[Job/Kirahunter] An Honorable Death

Vorpal sat cross legged in front of the old man who sat opposite of him in the same posture. They sat across each other on the forest edge of Oshibana. Vorpal felt highly uncomfortable with this just request but as a sacred sword understood the sacred significance that some held in death, and as such felt a certain obligation when he saw it posted on the job board. He looked the ancient warrior in the eyes, “And your mind is made up? Today is to be the day?” The man nodded, “I’ve had my time. I desire to grow no older. If I wait a single day more I may not maintain the strength to fight with honor.” Vorpal did not break contact with the old and pained eyes and saw not a trace of doubt in them. Warriors were not meant to live to his age, they were not meant to face the reality that they would one day not be able to take up arms, it was unfair for someone who was so mighty to be reduced to this by time. But still Vorpal refused to rush the proceedings, “Then I respect your resolution and agree to your terms. Before we begin is there anything you would like to leave to your family? Any final words or sentiments for afterwards?” The old man smiled with surprising strength as he answered Vorpal, “Hohoho come now living weapon. Don’t dismiss me so easily, I am here to do battle not be executed. Do not speak as if I’m going to let you kill me.” Vorpal was taken aback by the statement and the old man apparently noticed. The warrior rose to his feet taking up his sword and shield in hand, “Don’t just sit there like a wet eared welp! I’m a veteran of war who has fought for seven decades! I will die here in this battle yet, but if it is from my own exhaustion after killing you and claiming my final victory or by falling to you remains to be seen! This is a fight to the death and you’d do well not to underestimate my might!”

Vorpal sprung to his feet, it was apparent there was no way out of this now. He was locking eyes with a dead man, but if he himself would survive was yet to be determined. The job contract required he bring honorable death to the old man if Vorpal brought anything but his absolute best into this battle the man’s spirit would not find rest. He himself could not die here for this mission, nor he could he allow such a proud man to die to something such as exhaustion. Vorpal threw his arms wide, his fingers turning metallic and taking on knife like edges, “Very well, a fight to the death is what I’ll give you then. But even still I must assist, have you any last will and testament?” The old man furrowed his brows, “Enough of that talk!” Brandishing his broadsword he spoke with conviction, “I’ve had eighty years to make peace with my time on earthland, I need not a minute more! My affairs are settled we begin now!” Vorpal took that as a no. The old man smacked the flat of his blade on his kiteshield and charged forward at Vorpal, primed to begin combat. It started with that mighty broadsword in an overhead swing coming down towards Vorpal’s head. Thinking to make use of his metal skin Vorpal reached above his head and with impressive reflex caught the blade of the weapon in his metal claws. He smirked triumphantly as he stopped the weapon and prepared to throw down his opponent when the wry old warrior slammed his kite shield into Vorpal’s gut. Unprepared he gasped and stumbled backwards from the blow dropping the weapon as he did so. The old man pulled back his broad sword into a more reserved battle stance, “It seems your metal body will be more problematic than I intentionally gave you credit for but your form leaves much to be desired. You’ll have to fight smarter than that to claim my life!” Vorpal looked down at his hands to check the damage and saw a small cut across the palms of both, seeing the blade had actually did some damage to his armored skin he retorted back at the old man, “For a man of your years you can really swing that blade. I haven’t been cut in a long time.” The old man off handedly laughed, “Don’t praise me yet. In my prime that strike would’ve cut you in two. But there’s still time for that yet.” With that he lunged forward and no more words would be exchanged.

Vorpal felt like he was in another world as the old man came at him with an onslaught of attacks with both his sword and shield. He wielded the weapons like an extension of his own body, in fact better than that, Vorpal’s blades literally were an extension of his own body and weren’t half as graceful. He found himself quickly on the retreat being forced to dodge and back step to avoid the mighty broadsword’s swings. Occasionally he was forced to parry away a strike with his forearms but he immediately regretted it every time he did as each blow left a scraping wound on his arms. The blade certainly had weight to it and the old man had no problem swinging it around like it weighed nothing. Vorpal had quickly resolved to wait for his opponent to tire out before pressing on the attack but as he saw the frenzied expression of his opponent, saw the fire in those eyes, he realized that was the worst possible thing he could do. It’d be a disservice to this proud warrior for his final fight to be decided in such a way. He came here to die at his full strength in battle against someone who could match him in power, to wear him out and attacking him in a weakened state would defeat the entire point. Vorpal had to overwhelm him from head on. That being decided he went on the counter attack, again the old man’s broadsword arced over his head looking to crash down on his chrome cranium. It would’ve been easy to side step and parry the blade but instead Vorpal lowered his arms to either side and swung his head forward to meet the blade. Using a hardening spell his skin turned metallic in appearance around his head as it crashed into the sword. His head exploded in pain and he could feel the blade pierce his skin, but it stopped less than a centimeter into his forehead. Not to be deterred by his pain Vorpal shot forth both his his clawed hands. His left hand was stopped by the raised kite shield and his claws buried into the material of the barrier, but his other kept going and the tips of his fingers stabbed into the ancient warrior’s upper torso.

The old man cried in pain and reeled backwards, pulling free his sword in shield. He quickly checked his wound, it was fairly shallow but bleeding considerably. He grinned at it and his right knee buckled. For a second Vorpal thought he was about to collapse when suddenly the old man lunged forward at incredible speed, using the buckling knee as a pretense to lower his stance. The sudden attack caught Vorpal off guard and he could hardly raise his right hand to defend himself from the incoming lunge attack. The tip of the broad sword pierced through the pal of Vorpal’s right hand sticking out the back of his hand. Vorpal wanted to exclaim in the face of the extreme pain but his cry was cut short by the old man violently swinging up his kite shield crashing it into Vorpal’s face sending the metal man crashing into the ground. Vorpal rolled backwards to get back on his feet but the old man was already over him ready to drive down his blade, Vorpal was really about to die. But that was never an option. He held his hand flat with his fingers together, morphing it into a knife like weapon and invoked the name of a spell, “Humming Slash!” His surged forward with incredible speed driving his bladed hand into the heart of the old man just as the broad sword was brought down on him. The tip of the large sword caught Vorpal on his right shoulder while his left arm extended past inflicting the killing blow onto the old warrior. They felt backwards, the ancient broadsword still buried in Vorpal’s shoulder, but he was alive. His opponent? In the halls of Valhalla.