[Round 2] Snow vs. Kuroha

GTB III. Imported from live Gaia guild archive.

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Table of contents

Vintrict
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Nightsnow
The Crossed Fox
Vintrict

1Vintrict

Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:27 pm · id 192820750 · page 1

User Image

Description: Though Midus knew there was a storm approaching, instead of closing the ceilings of the fighting arenas, he has instead decided to keep them open to add an interesting aspect to the next round. Instead of a nice, warm sunny day, the fighters would instead be fighting in the harsh condition of ten mile per hour winds that will sometimes gust to thirty mph, heavy rain drops (though not disturbing enough to cause total distraction to sight; maybe 20% reduction), and the occasional thunderbolt lighting up the skies. To help make the arena more comfortable for the fighters, the floor has been turned into low cut grass to help keep traction. However, if the ground is dug up too much, mud and dirt will be added to the terrain.

Despite the weather, the crowd of people have come to watch the fight, wielding umbrellas over their heads.

Special Conditions: Fire is a bit weaker here since it'll be harder to start up one without the rain putting it out. And electricity will get a bigger boost in strength, though it will also short out much faster than if wielded normally by the fighters who possess it.

Field Measurements: Ring: 70 yard diameter

Ten Count Boundary: As soon as a fighter enters the bleachers, the count begins. The flying rule remains, as well.

2Nightsnow

Mon Jul 06, 2009 8:03 pm · id 192826274 · page 1

All right! Rain!

A better environmental situation this time, despite the fact that there's still some conditions that might take a tax on his abilities. On the bright side though... The swordsman revealed a more positive mood as he came in for this next round - the hood already worn over his head to keep some of the rain from blotting out his vision. His cloak felt somewhat heavy and wet from the harsh storm bellowing out from the skies above, but it didn't phase him much - even with the wind that was trying to pull some mischevious pranks on the swordsman's condition.

More water for him to use, after all. Bringing in the usual gears and armaments that he'd used in the last fight, the halberd was already held in both hands as the top part of the axe was held close to his respective left side - the right hand maneuvering the lower end of the weapon to point diagonally to the ground in front of him in a slant. With the katanas sheathed and in their respective scabbards - worn on both sides of his hips - the swordsman's wet cloak outlined the faint trace of defensive bracers worn on each arm - making light bulges out for anyone to notice, if observed carefully. Taking in a right side stance, his lively eyes glanced towards the other side of the field as he waited for his opponent to arrive. And taking in the opportunity to lavish in the delight of having some form of terrain advantage for once - the swordsman greedily started to charge up some energy for use in the meantime as the heavy raindrop provided ample enough water for him to play around with.

The effects of him gathering up abundant water for use won't be visible for the time being - but soon, as the opposition comes in - and gets ready for the fight... Soon - the effects will show.

3The Crossed Fox

Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:15 am · id 192893952 · page 1

The samurai walked into the ever familiar arena, slower than he had before. He had become very lethargic when it came to this tournament for more than one reason, and it seemed he hadn't broken out of the phase from the last match either. He just seemed overall, uninterested, not in his opponent, but in the overall aspect of things. At least he was against a fellow swordsman this time around, and not a shield-wielding noble. Kuroha still felt it to be almost unjust that his opponent won, but hey, judging is judging, and there is no taking the decision back. He sighed and shrugged it off, raising his hand to show Snow that he was ready. After doing so, he said to himself,

"Do your best, and try your hardest. That's all you can do old man."

It's as if he had hit himself in the face with a bunch of depression, as if the fall of his career was beginning right here, at the GTB. He wanted to show that he was better than a lot of these youngsters, but he doubted himself in the aspect of things greatly at the moment. Kanesada was drawn, and his war fan along with it, and for once he had even brought his bow, which draped around his torso. He readied himself for what could be his final battle, and began to concentrate on Snow. This was going to be a long haul for the old man.

4Nightsnow

Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:51 pm · id 192947791 · page 1

A single charged orb was already ready when the opposition - surprisingly, a samurai for once - came for the fight. Although having to squint a bit to see through the rain and the unruly wind blowing at his face, the swordsman couldn't really make any guesses or take any good readings off of the opponent's mood - the unexpected look on the samurai's face causing the swordsman's attitude to dip between caution and suspicion.

...?

Although the foe seemed ready to fight, the stark contrast of attitude from the uninterested look on the samurai's face started to influence the swordsman's initial tactics - initially wanting to just rush the hell out of the foe when they were ready. It was probably just false alarm, the swordsman thinking too much, but in cases from GTB, and from many of the other tournaments that the swordsman had partaken...

When things seem to be too good to be true, it usually is.

The swordsman decided then to take a more safer approach, starting to circle around the samurai in a clockwise motion. Keeping a relatively safe distance between the two of them, the end point of his Halberd would be constantly pointed towards the samurai's general body using his right hand, as ice started to show and spread underneath the swordsman's wake. It was primarily a passive ability, a method for the swordsman to enhance his own mobility by coating the ground with ice, while impeding a possible rush from the opposition. While easy to use without any difficulty, its secondary function was to act as temporary storage - a means to compensate whenever the swordsman is short of orbs for use.

Obviously, with the continuous heavy rainfall happening around them the swordsman had a surplus amount of water to use, but this little process helps speed up his charge a bit faster; shortening the time needed for each orb to gather. The swordsman doesn't really expect the rain to let off anytime soon, and keeping his gaze fixated on the samurai, the swordsman continued to gather more water around him - charging up a second orb to bolster his arsenal. It'll take a bit of time, but the swordsman plans to leech as much water as he can from the surroundings as he continued to strafe in a circular motion around the samurai.

5The Crossed Fox

Wed Jul 08, 2009 10:00 pm · id 193126348 · page 1

This swordsmen, Snow, had a peculiar way of going about things in a battle. He took things very slowly it seemed, allowing an obvious elemental control over ice to protect him involuntarily. Kuroha saw this as a great disadvantage in his own part, meaning he would soon be surrounded by nothing but ice. The fresh water that fell from the sky was an obvious fuel for his opponent as well, feeding off of it more and more as time went on. Kuroha brought his war fan close to his chest, and brought the Kanesada forward in a swift motion. He had no words to say to this warrior, only the intent to fight him at this point.

Kuroha thrust forward in a slow and controlled dash, crossing Kanesada and the war fan over in front of his chest, crossing his arms in the same fashion. Kuroha was on a slow, curving course that headed right for the warrior. In Kuroha's mind, this little game of "What'cha gonna do", would test the very honor and core that this swordsmen held within him. If it came down to the usage of his elemental power, then so be it. However, if he stood his ground and fought just like his ancestors would have, the very ancestors Kuroha either fought with or struck down, he would prove to the Samurai that there are still some who retain honor from their heritage, no matter how minimal or maximal the degree would be. He prayed for honor...

6Nightsnow

Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:28 am · id 193149770 · page 1

Unfortunately for the samurai, the swordsman doesn't plan on fighting him head on. At least, not yet for the time being. All he could think of as he watched Kuroha begin his offensive, is -

What do I know right now? And what must I do right now?

These were more tactical things that the swordsman was thinking about as another orb materialized into play - his second charge for the time being. While Kuroha may be thinking about honor and the belief of fair play in this particular fight - the swordsman couldn't care less whether or not he himself would fight honorably in the fight.

There is only the opponent, and the need to win. Over-aggression would get the swordsman nowhere, as he vaguely recalled a similar incident back in another tournament. A particular chemical lab that had plenty of water for the swordsman to use when the sprinklers went off, but instead becoming useless at the very end, due to his...well, over-confidence at that time.

He won't make the same mistake again anymore.

Halting his gestures and kicking off with his right leg, the already formed ice that had spread around his wake offered him the ability to skate freely about - which he gladly took as he slid backwards, away from Kuroha's incoming presence. He continued to face him though, not sure of what style or method of attack the samurai might use - the halberd held in check while he slid back. Temporary - in other words, short lifespan - of rough ice formed beneath his boots when he wished to keep some traction, using it as steering or brakes for him to maneuver quickly, increasing the distance between him and the samurai. And while the swordsman continued to skate lightly away from the samurai, the swordsman also started to prep another charge in the meantime - gathering the energy needed to charge a third orb for use while the ice beneath him slowly continued to spread and turn the area around his influence into a field of slightly uneven, slippery ice.

With Kuroha trying to chase after the swordsman - one obvious problem would be...

Trying to maintain balance on uneven, slippery ice during the chase. The other, more subtle cases would be...well;

That would depend on whether Kuroha would want to chase after him on top of the ice.

7The Crossed Fox

Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:38 pm · id 193186582 · page 1

He neared closer, and closer, and even closer after that, until Snow retreated on his ever-growing patch of ice. That caused Kuroha to stop a few feet from the edge of the ice patch, knowing full well what kind of opponent he was up against now. An opponent who focusd on conservation, an opponent who strategized was indeed a worthy one, but one who retreats under such low-powered circumstances can dimish such worth in an instant. Kuroha, was not impressed.

"So be it then, youngling." he spoke with a deep sadness. He didn't want to have to do this from the beginning of the fight, but if it was strategy that he wanted to play by, then the samurai would give him an obstacle that would be hard to overcome. He glanced at his ring, and focused around the dark orb it held. His focus gradually created a dark energy that formed around his arms. His blade began to change as well, with its folded steel form changing. Flame began to build up around it, until it was nothing but the element itself, and the dark energy had spread just beyond his forearms, pulsing with a power mostly untapped by Kuroha. The darkness slowly engulfed his entire body, creating a much more corrupt version of the samurai's former self. Not only that, but his attributes had also spiked when activating this power he had held. When the transformation was complete, Kuroha's bright eyes glared out against Snow and his own power. Snow's chances just went from great to slim, with the legendary battle of both fire and ice preparing to go down. Things just got a bit more real...

8Nightsnow

Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:39 pm · id 193257284 · page 1

The third charge is now complete. With the rain continuously helping the swordsman's attribute by providing a constant supply of fuel, it didn't stop the swordsman from charging up a fourth orb -even admist the fact that the samurai just got fiery.

If he had the chance to smirk at seeing the samurai's flames, the swordman most likely would have if it wasn't an official fight. Eyeing the outburst that certainly gave the swordsman an idea on the samurai's attributes, he took the time allotted to him to finish up his third - and perhaps beginning his fourth charge before he slid to a halt.

A fire user, is it..? Hmph.

This might get a bit tricky. While extinguishing the fire would be one story...with the samurai covering himself with the flames, trying to land an actual hit that won't get burnt or evaporated away... the ice he'd staged on the ground won't do any good anymore in this case, since it'll just be melted by the flames.

But...

The swordsman glanced briefly at the ground around the samurai. Cooking up an idea in his mind, the swordsman returned his gaze back to the fiery samurai as he then finished his fourth charge - just as Kuroha finished his own transformation; slow as it may be.

Fire versus ice, is it?

He cocked his Halberd a bit, the four orbs now revolving closely around his presence - each humming gently with a faint sound, like a resonating glass. Widening his stance somewhat, the swordsman tilted his upper body slightly forward, as if shifting from a retreating tactic to a more offensie, mobile tactic.

But just to build up a bit more strength...

He began his charge on the fifth orb, knowing that things... Are going to get a bit dicy with the flaming foe.

9The Crossed Fox

Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:21 pm · id 193492642 · page 1

"Even field," Kuroha said under his breath. "Let's get things really started now."

With a low cross swing of Kanesada, Kuroha let off one of his lower level attacks, a gamma wave. The slash of energy trailed against and into the ground, meting or scraping away a path in the ice for a moment. Kuroha followed slowly in the track it left behind, putting away the fan within his Haori, and then bringing the flaming blade low in front of him. The heat that eminated from the blades core melted away the ice on the ground as well, while the falling water sizzled as it came past it. Step by step, Kuroha came ever closer to his opponent, and if he was unhindered by him, then there would inevitably be an opening for an advancing attack.

If that were the case, then Kuroha would bring Kanesada into two hands, raise it, and with a battle cry that could pierce the souls of a thousand warriors, he'd slash it downward in a ferocious display. If hit, Snow would also find that the flaming blade was made much deadlier by not only its fire, but by the sheer heat it gave off. Compared to a normal sword, this one would cut much easier into fleash and bone, due to it's properties.

10Nightsnow

Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:29 pm · id 193518313 · page 1

"...."

The fifth charge is now complete. Thankful to Kuroha for keeping his antics slow and steady, the swordsman used the plentiful bout of time to gather all four orbs together - its relatively unknown ability now coming into play as the upcoming clash between fire and ice draws ever so closer into conflict. Taking in a light breath, the swordsman casually aimed the end point of his Halberd towards the ground some distance in front of Kuroha's advance, using his right hand to direct his aim.

With Kuroha just roughly a few feet or so away from getting into range of his Halberd's reach when swung, the action that would happen occured only for a brief moment -

All four orbs suddenly being drawn into the swordsman's body -

Before a single burst of raw energy fired right out of the end point of the Halberd itself, careening right into the frozen ground diagonally - and vanishing on the spot, leaving only a small hole the size of a bullet as a possible foretelling of what is to come. Because occuring immediately after the burst, the earth in front of the swordsman reared upwards like a colossal tidal wave, a massive amount of the ground being blasted into the air - and coming down in a wide angle that would shower the entire area in front of the swordsman with a heavy dose of heavy debris, sharp rocks, and in particular... A massive amount of mud.

There is no questioning on what the swordsman had done. Combining three charges into one single orb - the orb by itself is a charge that is composed of highly compacted water. Compressing it to the point where the pressure is immense, the swordsman fired the charge right into the ground while it is still compressed, using it as a light form of water cutter to bore deep into the ground - made a bit easier due to the rain - before releasing all that pressure in a general direction away from himself. Similar to a buried bomb going off, the energy released is more than enough to hurl a massive amount of materials above it into the air - like a claymore mine, striking anyone in the vincinity of it with a bombardment of debris and a world of pain.

With Kuroha close enough to maximize the damage - it wasn't the sharp rocks and heavy debris that the samurai should be worried about, nor perhaps the loss of visibility when the debris came forward at him. No...even though the materials that is flung towards the samurai wouldn't be able to be melted easily at all - and even if it did, the molten or enflamed rocks would bombard and burn the samurai in the process - the mud that came showering the samurai... Well, if it doesn't help put out the fire on the samurai, then surely the scalding hot mud that would cover the samurai act similar to the form of...napalm, perhaps? Mud and debris mixed with the swordsman's water would surely make it somewhat more resistant to the sheer flame and heat that the samurai is giving off, yes?

Well whatever. The swordsman wouldn't know much about how effective his countermeasure might be, nor would he care about it too much, already in the move by then and dashing towards the samurai with the Halberd cocked and ready at his left side. Jumping forward from the vast gaping crater in front of him, small blocks of ice formed in midair, in front of where the swordsman's foot would land, providing him temporary traction and resistance as he used it like hopping stones to close the distance quickly... And to keep up the pace so he could keep up his offensive momentum.

Charging in to fight against the fiery samurai... The swordsman will show him how water and ice can be used against fire.

Two charged orbs remain for use, in the meantime.

11The Crossed Fox

Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:54 am · id 193532747 · page 1

Now would've beena wonderful time for that fan to come into play, but Kuroha hadn't realized the swordsmans plans. Instead, his pace was instantly halted by the sudden shot of power into the ground. Kuroha wasn't at all caught off guard by this, and in fact expected something along the lines of a retaliation as it is simply reaction for all living sentient beings. He took a step back from the small hole that was created, not knowing what was going to happen. All was calm around the area for not more than a split second, before a rumbling earthquake below the samurai's feet interrupted it.

"Clever..."

He said to himself, quickly stepping back a couple of steps from the rising tidal wave of earthen materials. It was massive, an overwhelming force that could not have been avoided with mere reflexes and maneuvers. No, Kuroha had to think very quickly in this situation of his, as there really was no bullshitting his way out of a literal shit storm such as this.

He brought back Kanesada, and quickly rushed it forward again in a cross slash, unleashing a a group of flaming orbs from the blade towards a small area in the earthen mess. The orbs struck against a few mid-sized rock, charring them some and blasting them back through the muddy cesspool. Though it was a slight opening in the wave of dirt, it was all Kuroha needed to bust through it with minimal damage. He dashed forward, shoulder first with much of his available strength and agility. With a rabid yell, he thrust himself into what some would consider a death trap, a nigh unstoppable wall that would instead push any normal man back. No, not Kuroha though, for as he slammed himself into the oncoming wall, his feet stayed planted into the ground with all of his strength. He created an opposing force to slam through what would have normally been a solid force, so that his body could get to the more fluid-like mud behind it.

In doing this, Kuroha received several cuts, bumps and thrashings across his torso, though nothing hard enough to cause too much worry. The darkness was slowly consuming his senses, which in exchange for an increased amount of strength cost him a gradual stamina release; that was far off from now though. Along with his battered body, his sword had been temporarily extinguished due to the massive mud tsunami, which again put the samurai at a disadvantage. The wave of muddy destruction passed across Kuroha's body, narrowly allowing him to withstand it. After it had, he kneeled and coughed like a sickly man, having more than just the wind knocked out of him. He hadn't realized that Snow was already advancing yet, but he had readied himself for a defensive manuever right after hitting the ground. He reached into his muddied Haori, and took out the fan once again, immediately allowing wind to pick up in his general area. An obvious breeze began to pass through the rainy environment, with the falling water beginning to focus ariound a centralized area. It fell hard into the muddy crater, and created a disgustingly squishy mountain out of the debris that now lay behind the samurai. This was a moment where Kuroha really needed to rest and focus, allow his body to recuperate.

He looked up with his dirtied face, the water slowly washing it away from his skin, and in an out of breath voice he exclaimed, "Come get... me!"

Any sort of advantage would help at the moment, and so he hoped that creating a bit of tensions would draw Snow in, and blind him from teh already hidden next step.

12Nightsnow

Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:49 pm · id 193620271 · page 1

The attack came much quicker than Kuroha would have most likely expected.

Kuroha Wrote:
> "Come get... me!"

A brief flash of light glanced off of the swordsman's Halberd as he appeared to the samurai's right side quickly after the chaos, foretelling an almost immediate incoming strike through the mud-infested air. With a swing, the Halberd came crashing forward in a right slash at the samurai's behind, coming forth with a slight ulterior motive in mind - for it was not only trying to severely injure Kuroha's back if able to, but to also knock Kuroha forward...

Right into the large crater in front of the samurai. It's a backup method within an attack, the swordsman currently in the process of evaluating whether or not his attack was effective in its own accord. Using his right hand, coupled with the twist of his torso to the right to swing the Halberd outwards, the swordsman slackened his grip on it slightly - allowing the weapon to increase its range and momentum behind the slash while it careened towards Kuroha's behind with heavy force. Eyes quickly glanced at the general vicinity around the samurai's presence - the hulking figure of the opposition and parts of the opponent's cloth that weren't hit by mud making it quick for the swordsman to pinpoint and focus on.

"Tsk."

His expression showed a bit of disappointment. While effective in neutralizing the samurai's fire, the swordsman wasn't able to completely rob the samurai of his movements, not to mention that the mud wasn't able to use the fire against the samurai - burning him in the process when he passed through the tidal force. An attack that did half of its job, the rest of the problem would have to be solved and improvised on the spot when the swordsman is able to.

But what other abilities does the samurai have? The swordsman's initial assumption is fire, but how close would he be to knowing what other tricks the samurai has?

... Thinking about it won't get him anywhere. For the time being though, the swordsman's chief aim would be to injure - or force the samurai at the very least into the crater that was now collecting rainwater - making it a viable area for the swordsman to utilize with his remaining two orbs.

Speaking of his orbs... Strange. It seems that they have disappeared - either being hidden from view, or, most likely... Well, the dull hum around his left hand gave away where the orbs are currently stationed, ready to be used in the next post.

13The Crossed Fox

Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:31 am · id 193670837 · page 1

When Snow flashed away from his position above the crater, Kuroha's muddied eyes widened for the adrenaline-pumped moment that was his solitude. It was always a common thing for an attacker to pop up behind their victim, as it was an overall cliche of things, but Kuroha was still a bit miffed by the entire experience of being hit by a wall of mud. This made for another unfortunate turn of events, only because that cold steel at the end of Snows Halberd would hit its first initial mark.

*RIIIIIIP!!!*

His Haori was cut spot on, all the way across his back. Though the wound would be considered a flesh wound, its sheer size was a cause for worry in Kuroha's mind immediately. He felt the warm sensation that was his blood roll down his back, over the mud and across his skin, but he let out no shriek of pain, no matter how hard it may have been to keep in. He had to stay focused, stay firm, and stay strong for himself, because he had gotten Snow within range for something just as devastating as the first go around with Benjamin. After having taken that heavy blow, Kuroha now held the power to unleash one of his own, and with a yell that let out all of his pain, anguish and suffering, he unleashed a true natural hell upon the swordsman.

*"GWWAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"* User Image

Kuroha waved Hiroyuki's War Fan violently outward, releasing the pent up wind energy it held inside of it. The wind that had so violently picked up spun at hurricane force speeds, swirling up water and debris in a complete spiral around the samurai. Instead of blasting a wall of wind in a single direction, Kuroha had focused the same exact energy around his person and fan, allowing for the exact same results as the said movement above, with the area of effect in place instead. What kind of a position did this put Snow into? A bad one, possibly.

There were small and midsized rocks travelling at speeds between thirty and seventy miles per hour, pending mass, weight, aerodynamic qualities and a bunch of other details that would take away from the core of this fight. Generally, Snow was suddenly caught in the middle of a temporary storm, slightly aided by the real storm that raged above them. In a realistic sense, Snow would have to ride out this storm while Kuroha recuperated once again. There was only so much time left at this point, after all.

Now though it was a sight from the inside of the whirlwind, the crowds outside went nuts over the wild display of natural forces in this fight. Fire, Ice, Wind, Earth, Water, they were all abundantly available within the fight, and boy did it rile some of the people up. It wasn't common to see all of these in use at one given time, so regardless of who ended up winning at the end of the fight, the crowd would gain a memory out of this.

14Nightsnow

Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:44 pm · id 193745727 · page 1

The Halberd dug right into the foe's flesh. Good. The swordsman can't really say that it is an absolutely great feeling, the sensation of cutting into living flesh, but it did provide a good boost of morale, giving him the feeling as if he's gaining ground in this fight.

That mood turned out to be rather short-lived, however.

Kuroha Wrote:
> "GWWAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"

"?!"

No words can accurately explain the swordsman's response to the sudden burst of lethal wind around the two. Not expecting that the samurai also has the elemental ability to manipulate the wind, he was caught off guard for a short moment, the sudden pelting of rocks and debris smashing into his body coming in with some nasty brute force.

SHIT!

The swordsman tightened up his guard by scrunching up his upper body, using the bracers worn on both sides of his arms to act as buffers to block and protect his more vital areas - especially his head and neck. Wearing relatively thin, if almost no armor to begin with, the all terrain cloak managed to buffer a bit of the blunt force, but the shelling isn't going to stop anytime soon. And definitely not wanting to be under this type of hellish storm in a prolonged period of time that could very well build up the damage inflicted onto him, the swordsman has to act quick, NOW!

His mind quickly shifted to the orbs he had charged for the remainder of use. Initially having the thought to spend the charges to bolster his offensive capacity, the swordsman hurriedly re-adjusted the settings on it, using both orbs to bolster his own defensive capabilities instead in the meantime. Unleashing the charge as soon as possible, a large ice-made tentacle shot out from the swordsman's left side, attached to his body, aimed to smash right at Kuroha's general body mass with heavy force before digging deep into the ground, in order to push hard against the more hardened ground underneath. Using that as leverage regardless if Kuroha is successfully hit or not, the swordsman would be immediately hurled back away from the lethal storm happening around the samurai - the bulk of the tentacle that forcibly pushed him away acting also as a defensive barrier to protect the swordsman from any stray rocks or debris that was flung towards him in the meantime.

Tightening his grip on his Halberd as he was violently pushed away in the meantime, to at least leave a form of damage to stall the foe from taking the advantage... The blade that had struck into Kuroha's back was dragged out of the injury roughly, in an attempt to widen, if not tear the wound up even more during his retreat.

Landing from a safe distance away from the lethal wind, the swordsman stumbled back a few steps before skidding to a halt, feeling sore all over and finding himself panting under the close encounter. Some definite bruises could be seen on his face during that initial burst of wind, and one rock managed to slash a small wound onto the swordsman's face, just above his left eyebrow. Blood flowed down from the knicked injury, and the swordsman had his left eye closed to prevent his blood from seeping into his eye and disrupting his focus at the samurai some distance away from him.

"Son of a bitch..." The swordsman cursed between pants, speaking for the first time since this fight started. The pain is definitely there, and he couldn't help but find his mood to be seething with anger against the samurai's countermeasure. The urge to charge the samurai like a berserker did flash through the swordsman's mind, but that won't give him a chance to land another serious injury at the samurai's condition. Not with that wind around him.

He'll need to think things through. But first thing's first. If given a short opening in time, the swordsman would be standing behind the icy tentacle he has in front of himself, using that short moment to raise his left hand and freeze small areas of any open wounds to stop some bleeding. Emergency procedures to patch up some injuries temporarily, per se.

But since most of the wounds he'd recieved are more or less blunt force, it wouldn't be a surprising result for the spectators to see when the swordsman staggered down onto his left leg, finding that he'd just recieved a bit more blunt damage than he'd hoped for.

"Ugh.."

His right hand nonetheless kept a firm grip on the Halberd, the weapon resting on his right side as he quickly made sure that the samurai isn't taking an offensive.

And, given the circumstances... A small bit of command programming would be done to the icy tentacle in front of him, as a countermeasure for the next post.

15The Crossed Fox

Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:21 am · id 193791096 · page 1

Several moments into the countermeasure he had unleashed, Kuroha began to feel weak slightly weak from the wound that had been inflicted upon him. His recpetors had gone half numb due to adrenaline, and his mind not totally focused on his opponent, more so on himself and his own safety instead. He was sure something had the slightest bit of success in this jumbled up plan of his, as there was no other incoming attacks. Kuroha felt no safety yet however, and had no intention of stopping his onslaught. The whirwind began to die down as soon as it was started, which was synchronized with an immediate jolt of pain in his back once more, as well as another large shove. He braced himself in the mud and water with his right hand, dropping his fan in the process of doing so. He was really beginning to feel the damage that was done now.

The rocks flew off in different directions, quickly slowing with the combined forces of gravity and differentiating wind from the storm, all while Kuroha began to get a painful footing in the ground once more. He rose up, with his dark power slowly traipsing back into his ring, and the fire on his blade disappearing into the air. He faced away from Snow as he recuperated, which allowed Kuroha to do the same. He slipped off his Haori, and allowed the water to cleanse his wounds, and numb his body. The pain began to fade, though the weakness planted itself firm in Kuroha's physical state. He couldn't hold out like this for too much longer, only for his own health. After a few more moments, Kuroha took in a few deep breaths and turned, raising his blade high above his head held in both hands quite firmly. He slowly lowered it to about the height of his forhead, and snapped his eyelids opened. Another menacingly loud roar boomed from his very soul, the battle cry of the samurai.

He was planning on charging the swordsman full force, intent on defeating him in battle, or being defeated himself in the process. Bushido was his only power now, and his beliefs were all that guided him in choice. Determination to win, for honor and for respect, took its rightful place upon Kuroha's moral mantle, and showed him the way to true redemption. Snow was in for an up close and personal fight from here on out, and there was absolutely nothing that could stop Kuroha from bringing tha about.

16Nightsnow

Tue Jul 14, 2009 2:15 am · id 193793176 · page 2

How Kuroha's body was still able to move was beyond the swordsman's comprehension. Swearing that the Halberd had definitely struck its mark and dealt at least some significant amount of damage onto the samurai's vital back... How is he still able to move?!

Using the time available for recuperating to do some temporary patch-ups on his body with ice, he rubbed his left eye a bit - the blood there being washed off from the pelting rain, allowing him to open it again. The wound above his left eyebrow was given some light freezing, keeping the wound shut for now while he used the moment to gauge the situation.

"...."

The swordsman slowly stood up - through grunts and groans - using the large icy tentacle in front of him as support. Leaning onto the frozen object of his creation, he continued on inputting some command into the ice, hearing Kuroha's battle cry - perhaps a foretelling of a possible climax to this match - before he responded with a short mutter;

"Oh, shut it."

The tip end of the tentacle - buried deep into the ground near Kuroha - burst out of the ground as if pulling its head back out. With Kuroha so close, the command the swordsman gave to his tentacle was simple;

With one low sweep at the samurai, the tentacle would be used to trip and grab hold on one of Kuroha's main limbs - particularly the lower knees or thighs if possible. Once attached, the tentacle would then use that moment to - in a sense - destroy the limb(s) by having the surface of the tentacle burst out with sharp, icy spikes, impaling the captured flesh without remorse. If through some damn bad luck that the swordsman is unable to restrain Kuroha's mobility, the swordsman would have the tentacle fall back towards the swordsman, to be further processed and turned back into an orb for immediate re-use.

Now - all that's left to see is whether or not Kuroha is captured under the swordsman's ensnarement.

Cause if even this fails, then the swordsman is going to have to fight head on against Kuroha with just his weapons only.

17The Crossed Fox

Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:35 pm · id 193993932 · page 2

Kurohas dash seemed all but unhindered now, and though the only thing that fueled his consciousness movement at this point was sheer will power and hardcore adrenaline flow, that would be all he would need to strike down his opponent and all that stood in front of him. Kuroha was sure that it would succeed now, until of course the quick rise of something light blue launching out of the earth immediately caught his keen eye. There was only one thing the samurai could do in his defense, and with that he speedily thrusted the blade down with a trained and tremendous speed.

*CRRRRAAAACK!!!!!*

The flash and sound of lightning echoed off around the arena, with the icy tentacle suddenly shattered from the samurai's quick movement. He had a few technical hundreds of years of training with his several styles of swordsmanship, one "Iaido", or quickdraw style being his mastery. Snow would find his attempt at stabbing the samurai low would be futile. Kuroha moved in quickly still, and once in range he would bring Kanesada back up in a flush and fluid motion with a forwards tep on is right foot, aimed directly for a cross at Snows chest.

18Nightsnow

Wed Jul 15, 2009 9:35 pm · id 194034650 · page 2

Amazing how, despite the samurai's injuries he is still able to move as if he had no impeding wounds to begin with. With his tentacle unable to attain a grasp onto the samurai's fleeting form as a result, how a tentacle that was certainly dense enough to not only dig deep into the ground, but also hurl the swordsman himself back a few moments ago simply shatter upon the samurai's seemingly normal blade is...how shall he say it...

Well, he can't really put the feeling into mere words of just disbelief.

The remnants of the tentacle quickly charged right towards the swordsman, initiating its last inputted command after its failure. Gathering back into his hand to initialize a charge, the tentacle was reconverted back into a single orb for emergency use - gathered at the swordsman's left hand and consumed into the swordsman's body. Already standing and tightening his grip on the halberd, he would already be dragging the Halberd forward - the sharp edge of the axe facing the samurai, placed in front of the swordsman pointed towards the ground, with the end point of the staff held pointing straight towards the sky. Right hand holding the staff at shoulder level with the thumb facing down, the left hand went down to grab hold of the hilt of his right katana slung on his right hip, as if readying to unsheathe it on the spot in a quick-draw format. Placing his right foot just behind the axe, the swordsman shifted into a slight right side stance, waiting for the inevitable closing distance between him and Kuroha.

Time felt slow as the swordsman eyed with a pained breath. His body still felt weak from the blunt impacts, and while he can still fight once his body gets used to the pain... What time he has in recuperating is going to have to be focused instead on fighting off this berserking foe.

Kuroha got closer. Closer. Closer...

The flash of the samurai's blade glinted under the available light within the arena. An incoming attack at the swordsman. The incoming clash between willpower and injuries. The swordsman couldn't really pay attention to his surroundings, his attention focusing solely on that single figure coming at him - the intent to strike down the swordsman clearly written all over this foe named Kuroha.

His eyes narrowed, the unmistakable sound of his own heartbeat beating loudly within his eardrums. An open breath, a soft intake of breath from the swordsman's wet lips.

Kuroha's blade readying to slash upwards in just a few more steps.

"..!!!"

And then, the swordsman's reaction to Kuroha's attack. The Halberd took off with a sudden blast from the ground. Arching upwards like a pendulum swing, the Halberd came careening right towards Kuroha's lower body and his blade in an upward slash - the force behind it strangely heavy - even in that stance. Water flowed out behind the axe as the swordsman initiated his emergency charge, firing his orb behind his axe like a rocket - forcing the somewhat heavy weapon to swing with quite some momentum as it aimed to plow right into the samurai himself. Using his right hand to navigate and direct the blast, the attack also became a near simultaneous defense - the rising staff acting as an impeding obstacle to stop and stall Kuroha's rising slash.

Most likely an unexpected attack, or an attack which Kuroha may not find out under that induced adrenaline-high...it was a surprise attack that the swordsman has high confidence in catching the samurai off guard. As for a follow up...

Well, with the swordsman leaning slightly forward along with the rising slash... The grip on his right katana tightening... That would depend on Kuroha's response to it.

19The Crossed Fox

Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:06 am · id 194072614 · page 2

After examining several fights, including my own, I have come to this unfortunate deduction.

I, Foxcross, voluntarily relinquish my spot in this tournament, the Gaian Tenkaichi Budokai, for the following reasons;

It has become increasingly apparent to me that very few people roleplay in these tournaments for the sheer joy of writing and roleplay, that competition takes over the aspect of fun and fair playing in this environment. I find this to be a very sad note in the history of roleplaying, and gaia as well, as it further proves that this online hangout has truly fallen to the deep dark shadows that hold what was once an inredible hobby, for those of creative minds. Greed, competitive and near-unsportsman like conduct, along with a serious string bullcrap has taken over proper judging and battle ettiquette.

I firmly disagree with how this tournament has been run, with it's several holes and multiple biases in the areas of judging and fair play. Right from the start, I noticed that many over powered abilities, including two of my own, had been passed into the tournament with very little or no questioning. In fact, it took judges a whole round to discover that my fan ability was actually as powerful as it was, and provided that I described specifically that such an attack had winds up to 150 MPH, as well as the ability to launch an opponent and several objects away to great distances. In biased terms, lets just say a couple of birdies let me in on a fights judgement here and there, and I was not happy with what was suppsoed to be displayed as "Fair Judgement".

Snow, I'm sorry I ended our fight like this, it's just I wasn't able to kep this in much longer. You win, by resignation of your opponent. Good luck in the next round, and no one expect me to enter into this next year.

-Foxcross

20Vintrict

Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:37 pm · id 194144064 · page 2

Suddenly, as the crowd was getting into the fascinating show as they watched Snow and Kuroha got at it, Kuroha suddenly stopped where he was and suddenly just ran off. Silence befell the crowd, only leaving the splattering of rain onto their umbrellas and the occasional thunder shooting through the sky.

After several moments, it seemed that his opponent never returned, and the speaker came on, shouting in a loud voice:

"The winner by forfeit, Snow!"