[Exhibition] Foundation R&D-Fighting Spirit

The results from the official first round had come in and it seemed despite best efforts and intentions that Shige's own team did not quite move forward into the tournament. despite this though, the markings and commentary given had told Shige he performed quite well, and was even called one of the favorite fighters of the year; a sure ego boost to any fighter in a renowned tournament such as this one. making his way back to the team room in order to pack up and go the male had come across a note placed upon the door itself, one telling of a possible small money prize and a new car to be earned. from what he had heard, his daughter needed her car replaced, and small money was better than walking away with no money at all. so with these thoughts in mind, the so called Demon Samurai entered the room and prepared himself for this final fight and contest.

The six foot tall male arrived in the restricted area clothed similarly to how he dressed in the prelims. the lower half of his body was covered in a long black hakama, the silken material flowing down to his ankles, revealing only the wooden geta that donned his bare feet. those geta were a bit different than what some would consider the norm, the teeth of these monstrous shoes spanned four inches in total, adding a good four inches to the height of the man. instead of nothing however, he actually wore something over his torso, or draped was more an appropriate term. the object in question was a kimono, one of fine make that denoted a more than common position within the traditional hierarchy of nobles and class wealth. the object colored a mix of crimson and pink denoting a writhing flame upon the entirety of its surface.

additionally there were the weapons that the male carried, a total of four this day, one more than was registered, but that one wouldn't be an issue in the slightest as far as rules were regarded. he himself wasn't even sure if he should have bound himself by the rules of the tournament for this match considering that they had already been eliminated, but honor was at stake here, so he would go no farther than he had to in order to perform here and now. if he had to proceed into the breadth of his powers, it would be for the sheer purpose of saving lives, and not simple victory. that unregistered weapon would have been procured from a judge, a member of ringside staff and was nothing more than a standard naginata. the shaft of the weapon coming in at six feet, sporting a one and a half foot single edged blade atop that shaft. the weapon itself was carried at an angle upon the back of the man, allowing it to more easily fit through the doorways as he moved.

The second weapon upon his person was a katana, one strapped blade down at his left hip. this three foot two inch display of smithing prowess was a sword that got the majority of its air time in the last round against Blacksmith and was a blade simply denoted as Danzetsu, or Severance. the weapon sat still inside of its golden metal sheathe, the black wrapped hilt swaying slightly with the movements of the man. as shown the weapon had the power to cut through most things with relative ease compared to most weapons, but it still took a bit of effort to cut through the armors he had thus far encountered.

The third weapon mimics the second in size and shape, but not in material or function. the weapon in question was a three foot two inch long wooden katana that had simply been dubbed as Ishiki, or The Stone Tree. the properties of the weapon made it so it was more akin to steel than wood when it came to taking and delivering hits upon foes. in reality, it should have been used more in this tournament, and likely would have seen more use if things had continued for his team.

The final weapon upon the ex-shinigami's person was a small knife, one used in the prelims and in his first round for various purposes from throwing, to stabbing to assisting in lighting oneself on fire. that weapon had been reforged since the first round, the wooden handle replaced and fixed as it had been pretty well burned and turned to ash during the fight against Blacksmith. the one and a half foot weapon sported a one foot long double edged blade. this weapon was one Shige called a dagger, but to some it was long enough to be considered a short sword.

As the staff took them down the hallway he paid little mind to the surroundings, other than to note that it didn't feel as though this was one last chance to shine in this tournament. in fact something here felt off entirely, as if they weren't meant to be down in this hole upon the ark. never the less the warrior of spirit pressed forward, following on the detour into the small room complete with its chairs and such. the shinigami took no seat there, instead subjecting himself to lean upon the wall to the left. if this was going to be a fight, a chance to shine, he wouldn't want to be caught in the first moments sitting on his a and subjecting himself to an a beating because of it.

A sudden shift was felt in the air, a shift that Shige himself actually could pinpoint and know quite well even without the use of his powers. the air of time shifting an bending was so familiar because of things in his past, but more so because he used to possess forbidden spells that did just that, bend space and time to his will for short periods allowing him to do things that most could only dream of in combat. as the wall opened up and revealed the room before him he stepped forward to listen to the ramblings of the so called scientist. he had recalled the man's presence during the opening ceremonies but dismissed him as anything of true import; filing him away as a servant of Noah in some regards.

"Impressive yes, but at what cost? time always demands a payment, a righting and adjustment of what was done to it. you act as if your the only one to play with time itself. no-one walks away unscathed..."

The doctor continued, prattling on about the baser needs of the fighters, the reasoning to come and beat their breasts and display their strength. if he only assumed that to be the reasoning for the fighters to show up here, then he was mistaken. some came with other goals and urges, other desires that could be maintained and fulfilled in similar manners to combating and fighting. Shige was one of those people. he came to support his family, and try to obtain the funds to put them back into a life where the would need not worry about where the next meal came from. and the way he knew to do that, was to fight, something he had been doing for over six-hundred years.

"Think of me as nothing but a simpleton, and you've already lost, doctor. the insanity in your mind has flourished and come to a head. allow me the pleasure of severing it from your body."

The words were not spoken as threat, or even idle chatter. those words from the samurai could be heard and echoed with the bases of truth ringing through them. he knew insanity and how it could effect the mind, he had experienced it before and knew one that reveled in the experience. this being before him could not control that feeling, the fleeting power of the unbound mind. and so he sought power through means of science, a reasoning that would undo the balance of things, and a reasoning that would give Shige cause to put this being down for good.

[spoken in Japanese] "Power does not always beget power, doctor."

With that the naginata would be taken from Shige's back and spun with a quick flourish in his hands. a twist and down draw of the weapon would place the blade against the ground, left hand forward with right hand back along the shaft, a more than classic spear or polearm stance that obviously showed this male had skill with the additional weapon he requested for the match. his eyes simply watched the male before him, he would not be hasty as he had in the matches leading to this, such a thing would surely mean his defeat. still, the male was unaware if the remainder of his team was even going to show up for this, or if he would be facing the good doctor all on his own.

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

[!]Foundation R&D[!]

Let it begin…

[]~I~[]

[!] ~”Wisdom is not the counting of all the drops in a waterfall…”~[!]

Dithakar had entered with his team; Something grasped in his left hand.

It was an object shared by both Shigekuni, and to a much greater extreme, Mifune. But this katana was not merely a weapon, nor was it limited to the power stored within...In fact, the sheathed blade he held had been a gift...

A punishment...

A home...

And finally, a burden, upon the life he had once hoped to lead. It was the sum total of his failures, but so too the monk's only reason for continuing forward. Honestly, Dithakar had never intended to touch it's surface again; Vowing that the Yoshiryuu would be destroyed once he'd found the means to do so, and that it would remain sealed until such time as that ream became reality.

The elderly mendicant had won his battle in round one, but Heaven or Hell would no longer fulfill that desire; And this team...his friends, and allies...would not progress.

Badly wounded as he was, Dithakar had retreated to the Astral Plane; Seeking not only the rejuvenating properties possessed by that realm, but also the calm space of reverie. Time passed slowly, and he dedicated every second of that to prayer; Be that for forgiveness, or absolution, it all jumbled together into a congealing mess.

All the same, he had come back once more; Bearing the sword, and a new-found sense of self.

Something was different about him...

Something had changed!

While the doctor spoke on matters far beyond the mortal scope, Dithakar made no move to correct him; Nor felt his usual innate desire to rush out and engage the man.

In fact, the aged martial artist wanted nothing more than reach out to the Doctor...Perhaps try to appeal his madness, and assuage his delusions with understanding. Not out of pity, or a sense of greater purpose, but simply because he wished to help. To provide something more deep, and pivotal, than the machinations of a mind buried in ambition...

Love.

Dithakar felt a familiar pull at his form, and found himself...and his team...transported to a vastly different realm; A plane of stars, and vast space. It was hunger...Desire...A need for fulfillment.

It was an extension of the Doctor, himself.

"I do not know you, Doctor Aramaki, but I am one who has seen the face of terrible...unending...loss. You are not alone in your search..."

His eyes gently arose from the weapon, gracing the be-speckled man with a look of complete understanding...

And then he cast the Yoshiryuu out, and into space; Never so much as bothering to afford it one passing glance.

They would all feel it, regardless of how powerful...ancient...unlearned...or uncaring they had become; A sensation that slashed at the very heart of each soul nearby. Pure terror unleashed in the form of one, singular realization.

Dithakar, beyond all reasoning...despite everything the sword had known and moved to effect...was no longer bound to it; And in that moment, was abandoning the Katana to what ever fate it could find.

"It is not through the understanding of nothing, but...rather...through the knowledge of our own limitations that we find the answer worth knowing...and the questions that deserve such an answer."

The sword faded away; diminished to nothing.

For the first time in what, to his old body, had been forever...The ancient monk drew in Prāṇa from the heavens, and expelled every ounce of fear, doubt, anger, pride, and resentment. Mortality restored in that single, essential breath.

"Power is the horse who pulls the plow...Just as knowledge is the man who knows where and when to sow the seed...I will show you the course of life, Doctor...As the crop will grow, produce fruit, and lay it's bounty to the next cycle...So too must we all perish, and be reborn again...This is not power."

With little flourish, Dithakar's empty palms met just beneath his breast; And he afforded Aramaki a bow.

"This is simply the law."

[!] ~”…It is understanding why the water seeks the earth.”~[!]

Gear & Status Wrote:

{ I } Gear { I }

Lotus-Ryuu - Inactive

Hidden Dagger - Sheathed

Combat Belt - Chalk(x20), Pitons(x5), Flask of Oil, Flint & Steel, Length of Chain w/ Grappling Hook, Hammer

{ I } Active Effects { I }

{ I } Injuries { I }

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

The sound of laughter filled the former captain's ears, a sound he had heard often in his days and years. regardless of the sound it didn't seem to phase Shige or even register on an emotional level in the eyes of the man, eyes that had from a quick glance, relaxed. teal-blue orbs of perception stayed on the good doctor even as words echoed from his team members, words that inwardly caused the aged samurai to smile. a soft scrape of metal against the floor resounded as the gentle motions of his arms caused the tip of that naginata he brought to drag its tip against the floor with the slightest of pressure.

"Shackles do nothing but bind, while loyalty strengthens us as a whole... I don't expect you to understand."

Regardless of the disgust that echoed in Aramaki's voice, Shige's words couldn't have been more calm, more echoed with the truth that he felt in his heart. he came into this tournament a raged man, looking to regain a sense of honor lost, looking to maim and destroy those that stepped into his path; he was this man no longer. the rage was gone, the gripping need to punish those in his way now empty and devoid of itself. a low breath was the only thing to echo forth from Shige's lips after that. even as the air distorted around the doctor's hands the ex-shinigami watched. with honor he'd stick to what he had listed for the tournament, unless he was left with no choice in the matter.

The doctor shifted and took a casual looking stance, one that Shige knew quite well. it was being a captain that allowed him to recognize this stance for what it was, a ruse, a way to lure one into false confidence; all captains knew that stance. the casual nature meant to betray. his eyes locked onto the sheathed sword in Aramaki's left hand, and a single foot lifted from the ground only to tap once upon the surface with a clack. it was a signal, showing that he had heard his team, and heard the words that were spoken around him and to him. brown hair swayed for a moment as focus was attained, his foe was the only sight before him.

"we dance"

Simple words, yet laced with truth. Shige had just vowed his entrance into a pact, a dance with death. the possibility of dying was always present when that dance was taken. a sudden shift at the knees and Shige launched forward toward his foe, a rushing movement led by pushing feet to enter into the striking distance of the long seven and a half foot naginata. when that striking distance was entered the weapon would be raised, a single clockwise circle motion made with the end of the blade before it was drawn back and thrust forward, aiming to pierce the tip into Aramaki's right arm at the bicep, or slam into his torso and possibly through his rips if the arm shot was a miss. even so, he remained focused and ready to hopefully counter anything that came his way.

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

[!]Foundation R&D[!]

Let it begin…

[]~II~[]

[!] ~”Wisdom is not the counting of all the drops in a waterfall…”~[!]

Another breath.

Dithakar's hands ached; Called to action yet again, and yet reluctant to form a fist. He took the curious doctor in with that continued gaze, but couldn't be bothered to feel anything beyond apathy for Aramaki's opinions. They were all in the realm of possibilities now, and even the elderly mendicant was no longer bound to meager limitations.

He exhaled, and took in another dosage of Prāṇa.

But why? How was it that he had, after all this time, so easily disposed of the sword; And thus purged himself of its lies? It was not from some previously unknown reservoir of strength, or even from his new-found state of mind.

Something was amiss here; Terribly, woefully, wrong.

Dithakar's bright blue eyes would widen, and his jaw clenched down; The first vespers of early realization dawning within the confines of his mind. He took a few steps forward...Indexing himself as he considered what he might do to aid his comrades.

"Om Mahni Peh-meh HoonG..."

His right hand arose, palm presented, as he afforded the Doctor a gesture of the Abhaya Mudra before a shimmering golden light began to form in the shadow of his opposite extremity; Quickly extending out to form a beam of linear, albeit texture-less, radiance.

This man...He swirled with Strife like some ill-begotten storm; Threatening to engulf more than just the world they had once known.

Dithakar, no longer burdened with the illusion of glorious purpose, set out toward Aramaki with controlled intent. This was to be his first course outside the lie of control, and into the realm of the Bhavacakra.

Both hands swinging to either side; His footfalls gradually growing more silent.

[!] ~”…It is understanding why the water seeks the earth.”~[!]

Gear & Status Wrote:

{ I } Gear { I }

Lotus-Ryuu - Activating

Hidden Dagger - Sheathed

Combat Belt - Chalk(x20), Pitons(x5), Flask of Oil, Flint & Steel, Length of Chain w/ Grappling Hook, Hammer

{ I } Active Effects { I }

{ I } Injuries { I }

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

Yes, even without words the team had formed something of a strategy, more so following general rules of engagement when working together that they had formulated in the time before the tournament. outside of prying eyes the team of Fighting Spirit had spent much time talking and practicing with each other to know the ins and outs of their own powers and weaknesses, using that knowledge to be able to cover for each other and provide help in the form of distractions, extra damage and even assistance in blocking strikes. without Mana currently at their side though, they were only a fraction of what they could be, and the good doctor was only experiencing the physical prowess of the team. even so, the captain considered his team nothing to scoff at, even if the didn't get to move forward in the tournament proper.

Whap! Clang, Ting!

A coin slammed into Shige's chest suddenly, a move that Shige had no time to counter or even really register. blade struck blade and the sound of metal resounded as the thrusting blade of Shige's naginata was knocked not only off course but into the first thrown blade of Mifune, thwarting not one, but two attacks in one fell swoop. as with any fighter though, the first move was little more than a test of the waters, and a way to perceive some sort of indication in what this foe could do. even as blade went off to the left Shige was already working with the flow of the parry to assist him in dealing with what was to come, a product of the dance, a method of flowing with the motions and moves of combat. the second slash from Aramaki hit Mifune's second sword and hands adjusted on the Naginata shaft, right hand leaving as left pulled the shaft up to hold in front of his body at an angle.

SHHK-SHHK-SHHK-SHHK-SHHK-SHHK-SHHK!!

The next slash and the first one aimed at Shige directly slammed into the shaft of the borrowed naginata and cut the weapon's shaft down by a good foot in length. in addition to this the blade slammed into Shige's chest and ran across the metal of his arms housing system first and foremost before slashing across delicate flesh and dragging across the metal of Shige's own chest bone. this was quite a feet in an of itself, despite the defenses that the man had to help prevent serious damage done to him. all in all he was a tank in human form but even he couldn't take a series of attacks like this, not without using all he had in order to assist the damage taking process. his honor held him down here, for he would not use spirit to help take the brunt of the force, but body itself. before the second slash could hit, his right arm was held up with forearm out toward the good doctor, allowing his artificial arm to take the brunt of the assault.

Profile Stuff

show spoilerhide spoilerName: P.A.H.S (Prosthetic Arm Housing System)

Appearance: The housing system for Shige's prosthetic arms appears to look like a piece of metal armor over the shoulder. the system itself comes up to nearly the neck from his right shoulder and partially covers his right pectoral muscle going down to about the center of the rib cage on his right side. this completely covers the stump of flesh that remained where his right arm used to be. this housing is grafted to Shige's flesh around the stump of his former arm in such a way that it cannot be willingly or forcebly removed. the metal of this housing is composed of a spiritual metal akin to what the zanpakutou are composed of; making it highly durable, akin to high grade steel plate, and nearly weightless to Shige.

Housing system took the brunt of the initial slash.

Enhanced Durability: This comes from simply being a shinigami at one point. even with the powers now lost Shige has an enhanced durability. this durability makes Shige's skin slightly tougher than normal, akin to a thin leather rather than skin. this durability also makes him take pain better than most; grinning and bearing it rather than screaming out in pain for normal wounds.

Spirit Steel Skeletal Reconstruction: Upon his body being nearly destroyed, mainly his torso Shige had to undergo experimental treatments during his healing. these treatments replaced his entire skeletal structure with spirit steel versions of his bones. this drastically increased the man's natural weight but also increased his durability, akin to high grade steel, when it comes to attacks upon his body. the spirit steel, tied to his soul makes it weightless for him, much like a normal skeletal structure is seemingly weightless to the body. this offers some increased protection to his body and organs, at the cost of speed due to the weight of the skeletal structure.

Name: Combat Right Arm

Enhanced Duriblity: Due to the high end construction of this arm it boast an exceedingly high durablity and is not easily damaged by most mundane tools or weapons (can be damaged with power attacks or excessive hits. this allows the arm to be used to block attacks bare handed with little to no sign of damage. (metal of the arm is comparable to high grade steel.)

The next slash and those following it would sever another half a foot off of the naginata, bringing the length along with the blade down to a total of only 6ft. those slashes also ripped into and through the flesh of the metal arm that Shige had displayed in order to block the strikes against him. after those slashes were said and done the arm was left flayed open, metal exposed fully beneath false flesh. nicks and cuts were present along the metal as well, showing that the blade had moved fast enough to provide some superficial damage to Shige's combat arm. at the sudden stop Shige's eyes flashed with energy and watched the good doctor leap backward, a hand motion occurring during the leap along with another sword slash.

C-c-ckreck-k-s-s-s!

The sound of a bottle breaking was Shige's clue that something was up. he didn't know if glass was going to rain down on him or what but he had to do something in order to prevent or lessen the effects of what was being done to him. his right hand moved back from it's still held out blocking position and grasped hold of the kimono that had been draped over Shige's shoulders so far in this match. with a sudden grasp of the silken cloth he would toss it forward, using it for two purposes, the first and foremost being to block the liquid induced flames of the shattered bottle and any residual fragments of the bottle itself. this would effectively null the attack, even though it would likely cost the male his very valuable item of clothing.

The second purpose that the clothing item would ultimately serve was to use its length and width to help hide Shige's positioning from the sight of Aramaki, hopefully allowing Shige to position himself and rush in with a bit of surprise on his side, because Shige was doing just that. another push of bent knees and Shige would be rushing toward the doctor with left hand gripped on the now shortened naginata while right hand remained clenched into a fist kept near the male's waist during the charge. when within striking distance, if he was able to reach it, he would swing the naginata with a full breadth of force, aiming not to slash so much as to actually shatter the weapon across Aramaki's body using the prowess of Shige's strength.

More profile stuff.

show spoilerhide spoilerEnhanced Strength: This comes from the training and physical demands of being a shinigami. even with powers now lost Shige has an increased strength giving him greater prowess in combat. This strength gives him the capability to lift up to 200lbs with little effort. he can lift 500lbs with focus on the task and 1000lbs by dedicating himself to that task alone; doing as such will greatly tire the man afterwords though.

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

[!]Foundation R&D[!]

Let it begin…

[]~III~[]

[!] ~”Wisdom is not the counting of all the drops in a waterfall…”~[!]

Doctor Aramaki would find that the ground beneath his feet was rapidly shrinking; A by-product of choosing to take on three, highly mobile, warriors.

However, along that same line of thought, the Elderly mendicant's mind was in mid-blossom. Dithakar's whole had become more refined, and that left him with the distinct impression that this man was acting beyond the natural order of things. Of course, Aramaki had said as much in the first few moments; But the monk's awareness had only just begun to expand...

Another breath...

More Prāṇa...

His staff, the Lotus-Ryuu, achieved a solid state; And his physical actions fell utterly, and completely, silent. It was a technique they had practiced, as a team, since before HoH even began; Founded it the essential rule of combat.

Sensation defines understanding; And the lack of understanding begets failure.

Even if the Doctor had unlocked the power of the universe, he could only fight that which landed in the realm of his perception. So, as Mifune lifted off to strike, and Shige kept the man's attention, Dithakar would strike out with his empty right hand; Which connected squarely with the length of his staff, and caused it to begin separating from the point of impact all the way down it's length.

Creating, by extension, a chain-like whip of light.

It would not extend beyond it's natural 8ft length, as was it's nature, but the weapon would still possess all the qualities of it's normal form...But with the added effect of being able to wrap around, and constrict, as would any device of such construction.

Which was the ancient Martial Artist's intent!

He moved within range, and lashed out for the strange man's feet with incredible speed. His goal was simple, as was his rational. So far, Arakami had remained in a constant state of flux; Unleashing energy, and sound, on a near constant basis. They were tandem...connected somehow...even if Dithakar did not fully understand the logic behind it.

Remove one; And the whole would collapse.

Thus, he would utilize the silencing quality of the Lotus-Ryuu to eradicate the Doctor's ability to speak. If it worked, then that would give his team-mates the opportunity they needed...If not?

Then they would simply have to adapt, and find another way. Like water; Malleable and alive.

[!] ~”…It is understanding why the water seeks the earth.”~[!]

Gear & Status Wrote:

{ I } Gear { I }

Lotus-Ryuu - Active/Chain-whip

Hidden Dagger - Sheathed

Combat Belt - Chalk(x20), Pitons(x5), Flask of Oil, Flint & Steel, Length of Chain w/ Grappling Hook, Hammer

{ I } Active Effects { I }

{ I } Injuries { I }

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

Mifune

Before all the attacks could synchronize so perfectly, the target had vanished in a display of uncanny speed. Right before all the grizzly blows could find their marks, Aramaki was high in the air. Spinning his sword in such a manner that he was able to... Hover? Oh s**t no. Nope. He's flying around. That was about when the Bayonet rain rolled in. With wide eyes and a startled reality suddenly flooding in, Mifune would tumble to his left. Within his dodge, he'd control his positioning and the placement of either sword in hand while he came to a crouch facing the various blades soaring down toward his position. Those dull brown eyes would close calmly, Inner focus settling and stretching out through either arm in preparation. The Ronin would suddenly rise to his feet and begin flourishing either sword into downward windmills with tremendous speed and strength. Even as the Dr. was displaying the impossible, Mifune displayed what practice and skill yielded to those willing to take the hard road. Two large silver circles whirling viciously through the air and in appearance intersecting in their trajectories. The effect of these spinning swords would be to the degree of swiping any bayonet that dared to slip down into their radius. Despite the appearance of the paths, the swords were not touching or passing through each other, but merely over lapped in placement and moving too fast for one to discern that fact. Still~

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG~

Even as the shower poured, the rain drops were split one by one. Careful practice and dexterity was applied to the deflection or each and every projectile that attempted to converge on the gray haired Ronin. Scarier still was that no sooner then the rain had halted, Mifune would flip either of his own blades into underhanded grips in either hand. Then one after the other, he would fling both Mah Blades like spears on straight shot trajectories aimed at the still air born Dr. Aramaki. Despite the two flashes of silver streaking out with dangerous intent, Mifune would soon after be moving back to the last sword stuck in the floor for the Three Sword Path. If not solely to snatch up the hilt and keep himself armed for whatever repercussions may come.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Despite the incredible display offered, Mifune's chest was barely rising. Breathing was hardly out of control or even being forced through the mouth just yet. This wouldn't last long, but it was a testament to the sheer conditioning and training this man had put into his art at the expense of his body. Seeing a display of impossible attacks and speed unrivaled was far from a deterrent for the Yojimbo. Meeting such an impossibly strong opponent only served to fuel the drive to win.

Regardless of how impossible that bridge seemed to cross.

'We will find a way...'

[We're switching up post rotation on our end. Hopefully that's alright with you Tenkai.]

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

Swish!

The swipe from the now shortened naginata in Shige's left hand met with nothing but air, nearly meeting up with Mifune's stomach as a result of the attacks that the group had attempted against Aramaki's person. teal blue eyes turned toward the chain that was flowing at the group just as it vanished. Shige knew in his mind that whatever Dithakar had in store for the good doctor that it wouldn't be an issue or interfere in anything that he had in store for the doctor. if anything, the moves and swipes they took were in favor with the others, designed to work as a team and fight together for better or worse.

Turning to face the doctor's new position Shige would note the true condition of his kimono, so carelessly tossed in order to provide him with a bit of salvation. when it came down to it the silken fabric was burned to ash, turned into dust that now littered the field of battle before them. right hand would move to meet the staff of the naginata that was still in Shige's grip and begin to use it along with left to twirl the long object at near blinding speeds in front of him, about the time that the bayonets started to rain down upon his team's position. the swirling of the staff in his hands would help to deflect and keep him from harm, but it would not come without cost.

Whap-Whap-Whap-Whap! Ting-Ting-Ting-Ting! Schk!

The sound of wood and steel colliding with steel resounded out from the twirling object as bayonet after bayonet was deflected and toss to the side and down to the floor by the weapons motion. from these actions alone one could tell that Shige was no stranger to the weapon before him, and was not only skilled in using it offensively, but defensively as well. the motions were the displays of a master caught in his art form and lost to the world. one of the bayonets did end up making it through the block though, and slid right across the Shige's right side, scrapping against the metal of his arm's housing system. luckily for him, just another superficial wound at the current moment.

Profile Info

show spoilerhide spoilerName: P.A.H.S (Prosthetic Arm Housing System)

Appearance: The housing system for Shige's prosthetic arms appears to look like a piece of metal armor over the shoulder. the system itself comes up to nearly the neck from his right shoulder and partially covers his right pectoral muscle going down to about the center of the rib cage on his right side. this completely covers the stump of flesh that remained where his right arm used to be. this housing is grafted to Shige's flesh around the stump of his former arm in such a way that it cannot be willingly or forcebly removed. the metal of this housing is composed of a spiritual metal akin to what the zanpakutou are composed of; making it highly durable, akin to high grade steel plate, and nearly weightless to Shige.

Crack!

The sound of a whip resounded and Dithakar dropped to his knee as Shige turned his gaze to the monk, trying to better judge the damage that had been done to the elderly warrior from that strike. during this time Mifune was already on the move to attempt getting at Aramaki and Shige was still behind as far as being on the move went. a hand moved with casual and practiced grace in that moment to cast the now nearly broken naginata to the side, it was a weapon that would serve him no longer in this fight, too much damage had been done to the borrowed weapon in a short amount of time.

"Dith, Brace for Impact!"

Simple words were all that would need to be exchanged between the two, strategies of times past known in a simple moment of speech. these were things they didn't feel would get used too often, but practiced them none the less. he'd take advantage of Dithakar's position to not only attempt an attack, but get attention off of his friend. without another word Shige was on the move, rushing toward Dithakar's exposed back while right hand dropped to the sword at his left hip, artificial fingers lacing around the katana's hilt and gripping with an iron strength. spirit welled up inside the man and he committed in that moment to his actions, actions that would no doubt do the same as Dithakar's and cast that warning from the FIGHTER attached to his left wrist.

show spoilerhide spoilerMage seishin (Spirit Bending) is an art similar to elemental bending. this art was created by Shige and is the only true remain of his once immense spiritual power. by focusing and gathering the spirit energy Shige can take that energy and use it to enhance his offensive and defensive moves, as well as his movement to some degree, though not nearly as much as he could before the loss of his powers. in addition, with much practice Shige has learned how to recreate some of the spells he used to use to a lesser degree.

Explanation Expansions

+Spirit: Spirit is a form of energy found naturally within beings that are born within realms of spirit, born from beings that possess spirit, or are infused with spirit from being around a being or place with an extremely high spirit content. spirit also naturally occurs in areas closer to nature, such as forests, lakes, oceans, fields and mountains. cities and buildings can contain high amounts of spirit, though it is usually considered an anomaly.

+Expending Spirit: A user of spirit as an energy source draws that energy either from within, or from a surrounding area, if they are in a space where spirit is abundant enough to draw from. when spirit is expended by a user to perform a skill, spell or other action it uses up what is referred to as a charge. the body itself can only contain a maximum number of charges, and can not exceed that maximum [excess is simply dispersed from the user in a harmless manner]. actions that user spirit can cost anywhere from one charge to ten, depending on the power of the action being performed, some actions even having levels to them, higher levels of the same thing are more powerful or potent, but in turn cost more charges to use.

+Maximum Charge: Shige's own maximum charge totals in at twenty five [25] charges, each represented by a mark within the post format. however, even with that charge amount, Shige will not enter into a battle with the maximum number of charges. entering into a battle Shige will only have ten [10] charges to start. if in an area abundant with spirit Shige will start with fifteen [15] charges instead. [this is decided by the opponent before a fight. in cases of tournament matches, extra spirit provided by abundant areas is null.

+Recharging Spirit: Spirit can only be recovered by rest after a fight, or by special potions that he user can carry on them. without the use of these potions recovering spirit is impossible during combat. the recovery potions are not without fault though, the spirit they recover is not perfect and expends at twice the normal rate [double charge cost for spirit skills].

Five Foot Step: Gathering a minimal amount of spirit energy around the feet the user can push themselves with that energy to increase their stepping distance. this allows the user to cover five feet of space with a single step. due to the minimal amount of energy required the user can use this technique multiple times in a row without pause. [expends one charge. each additional use [up to three total] within a turn expends two charges]

Jump: Gathering spirit and forcing it through the bottoms of the feet the user can expend that spirit to jump at an increased height. this allows the user to make a jump that would put the bottoms of their feet at a height of six feet from the ground. this spell can, by doing this, allow the user to perform head level attacks with their feet that might otherwise be impossible for them. [Expends 1 charge]

Saisho no katto, byōga surasshu (First cut, Drawing slash): This technique is performed by drawing the blade out and focusing ones will into the blade upon the draw into a horizontal slash. This basic technique allows for a precision cut of extreme force. this attack can only be performed from a sheathed weapon, and its range is that of the length of the blade. the power of this swing can cut through terrain, but is unable to cut straight through stronger armors; though it may cause a good amount of damage to the location of the hit.

2 post cooldown - Blade must be sheathed to perform

Unnaturally Sharp Blade: Due to the experimental metal that the blade is composed of it is much sharper than any normal weapon. this sharpness allows the blade to cut through materials much easier than other weapons, such as concrete and steel. in addition to this the unnaturally sharp blade allows the blade to make cleaner cuts. these cuts can not be done with casual swings though and force still must be applied to cut through thicker and heavier materials. (sharpness can be applied to terrain cutting, but cannot cut through armor weapons with ease.)

Skills used in Bold. also contains skill set explanation.

Shige's footfalls would suddenly find themselves not on the floor but on Dithakar's back as he continued to rush toward Aramaki's position in the air, he only hoped that the monk had heard and heeded his words in order to be braced for the sheer weight that was Shige's form running along his back and up to his shoulders. at the very point that Shige reached the elderly fighter's shoulders he put into motion the use of spirit that he had drawn from within himself, revealing not only moves that were new and unauthorized by combining them. so in that moment Shige unleashed his Jump technique, and combined it with his Five Foot Step.

Unauthorized Ability Use Detected

The Fighter rang out with the warning just as Shige figured it would, his body moving forward and up at the same instant with the powers of the combined techniques he unleashed upon Aramaki. the moves themselves would do nothing in and of their own right, it was how they were applied in their use that would determine just what the damage was. so with a powerful motion Shige would suddenly find himself in the air and within striking range of the doctor, currently hovering by using the sword he possessed as some sort of helicopter propeller. a grin of killing intent crossed the male's face in that moment and he resigned himself to his move, the First Cut, Drawing Slash.

The blackened blade of Danzetsu would suddenly find itself drawn out in that classic drawing slash as Shige flew through the air with his Ariel Mitsurugi Style attack. the blade itself would aim to be drawn out and slash in a horizontal cut across and possibly through Aramaki's gut, perhaps even cutting him in half if Shige was good enough and solid enough in his attempted assault. regardless of success or failure though the motion of the Demon Samurai was not to be stopped, an object in motion remaining in motion as he continued to fly on past Aramaki's position and only then come down from his powerful strike.

BOOM!

Ground would crack and spiderweb out from Shige's landing position, sword hopefully drawn out to his right side and gripped in that artificial arm. this was, if he was truly able to continue with the motions and land from his attack. against an opponent like the doctor though, who seemed to be able to pull a variety of moves and objects out of nowhere, nothing was truly that certain.

Spirit Charges 8 [10 - 2 = 8]

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote: