2006 TOA R2: Hollow Point v. Shelus

[LocoColt04]

OOC: Please forgive me. Nightshade (the split-decision judge) graciously accepted the task of writing the introductions for your threads this round, but had an incredibly long day at work and fell a bit behind. He will still be writing them, so I ask that you do not post until after he does. If, however, the posts are not up by late tomorrow evening, I will write them myself, so know that either way the rounds will be underway within the next 24 hours.

I will edit this post with the running length for the round; it will likely be 15 or 16 days. Good luck to everyone, and thank you for your patience.


Updated information:
The round will officially end sometime on SUNDAY, 16 JULY 2006. Please utilize the time allotted. Everyone, judges and readers alike, would love to see some highly active threads. Good luck to the eight of you.

[LocoColt04]

The sun rose early that day, breaking the horizon and flooding the estate with rays of dancing light. The sky was clear as a crystal; the breeze was completely nonexistant. Though the morning air was heavy, the day was otherwise perfect... perfect for more violence to please the gracious hosts.

It had been seven short nights since the first round of battle. Eight warriors had fallen; not dead, but defeated. Though they would have the option of remaining in their quarters throughout the duration of the tournament, some had already taken the liberty of leaving for their homes. Those who remained were allowed to sit with the hosts if they chose to do so.

It had been seven short days since the first round of battle. Bruises were healed, scrapes were scarred, and deep wounds were still vulnerable. The eight remaining fighters were ready for battle, but unaware of what was upon them.

Without warning, two attendants rushed into each competitor's room. It was barely dawn, and those who were not already awake were forced to rise. The day's battle was meant for sunrise. Each fighter had only ten minutes to prepare, whether fully awakened or not. The warriors were blindfolded and ushered to the courtyard; one was led to the tree in the northeast corner, and the other to the tree in the southwest corner. They were instructed to remove the blindfolds only upon the start of the fight. Without knowing who or what would be waiting, the fighters became antsy with anticipation, and perhaps worry.

The sun continued to rise. Low beams of light were slowly creeping over the edge of the estate, bringing the courtyard to a dim light. The water in the fountain glistened. The courtyard grew brighter, and the fighters continued to stand in their corners, impatiently awaiting the commanding voice from above...

"BEGIN!"

[Shelus]

The suns embrace filters lustfully through the blind fold. She stands in hopes of allowing this lovely moment to last just a bit longer, but as the host would soon have it... that would not be possible. His words spread throughout the courtyard and she prepares to take off the blindfold. Taking off the blind fold she observes her settings to realize she is in the same area as the previous battle. She also notices her new foe standing at the opposite corner from herself... she being at the northeast, and he being at the southwest. Amazing... the beauty of these trees glow even brighter than they had before. Even if she was unable to see them at that time.

A melody... forming at the edge of hearing. Birds in the distance are one of few things at the moment adding upon her 'inner' tune. She soaks in this tune as she begins a slow and steady dance, a dance consisting only of slowness... in place. Her eyes come and go from one place to another as she keeps her periphial on him at all times. Genkaku's reflexes increase while in one of her many styles of dance. A hard style to match indeed, but all one would really need to do is simple... dance along with her melody.

Unsheathing the katana she awaits her new foe to strip off his blindfold as well. She is now eager for some action, more so than before. Genkaku plans to take this fight as far as possible without giving her new foe any sense of pleasure or relief. Looking at him, she wonders how this fight will play out, then... she stops.

Hello... nice to meet you. My name... is Genkaku Meijin. May our fight be bliss and please the gods... as well as the hosts.

Her dance picks up a small pace as a small brezze is carried through the lively leaves of these trees. She breaths in the air that contains hints of water and plants. Her movements are now becoming unto a lustfull motion... a sexy appeal indeed. As it grows into a manner such as this, she nears him. With her katana at the ready she is mere feet from him. Yet... she is still cautious, careful not to strike first.

I hope you are ready.

Even if she is more eager than ever, at all costs she must not make the first move. It may spell diasterous.

[Bryan]

After being blindfolded and led to an unknown corner in what Kana thought was the courtyard, he paused and listened to the footsteps fade away that had taken him to this area. He listened to the birds chirping behind him in the wilderness and pictured how beautiful they must have been. The wet grass touching his feet made him imagine beams of sunlight seeping through the trees, hitting the dew drops on the leaves and causing a multi-colored glare.

As he pictured this, he heard another set of footsteps approaching him in a strange manner. It must have been his new opponent. Judging by the sound, this opponent must have been using a different fighting style than his last as the footsteps were not intended to be stealth.

"Hello... nice to meet you. My name... is Genkaku Meijin. May our fight be bliss and please the gods... as well as the hosts."

It was another woman, yet by the tone of her voice, he could tell that she had different expecations than the last opponent he had fought. Kana reached around with both of his hands and untied the blindfold, letting it fall to the ground. The early morning sun gently graced his face, causing his crystal blue eyes to sparkle. He seemed happy this morning.

He took a moment to examine the female warrior in front of him. A samurai? This was a rare opportunity for Kana as there were so few female samurai. She showed all of the signs of a true warrior. Her eyes were fixed on Kana, as though studying him as well.

Without taking her eyes off of him, she seemed to give a warning of some sort.

"I hope you are ready."

Kana looked at the woman, tilted his head slightly and gave a sincere smile. His eyes seemed to sparkle even greater as he smiled at her. Kana gave out a cheerful yet gentle laugh and in his soft tone, he spoke to her.

"Of course I'm ready! It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Genkaku Meijin and on such a perfect morning! This is such a nice occasion that I will use a special katana today."

Kana placed his hand on one of his two katanas ((the other will not be used in this fight)). In his last battle, he used the sword that Okita Souji had given him as his first katana. This fight, he would use Okita's legendary katana which was on his side throughout all of his vicorties. The infamous Kikuichi-monji.

He barely unsheathed the katana, preparing to strike. Again, he smiled at Genkaku and spoke to her.

"I do hope you are a bit more talkative than the last opponent."

Still smiling, he slid is left foot slightly foward and paused. For those few seconds, the birds around the two warriors seemed to go completely silent. All that could be heard was the soothing trickling of water coming from the bird bath.

Kana quickly unsheathed his katana. Darting quickly at Genkaku, he raised the katana above his left shoulder with his right hand and fiercely swung the katana down and to the right, aiming to slash across her chest and stomach.

As he did this, he kept the friendly smile on his lips and his sparkling crystal blue eyes fixed on her's...

[Shelus]

His blade is deployed with utmost haste. A sudden defense reacts likewise against his movements. Genkaku forces her blade to the right of her side using her right hand to meet his sword head on. Genkaku's sword keeps the blade there as it now intends to slide down her blade in a manner that the young man might not see fit. If it plays out accordingly, Genkaku can now thrust her left palm into his right floating ribs. She is tempted to follow through with this maneuver, but she strays from its finish. She feels she is obligated to say a few more words before this show gets truly underway.

I guess I could be a bit more talkitive if you wish it. Lovely Katana by the way, I feel so... honored. Perhaps I should use a special weapon as well, but later if so.

She exits out of a possible blow to his ribs with a stylish rotating dance move that causes her to bend backwards slighty. Thus.. she can still keep an eye on this speedy warrior while turing out of this clockwise spin.

Feet away after her rotation, she faces him. She has spoken what she has needed to say yet she must know... his name. A beatiful smile engulfs her gentle face as she dances towards him. She plans to speak in an almost lust like manner, in possible attempt to persuade him into telling her. Or might it be a form of trickery? Smiles such as this don't go unnoticed so easily. We'll see.

I'm afraid I don't know your name. May I have it? I figured I could talk to you more if I could atleast have that one favor. No?

She chuckles a bit as to let on an innocent smile, but think not of that for a second. A smile that appears so innocent can breed deadly passions and truths about it. Wether he has given her his name yet or not, she prepares to make her move. Closer she becomes to him, preparing for her attack yet steadying her defense. She can feel the strength of this warrior through his movements. She starts to feel as if reading a book while in motion.

Her smile begets unto a greedy figure as her dancing motion allows her to bring up the Genkaku above her head. It was played out swiftly as she used the momentum of this blade to do that... just as she would use the momentum to bring it down. Almost face to face to this young warrior the curtain falls on this performance. The blade whistles through the air, aimed at the head of this man. She had gotten close enough to execute this attack accurately, but "things" still happen in battle. her left arm is brought forth in front of her chest as an extra security measure. She can feel the attack getting ready to make contact, but she must wait until her move is finished before she can assume such a factor. Besides... she would rather him deflect so she could have his name.

IU WATASHI!!!
She demands before it might be too late.

[Bryan]

After his test attack at his new opponent, she met it quickly with her sword. This seemed to happen almost as if it were choreographed. He quickly found his ribs in an opening when she blocked his attack. Kana couldn't dodge the attack completely, though it seemed that the woman pulled back on this attack. Her hand struck his clothing as he turned to at least soften the blow. Had the attack been dealt any harder, it could have knocked the wind out of him, causing him a quick delay in reaction.

"I guess I could be a bit more talkitive if you wish it. Lovely Katana by the way, I feel so... honored. Perhaps I should use a special weapon as well, but later if so."

Kana did not respond, but smiled at her again. It seemed as though the real battle was in the space between Genkaku and Kana's locked glares. The katanas, for the moment, just seemed as though they were being used to fill the seconds of silence.

With his katana in his right hand, the edge facing down and to the right, he quickly flipped the blade around to face it to the left for another attack. This seemed to be a test of skills between the two warriors and in fights such as these, it proved to be almost as though it was tradition. Before swinging at his opponent again, she performed a graceful move that appeared as a hypnotic dance of sorts, sweeping out of the way yet keeping eye contact with him.

The two now had several feet between them again. Kana looked at Genkaku as she danced gracefuly toward him. His katana was still pointed down and to the right with the blade facing to the left. Genkaku gave a tempting smile to Kana, which did not go completely unnoticed, yet it did go unnoticed in the way that she would have liked it to be taken. Kana was aware of what she was trying to do and he knew that this fight would be psychological as well as physical.

Any man in his right mind would have fallen for this woman's beauty had their training fallen shy of mind tricks. It's not as though this psychological attack could not work on Kana or that he was invincible to them, but he stayed focused on her eyes and a person's eyes cannot lie. He was careful to keep eye contact with her from the start and they did not change when attempting a seductive attack on the mind. She was sharp. If Kana were to lose eye contact with her at some point in this fight, her trickery may have a chance of working.

"I'm afraid I don't know your name. May I have it? I figured I could talk to you more if I could atleast have that one favor. No?"

Kana kept eye contact with her and smiled, his crystal blue eyes sparkling as they did when the fight first began.

"My name? I'm sorry. How rude of me!" said Kana in his usual cheerful tone.

Before he could introduce himself properly, Genkaku danced closer and launched another attack. Not breaking eye contact, Kana listened as the blade above him cut through the air toward his head. He brought up his katana with one hand and blocked the attack almost instantly, sending a shower of sparks falling to the ground between the two. His smile faded as he leaned in just inches from Genkaku and the sparks' reflection in his crystal blue eyes seemed to resemble the dance of a flame.

"My name...is Kana Souji. My master was Okita Souji of the Shinsengumi."

Kana stared into Genkaku's eyes with deep concentration for several seconds before quickly darting his eyes down and to the left to his hand as if to motion his opponent to look. His hand was less than an inch from Genkaku's ribs, in the exact place that she had attacked him earlier.

His eyes were gleaming now, staring back into Genkaku's eyes again. He cracked a faint smile that seemed to be a bit sinister, yet managed to keep his voice in a soft tone.

"Shall we begin, Ms. Genkaku Meijin?"

Then there was silence. A slight breeze swept through, shifting Kana's hair and gently blowing it in the wind. The birds no longer chirped and it seemed as though all life around the two warriors was completely frozen in time as they studied one another.

This would be a fight that would be spoken of for many years to come...

[Shelus]

subarashii...
She thought to herself.

Like an eye for an eye... a move for a move. Genkaku motions her eyes down to see what would of been her previous blow, mirrored by Kana. Impressed, but not completely caught off guard. Although the left arm she rose to use as a defense was a bit high, she wastes no time to bring it down on top of his wrist. She intends to follow through with an open palm to smack his hand away from her ribs.

...Yes! Let us Begin!

A slight breeze allows her to improve upon a neat little trick she has in store for Kana. She will use every aspect of her surroundings to become like a mere breeze. A harder target she will attempt to become. If done correctly, smooth and quick her attacks will be. She allows herself to feel this breeze, entangled within that breeze however is Kana's very own breathing. A bit odd to notice it like this... as she prepares to untangle herself from Kana's sword and hand. For now, Genkaku will try to avoid eye contact with Kana. She must be able to feel what he does... instead of seeing what he does.

Genkaku becomes unto another dancing form as she forces the swords and hands to part. She spins about clockwise while increasing the distance between Kana and herself, and then... she stops. She stares at the ground below Kana's feet and then she spins counter-clockwise once... only toward him this time. It would almost be unnoticed by the guests themselves as she rotated once at Kana's position. Wether he will notice it or not... we'll see. At the very end of that last spin, Genkaku had managed to fit her left hand in her shirt to pull out a suprise. This 'suprise' was one of the 13 remaining Bo-Shruikens, only 13 due to the use of one during the previous night. Her amount of shurikens becomes 12 as the second projectile sings a lovely tune through the morning air.

You say Okita was your master? I must say that is quite the feat. Not too many people of his talents these days go out of there way for such time consuming classes.

Her shuriken soars with its tip aimed directly at his mid-section. She cares not if this projectile lands a critical hit or no hit at all. The shuriken will solely play as distraction. While the projectile is still flying towards Kana, Genkaku begins to run a careful pace at him. She drags her blade behind her as time soon begins to slow down in this one small flicker of time. Nearing Kana, her blade is now pointed out toward Kana. The blade is brought up with a swift and gentle haste that even this Kana Souji person might not notice what she has just done. It wasn't that the blade was brought up fast enough... it was that the very tip of Genkaku's sword was raised eye level behind the thrown shuriken. Hopefully to be a clever trick if executed accurately. If Kana is to deflect the shuriken... the suprise of Genkaku's sword trailing feet behind it will hopefully cause him to stagger a bit. If Kana remains calm, then the intensity of this battle will become ever more graceful to house guests who sit in awe.

Now... give me everything you got. Let us not be dissapointed!

She smiles at him, yet... she insists on not making further eye contact with him.

[LocoColt04]

OOC:
Hate to be so brief, but it's a friend's birthday and I'm not exactly at home right now. That said, round two is over, and judgement can be expected within the next 72 hours. I look forward to reading the posts for this round, and I can only assume the other judges share that sentiment. Enjoy your evenings.

[Shan'do Spike]

This battle goes to Hollow Point.

Shelus, I felt a lot of times, your style was needlessly, I don't really want to say complex, but it felt..pretentious at times, and it really really bogged down the posts. Beyond that, I felt you were solid, but it really did hurt you.

Hollow, you were really quite good. Besides being overly wordy in your sentences occasionally, I thought your posts were really quite good.

Anyway, good job, and good luck in the next round.