*Creeeaakk!
As he put the bird inside his burlap bag, he suddenly hear a creaking sound from above.
*Swoosh!
Eiji hurriedly jumped backwards as he dropped hia burlap bag as he rolled away.
When Eiji looked back, he saw that huge jaguar that once took his prey in the trap!
'Damn! What do I do?! What do I do?! What do I do?!'
Eiji was really panicking now.
He knew that the jaguar was faster than him.
It was also stronger than him.
And from the scratched claw marks on it's body, it is also better at fighting than him!
Even if he ran away, jaguars can climb trees and he will be pounced from above! He was lucky earlier because the weight of the jaguar couldn't be supported by the tree which made a creaking sound.
This time he wont be so lucky!
'I don't have a choice! Fight! I have to fight it! I need to survive! Yes! Survive!
Survive! Survive! Survive! Survive!'
Eiji repeated the word survive in his head just like what his mother told him.
He is trembling, Afraid And desperate!
But he still took his stance as he pointed his wooden katana at the jaguar.
*Grrrrr!!
The jaguar growled at Eiji.
This was a very smart jaguar.
It first stumbled upon Eiji's trap a month ago, then it followed Eiji's smell and found other traps.
Now it stations itself a bit further away and just enough for it to hear when an animal is trapped to eat it for itself.
As it continued snatching Eiji's prey, it also found Eiji taking the preys from the trap which it thought was his.
It was vigilant and started stalking Eiji everytime he came here.
Now, it wants Eiji to stop taking its easy preys and decides to kill this thief.
Both confronted each other.
*Graahh!!
*Bam!
The jaguar roared then tried to striked first with its claws.
Because of the distance between them made it so Eiji can get out of the way.
*Swoosh!
'hooh! Hooh! Hooh!'
Eiji was breathing hard just by dodging that strike.
He wasn't hit, nor did he ran fast or burned his stamina, but the pressure itself is suffocating him.
*Grrr!
*Bam!
After growling at Eiji, the jaguar once again pounced at him, this time with a leap, it opened it's mouth to bite!
Eiji knew he'll die if any part of his body gets bitten as the beast wouldn't let go of him if it did!
*Swoosh!
*Bam!
Eiji ducked a bit, then side stepped to his left. This time because of its leap, he was now at the jaguar's back.
"Haaarrrrggghh!
*Bam!
"Rooaarr!!"
With a shout and a huge swing, he struck the back end of the beast, which made it roar in anger!
*Swoosh!
It hurriedly turned around and swung its claws.
*Bam!
"Aaahhhhh!"
Eiji was a bit late in dodging, so his right arm was struck and there was a bloody claw marks in it which made him cry in pain.
Eiji slowly back up until his back touch a tree.
He still pointed his wooden katana at the jaguar.
He endured the pain as the jaguar slowly crept towards him.
"Grrr!!!"
"Roooaar!"
Then with a roar it pounced once again!
*Baamm!
Eiji ducked once again and rolled away!
The tree behind him was struck by its claws and a quarter of the tree trunk was destroyed!
"Haah! Haah! Hahh!"
Eiji hurriedly stood up and backed away.
But before he could back away, the jaguar pounced without a pause, it didn't let him catch his breath!
*Bam!
Eiji still managed to get further away but was still hit by the claws!
"Aaaaahhhhh! It hurts Mom! Dad! Ahh! Help!"
Eiji fumble when he got struck and now there were another claw marks in his body, this time it was in his chest.
Eiji cried and looked for his mother and father.
Despite him being silent and acting mature all the time, he still just became 7 years old this year.
The pain and desperation now bursted out in one go!
Yet despite being frightened, he still stood up, and pointed his wooden katana at the jaguar.
Eiji still desperately dodged and would even hit back with his wooden katana when given the chance.
Yet with the thick fur of the jaguar, his hits just makes it angrier and angrier.
Eiji dodged the jaguar's claws but some still managed to scratch him.
He used the trees to either hide or as a foothold when dodging the claws
Until finally.
*Baaanngg!!
Eiji was struck at the chest this time.
A few of his ribs are now broken, he bounced off a tree as he spat out blood in his mouth.
Eiji still stood up.
He was groggy.
His eyesight was now mixed with sweat, tears and blood.
When he stood up, his wooden katana, was now held downwards from his left hand as it help him stand.
Eiji looked at the jaguar.
"Mother, Father..... I'm coming with you now!"
Eiji watched the jaguar in his foggy eyes.
The jaguar knew that the human in front of it is now dying.
A single bite is enough to end this farce!
The jaguar arrogantly walked towards Eiji.
"ROOOAARRR!!!"
Then with a loud roar the jaguar pounced at Eiji.
*Swooshh!!!"
Eiji watched the jaguar pounced at him.
Everything in his eyes seemed to slow down.
He knew he is now donna die after the bite of the jaguar.
But he still looked ahead of him.
As he stared, the jaguar's mouth neared.
Then Eiji saw the shadow of his teacher Muri when they were at the training grounds.
When he taught them one by one of the mainstream sword technique of the kingdom, what Eiji saw at that time was just a silver light that flashed through his eyes.
At that time, after that silver light flashed passed, his teacher's katana was still in it's sheath!
It was so fast he couldn't see him unsheathing and sheathing his katana!
And compared to that, the speed of this jaguar was slow!
So so so so slow!
Eiji instinctively circulated hi ki.
*Ziiiiiiiiiinnnnnggggg!
Then a sound of slashing through was heard!
*SPLAASHH!
Eiji was already two meters behind the jaguar.
He came back to his senses and found himself pausing in the middle motion of the quick draw sword technique.
The last part was sheathing back the swords.
Teacher Muri told them not to bother with the sheathing part just yet and familiarize themselves with quickly getting the sword out the of the sheath and then slashing in one motion.
The sword belt that they were given had a small palm size sword holder. It acts as the sheath when they practice the technique.
Eiji had been practicing every night when he didn't have an assignment.
And now, the struggle between life and death made his technique become refined and could be said to be now mastered by him!
"Haah! Hahh! Haaah! Hah!"
Eiji breathed heavily as he looked back at the corpse of his enemy.
He was shocked, stunned and happy that he won.
*Swoosh!
As Eiji relaxed his muscles, he suddenly fainted and as he dropped to the ground, someone caught his body and looked at him with a smile.
End Of Chapter.