"Loser buys lunch?" Xamthos vs Eveleen Cody-Luighseach

[Yuri Valentine - Sifu]

It's day time, morning to be precise. Why? Because that way, there's less chance of the fight being interrupted by nightfall. As one might expect of such a place, the peace and quiet is itself deafening. Clean, fresh air in your lungs, firm yet healthy dirt under your feet. Some small vegetation, yet with no chance of them getting in the way. A soft breeze occasionally wafts that, like everything else about this calm place, seems to exist only to emphasize the natural beauty of the landscape.

Almost makes one sad to think that such a titanic duel could take place here.  

[Yuri Valentine - Sifu]

Ethelinda Amarante

Xamthos, stepping from his Enjitsuten, took a moment to stretch his limbs. As he first bent forward and touched his forehead to his "toes," his hands reached up and met above his back with arms straight where the fingers reverse-interlaced and stretched until a myriad of soft pops were audible. And then he did the same only more or less in reverse, this time the top of his head touching his "heels" as his arms once more came up. After this was done, and somehow his Zanpakutō, En'ō, had not moved from where it was, as always, tucked under his tail which Xamthos kept wrapped around his waist like a furry, aquamarine-colored belt. En'ō was a constant-release melee-type Zanpakutō whose appearance was that of an eight-foot-long wooden staff with the only thing making it look at all unusual was that the ends were made of metal. No tips, no blades, no points, just smooth metal. Xamthos was without footwear (because his "feet" are actually just a second pair of ambidextrous hands) or shirt (because they restrict his movements too much), so his oddly proportioned body was more or less being shown off in what was obviously a brand new Shinigami hakama. He was extremely tall at 6'4" and although it was obvious he had muscles to spare, somehow his arms and legs seemed just slightly too long to fit, thus making him look overall somewhat lanky and uncoordinated. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Xamthos grabbed En'ō from its resting place and his tail uncoiled itself and assumed a relaxed and easy catlike squirming. Xamthos knew who he was waiting for. The old woman, the Captain of the 9th Division, the Carnage Batallion, Eveleen Cody-Luighseach. As he waited, Xamthos held En'ō like you'd expect someone to hold a staff: with it on one shoulder, holding it not unlike as if it were a baseball bat. And that magenta-irised gaze never leaving the spot they had agreed that she would enter this place from.  

[Ethelinda Amarante]

Yuri Valentine - Sifu

Eveleen walked in her slow lazy old lady gait not exactly getting her to a starting point for the proposed challenged duel by monkey boy any faster. As always her captain's coat was only really on one shoulder, she had not a care for it. Dorīmingubatafurai was faithfully at her hip Eve's hand resting on his's hilt, she could feel the excitement from her sword. Though they both enjoyed a fight they did not like it to go on needlessly. The wind swept over the dirt field, not the best of proposed environments but it would have to do. She light her emeralds upon the monkey waiting like a baseball player waiting for his turn at bat and shrug her shoulders almost to a good place to start drawing her sword from it's sheath. Now, Eve came to a stop a short distance away from Xamthos and placed both hands on the hilt of Dorīmingubatafurai almost appearing ready and then she'd utter "Bring Forth The Hurricane Dorīmingubatafurai." The wind picked up and the katana formed into scimitar the chain appearing to dance. Then with a jerk so seemless a second scimitar was pulled from the first connected by the chain that had originally only appeared to be decoration on Dorīmingubatafurai while sealed. Eve could feel Dorīmingubatafurai's excitement at being released for the first time in a long time. This chain was no ordinary chain it could extend and retract as Eve needed it but it did have it's range, 30ft. Now Eve took a stance guarding high and low unsure of her opponent's fighting style, the squad 9 motto ringing in the back of her mind ((see signature)). Although if one wasn't paying attention they'd miss one of Eve's index fingers extended and she'd send out a small kido attack to get things started, "Hado, 33 Sokatsui" the Blue flame erupted and headed toward the monkey. Now granted Eve never expects her first attack to make their mark so would be prepared for the retaliation when it comes.  

[Yuri Valentine - Sifu]

Ethelinda Amarante

At that range, Xamthos was mildly out of his element. As the blue fireball came rushing at him, Xamthos kmew fully well that En'ō wouldn't be able to deflect it...but he could dodge. And so he did. As the Sōkatsui seemed to pass right through his body, thus causing the image to waver and dissipate like smoke, Xamthos would already have been gone and his first attack delivered. As was his usual strategy, Xamthos's first blow was a direct jab from En'ō to the back of his opponent's dominant shoulder. In this case, figuring it to be the one used to fire that Kidō, Xamthos's first strike was aimed at the back of that shoulder. Hanging in the air for a brief moment as he struck, Xamthos was counting in his speed and agility to make up for the fact that this tactic left him momentarily unable to move laterally as he struck like a lightning bolt.

Contact with Eveleen's shoulder would, of course cause two simultaneous effects. The first would be an immediate (but brief) spike of sheer, mind-numbing agony at the point of contact. The second effect, and the one that was by far the more serious, was that, for the next few moments (the next enemy post), that entire arm would be dead weight before slowly (over the next post after) regaining its functionality.

If the first strike landed, Xamthos would immediately folow it up with a spinning smack of the other side to directly underneath Eveleen's opposite arm, right on the ribcage for a devastating combo. Of course, this second blow, should it be made, would happen as Xamthos landed on the ground behind Eveleen.  

[Ethelinda Amarante]

Yuri Valentine - Sifu

sorry for taking so long

Eve had expected her first attack not to hit it's mark, lets face it what first attack ever does. She manages to bring her left arm up and cross that scimitar over her right shoulder and catch the end of monkey boy's weapon aimed at her shoulder also going into a spin bringing her right arm up so that her other scimitar catches the monkey's staff that was aimed for her side. She'd follow up with a counter bringing her left arm back over her shoulder slashing aiming for the collar bone and down across the chest. She'd bring her right scimitar into a defensive position to hopefully catch any counter and point a finger "hado number 1 Sho" at this close range she'd hope to catch monkey off guard and this kido was aimed at the boy's stomach being their height difference made it so. She'd then maneuver so that she could jump back in a pinch and await the next attack.  

[Yuri Valentine - Sifu]

Ethelinda Amarante

And now begins the smack-talking....cuz a battle without it is a battle not worth having. Cut the Kidō crap and show me that carnage. Or is your Division's name just for show? xp

As the first couple of his strikes got deflected, Xamthos felt something akin to a measure of respect for someone who could move on his level of speed. If she could still move like that in a couple minutes, he would be very impressed.

Her slash he dodged by simply drawing in his gut and leaning slightly back, allowing it to miss by inches without expending any more energy than absolutely necessary. As for the Kidō, he knew what was coming as soon as she pointed that finger. At that range, dodging was impossible but luckily the Shinigami's parry had knocked his staff into a perfect position for him to deflect it right back at the solar plexus of his opponent. And that is exactly what happened, Xamthos still less than a yard from Eveleen.

Quick on the heels of the returned Kidō, the same end of En'ō came out like a striking viper. The way it was timed, Eveleen wouldn't know if she'd gotten hit once or twice if the tactic worked. But Xamthos's eyes were locked on the chain that connected the two swords of the Ninth Captain's Zanpakutō. This move, if it failed, left him so wide open for being disarmed that it was, quite frankly, embarrassing. Then again, this onslaught was of the sort that anyone thinking of anything other than not getting smacked by that stick would have to be either suicidal or on an entirely different level of skill.

It should be noted now that Xamthos, if an enemy was struxck by En'ō's effect, was the sorta fighter that would pause to let the pain and paralysis subside. Many of the Katena thought this tendency to be naive, but Xamthos felt it was merely unfair to strike an opponent while they were down.  

[Ethelinda Amarante]

Yuri Valentine - Sifu

-refrains from trashing talking-

Eve figuring that staff would come for her again and she jumped back just as she started to see the motions of the swing toward her. She got winded a little as her own kido caught her in the chest but managed to stay just ahead of the staff as it came at her. The kido helped her gain momentum however and carried her back a good fifteen feet. Some might think that the winding would disorient a person but Eve was able to keep her head because let's face it how many times has she been put in that state over the years? Eve started roll when she was pushed about half way back from Xamthos, yes she was free of him and away from the staff. She extends her right arm and drags her scimitar along the ground slowing her to the fifteen foot distance finishing her roll so that she was standing had her right scimitar resting in a low guard in front of her. She'd then throw the left scimitar at Xamthos extending the chain, now remember her range is 30 and we're at only half that. Now the thrown scimitar was aimed for Xamthos's neck off to the side to kinda give a nice, if this hit it's mark she'd yank the chain in an attempt to cause it to slit his throat. It may be shallow but being on the neck how long can one fight. If he dodged well she still had on sword to defending herself and a hold of the chain so now we have a long item to swing. If he decided to deflect well one nice yank from Eve could return the sword her way. Now remember Eve's chain had small nubs on the links so unless one knew how to grab it one would kind of shred their hand. Eve would await the counter with her right scimitar on a low guard and her left hand on the chain to control the thrown blade.  

[Yuri Valentine - Sifu]

Ethelinda Amarante

Since the kidō lasts for three posts, I'mma count this one as the first. Basically, to save you the time, it just massively increases the target's speed and reflexes and obviously Xamthos targeted himself.

As expected, that kidō knocked her back. Also as expected, his strike didn't reach her as she was sent back. However, what he did not expect was for her to be up and going so soon after. As she righted herself, so did he. His stance that he quickly took on was one that most staff-fighters used. One foot in front of the other, knees bent and relaxed but feet firmly planted, staff held with one end held in front of his face, the other end up and held by his open palm.

He could tell as soon as the sword left her hand that all he had to do was tilt his head to the side to avoid the slash that would have left a shallow yet potentially troublesome wound. But he wasn't looking to just survive. He was looking to win. As the scimitar-on-a-chain came hurtling towards him, a dozen different ways to counter flashed though his mind. And then one hit him and stuck.

As the blade came at him and he noticed that the chain was extending, he made a mental note of it. Something like that would have a range, but to try and test it openly wouldn't do him any good. But his plan. Sheer genius. Under his breath so as not to be heard, he focused his reiatsu and intoned "Bakudō #64: Agehachō no Shukufuku." He felt the effect immediately, and right away went to work. He stood and waited until most would have said it was too late...and then he struck like a seriously pissed off viper. He lunged with En'ō in just such a way that the entire sword glanced off of the tip. Surely Eveleen was now hearing her Zanpakutō's screams of unimaginable agony. Butt that wasn't the whole thing. The way his thrust was angled, with just the smallest of movements of En'ō, he proceeded to wrap the chain around En'ō's shaft. Using his now enhanced speed and reflexes, he could see the fine movements of his tactic. But more than likely, to Eveleen, he looked to have somehow struck in a straight thrust while the chain wrapped itself tightly around his weapon.

And now for the genius. he suffered no delusions about his strength and that of his opponent's now. By the way the chain moved and was held and whatnot, Xamthos was now able to directly feel just how strong and fast Eveleen was, as well as her ability to control her weapon. Also, with his kidō-enhanced abilities, he was now much better prepared for this next part.

With his staff nicely tied up with Eveleen's chain, and the sword dangling like so much useless ribbon at the far end, Xamthos now put his stance to good use. It was one meant entirely for reaction and defense, and also for redirection. In this case, he was gonna use a bastardized mix of those elements. With graceful yet ruthlessly efficiency, he lowered himself slightly and gave a mighty heave, attempting to sling Eveleen right into him. With a pull like that, if it worked then she'd be launched right into not only her own sword, but also the business end of En'ō's excruciatingly effective metal tip.