Blade Master - Arc I

Arc 1 of Sword Art Online: Blade Master.

Prologue
He panted heavily. It was raining in a downpour, the heat coming from within him unflinching in the face of the cold water falling all over. His sword felt like searing steel in his hands. He could see the blade's edge was chipped and fractured, worn out from the countless strikes it was forced to endure. His entire body felt heavy; exhausted from this battle, which had lasted for more than an hour now. However, neither he nor his opponent were finished yet. He raised his head, looking forward to his adversary. He was struggling to keep his composure as well; his usual calm demeanor worn down from the brutal fighting. Neither of the two were going to last much longer at this rate.

Yes. Their duel was nearly at an end.

His grip on his blade tightened, and biting his lip, he forced himself to stand up straight, enduring his body's cries and bringing his blade back up in front of him with both hands. He was truly miserable right now... everything within him wanted to stop. Everything within him never wanted to start in the first place. He never wanted this. He never wanted any of this. Fate had rarely been kind to him. This was just another thing he would have to suffer through... looking down at the reflection on his cracked and splintered sword, he could practically see everything... everything he was, and everything that led him here... this blade that was burdened just as much as he was. He hoped that this would be the last time his sword would have to endure such a weight.

He felt it. A twinge in his chest, his power welling up inside him, the last bits of the will he had surging from deep within his heart. It almost stung, now... and he could see faint shimmers of red in the rain just in front of him. He looked forward to his opponent, an icy blue glow shining in his left eye, a clear sign that he knew as well.

They both knew. How could they not?

They were the same, after all.

And then he ran. He ran through everything. His pain. His suffering. All that ailed him, body and mind and soul... he ran through it. His opponent would begin running at the same time, the two prepared to strike out at each other. They both knew that it would be the last time their blades met.

They both screamed, a roar that surpassed the thunder around them as they ran towards each other. They brought their swords together, the blades finally coming to meet for a final time. The bright clash of sparks and the sound of the shock drowning out everything else around them, time slowing down so they could burn the feeling of their clashing blades into their memories. They both pushed as hard as they possibly could, both of their weary blades surpassing their limits to meet the wills of their wielders.

Lightning struck and flashed against the steel of his blade as it finally gave out and shattered.