Wings Of The Wind: Chapter 3

''Kai stood not moving an inch, his heart beating a mile a minute as the memories washed over him. The lash of the Duel Master's cane when he'd been too exhausted to stand. The slice of a blade through his flesh when he had slowed from training for even a moment. The beratements at even the slightest failing and the agony of the doctor's treatments just to keep him 'pristine' for Saint Caligula.''

Duel Master: AVALON!!! FIGHT ME LIKE A GLADIATOR!!!

''Kai had fought the Duel Master more times than he could even remember. The beatings and maiming blurring into one long succession of pain, but now was different. There were no guard's with kairoseki nets and no kairoseki gauntlets strapped to his wrists, this time he was free to fight at full strength. He rounded to see the grizzled man standing, glaring across the open cargo bay with a sword in each hand.''

Duel Master: I TRAINED YOU TO FIGHT WITH HONOUR AVALON!! FIGHT ME LIKE A GLADIATOR!!

Kai: You want a Gladiator's Duel?

Duel Master: You know I do Avalon.

Kai: These are your last moments, treasure them.

''He turned and walked slowly back into Tartarus, the hellish nightmare of a place that had stolen his life. All to bring it to and end, to cut the final chain that could pull him back in. He walked forward facing his former teacher and torturer, seeing the guards running down the corridor attempting to chase him down. A true Gladiator's Duel was two men facing off on the sand, a fight of honour that finished only when one was dead. There was only one way to make that happen now.''

Kai: ARENA FIATO!!

''The air around them began to swirl, faster and faster blowing up dust as a circle of wind. He could hear the shouts of the soldiers as they approached and the snap of gunfire as they tried to shoot him. The current continued spin around them creating a spinning wall of deadly wind shear that grew and upwards until the pair were sealed inside a dome of air currents.''

Kai: The walls will open only when one of us falls.

Duel Master: A duel to the death in an airless arena, I trained you well.

Kai: If you can call beating a child till he can't stand training.

''The Arena Fiato technique is where Kai call upon his sylph abilities to manipulate the air away from himself. This technique creates a 50 foot airless bubble surrounding Kai and his opponent. The air then spins around creating a deadly wind shear which forces his opponent to fight him until the one of them falls or the air in their lungs runs out.''

Kai: You remember the rules for this right old man?!

The Duel Master threw a pair of short swords on the ground at Kai's feet, looking upon him with a sneer of disgust.

Duel Master: I taught you these rules whelp!! No powers, just skill and strength!!

''Kai picked up the swords and spun them in his hands, checking their weight and length. They were the same gladius blades that he had first been trained with, their familiar size bringing back a flood of memories. The sword had been the first thing he'd been taught with upon his arrival in Tartarus, back then the weapon had been big and heavy in his five year old hands. He looked down at the blades in his hands now, they were light and agile. He would take his freedom with the same skills and blades that had kept him in the yolk of oppression for so many years.''

Kai: You'll regret challenging me old man!!

''Kai charged across the dome, the lack of air already beginning to tell as the around them as the sudden lack of pressure began to strain their ears and eyes. He pulled the twin swords around in an upwards slash. The Duel Master dancing back to dodge the powerful swing, before striking out with a straight single sword lunge. The lunge forced Kai to twist aside letting the blade pass inches behind his back as he brought his weapons in a downwards arc to strike at the Duel Master's exposed side. The move was fast and powerful, but Duel Master was no amateur and his second blade was already moving to parry Kai's attack. The blades clashes and the power of Kai's attack sent his opponent siding away sideways.''

Duel Master: You still have your edge, boy.

The elder man calmly leveled raised the swords in a fighting position, the steel completely still despite the fact his heaving chest was betraying his difficulty in breathing.

Duel Master: I've never allowed a slave to escape and you will not be the first!

''Kai didn't care for a protracted discussion any more, he would let his skill do the talking for him. He crossed his arms across his body, setting up for a big slow cross slash that he knew the Duel Master would see coming from his stance. That was the point, telegraphing your moves was not always a disadvantage. He ran forwards closing the gap between the duelists. As he stepped within ten feet of his opponent he dropped down low.'''

Kai: Soru

''His quick kicks to the ground launched him forwards through the last ten feet as Kai cross slashed with both swords. They were set to cut through his opponent, until in the centre they struck metal. At the same time as Kai had sought to end the duel so had his former master, the elder man using a downwards stab that would have skewered Kai to the ground. The attack had acted as a parry saving his torso from Kai's cross cuts, the power of the blow was still enough to drive the man back into the edge of the dome. His body was thrown forwards by the wind, sending him sprawling to the ground.''

Kai: *Gasp*

''Kai drew in as much of the thin air as he could, as he regained his composure. He was determined to keep the advantage he'd gained, baring down upon his former master with eyes only for the ending blow. His haste almost blinded him to the danger and only his instinct for self preservation saved him from losing his head to the Duel Master's slash from the ground. The blade grazed his cheek drawing blood as it cut through the flesh. Kai spun away, giving the Duel Master the time he needed to recover his feet. The low air pressure made the wound gush down his cheek. It was the last thing Kai needed right now, he could feel his lungs burning as the air was almost completely gone.''

Duel Master: Still just an impulsive brat after all...

''The sound was muffled in the near vacuum and Kai's brain was beginning to struggle from the lack of oxygen. He stared across at his old master with pure hatred in his eyes. He needed something new, something the old man had not seen before. His mind strained from the oxygen depravation and his vision began to blur for a moment making his distant opponent seem to appear as three men. The inspiriation struck, Fūjin's Mirror opening up new possibilities to his mind. He knew he'd only have one last chance to end this duel otherwise both of them would collapse and he would end up in a cell once more. He tapped his toe on the ground as he drew in one last deep breath, letting his instinct find the rhythm he needed. He dash forwards toward the waiting Duel Master, the planned last effort clear in the minds of both fighters.''

Kai: Soru.........

''Kai vanished from one spot then appeared just before the Duel Master. The old veteran had seen through the tactic and a blade was already swinging to cut him down. The attack came across slicing through Kai's head but the image disppeared, leaving the sword to cut only air. The last sight the Duel Master's eyes saw was six shimmering Kai's all coming to cut him down.''

Kai: ...Mirage Echo!!

''The great dome of air dropped away leaving only the victor standing over the inert form of his fallen opponent, blood on his blades. The guards who had chased Kai down the corridor froze for a moment as they recognised the slave's opponent. Kai didn't wait to give them a chance to attack and spread his wings as he ran to the open cargo bay entrance. He could hear the shots coming but it was too late, he could feel the wind on his skin again. The sky was calling him. He leapt skywards flapping his wings, his destination the bright blue sky.''