Tales of a Lost Sword 30

Episode 30 Turn off the Dark
Kunai stares into the face of his dark clone. One face is full of fear and surprise, while the other is filled with nothing but malice and pride. Kunai reaches immediately for a pair of Steelys, as Dark Kunai raises his sword.

“So in the end you showed up on your own,” Kunai growls, hatred coursing through him.

“Of course,” Dark Kunai answers lazily, “I wasn’t gonna wait for you to hunt me down. You were taking far too long. I was waiting too long for the fun!”

Kunai hurls his two Steelys at Dark Kunai; Dark Kunai merely deflects the two knives off the blade of his sword. He takes a step forward.

Kunai bounds forward as well, as his Avenger comes into contact with Dark Kunai’s sword. The two weapons scrape against each other with the sound of metal rising in the air, Kunai’s weapon clearly overwhelmed by the size and strength of Dark Kunai’s sword.

Finally, Kunai’s Avenger caves under the pressure of Dark Kunai’s sword. The Avenger breaks into half, and Kunai jumps backwards as Dark Kunai swings wildly with his sword. The sword cuts through the air with a loud thud.

Kunai breathes heavily, creating another Avenger in his hands. “I’m going to defeat you,” he announces out loud.

“I know that’s what you came here to do,” Dark Kunai smirks, “but do you think I’m really gonna allow you to do that?! I’ll kill you first, and then I can finally get rid of you!”

“No,” Kunai growls, determination blazing through his dark eyes. “I need your sword. I need your strength. No matter what, I’m going to defeat you and take back Myou from you!”

“You fool,” Dark Kunai snarls back, “I am Myou!”

Their two weapons collide again, as Dark Kunai brings his sword crashing into Kunai. Once again, Kunai’s weapon collapses under the weight of his opponent’s weapon. Kunai leaps out of the way as Dark Kunai swings again.

“You can’t keep running forever!” Dark Kunai yells tauntingly, smashing the air with his sword indiscriminately.

Kunai sneaks up behind Dark Kunai, another Avenger in his hands. “Take this!” he cries, swinging the Avenger at Dark Kunai.

Another clash of metal, and Dark Kunai strikes down the Avenger with his sword. “Is that the best you’ve got, Kunai?! If so, I’m glad we’re no longer sharing a body then!”

“I should’ve never let you take control of me in the first place!” Kunai cries desperately. He engages another pair of Steelys, jumping back and flinging them at Dark Kunai.

Dark Kunai uses his sword to block the Steelys again, but this time, the Steelys explode with two resounding booms, sending debris flying up into the air.

“Meso Explosion!”

Dark Kunai cuts the air with his sword, clearing the air of dust. He glares sourly at Kunai. “Your pathetic diversionary attacks will do nothing against me!”

Kunai bares his teeth, watching as Dark Kunai saunters steadily towards him. ‘He’s right…I have to meet his power with power. But how am I going to do that…?’

“No time to stop and think!” Dark Kunai shouts, pouncing and Kunai and bringing his sword crashing through the air.

Kunai jumps over the sword, actually landing on it and jumping off of it. He turns in the air, quickly spinning a counterattack.

A spider’s web falls upon Dark Kunai, who immediately shreds the web with one wild stroke of his sword. He glares angrily at the frustrated Kunai as the latter lands. “I told you, didn’t I?” Dark Kunai growls impatiently. “These attacks won’t work on me!”

“Dammit!” Kunai cries desperately, quickly forming an Avenger. He rushes at Dark Kunai, evading his surprisingly fast attacks.

‘Despite how heavy his sword is…his attacks are fast!’

Kunai finally reaches Dark Kunai, having dodged all his attacks. Kunai stretches back, swinging his Avenger with force into Dark Kunai.

The latter blocks Kunai’s attack at the last second with his sword. The impact sounds, a devastating crunch as the two weapons smash into each other. Suddenly, Dark Kunai lets go with his sword, disappearing into the air completely.

Kunai’s eyes widen, as he rapidly attempts to search for his clone. Without warning, Dark Kunai reappears just behind Kunai, and swings his sword with powerful precision.

Kunai turns, but cannot react in time. He takes the full hit, and is thrown off his feet into the air. He lands several feet away, blood flowing freely from his left shoulder.

On the ground, Kunai grabs his shoulder, writhing in pain. Dark Kunai walks right up to Kunai, leering over him from up above.

“Tch,” Dark Kunai says dismissively, “one hit and you’re already down on the ground. You’re weak, Kunai!”

Kunai clenches his teeth and glares hatefully at Dark Kunai. Abruptly, Dark Kunai kicks Kunai on the side, turning him over into a facedown position. Unable to move, Kunai merely digs his face into the ground, breathing in the dirt as frustration boils over in him.

“Ah, I can’t stand looking at those eyes of yours!” Dark Kunai groans. “Those pathetic eyes! Without any intention to kill, without any desire to win! Those are the eyes of a loser, Kunai!”

As Dark Kunai speaks, Kunai forcibly drags himself back to his feet, his entire body shaking violently from the effort. Still quivering weakly, Kunai manages to form yet another Avenger, glaring with focused hatred at his clone.

“I’m not done fighting yet!” Kunai rasps, cradling the Avenger in his arms despite his injury. Blood drips freely from the wound, falling onto the lifeless soil below.

“Oh?” Dark Kunai says, gazing upon Kunai with surprise. “Perhaps there is some fight in you after all, Kunai. But that won’t be enough to stop me!”

The two stare at each other from afar, their eyes meeting and challenging each other’s malevolence. Dark Kunai is the first to look away, his eyes lowering with a sigh of impatience.

“Never mind,” he says in a low voice, “you’re still not ready to defeat me yet.”

“Oh, you don’t say, huh?” Kunai replies with a touch of arrogance. He raises his Avenger in the air, its metal spikes glimmering dully in the moonlight glow. “I’m just getting started!”

With momentum, Kunai dashes straight at Dark Kunai, who takes a flying leap out of the way as Kunai reaches him. Kunai stops on a dime and turns, launching himself at his clone once again.

Their sword and Avenger clash in midair, with the sound of metal ringing in each other’s ears. However, Dark Kunai’s sword proves stronger; Kunai’s Avenger quickly crumbles against the weight of the heavier sword and Kunai is forced to retreat as his weapon breaks into pieces.

Dark Kunai takes the opportunity and swings his sword heavily through the air. Kunai retreats just in time, several splinters of his hair falling onto the ground at his feet. He hurriedly forms another Avenger and aims it at Dark Kunai.

The Avenger soars through the air, but Dark Kunai easily cuts it down with the blade of his sword, slicing it cleanly in half. The two pieces fall to the ground uselessly.

Kunai grits his teeth, forming two Avengers now, one for either hand. Furiously, he hurls both, one after the other, at his clone. Dark Kunai deflects the first, cutting it down from its path with his sword. The second one comes right after the first, and Dark Kunai sneers triumphantly as he catches it straight out of the air in his hand. He clutches the Avenger in his hand, breaking it apart into pieces with sheer brute force.

“Kunai, your attacks won’t—” Dark Kunai breathes a note of surprise, as he turns and spots Kunai flashing up behind him.

“I’ve got you now!”

Eyes gleaming with victory, Kunai reaches for another trio of Steelys at his side to form another Avenger. However, his eyes widen as he finds his holster completely empty of all Steelys.

“Cra—!”

Dark Kunai leers smugly as Kunai comes to a helpless stop just behind his clone. He raises his sword. “Guess it’s my win after all, huh, Kunai?” he taunts, before bringing his sword crashing down with force upon Kunai’s left shoulder.
—END THIRTY—
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