The night was young and starless. A shy crescent hid behind the clouds.
In the village center, things went out of hand quickly. In no time, the entire square was empty, but for two humongous beasts and a youngster holding a scythe.
Nile soon regained his composure after having slashed the big guy. his breathing gradually slowed and his sweat evaporated. He was now calm as a monk, waiting for the two beasts to make their next move. This choice was deliberate as he wanted them both to be fully committed for the remainder of this encounter, his pride needed to be restored. In hindsight, this was a regrettable decision.
The first Cross, who by this point seemed to be the leader, was immobile. The slash from Silva made him drop his sword. He did not move; The second Cross, impassive as always, looked at Nile, still with a surprising lack of animosity, then looked at his comrade. He went next to him, picked up his sword and handed it to him. He then stepped back a little and looked at the scene expectantly.
By the time the first beast looked at him, Nile immediately knew that his actions would have dire consequences. The beast was pale, furious with incomprehension. He was about to unleash a world of wrath that Nile hoped he could withstand.
"You little pest" said Cross, in his characteristic monotone, which made him even scarier. "I meant you no harm, but now I will break your bones".
Nile, from his previous experience, knew the speed and agility Cross could muster, and was already preparing for the sheer force about to be unleashed on him. He took a fraction of a second to send out a prayer.
Cross took flight. His thrust was with such dread that the earth beneath his feet almost gave in. He held his sword to the heavens and struck a mighty blow. Nile, remembering this technique from his previous encounter, chose to dodge. He knew that in a sheer force showdown he would be crushed, so he had to play it smart: dodge and destabilize was the name of his game. He would dodge a couple of blows until he figures out Cross's patterns, then he would aim to destabilize him. He hoped it would not draw out.
As the rubble flew from the first strike he followed the shadow of Cross, moving fast. The beast charged at him again using the same angle. Nile dodged again but this time Cross followed it up rapidly with a second strike. Nile blocked using Silva. The might of the blow was so heavy that he put all weight to block it. Cross seized that opening and struck from the opening side with a high kick. Nile was sent flying a couple of meters into the square.
He quickly came to realize how Cross moved. His technique was simple; he'd pin you down with his sword and, as your muscles are strained to maintain your balance, he'd strike you from another angle. It was the same pattern as their previous encounter. One hit is alright, two are heavy on the ribs, three are probably too much for any normal human. He noticed a small grin draw on his lips and realized, to his astonishment, that he was starting to enjoy this.
What he wanted to do next was to pin the beast down somehow, and he knew the best way to go about this was to destabilize him. He charged at Cross to force him to strike from above, as the beast always did. Just prior to collision he dodged sideways and came at him again. Cross, not having the time to pick up and strike from above, went with a sideways slash. It was again easily dodged by Nile who ducked low and slashed into Cross's leg before jumping away. He came out unscathed and Cross had a bloody leg.
Nile kept on working the technique. Going in fast and then ducking until an opening presents itself then slashing fast and distancing himself. It was working nicely if a bit slow, and Cross seemed annoyed by it. Nile estimated that in another 2 to 3 similar combinations he could take out one of Cross's limbs, then the balance would shift rapidly. Unfortunately, he was not the only one who came to this conclusion.
"I'll have your head before midnight" he thought to himself.
His next attack started nicely, he dashed and ducked the first strike and then dashed again and ducked high. This time he would slash on the back. As he readied Silva for a blow, he noticed a shadow with the size of an elephant and the agility of a cheetah. It was holding a dreadful sword and he knew it was the second Cross. Too late to dodge, he could only block with all his might. The sound of the two blades clashing was deafening and Nile was sent flying into the wall. The wall broke and the rubble fell on him. He was in so much pain he could sware his back broke.
The second beast chose to join in, and Nile was hopelessly out of his league.
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