In an era when might wooden ships roared across the chaotic Bronze Sea, and magic flowed through the veins of many, a nameless bounty hunter emerged as a master of flames. Gifted with the power to control fire, this enigmatic figure was an ace in the face of apprehension, having been a significant helping hand with the Grand Navy forces in apprehending some of the most wanted criminals. It was troublesome times where criminals would exploit the weak, and society was divided by a thin line of justice and malice.
One fateful day, a decree came down from the grand navy’s high command, tasking the flame-controlling bounty hunter with a mission of utmost importance. A notorious criminal, known only as McCowan, had emerged. McCowan possessed the unparalleled ability to bend water to his will, a direct contradiction to the fire magic the bounty hunter commanded. It was a clash of elements and an inevitable battle between two forces of nature.
Upon tracking McCowan to a secluded cove on a forgotten island, the bounty hunter finally stood face to face with his elusive prey. The criminal’s taunting voice echoed in the salty breeze, “A bounty hunter? I wish that the grand navy would send a real challenge already. I’ll crush you, weakling.”
“You’ll soon find that you regret saying these words,” the bounty hunter muttered audibly, as he drew out his sword. The phoenix spirit emerged in his eyes.
The bounty hunter’s confidence wavered for a moment as he felt the raw power emanating from McCowan. In all his years, he had never encountered such mastery over water magic. The battle raged on, and it seemed as if McCowan’s aqueous tendrils would extinguish the bounty hunter’s fiery assaults.
However, fate intervened in the form of an unexpected ally. A young mage, still honing her control over light magic, stumbled upon the battle while on an exploratory journey. She was certainly ambitious, a trait that was not unseen by the Grand Navy. She just so happens to be sailing towards this island that she had yet to lay her eyes on.
“Oh my!” The young mage cried, as she saw the bounty hunter lying on the ground, his blood making the surrounding grass a brilliant crimson red. “Are you okay?”
McCowan heard her and swiveled, his flintlock clutched firmly in one hand, a bubble of water hovering menacingly over the other.
“Step aside, you pathetic fledgling mage. This affair is far beyond your feeble abilities. Your presence is as inconsequential as a speck of dust in the wind.”
The mage gritted her teeth. And with a motion as quick as the speed of light, she flicked her wrist.
“Argh… WHAT THE F- !?” McCowan screamed in utmost confusion, as the ray of sunlight that wasn’t even from the sun hit him square in his face. Blinding his eyes and stunning him for a short timespan of a few seconds.
The bounty hunter, though wounded, knew he had to finish the job. His bronze sword was far to heavy for him to carry. But he was determined, and the phoenix that has been extinguished by water has once again been reborn anew. He relied on his fire, and his fists.
As the fire and light consumed McCowan’s defenses, the criminal’s arrogance was replaced by desperation. The battle reached its climax, and with a final surge of fiery power, the bounty hunter subdued the water-controlling criminal. Bound and defeated, McCowan was taken into custody by the grand navy.
The hunter turned to the light mage.
“Thanks”
With McCowan incarcerated and eventually sentenced to execution, the nameless bounty hunter resumed his solitary path of capturing criminals. The encounter had humbled him, exposing his vulnerability to powers beyond his own.
Meanwhile, the young light mage, inspired by the events she had witnessed, chose to join the grand navy. The Grand Navy, now well and truly aware of this young prodigy, was not hesitant to rush her application and accept her with open arms of the grand navy. Under their guidance, her light magic flourished, growing stronger with each passing day. She found purpose and direction, channeling her energy into the service of justice.
On the day of McCowan’s execution in the island town of Palo, surrounded by the grand navy’s officials, the criminal’s final words reverberated through the crowd, “If I were to die, I would choose to die in the hands of that bounty hunter with honor! Not these two fools!”
McCowan faced his fate with unyielding pride, his eyes locking onto the bounty hunter’s gaze. In that fleeting moment, a sense of mutual respect passed between them, a recognition of the genuine challenge they had posed to each other. He bounty hunter stood up from leaning against a wall, and saluted, an action that he thought he would never show to a criminal.
As the executioner’s spears pierced McCowan’s heart, the clash between fire and water reached its final conclusion. McCowan met his demise, but his satisfaction was evident. He had found a worthy adversary in the nameless bounty hunter, someone who had pushed him to his limits and earned his respect. And so, the legend of the bounty hunter who controlled fire and the criminal who commanded water faded into history, forever intertwined by the bonds of battle and respect.