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 Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:07 am
Description: A mountain plateau, one of many that lies in a mountain range north of GTB known as the Tophead Mountains, is the fighting spot for this round. Moving from the standard of being inside a stadium surrounded by people, Midus Sonners has decided to make up for throwing the fighters into a fight full of bad weather and has taken them to a spot that is nice and warm with nice breezy winds of the fresh mountain air, and a good amount of water surrounding each plateau, with various other hills present throughout, including some land and a background view of the higher mountains. Each fighter will be in a location far away from the other matches, so neither will be capable of seeing one another, unless someone launches a pretty large technique, be it visually or by magical sense. Cameramen rest in flying helicopters and on islands out in the water to keep a close watch on the fights taking place for all to see from the safety of their livings and the large screen present back at the GTB stadium. Grass and rock is the terrain, with a few small ups and downs that keep the plateau from being perfectly flat. The edge drops down in a curve toward the waters, the plateau raised at a height of fifty feet above water. The slope isn't steep, so if one slips down the hill, they can easily catch themselves and start walking back up, though not without some effort. How The Fighters Arrived: All fighters were transported via helicopters, one helicopter per fight with both fighters being transported in the same vehicle. Special Conditions: None. Field Measurements:Here is a visual of the field measurements, with the assumption that the plateau is circular on its top. Ten Count Boundary: The moment someone goes goes outside the 30ft diameter, meaning touching the slopes, the ten count starts. To show where the ten count starts, a holographic barrier surrounds the plateau in a half opaque orange color. For reference, the distance of the slope from the edge of the top to the water is 15 ft. The flying rule remains.
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Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:08 pm
Well, this was certainly a refreshing change.
Being transported alongside his opponent in a helicopter seemed a much better idea to Tenkai than how things turned out previously. The monk assumed that horrible thunderstorm had kept his second round opponent from showing up. Although normally storms like that wouldn't keep a fighter from anything, Tenkai's current demeanor could understand it. Catching a cold would have been horrible. Tenkai was smart to decide not to walk out into the arena that night, otherwise he'd have ended up fairly ill waiting out in the rain.
But this was quite a change in direction. Beautiful sky, calm waters, mountainous backdrop...
...and the jarring noise of helicopter blades.
Yare, yare...
Oh well. Now wasn't the time to be enjoying the backdrop. This was a tournament, and his opponent was just across from him on the chopper's passenger area.
Tenkai remembered Snow from a good while ago at the Amatsu. It had been a while since he saw him this close, though. Last time the monk saw him was during his investigation into HoH '09. It seemed as if Snow was getting well acquainted with the tournament circuit, though Tenkai had to admit he could never really put a finger on Snow's real motive behind fighting. Did people really enter these tournaments just for the sake of it?
Then again, Tenkai couldn't blame anyone here. He was here to see how his skills added up to other accomplished fighters in Gaia. Then again, the purpose for discovering this was much more than simply fighting for fighting's sake. But, in the end, did it really make much of a difference?
...Oh! Yes! The fight. Need to focus on that.
"A much more pleasant day than the previous, don't you agree?" Tenkai spoke to Snow, not really sure if he remembered the monk or not. He'd probably recognize him more without his monk's guise though. Meanwhile, he placed his shakujo to the side of his seat. He intended to leave it along with other things back in the chopper. Couldn't use items he didn't register, now, could he?
((I don't know if we were supposed to have landed yet or not, but I'm just using this as an opportunity to put in a little more RP. >> You can have us land, Snow. This is just intro.))
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Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 7:10 pm
It wasn't the first time the swordsman has fought in a place where it was a hilly and treacherous terrain, filled with eager fire users and elementalists - particularly earth or wind users that would love to use the vast terrain to their advantage. Of course, the swordsman is also part of that eager group, since a supply of fresh water nearby always puts a positive mood on the swordsman's attitude.
But then again, the swordsman never really did find it comforting that he was relying more and more on arcane abilities, rather than honing - or even polishing - his skills on weapon combat. While augmenting his weapons and physical form with his abilities provided a bonus boost to his attacks or defense...
He was quiet during the duration of the flight towards the new terrain, oblivious to the thunderous roar of the helicopter engine blasting just a few feet above the two fighters. Irritating, yes, to a certain degree, but with the swordsman brooding over his lack in developing his skills - such noise fell to deaf ears, for the time being.
"...."
With his arms folded across his chest, he had his eyes set on the environment they were about to land in. A bit distant in thinking though, it only took a short moment before he registered the fact that Tenkai mentioned something to him as they were starting to land.
"Hm? Oh...well, yeah." He responded with a slight distracted tone in his voice. "Though it doesn't really matter too much - they're almost all the same to me. Just different things to cope with each time, no?" A small smile, before he got up to get ready for the landing.
Hands grabbing onto the support rails equipped on the ceiling, the swordsman navigated his way towards the main passenger door, where his more bulkier weapon - the Halberd - was placed. Too long to sling behind his back and awkward to maneuver around in such tight corridors, the swordsman grabbed the weapon that was stapped against the wall like a cargo before turning around to face Tenkai - the soon-to-be foe that he'll have to face against once they reach the ground.
He remembered much of Tenkai, partially from their experiences shared in Amatsu, but especially from the past HoH tournament that was, well...not a good memory for the swordsman to recall. Having been nearly mauled by a brute, Strikered twice and given a negative impact on his ranking in the fight, it was an experience that only made him remember much of the sneering and jests by the spectators who were in on some of his...
Well. Some things are better left as past lessons to learn from.
The herbs that Tenkai applied on him during the first round of his injuries in HoH did do miracles on his wounds - but then again, it still made him remember some things on why he disliked physical medicine to some degree.
And today - the Tenkai he knew as a monk would soon be the fighter that he'll face.
A jolt of the helicopter's landing gear prompted the swordsman to snap back to reality. The doors were quickly opened, and the gesture from the pilot of the fighters gave them the go-ahead to get off.
The swordsman gave Tenkai a brief look before turning about to get off -
Finding himself in a field full of rocks, grass, water, and a warm wind blowing from the mountains around them.
The ring which would become the battlefield for their fight.
"Say...Tenkai." The swordsman mentioned, eyeing the blue sky with the hood clouding his expression. His cloak ruffled lightly against the lazy breeze from a passing wind, and the dual katanas that were strapped to his sides rang off with a metallic tone as it moved and swayed with the near silence of the terrain. Bracers that were equipped beneath the sleeves of his cloak gave off a light hum as some stray air blew past the gears, and for a moment the swordsman looked as if he was about to say something important.
"...."
But in the end, he shook his head slightly as if shrugging something off. "Nah...nothing important."
Slackening the grip on his Halberd, the swordsman would then suddenly raise the Halberd to have the axe face the ground, before slamming it into the ground beneath and impaling it on the spot. Releasing the hold on it, he would turn to face Tenkai, a more complex look on his face.
"Since the host of this tournament has provided us with a good place to fight...what say you to a fight between blades? Yours, against mine?"
A pause, before he made a gesture at the cameramen flying above them. "Granted, no magic or special tricks. Just pure weapon combat. A clash between blades, and to see who has vastly improved since the last time we've met...?"
((...I think I went a bit too far in intro. >_>; ))
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:43 am
The monk let out a contented sigh. "That they are, indeed," replied Tenkai, calmly smiling as he sat there, "But I truly do prefer to enjoy the good weather than struggle in the bad." Tenkai didn't seem to show much concern for the fact that he was about to fight Snow. The monk may not have been bad at fighting, but the truth was he really hated it. Although he used these tournaments as a way of measuring his skill, to him it was much more of a necessity than fun. He could enjoy it, but the martial arts are such difficult things to deal with. Being designed for war, it took great care to make sure a bloodsport like this came out as friendly combat. In spite of this, Tenkai was still very aware of his opponent. He knew that Snow hardly thought about those sort of things. To him, it was just how things went, and he lived with it just as Tenkai lived with his own methods. The monk watched as Snow reached for the halberd, a weapon he hadn't expected to see him wield. Snow's pair of katana seemed more fitting to what Tenkai remembered. Then again, it wasn't like Tenkai's knowledge of weapons ended at sword combat. Unfortunately... *ching* He wouldn't be able to bring his shakujo with him. Soon enough the helicopter would land, and Snow had already started off into the arena. The monk, however, sat for a moment on the side rail of the helicopter to wach his opponent as he made his way onto the terrain. Tenkai was aware of some of the facets of Snow's abilities, and knew that this kind of setting worked to his advantage. It was definately interesting, but even more interesting was what Snow did next. The lapse in his speech threw off the monk for a moment, but it was for nothing. *WHUCRSSHHH* Laying down that halberd set the stage for Snow's curious proposal. Nightsnow "Since the host of this tournament has provided us with a good place to fight...what say you to a fight between blades? Yours, against mine?" A pause, before he made a gesture at the cameramen flying above them. "Granted, no magic or special tricks. Just pure weapon combat. A clash between blades, and to see who has vastly improved since the last time we've met...?" A swordfight? With no tricks? None of Snow's special abilities, or Tenkai's? It was something Tenkai didn't expect at first, characterized by how his eyes opened wider in his reaction. It was unexpected, but a good kind of unexpected. Simply peculiar... Tenkai had indeed treated Snow's wounds ever since his difficult match back in HoH '09. He had seen the fight, and in accord with the monk's own sentiments, Snow's decision made all the more sense. Perhaps he felt his swordplay was becoming lax due to feeling dependent on his abilities, which the monk knew was troubling the swordsman. It seemed that here, in this tournament, Snow was looking for something very similar to Tenkai's goal...to see where they stacked up. Although their reasons for wanting to discover this were different, it was a similar goal nonetheless. Tenkai closed his eyes and lowered his head a bit, smiling. "My friend, I would have it any way you wish," replied Tenkai, "If you simply wish to see where we stand now with our kenjutsu..." The monk turned for a moment, laying his shakujo down so that it'd be safely kept inside the helicopter. After a quick boost to get himself off and onto his feet, Tenkai unlinked his rosary necklace at one side and grabbed his robe... Tenkai would still remain aware of the halberd. It was still on the field, so it still counted as a weapon. Although Snow had wished for a fight without using the full range of their abilities, that didn't mean Snow couldn't be pressed to use his abilities if needed be. In such a case, this battle would become a good lesson for the both of them to test the strength of their swordplay and how far they would be pressed to go. Either way, the experience would be to both of their benefits. Grabbing the sheath of his sword in his left hand, he pulled it along his belt from his lower back over to the left side of his hip. His right hand was held calmly in front of him, almost as if he was going to reach over and let his hand hover over the hilt. But it stopped halfway, instead being in front of his body as if it was some sort of guard. 御前の剣術を見せてみろ!"Omae no kenjutsu wo misete miro!"(Show me your art of the sword!)
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:04 am
Well, it looked like Tenkai was agreeing to the swordsman's selfish terms. Despite the fact that his own confidence wavered a bit now that the statement was made, the swordsman didn't sulk over the ever increasing limits to this fight. In fact, it caused him to feel ever more aware of what has to be done, and what must be done to improvise in this fight.
And against someone who he knew could provide an answer to his own questions, the swordsman couldn't help but feel a tinge of...excitement. No second chances, no powers to aid his more lacking skills - and in a tournament setting, this would become the decisive point in whether or not the swordsman can meet up to the challenges of his own expectations.
"Good.."
Reaching down with both hands, the swordsman slowly unsheathed both his blades out, pulling it out of the sheathes with a soft and audible "KSSSHHK" - the blades humming softly in unison - as well as contrast to the wind blowing around them. Taking a few side steps away from his own Halberd - as there was no need to use it in a fight like this - the swordsman held the blades loosely on each hand, keeping them held in a normal fashion, instead of having one of them held in a reverse-dagger hold.
Raising both weapons at the same time to be at height level to his own chest, the swordsman would then cross the blades in front of him, forming an X-shape, with the right blade on top of the left blade.
"Well then," he mentioned as Tenkai went into his battle stance.
He pushed his arms towards the center, so that his right arm would rest on top of his left arm in front of him, hugging his arms close to his chest - both blades then pointed away to his sides respectively.
His gaze was set.
The preparations were ready.
All that is left is...
"Let's GO!"
With a shout from his lungs, and the push off of the ground beneath him, the swordsman dipped his upper body forward, launching himself towards Tenkai in a fast dash. With both blades at the ready, it seemed as if the swordsman has the intention to deliver an X-slash right at Tenkai's stomach once he gets close to weapon range.
The only question then would be, as the swordsman closed the distance quickly - which side would he strike from?
An even better question - would he actually strike in the first place, making it a possible feint for something more elaborate?
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 1:05 am
And the monk smirked, pleased. Pleased even if Snow wavered in his confidence. It was plenty for Tenkai, because it took confidence to make the kind of challenge he did. It wasn't whether or not a warrior was truly sure of their capability, but their willingness to do it even if the outcome wasn't certain. But Snow was not alone. This was a challenge for both of them, and Tenkai had to make sure he provided Snow with the answers he sought. With that, Tenkai watched as Snow charged. It looked like someone stopped their wavering. Snow had sharged forward with his arms pulled towards his chest, blades at both sides of his body. A double strike from two directions? That was a possibility, but either arm could go first with the way Snow had them positioned. Trying to get to the outside of his line of attack would be foolish. In that position, the outside was Snow's line of attack. Even Tenkai could see the futility of fighting water with water. FWSSHHH!And then, in a sudden rush, the monk became a blur. Well...at least to the cameramen and the majority of the audience. To other fighters, the judges, and especially Nightsnow, the speed would be relative. Tenkai had pushed off on his left, taking one big step of a dash forward. If the monk couldn't get to the outside, then he would intercept Snow's charge and give him no time to change direction. Though his swift interception would not be invisible to snow, his legs wouldn't be the only things moving. Something moved along with his left and right arms from Tenkai's left side at great speed. Snow would see the hilt of Tenkai's Muramasa brought up into his right hand, which had moved up towards the left side of Tenkai's head to grab hold. A vertical sword draw? Was Tenkai planning to strike Snow in the center with his blade before his opponent could swing his arms out from his chest to strike? No, the strike couldn't come in fast enough to him first. Someone like Snow would definately have the speed to defend against it with his one or both swords. But something was off. There was no flash, no gleam of steel, no sound of the blade's edge dragging against the saya. He didn't draw the blade at all. Instead, Tenkai had drew Muramasa in its entirety, saya and all, from his belt. If he couldn't fight water with water, then he would become the single stone that splits the river. With Snow's posture and the way he dipped his upper body forward, he looked like was going to strike for Tenkai's abdomen once he got in range. But being that low, he could have easily aimed towards his legs, and simply waiting for Snow to get in range to attack could have made Tenkai susceptible to a feint. If it was an abdomen strike as expected, Tenkai's intercepting strike would bring the sheath down right in the middle of the two crossed blades, the pressure keeping the blades crossed just as they would if Snow went to guard the strike. Nevertheless, the strike came in fast, and if Snow hesitated to move his blades it'd simply end up smashing him from overhead or on the bridge of his nose depending on how low he was dipped forward. 一本!
[1]
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 4:10 am
- 1 -
The swordsman had somewhat expected some strafing maneuver, at least to attack the swordsman from the side or flank due to the positioning of his blades. But not completely expecting that Tenkai would rush in for an interception, of all moves, it was actions like these that made fighting all the more intense.
Perhaps one of the main reasons why the swordsman can't get enough of the fighting - the sheer exhiliration of fighting against someone worthy to cross blades with. The moment, the beating of his heart, the twitch and motion of his muscles in action...
This is what a fight is all about!
Unable to immediately change directions on a moment's whim, Tenkai's quick use of the scabbard as a bludgeoning weapon came crashing down towards the swordsman's incoming presence. But the swordsman, using an X-posture initially for some certain reasons, suddenly raised both arms up in a defense posture above head level just as Tenkai delivered his intercepting strike - in which Tenkai was correct in assuming the swordsman's response.
CLANG!
Defensive bracers worn on both of his arms cushioned the blow to some extent, and while the muscles of his limbs absorbed the blunt force of the blow - the impact only told the swordsman of the danger it is in underestimating the monk's skills with a bladed weapon.
"Hnngh!"
With a harsh side-shove with both arms, followed by a simultaneous twist of his torso to the right, the swordsman would use the motion of his entire body to shove the Muramasa away to his own respective right, as both of his arms should have more power than Tenkai's current one hand use of his sheathed weapon. Looping his right hand behind his head in a counter-clockwise fashion, his right katana would be placed behind his back due to the rotation - placing the swordsman in a readied pose for an attack...
And pushing off with his right leg to further close the distance enough to make that attack, the swordsman would bring his right blade down with crashing force at Tenkai's right elbow without a second thought, twisting his torso to his left to amplify the force behind the downward slash towards Tenkai's sword arm. To make sure that there was enough room for the slash to follow through, his left arm would lower somewhat along with the slash in a near simultaneous motion, the left blade held pointed to the swordsman's right side defensively as he went for that attack.
And for them to cross blades...
The fight is now officially on.
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Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 11:58 am
There it was! A cross-block! Tenkai's advance had worked, and Snow had little recourse but to defend. Muramasa's saya impacted with the guard of Snow's crossed bracers. Although Tenkai had both hands on his weapon, they were spaced further apart than Snow's crossed bracers, with his right hand on the hilt and his left on the sheath just below the impact point, so the swordsman would have both of his arms in the best position for strength. The parry was swift and powerful, especially with the hip motion Snow put into it. Just from that motion Tenkai could tell the swordsman had not let his body wane in its strength. With that sword in his right arm moving along with the fierce movement, the blade nearly nicked Tenkai's temple. It took quick thinking on Tenkai's behalf to move his head and torso towards his own right, causing the blade to simply graze off a lock of his hair. It was a close shave, and Snow would find his fierce parry towards his respective right rather successful. Tenkai, on the other hand, would find it to be an opening. With such a strong motion and hip turn to the right, it left Snow's left side very much open. As Tenkai's left hand and the saya it held was pushed off to Snow's right, Tenkai would let it tilt towards same direction, making the parry look all the more successful. With that parry to help, it didn't take very long for Tenkai to pull in the opposite direction with his right, drawing Muramasa's blade. Tenkai wasn't about to let this opening go away. The twist to the right put Tenkai on the outside of Snow's left arm, which at that point would still be towards the right from the double-arm push. And with Tenkai being close enough for Snow to perform the block, it only took one quick step forward with his left foot... 貰った!" Moratta!" (I've got you!) ...For Tenkai's left chest and shoulder to adhere the outside of Snow's left upper arm and elbow as he ran Muramasa into the side of Snow's abdomen. 断迅裂衝
"Danjin Resshou!"
(Swift Judgement Rending Thrust) Although it was a stab to the abdomen, Tenkai was making sure that it wasn't a sure fatal strike. If it struck home, it would definately be something Snow could heal from with the right medical treatment, which was something the monk could provide. But Snow knew that well from his last meeting with Tenkai. Nevertheless, it was a brutal countermeasure. Tenkai could have easily just decided to go for the thigh or leg for some sort of incapacitation. But the monk couldn't do that. To hold back anything would be a grievous insult to Snow's challenge. Tenkai had to respect it. 二本!
[2] ((Note for judges: In case you guys look at that move and try to see if that name is in my profile, it isn't. >.< It's not a special ability, just a regular sword move. I just like flashy Japanese technique names. ._. Edit: I changed "shuffle" to "quick step with his left foot". It makes a lot more sense with what Tenkai's doing, and I think my wording provided confusion. ><))
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Posted: Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:50 pm
- 2 -
With his initial counter being interrupted during its process, the swordsman had no time to fix a possible error or a mistake in his attack due to the close proximity between the two fighters. But to improvise somehow now that everything is in motion, there were a few ways that was available to him that he could use to parry, or at least lessen the amount of damage that he would receive to some extent.
Despite the motion and the humming of the blades cutting through the air, the quick unsheathe of Tenkai's Muramasa out of its saya was a more precise, and sharp, tone which the swordsman is familiar to due to the similarity with his own unsheathing, alerting him of a possible method of retaliation during his action. But too late to stop his right blade from looping back behind his head after the parry, and the swordsman placed in a posture that had his entire left side exposed to a possible counter...
It's not over yet!
The attack is still unfinished.
His own move has yet to be interfered.
Eyeing Tenkai moving towards the swordsman's left to attack, the swordsman lashed out with his left blade, suddenly shifting his action into a diagonally upward slash by swinging his left arm out to his own left side - causing the left blade that was anchored to his right side to careen along with the motion. With Tenkai close enough to initiate a stab towards the swordsman's left abdomen, the swordsman used the force from his left blade to twist his torso accordingly to the shift of momentum, causing him to turn in a counter-clockwise rotation as Tenkai's stab neared its mark.
Shifting the trajectory path of his left slash, the objective was simple;
Push the Muramasa away from his respective left from the slash, causing the stab to get diverted through the skidding and scraping sounds of his left blade - or his left bracer - in resistance against the Murasama blade. Some of the cloth on his left abdomen was ripped by the close proximity from Tenkai's blade, but with the swordsman turning to his own left - and the left blade coming to interfere, the stab at best came with a light cut across the swordsman's left side - drawing up a bit of blood, but nothing that would seriously affect his ability to fight.
KSSSHHK!
Knowing full well that Tenkai also had the scabbard held on his left, the swordsman has full intention in attacking with his right blade immediately once Tenkai was close enough, the right blade already cocked back behind the swordsman's right side of his head from the loop before. Somewhat mimicking the style of the use of a Chinese Dao before a strike...
Keeping his left blade to his respective left after the arc and acting as a parrying device should the Monk have some tricks up his sleeves, with a short step-in with his right leg and an immediate, heavy downward swing from above, the swordsman would bring his right katana into a near downward slash towards Tenkai's right neck - as if wanting to cleave Tenkai into two halves from the right neck down to the left torso.
Knowing well that there was a good possibility of Tenkai dodging the blow or using the scabbard as defense, even a counter... unless there was the intent to seriously injure the monk, half-assed attacks would only spell trouble for the swordsman himself. And, having intentionally used the back of his blade for the attack instead of the sharp edge - should the attack actually hit...
Well, at least it won't cut the monk in half. Probably give a rather nasty bruise and some blunt pain after the fight - optimistically.
But regardless if the blow would strike home or not, the swordsman would halt the force of his right blade if it missed in midswing, not wanting to go with the entire flow and open up his other side for an opening that the monk might exploit.
It would also act as a means of deterrence, with his right blade held in front of the swordsman, pointed at Tenkai's general form as if like a Rapier in one possible outcome, covering up just a bit more of his own openings, and the left blade held at bay to thwart a possible use of the Murasama against him.
But only the results would tell - and the swordsman has to be careful in all of his motions against the Monk and his blade.
EDIT:: (Due to some slight misinterpretation of actions, here's an corrected version of the action.)
He stressed his motion back, already hearing some fleeting motion from his left side as he tried to react to the monk's clever counter.
Just as Tenkai went forward for a stabbing motion at the swordsman's abdomen, the swordsman would attempt to move his left arm downwards in a quick, clockwise arc hugging his torso, to protect his more vital spots from being attacked - a hastily erected defense. A bit slow in response though - since there was a slight pause during his recoil, the stab from Tenkai struck just for a split instant into the swordsman's position, puncturing the cloth and into a bit of flesh successfully.
But the draw of first blood ends there.
With the swordsman moving his torso to the left along with the stab immediately after contact, and pushing the blade away to his own respective left due to his left arm coming down to push it away, the stab scraped along the left side of his abdomen, causing some blood to spill from the fresh slash wound, and the sudden grimace on the swordsman's face.
"Hrgh...!"
There was no doubt that the swordsman felt the all-too familiar sensation of his body acquiring a fresh wound. And despite knowing the sensation well from previous fights and previous experiences...he was never able to get accustomed to the sensation, each one feeling just as horrible as the last, if not worse.
Yet, despite suffering a successful strike from Tenkai, the positioning that both of them had partook was enough for the swordsman to continue on where he had left off; the Muramasa being pushed away to the best of the swordsman's respective left by the swordsman's left arm and intimacy, and Tenkai's left side pressing against his own, allowing for the swordsman's own countermeasure.
With his right blade held behind his head, the swordsman had his right hand swing upwards with a flick of the wrist, causing his right blade to whip out along the outside of the swordsman's own left shoulder, barely grazing himself.
And in Tenkai's perspective, this could be seen as a sudden flash of light glancing off of his right blade -
Which would be heading right towards the Monk's general upper left body and face in such close range.
Not strong enough to slice through anything, since it was a flick - but it would certainly be more than enough to unnerve some people, and cut somewhat into exposed flesh if he was lucky.
Bonus points if the swordsman is able to get a successful strike on a more sensitive part of the body - like the side of the face, the shoulder, or just a slash wound to repel Tenkai from sticking so close to him.
In the meantime though - the swordsman would, if able to, try and create some distance between the two when he spots an opening, while using his left arm as a means to protect his left guard - not really liking the feeling of getting more wounds...
But better than a slash wound on the torso, that's for sure.
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:42 am
A turn with the hip!A quick decision on Snow's part. What could have been a full gut stab was now a relatively shallow gash. It was deep enough to bleed, though, so it wasn't something to take lightly. But Snow would survive. Even though Tenkai wasn't going to hold back, his goal wasn't to kill his opponent. Tenkai had expected Snow to move, the monk prepared to turn, but... Nightsnow ...pushing the blade away to his own respective left due to his left arm coming down to push it away,... With Tenkai being as close as he was, Snow have to keep his arm close to his body in order to move it. Tenkai did not see this as an attempt to push the blade away, but an attempt at swinging low in orded to cut into Tenkai's left leg. Careless, thought Tenkai, I was careless! I should have... ...my left arm! The thought of Tenkai wishing he had used his left arm earlier to hold back Snow's left side ended up coming out as a swift reaction on the monk's part, now bringing his saya-holding left arm in so that he impeded Snow's left wrist with the saya held against Tenkai's forearm. Snow's left blade would hit against Tenkai's left knee and shin-guard from the initial movement, but his left arm kept it in place... !The right arm! Don't forget about it! Tenkai saw it coming since it was behind Snow's head, but it was still coming in fast. Although it was a sword flick, from first glance Tenkai expected a different maneuver. Beind so close, Snow could have intended to strike Tenkai in the temple with the tsukagashira (pommel) or tsuba (guard), or hit him in the face with the edge near the guard. Nevertheless, Tenkai had to... ...wait, that's it!Tenkai had to move to his right, as it was still the closest to Snow's outside as Tenkai kept Snow's arm from moving. But had Tenkai not stopped the arm, Snow's forearm would have hit right into the blade's side. With those bracers it wouldn't make much of a difference, but if Tenkai's blade had been higher, it would have bit into the arm. Now Tenkai would use that knowledge to his advantage. In one quick motion, Tenkai brought Muramasa's blade up to Snow's upper left side of his body so the edge faced Snow. Snow's body turning may have moved his abdomen away from the blade, but it left the blade close to the outside of his body. And Tenkai, in stopping Snow's left arm from what he thought was a low sword strike, inadvertently prevened Snow from pushing the blade away. With Snow's strike coming in, all Tenkai could do was... Push off.That meant pushing with his left and right arms against Snow's left side, stepping forward a bit with his right foot and pivoting left into Snow's side. But as his left arm pushed away, his right arm would push Muramasa's blade right into the left side of Snow's upper body and left arm. Tenkai brought his left leg around behind his right along with the pivot, bringing the left side of his body out of the way of Snow's attack while simultanteously dragging his blade into and across Snow's left side, which would end up leaving a very bloody gash. 三本!
[3]
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Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 2:47 am
- 3 -
Recklessness did bring about a painful result.
And too bad; the swordsman is also in that category. Reacting more to keeping the foe at bay, the swordsman couldn't see his own plight, his own actions now becoming the undoing of his action.
Another misdoing that the swordsman just doesn't learn from.
Feeling a lack of impact from his sneak attack, another burst of pain shot up the swordsman's left side, foretelling him of the inevitable situation.
Agh!
With one immediate push off of his left leg from reacting to the pain, the swordsman took a quick dash away from Tenkai, in an attempt to increase the distance between the two. Not that it would reduce the amount of injury the swordsman has already received due to Tenkai's second counter, but making his move to retreat from Tenkai - the left blade would be held pointing back before he swiveled on his right leg if he could gain some safe distance, shifting into an immediate left side stance, his right blade held in front of him as if in a readied, stabbing posture.
His left arm would raise the blade just a tad bit -
Then lowering the left blade to point at the ground, the swordsman sinking down to kneel on his left leg, a notable stain of blood seen on the left part of his cloak.
Pain coursed through Tenkai's successful strike.
"...Looks like... I'm really rusty..." The swordsman breathed, grinning through a pained face despite the injury. There would be difficulties for the swordsman to try and move his left side, the injury making it hard for him to use his left arm appropriately. While the swordsman could use his abilities to quickly freeze over the injuries - at least, to stem the loss of blood or numb the pain - the continuous flow of blood revealed his current stubborness to not use any of his abilities for this fight.
Breathing a bit deeper, the swordsman wasn't too sure how much this injury would impede him. And with Tenkai relatively unscathed...
Blood dripped down onto his left hand, trickling down his left katana as he tried to think of something he could do.
Something, anything!
Something that he can use to change his current situation right now.
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:16 am
Tenkai pushed in conjunction with Snow, further breaking the distance between the two fighters. Hmm...so -now- he moves...Tenkai had little time to ponder that thought, though. With the strikes he had landed, Muramasa had tasted blood... What's this? Blood? It's been so long...Perfect, thought Tenkai, Looks like someone just woke up...And it's a half-breed. Good...I grow tired of rotting corpses, and demon blood is more salty than sweet...Stave off your wretched hunger. No lives will be taken in this fight.
Whether he lives or dies is no concern! I need--It only took the adamancy of Tenkai's spirit to keep the blade in check. You need to be tame.Although this discourse was nothing more than a subconscious hum in the back of Tenkai's head, it was still irksome. Perhaps now the semi-sentient blade would remain silent. In fact, with Snow kneeling there wounded and bleeding, Tenkai did the unthinkable... He sheathed his blade, and sat down. It was nothing more than a quick swipe out to his right to throw the blood off of his blade. This was followed by a twirl into reverse grip that sent all manner of swishing steel noises through the air. Dragging the blade's dull side along the opening of the scabbard to line it up, the monk slid Muramasa back into its saya. Tenkai hoped that'd keep it quiet for now, and for good reason. He wanted to talk to Snow. Sitting down with his legs not too pulled in so that he could move again easily, the monk folded his right arm over his left, his eyes never leaving the injured swordsman ahead of him. "I know what you're thinking," said Tenkai. "It must feel shameful to make a challenge like you did, only to discover how much you lost, or even that you haven't come as far as you hoped. I know how that feels." Tenkai may have been a monk in many respects, but he was still a swordsman. To think that every encounter in his life went as smoothly as this was folly. "If that is the case with you, I ask that you do not feel ashamed. It's the very reason you wanted to challenge me the way you did. You said it was to see who has 'vastly improved' and how far we've come, but what you really wished to know is how much further you need to go. I could see that dissatisfaction in your eyes when I treated your wounds after your fight in Heaven or Hell." Tenkai let out a sigh. "It isn't a good feeling, but it's not really a bad thing. To know how much farther you need to go is to know what's missing. Like many truths, this applies to anything, not just the martial arts. If you need to find what's missing, then I can help you to that end." With that, Tenkai brought his right hand up to his chin, his gaze becoming all the more penetrating with the words he used. "What say you?" Of course, even if Snow decided not to take Tenkai's words to heart and break the challenge somehow with ability use, Tenkai wouldn't necessarily be helpless in his position. It would be disappointing, but the monk would simply have to use it as another lesson to help his opponent. 四本!
[4]
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 1:15 am
- 4 -
Finding himself actually looking at the monk sheathing the sword and not pursuing, the swordsman couldn't help but laugh at his own despise - through a bit of a grim smile and more pain racking up on his left side.
The words that came from Tenkai's mouth was more effective than any types of injury the swordsman have received in all his years of fighting. Second to none from some preaching by an Angel in the first GTB tournament when the swordsman was still naive back then...
And what's worse, Tenkai was right about the swordsman.
He didn't want to just know how much further he needed to go. Having suffered few victories and countless losses, all that experience still lead the swordsman nowhere in his travels.
Losing more than what he had gained, the swordsman has essentially lost his...motive. Wandering lost without a purpose or a drive in his aimless journey.
Why is he still fighting?
Why does he still lose?
Despite all the sweat and blood that he had given for fighting, is his own desire to win less than all the foes he had faced? Impossible. The swordsman vehemently refuses to believe that his desire to win is of little value.
Taking the time to soak in Tenkai's words...
"...I can't say it's a pleasant feeling when someone can read what I'm thinking..."
His vision faltered, as if the wound was a bit more serious than he'd expected. Shaking his head briefly to clear up his focus, the swordsman looked back at Tenkai.
"...Then, I ask you, Tenkai."
Gritting his teeth, the swordsman forced his body to stand - the stain on his left side expanding in size and now dripping down onto the ground near his presence. Fighting through the agony of moving his injured side, his left blade would be brought up pointing down at the ground in front of him - the smooth silver gleam coated with the swordsman's own blood as it slowly dripped off of his blade.
"What... am I missing?"
Stabbing his bloody left blade at the ground lightly, the swordsman flipped his grip at the weapon into a reverse grip - placing the blade between him and Tenkai as he brought his right blade to point towards the sitting monk.
"Determination?"
He took a step back, so that his impaled blade would be directly in front of him.
"Skills?"
The swordsman looked at the monk with a long face.
"Shame and despair are things I'm already familiar with. More shame or despair wouldn't make much difference as I am now. While I won't say that they're feelings to love - certainly,"
He took in a deep breath.
"....It's very, very...frustrating. But come -" The swordsman mentioned, breaking the more passive moment in the fight. "The crowds came to see us fight. If they are here in search for passion, then surely we, as fighters, cannot disappoint their expectations."
A pause.
"Perhaps, when this round is over...we can talk more about what you...and what I...am missing, without the need to mutilate each other in the process."
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Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:08 am
It wasn't any sort of psychic ability. Being able to "read" someone was a very important for a martial artist. Although he didn't wish to make Snow feel so unpleasant, Tenkai couldn't help that matter. There would always be time later to sort things out. But it looked like Snow still had some fight left in him. Whether or not he had enough blood left in him was another story, but that didn't matter to Tenkai. Snow was right about one thing...the people watching this expected a fight. And if Snow could still fight, it would be wrong not to continue. However, Tenkai would not draw Muramasa. "You're right. It would be good to have moments like this without needing to shed blood." As the monk said this, he reached his right hand over his shoulder and grasped the hilt of the blade with the white tsukagashira on his back. "...and I'll give you the answers you seek once we finish this fight." And thus Tenkai drew the blade, which gave off no light, nor the sound of metal sliding against the scabbard. This sword was different. It had all of the fittings a katana would have, but the blade was made of wood. Normally, a bokken (or bokuto, "wooden sword") wouldn't have such furnishings, but they served Tenkai's preverences well enough. The monk hoped that Snow didn't see the use of a wooden sword as Tenkai "going easy" on the wounded swordsman. He wasn't. "Here I come!" Tenkai brought the wooden sword up to his left, holding the sword vertically with the guard level with his eyes. He brought his left hand up to hold the blade at the pommel, maintaining a strong form as he pushed off towards Snow. Now Tenkai was the one making the advance. 五本!
[5]
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