~Chapter Fourteen~
The Second General
Owin took a deep breath and began to focus and after a few moments the light surrounding his body had grown ever more brightly.
Owin: "Luke go now!" He watched as the boy ran away from him before turning back to face Isis. "Im or- cin Isis, cin kar- ú- anir- na asa-, hi cin lélë níf nin rúsë!" (I warned you Isis, but you did not want to cooperate with me, now you will face my wrath!) His green eyes were lit ablaze and the light around Isis grew white and hot. "Ha na- anand an cin na bel- Isis!" (It is time for you to die Isis!) Beams of pure concentrated light started to shoot forth from his body flying in every direction, disintegrating every enemy it came in contact with, turning them to ash. Isis started to choke as the light that surrounded her was now starting to suffocate her. Just as Owin was about to squeeze the life from her a large explosion came out of nowhere causing him to lose his focus and allowing Isis to break free. The faint sound of coughing could be heard over the ringing in his ears, and the voice of an unknown young woman could be heard.
Woman: "Mistress Isis, I'm sorry for the delay but I got here as fast as I could." The woman then helped Isis to her feet before she spoke.
Isis: "What matters is that you're here now Yasano, take care of the Slayer for me while I make my escape. I'm sure you won't fail me, after all you're the strongest of the four generals." Footsteps could then be heard and the smoke soon cleared, Isis was now gone and standing in front of Owin in her place was a woman holding a katana, wearing a purple kimono and a white and red kitsune mask.
Owin: "Man dag -ldë? Treneri- nin isse car- Isis lenna-?!" (Who are you? Tell me where has Isis gone?!) Yasano just giggled while walking closer to Owin.
Yasano: "It seems that you can only speak in the ancient elvish tongue in that form? Can you even understand what I'm saying right now? Well rather you know what I'm saying or not, please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Yasano Kagura. In my former life I was a samurai warrior of great importance from the Taiyo Empire, I left for reasons that I can not say and that I'd rather forget. But here I'm one of Zhago's four generals, I'm known as The Great Wall of the Zemorian Empire. They call me this because none have ever been able to break me." Yasano firmly held the grip of her katana. "I have no doubt that you'll be any different." She then suddenly disappeared into thin air. "Can you keep up with me Slayer?" All of a sudden she appeared on the left side of Owin swinging her katana towards him, but he parried the attack with his own sword. "Oh! You're quite fast at drawing your blade! I didn't even see you move, this just might end up being a very interesting battle!"
Owin: "Im gar- baw anand an hi, im lèlë turu- limbë!" (I have no time for this, I will defeat you quickly!) In a flash of light Owin vanished and reappeared far across the battlefield from Yasano. "Im nall- pícë i rod plural rodyn -o i yara aino! Tul- enna reth ëala, leith- i pant rod plural rodyn -o i anor!" (I call upon the power of the ancient Gods! Come forth arcane spirits, release the full power of the sun!) Owin then raised his sword looking directly at Yasano who just stood there staring back at him. "Aurë cirissë!" (Sunlight Slash!) Owin swung his sword at Yasano, sending forth a large blade of concentrated light that burned everything in its path. The attack had hit Yasano head on causing a huge explosion of light vaporizing everything around it, the light quickly faded and Yasano was still standing in the same place giggling.
Yasano: "That was quite the attack! But ineffective I'm afraid. You see, back in my homeland we worship the great god of the sun and because of that we're blessed with the immunity of all light and fire based magics. So your light has no effect on me, and it seems that you're all out of mana now Slayer!" Yasano was right Owin had used up all of his mana and was now at the end of his magical prowess. The light soon faded from around him and Owin was now back to normal, but he still had a trick or two up his sleeve. He took in a deep breath and readied himself.
Owin: "Just because I'm out of mana doesn't mean I'm out of the fight!" He raised his sword honing his senses expecting another attack. "So tell me what kind of monstrosity did Isis turn you into?" Yasano giggled disappearing again and suddenly reappeared moments later in front of Owin.
Yasano: "You think I'm a monster? That's not a very nice thing to say to a lady, but if you must know you'll have to fight me for it!" She then swung her sword from the right and Owin blocked it again. "Haha it seems your sword skills have nothing to do with your power over the light, that means this will definitely be a great battle indeed." Yasano then started to swing her blade frantically at Owin, but he blocked every strike she sent at him.
Owin: "So is this the secret sword style of the sun people I've heard so much about? I must admit it's not really all that impressive."
Yasano: "No this is just the start of it! Taiyo Sword Style, Technique Six, One Thousand Burning Slashes!" Just then Yasano's katana had caught fire while burning brightly and glowing red hot. Each slash came at Owin faster and faster, he was barely able to keep up with her attacks. Just one false move could mean his inevitable end.
Owin: "Don't you ever give up?!" He was starting to get tired and Yasano took quick notice of it, grinning as she swung her blade even faster. He had only one chance if he was to survive this onslaught and only a split second to do so, but in order for it to work he had to leave his guard down to focus. He stopped blocking, allowing an attack through, when it had hit him it let off a blinding flash of light. Yasano then tried to pull her blade back, but it wouldn't budge. When the light cleared what she saw surprised her, Owin had a hold of her blade and now stood in front of her covered in what appeared to be dragon scales. "I didn't want to use this form because it takes awhile to recharge, but you left me with no other choice. Slayer Art, Secret Form, Salamander Scale Armor!"
Yasano: "What is this? How are you able to take on such a powerful form like that when you're all out of mana?!"
Owin: "Don't you know? Us Slayers are full of surprises. If you must know this has nothing to do with magic, this is a mutation. Each Slayer possesses a secret form such as this and each one is different, I just so happen to be blessed with the powers of the legendary salamander."
Yasano: "Hypocrite! You call me a monster, you killed all these hybrids and you talk of Isis and the Emperor conducting illegal experiments. Yet you yourself are a hybrid, are you not?!"
Owin: "No, unlike you who was experimented on by Isis through the use of dark magic, I like all Slayers was born with this power." Owin then let go of Yasano's katana. "Now stop going easy on me and show me a real fight!" Yasano had grown angry, though she didn't show it because of the kitsune mask she wore. Jumping backwards she readied herself before lunging forward at Owin.
Yasano: "Taiyo Sword Style, Technique One, Rising Sun Slash!" Yasano's katana had once again caught fire starting to glow bright and hot while slashing at Owin from the ground up. The attack was the fastest one in Yasano's arsenal, the blade was moving at such speed surely he wouldn't be able to see it coming she thought. That was until he deflected it with ease.
Owin: "Is that the best you've got? Surely you can do better than that. I'm starting to doubt your ability as a warrior Yasano, these weak attacks would bring dishonor upon your family back in your homeland. I think that's why you had to leave isn't it? Because you brought dishonor to your family and they cast you out, am I correct?." Yasano grew even angrier, frantically slashing at Owin once more, but every attack of hers was blocked as if they were nothing.
Yasano: "You know nothing about why I had to leave my home!" The attacks were coming at Owin even faster now but still he blocked every single strike that Yasano had to throw at him. "I will do the world a favor when I kill you Slayer and Isis will reward me greatly for bringing her your head!" Her frantic attacks were starting to get sloppy leaving many openings for a counter attack and Owin wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. He then swung his sword right at her head, the blade smashing into her kitsune mask, shattering it. Yasano then jumped back trying her best to hide her face, but Owin had seen it and knew exactly what she was and why she wore the mask. "Don't you dare look at me!"
Owin: "So that's why you wear the mask. Those symbols carved into your skin, Isis turned you into a jiangshi and from the look of things you've been one for quite awhile." Owin had now felt sorry for the girl. "Yasano I'm so sorry for what she has done to you, no one should have to go through such a thing." She then looked over to him and began to laugh.
Yasano: "Hahahahahahaha, you think that Isis did this to me? I told you that you had no idea why I had to leave my homeland of the Taiyo Empire, I died a very long time ago you see. My body was desecrated by a necromancer and I was brought back to life as a jiangshi. I left because when I went back to see my family they were horrified by what I became. I was hunted down by men who my family had hired to kill me. I only recently made my way to Arnora a few years ago where Isis had found me, she took me in and made me stronger and I became one of Zhagos's four generals!" She raised her katana as a black dust started to come out of her skin which started to grow pitch black. "You aren't the only one with a so-called secret form Slayer, I bet you never fought a jiangshi with the abilities of a masani before!"
Owin: "So you're part masani? That's what makes you a hybrid and not only that you have an immunity to fire and sunlight, killing you is going to be quite a challenge." Owin smiled, raising his sword yet again. "I guess you'll give me a real fight after all!" He leaped forward swinging his sword at Yasano who swung hers back. The attacks were moving so fast and hitting together so loud and hard the sounds of clanging metal could be heard ringing all throughout the battlefield.
Yasano: "Why aren't you slowing down! You've been breathing in the black spores I released earlier yet you seem unaffected!" Owin laughed.
Owin: "You aren't the only one with an immunity, the power of the Salamander Scale Armor burns away any curse, so your mist is useless against me!" He then jumped a few feet back away from Yasano. "Since you're part masani I'm guessing this must be your shadow form, sure you have all the strengths but I wonder if you also have the weaknesses as well? Once a masani casts its shadow it's bound to the place it stands, but I'm assuming you didn't know that otherwise you'd never have used this ability." Yasano then tried to charge forward at Owin but she was suddenly pulled back to the same place. She thought for a moment and then started to laugh maniacally.
Yasano: "Hahahahahahahahah! If I'm bound to my shadow then I'll just have to destroy it then!" Yasano's body then started to glow red hot, she was concentrating all the mana she had left in her body to release her ultimate attack in a last ditch effort to free herself and kill Owin simultaneously. "Taiyo Sword Style, Final Technique, Supernova!" The built up energy she had within her had suddenly exploded sending shockwaves of power in every direction. It came off of her so fast Owin didn't even have the time to try and run. He was hit with the full force of the blast knocking him out and causing him to fly backwards right into the nexus. When he awoke a few hours later he had found himself in a familiar place, The Zhagos Institute, as he got up he saw Aqua running over to him.
Aqua: "Owin! Thank the Gods you're awake! You've been out cold for hours now." He struggled to sit up but was in a lot of pain, after all he had taken the full force of Yasano's strongest attack.
Owin: "Aqua, how did I get here?" He then tried to stand, but she pushed him back down.
Aqua: "Owin please you need to rest so you can heal, as to how you got here Ryo had found you near the same spot the nexus left us out at. We concluded that you would most likely exit the Elysium Tower in the same place so he kept a close eye on it." Since Aqua wouldn't let him move Owin looked around the institute, he saw his companions along with professor Sigmus working on things as if they were getting ready for a battle.
Owin: "It seems that I missed a lot while I was still in the tower, exactly how long has it been since I was in there?" Aqua sighed, then she helped Owin to his feet and walked him over to a nearby window.
Aqua: "See for yourself." She pulled back the curtains and an eerie red light shined through. It had been the thing that Owin had feared the most these past few days, the blood moon was now rising.