GTB I. Imported from live Gaia guild archive.
Qwy of the House of For'ma [Tacitus] vs. Yusuke Urameshi [[Yusuke Urameshi]]
Match Ends: Next Monday 9 PM Central
Both fighters standing in front of a cemetary which has a gate slightly ajared, fog creeking across the ground within this spooky area. It is rumored to have ghosts that roam about during the evening hours so stay cautious.
Ready?
FIGHT!
The chill touch of the grave semed to shy away from the bald man as he stepped lightly across the ground. The wind seemed to shift the further he advanced within, pushing a balmy breeze towards his destination and putting the wind to his back. With death filling the cold earth this single man was bringing life, though he could not return to the land of the living those who now rested in peace. Until something disturbed their slumber, this was simply a natural part of life, and Qwy could find at least some distant comfort.
So he was finally here. In the big leagues, GTB's Championship. Yusuke had fought through some formidable foes so far, testing his strengths and weaknesses against each one. And now here he was being rewarded for his triumps, standing here, still a participant in this awesome tournament. But he knew things were about to get a whole lot more difficult, since it was assumed that powerful opponents was all that was left.
He walks toward his next opponent, right hand on his left shoulder while he rotates his left arm around. He wore a sly smile on his face as he looks at the bald man, hoping he would not disappoint him. He stops ten feet from Qwy, only to look to his right to see the gate slightly open into a cemetery. And because he was a spirit detective, he knew and felt the presence of spirits nearby. It wasn't very likable to be here, but he had no choice. And if some ghost or demon decided to pop out of nowhere and try to scare or attack him, he was going to give it one hell of a pounding.
His facing returns to Qwy, both hands coming up and each assisting one another in cracking the knuckles. "We made it this far," Yusuke says to Qwy with a smile on his face. "So I hope you bring your all. Because I surely will."
The bald man winces slightly as Yusuke cracks his knuckles, "That is incredibly annoying..."He shuddered and then gave Yusuke a smile and nod, "Whatever I can muster to set my mind and body against your own, I shall. Prepare yourself, then, for all that lives." His arms crossed before him with each hand clasping the forearm of the other, giving a half bow to Yusuke. When he began to rise again his eyes had changed, the uncertainty instilled within him by the setting easing away to be replaced by a look of determination that simply could not be matched. When his arms broke away from one another they took with them each a three pronged weapon known as a sai. Each were thrown through the air, one aimed at Yusuke's neck and the other at his torso. The balmy breeze at his back kicked up into a gale, carrying the two piercing weapons ahead with greater speed. A ring of growth began to extend out from Qwy, the otherwise bland ground coming alive with an unusually high quantity of pale flowers and large clumps of thick grasses.
Yusuke was not one to turn down a formal bow, so brings his hands together, one a fist and the other a palm, and also does a bow. But when he raises up, two sai were suddenly thrown from his opponent. The teen acts quickly by leaning to the right, and also running in that direction with a short term sprint to avoid the weapons in time, only to stop, watching the weapons pass by. Yusuke looks back toward Qwy, and here he was seeing flowers and grass sproyuting from around his opponent.
And out of all people who came to mind, Yusuke suddenly thought of Kurama. He just would hope he wasn't another fox boy, Yusuke's usual nickname for the red-haired accomplice. So instead of just standing around and acting dumb, Yusuke goes off into a run straight at Qwy.
The two pass Yusuke by without any cliche exploding or otherwise huge reveal about how they could kill the boy just by being there. Qwy doesn't seem to notice them missing Yusuke, but rather their continued presense in the winds and their eventual impact with the earth. His body begins to sway as the breeze kicks up into torrents around him, the flowers and grasses whipping about violently. Qwy's eyes almost appear to close as the ground shifts, a slight twitch accompanying a softening of the soil into a consuming pit of quicksand. Everything seems entirely normal, and even Qwy and his plants seem fine, but the nearby wall begins to sink as the earth tries to reclaim that which is on the surface, Yusuke included. Should the boy get closer, well, that would have to wait to see just what the young man did.
Yusuke could feel the earth under his feet lessening in firmness, having him look down. "What the hell...?!"Why was this turning into another Jonas Vexic, he had no clue. But one thing was for sure: this time, he wasn't going to let his opponent get away from a good ole beating. This time, he was going to bring it all the way. No hiding or anything was going to be given a chance. So with a leap off the ground, Yusuke pushes toward Qwy as the wind whips strongly around them, his right fist aiming to strike Qwy straight in the face with a hook. The wind normally would decrease his motion, but with spirit energy driving behind it, anything was possible.
Qwy's body leans back from the punch as he sways in the breeze, his body flowing as he drops and his leg sweeps out in an attempt to trip Yusuke using his own momentum. From behind Qwy comes his third and final Sai, aimed to impale the young man's heart should he fall. To add to this the grasses begin leaping up and lashing like whips with the intent of gripping Yusuke's limbs and draging him to the ground. A thin green dust begins to filter into the winds, a pollen that when inhaled disrupts the natural flow of energy in the body. Massive amounts would stop the flow of energy and kill an average person outright, but there wasn't nearly a massive enough dose as yet.
Yusuke lands and here came the trip, but Yusuke's reflexes to this type of movement has his right foot press out and step on the sweeping leg. Sliding his left foot back just a bit, this would keep the leg from going any further without Yusuke tripping himself, pinning that leg to the floor. If that Sai was still going to be wielded out by Qwy, then Yusuke would take the appropriate measures. And if that grass does lash out at him, however, he will move his arms fiercely, only to leap straight upwards into the air while moving back, landing once again onto the ground. He did not know how soft it was by then, but he wasn't intended to keep still for long. A pollen wasn't that much of a problem because he did not have allergies. But this wasn't normal pollen, either, which is why his nose would tickle having him sneeze. This was his body's way of telling him that something was wrong with the air, and a look at those flowers again, along with the slight color of the dust in the wind should be proof enough that something was going on.
The grasses did indeed lash out, and as Yusuke moved away Qwy seemed to flow back into a standing position as if carried by the winds around him. The air began to tint to a darker hue as more of the energy disrupting pollen was released to the winds. With a flick of Qwy's wrist he reached out and snatched one of the lengths of grass that had attempted to hold Yusuke. It quickly coiled around his arm and his remaining sai before Qwy flicked his wrist towards Yusuke, launching the weapon towards the boy as he had the first two. This time, however, he had a link by which to control it, and the green fluid flowing from the grass as it grew at a phenominal rate suggested that perhaps there was something more within the strand itself.
"Okay, that's it," Yusuke says. "I won't let this guy stop me from pounding his face in."
Yusuke had his pride as a fighter, so being kept like this irritated him now, having had this done to him numerous times before. He looks back, finding the sais of Qwy still on the ground. Running back at them, he grabs them both into hands, so when the Sai is coming right for him, Yusuke just stabs the sai in his right hand forward to knock the sai off to his left.
And that is when he runs at Qwy, both sais held in his hands. His body would get enveloped with that spirit energy around his body as he got closer, his way of helping increasing his opposition against that pollen and anything else Qwy tries to throw out at him.
Instead of flying off to one side the sai under Qwy's control twisted, locking prongs with the one Yusuke held. The ground underfoot would leap up and attempt to drag him down into the muck while the locked sais attempt to spin away from the boy's grasp. As the winds began to rage around Qwy he spun forward without truly placing a single step upon the ground. The spin would also most likely rip the sais away from Yusuke with even greater force. A single foot rose up in his spin as he neared the spirit detective, the bare foot aimed to smash into Yusuke's side well over two hundred miles an hour. A faint green glow suffusing his body and beads of jade sweat indicated that some natural force was feeding his body, likely fortifying his limb to perform the strike without hurting himself.
Yusuke's hand is taken back by the locking sais which twist out of his grip. It was okay, cause he still had one of them left, held firm in his left hand. The ground was giving in. No use in keeping on it any longer, so leaping once more, his spirit energy powering his leap, he heads into the air as that fast rotational kick misses, the left over wind causing the spirit detective to twist around a little in the air before landing onto the pillar of the gate that led into the cemetery. He wondered how far Qwy's influence stretched, so performing a backflip, he enters into the graveyard, stopping on the other side of the gate.
His right hand dips to his side against his waist, his spirit energy still flourishing in adrenaline. He seemed to be waiting for Qwy to follow, his left hand keeping his weapon held forward, his body illuminated. But now that he was in the graveyard, he felt some odd sensations. The hair on the back of his neck was strangely standing up, and that caused to now try to figure out what the heck was up with this place. It was almost as if he was surrounded by something. And it wasn't of Qwy because it didn't feel like Qwy. It felt more like....ghosts.
A second strand of grass linked to Qwy's other arm, reaching for the second sai as it returned to him. Both were unlocked from the other and allowed to rise up over his shoulders like the stingers of a pair of scorpions. His spin abruptly shifted as he kicked off the softened ground, leaping into the air to land at the same point Yusuke had been only a moment before. The pillar quickly began to sink as his influence extended into the graveyard. Most of the ground would begin to soften, but a radius around the final resting places of the masses would remain entirely untouched.
Yusuke watched as he leaped onto the pillar, his body churning with spirit energy. He looked toward the ground, it moving showing that the effect was spreading. Yusuke stood by a tombstone, watching as the earth moved, but then a closer look and it seemed like it stopped?
But why? He didn't know, but he wasn't going to stop here. He bends his knees, then leaps toward Qwy until suddenly a hand grabs him by his ankles, pulling on Yusuke and throwing him back.
"W-woah!" He slides along the ground., but quickly gets back to his feet. Looking forward, standing there now was a ghost of an elderly man, who wore a top hat and a monocle to show what time period he had came from.
"What the....y-you're a ghost?!"
The man nods."Yes. My name is Jonathan Caters."
"Why the hell you do that for," Yusuke says angerly.
"Because, I will like to ask for a favor. It was your spirit energy, along with the disturbance of the earth being moved that awoke me. And now that I am here, it is time I make my time useful."
This was really freaky, Yusuke thought as his face went into that comical "freaked" out expression.
The jade hues that tainted the winds blurred and began shifting to a deeper color, shifting through what seemed to be brown into a brilliant crimson. A pulsating emerald glow danced around Qwy now, a layer of dust caked upon his hands and drifting away in the winds as he moved. Without any overt display he took a step from the pillar, dropping to the ground to land softly down on one knee. Though the earth was pulling downwards he seemed to float on the surface unaffected as before. He simply began walking towards Yusuke, apparently more than willing to give the boy a fight up close.
Yusuke saw him walking toward him, immediately getting into a ready stance.
"Though I'll love to sit here and chat with you, Johnathan, I got a fight to win."
Yusuke rushes forward until his path is stopped by the outstretching hand of Jonathan.
"Hey, what the hell you doing?"
The ghost sets his hands on his cane. "I will like to ask you for a favor." His eyes got serious, those white hues focusing on Yusuke. "Give your power to the earth below you feet."
"Why the hell am I going to do that,"the spirit detective asks, finding this some dumb little event he was never going to get.
"Just do it, please. If you do, I assure you, you will be rewarded greatly here for your assistance."
The spirit detective kept looking from the approaching Qwy to the ghost, his mind stuck between which to choose. His hands were balling up then loosening, continuing that nervous motion until finally he shouts: "Alright!"
The ghost seemed to smile. "Then do that as you will. As for I, I will try to stall your friend there for a few. Please be hasty."
Turning around, the Jonathan raises his right hand from his cane, the wind shifting fast and gusty from the palm in a cone shape right at Qwy. Its purpose was just to keep its target back for a while with these strong gusts. Since their direction was toward Qwy, they weren't going to be physically cancelled by the twisting winds of the bald man.
As for Yusuke, he says mentally: "Energy into the earth? Why am I doing this? Well, maybe because I'm curious as hell of what's going to happen next."
He kneels down, placing his right hand onto the soil of this graveyard. And that was when his spirit energy would start absorbing into it, being distributed throughout underneath. The fog would begin to take a slight glow in itself, too, showing that whatever Yusuke was doing, was seeming to affect the entire place.
As the wind neared Qwy it would simply split off away from him, the druid's connection with the forces of the earth dominating the effect. His voice was soft as he looked to the ghost, "Return to your eternal slumber, aged one. The land of the living is no place for the dead." He continued his advance, life springing up around him and surging up ahead of him. His pulsating aura seemed to be growing in strength as more of the crimson pollen filled the air. On the outter edges of his maelstrom some of the pollen began to catch fire, wreathing him in a crimson glow on top of the jade.
"It is because of you that my slumber is disturbed," the ghost responds. "Because of that, I, no....we, will take vengeance."
Slowly rising from each tomb, more of these spirits would rise from their graves, women, men, and even a child or two, all staring toward the villian of their sleep.
Yusuke looked around at this, his spirit energy still going into the ground. He didn't know what was going on, but he thinks he just heard something about vengeance. Then his eyes catch the sight of fire off to the side.
"Damn!"
Yusuke removes his hand, advancing forward, right past Jonathan, who stops in shock.
"What are you..."
"Sorry, old man, but this is my fight!"
Yusuke brings his right fist to the side, curled into a fist, the spirit energy focusing around this limb like a spiral, aiming the attacking fist straight for Qwy's face, his left hand resting to the side, waiting to act. If it struck, the power of this energized punch would knock Qwy straight through the gate back to the other side.
Qwy's eyes narrowed at the aged phantom, "I disturb not the natural cycle." Which was technically true, as he had left the coffins alone, as well as a radius of ground around them. When Yusuke rushes past the elderly gentleghost Qwy is ready for him, his body pulling back as the wind pushes against the young man. Flickering flame kicks up into a raging inferno before a full force explosion is directed towards the spirit detective. The majority of the blast is flame based, but within it is a sweet scent that is derived from the energy draining qualities of the original pollen, which has been falling away from Qwy's hands. Between the force of the blast and the admixture of energy draining qualities the blast was not one to be taken lightly. If Yusuke pushed through the blast the two sais would be waiting to rush down and pierce the base of his neck, just inside the collar bone. The coating of green fluid had the same energy draining qualities, weaking a defensive utilizing spirit energy.
An explosion right in front of the spirit detective was never a good idea in his eyes, but he went against more than this, so he wasn't that worried. He instead braces his position, both feet spread, and places his hands out in front of him as if he was about to stop a train from colliding. The force and the the explosion would seem to engulf Yusuke's body until a foot-long space between him and it showed a hemisphere of spirit energy acting as a shield. The biting down of Yusuke's teeth was evidence enough that he was using some muscle and power to keep it at bay, his feet sliding backwards feet by feet until his legs bend, able to slow his pushing back to a stop.
That pollen was swiped away along with the force of the blast, neither getting through this concentrated field of energy. Though the pollen was of energy draining qualities, it would take a longer time than a few seconds contact to drain so much energy from Yusuke's aura. Thinking he had taken on all that Qwy had assaulted him with, his eyes catch the sight of those two Sai heading his way. Yusuke remembered that he still held the third Sai in his left hand. So placing it into the nuff of his pants to the left of his waist for holding, his hands would rear back then thrust forward, both to clasp onto the blades of both Sais, each hand holding one. Taking it in hand, he would twirl them so that he could hold them by the handles. And since those grass vines were attached to them, he pulls on them to try to either relieve them from Qwy's control, or maybe pull Qwy toward him if they were connected to the man's body.
The force between both of their concentrated energies causes a violent wind around them, his shirt and pants moving wildly against his body, but his position was not moved. If the Sai were even coated along their handles, then Yusuke would feel this slight decreasing of his energy as he held them. This would cause him to exclaim in shock before bending down and stabbing them both into the ground, which then he would use the period right after the explosion passes over to bullrush toward Qwy's position. And if the handles were protected of these weapons, he would still rush at Qwy, both wielding them in hand.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
His body was surrounded by his spirit energy, acting as a hull in the waves of the water as he could pierce through the blowing winds by having them bypass his luminated body, creating almost an ideal wind resistance. Speed not slowed, he would be at Qwy's position in no time.
With the weapons, Yusuke would slash forward with the one in his right hand from the right to aim for Qwy's chest. But without the weapons, then Yusuke would instead bring his left fist for Qwy's stomach in an underhook, which, if it struck, would bend Qwy's body at this level due to the immense strength Yusuke possessed, and raise his feet off the ground by at least a foot due to the upwards motion of the attack.
And those ghosts would be watching until Jonathan turns around, hovering over to them, seeming to be discussing something with them all, gathering into this one group as if they were having a conversation around a campfire.
The handles were indeed covered with the fluid, which had been excreted by the grasses which had been holding them. When Yusuke pulled forward on the sais and the grasses then connected to them Qwy would indeed come forward, but would also rise into the air. The grasses seem to extend slightly as the druid curls into a ball, a partial rotation turning his legs to face the boy. Before the spirit detective can charge forth and assault the druid he is interupted by a reaction from the bald man. The slack is removed from the grasses and Qwy is pulled towards Yusuke, both feet extending forcefully from his balled position with the intent of slamming into Yusuke's neck and upper chest. The plantlife all around seems to be growing rapidly, almost as if seeking to cage the two of them in. Among the flickering flames and emerald dust comes a spark, followed by another and a third. The wind around the two was quickly becoming its own little thunderstorm, complete with arcs of lightning.
A dropkick, eh? Yusuke found this to be quite entertaining. The man actually knew how to fight wrestling style. Well, if that is what he wanted, Yusuke wasn't going to disappoint him.
"Come on," Yusuke says in a mutter, that cocky smirk planted on his face. Whenever he gave a confident look like that, you knew then he was having more fun that before. You kenw that he was going to place his passionate spirit of fighting into his next few moves to see just how good his opponent was.
The spirit detective bends his knees quickly. Since he was already crouched from striking the sais into the ground, Qwy's feet would seem to pass right over him, but the boy rises his body back up, moving his arms up and around. He was going to grab Qwy around his waist and partially the stomach from below, his head striking into the back of the bald man. Stopping his attack in the way a large man would catch a smaller one, even if their sizes were probably not that much in difference, Yusuke lets out a "HA!", a battle cry as he would lean his body forward, performing an awesome powerbomb!
Qwy's back would hit the ground so hard and fast as the spirit detective slams him that the ground would actually rupture where they stood, digging deeper into the form of a crater. Not only did lightning from Qwy's elemental control took place, but because of Yusuke's spirit energy, the interference between the two clashing powers in the air was going off spark by spark. That plantlife that was growing around them would be destroyed almost instantly because of the cratering devastation of the energies, resulting in a neutral ground of influence between the both of them.
The ghosts shrieked in surprise as the turmoil occurs not too far away. Nodding their ethereal heads, they head further away, but moving toward a large tomb at the other end of the cemetery.
When the powerbomb would be performed, Yusuke would not let go just yet, his head now between both of Qwy's feet, the teen still standing while the bald man would have his head, shoulders, and upper body against the ground.
When Yusuke caught Qwy he let out a grunt, both in surprise at missing and subsequently being caught, but of effort as Yusuke begin to reverse Qwy's momentum. Instead of the two crashing down into the ground the grasses would whip them both up into the air, still connected to the druid. Qwy's hands reached behind himself to find Yusuke's neck with all intents of throttling the poor boy. The green dust flowing from Qwy's hands would not only help cut through the energy, but speed up disabling the spirit detective if he got hold. His legs meanwhile shifted in an attempt to lock behind himself rather awkwardly to keep the two of them together.
The collateral atmosphere around them would try to destroy the grasslife Qwy was spreading around him in an effort to destroy anything that lied wthin the radius of their auras. It was this alone that would cease the grass from throwing them into the air since a large amount of weighted energy lied over it. A battle of power was now set, and it seemed what would happen here would decide who triumphs and who falls.
The bald man's hands would find nothing, as Yusuke's head would be sliding to place itself between the thighs of Qwy, his neck well out of range. He didn't know how the legs would lock then, but Yusuke didn't have time for figuring out things. He had Qwy in a position, so the only thing left to do was try to powerbomb him. And he swings Qwy's body down. The grass that was being counteracted by the weight of the aura could cushion the attack, which would have Yusuke sort of agitated, not knowing what the hell to do in this type of situation. Then there was one thought.
He brings his arms overhead and spreads Qwy's legs to have them fall to Yusuke's waist. Here, Yusuke brings his right fist up, striking it for the gut of Qwy, his left following. Then his right again. What Yusuke was doing was his famous rapid punch combo, the quick nearly unseeable attack that inflicted an area of the opponent's body with countless punches in random places. Qwy was about to be in a world of pain, Yusuke's mouth releasing a cry as he performs this attack.
While most plantlife had met its end, the two strands still connected to Qwy seemed rather resilient, above and beyond the call of duty. The green fluid they had been secreting seemed to buffer them from the energy disturbance, along with feeding off of Qwy. The countless strikes don't appear to be inflicting much harm on the druid, but the tearing of his rags and reddened areas of skin show that damage is being done nonetheless. The longer Yusuke persists the more Qwy's torso would feel like a slab of granite, or some other similarly hard material. If anything he seems to be biding his time, the pulsating green aura almost welcoming Yusuke's.
So he was taking the hits like a man. Good. Yusuke wouldn't be satisfied if it was that easy. He places both hands into a grasp, moves them overhead, yells, and finally brings them down, smashing a haymaker for Qwy's chest. This move was aiming to try to cause even more harm. Punches were good and all, but a haymaker always was a good way to cause a club-like hit. If it struck, Yusuke's body would pull away from Qwy's as he leans forward to embed his fists into the body of Qwy, pushing him against his own vegetation.
When the strike landed clean a resounding crack filled the air, a fair chunk of rock sliding away to reveal pink flesh. The vegetation below him seemed to welcome him, drawing up around him and drinking in the combined aura of the two men. Streams of grass began to explode from Qwy's body, his very clothes and his second skin sprouting seedlings while the two larges blades split off in smaller blades. The intent was to encase Qwy first and then wrap Yusuke, binding the two together.
"What the hell?"No way! This guy....he was almost like...another Jonas! The way he not only took those attacks but how is body was very unusual. Yusuke would likely get away from the grass as it latched out, barely getting away with his hands as he performs a leap back propelled by his spirit energy. Their clashing auras would mesmerize in distorted movement before a silent movement erupts, almost like a canceling, but was just an effect of both of their auras leaving contact. But this causes Yusuke to fly backward until he tumbles along the ground, finally stopping with his back sitting against something hard after hitting into it. Dust filtered onto his head, causing him to stand up and look over his shoulder.
Until he saw a very LARGE coffin right behind, standing upright with the ghosts all hovering around it. The door to that large tomb they went to was open.
"What the...you guys again."
The head of them, Jonathas, would gloat over and nod."As we said, this is not just your fight. Now, we need two things from you: one your spirit energy. And two....we need power that can fuel the dead."
"Fuel....the dead?"
"Yes. Normally, necromancers use what is known as negative energy to do such them. Do you have anything like that?"
Energy of the dead? Yusuke never heard anything like before. And when he heard necromancers, it was starting to sound like he was in some Dungons and Dragon game, a board game he once read about involving wizards, dragons, and all that other fantasy stuff. They couldn't think Yusuke knew how to wake the dead. He was a spirit detective meant to send the dead back to their graves and demons alike, not bring them back to life! The irony of this was confusing.
"Listen guys, as much as I want to help, I'm don't even know how to do anything like. And not to mention, I said I don't need your helps, either. I can take care of this guy by myself."
When Qwy rose to his feet and spoke his voice was rough and gravely, "A fist of rock and a will of stone. Can you sunder granite, Yusuke?" The last bits of the grass covered his already armored form, giving him a festive green skin. His eyes moved to the ghosts, "Death is a natural thing, and returning those that have found their timely end is a sin against life itself." His eyes fell on Yusuke again, his words flowing forth as an avalanche, "Are you a sinner, Yusuke?" As he began advancing on Yusuke there seemed to be something different about his aura, something much too familiar.
"What? What the hell you mean by sunder granie? But at least you got the fist part right."
Yusuke was facing Qwy again, his right hand coming forward in a display of firm power. He wasn't very smart to understand superflous sayings, but he got the jist of sometimes. At least the part by saying it was a sin against life to come back. "Hey. wait a second. You're telling me I committed sin by coming back to life years ago? I don't know if you know this or not, but I had to become a spirit detective to be able to return to the living world last time I died. I think you got it pretty wrong to say that it's wrong to come back. Hell, even my old lady sensei was too stubborn to stay dead for long. If you got something against either of us, I'm sure there will be no problem making you understand with my 'fist of rock and will of stone.' "
Qwy had touched a soft spot, something his previous opponent had did in the match before, exactly like Jonas. Every thing was leading back to that fight, and he couldn't understand why.
The ghosts themselves remained in silent, keeping where they were as the chains across the door of the coffin rattled to the wind.
Qwy shook his head, a single hand flicking out to gesture towards the spirits, "Not you. When it is not your time to leave the living and pass your body and energy back to the world from which you were created, returning is no crime. These spirits, their request is unnatural." From the thin layer of grasses about his feet abnormal roots sink into the ground, as if born from Qwy's body. With fingers curled he brings both hands up to his chest and throws them down to his sides, pointing away from his body in a fourty-five degree angle. With each finger fully extended and the palm facing Yusuke it becomes evident that each digit is alight with a particular verdant glow, pinpoints of energy gathering at the tips of each.
"It doesn't matter," he says, still widely pissed. "If you think you can go around and tell people who are doing wrong and whose not like some type of preacher, then maybe I should shut that mouth of yours right now!"
He extends his right arm, his left hand taking hold of his wrist, a small orb of spirit energy suddenly appearing at its tip, that rising energized sound able to be heard as it charges.
"SPIRIT GUN!"
A ten foot diameter blast of spirit energy fires forward, enveloping the entire area in a flare of light blue. As Yusuke stood his ground, his feet sliding back some from the force, and his right arm rising from the recoil, the circular blast aims to smash into Qwy's form. Whether the energies would be damaging Qwy or not on contact, it still was a force to be reckoned with, which is why being struck would also carry Qwy right back through the gate and continue to carry him for about half a mile's distance, while the blast would tear through anything in its path. Fortunately, the cemetery was safe.
The ghosts stood back in awe, never realizing how much power this single boy held.
Between the druid and the spirit detective several small explosions would lead up to the largest one, scattering chunks of earth in all directions. When the dust and debris settled Qwy stood staring across the way to Yusuke, not having moved an inch. Several of the orbs accumulating at his fingertips had gone, but were quickly being replaced as the remaining grew in strength. The roots connecting him to the ground began to extend deeper into the soil, drawing in strength from the world's life force directly. Slowly shaping it he extended his own hand towards the spirit detective, whips of grass lashing out to grip his arm as his hand matched the positioning of Yusuke's, "An old dog learning new tricks..." An orb to match Yusuke's issued forth, a brilliant green orb of energy expanding from the pinpoint in flight.
"What the..." The blast would strike into Qwy's orb, and it would seem like they were now clashing at once. Then the area would grow as the spirit gun would finally explode, a great dome of both of their energies erupting in an explosion.
The ghosts would gasp in fright, thinking they were about to die again, the entire cemetery lit up by this destructive light. Yusuke would be flying backwards through the air, both arms in front of himself. He had rode the blast using a field of energy as a shield, and even that nearly left him defenseless. His back strikes into that large tomb, sitting against it as a cough comes from him. "Damn," he says, slowly standing up, his left hand rubbing his back. "Another person who can match my spirit gun." He gives a smile. "I guess he's not so weak, after all."
When the energy settles, the ghosts would be hovering above in the air, having escaped to the sky for protection, for even they could have had their spirits harmed by such power. Lowering back to the ground, the coffin was now gone. However, something else stood in its place: a mummy with its arms crossed in front of its chest. But instead of badged color bandages, there was instead black colored ones.
Yusuke saw this strange sight, and now became more curious as to what the hell these guys were holding.
Jonathan would say to Yusuke: "He's called Kijad. Back when we were all still alive...he was our protector from the forces of evil. He fought both human and demon, and his life soon led him to his unfaithful death."
"What?! So you're saying....he's like some Spirit Detective?"
"Not just like. He was a Spirit Detective."
Complete shock went to Yusuke's face. How far back did the business of the spirit detectives go, the teen thought. And for one, a dead one to be exact, to be right here in front of him was just coincidental.
((This post is going to suck, as I've little time. I may extend it later for detail but keep the basic flow. This assumes that the mummy is animated. If its not, he'd just charge (no dialogue) and make mental note of the mummy.))
Qwy could smell it, the unnatural thing that was Kijad. The roots at his feet continued their growth, ensuring they did not interupt any of the dead, while he continued to gather his energy. With the pinpoints growing at his fingertips he extended a hand to gesture to the mummy of Kijad, "Unnatural BEAST! Return to your eternal rest, and find peace in the continuous cycle of life itself."
((Nah, it's just standing there dead. And what happened to Qwy during the explosion of the two blasts? oO Did he just stand there and take it?))
"Your foe is strong," Jonathan comments.
"Like I said," Yusuke says. "I'll be fine."
He starts forward to Qwy, his left hand on his shoulder as he revolves his right arm, walking forward with eyes set on his opponent.
"Kijad could teach you a few things."
Yusuke comes to a stop.
"I could already tell you were just like him. Am I wrong to say that you, too, are a spirit detective? Because I don't believe you could have used that 'Spirit Gun' move, like Kijad knew, unless you were taught."
The teen kept his back to them, his eyes not exactly paying attention to Qwy now as the spirit spoke.
"Listen. Awake him and let him show you how he use to fight. You may be able to learn some things. And don't take it as him fully taking over the battle. Think of him.....as an extension of your will. A summon, you can call it."
The spirit detective still did not turn around, his left fist shaking, however, in some inner tremble of ambition and self confidence.
"Please. Give Kijad what he needs. You will not regret it."
Yusuke was quiet.
((>.> Well, pretty much. I mean he's rooted to the spot and has enough energy pumping into him to run a small city for a week. Again, short post, I appologize.))
The druid would continue to charge the majority of the spheres, taking aim at Yusuke with one of the medium sized orbs and launching it at him. The roots continue to expand.
"Aw, damn!"
Yusuke would bring his right index finger forward again, aims, and fires another large one to match Qwy's, stopping it midway in one explosion of their powers once again.
"I don't think this guy is going to get tired."
"Then..."
"Can you shut up about that? Look, maybe I need the help, and maybe not. But one thing's for sure: I'm kicking bald man's ass single-handly, not anyone else."
"But it will be your power driving that hand of Kijad."
Yusuke would look back at the man and his standing mummy, stares at it for a second, then walks over.
"Damn me and my damn curiousity."
There was a real reason he wanted this to work. He wanted to see if there anyone in the world like others who could challenge his power. He moves his right hand forward and places it on the shoulder of the upright corpse, slowly putting his spirit energy into it. As for the requirement of "energy of the dead," Yusuke had no clue what that was. But there was one type of energy that was even close to that, and that was his demon energy. So he would allow some of that to go into the corpse, too, waiting to see what will happen.
Something was happening to the bald man, he seemed to be... swelling? Yes, that was a good word for it. Getting more massive in all ways as he gathered spiritual energy.
You know young man, power isn't all about what one can do in the here and now.
His voice has changed too, becoming deeper, older, wiser. The spirit bullets he had been charging in his fingers begin to flicker as well, bleeding blue energy to reveal a brilliant emerald green.
Some people spend their entire lives attempting to gather the kind of strength that we two have been shedding without care since this match began. For them, it might even be enough. Will it be ever be enough for you, I wonder. I don't believe it ever will...
A dull whisper breaths through the arena as the wind kicks up gently. It whirls around the druid like the caress of a lover, and a new kind of tension replaces that of the old. It seems kind and loving, the warmth of family and friends around oneself. Behind it however... it was clear that the druid was drawing deep. A different kind of spiritual power was swelling up in the arena now. The green charges in his finger erupt and spread across his arms like the rampant growth of ivy.
((Ignore the skinny dude beside him. >_> Actually, use it as a reference to how big he used to be.))
He claps his massive hands in front of him, and then plunges the limbs into the earth.
I believe it is time for a change of scenery.
The arena quakes, and a forest bursts from the dead soil.
No, seriously. A fucking forest. Yusuke would be able to feel the process quite clearly as all of the accumulated energy Qwy had been storing up was released and fueled the growth of hundred of trees. Within moments, the druid had prompted two or three years of growth from the massive cedars that now filled the arena. What had been quick sand and graves was now lush trees and thick bushes. The graves were still there, but they had been displaced and thrown around at random.
No bodies though, curious as that may be. And Qwy himself was now hidden from view behind a thick grove of trees.
Now then, shall we? You have me at a disadvantage boy, I've used up my current charge of power. Best strike while the iron's hot.
Nothing was happening so far to the mummy as he poured spirit and demon energy into the non-moving thing. An aura of light blue and red swarm calmly around the teen and the black wraps, but nothing so far was happening. But he stops immediately when he feels the growth of power from Qwy's direction, and quickly turns around to see the man growing his body, a familiar notion of the ability one other held before that Yusuke fought in the past, and a name was not really neccessary to say.
"The guy's grown some muscle,"he says in a sarcastic kind of tone. Okay, so now he would really have to take this guy seriously. Cockiness was one thing, but knowing when to play around and when to not was another. This was obviously not a time for testing out powers, at least on a minimal level. He listened to the man as he spoke, speaking about their powers being something others dream of accomplishing. But then again, when he spoke about Yusuke's continuous search for power....
Next thing that came was a violent wind, Yusuke placing his arms in front of him as his Spirit Gi moves about against his body from the rush of air. Why did people with so much energy always had a tendency of blowing out their energy with little restraint? Heh, he was just as guilty, sometimes, but that was only when he was feeling a great emotion. And right now, he was just waiting to see what this guy was going to throw at him, though the spirit of fighting witin Yusuke.....was sort of not there. He wanted to take this seriously, but somehow, he was feeling like this wasn't going to be a challenge he didn't want to participate in.
"Come on, Yusuke, what's wrong with you? This guy's just became another Toguro and yet here you are standing here as if it's nothing but another opponent."
Yusuke couldn't understand it, but he was almost feeling like his body was underestimating Qwy. He didn't know why, but maybe it had something to do with his growth of power over the years. Ever since he took on Yomi, he did feel like he needed to get stronger, but then he had those thoughts that there was no one stronger than that guy. So here he was, seeing Qwy as someone he could just take down in a few punches.
"Focus, Yusuke...."
"I believe it is time for a change of scenery," Qwy says.
"What?!"
One after another, a small quake, then a burst of trees grow from underground, causing the ghosts to go into a stir at what was happening. Damn it, Yusuke was indeed becoming too cocky for his own good. Here he was thinking this guy was nothing but someone inferior, but here he was never expecting that charging power he felt from his opponent to spring into something like this. He expected like some large blast to be shot toward him again, but no, he was changing this graveyard into a freaking forest. The spirit detetive is risen up, standing on a branch of one tree that comes from under him, and there he was standing in it as the entire landscape was something like the jungles of Africa, it looked like. If there was tigers or lions here, too, then Yusuke was going to have one hell of a time.
Then Qwy spoke again. "Now then, shall we? You have me at a disadvantage boy, I've used up my current charge of power. Best strike while the iron's hot."
What kind of trick was he playing? Yusuke couldn't tell if he was lying or not, but it would be stupid to run into a situation without first knowing what he's up against. He wasn't going to be another Kuwabara. So he smirks, and replies back in a loud enough voice for Qwy to hear, wherever he was.
"I could, but then again, it wouldn't feel right kicking a lion while it was down."
Either he'll regret this later or not, it was all up to what would happen now in this match. The spirit detective moves his eyes around, looking about at the environment. Yep, he was not in Kansas anymore.
In response to Yusuke's words, Qwy... chuckled.
It was a deep, rolling sound that echoed across the treetops. Branches and leaves that swayed in the winds seemed to ripple with its passage. From Yusuke's vantage point, it would look like multiple pebbles dropped into a still pond with each syllable. It wasn't a mocking sound either, nor was there even the smallest hint of scorn. The Druid seemed immensely appreciative of the statement, and it took a while for the jovial laughter to die down. However, to Yusuke's senses the merriment would be the source of deep concern. Not only did it bounce around the forest confusingly, deceiving the ear, but it also seemed to come from everywhere at once. Once this fact has realized itself in the former Spirit Detective's head another fact presented itself. Qwy's power had not simply faded. There was no bang and release like Yusuke's own Spirit Gun, it wasn't even the tangible dispersion that so many of his previous opponents had demonstrated with impunity. No... it was more akin that the Druid had simply spread himself out across the forest like a quilt. The power still had the same mass and weight, but the shape of it had changed. Amidst the happy, rolling laughter the creeping dread that all beings feel would begin to make its way up Yusuke's back. That niggling feeling that was a throw back to our most ancient of existences. Whether we be human, angel, demon or other, that feeling told us all the same primordial thing...
Yusuke was being watched.
Truly, it is my greatest pleasure that we have had the chance to meet like this young warrior.
Qwy's voice, unlike his laugh, came from a very direct source. In the forest below, Yusuke's keen eyesight would be able to pick the motion of the man out as he slid between the trees towards the fighter.
Tasting your power has been refreshing, after so long among so few I tend to forget the breath and depth of experience while it is still fresh in the mind's of the young.
The man was still grown. Unlike Toguro the Younger; whose massive frame was pure muscle piled atop muscle piled atop steel, hatred, and more muscle, Qwy was grace and form simply increased in size. The man himself did not seem so large from a distance, nor so powerful. Even his nearly ten foot stature seemed dwarfed down to humble height while in the presence of the newly formed trees. (Trees which seemed to be growing still, albeit at a more sedate pace as Qwy's power pulsed through them like the stately march of the beating heart.) Sure he was big, and if one was to judge solely on the body's formation he could have been an archaic Adonis adorned in green, but Qwy was neither monstrosity nor abomination in this form.
Truly that experience has served you well. I can taste that once your spirit energy raged and roared rampant inside your body as you sated your constant battle-lust against a never ending flood of fiercesome foes.
Qwy stops at the base of Yusuke's tree, looking up at the younger man passively. It might seem odd, that this man he had never met knew so much about Yusuke. But was it, truly? Champion of living world, uncrowned king of demon world, bringer of change where-ever he stepped. Was it so strange that others knew of his exploits in detail?
Many would find it odd, that with the awakening of your ancestral bloodline, that battle-lust has become tempered with iron control. More still would find it queer that you have been plagued with doubts and a loss of purpose. I however, understand entirely. You have done what few have accomplished before you by bringing balance to two astonishing polar opposites within you, by taking the middle road and finding strength in diversity where others would be met only by ineptitude.
Qwy places one of his huge hands humanely on the side of the tree, and like a bolt of lightning Yusuke was thrown from his body. For a moment, a heartbeat, Yusuke could see the world through Qwy's eyes.
Life's Web sang to Yusuke. Everything below, and everything above was connected through the great balance of Nature. There was no beginning, no end, only the endless cycle of birth, life, death, and birth again. And Yusuke could see it all, for that moment, that heartbeat, the Balance revealed itself to him. Yusuke could even begin to see how he fit into the Pattern of it all...
But then the sensation was gone, the moment, the heartbeat. All that was left was understanding. Qwy hadn't been attacking Yusuke, no, he had been communicating with him. It was a total information dump of the most primal and elemental kind. Qwy wanted Yusuke to know, that while the destruction of these beautiful trees would be a shame it would not in any way be the end. Life would go on. The trees would decompose and start the process of life all over again. This process of life and death was as crucial to the continued survival of everyone, not just the two men in the ring.
The true revelation however, was buried in that magnificent view of the world. Qwy considered this forest as the true triumph achieved in the tournament. A place that had belonged solely to death had once again been thrust into Life's Web. The balance was restored, life would go on, and Qwy well and truly believed that this victory was the true victory. And by giving Yusuke that moment, that heartbeat, he wanted the former Spirit Detective to join in his victory. Qwy wanted to share the pure exaltation that he felt from turning this barren graveyard into a lush forest. He wanted Yusuke to look back on this event one day and realize he had been part of something truly profound, so perhaps when that day came he too could view the day as a victory for all.
Of course, that would be after Qwy beat the hell out of Yusuke and won this bloody tournament.
With an awesome -=CRACK=-
Qwy ripped the now thirty foot tree from the loam and slammed it into earth, and hopefully take Yusuke with it.
There was Qwy, the main man himself, right there before Yusuke's eyes. This was his chance to get down there and pummel the hell out of that guy. This was his chance!
But he didn't even move from the branch. Instead, like a curious little boy listening to an interesting tale, he was listening to the words Qwy were saying. Damn it, he was getting closer, Yusuke! Move! MOVE! But he doesn't. He just continues to listen. Until...
BRRRNNNNNNNNNG!
A ringing sound hits Yusuke's head once Qwy's hands touches the tree and for that second, he did not know what the hell was going on. The entire world was inverted in color and there Yusuke stood in shock, regretting subconsciously for not trying to stop him before he pulled something like he did.
Until suddenly he was getting this strange feeling inside of him, this feeling of an inner emotion about the trials of life and death. He saw something he didn't quite understand. No, he couldn't describe it as something visual by the physical eye. It was more an abstract comprehension, lack of it to say, of something that was trying to be told to him. But then, he saw that one image, that one face....
Raizen.
Quote: Wrote:>
> > "Listen, my son," Raizen says, continuing to call Yusuke the only living thing he had to a seed of his dying breaths. Though he was in spirit form within this...hallucination or maybe it was real....Raizen felt like for this one second, this one heartbeat, he was talking to the real guy. Did Koenma do this? > > "There are many things, Yusuke, that you still have yet to learn. Many exciting and horrible things that you have yet to experience. From the power that you wield to those in your life, each and every single thing has some way that has been learned or yet to be learned. You must understand, Yusuke, that your existence is not just a coincidental chance. You did not become who you are only by fate's chance. You became who you are to act as one of the many keys to hold this world in balance." > > "In balance? What, are you trying to say I'm some sort of...god?" > > Raizen chuckles. "Yes, you can sort of say that, but no, not exactly. No one can be a god, which is something you must come to understand. At least no one of the human or demon world. Yusuke, you are growing up more ever day, and it's about time you learn what you're going to expect in the future. As you grow older, many more changes in your life are going to occur, and you must be ready for it." > > He points his right pointing finger at Yusuke. "What are you going to set your life on? Protecting your friends, your family, those you care for is good and all, but it lacks specifics. The question is: what are you going to do with all the time you have in this world. I'm pretty sure you understand now that with the demon awakened within you....you're going to be around much longer than any human's lifespan." > > "I am? Wait....no way, are you freaking telling me I'm going to be living for some thousand of years?!" > > "Something like that, but since you're only half-demon, it'll be a little less. But with that fact alone, you need to understand that if you're going to be around here for a while, you best get to settling down what you're going to settle and focus your life on. Are you going to continue to be the boy you once was....or give some use to all that power, and the more to come, to something more deserving." > > Yusuke doesn't say a thing when he asks that, and Raizen was expecting that. > > "No one likes the burdens that life bears onto our shoulders, but then, to prove ourselves worthy of tackling anything in our way, we must be prepared to take that burden like a man. Yusuke, you became a worker for the spirit world against your own will. And then was revealed a heritage that you first did not desire. Yet, you knew all of these led to more power to make yourself not appear as the little boy everyone looked down on for being. You wanted these pieces of power to become someone great. And then you soon came to figure out that this power wasn't just for the protection of yourself, but for the protection of everybody. That is the secret to your potential, the acceptance of your destiny." > > Raizen lowers his hand back onto his knee. > > "Well, then. I guess I should send you back to your fight. I'm sure I've prolonged this second of yours. But do not forget a word I have said. If you truly want to become stronger, Yusuke, understand my words. Only then will you ascend to a higher state."
Yusuke snaps out of it, and there he was suddenly going, the tree he was standing on suddenly falling toward the ground. He leaps off quickly onto the branch of another tree, crouched as he stares down toward Qwy. Though to his opponent it was a mere second, to Yusuke, he had just experienced a few minutes of some sort of reality-dream vision.
"What are you trying to say....dad? That I should do something greater with my life? I thought being a spirit detective should be the only thing I needed to do. I was going to retire, settle down with Keiko, have a family, then die an old man. But here you are saying I have to live on while everyone gets to sleep in death, and make sure life goes on or something? Even then if I choose to do this, how will I get any stronger than I'm already am? I can't even use my demon power to its full potential yet and don't even know where that weird power went the last time I fought Yomi. I thought I was already strong enough!"
While he was mentally shouting at himself, he leaps down to the fallen tree, and actually runs across it towards Qwy as he held the bark in his hands. Even in confusion, he still had a fight to win, and he was not going to give his opponent any more chances.
"Life, death, what's the damn difference?!"
A spirit powered right hook was aimed for Qwy's face. Either he dropped the tree or take a good one to the cheek.
Qwy sees the punch coming and his eyes widen in slight surprise. Instead of taking the blow on the cheek, the druid bents his head down and lets Yusuke's fist meet the thick bone of his forehead. Letting the tree go, Qwy rolls with the punches. Literally, as he falls back from the punch and tucks into a ball as he is sent soaring through the air and into another tree.
No, literally. Into the tree.
The druid's body literally melts into the wood at full speed and slides out the other side moments later, momentum completely canceled. The tree shutters, the branches waver, and some leaves fall. Otherwise neither seem to be ill-effected.
Life's Web is in me...
Green mana condenses on Qwy's chest while Yusuke watches, scribing itself into an extremely detailed tattoo in black and green. 
Your aura tells me many things Yusuke, most fighters would not have given me the time to taste it and come to know it. For one, it retains the hints of other auras it has come in contact with. People and places that have changed your life. Men such as your Ancestral Father, your friends, your enemies. A few of them are even known to me... Two come to mind as I savor the flavor of your aura. The first has left an especially strong impression on you, Yoko Kurama.
Trails of green ink snake across Qwy's chest from the tattoo, across his shoulders and down his arms. The green lines struggle mightly under his skin and around his knuckles, sprouting into vines and flowers while still under the skin. The plants force their way through his skin and bloom fully born from his body.
The one known as Kurama... the demon closest to the Druidic path. He truly understands life in a way that most demons never even sense, let alone embrace. I have never had the pleasure of meeting the fox, but our affiliates have been in contact. And through them it could be said we have traded cuttings and seeds, an act by which one learns much about a man. You are truly fortunate to know him.
The greenry on his hands shutter and flex, sprouting thorns and fanged edges. They look a bit like one of Kurama's Rose Whips, but covered Qwy's hands like gauntlets and sunk easily into his flesh.
The second is a more recent opponent of yours, the Demon Lord Yomi. He and I have shared many an afternoon together, though he knows it not. He developed and perfected his Demon Energy Wall in one of the most ancient forests in Demon World, and even honed these...
Qwy crosses his arms over his chest and reaches up to tap his ears, indicating the extra ones Yomi had grew to compensate for his loss of sight. The gesture finished, his lowers his hands slightly and holds his palms inwards slightly above his shoulders.
... by listening to the beasts of that forest move. It is a shame really, that he only heard the beasts in their mortal existence and did not listen to their connection to the Web of all. The insight would have opened his mind, or shattered it as entirely as I plan to do to your body.
Qwy smiles peacefully, and charges. It was not the rush of the bull or the boar, nor was it the plummet of the falcon or the strike of the cat. Qwy moved with the rippling udalation of the serpent, slipping through the trees with a silence and rapidity that should have been impossible accounting for his size. In a moment, the large man had closed the gap again and struck at Yusuke with two powerful cross-chops, one from each raised hand.
Life's Web: 1
He got him! Wait, wait, hold on a second. Qwy just passed through that tree like it was nothing! He hops off the tree that his opponent was just holding onto and lands onto the soil of the ground as Qwy comes out from the other side.
"Okay, what the hell just happened," Yusuke says, looking oddly at this phenomenom. But his focus was no longer on that. Qwy was glowing, and his body undergoing some more change, a change he didn't exactly find welcoming. But with him speaking suddenly about Kurama, he couldn't help but listen some more, his own spirit energy still fueling through his body in expectation of Qwy pulling off something else. Whenever someone glowed, they were obviously up to something. Yet, something completely different happens. Plants actually grow from his skin. It wasn't as different as before when he punched at Qwy's stomach and was countered by plants from his body, though. Just the one change he had taken notice of was that Qwy's forearms and hands were no longer considered "safe."
And then he spoke about another person from his past, Yomi himself. Now this was different, because if he had just said he spoke with Yomi before, then something was probably similar about the two. And if it was power, well this was going to get ugly. But instead, it was about having the power to listen to things buy their connection in the life "web." But it was sounding like something he'll expect a yoga master to be saying, as they always went on about how we are all connected in this Circle of Life and stuff like that. And it sort of made him chuckle. Actually, he does, laughing, even when Qwy says he's going to crush Yusuke's body.
"Connection to the web, huh? Sorry, but I'm not all into this metaphorical nonsense. And I think you'll have to wait another time about doing anything to my body. I plan to make you taste dirt a few more times before you can even pull that off!"
His hands glow brightly in spirit energy, charging right at Qwy, so they were both heading at one another. When the first chop comes, Yusuke's left forearm would come up to block it, a crackle of his energy heard as a way of defending against the vile vines. And when the second chop comes, his right arm deals with defending against it as he swings out his left arm to get Qwy's previous hand away, if it was not already gone.
"Yaaa!"
And with that left hand, following the block of the second chop, he punches straight at Qwy's stomach. However, if this strike actually hit, then Yusuke would go for the famous multi-fast punch combo. The attempt was that if the first could contact, then maybe the fast deliverance of a fast barrage of punches could stun Qwy for a short time to allow them to go through. And if that even was successful, he would follow up with a right uppercut to the man's chin, to try to knock the large man into the air.
For such a big man, Qwy was far too agile for his own good. Again displaying liquid grace and an astonishing mastery over his center of balance, the druid drops backwards with the blocked right chop. The first counter-punch would graze his chest as he wove back and clockwise in circular motion, a few landing solidly in his stomach and the rest whiffing to the sides.
As the uppercut threatened to blow Qwy's head off, the man would exagerate his roll greatly enough that his entire body with leaned to the left (yusuke's right) of the uppercut, raising his own right arm perpendicular to the ground and wrapping it serpentine around Yusuke's own as he goes. Yusuke's right upper arm and shoulder were now solidly tucked into Qwy's armpit, and when the larger druid bends down the smaller fighter is bent slightly with him. Qwy places the back of his left forearm across Yusuke's thighs and lifts mightly to fling him head over heels through the air behind Qwy.
The whole exchange would take bare moments and used very little power on Qwy's part, instead turning Yusuke's own against him. If the former Spirit Detective was lucky he wouldn't clip a tree until he had lost some momentum.
Ahhh, there is the fighter I have heard about. Please, pay naught attention to my words for now. Later they will return to you in your time of rest. For now, be assured that Life's Web would not be enough to tame your battle lust.
More energy ripples across Qwy. Blue dancing over his brow and sinking into a round tattoo on the Sixth chakra, red leaping and bounding across his arms to dig into his hands. It is from these last that Qwy follows up on his throw, spinning as he speaks and raising his hands palm open to point the jagged tattoos in the general direction of where he flung Yusuke. Massive gouts of flame, pure energy in fact, spit from the Druid's hands. They would roar and splash across the newly grown forest, with whatever did not strike Yusuke (and a good deal of spillage besides) spreading wildly like napalm.
Infinite Rage: 3 Seeing Winds: 2 Life's Web: 1
Crap, the large man had control of his right arm. No matter, all he would have to do....wait, damn it, the guy was faster than he thought. Here his feet were now being lifted into the air and suddenly he's thrown right over Qwy straight toward whatever tree that was going to catch his flailing body. But, he wasn't going to be that easily thwarted. Spreading his arms and legs, he uses aerodymanic manuevers, only possible with his type of power, to realign his body enough to have his feet land against the tree that was going to catch him. He would kneel once he presses against the side of it, and here came a roar of flames.
"Aw, great," he says loudly, using a rebound to leap off the tree and move swiftly through the air as the flames collide. He barely makes it out of there. Though his spirit energy protected him some, that didn't the rest of himself unscathed. Sure, the parts where his Spirit Gi protected were okay, but his arms and the right side of his face had some steam coming from them. That really did burn! His skin didn't show it, but he was feeling it.
He lands right into a nearby branch, his arms folding over one another as he reacts to the pain. "Damn, the guy can use fire, too? Man, didn't I get the best of them." He looks at Qwy, deciding to not be a crybaby and just take the pain while letting his fists light up in spirit energy again.
Wait for it....
Qwy wasn't waiting around for Yusuke to compensate now that he was on the offensive. The big man wasn't going to give a brawler like Yusuke time to plan. Two more gouts of flame spit from his hands, not nearly as potent as the previous ones but larger in area. They spread out in a large wave that would wash over the greenery and Yusuke alike without even the heat to burn hair. The danger wasn't from the flames however, but what they concealed.
The druid charged, moving with the same liquid grace and cutting out the obstacles in his path by simply passing through the trees at a run instead of going around. As the flames whirled and disappeared, Qwy jumps into a tree close to Yusuke. He wouldn't come back out the other side either, instead opting to disappear...
At least, until he drops silently out of the branches above like a falling stone.
Qwy's legs were extended to slam his heels into Yusuke's skull, but the wasn't the worst of it. More dangerous was the dead black tattoo scribing itself into his gut below the first one. As Qwy fell, the tattoo's affect would become frighteningly clear. Like a wave, the crippling weakness would slam into Yusuke. Qwy's aura, once peaceful and muted, was now cold and draining. Like the very essence of Night was reaching out to plunge its icy grip into Yusuke's chest and wrap its frigid fingers around his heart.
Life's Web: 3 Infinite Rage: 2 Seeing Winds: 1 Nght's Reach: 4
Yusuke brings both hands before him and opens them into palms, using the general field of spirit energy to create a shield that would have the flames wash past him without harm. When they were gone, so was Qwy. His eyes quickly look around to see where the hell he went. Surely someone as big as he couldn't haven't vanished that easily.
Until suddenly, BAM, his head feels a large force hit into it, and that is when he noticed where his opponent had went. The strike would cause Yusuke to go falling out of the tree forward, his arms and legs out as the typical falling person would do. But then he would feel this wierd tingling effect suddenly, and it wasn't known yet that something was trying to sap away his physical strength. His hands touch the ground and he handsprings forward to get out of the way of his crashing foe, however Qwy would land, and returns to his feet, his spirit aura suddenly going wild around his body. It felt like it was fighting with something else, which was the power Qwy was giving off.
He couldn't understand what the hell was going on, but he was going to put all blame on the big guy himself. "Hey...what's going on?"
What does it look like is happening boy? Use you eyes, because I for one won't be telling!
Really, a flying axe kick isn't something most people see outside of movies. None the less, Qwy leaps across the short distance between the two bringing his left leg up and scything it down pulsing with a red aura. Whether the kick connected with Yusuke or the fighter dodged and Qwy strikes the ground, the impact would be an explosive release of energy.
The axe kick would be followed by a quick one-two punch, fists glowing with the same energy for release on impact. And all the while the tide of that grim aura would crash against Yusuke's spirit energy, eroding what it could not drag away entirely. If Yusuke dodged away this time, Qwy would give chase and continue throwing power-loaded punches. He was a tad more conservative than Yusuke had been, not over-committing himself with big moves and content to let the power unleashed by his attacks chip away at the former spirit detective.
Unseen but for the traces of white energy they scroll across the tops of his shoulders and the sides of his ribs, a fifth and final tattoo in white and black scribes itself into the small of his back. The effect is clear however, as that same white energy rolls back out across Qwy's body in a scintillating pattern.
Life's Web: 2 Infinite Rage: 5 Seeing Winds: 1 Night's Reach: 4 Cleansing Fire: 3
Yusuke doesn't dodge. This kick was coming in, but to him, he was familiar with that move and knew ways to use it for his own types of counters. His hands quickly go out as he leans his head to the left to have the foot hit into his right shoulder, his hands clasping upon the foot and shin of the leg to keep it there, but then, the great power emitted from the axe kick alone would cause Yusuke's spirit energy to flare in helping resisting the overpowering aspect while the ground below their feet would lower into a dented area, a crate coming into appearance in the clash. If Qwy still brought forth that one-two punch, Yusuke would be struck by each one, his face/body taking the assaults full force. Not only was he battling against that but also that effect his opponent was trying to put on his body.
So far, the strength-draining effect was held back, but this was costing energy each second. Yusuke was confident in his spirit energy levels to know he could hold off for a while, but for how long was the question in his mind. All he knew was that he needed to take down the large guy and fast before things got worse, because anyone with spiritual awareness at his level would know that Qwy's power was growing every second in some strange fashion. It must have something to do with those tattoos glowing over his body. Yeah, this guy must have had a thing for decorations, Yusuke thought.
The spirit detective moves his right forearm under the leg that performed the axe kick and pushes it off, while he moves in right in front of Qwy to deliver a left punch right for the chest. This time, he wasn't concerned about the guy's size or about defending himself. All he wanted to do was show him he wasn't scared to take a punch, as long as he would be able to do the same to the deliverer. So now, in came the attack, and if it struck, he would follow up with a right punch. Matter of fact, he wasn't going to just hold off on just two. Why not deliver a full fashion of them, which would be what he was going for. If Qwy hit him, then Yusuke would take the hit like a man, and only retaliate with more punches. This was no longer hide and seek.
This was a full fledged physical assault, with their entire area within several feet once more under the influence of their powers. Trees would falter and fall, and wind would pick up around them as if this battle was going to rage into something epic. Yusuke could literally feel the pressure of the air heavy in power, and practically soaks it in, comfortable with this type of environment already from many previous battles like this one.
His punches would be powered by the force of his strength and spirit energy, so Qwy was in for some hurting, as well.
This was a man's fight.
The sound of flesh against flesh echoed through the sun-dappled forest. Accompanied in the backround by the dying crackle of flames, two titans clashed amidst the trees. Spectators would be awed, for they bore testament to two completely devoted to the fine art. The man's art.
Qwy was more than happy to trade blows with Yusuke, using his large mass to great effect while in-fighting. Just because the man's reach was long didn't hinder him in the slightest. It was like fighting a whirlwind, he spun like a top and struck like the wind. There was no wasted motion in Qwy's style, each form flowed effortlessly into the next with the skill of a master. Blows to his chest would be met with a large meaty left thigh as he twisted away from Yusuke, only to be returned with a short chopping right that fell from the raised shoulder. Qwy would take a blow to the skull, letting it glance off the side as he fell to the outside of the punch returning a thursting shoulder butt to Yusuke's chest. Every action minimized damage, every reaction used minimal force and balance to repay in kind.
From this distance Qwy couldn't counter properly with his fists, his arms were just too long. But he would blend his own spinning motions with sharp elbow hooks, jabbed knees, low kicks to the joints and tendons, leg sweeps, and savage headbutts. The Druid took every single opportunity afforded to him to hit Yusuke with no regard to "fairness" or "scruples" as they were defined in a fight. Qwy wasn't just fighting dirty, he was down right vicious!
The vine wrappings around Qwy's hands wouldn't seem to contribute much to the battle. The sting of impacted flesh was sharp enough to cover the slight bite of numerous small thorns. Nor was it likely that Yusuke would notice the small, slow bleed from those selfsame thorns. Each blow was like rubbing a cactus (or fiber glass for those fortunate enough to have never committed such a foolish act). It didn't always hurt right away, but it would sting like a bitch and be almost impossible to remove later.
The luminescent white glow that had been rippling around Qwy takes a more active roll now that Yusuke had begun fighting in earnest. Clearly, any patch of skin that the demon prince struck took less damage if it was covered in the white glow. Additionally, after every strike the radiance would move in and begin to reknit flesh and repair damage. The armor and healing weren't enough to completely nullify Yusuke's attacks, but they were keeping Qwy in the game for longer. If left unchecked, it might undone all Yusuke'w work. But the process would be slow and require time.
The dark miasma that had crashed upon Yusuke was unrelenting through-out the encounter. Any weakness it the other man's spirit energy and it would pounce like a starving jaguar only to be fought off and return to nibbling and prowling for openings. Still, it clearly wasn't a conscious or directed affect. Where a guiding intelligence would have rammed home in the same weak spots over and over to attain the desired result, the soul chilling aura was more akin to the tide. If a low spot presented itself, it would rip and shred with greater ferocity until that point had been shorn up. It would then return to the same washing motion it had always possessed, despite the fact that increased attention may destroy the hasty repair once again.
Everything changed dramatically almost a full round into the melee brawl. A chance exchange in which Yusuke strikes Qwy across the jaw hard enough to spray a fountain of blood across the stretch of forest where they fought puts Qwy back far enough to send him off his feet. Instead of simply falling backwards, the druid fires both legs like cannons into Yusuke's lightning fast crossed arm guard and rockets off the former spirit detective. He soars through the air, spiraling and rolling to land on his feet several yards away. It should be noted that the grim pulse that was sapping Yusuke's spirit energy, once felt from almost ten feet away now ended at five. The fighter wouldn't have noticed it while the two were in close, but now that Qwy had put some distance between them it may come as quite the relief.
Qwy breaths hard, eyeing Yusuke warily through one eye as the white fire removes the blood draining into the other. Something in the druid's stance said it was time to take a breather for both fighters, and to reinforce his point the healing glow dies away after clearing Qwy's vision. He wouldn't take advantage of the lapse to repair any of the numerous bruises and cuts he had sustained from exchanging blows with Yusuke. Despite the cleansing flames and his m4d defensive 5k1llz, it was clear that the druid had taken more damage than the veteran brawler.
Well, this was certainly enjoyable while it lasted. Though frankly I'm quite surprised you choose for the rousing bout of in-fighting in the end. Forgot entirely about these didn't you?
He raises his hands and wags them at Yusuke, reminding him of the fanged vines that covered them. They were now right covered in Yusuke's blood from their constant exchange moments ago.
You'll probably be feeling the thorns now, hundreds of splinter sized spines prickling every inch of skin they touched. That can't be pleasant, though I assure you the sensation will fade soon enough. That numbness you may be feeling? That'd be the poison shutting you down. Soon enough it'll be full paralysis, even your spirit energy will have gone dormant. Don't worry though, its not fatal even in the massive doses you've been given.
The druid smiles, letting out the massive breath of a man contemplating a good days work.
I hope you can see this day as I do in the end Yusuke, it has been a pleasure. But I believe we're done now, all I have to do is avoid you until the toxins take full affect. And you won't be catching me with any of your fancy tricks, not in this forest. So how's about we use the rest of our time talking about plants? I'd like your friend Kurama to recieve a sample of this here vine and it'd be grand if you could tell him some of the details too.
Life's Web: 2 Infinite Rage: 1 Seeing Winds: 5 Night's Reach: 3 Cleansing Fire: 4
Yusuke would slide to a stop in a sit, hitting his back against a tree as he sat at a large distance now between the two. His mouth was open as inhales and exhales come from it, eyeing his opponent on the other side as his breathing was heavy. Yusuke's shirt, that Spirit Gi, was no longer on him. He had placed so much pressure against it with their energy magnitude that the spiritual bonds were broken, dispersing it quickly. So now he only had his body to rely on for defence at this point. Then Qwy did his talking again, reminding Yusuke of his thorned arms. Heh, he hadn't forgotten about those. He knew all too well what he was up against, but that wasn't stopping him wasn't it. His arms had some scars here and there, but his spirit energy only assisted in creating a formidable resistance.
"Poison, huh?" He chuckles. "Come on, you don't think that's going to really stop me, do you?" He would slowly stand back to his feet, his hands onto his thighs as he pushes himself up. Within, natural measures were now taking place as Yusuke's demonic heritage rises toward the surface, his body slowly making that physical transformation of those markings of the demon. His hair was still the same, however, unlike a certain time when it would grow to very large lengths. The advantage was that it would prevent the poison from attempting to sap his strength, the poison going into his body being kiled by destroying it with the give-off demolition properties of the demonic energy he wielded. When he was fully upright, his body was no longer overbearing with the spirit energy that he almost depleted entirely. It was instead having the immense demon energy taking over, the aura calmly over the boy's body as he stood there. Any life practically around him would be met with some crackles of red coloring, showing the small sample of the demon energy trying to destroy the life around him. In the demon world, the life literally thrived off this energy. But here, the Druid's tapped nature was just another thing in the way. But Yusuke wasn't going to try to calm the exertion down. This was more of a helpful thing.
"How about we save the chit-chat for later and start round two of this thing, shall we?" That is when his aura would grow even more, Yusuke intentionally using its power to try to clear a twenty yard radius around his figure. Just standing there with his arms to the side with a cocky smirk on his face, the rippling, violent power would lick out at the environment to try to rip it shreds in a fast manner. Yusuke was also doing this to show Qwy that the spirit detective could still go on fighting a bit longer.
I suppose so.
Qwy sounded... doubtful, almost concerned for Yusuke's safety.
Drawing heavily on your demonic heritage will certainly slow the onset of the poison, but you certainly won't rid yourself of it. It was cultivated in the dark forests of demon world specifically to put down some of the nastiest predators so the trees would stand a chance. Though I am hesitant to call them trees any longer, they're almost half-demon themselves these days. So much blood spilled...
He shrugs, rolling his massive shoulders and standing to a chorus of popping joints and stretching muscles. The white fire returns, working overtime to heal him up. Flashes of it roar over the rippling expanses of finely crafted flesh that made up Qwy's body, wreathing him in glory and radiance.
But that is the way of that world, as I am sure you have come to know. To attempt to change it would be as much a crime against nature as raising the dead here, or nuturing one of those demon plants in living world.
The vines on his hands roll and ripple, the roots and dirt below his feet mirror the motion. Qwy leaps into the air, and seems to drift backwards into the trunk of a nearby tree. His voice continues though, echoing once again from every direction.
You're clearly a better fighter than I Yusuke, Seeing Winds has revealed that to me. No amount of dirty fighting, speed, terrain, or skill could make up for my lack of raw fighting skills. So I think we'll take this to the trees... You'll wear down eventually, of that I am sure.
Yusuke's eyesight was superb, there was no doubting that, but still... When Qwy flickered through the treetops, rapidly putting distance between himself and the Demon Prince, there would still be the lingering suspicious that the Druid was letting Yusuke see him. His movements were too obvious, too open, almost as if he was inviting the titanic blast of the Demon Gun.
Life's Web: 4 Infinite Rage: 1 Seeing Winds: 3 Night's Reach: 2 Cleansing Fire: 5