The Shade of Battle Part I

Rell reached the creature, swinging his blade at it. The creature reacted quickly, slashing Rell's after image instantly. Elena leapt forward, channeling a huge amount of Wind Nin and slamming the creature with a gust of air. It slid backwards a few feet before catching itself, slamming the tip of its blade into the ground. 

Hina flickered near it, attacking simultaneously with her elemental blades and her weapon, which once again clattered against its barrier. Rell rushed forward with a Shadow Nin slash, shattering the barrier and severing the creature's arm, much to its surprise. It howled in pain, before suddenly lurching its whole body, slamming into Rell with a tornado kick. He was sent flying backwards, tumbling through the dirt. 

"Rell!" Elena called out, watching as he tumbled. 

"Focus!" Rin's voice echoed, her Fire Nin surging through the air and slamming into the Shadow.

The rounds pierced its body, black smoke oozing from the visible holes. The dazed creature was suddenly slammed by Luna's shield, knocking it away from its weapon. Mira rushed forward, readying her spear. 

"Thousand Brine Thursts!" She cried, assaulting the airborne creature with a lighting fast flurry of stabs. 

'We're not done yet!" Rena joined in, jumping atop Luna's shield. 

"Launch." She said, shoving her shield forward and sending Rena soaring through the air. 

"Freezing Rainstorm!" She cried, twirling through the air above the Shadow and letting out a hail of icicle bullets. 

The creature fell into the dirt, an enormous amount of smoke pluming from it. 

Rena broke her fall, rolling back onto her feet some distance away from the Shadow, pretty close to where Rell had landed.  

"Rell!" Elena rushed to the dazed Holy Knight, crouching down to his eye level. 

"I'm all right..." He said. "Hit my head a little though..." He rubbed the back of his head. 

Rena rushed to their position as well, checking up on the two of them. 

"He wasn't so tough!" Rin laughed. 

"Why would you say that?" Mira pinched her nose. 

The creature leapt to its feet, howling even louder than before. Hina flickered to attack it, but it knocked her aside with even greater speed. It closed the distance instantly, coming nearly face to face with a bewildered Elena. 

Rell pulled her to the ground, throwing her away from an overhead sword attack that Rell himself barely dodged. The creature's helmet came face to face with him, screaming directly at him.

"Huh?" Rena noticed that they were suddenly back in the middle of the old highway. 

Elena and Rell were there too looking just as confused as her. The Shadow now stood a distance away, returning to its original position of sword over shoulder. The creature lurched, slamming the tip of its sword into the ground, before gesturing to Rell again with a loud growl. 

"Damn." He cursed, getting up and preparing his weapon. "Guess it's time for round two."