章節 20: Jin vs Ezio: Fight
Time, space, and reality converge together as the camera soon pans to a time and place very far away. A moonlit Tsushima island in the year 1254, a place that is currently under a time of fear and conquest from Khotun Khan. Following the path of his distant ancestor Genghis, Khotun had stopped at nothing to put Tsushima under his grip. Something that wouldn't have been ironclad if it weren't for one man.
For I donut even a Khan could foresee, having to deal with something more than a man, a phantom that seems dead set on usurping his rule. A ghost that was now on his way to stop his latest plan. Undercover of darkness, a silent horse rides through a colorful remote forest with pressing speed through one of Omi Village's many forests.
The rider had known these routes all his life from first-hand experience growing up. As such, he perfectly weaved through the large trees expertly as he got closer to his mission. A trial that may be the thing to finally turn the tide against the man who had caused him so much pain. For he was Jin Sakai, fallen samurai of the diminished Sakai clan and sworn enemy of the Mongol Empire.
Across his one-man war to save his people, Jin had picked up deathly rumors of a plot that could very well undo everything he's done. When he was but a boy, Jin had heard stories from his lord about Gengis Khan's many feats. Some say he had the strength of a thousand men, that he was the devil given form, and most importantly that he had a sword that put his power on par with the gods.
And while this mysterious sword has wholly vanished under his death, Khotun may have secured a device that could lead him to a similar power, which, if true, means that he needed to get stopped at all costs. Using a combination of his intuition, enemies' information, and the wind itself, he found the fabled relic in a remote fort. Jin took full advantage of his home field from the shadows, securing a high vantage point while gazing down upon those who will soon share his status as a ghost.
However, unknown to him, Jin was also being stalked like an eagle because history has a funny way of repeating itself. Ezio Auditore, the master assassin of the Italian Brotherhood, had come to this small island to carry on his ancestor's Altair's legacy. Since the relic in Khoton's Khan possession just so happens to be the final Maysaf Key, he needs to unlock Altair's library.
He had spent months tracking down the final key, but the Templar Order has seemed to stop at nothing to get it out of his hands. It was only through looking at Altair's memories that he could find the missing link: the Mongolian Rite of the Templar Order. After Altair secured the sword of Eden from Gengis Khan, the Templars within his empire have done everything in their power to either get revenge or pick up where he left off. But, regardlesss of intention, the objective was clear.
He needed to secure the final key and kill whoever would stand his way. Thus including the infamous Ghost of Tsushima, the rogue mercenary that had left nothing but bodies in his wake. But, even without his Eagle Vision, Ezio could sense Jin's presence, his palpable bloodlust radiating off like a dense mist.
Realizing the danger he could pose, the veteran assassin decided to be "pragmatic." In an instant, he unfurled his signature crossbow and fired several rounds. In this period, this would typically have been an instant death sentence. However, if the Assassin had Eagle Vision, itJin had the wind. A tense blowing was all Jin's honed senses needed to jump back, only leaving with several small cuts. Using his fabled grappling hook, Jin could swing while having the branches break his fall.
Still, the stunt cost him, leading to several light bruises and costing him valuable time. A seconds more delay would have proven deadly as Jin used his tanto to deflect multiple crossbow bolts! Immediately he got back up, scanning the area for whatever came next.
"Did the Mongols detect my presence? No, that's impossible. This feels like a third party or, at the very least, a mercenary. Either way, those bolts don't look like something from the Mongols or anyone from Tsushima. Meaning that while this may be an outsider it also meant that I had the home field," said intelligently.
So Jin decided to stay alert but still waiting for the pivotal moment. A chance that came all too soon as another set of bolts fired like clockwork. Unfortunately for Ezio, the third time was not the charm. Jin fluently blocked the bolts while simultaneously checking the trajectory to fire his arrow.
Similar to Jin, Ezio parried the strike but lost his footing. However, the fall didn't impede him, as Ezio resorted to an all-out blitz. Jin fired off arrows like an automatic, aiming each shot with lethal intent. The threat meant nothing to the master assassin, though, as he pulled out the legendary sword of Altair to intercept the attacks at blinding speed.
Realizing the opponent's speed, Jin unfurled his katana and relied on the Ghost stance. The world seemed to darken into a noir setting as Jin's bloodlust peaked at supernatural levels. In this stance even the mightiest of men quiver in fear like children. But to a man who's already faced death so many times, it was a taunt for Ezio.
Ezio jumped up several feet before forcing his blade down hard when he was within range. Jin could barely parry it, instead trying to use the force to unleash a swift horizontal slash. Not missing a beat, though, Ezio unleashed an upward slash that broke his guard.
Faster than the eye could follow, both instinctively released a mightn't overhead swing that was strong enough to send both of them back! Rows of dead leaves were sent high up into the air as both combatants tried to find steady footing. Both combatants then took notice of their injuries. Jin suffered from a small cut on his right hand, while Ezio's left shoulder had a small cut on it, which told our warriors one thing; that this fight might be the closest both had ever faced.
"So this is the fabled Ghost of Tsushima. He's just as dangerous as expected. Fighting him, head-on might be too hasty, though. He's a younger man that's gotten trained since birth. He seems to know the area almost instinctively. Still, physically I have the advantage. If I can get close and use my hidden blades, then this fight is over," he thought calmly.
"This Assassin is clearly on a different level to all the opponents I've faced before. Not only did he spot my position, but he was also completely unaffected by my Ghost Stance, which means that he is a man who doesn't hesitate or fear me. A brute force fight also seems unlikely with the physical capabilities he's shown. Which means I had to regain control immediately and remained unpredictable. My other stances are still viable, and the battlefield is mine,' Jin said resolutely.
With the quick reset between combatants, the two circled like predators. In contrast, Ezio's blade remained calm and resolute while Jin kept his footwork ever-changing, not letting him get a chance to read him. Once again, a turbulent wind started to whiz past, forcing the surrounding leaves to fall like rain. So much so that their entire line of sight was covered.
Jin bravely took the first step into the unknown in this sea of leaves. Adrenaline fueled him every sense as he tried discerning his enemy's location. However, despite the storm of noisy gales, Jin could still feel his father guiding him. So in one decisive motion, the grand samurai entered his stone stance and launched into a solid stab forward.
Unfortunately for Jin, though, while he had long since accepted the ghost's path, Ezio had already spent decades as a ghost of the Auditore family. Using Eagle Sense and sheer speed, Ezio got out of his line of sight for a counterattack. Time slowed down to a crawl as hardened steel pierced through the waves of leaves towards Jin's right temple.
Panic almost seemed like the young ronin, but remembering his training. At once, Jin met the saber with his tanto, holding strong like a mountain as he parried the strike just enough to gain distance with a large gash across his right temple. The pain was almost blinding, but Sakai's son held strong, immediately deciding to close in with Wind stance! Jin unleashed a pressing typhoon kick that connected from the ground, followed by a low sweep and spinning side kick to trip up the veteran warrior.
Ezio tried to counter back but with a stab of the hidden blade, but Jin predicted, using the Water stance to put his sword into a storm of reverse gripped hits. Small cuts started to paint themselves across Ezio's body as he stayed strong, trying his best to adapt to Jin's movements before long. Finally, Jin's pressure started to peak when Ezio realized that he was getting pushed into a nearby tree.
At that point, Jin got desperate, readying the Moon stance to slice open Ezio's entrails. But, sensing the attack coming, the assassin instinctively countered by leaping off the tree to backflip behind Jin. Then, abandoning his sword Ezio closed in with his hidden hook blade, surprising Jin enough to disarm his katana. He tried to close in the kill at the last second, but he could connect with a puff of air, courtesy of a smoke bomb.
The village then grew dead silent as Ezio let out an exasperated sigh, his age and injuries starting to take their toll while he picked up his sword. Nevertheless, his intuition and experience had not. Before he could fully lock on to Jin's new location, Ezio got bombarded by flaming arrows. In a combination of speed and skill Ezio used his hidden blades to deflect them all. However, said deflections soon started to turn the forest into a raging wildfire.
Realizing that this would only cause attention to the surrounding Mongols, Ezio had no choice but to depart the area. The middle-aged free runner took full advantage of his surroundings, flipping, running across the broken branches and rocks to escape. However, Ezio had to nearly dodge another perfectly placed arrow for every Mongol he had escaped. Which eventually brought him to a special part of the village: Omi Lake.
Specifically, in the area where Jin had his climactic battle with Lord Shimura, the sight of being there once again is enough to fill Jin with at least a little resolve. But, unfortunately, by the time the young man had made his way from the shadows, Ezio was waiting for him.
"Finally stopped hiding. I see you have led me to this place. Why?"
Jin steadied his breathing, tying up his headband to cover his gash and steadying his footwork. Eventually, he gave his answer.
"I wanted to give you a good grave," Jin growled.
The quote alone was enough for Ezio to recollect the last of his stamina as he raised the sword of his fabled ancestor while saying.
"We shall see about that," he said with determination.
Further words failed the two opponents as they soon unleashed an all-out blitz! From there, the two were like the ends of a mirror, unleashing a multitude of equal slashes. Both dual-wielded their respective swords with a tanto and hook blade, respectively. They were laser-focused on the task, looking for any chance they could as damage and fatigue grew.
After a full half-hour of consecutive striking, the final stroke made itself known. In the mother of all feints Ezio dropped his sword while using his double hook blades to disarm Jin's sabers! Usually, this would've been a death sentence, but Jin took that into account.
That prediction, along with his youth and speed, made his last ace in the hole all the more effective. Using his last kunai to stab Ezio in the neck a touch faster before Ezio could land the killing blow. Most of Ezio's strength vanished like whiplash, weakening his follow through enough to give Jin shallow stab wounds.
Still, he didn't have enough time to brace himself, forcing the young warrior to vomit up blood in heaps. Yet he still held his footing while Ezio fell to the ground. Shock, fear, and distress passed him by, noticing now how much more he wanted to do and say before this moment. Regret poisoned him further, realizing that he had left his sister alone as the final Auditore. All to pursue the treasure of a dead man he's never met. Which led him to wonder if other's would also follow this path, seeking the legacy he had left.
And as one life left this earth, another persisted in the middle. Combined with his previous injuries, he walked on death's door with his enemies on his heels. Yet despite the massive amount of pain and the odds stacked against him. The Ghost of Tsushima persisted, hoping that the wind would guide him towards salvation. For just like his opponent, he had unfinished business.
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