[AoshiShinomori]

**LOL! Kanji-kun! You really keep this thread alive! Nice going both of you... Poor Kazhu though T_T**

Chapter 7: Annihilation

"Onihikyo Taisetsujin Ryu: Hakureihi!"

Tenshoujin swiped his sword through the air rotating as he did so. A huge blast resounded through the forest and a severe burst of heat burnt the immediate surrounding area. An orange path of flame radiated around Tenshoujin. The orange flames quickly turned a blood red. The summoned ritual flames rapidly began expanding around Tenshoujin, zipping through the entire area forming bigger concentric circles burning everything in their path. Thick tree trunks lay cleaved, their clinical slices sealed and cauterized by the passing heat. The air took on a definite smell of burning wood and smoke billowed from the cut tree trunks. The ground charred black and the brightness of the flames brought daylight to the dark night.

The first set of soldiers to face the searing fire was the batch that had snuck up behind him. The flame wave passed right through them, burning them to their bones. Their axe and spear handles transformed into ash as the metal tip’s glowed red with heat. There was no time for reaction and even if there had been time there was no reaction that would have helped. The ritual flame was the purest red fire summoned on the Earth. A measly war axe wouldn’t change the outcome. The soldiers could have worn the most precious armour with no effect. Only a magical attack could counter the ritual flame and not a flimsy spell either.

Tenshoujin looked around. The forest had lost a few trees and the moonlight shown on the burnt ground. Skeletal remains of soldiers lay spread on the terrain. Tenshoujin counted seven of them. He paused. The numbers didn’t add up. Batisha had summoned seven soldiers. That meant the body count had to be eight. Something was amiss…

A silent laugh resounded from a fallen clump of trees. “A flame elemental attack?... Omoshire (interesting). You truly are talented… but perhaps I wasn’t the only one underestimating things was I?”

Out of the burnt clump of tree bark, stepped Batisha, his own sword held in his hand, a pale white glow shining from it.

“Of all the opponents you could pick, I’m the wrong guy to mess with. I don’t know who you are stranger, but I’m not one to be trifled with either. Before I dispatch you to your maker I’d like to know your name…”

Tenshoujin looked on in surprise. Hakureihi wasn’t a child’s attack. It was a flame spell of significant power and to thwart it took a flame defence of equal power or knowledge of opposing elemental spells. Either way, it proved Batisha had more to him than he was letting on… and there was the matter of that eerie glow from the sword.

“You would do well to remember my name, for the short time that you have left to live. Remember it well Batisha, my name is…Tenshoujin!”

“Heh…” Batisha sniggered and held up his sword. “Ice Attack: Frigid Spectre!” The eerie glow became more dispersed and rose into the air around Batisha. It engulfed him in a dense fog and spread to the area around him. The burnt ground turned to ice where it fell. The fog rose higher, took on the form of an evil skull and swooped down on Tenshoujin.

Batisha looked on with malice intent on watching the kill. Tenshoujin smiled briefly. This human really thought he could defeat a dragoman… and Tenshoujin at that!

Tenshoujin put a hand forward and cried “Kougeki ekitai no tokeru… Tenhikamon” <Melt all attacks to water… Heavens burning armour>. Flames rippled from his body covering every inch of him. His entire form radiated flame. The diving ice spectre didn’t stand a chance as it rushed into engulf Tenshoujin. It ran into the flame shield and melted instantly. The destruction couldn’t have been more final. Tenshoujin hadn’t moved a single step. For all the effect it had, Batisha could well have saved himself the effort of trying.

“Is that the best you have to offer? What a pity… you weren’t even interesting”. Tenshoujin vanished, reappeared behind Batisha and relinquished his sword back into ether. He whispered “The farce ends here” and began walking toward the fallen Soren.

A cleaved Batisha fell to the floor in two halves behind him…