Flat-Brim Samurai Chapter 81 - I Pray Unto You

He breathed away his anger as he gained solitude in his abilities, he grinned mischievously ,"You're hundreds of years out of your prime, old man, time for you to take a dirt nap." Apollo dashed and hit Narphun with a flurry of moves, now on the defensive Narphun backed up while Apollo inched ever forwards BAM BAM BAM. Concentrations of energy broke away the ground and shot power off in all directions.

As Apollo struck it was hard to control this energy, he only had his basic enhancement arts up. He felt like his sword was moving faster and faster with each swing, but how was that possible for his sword to surpass the speed of light itself? Ki was not like light, so surpassing that speed was entirely possible. Ki particles exist on an entirely different plane than natural matter, allowing them to enhance an object or itself to insane proportions, allowing it to surpass natural limits without disobeying the laws of the universe. Apollo's ki was refined enough to allow him to do this. Without even him knowing of it, he was breaking fundamental rules that governed physical reality itself.

The world nearly stood still as he fought, making drastic changes to the environment when blows were exchanged TINTINTINTIN. Apollo was beginning to back Narphun into a corner TINK TINK. Narphun tried every trick he learned over his life, however none of them worked on this now master level swordsman in front of him. Not only that but the kid was now as strong as him, maybe even slightly stronger.

Narphun released a large amount of energy and concentrated it on the end of his Lance. He struck at Apollo STAB. Apollo was pierced but only up to his abdominal muscle, his internal organs were safe. Apollo backed up and healed the damage.

A blinding light erupted from Narphun, it went out, then again it came back on. Apollo looked curiously ,"What's happening?" Narphun spoke ,"Let my light raze the fields, burn the towns and scorch my enemies souls. I pray unto you, oh great spirits, ALLOW ME TO BE YOUR RETAINER!!!" The armor on his upper body shattered, blood spurted from his back GURTLE SPLAT, his arms moved down. ,"AAAGGGGGGHHHHHH," His body was being doused in energy from some unknown source BWOOOOOM. 2 arms grew from behind him, a portal was opened above him, a bow descended. He reached up and gripped the bow, Light Bringer, a bow made by the spirits of light BOOOMF. His energy skyrocketed, but Apollo was still smiling, this was just what he wanted, a fight to make him just that much stronger.

When Narphun opened his eyes, they were golden, shining as if they were stars. THOOM THOOM THOOM Apollo sensed the ki signatures and dodged the attacks ,"Is that all you got?" Every second that Narphun spent on trying to kill Apollo, Apollo would just gain more mastery over his powers. He pressed Apollo on two fronts, both the arrows and the lance were attacking him at the same time TINK TINK FOOW TINK. Apollo looked down, feeling 3 arrows puncture through him, the lance stabbed him multiple times SLASH SLASH FWOO FWOO. He regenerated the damage and continued as if he wasn't hit at all. It was only fuel for his ever increasing power and sword skills.

Narphun raised into the air, light based rune circles appeared all around him, dancing across the sky. (Grandpa told me about those, by adding a script to an art you can massively increased stuff like it's power, precision or speed) Apollo thought. The light converged onto him, he set up a 15 barriers layered on top of each other but they were all destroyed CRASH BOOM. Apollo was hit by the oncoming beams, but at least they were cushioned. Apollo focused energy into his blade and sent many Ki Waves in Narphun's direction. Narphun dodged but felt his pain near the left abdomen. Apollo had concealed his presence and slashed Narphun's core SLASH. Narphun imbued Rune Arts with his light arrows, subsequently damaging Apollo. But Apollo was ready, he blocked about half of the arrows.

,"You know more weapons doesn't mean you're going to win, right?" Apollo was egging him on, but Narphun didn't answer, he felt that if he did, he would lose his mind in an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time, rage SLASH SLASH. Apollo was increasing the blows he executed. Narphun increased the speed and output of all his attacks, the process ended in failure, Apollo's adaptation was just too quick. TINK, Narphun's lance was thrusted out of the way, SWASH the bow was the next to follow with a Ki Wave. Apollo screamed ,"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" SLASH BWOOMP BOOM The slash Apollo then performed distorted space to such a degree that when he cut Narphun in half, it folded dimensional fabric over itself at the edge of the blade. The cut was so clean that Narphun didn't feel it ,"That was everything, I can't believe you were so arro-." SQWOOSH BAM Narphun hit the ground, bleeding profusely. Apollo breathed in and out exhaustedly, observing Narphun's now dead body in front of him.

He then looked down in his other hand to find a sheath appear, like it was there all along. He hadn't had time before, but now he finally noticed the beauty of his sword. The edge was beautifully sharp, the flat was damascus, the guard was ovular, the outlining being gold and the inner lining being black with a gold damascus pattern. The handle had black wrappings with white stingray skin underneath, the fuchi and kashira both mimicked ripples of water. The viewing ended at his sheath, much like the guard, it was black with gold damascus. Apollo flicked his sword downwards and raised it up. He flipped the sword downwards and put it in his sheath. Upon completing this action he thought (I don't really have a place to put it) but then it disappeared, he then called it back. His will itself controlled whether he had his sword in physical space. He then stored it back into his soul.

,"I don't know what to feel after that, should I feel anything?" Much like Cias he was contemplating the fact that he killed someone, and weirder, it didn't affect him much. ,"Nevertheless, it's time to go home."…

… Narphun looked at Apollo and his own dead body, unexpectedly being sentimental ,"It's clearly time for another ruler to take the world from me, my time is done, that is obvious to me now… I did what I could, mother, if you can even see me right now… I'm sorry. I promised strength, but only gave you pain and hatred. My power has finally been quenched, never to return, like it should be." He looked pained as he gazed at ??? ,"I presume it's time for myself to return to the underworld, am I right?" ??? nodded, grimacing, saying ,"Thank you for your participation in assisting Apollo, that was an amazing battle." Narphun found it odd what the man was saying, but smirked, knowing his death was near. ??? casted an art, making a void appear near Narphun, swallowing him up.

,"With that, the prologue is complete," ??? said, teleporting out of the area.

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