I’m back, after experiencing major, computer problems. Back with another update. Naturally it was RR’s time, though to be frank this chapter proven to be quite troublesome to write. It’s not that I didn’t like it, it’s more that writing the actual battle (the way I wanted it) was way harder then I’ve anticipated it’ll be. But all things considered, I think I’ve done at least a decent job, so I hope you guys will like it as well.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed up till now. I do hope you’ll find this chapter worth waiting for and that you’ll leave a review this time around as well. It’ll really mean a lot. Naturally, new reviewers are always welcome. And with that said, lets get this show on the road:

Chapter #6: Demon Hunter

Title Page: Soria is standing in a fighting stance with her staff ready and a brick wall right behind her with posters of Balt covering it, each labeled with the word “Wanted!”

“I’m your executioner” stated the mysterious teen, pulling back his chain and grabbing the end just beneath the scythe-like blade. “What say you, demon? Shall we take this outside?” he asked, not bothering to hide hatred that beamed from his voice.

“Wint, wait” the elder spoke to the boy, apparently knowing him. “This is…”

“Don’t interfere, old man!” the chain user stopped him in his tracks. “It doesn’t matter what you say. This one is gonna die by my hands. It’s pointless to believe these things are anything more then demons. You of all people know how I got my scar” he added, narrowing his eyes even further, while the elder gazed at the floor. The boy, Wint, then turned back towards Balt, who remained still for a moment and then walked towards the exit with the strange arrival following.

“What in the name of the Abyss is going on here?” Soria demanded, turning towards the elder, but he only gave her a pathetic look and then went after the two teens outside with basically everyone in the tavern. The young mage remained clueless, now turning towards Geld for answers: “What the hell is wrong with this town?”

Her companion did no more then shrug before going after the example of others. As the two stepped outside, Balt and Wint were already standing before one another, ready to engage their opponent at any moment. Silence filled the area with only the sound of a whistling wind breaking it. A weak breeze carried a couple of leaves near the ground, dancing just next to the feet of the two fighters. And then, the instant the gust died, the two began.

In a flash Balt unsheathed his sword, swinging the blade horizontally at his adversary, yet Wint managed to jump back in time and still in mid-air, went for his belt, grabbing his chain and whipping it at the warrior below, making the scythe-end of the weapon scourge the ground as it came at the Child.

The swordsman quickly jumped to the side and rolled on the ground, thus getting out of the attack’s way. As the masked teen landed on a nearby roof, Balt didn’t waste time and also moved to a higher ground. Wint managed to retreat his chain and with a quick flip of his hand send it at his opponent once more, this time making the blade come from above the Child.

Balt easily avoided the assault by strafing right, but as the scythe sunk into the roof, the masked teen stretched the chain and used it to pull himself forward at a blazing speed, too fast for the swordsman to react. In a flash the silver-haired boy’s knee smashed his stomach, leaving him gasping for air. This was the opening Wint needed and without a second waste he reached for his katana, aiming at the Child’s head.

Balt managed to regain his senses just in time, stopping the attack with the metal protector on his left hand, while swinging from below in an attempt to cut his adversary in two, thus forcing him to flip back. This maneuver pushed the masked teen off the roof, but as he fell, his hand went to his vest and before long a barrage of shuriken ripped the air, heading straight at the surprised swordsman.

Bending his body in an unusual fashion, the Child managed to deflect the shinobi stars with his blade or protectors, dodging two of the projectiles. But as the danger was over, he felt his body being pulled and in a flash it got dragged off the roof, making him land hard on the ground onto his right shoulder. Only now did Balt notice his upper torso was wrapped with a thin string, that one end rested in Wint’s free hand.

That guy must’ve tied it when he kneed me the swordsman analyzed, cutting the string with his weapon, while the masked boy reached for his vest again, this time tossing a strange, steel ball at his opponent. In a flash the Child charged forward in an attempt to deflect the object back to its thrower with his blade, but the instant the two metals collide, the ball exploded, releasing a barrage of smaller projectiles, each sharper then the next.

This took Balt completely by surprise and while he did his best to dodge, still many of the blades cut his skin, while others sunk into his body, making him drop to his knee. With a smile ‘gotcha’, Wint jumped to the sky with his katana ready, but at the attack came, his adversary lifted his own sword, blocking the assault and completely ignoring the pain that engulfed his entire body, he placed his hand on the ground, throwing his leg up and kicking the masked teen right in the chin.

This maneuver made the silver-haired boy’s body go up a bit, giving Balt enough time to flip and with his feet on the ground again, he once more cut horizontally. Wint came to in time however and blocked the attack with his katana, using the instant the two blade clash with a loud ‘kling’ to put his body into a spin and throw a kick of his own.

The swordsman managed to duck under the assault though and also spinning, threw his hand back, making his fist collide with the masked teen’s face, thus sending him rolling on the ground before coming to a stop. Both fighters froze in their places, their eyes set on each other as their breaths became quicker.

Finally Wint put his blade back on his back, but he was far from surrendering as another reach for his vest allowed him to pull out a duo of what could only be described as small scythes (A/N: the weapon name is kama) and resumed the fight, spinning the weapons in his grip. Beating the distance that separated him from Balt, he cut from the other boy’s lower left, forcing him to bend to the right.

As the blade scourged the air, the masked teen swung the other horizontally, from the swordsman second side, leaving him no choice but to block the attack. With a clang the weapons clashed, while the Child pressed against the flat side of his sword with both hands. Meanwhile Wint quickly spun his right kama and brought it down at his opponent’s head, yet Balt also didn’t waste time and thrust his knee forward.

With no way to block, the silver-haired boy jumped back, avoiding the assault and the instant his feet touched the ground, he ran to the side, passing his adversary from the left and went for his back, swinging both of his weapons. Seeing this the Child spun on his foot and bending his knees, he leaned forward and placing the sword on his back, he made both kama clash against it, unleashing a rain of sparkles.

Left unharmed, Balt threw a punch to his opponent’s chest, which he jumped over, splitting his legs and swung his weapons in a dropping cut, the tip of each blade aimed beside the sword. Seeing this the Child rest his free hand on the ground and used the momentum to push himself out of the attack’s way, coming to a sliding stop on Wint’s left.

Immediately the masked boy tossed his left kama at the other boy and without a moment’s waste he charged right after it. As the swordsman dodged the assault by jumping to the right, the silver-haired warrior spun on his foot and threw a kick at his adversary, hitting him hard in the stomach. His instantly made Balt gasp for air and bend forward from impact; an opening Wint needed.

Quickly he slashed with his other weapon at the Child’s head, but this time the swordsman was fast enough to react – he pressed his head downward, ducking under the attack, even though it cut some of his hair, and in a flash he blasted his body forward, head-bumping the masked teen in his chest, a maneuver that made the weapon master freeze for a split second.

Using the opening, Balt cut from below in an attempt to split his adversary in two. Wint recovered in the last minute, blocking the attack with his own blade, holding tight to its handle with both hands. This allowed the Child to throw a punch to his face with his free hand, tilting his opponent’s head to the side on contact. With his sword freed from the deadlock, he spun it, slashing from above, right at the other boy’s neck.

The silver-haired warrior blocked the attack however and this time it was him to use his free hand from a straight punch, one that Balt strafed out of the way. This was not enough to avoid the assault completely however as Wint once more put himself into a spin and with a quick kick, he swept the swordsman off his feet, making the boy’s back hit the ground.

Without wasting time the masked teen attempted to finish the match by piercing his opponent, yet the Child rolled out of the way, having the kama sink into the ground, while Balt rose back to his feet. Wint was not about to finish the attack, immediately unleashing a handful of shuriken, which forced the swordsman to block once again. By the time all the shinobi stars dropped to the surface, the silver-haired warrior picked out three, short sticks, one ended with a blade, and put them together, forming a long spear with he thrust forward.

The Child was quick to react, jumping to the side. Alas, not fast enough as the blade scourged his side, staining the spear. Seeing this, Soria’s eyes widen as she attempted to run and help: “Balt!” she called out, yet before she could take a single step forward, Geld grabbed her by the shoulder, stopping her: “Don’t… he’ll never forgive you, should you interfere…”

“Shitty, old man” the young mage snapped, turning towards her companion. “Why the hell are you always stopping me? If we won’t help him, he’ll…” she began, but the older man cut her off: “They seem to be around equal. The winner will not be one due to skills, but the lack of concentration of the opponent. As long as Balt stays focused, he won’t fall in this battle. If you go to distract him, you might end up making the situation worse…”

“The only way your friend can win, is by killing Wint” the village elder suddenly spoke, making both sorcerers gaze at him confused. “Wint hates Baltahazar’s Children and the only way he’ll stop is by death of either fighter. You should not misunderstand, this duel… it is to the death…”

“But why is he so persistent?” Soria asked, somewhat disturbed.

“He claims to be a demon hunter” the elder explained. “And he believes that every person with a part of Balthazar sealed within them is a demon as well. This is, without a doubt, a result of what he went through when he was nine… this is when he got his scar and learned that on this world walk the Children, which he grew to hate…”

The blades clashed again as Balt blocked Wint’s spear. Both boys pressed against their weapons, eyeing each other angrily, neither willing to give in.

“I don’t know what’s going on around here and frankly I don’t give a damn” a sudden, familiar voice made both fighters stop in their tracks and gaze in the direction it came from, only to see Brook standing before a large group of goons. “I came to settle a score here with that brat” he announced pointing at Balt. “Wint, take a hike!”

The Child narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the band, while Soria and Geld appeared by his side. Most of the newcomers didn’t possess anything that’d make them stand out among others, but three people in particular did drew his attention. The first of the trio was a man around Brook’s age with medium-length, violet hair made into a Mohawk. He had hazel eyes and was wearing a sleeveless, grey top and baggy, black pants. He carried the symbol of his gang on the back of his shirt, as well as had it tattooed on both arms, but what captured the boy’s view the most were metal bracelets that covered his wrists and went towards his elbows, each having three, claw-like blades sticking out of them.

The next figure was visually older then him, yet not by much. He carried a bearskin over his body with the beast’s head laying on top of his. His crimson-red eyes were narrowed with his attire, similar in color to the pupils, was decorated with many black and golden markings. An orange apron hung below his belt with Indian-like painting, while in his hand he held a long staff, ended with a ram’s skull and a couple of small, red gems placed in the head’s eyes.

The last of the three was a boy no more then their age with long, silver hair and a pair of hazel eyes. He wore a cyan waistcoat on his bare, muscular chest. His pants were in the exact, same color, but what drew the most attention in him was the fact hat he didn’t carry any, visible weapons… and the fact that his body was covered in scars.

“Boy, that guy sure is fast to return after getting his butt kicked” Soria noted, bordering on being impressed, right before her mind side-tracked again, making her hit Balt softly with her stick: “Oh yeah, by the way, how come it’s always you who gets to fight while I stand aside to watch?”

“Right, coz I enjoy being the popular one” her friend groaned back, glancing over at her for a moment, before shifting his eyes back at the group. His eyes met with the silver-haired bandit, making the goon narrow his, right before turning to his companion: “Are those the brats, Brook? I must admit I am slightly disappointed. They don’t seem like much. Could it be that you really lost to them?”

“Don’t let their appearance fool you, master Rain” the spearman replied, still eyeing the two teens evilly. “That brat is a great fighter and the girl is a mage” he announced, making the bandit with the staff twitch at the statement, if ever so slightly. “I don’t know anything about that old fart, but clearly he’s their accomplice…”

“Clearly you are a wimp” the bearskin interrupted with a calm voice. “Regardless how you look at it, you had them outnumbered. Sorry, master Rain, but I don’t really see fit to have someone of such pathetic skills as one of our leaders. Right here and right now, I’d suggest we rid Brook of his status and…”

“You have no right to do that, Shuda!” the spearman snapped, but was immediately cut off by the one named Rain, apparently the gang leader: “He is correct” and as those words sunk in, Brook gazed at the silver-haired bandit dumb fooled. “But I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Beat those brats right here and now and I may consider leaving you as one of my commanders…”

“But…”

“You wish to go against me?” Rain didn’t let him finish, sending the spearman a death glare, which made the man shiver. Swallowing his saliva loudly, he picked out his weapons and spinning them in his hands, he charged forward with a desperate roar.

Balt reacted immediately and ran towards the adversary, leaning forward. As the two beat the distance between each other, Brook thrust his right spear at the teen’s head, only to have the Child duck under the assault. The bandit didn’t waste any time however and quickly stopped his other weapon, bringing it down in the attempt to impale his opponent.

The swordsman managed to maneuver instantly though and dodging the dropping spear, he grabbed it with one hand, while the other to hold on the second weapon, immobilizing both of Brook’s spears. In a blink of an eye Balt jumped up, flipping his body and throwing a double kick to the goon’s face, sending him flying back, right at the silver-haired bandit.

Rain didn’t made any attempt to dodge and the moment his underling came within range, he threw his fist up, hitting Brook straight in the face, thus making him soar above the gang, blood spraying from his face. As the spearman crush-landed behind one of the nearby huts, the sliver-haired leader spoke up again, his voice and expression indifferent: “Useless trash… all of you: I want that brat’s head” he announced, immediately making all the goons charged at Balt without delay.

The boy prepared himself to fight, yet just as he got to his fighting stance, Geld’s staff appeared in his way and as the teen gaze to the side, he noticed the man walking in front of him as calm as the band leader: “Don’t waste your energy on meaningless battle. I shall handle this” and with that he raised his stick, performing the enchantment: “Gaia, Goddess of Earth, I ask for thy power! Let this world subdue to my will and help me crush my enemies! For I am your faithful servant, who shall let none defy you!” and in a flash his eyes snapped open, while he thrust the end of his staff to the ground: “Rock Storm!”

Immediately rocks started shooting up from the ground, each hitting the incoming bandit from below. Some managed to avoid getting hit with the first pillar, but still could not dodge the attack and soon joined their fallen comrades as more hard columns began rising from the surface. It was all over in a moment, leaving all the bandits laying unconscious, while the pillars slowly retreated back underground.

Geld dropped to his knee, panting heavily, while sweat began covering his body, yet that didn’t change the fact that Soria was virtually impressed: “Such a high-level spell… surely his age taken its toll on him, but still being able to perform it… it’s scary thinking how powerful this guy was in his prime” she thought to herself, shifting her gaze forward, where the last, three bandits stood.

“That is somewhat unexpected” the bearskin one, Shuda, noted, still no trace of worry in his voice. “Looks like we’ll have to handle the situation on our own. That geezer doesn’t look like he can fight anymore though. Killing him won’t be any fun. Zal, I’ll leave him to you and the girl if you’ll allow me to end the other brat’s life” he purposed, turning to the goon with the staff.

“Whatever, I’m not interested in a simple swordsman anyway…”

“I think you’re all forgetting someone” a voice came from behind Balt and Soria, making the two teens turn to look at Wint who was slowly walking over towards them. “I don’t intend to sit idly by watching you beat the crap out of each other…”

“So you’re gonna help us?” the girl asked with a smile only to widen her eyes as a katana suddenly shoot towards her, stopping merely inches away from her throat. Without even looking at her, the masked teen spoke again, keeping his blade near her neck: “Don’t misunderstand… your friend is still my enemy. It’s only that I dislike those bandits more. I’ll lend you a hand for the time being, but the moment we’re through, it’ll be your turn” he announced, glancing at Balt.

“You’re certainly not good in making new friends…” Rain noticed, bursting out into laughter. “But this should be entertaining. Since you feel so strongly about it, I’d guess that brat is one of the Children. I’m quite anxious now. Shuda, that runt is mine, but you can feel free to have some fun with Wint. That should make up for losing your first prey.”

“How far am I allowed to go?” the bearskin asked his leader humbly.

“As far as you like. You may even kill him for all I care. Any ties that we once had has already been cut” he added, settling his gaze on the masked boy. “Isn’t that right… brother?”

---new enemies keep on appearing!---

And this concludes this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and please, leave a review once you’re done with it. It’d really mean a lot to know what you think of it. Thanks in advance and I would also like to encourage you to try out my, other works.

Until next time!