Fate/Counter Order

9 - Coeur and Blood (Part 4)

Her sword came dangerously close to cutting off one of the man's fingers but instead met empty air as he quickly stepped to the side. Then, he took yet another step back, his sword held high above his head.

He lunged, aiming for her head with deadly precision, but she moved out of the way and avoided the fatal blow. They continued their duel, trying to catch each other off guard. Each time the young woman struck with her sword and he blocked, her attack grew fiercer. Now there was an element of surprise on both sides.

He swung, aiming the tip towards her neck. This time she didn’t move in time to block it. The sword went flying but was caught. He moved his sword back to the right position and slashed downward. His katana hit her on the wrist, almost slicing deeply into her flesh.

His sword stopped there but she ignored the pain and kept going. Her sword came down in another sharp, slashing motion which struck the ground. Sparks flew. Her feet fell on the floor with a loud thud and she rushed toward him again.

The man dodged again, evading her advances once again and this time the tip of her sword missed his abdomen entirely. Again, he blocked it with his sword. And again.
She pressed her advantage and started to attack. But he easily blocked each strike, blocking her every attack.

He moved slightly forward, allowing the tip of his sword to graze against the girl's shoulder. She was so close to the point that if he stabbed her, the blade would pierce through her flesh. But it didn't seem that was going to happen, as his sword went right past her and struck the wall behind her.

His arm muscles bulged from the strain, straining and pulling at his sleeves, before an unknightly kick from her slam to him. He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the pain. He couldn't do much about the harm. He needed to win. But even though he starting to feel the first tiredness, he wasn't giving up just yet. He kept pushing forward with relentless force and strength. They exchanged moves and strikes, striking every opportunity they got.

The flowers and the trees framed them perfectly, casting a shadow over them. The air smelled sweet, filling the gardens with the aroma of flowers. They breathed in deeply, enjoying their moment together without being bothered by people.

At some point, he lost count of the number of times they fought. Time seemed to stand still while the two of them battled against each other. They both wore serious expressions while fighting each other and their bodies worked together, moving in sync.

He seemed to have won at first. He was able to land a few hits on the young woman and he saw her stagger backward. However, this didn’t give him the chance he wanted. She immediately recovered and resumed the battle. As expected, she was better than he anticipated and she was winning. But it would take more than a few blows to finish him. There was something he had to do.

Suddenly, she moved her sword to the side. His katana moved with it, and as soon as they crossed paths, she took a swing with her sword. The blade struck his upper left shoulder, sending waves of intense pain running down his arm, causing him to grimace. He clenched his teeth and as he continued the assault.

But before his onslaught ended, her sword flowed in the air like fluid, her image almost looking like a lily dancing, before her blade harshly clanged against his Monohoshi Zao enough to send it away from his grasp. He grunted and stumbled backward, losing balance, and falling.

As soon as he lost his balance she moved in, raising her sword high above her head and thrusting at him in a rapid fashion. He looked up, surprised, and his hand instinctively shot up and grabbed her wrist. The sword stopped midway in midair, the edge of her sword pointed toward his throat.

For a brief moment, the two stood there, facing each other with one with her sword while the other down. They remained still, as if in some sort of stalemate, neither of them wanting to move. The two pairs of eyes met and it felt as if everything around them was still.