Masayoshi and Tesh: new threat p2
Masayoshi swung his sword in a wide upward arc, and suddenly vanished in a puff of powdery snow. The brute swung a fist backwards in a horizontal whip, expecting where Masayoshi would be, he ducked the swing but the oni was fast, in the turn it raised its spear and thrust forward, the ronin managing to vanish again just in time as the spear drove down spraying icy mist, obscuring vision around it.
Tesh let out a grunt, hefting her axe behind her, back and throwing it in a hard arch towards the monster, it spun end over end the blade sinking into the oni with a sickening wet thunk. Burying itself half way to the haft. She held out her hand as if she was gripping an invisible axe and shouted “Hvarf.”
The axe in the oni’s back vibrated slightly before turning to blue-white light and vanishing, and like a bolt of lightning returned to Tesh’s hand. The return trip had more kick than she had expected and caused a momentary misstep. But she corrected quickly.
The oni roared, and flexed like it was trying to heal but the wound smoked and tore open more as the muscle strained the open gash the axe had torn. It let out a sound of pain this time, flailing wildly in savage unruly trashing of its shield and spear. Some caught only air, or snow and the rock underneath. One just narrowly missed Masayoshi, the edge of the shield slipping across his katana as leaned back nearly to the ground, sending a shower of sparks.
Tesh threw the axe again, and it hit its mark, “Fram.” she roared, her body turning to that same light, this time she teleported to the axe. She placed both feet firmly and ripped it free, before swinging it down again and again. After the sixth or seventh swing the oni turned, catching Tesh with its shield, sending her flying and bouncing across the snow, her axe falling from her hand the moment of impact.
Masayoshi tightened his grip till his knuckles were white. Launching himself forward hard enough it cracked the rock under the fresh snow, sending both frost and shards of rock flying. He caught the oni at the front of its knee and carried the cut through, slicing the oni’s leg, leaving half the remaining flesh and bone to support it, that was until it attempted to step. The remaining bone fractured, and the meat tore, the monster fell to snow.
Masayoshi stood winded and panting, that burst had taken a lot from him.
“Fram” a weak, voice said, Tesh picked up her axe and walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder and easily moved the ronin aside “I got this one…” she said, lifting her axe high, bringing it down with a sickening crunch on the monster’s neck. It wasn’t enough to decapitate it, but it was enough it stopped moving, and started to fade into the thick miasma that always followed killing one of these monsters. “I need to rest.” she said, “I don’t know how you do it. But that took a lot...and I’m starving…” she said, putting a hand one Masayoshi’s back to get him walking so he wouldn’t stay to make sure it had fully vanished. “Come on…I’ll make the stew this time.”