Macuahuitl

Eien Akagawa

I launched myself from the rock and Extli leapt forward with an overhead strike. Even if he limited his strength, I was going to do all I could to avoid taking his blows head on. I slipped to his side but he angled his sword to follow my movement. I snapped my weapons together to block and I skidded aback from the force.

“That's the strength of a normal man to you!?"

“That isn't the strength of a normal man?" He was still grinning. He put his sword on his shoulder and shrugged. “I can only hold back so much. You can take it."

Damn god blessed idiots that didn’t know their own strength. If I wanted to stay ahead of him, I’d need to keep him on the backfoot. Which was easier said than done.

With a shout I surged forward and swung my sword towards his right side while thrusting the jitte towards his chest. He batted aside my sword with his and limboed backwards so that my jitte thrust went above him. He grabbed my arm and hooked a foot behind my leg.

He pulled and we fell to the ground. I almost reflexively went for a headbutt but held back just in time to not spill my brains all over his metal headdress. He saw my hesitation and pulled his head back. Heart pounding, I slammed the pommel of my jitte into his headdress repeatedly. He let go and I scrambled away from him. A grapple contest with him would only end in my body being twisted into knots by him.

As soon as I was far enough away, I rose to my feet. Extli sprang to his feet with catlike reflexes and surged after me, his sword raised high in the air. I managed to bring my weapons in a ‘V’ in front of my face as he slammed his sword down.

I was driven to one knee and I strained against his immense strength. I gritted my teeth and pushed against him. His arm didn’t even waver as he pushed my weapons down. The sharp black glass of his sword coming close to my face.

“Come on, surely this isn’t all you’ve got.” He was only using one arm to force me down. “Don’t make this boring for me!”

“I…” I managed to say in between clenched teeth. “Wouldn’t. Dream. Of. It!”

I stopped pushing against him and let his momentum carry me onto my back. With all of my strength I pushed with my legs and threw him behind me. His sword bit into my shoulder as he went past. I twisted and pushed myself to my feet in time to see Extli roll to his feet effortlessly.

“That is just not fair,” I groused while huffing. He laughed heartily and spun his weapon.

“Not many have thrown me. I see that the best of you comes out while you're cornered."

“An overexaggeration." I quickly felt the cut on my right shoulder. I felt the blood trickle under my suit and past my armpit. If I didn’t end this soon, I was going to lose too much blood.

“No, it isn't.” He pointed his sword at me. “Even now I can see you thinking on how to end this fight."

“Possibly." I relaxed my stance and held my weapons at my sides. I looked carefully at his stance and weapon. There were some cracks that I could see on the black glass. That was interesting. “I can't come up with much as you overpower me in every way."

"It's the prerogative of humans to outsmart the gods. Which includes those blessed by them.” He swung his sword out to the side and crouched. "Prove that you can do so.”

“I have nothing to prove to you or the gods.” I shifted back into my stance, ready to receive him. A plan was forming in my mind but I needed to test one more thing before I could put it into action.

“Guess I’ll take the little lady then.” He sprang forward, low to the ground. He thrust his weapon up to pierce through my stomach.

“She’s taller than you!” I swung both my weapons to the side, knocking his sword off course and cracking the black glass. I felt the wind pass from the force of his thrust on my left side. I made to redirect my blade towards his side but he slammed a fist into my solar plexus. I flew back and tried to keep my breath. He stopped himself for a moment, his eyes widening as he looked at my face.

I fell onto the ground and slid on my back a few feet before stopping. I scrambled to my feet as Extli came towards me with a laugh. He swung his sword at my side and I barely managed to deflect it with my jitte. We traded a flurry of blows before separating.

I was now bleeding from the left side of my chest. I had only nicked the front of his chest. I was breathing hard and still recovering from losing my air while he breathed as if he had taken a stroll.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying this!” he exclaimed as he hopped back a few feet.

“I’m not enjoying this at all.” I crouched and held my sword at my side, my jitte pointing towards him.

“Your grin says otherwise.” He crouched on all fours like the jaguar that had blessed him. “But this’ll be the end and I’ll take my prize.”

He pushed off on his hands and feet, coming at me faster than he had earlier. He swung his sword in an arc from the side to take my legs out from under me. I sprang back putting distance between us.

He transitioned into a crouch and launched himself towards me, his sword aimed towards my throat. In a split second decision I threw my katana at him. He rapidly swung his sword into my katana, hurling it away. I held my jitte in a guard position towards him as he came closer and empty hand went into the chest of my suit. His sword smashed into the jitte and I managed to hold his sword back for the spit second that I needed to.

I pulled the trigger of my revolver, firing it point blank into his sword. One shot damaged the wood and arrested its momentum. The second shot hit the edge, shattering black glass and sending splinters of wood into the air. The third shot bore through the middle of his weapon.

He recoiled from the harsh sound of my gun and I moved with him. I slammed my jitte into the weakened portion of his sword. I heard his sword crack over the ringing in my ears.

He snarled and flung his sword away. He tilted his head back to smash it into mine. I adjusted my aim and fired my fourth shot into his headdress. His head snapped back and he stumbled away from me.

I stepped back a few paces, breathing hard. Both my arms trembled from the exertion and pain from taking his blows. I tried to prepare myself as he held a hand to his head. I pointed my gun at him again, ready to fire at his headdress again to further disorient him. I steadied my aim by bracing it with my left arm.

Loud shouting coming from the side distracted us. We both turned to look to find his men on the business side engaging with another group of men. Most of them wielded katanas with a few using spears. They all wore light blue haori’s. The Shinsengumi had arrived.