Elemental Warriors (Volume One)

Chapter 04

The broadsword stretched the length of its owner's body. Wielding such a blade single-handedly should have been impossible, but Kana moved like the sword was part of his arm. He placed his free hand on his hip and took a few casual steps toward Haruki. 

His advancement should have urged Toru to ignore his injuries and place himself between the hulking brute and his alpha. However, with the hilt of his blade resting on his shoulder, Kana appeared to be greeting a friend rather than confronting an opponent.

"We may as well do this now," he said. He glanced sideways at Toru, Ophelia and Naomi, who watched from afar, then gave then a teasing wink. "I think they're expecting a show."

A soft golden aura radiated from Haruki's body. He squeezed his hands into tight fists as it concentrated to his wrists. Now blinding, the focused aura on his left wrist expanded and formed into a reuleaux-triangular golden shield. In his right, a matching gallowglass sword swirled into existence. 

Toru swallowed back the knot in his throat. Sleek, tapered, and as graceful as it was deadly, Haruki's weapon was still dwarfed by Kana's sword. Haruki had defeated opponents stronger than himself before, but never head-on and never without his pack. What the hell was he doing?

"I don't want to do this," Haruki said, lifting his gaze back to Kana as he pointed his blade, "but I'll be damned if I let someone else do it."

Kana propelled himself forward, his speed obliterating the distance between them in a white blur. He sliced the air with his sword and the blade landed right in the center of Haruki's shield. A clang echoed in the open field as the impact launched Haruki off the ground. His body flew back and vanished into the forest edge.

Kana's eyes went to the rustling treetops. Ravens fluttered overhead, cawing their displeasure at the disturbance. He threw his sword back over his shoulder and strolled in the direction the birds evacuated from. He pursued at his leisure, like a predator hunting injured prey.

Naomi summoned her bow and arrow and notched it, taking aim at Kana. She released her arrow just as Toru grabbed her arm. The arrow wobbled over the field and pierced the ground near Kana's heel.

The smug bastard didn't even give them a backwards glance.

Toru let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and cast Naomi a glare. "That won't do nothing but piss him off!"

"And letting Haruki deal with him alone is a better option?" Naomi snapped back. "Or did you already forget that he threw you up a cliff clear across the forest?"

"But he wasn't killed," Ophelia said, stepping in between the two. "I don't sense any malice from him, and he hasn't exerted any yōkai. I think it's just all posturing."

"Unlike Toru, Haruki is here to kill him." Naomi said. "And Haruki has tunnel-vision when it comes to completing an assignment. He may be showing off right now, but Kana will lose his patience."

Toru's brows furrowed. The skies darkened and the rain grew from light droplets to battering pellets. Over the sodden field, Kana had already disappeared into the dense trees. 

"I'll will be ready," Toru yelled over the rainfall. "You two will stay back."

As Toru began to take a step to the forest, Ophelia grabbed his arm. "We're coming, too."

"You're such a glutton for punishment," Naomi said, joining Toru's other side. "It's embarrassing to watch your ass get kicked so many times."

"Fine." Toru relented as Naomi and Ophelia ran ahead of him. He stumbled over the muddy terrain as he hurried and caught up with them.