Part V – The Peach and The Void

The Power Array Saga

  

Tales of the Sword and the Peach

The Void took Momotaru’s mind to an unfamiliar place. The feeling frightened him yet he reveled in the new sensation. Blackness overtook his senses. Maybe it was such a dark blue and rich purple that it seemed black. Either way, whatever it was, it was beautiful, thought Momotaru. The Void took him to a place deep within himself yet outside as well like an out-of-body experience. He perceived every physical sensation as if it were through the body of a new born. Not even after hours of meditation did Momotaru ever feel so connected with the world, Threa. He was in a place that was sightless yet his senses were attuned to levels that no human could understand. He smiled as a warm, euphoric sensation surged through his veins.

Slash after slash, parry and thrust, action and reaction at blinding speeds. The bodies of the two swordsman reacted of their own accord, relying on years of muscle memory. The two master martial artists and sword experts were no longer fighting on the material plane of existence. They ascended. They did not fight with their muscles alone. Fighting using the power of their mind, thoughts interacted like the swords that clashed, projecting how the fight would go in their favor, only to be countered by another reality introduced by the opponent.

Arif Zahur’s mouth hung open. He gazed with eyes wide in awe of the flashing colors.

Colliding at inhuman speed, clashing blades coalesced into a collage of immense beauty to which any painter would die to achieve. Bright blue whirled in every direction so fast it seemed continuous. Silver mixed with black as the two swords talked to each other in the language of metal on metal. When the blades kissed, white and yellow sparks flew through the air. Grey clouds in a darkening sky posed as a background that could be seen through the collapsed wall of the Alchemist Guild building.

The rune carved, magic infused broadsword wielded by Iris Longwing dipped, dove, and splashed the dark blue sky with streaks of silver lightening. She was quick and agile, flipping through the air while probing with her sword to find an opening in Momotaru’s defense.

Momotaru blocked an overhanded strike. He deflected Iris’ blade to the side. She struck back in quick succession while doing an aerial cartwheel, hands never leaving the hilt of her blade.  By quickly forming a circle with his free hand, touching thumb to ring finger, Momotaru teleported behind his opponent. He used a high level technique of the Rietsu Martial Arts known as the Flash Step. Reappearing, he was greeted with a swift thrust from Iris’ broadsword while her back was still turned. Momotaru was forced to parry instead of attack as was his wont.

Iris spun around with a flip kick targeting Momotaru’s head and forced him to lean back like a tree swaying in the wind. Her sword followed in a sweeping arc that threatened to shear Momotaru in half at the waist.

With The Void in control, Momotaru was able to anticipate Iris’ movements. He teleported behind Iris’ using the Flash Step and greeted his adversary with a swing of his blade once he appeared. Iris to dropped to one knee, spinning on the way down to the floor while bringing her sword up to block.

They matched each other stroke for stroke. This was a warrior’s canvas with blades instead of paint brushes. Artwork flowed smoothly from their weapons and made a masterpiece of death.

Iris, the Butterfly Samurai broke off suddenly, Flash Stepping away from the heated battle. Seconds later, she appeared several meters away from Momotaru. Standing on the edge of the opening that was the collapsed wall of the third floor building, she held her broadsword – The Alter Blade – in front of her defensively.

“This was much more fun than anticipated,” said Iris Longwing, bosom heaving. “The Void serves you well. Sensei would be proud of you. But we must part ways here, to your divine sorrow, I’m sure. However, I assure you that we can play again a little later. I have other errands to attend to.”

She leapt through the opening with a wicked grin etched across her face.

“Like I would let you get away now,” said Momotaru through clenched teeth.

Momotaru leapt through the whole in the building where the roof had collapsed. All rational thought left his mind. Falling through the air after Iris, he channeled a spell. The Void was the highest level of martial arts achievement in the ancient and secret Riestu fighting style. It was a feat accomplished by no other person but him and his sensei. All of the hair on his body tried to stand on end.

Zahur ran over to the opening, peering over the edge. He saw Momotaru subconsciously channel his mana. He watched as his warrior friend used advanced, high level magical techniques. The splicing of wind and water in front of Momotaru’s blade created a massive magic spell that leapt from the dark adamantite of the weapon.

“Do my eyes deceive me?” said Zahur shying away from the burning white glare created by the blade.

A flock of birds scattered from a nearby tree.

Momotaru’s splicing of the newly created spell was interlaced perfectly and a sheet of ice, expanded, grew, and multiplied outward exponentially towards the butterfly samurai.

The Acro eyes told Iris the truth. She snarled at the avalanche in defiance.

“I will not be stopped!” Iris shouted.

Zahur watched Iris Longwing disappear within a massive avalanche of snow and ice that enveloped her completely. He could not say whether or not the female warrior was alive but that was not his concern. He needed to react quickly if he wanted to save Momotaru. To Zahur’s surprise, he watched his companion nimbly land on top of the cascading sheets of ice and snow and ride the top wave of the avalanche as if he were a surfer on a wave in the ocean.

Momotaru looked around, his eyes still pitch black. Then he looked up at Zahur and waved. A small smile returned to his face as the black eye sockets of the Void faded away to be replaced with Momotaru’s normal eyes.

Relief flooded though Arif Zahur. He waved back to his friend. Alarm sprung back up within him, body rigid as his eyes widened in shock. He raced down the steps and outside to his friend.

Momotaru had collapsed in a heap of exhaustion.

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