As time flies, I am getting more and more at disadvantage. He attacked like a savage beast, made me almost no time to catch my breath.
"Hahahahahaha, you told me that I will eat my own words huh. It looks like you are just a big talk isn't it."
Think hard! Think hard! There must be something that can be used to defeat him. When I was in dilemma, I remember uncle's advice.
"In battlefield you can use any trick to defeat your anemy. Iaijutsu, this technique specialized in fast draw."
Remembering it, I take some distance from the bandit leader. I take a deep breath and sheated my sword.
"So, you finally giving up huh. Did you finally considering joining my bandit gang. Don't worry, you will get the position of vice leader."
Ignoring what he say, I lowering my stance to look like I surrendered while prepare to draw my sword as fast as possible. I try to surpress my killing intent and wait till he approach me.
"I understand that you are stronger than me. It's pointless to fight you head on."
"Good...good...I like your personality. I'll tell you, I'm a former knight captain. Becoming a bandit is more fun than being a knight. You can get more wealth than a knight, it is more easier to get money by plunder the village than protecting them."
Honestly, I am reluctant to use dirty trick against my enemies, but a scum like him did not need the fair battle. Finally, he approach me while giving his hand for a handshake. Now, it is the moment!
" Yes, the reality is like that. Therefore...."
*slash*
"I don't need to feel bad about using dirty means to you."
In less than one second, I cut off his arm. He was shocked for a moment before realizing that he lost the tip of his hand.
"Aaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhh. How dare you! How dare you! You little brat! I swear that I will not let you die easily."
He picked his sword with his left hand and lunge at me. He's like a wounded beast. His attack is even more fiercer than before.
*clang*
*plak*
*slash*
When I blocked his attack, I managed to kick him in the face. But, he managed to chop some flesh from my left shoulder. After that, he throw me several meters away.
I tried to take a deep breath and lower my stance once again to use Iaijutsu again. I try to observe him, he then pounce toward me while slashing.
*slash*
We slash at each other almost at the same time. With his slash, he wounded my right shoulder, drastically weakened the strength of my arm. Instead, there is no visible injury in his arm.
When he tried to lift his arm again to strike me. He found that he cannot move his arm. Suddenly, a thin red line emerge from his upper arm and then...his hand slip off from the red line section.
"Aaaaarrrrggghhhh, how did you do that! I swear that your sword didn't hit me!"
"Iaijutsu, the fast drawing technique I use to cut your hand. In fact, I did manage to cut your hand fast enough to make it looks like that I didn't hit you. What happen next is as you see, you cut off a large piece of flesh from my right shoulder."
"Iaijutsu...It sounds nostalgic. Once, when I was still an ordinary knight assigned to the battlefield, I saw a man who can kill his enemy before anyone realize it. He called his technique's name is Iaijutsu too."
His demeanor change drastically. He lowered his body to reach his severed hand. Seeing it, I sheated my sword again because I understand that he will shortly die because of blood lose.
"Brat, you defeat me and I will die shortly because of blood lose. But, I don't know why. Seeing that trick albeit not a perfect one, makes me want to die as a warrior not as a bandit leader. Brat, can you you pull your sword to fight me again." He looked at me with beggin look on his face.
"I will gladly do that, but how can you hold your sword. After all, you already lost both of your hands." I said respectfully to him as a warrior.
"Heh, that is easy."
I saw him opened his mouth wide and bite the handle of his sword. With sword in his mouth he stand once again. Honestly, I despised him because he's a bandit but at the same time, I respect him as a swordsman.
I also unsheathed my sword for one last time.
We readied ourselves. Both of us know that this is the final moment. Finally, we strike at the same time.
*slash*
I suffer a big cut in my stomach while I cut off him in the waist. After a while I heard the sound of something falling behind me. I know that Agnus the bandit leader has fall. I closed my sword and approach him.
"Thank you brat for fulfilling my selfishness. Honestly, you are so talented that I'm envy you. Iaijutsu, I already tried to replicate that technique when I was still young but I never success. But you managed to use it at that young age." He looked at me with admiration in his eyes.
"You are also strong. If I didn't use that dirty trick the outcome will be different."
"Hahahahaha, It's battlefield brat. Everything is allowed. Before my death, I, Andrius bestow you the title of White Haired Swordsman."
"I, Edgar gladly accept that title. Andrius the warrior, I respect you as the same warrior."
"Hahahahaha...You address me as a warrior? Well...actually...that...is...not...a....bad....thing." He closed his eyes for forever.
Seeing that he die. I gave him the last respect before I raise my hand and shouted.
"I, Edgar has taken the life of Andrius the Bandit Leader!"
At the moment I shouted. The battlefield become silence. After a while the bandit backed off little by little.
"Leader has been killed run!"
"Everyone run!"
"Run!"
In less than a minute, all the bandit has left. Now the scenery only filled with corpse and blood. Worried about uncle, I ran to him to check his condition. Magically, he is not even suffer from a single injuries.
"Kiddo, you did well. I proud of you as your teacher. Now wait until we cleaned up the battlefield and then I will treat your wound."
After that we burried all the bandits corpse while we take the dead villagers back. After arriving at home, we treated the injured one while we sent the dead bodies back to their family.
This battle, I will never forget off. This day, 130 bandits died while our causalties is 30 people. Even though we win, but no one celebrate it. There is only tears and sorrows that filled the village.