting him. The warring beasts were a distant memory, the sounds of their battles fading fast. He could do this.

The mountain's terrain grew less treacherous, the air thinner, and the wind colder, Alex pressed on, his eyes fixed on the summit. His body was torn and beaten, and healed. And his sword was stained with the blood of his enemies, but the prize at the peak still remained. Battered and exhausted, Alex pressed on towards the summit, his body straining against gravity.

He was almost there. He could see the summit.

Another explosion up above, much larger and deeper than anything he’d ever experienced, rocked the mountain, causing Alex to stumble and stare in shock at the peak. The mountain had erupted, a stream of ash and flame reaching the sky. Thick torrents of lava erupted and engulfed the peak, and in the next breath, the lava began pouring down the mountain at a dizzying speed, rapidly frothing, falling and consuming everything in its path. A tsunami of fiery destruction.

Almost as one, all of the denizens halted and turned to race to the bottom, Alex included. Except this time he was at the back, with lava lapping at his heels. Using his dexterity and intelligence stats rivaling something of a much higher level- almost double the stats of the average mountain denizen- Phoenix Leap, gravity, and his sword, he too raced to the bottom. He had seen that system users without classes gained 5 stats per level, and thanks to his feats he had hundreds. But it was just enough to allow him to make it this far. He swiped, slashed, and landed on distracted monsters, apes, and wolves alike, launching off them with Phoenix Leap and sending them hurtling into the lava behind. He was barely keeping ahead of the lava, and felt it’s scorching heat against his back as the waves of itconsumed countless monsters without the dexterity or intelligence needed to descend the terrain in time. Leap after leap, he jumped from beast to beast, his skill launching them into the ground, or hurling them into the lava, every step he took brought an end to a lesser monster. His world was a blur of rock, fur, death, and notifications.

[System Message: You have defeated level 4 Apex Canid]

[System Message: You have defeated level 23 Apex Canid - additional experience points due to the level difference]

[System Message: You have defeated level 14 Titanape]

[System Message: You have defeated level 28 Titanape - Inventory Items available]

[System Message: You have defeated…]

[System Message: Level 19 > Level 23]

[Mass defeated level difference registered. Sole contributor noted. Incursion dungeon presence noted. Additional unnasigned stats granted +10.]

[System Message: 35 unassigned stats available]

For a split second, he was foolishly tempted to dump more stats into intelligence to increase his mana, as his initial gambles had paid off. Without his initial stat gain, he would never have made it this far. His intelligence stat affected his skills and the pool of energy he used to fuel them. He had used Phoenix Leap countless times, and although he felt exhausted, he didn’t feel drained. But magic was finite, and his body was even more so, any mistake between leaps would prove fatal. Speeds going to get me there first, right now speeds all that matters, he thought as he frantically moved.

Alex dumped 10 more stats into dexterity and kept the rest in reserve. The temptation to go all in on dexterity was there, but with only one healing potion left he needed as many lifelines as he could afford. And with his feats, 25 stats could equal an increase of 36 strength, dexterity, endurance, or intelligence in an instance, and that was before he took his latest skill, ‘Mana Burn’ into account.

[Strength: 67 (53)

Dexterity: 100 (69)

Endurance: 61 (42)

Intelligence: 90 (62)

Wisdom: 41 (28)

Unassigned stat points: 25]

The world shifted, and continued to blur around him at speeds he could barely keep up with as for the first time, his dexterity became his highest stat. He fled amidst the horde. His mind was having slight issues to keeping up with the influx of information and obstacles hurting his way- but it was manageable- it felt like he was hanging on to the back of a moving vehicle. In the corner of his eye, he saw the peak. He saw the fiery feathers of the rebirthing Phoenix dancing against the dark sky. He saw his goal, his chance, and his prize.

As he maneuvered past boulders, evaded attacks, and descended, battles continued to unfold ahead, and on either side of his desperate sprint. The thick wall of lava claimed a new victim every second. There was a savagery in the air, a desperation that clawed and bit at every contender.

Then, something strange erupted from the bottom of the mountain.

Fwoosh.

A powerful howling gale suddenly ripped through the mountain, its chill engulfing them all, halting their steps, and freezing the lava at their heels to hard rock, causing the mountain to be covered in darkness. The chill originated from deep within the jungle. Rhythmic booms soon followed, and a devastating roar shook the trees.

Boom.

Pebbles shook and rocks fell around them as they fought to free themselves from the frost and chill that had seeped into their bones. Some faster than others.

Boom.

Trees shook below, and crashed in a wave through the jungle leading up to the mountain. Strangely, an explosion of flames soon followed. Alex, frantically eyeing the struggling and frozen horde, desperately sought to regain control of his limbs, shaking free of the frost that had engulfed all on the mountain.

BOOM.

The earth trembled.

Something was coming.

Almost as one, the denizens turned and began to race up the mountain once again.

This time, Alex was among them, stuck at the frontline.