Chapter 8: Putting Everything On The Line

"Where are you looking at? I'm not done yet!!"

Getting distracted, Hotaru didn't have enough time to put up his defence probably, barely blocking the attack with his katana but being sent flying again.

'ugh..I can't keep blocking his strength increased by a lot, I'm gonna have to dodge the attacks, even if it meant the village getting damaged more than it already is'

"HAHAHAHA"

John lunged forward at Hotaru with his greatsword held up high and with a crazy smile sung it down on Hotaru, but instead of blocking the attack like before Hotaru sidesteped to the left and the sword striked the ground with a heavy thud.

"Flame Breathin: Second Form"

Hotaru began taking deep breaths, and lowered his body a little, and positioned his sword at his right side pointing downward.

"Rising Scorching Sun"

Hotrau then unleashed an arcing vertical slash in an upwards motion, intending to severe John in half.

But against his expectations, John didn't try to back away, but in an inhuman fashion arched his body backward, leaving only the tip of the sword barely able to reach him and leaving a shallow wound starting from his stomach to his upper torso.

'w-what the???'

"Thunder Breathing: Total Concentration"

Not having enough time to question how was that even humanly possible, Hotaru had to switch to Thunder Breathing to dodge John greatsword.

"HAHAHA, that's one of the only adveantages of being born with a body like this"

Attacking Hotaru again, Hotaru dodge the attack, lifted up his sword and attacked with another form.

"Water Breathing: First Form: Water Surface Slash"

Hotaru crossed his arms to generates momentum, and then released one concentrated

horizontal slash at John.

Clanck

Which was blocked by his giantsword, John held the giantsword above his head and relased fast two X shaped slashes.

Jumping into the air to dodge, Hotrau saw John jumping behind him following him closely, so he took deep breaths and held his sword upove his head, then he started to fall down.

"Flame Breathin: Third Form"

Using the falling momentum and his strength, Hotaru swung his sword downwards in an arcing vertical slash, that met John's giantsword which sent him flying to the ground.

"Blazing Universe"

Boom

"ugh"

Watching John falling and shattering the ground from impact, Hotaru landed and readied his sword.

Crack

John stood up and with his bones cracking grabed his greatsword and gave Hotaru an angry look.

"Now you have pissed me off"

-------

"Grandpa!!"

Hearing his grandson calling for him, Hikaru took a quick glance at his grandson, and saw the blood dripping from his mouth.

'Dammit'

"HAHAHA, I don't get it, we obviously didn't hit you so why are you bleeding like that?"

"Brother B, you should learn how to notice the details, it's obvious that old man have old injurys he hadn't healed from completly, this just make this battle the more easier"

Gritting his teeth, Hikaru didn't want to admit that those pirates were right, some of his old injury's have began to reopend ever since the begining of the battle.

'If I was still at my prime I would have already killed them long ago, no, I can't just lament about the past, I need to do something to end this, I don't know how long I can hold on'

"HAHAHA, don't get distracted unless you want you're head to fly"

Snapping out of his thoughts by Brother B' voice, Hikaru raised his swords readying them to continue fighting.

"Silvermane Axe Style: Silver Fang Rampage"

Brother B dashed forward and with a vicious smile strated to swing his axe in a vicious and unpreditable manner, which made Hikaru struggle to defend.

"Bloodgold Hammer Art: Midas Hammer Slam"

Hikaru saw Brother A jumping into the air with his hammer up high so he deflected Brother B's attack with on sword and readied the other, Brother A slammed his giant hammer onto his sword from the side, sending him flying in the air before landing heavily on the ground.

Watching Hiakru fall on the ground, Brother B approched Borther A with a skiptical look.

"Brother A, why do you think he is not using any sword art? someone like him should defently use a swrod style, and he is already so strong he can match both of us, but he still hadn't used any martial art from the begining of our fight"

Addresing his confusion, Brother B was actully baffled at why such a strong person who is only slightly weaker than both of them compined and was struggling hadn't used any martial art that could focus his strength and is making it harder on himself.

"It probably due to all those scars on his body, although they look healed, I think they are actully reducing his strength and at the same time not allowing him to use any sword art or he risk reopening more of his wounds"

"If you pay closer attention you will notice that although he looks like he got alot of his old injuries opened all of them are just small wounds, his serious wounds that will actully put his life in danger if they reopened are still fine, that's why he dosen't want to risk using his sword art and endangering himself"

"And yet he is still keeping up with us!!"

"I really wonder why such a strong person would live in such a remote island? espically since his grandson is so strong that he had been fighting Skinny Johnny for a while now, which is very impressive considering his age"

"HEHE, that's none of our business anyway, all we need to do is loot this island and prepare ourselves so we can enter the grandline"

Looking at Hikaru that stood up and was coughing, Brother B rushed again at Hikaru intending to end this battle soon.

-------

Boom

Cough

Falling to the ground after blocking John's attack, Hotaru couldn't stop himself from coughing after accidentally inhaling the dust from his fall.

Looking around, Hotaru lamented the ruins of this part of the village that was once filled with people, but now, it's already in shamples, the ground was destroyed in multiple places and the houses were damaged alot, and any crop that was once being grown here were now history.

"Dammit, Dammit, Dammit"

Cursing loudly and feeling his anger and frustration build up even more, Hotaru began thinking hard how to solve his current problem.

'I keep being sent crashing into something new everytime I have to block, no matter how much I try to dodge, some hits will still land on me and I will be sent flying, those falls damaged my body and they hurt like hell, I need to find a way that dosen't sent me flying if I block an attack'

'Right!, Stone Breathing, it's suppose to represent the Stability part of the Sun Breathing, if I could just figue out how to do it, it should help me defend and stop me from flying from every hit I get'

"HEHE, have you given up? why are you just standing there with that look on you're face? if you're mad about all this mess that our fight had caused? you don't need to worry about it, after I'm done with you nobody will get to live in this village again"

"But if you're really mad at someone, you should be mad at yourself for being too weak, this world is an evil one, the strong rules and gets everthing they wants while the weak have to satisfy themselves with their leftovers, and when the strong and the weak interests clash, who's interests do you think will be more important?"

Gritting his teeth in frustation, Hotaru knew that what John was saying was the unpleasant truth, not only in this world but his old world too, even though society looked like it had democracy and that everyone was equal, their were still people who had higher positions that can control how society function, those people are strong, but what they have is a diffrent kind of power.

Hotrau knows of the existnce of the celestial dragons, who with a single order from them could cause the destruction of an entire Island and the murder of hundreds of people.

"I don't like this"

"Huh? what did you say?"

Mumbling to himself, John couldn't hear that what Hotaru said, so Hotaru yelled out his words again.

"I SAID I DON'T LIKE THIS!!!"

"Huh? what do you mean 'you don't like this', don't tell me you are one of those heros wanna be? that goes around and stick there nose in everybody's business?"

"No, I'm not a hero nor do I want to be one, but I don't want to feel this way, this powerlessness, I don't want anybody else controlling my life and the lifes of the people I care about, I don't care what happens to everyone else, but I won't allow it, so I'll become strong, stronger than anybody in this world, and will have control of my own fate!!"

Hearing Hotaru's speech left John in a daze for a second, his eyes wide open before his face broke into a masiivve grin.

"Hehe, hehehaha, HAHAHAHAHA, YES, THAT'S RIGHT KID, I LIKE YOU'RE SPIRIT AND DETERMINATION"

"Sigh~, Unfortunately, you won't stay alive long enough to achieve that, but for entertaining me for so long, I'll give you a quick death"

With that John attacked Hotaru with flurry of attacks, but ended up blocked or dodge every time.

"Crazy Dancing Mantis: Screaming Scissor Slice"

John pushed Hotaru back before he sprung forward with a series of fast steps while raising his greatsword above his head. Then, with a loud shout, he swung down his greatsword in a diagonal arc, slicing through the air with incredible speed and force, at the last moment, he twisted his wrist causing the blade to curve inwardly.

'Shit'

"Wind Breathing: Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist"

Hotaru rotated his body in an upper cut movement and then swung his sword in an arcing slash that met John's greatsword.

"Cray Dancing Mantis: Leaping Mantis Slash"

Backing away from the force of impact, Hotaru didn't have time tp relax before John had leaped forward into the air with incredible speed while simultaneously bringing the sword in a vertical arc overhead.

"Thunder Breathing: Total Concentration"

Hotaru had to escape the attack range, he felt how dangerous that attack was before it landed, if it had hit him it would have definitely killed him so he couldn't risk blocking it.

At this point in the fight Hotaru no longer had any idea if he can survive long enough untill his grandfather can beat the other two and come help him.

------

Panting~

Panting heavily Hikaru wondered when it was the last time he felt tired like this, it was probably the time he ran away with Hotaru.

Taking a quick glance at his grandson, Hikaru saw that he wasn't doing any better than himself, looking back at his opponets, Hikaru saw them getting ready to finsh the fight.

'I'm tired'

Closing his eyes, Hikaru felt the world slow around him and all the noises disappering.

'Am I gonna fail again?'

["Father, please take Hotaru and run away using the boats we prepared"]

Recalling his son's face while giving him the unconscious Hotaru and telling him to run away, Hikaru felt a diffrent kind of pain coming from his heart.

'Tatsuda..'

'Am I gonna have to watch while I lose everything I care about again, am I really that useless and incapable of protecting the people I love'

Suddenly a memory poped up in his head, it was of Hikaru standing at the village's entrance lowering his head to a couple of people from the village including Manatee and Stephanie.

[ "Thank You, I can't thank you enough for welcoming me and my grandson"

"No need, Hikaru, it just a little thing"

"No it's not, you gave my grandson a chance at a normal life that otherwise he wouldn't have been able to have, as his grandfather I want to give you something in return.

Unfortunately, the only thing this old man know is how to fight, so I promise you that even if I have to put my life on the line, I will protect this Village and every person in it, I swear on my honor"]

Opening his eyes with a fierce and determined look, Hikaru made the choice that he was hesitant about.

'I'll keep my promise no matter what it costs, and this time, I won't lose anyone I care about'

BOOOOOM

Suddenly felling chills all over their back, the Brother A and B felt their heart fall to their stomach by what they saw.

------

Pushing each other back, Hotaru and John raised their weapons to attack again when they felt chills on their backs.

BOOOOOM

Suddenly, a red light shot out from the battlefield of Hikaru and The Brothers, both of them turned their gazes to the red light shooting out of one side of the battlefiled.

"G-Grandpa?? w-wha-,?"

Shock ran through Hotaru's whole body, feeling the immense power coming from his grandfather.

"A-Aura??"