He doesn't have time for this.
Kanshou & Bakuya still lay on the table, he snatches them and rushes Hijikata. The man may be skilled, but Archer stands on a higher level still. He'll kock him out and be on his way.
A glint of silver.
"!!!"
Kanshou clumsily blocks the katana right before it bites into Archer's throat.
What just happened? Archer knows he should be cautious, but now he is too commited to retreat. Besides, Hijikata's sword is already out of alignment and can't hope to be in time to stop Bakuya.
Yet it meets Hijikata's blade, the katana coming into contact just under the dao's guard.
Shit.
Archer jumps back just in time to save not just his finger, but also his arm and chest that would have surely been cut by the backswing.
In a single pass, Archer's worldview has been shattered.
The samurai lowers his blade. "Don't be in such a hurry, man." The samurai's words are spoken lightly, but the suffocating killing intent still permeates the room with ferocious. Stances are probably meaningless to this man.
"How often do you get a good fight? Come on, let's enjoy ourselves throughly."
Archer isn't enjoying this at all. Now after the fact, he can easily remembers the katana's path. Hijikata's swings were sharp and decisive, the results of a resolute mind, but they weren't overly fast and they shouldn't have been beyond Archer's perception for so long. This vanishing blade, it reminds eerily of a man he wished to never fight.
No, Archer is decidedly not enjoying this.
He sets himself into the defensive stance that saw him through so many battles, feet level, swords held at the hip and tip raised high. A strange, heretical stance that looks awkward and leaves his defense so full of holes it practically begs the opponent to dive through them. Right into Archer's trap.
Hijikata doesn't make him wait long. His blade flashes toward the seemingly unprotected vitals in a ghost of motion only deflected at a paper thin distance from Archer's flesh. Again, Archer didn't sense the blade until it was almost too late. But there is no time to ponder, the katana coming again and again, leaving him no breathing room despite his twin blades and the blows coming roughly where Archer expects them.
Worse yet, Archer cannot see his sword. No matter how many blow crash against his defense, Archer's reinforced eyes fail to catch them. Hijikata's sword is opaque, beyond his senses entirely. And if he can't see it, he can't comprehend it, nor plan for it.
There is only on conclusion he can reach. Once again, Archer is the one who break the melee.
"Looking good, Archer. These sword of yours are quite terrifying."
Terryfing. To Archer, it's Hijikata who deserve that description. The blind samurai is neither faster nor stronger than him, but his skill are far beyond his. His blade bears the same strength as the Guardian of Ryuudouji Gate, the Knowledge of Respect and Harmony.
No, at this level it is better called. "Mushin no Shin. I didn't expect any true master swordman to still walk the Earth."
Hijikata shrugs. "I'm a good-for-nothing who can only swing a sword or die. I'd better be good at it."
Archer grunts. Hijikata is definitely not someone he can hope to overwhelm with sword techniques.
What should he do?
[] Hijikata may be hot shit, but his sword is still mere steel. Focus on breaking it.
[] Step it up: Crane Wing Three Realm.
[] Nope, no more half measure. Sword rain!
[]Fuck this, Call Zel for a sleep or binding spell.
[]Urd Interrupt. It looks like she has something to say.
[] Not that this isn't utterly fascinating, but the swordman is hardly your first concern, no matter how badass he is. Escape!
--> []With Urd, for good measure.
[]Write-in.
