Before Clayton could strike his target, another geyser of water shot up in the space between him in the stranger, taking him up with it. The geyser froze, creating a pillar of ice that left Clayton suspended high above the forest. His sword and his left foot were embedded in the pillar. He tried to pull both out at the same time, to no avail, so he resorted to punching the ice around his sword with his normal arm. The ice crumbled away in two punches, which broke his hand, then freed his sword, then left him dangling from his trapped foot. He struck the around his foot with his sword and was freed. The brief traction that his feet found made him reflexively jump.
Clayton tumbled through the air. He landed on his feet in the river—shattering his ankles—and fell backwards. It took his broken hand and ankles a little longer to heal than when his arm had been broken, and just like before, he was up as soon as he could be.
There was no way to tell for sure, but it seemed like the Inciting Demon was looking at the stranger. Clayton didn't take the time to ponder this. He lunged with the same standard attack, and his sword missed, finding itself felling a tree once more. The Inciting Demon stood in front of another tree and dodged again. Clayton never missed a beat, even as the Inciting Demon leapt to the other side of the river, making the fight almost looked choreographed. A dozen trees fell in the stranger's direction, with more coming as Clayton persisted in his onslaught on the Inciting Demon.
@Lee