The samurai, An Legendary Adventure Tale Part 2

Chapter fourteen: Banishment by Keith

As Shiro draws his sword at Sendak. "Sendak, next it's your arm. I'll shoot your arm off!" he shouted.

"Shiro, no!" Keith yelled. "Don't get involved! Remember, Sendak's ruthless, too! Take Lance and the others and run away!"

"Forget it!" Shiro shouted, his eyes trained on Sendak's arm. "There's no way I'm leaving you behind!"

"But Shiro." Keith said.

"Who knew the samurai would be so bothersome." Sendak said.

"Just remember what you hit." Shiro said.

He lost his move and got his stands ready, but to his shock, Sendak anticipated this and easily sidestepped out of the way.

"Darn!" Shiro cried as he prepared another attack...but before he even realized it, Sendak was already upon him! "AAH!!"

"Die..." Sendak hissed as he raised his right hand, preparing to swipe his Poison Claws into Shiro, but then, a red blur blitzed by and slashed at him, forcing him to stumble back as Keith stood in front of Shiro, cracking the joints in his fingers.

"Your fight is with me, not him." Keith said.

A pause...but then, Sendak noticed a small cut appear on his right cheek.

"You got him!" Shiro exclaimed.

"Yeah, Just barely." Keith said.

"You act pretty swiftly... When it comes to that boy." Sendak said.

"Yeah, Just barely." Keith said. "But I'm not gonna let you hurt him or any of us."

"Oh, really?" Sendak said. "Well, let's see about that."

With a swift movement, Sendak lunged forward, his claws extended. Keith raised his arms to defend himself, but Sendak's speed was too great. The claws raked across Keith's chest, leaving deep wounds.

Keith staggered backward, his vision blurring. He could feel his strength fading fast.

"Keith!" Shiro shouted, rushing to his friend's side.

"I'm okay," Keith managed to say, his voice weak. "Just... keep fighting."

"Sendak," Shiro growled, his voice strained as he charged forward, sword held high. "This ends now!"

Keith, wincing from the fresh gashes across his chest, pushed Shiro back with a hand on his shoulder. "Hold on, Shiro. Remember what happened last time you charged recklessly?"

Shiro hesitated, his jaw clenched. "But you're hurt, Keith. You can barely stand."

Keith flashed a defiant grin. "Exactly. So let the wounded one handle this. Besides," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "wouldn't want you to miss out on all the fun, would we, Sendak?"

Sendak's eyes narrowed. "You think you can mock me and live, boy?"

"Mock you? No, no," Keith chuckled, a dry humor coloring his voice. "Just stating a fact. You seem to be the one missing out on all the fun. Stuck with the same old tired tactics. How about a little variety?"

Sendak lunged, his claws extended, but Keith sidestepped with surprising agility for his injuries. "Seems you underestimated the power of a good scar, huh?" he taunted, sending a flicker of annoyance across Sendak's face.

Sendak lunged, his claws extended, aiming for Keith's throat. Keith, with a speed born from desperation, rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. He was up in an instant, his own blade glinting in the dim light.

Their blades clashed in a flurry of sparks, each striking a desperate attempt to gain the upper hand. Keith, fueled by adrenaline and a fierce determination to protect his friends, fought with a ferocity that surprised even himself.