[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!"

[Overdriven]

Kurayami sat in the northeast corner of the courtyard, though he was unaware of this. As he rested in a light meditative trance, trying to make up for the fact that he had been rudely distracted in the middle of it before, he remained blindfolded. Apparently the hosts of this particular tournament wished to befuddle and confuse the combatants before the battle. Perhaps that is why they sent attendents before the break of dawn to rouse the fighters.

Kurayami had already been awake, sitting in the center of his room, meditating. Few Ronin bothered with the ancient calming technique, but Kurayami was still quite fond of it. Even the ruthless needed a little serenity. It was then that the attendants arrived, forcing Kurayami to abandon his trance. He had immediately pulled Haiiro-rein, as the sword had been resting next to him as always. The Ronin was only a moment away from cutting the men down before he realized what was happening. After that he simply smiled.

Kurayami was given ten minutes to prepare for battle, which was ample time to focus himself. He wore no armor this time, only a dark set of clothing that he had fashioned during his time with the shinobi. It had aspects of both his Samurai heritage, and the ninja with which he trained later in life. Across Kurayami's shoulder, his bow was visible. The weapon was well strung, and extremely accurate. Kurayami had trained extensively with the long bow, enabling him to fire with precision while on the move or on horseback, which had saved his life more than once.

Coupled with the bow were, of course, his main sword and the backup. He had them both sheathed on the left side, enabling a quick and easy draw with either his left or right hand. Along with the two large blades, Kurayami had tucked his small shinobi crafted daggers along his back, beneath a trace amount of cloth. He could produce both of them in only slightly less time than his swords, and was capable of using both effectively in a pinch. Finally, he also concealed a handful of straight blade shuriken on his person. Three within the folds of his clothing, and two more tucked into his boot.

Kura then merely waited until he had been ushered blindly into the courtyard where he now meditated, awaiting the start of the battle. The hosts were probably planning on starting with the rise of the morning sun. They seemed to have a flair for the dramatic, and the entire concept suited them. Kurayami thought it all to be a rather sad excuse for foreplay. The Reikoku preferred to take it quickly from introductions to climax.

"BEGIN!"

A familiar voice boomed from above, and Kurayami sighed deeply. It seemed his meditation was, once again, being disturbed. The Reikoku rose silently, waiting until he was standing at full to reach up. He then pulled the blindfold from his head, tucking it casually into a inner pocket within easy reach. His most gracious hosts might desire to have the blindfold back, after all.

Kurayami's dark, unfathomable eyes immediately scanned the courtyard, as his left hand fell to rest on the hilt of Haiiro-rein. Little had changed in a week's time. The tree that he had turned into a miniature sun had surely died, and was now a blackened husk of it's former glory. A pity that it had come to that, but the tree was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Kurayami took another breath, moving his eyes swiftly to the Southwest corner of the courtyard, where it seemed his opponent had been placed, blindfolded as well. Kurayami merely gazed at the man impassively, hand on his blade. Should his opponent rush him, Kurayami would have his weapon out quickly enough to grant him a proper parry, and it would have been tough for the man to get to Kurayami quickly from across the courtyard by any normal means.

The Reikoku waited silently, for he knew that many warriors were vain enough to throw their name around as though it had meaning. He would allow this one the same opportunity, letting him have his moment of imagined glory before he was thoroughly humbled.

[Psiko]

Three days have passed since Ryang advanced in the tournament. His body aches all over. His left arm, which had still maintained some usefulness, now hangs limp at his side. He no longer feels any pain in his shoulder. He can only stand for short periods of time before getting dizzy and light-headed. Nausea overwhelms him at seemingly random points in time during the day. He wakes frequently during the night, caught in a cold sweat. The poison is working effectively on his body and mind. At this rate, he'll be unable to compete in the next round.

His tachi is still in the possession of the guards, who are still on the watch for the murderer of that unknown man in the hallway, so he remains confined within his room. When he does leave, he wears a similar disguise to that donned during the previous battle. So far he has escaped unnoticed by the guards, but he doesn't know how much longer his luck will last.

As the week wears on, his condition does not improve at all. He is still unable to utilize his naginata because of his arm, which leaves him unarmed. The day before the next round is to begin, he decides to go and purchase a new sword. He puts on a blonde wig and the pink yukata and heads into town. He slips past several guards as he leaves the tournament grounds, but none recognize him. Not sure which direction to go to find the nearest weapon smith, Ryang chooses his turns at random. After all, last time he was able to discover what was wrong with him. Perhaps this event will be just as successful.

Ten minutes later Ryang begins to get light-headed. He makes his way under the shade of a building, sitting in an abandoned chair to regain his strength. Two minutes after he sits down in the chair, he passes out.

Three hours later Ryang wakes up. The sun has nearly set. He heads back out into the city again, looking once again for anyone who can sell him a tachi. He needs a weapon, or else he stands no chance at all of winning. He turns around the next corner and spots a merchant's cart. The counter is lined with assorted weapons. After twenty minutes of haggling, Ryang walks away with a very small sword, not much larger than a dagger, sheathed inside his robe and a heavy steel gauntlet that he has on his left arm. His arm, which would have been useless, now serves as a makeshift shield. His chance of surviving this next battle has just improved, or so he thinks.

The morning of the battle arrives with a great surprise: the battle is starting in ten minutes! Ryang hurries to get ready; however, he cannot prepare too quickly because of his arm. He throws on a simple white robe and slips his gauntlet on the arm. He grabs his sword in his hand and goes to head out into the courtyard. The men stop him before he leaves his room, blindfolding him. He is led to the southeast corner of the courtyard, at which point they remove his blindfold.

Begin!

Ryang's opponent stands on the other side of the courtyard, taking a defensive stance. Ryang grips his sword tighter, his knuckles getting white. He starts to charge forward, intending to begin the battle in similar fashion to the previous one; however, the nausea overwhelms him before he reaches the birdbath in the center. He pauses to retch in the decorative birdbath, the effort of it bringing him to his knees. His eyes are watery, blurring his vision. He begins to pale, but forces his body to continue. He resumes the charge, this time at a much slower pace. His opponent has plenty of time to prepare a counter, easily deflecting Ryang's forceless blow. He stumbles to the ground on the other side of his foe, already growing weaker with every breath. This is going to be a very long battle, indeed.

[Overdriven]

With a dark, cool gaze, Kurayami sized up his opponent. The man seemed rather pale, almost sickly looking. A long gauntlet covered his left arm, which would most likely be used as a way to deflect close in attacks. For a moment, The Reikoku considered his bow as an option.

The man then charged, and Kurayami soon realized it wasn't necessary. The man stumbled, faltered, and retched into the birdbath. A slight smile slipped up the Ronin's face. Either this man was sampling a little too much drink the night before, or he had been poisoned.

However, it could have just been that the sickness was all a ruse; An attempt to let Kurayami take his guard down, opening himself up for an attack. If so, Kurayami's foe didn't know who he was dealing with at all. True to his name, the Ronin would show no compassion.

The man charged Kurayami again. He was moving visibly slower, and the man's vision had most likely been impaired by vomiting. It tended to water the eyes. As the man swung at him, Kurayami stepped forward. He snapped his free hand up, striking the man's weapon arm soundly. The deflection, while hardly an overpowering maneuver, sends the man sprawling to the ground it seems.

Kurayami took a step back, his emotionless eyes focused intently at the man. No doubt about it, he wasn't in fighting condition. A victory was hardly a victory against an opponent at a disadvantage. Kurayami paused for a moment, giving his foe time to stand. He then bowed his head slightly.

"You're hardly in any condition to fight." The Reikoku began, slowly pulling his bow from his shoulder. "And there is no honor for me to defeat you while you're in this condition."

Kurayami tossed his bow gently to the side, the small quiver of five arrows landing with it on the stone floor. Kurayami then drew his secondary blade, Komakai Eki, and held it casually in one hand.

"I will do my best to even the odds for our bout." He said seriously. "But, I'm not about to poison myself."

With a final nod, Kurayami moved forward. With a flick of the wrist and lunging forward step, the Ronin slashed his smaller blade tightly toward the man's right shoulder. He continued the forward lunge, rotating his left arm around in a swift attempt to land his elbow on his foes chin. He intended to stun him with the physical blow, and damage his weapon arm a little with the slash.

Close as he was, Kurayami didn't have the opportunity to move to a safe distance and avoid a counter attack. He would therefore have to rely on his considerable reflexes to deflect any counter the man threw at him. He had managed to not over extend himself, and was prepared well enough for the man's retaliation strike.

[Psiko]

His gauntlet breaks his fall slightly as he stumbles to the ground following his failed attack. He winces more out of humiliation than out of pain. Sweat pools on the ground around his head as Ryang lays there for a few moments, trying to gain the energy to get back on his feet. He is helpless, waiting for the fatal strike to arrive, but it never does. His opponent must have great honor to not capitalize on Ryang's weakened condition. In most cases Ryang would consider that a foolhardy move. After all, Ryang himself has killed a few men in a most dishonorable fashion. That was another time, in another place. Here and now, he is shown mercy by a man he has known for less than a few minutes.

Ryang slowly gets up onto his knees, the exertion causing him to break out in a deeper sweat. Although it is early morning, the sun still beats down with tremendous intensity. His breaths are laborious as he gets to his feet. He turns slowly to face his opponent, not anxious to allow the battle to continue. He knows he should withdraw. But Ryang has never been one for quitting. The six-fingered man will soon find that out. Ryang only has to survive long enough to learn that man's name. Then this will all be over. Revenge can finally be his!

"You're hardly in any condition to fight. And there is no honor for me to defeat you while you're in this condition."

The man removes his bow from his shoulder and tosses it aside, followed by a small quiver of five arrows. This man is sympathetic. He shows kindness when most other men would simply stand across the courtyard and make Ryang a pincushion with arrows. Who is this man? Why is he here? What does he hope to gain by winning this tournament? Ryang would do anything, exploit any advantage given, in order to gain the name he seeks. Does that mean this opponent desires victory any less?

No.

Ryang's opponent draws his wakizashi from its sheath, opting to use a smaller sword than usual. Why does this man insist on balancing the battle? He should defeat Ryang with ease and move on to perparing for his next battle. Underestimating an opponent is the biggest mistake any warrior can make. Even a child can kill a seasoned warrior, if luck is on their side. His opponent assumes that this illness is not a ruse. In his place, Ryang would take no chances. Mercy is a weakness; however, Ryang is grateful. He now has a chance, no matter how slim that may be.

"I will do my best to even the odds for our bout. But, I'm not about to poison myself."

Kurayami nods before beginning his attack. Ryang watches the wakizashi slash through the air, heading toward his good shoulder. Ryang instinctively brings his tachi up to deflect the blow, which succeeds brilliantly. The attack has been rendered ineffective. Or so Ryang thought.

Kurayami's elbow smashes into his face, sending Ryang back a step. His jaw throbs as the taste of blood fills his mouth. The blow not only makes him bleed, but also manages to knock loose a tooth. Ryang spits the tooth to the side, his crimson saliva covering the white enamel of the incisor. The moment of opportunity to retaliate passes by without capitalization. Ryang failed to notice the advantage in time. Curse this poison! Perhaps it is going to cost him this tournament, after all. He needs to find an antidote!

Ryang lifts his tachi up to begin a counter attack, but exhaustion overwhelms him suddenly, causing the sword to fall from his hand. He bends over to retch again, but this time nothing comes out. Not forgetting where he is, or why he is here, Ryang decides to take advantage of his apparently weakened condition. He grips his left arm, swinging it up in an arc at Kurayami's face as he snaps back up to an upright position.

[Overdriven]

The elbow found it's mark, knocking the man away and apparently relieving him of one of his teeth. The man then raised his blade, in an attempt to come at Kurayami. Even as The Reikoku was preparing to defend himself, the man lost his balance, dropped his blade, and dry heaving racked his body.

Kurayami merely stood as the man gained his composure, dark, merciless eyes watching him with pity. On the battlefield, Kurayami had been called The Ruthless for he showed no quarter. He would hesitate to cut down no man, no matter what his condition or status. Peasant or Warlord, Kurayami did not fear them and did not give them any advantage. It was war, after all.

This, however, was not war. He was not fighting for pay or for a just cause. Kurayami was battling for honor and glory. And honor and glory required a certain amount of challenge for it to be worth anything at all. For this reason, Kurayami didn't take the time to cut the man down on the spot.

However, this did not mean that the Ronin let his guard down, or that he underestimated his opponent. A wounded tiger was the most dangerous. This man, sick as he was, would be willing to try things he never had, in a desperate attempt to secure a victory. Desperation sometimes won out when coupled with determination.

It was one of these desperate maneuvers that almost struck Kurayami in the face, as the man suddenly slung his left arm up and toward him as though it were a weapon in itself. It became obvious that the man didn't have full, if any, use of his arm and as such decided it would make a decent bludgeon.

Kurayami took a half step back, turning his face away from the blow, and avoiding it by a hair. The arm flew past his head with a parting of the air, and already Kurayami was responding in kind.

His right foot came up quickly as the Ronin rotated his hips, putting as much leverage into the movement as he could. Kurayami thrust his foot outward toward the man's stomach with a side kick. With the close proximity his opponent held, and the way he would most likely be off balance by his vain attempt to attack, it would be difficult for him to avoid the kick at all.

Kurayami snapped his leg back down, lowering himself into a defensive stance, and gripping his secondary blade tightly. His eyes remained locked onto his foe, as he patiently awaited a counter attack.

Or, perhaps, another round of retching.

[Psiko]

The trickery failed. Kurayami moves his head back ever so slightly, allowing the gauntleted arm to pass within centimeters of his face. Not wanting to waste any time, Kurayami kicks Ryang in the stomach, causing Ryang to double over with pain. He fights off the surging nausea, forcing his body to obey for once. As Kurayami strikes a defensive stance, Ryang grabs his sword from its resting place on the ground.

"There he is! The man we've been looking for! Get him!" shouts a voice as half a dozen guards enter the courtyard. Of course upon spotting Ryang they immediately recognize him as the man responsible for last week's murder. They draw their katana and charge forward, eager to catch this unpunished villain. Ryang can't help but curse his poor luck.

Not waiting to see what his opponent does in response, Ryang flees from the courtyard and heads into the kitchen. Savory aromas greet his nostrils as he weaves his way through the crowd of scurrying chefs. The guards follow, gaining on him with each passing moment. Ryang bumps into one of the staff working in the kitchen who falls onto a large pot of noodles cooking over a fire. Scalding hot water floods across the kitchen floor, burning the feet of the pursuing guards. Ryang takes advantage of the extra time gained and departs from the cooking area.

The next room does nothing to improve Ryang's situation. As he enters the dining area he notices that the only occupants currently eating in this room are guards. None present recognize him so Ryang is able to slip out of the room without difficulty; however, as the six pursuing guards enter the dining area they raise a call to arms. Now Ryang has twenty-five guards hot on his trail.

All seems bleak for Ryang as he desperately seeks a way out of this mess. He dives into a room off to the side, hoping it is vacant at the moment. For once his luck is functioning properly, as the room is completely desolate. Devoid of any furnishings or ornamentation, Ryang sees no possible place to hide. He is at a dead end. He turns around, his sword in hand, ready to take as many of them as he can before they overwhelm him with their numbers. He grows feverish suddenly, blacking out.

He wakes not more than five minutes later when a servant discovers him, splashing a bucket of icy water over him. Clearly the guards have failed to look in this room. Not wanting to complain too much about his changing fortune, Ryang decides to head back to the courtyard. He renders the servant unconscious by hitting the man over the head with the hilt of his sword. The time has come to end this battle before he gets any weaker, or caught by the guards.

He heads back out through the dining room, and then the kitchen. Someone is walking in the center of the courtyard, near the birdbath. Unable to recognize this person in the glaring sunlight, Ryang takes no chances. He throws his sword at the person as he reenters the courtyard, the blade flying toward its destination with deadly precision. He only hopes this person is Kurayami and not just some local servant or guard. He wants this battle to end.

[Overdriven]

Kurayami's kick impacted hard, almost causing his opponent to fall into another spell of vomiting. The man managed to finally get a hold on his stomach, however, and snatched his sword back up. Kurayami readied himself for the man's attack, raising his wakizashi into a defensive position.

"There he is! The man we've been looking for! Get him!" Came a booming voice from behind him.

Kurayami turned slightly, keeping his opponent in his vision while at the same time taking in the unexpected arrival. There turned out to be half a dozen uninvited guests, who seemed to be a squad of guards. The highest ranking of them, his ornamented sword already drawn, was pointing the tip directly at Kurayami's foe.

The Reikoku moved his gaze to the men observing their duel, curious if they would step in. Their fight was being disturbed, and it would definetely change the outcome of the battle if Kurayami's opponent was arrested. Before he could recieve an answer, however, his foe had already begun to move. The man darted quickly into the kitchens, moving as though he hadn't been sick at all.

The guards gave immediate pursuit, including their squad leader, though he came to a halt at the entrance to the kitchen. The guard turned to survey the area, looking for the most likely route of escape. Kurayami sheathed his side blade silently, not wanting to look as though he was hostile. He had no qualms about cutting the Squad Leader down, or slaughtering all of his guards, but it would take away time and a little energy. Kurayami did not move, though his dark eyes followed the guard with keen interest.

"Excuse me." He said calmly, attracting the man's attention. "You interrupted our engagement. What was the man's crime?"

"Murder." The guard leader said gruffly, moving toward another door. "Remain in this courtyard. I will have some questions for you."

On that note the Squad Leader ducked into another passageway, as the sounds of struggle escaped from within the house. Kurayami sighed deeply, eyes travelling once more to the judges of this tournament. Was this all part of their plan? It seemed they didn't much care for Kurayami's opponent, if that was the case. The Reikoku decided he would do as the guard had instructed, not because he had ordered him to, but because he wanted to finish this battle. He was becoming annoyed by the lack of actual combat.

So Kurayami remained stock still, waiting patiently for either the guard captain to appear or his foe to show himself. After a few minutes silence once again fell across the grounds, only broken by an occasional shout by one of the guards. It seemed as though they had lost the man. Kurayami wasn't too surprised, as the complex was rather large.

After several more minutes the captain of the squad finally emerged, looking almost furious. He strode around the courtyard, clenching and unclenching his fists. After a moment the man locked his eyes on Kurayami, narrowing them visibly.

"What do you know of that man?" He asked impatiently.

"Nothing. Not even his name. Although he is feeling rather under the weather..." Kurayami noted with a whisper of amusement in his tone.

The guard seemed to become even more angry. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurayami sensed motion on the other side of the courtyard. The captain strode toward Kurayami, pointing his finger and opening his mouth to speak. It seemed the words had been caught in his throat by the blade that impaled it from behind, for nothing but a gurgling wheeze escapes the man's lips.

Blood splurted scarlet from the man's throat, striking the grass inches in front of Kurayami. The Reikoku merely stared on nonchalantly, watching as the guard slowly collapsed to his knees, struggling to breathe and stand once more. A few failed attempts, and he was rendered immobile by falling forward and striking the point of the blade hard onto the stone floor with a resounding clang. The blade was pushed back a bit through his neck, as the man tried to crawl forward weakly. With a final wet sigh, the man's life slipped from him, and Kurayami stepped toward the now cooling corpse.

Crouching near the guard's head, Kurayami moved his dark eyes to the location the blade had been hurled from. He immediately spotted the man he was supposed to be fighting with at that moment, standing a good distance away. Kurayami wrapped slender fingers around the hilt of the man's sword, jerking it free of the guard's neck with a sickening sqwelch.

"That wasn't intended for me, was it?" Kurayami said casually, standing and hefting the blade lightly in his hand.

The Reikoku paused to wipe the blood covered blade with the sleeve of his uniform, before turning back to his opponent. He tossed the sword lightly toward his foe, the weapon spinning lazily as it rose through the air. As the sword began it's descent toward it's wielder, Kurayami moved.

He crouched low, right hand slipping quickly into his right boot. He withdrew the straight bladed shuriken in an instant, gripping both in between his fingers as he snapped that right hand diagonally across his body. With a downward slashing motion and flick of the wrist, he launched both blades.

They would leave his hand just as the man's weapon would reach his, and assuming he caught it without difficulty, he would have a decent amount of time to defend against the two flipping blades. One was arching toward his right shoulder, the other whipping toward his right leg. With a good enough deflection he could possibly get both out of the picture in one attempt.

Kurayami wasn't about to wait on that, however, as he moved. The Ronin took off in a dead run, tearing across the courtyard toward his foe, a sadistic smile touching his lips. He crossed the distance between them quickly, and would reach the man only a moment or so behind his shuriken. This would hopefully leave the man off balance and open toward attack.

Kurayami sped up the process by leaping into the air about four feet from his opponent, lifting his feet and arching his back slightly. The Reikoku had been extensively trained in hand to hand combat, as well as combat with blade and bow. He had learned even more during his time with the Shinobi, and found that often a well placed physical attack could throw off an opponent enough to turn the tide of battle.

And so he thrust both feet toward his enemy's chest, moving his legs as best he could to avoid any chance of slicing them open on the man's sword, which was hopefully still in a somewhat awkward position from deflecting his shuriken. Should his feet impact onto the man, Kurayami would push off, flipping himself backward quickly, and land in a crouch. The force from the blow should put the man into a stumble, which would facilitate Kura's follow up attack.

If the Ronin's drop kick should be avoided, he would twist his body in the air much as a feline would, moving his toes and hands toward the ground. He would land in a push up position, intending still to continue the assault.

Regardless of the landing, Kurayami's next action would be the same. Both hands would dart behind his back, as the man rose quickly and moved toward his opponent. He would opt for a close in assault, pulling both Tenmei and Hakumei from their respective housings.

The small tanto knives had been a gift from his Ninja ally, and their dual nature and incredibly keen blades made them perfect for varied, close in, quick strikes. Blue sheened black hair rustling across his head, Kurayami intended to use them to their full potential.

He moved as close as possible to his foe, both hands darting in different directions. The black handled knife was placed with precision between his enemy's sword and him, so as to slow down or deflect any attack the man made. Meanwhile the tanto with the white handle was thrust toward the man's right side, as Kurayami sought to bury the several inch blade into the man's ribs. His gauntlet shielded left side did him little good there.

Should the thrust not puncture the man's lung, it would definetely hurt fiercely, and begin to bleed immediately. The Reikoku silently hoped his opponent still had some fight in him, and perhaps would even be able to worm his way out of being stabbed.

He didn't want this battle to end.

[Psiko]

Moments after the sword leaves his hand Ryang notices the second man standing in the courtyard. He immediately recognizes this second man as his opponent, which means that he has disarmed himself for nothing. The blade hits its mark, though, lodging itself in the squad leader's throat. Blood gushes from the wound as the man gargles on his final words before falling lifelessly to the ground.

"That wasn't intended for me, was it?" Kurayami asks as he removes Ryang's sword from the squad leader's fresh corpse. Kurayami wipes the blood from the sword onto his sleeve before artfully tossing the sword back toward Ryang, lobbing the weapon to allow Ryang plenty of time to catch it. As the sword begins its decent, Kurayami charges.

Knowing that he will leave himself open for a well-timed attack, Ryang decides to take his chances and catch his weapon. At least then he'll no longer be unarmed against this Ronin. As Ryang reaches up to grab the hilt he notices that Kurayami bends down and pulls something from his boot. His opponent throws a pair of shuriken at Ryang, the projectiles slicing quickly through the air.

Ryang catches his sword with ease and reacts to the oncoming weapons by spinning to the left to avoid the one aimed at his leg. The other shuriken he deflects with the blade of his sword as the second one passes by, lodging itself into the trunk of a tree in the courtyard. In the time Ryang has spent dodging the projectiles, Kurayami closes the distance between them while smiling sadistically. Having focused solely on the oncoming shurikens, Ryang is caught completely off-guard.

Kurayami leaps into the air, thrusting his feet toward Ryang's chest. Kurayami pushes off as his feet hit Ryang, flipping himself backward. Ryang stumbles as Kurayami lands gracefully and begins his next attack. He pulls a pair of tanto knives from his back, one black and the other white. The blades are nearly a blur as they move in, the white-handled blade slashing at Ryang's ribs. Ryang tries to deflect the attack but his sword is stopped by the black-handled knife. The white-handled knife buries itself in his side, smoothly penetrating his flesh.

Blood flows from the fresh wound but, luckily, his organs remain unharmed. The pain overwhelms Ryang, causing his arm to twitch involuntarily. He drops his sword and it clatters harmlessly on the ground. Ryang backs away quickly, dodging another flurry of attacks while trying to ignore the pain. He wonders what will finish him off first: the pain, the loss of blood, the poison, or his deadly opponent. At this point he hopes the latter. A quick, clean death to end his misery.

Out of desperation Ryang scans the ground nearby for something he could use to distract Kurayami long enough to retrieve his sword. His eyes spot the quiver of arrows laying abandoned on the ground, and a plan immediately comes to mind. He darts over to the arrows and grabs one in his hand, wildly throwing it toward Kurayami. He knows before he even releases it that the throw has no chance of hitting his opponent. The pain in his side makes sure of that. But if it can distract him long enough…

Ryang doesn't wait to see how things are unfolding. He takes action. He sprints forward and, if all goes as planned, slides under the lethal blades and goes past Kurayami, at which point he will retrieve his sword. Knowing he'll have little time to recover and react from there, he'll roll over to face his opponent, stabbing upward with his sword at what he hopes will be an exposed midsection.

[Overdriven]

Kurayami's attack was successful, and he buried the small blade rather deep into his foe's side. The man pulled away, bleeding a good deal from the wound in his side, and dropped his sword. Kurayami would then advance on him, moving quickly.

The Reikoku no longer cared whether or not his opponent was without a weapon. The man had been given his only chance, and would have to fight on the fly, so to speak. It would seem the man still had his wits about him, however, as he dove for Kurayami's quiver of arrows. Snatching one up, Kura's enemy threw one sloppily at him. A slight shift of weight and the arrow missed him completely.

However, as Kurayami suspected, it was only a distraction. The man slipped past Kurayami, who merely looked on with mild amusement. An act of desperation, and something Kurayami would have to be careful about.

Even though he was prepared, he hadn't expected the other man to be so quick in his condition. His opponent snatched up his sword and thrust upward, aiming the point of the blade at Kurayami's stomach. The Ronin shifted his weight back in response, just far enough that the weapon penetrated his clothing, but didn't impale him. Still, he felt the sharp tip draw blood as it came in contact with his skin. A close call.

Kurayami stepped back, left hand flashing downward in a flurry of motion. He would attempt to strike the man's sword to Kurayami's left side, opening him up a little bit on the ground. In that same motion followed The Reikoku's right foot, as he attempted to kick the man soundly in the elbow. The blow, if it connected, would most likely knock the weapon from his grasp again, leaving him practically defenseless and open to further onslaught.

An onslaught that Kurayami was happy to oblige him.

Continuing with the motion, regardless of whether or not he disarmed the man, Kurayami spun. His weight would drop to the right leg following the kick, as he switched his center of gravity smoothly. His left foot would then be picked up as Kura spun, propelling the heel of that foot toward his opponent's nose. The speed of the attack was not great, with the shifting of weight, and was definetely avoidable. Kurayami hoped that he had opened the man up enough to make the kick connect, for it would impair the man's vision and perhaps break his nose.

Kurayami was unwilling, at the moment, to get in so close to the man. He would have to ensure that he had the sword out of the way before trying another lightning quick attack with his tanto. Upon completing his two successive kicks, Kurayami shifted himself back to avoid counter attack as best he could, left leg snapping back to the ground.

Whether or not the man was disarmed, he surely still had some fight in him, and The Reikoku wanted to give the man a chance to stand once more.

[Psiko]

The blade fails to penetrate flesh. A few rivulets of crimson liquid trail down the cold steel as Kurayami moves back to avoid the worst of the attack. Ryang has little time to follow up with a second attack as Kurayami steps back and begins to strike out with a fist. Before the second part of the attack is even apparent, Ryang suspects its intention: disarming.

After all, why else would this Ronin opt not to utilize his weapons and take advantage of the crippled man being on the ground? A fist is far less effective for dispatching an enemy. Perhaps this man is simply toying with Ryang, trying to get his thrill before ending the battle. Like a cat toys with an injured mouse before the kill. Well, this mouse still has a few tricks left before it dies.

Ryang, in desperation, tosses his sword behind him. It lands ten feet back, sliding a little ways after that. Kurayami's blow, of course, fails at that point as there is no longer a sword for his fist to hit. But Ryang wasn't prepared for the moves that follow.

Kurayami's foot connects with his elbow and, while no longer capable of disarming him, still hurts Ryang. Kurayami plants his right foot and swings around with his left, aimed at Ryang's nose. Ryang reacts by attempting to somersault backward. He succeeds in avoiding the attack, but it looks nothing like a somersault should. Perhaps the lack of a useful left arm could be blamed for that.

Despite his best efforts to restrain his fatigue, Ryang is getting tired. He has pushed himself far beyond what he suspects his body's limit is at the moment. The poison, combined with the bleeding, is making him weaker with every passing attack. Ryang no longer has the energy to put up much of a fight. He needs sleep. He needs an antidote. Still, he presses on with the fight.

Kurayami pauses momentarily, wanting Ryang to get to his feet. Now that Ryang is disarmed, it appears Kurayami is going to use his tanto knives once again. Ryang glances at his sword, which is resting a little too far out of his reach. There won't be enough time to get to the sword before a knife can bury itself in his back. He has to press the offensive. He has to end this fight. Now.

Keeping his back turned to his opponent, Ryang quickly slips off his gauntlet. He has only moments left to react, and is desperate. Hopefully Kurayami anticipates an easy target. That is exactly what Ryang wants him to expect. He springs into action before Kurayami can attack, spinning around as he rises to his feet. With the gauntlet held in his right hand, he extends his arm so that the armor should connect with Kurayami's jaw. Not a lethal move, by any means, but hopefully enough to buy himself time to retrieve his sword and strike a defensive stance before his opponent can retaliate.

[Overdriven]

In a rather odd maneuver, Kurayami's foe decided the best course of action would be to disarm himself. Curious. He still found his elbow struck violently, and barely avoided having his nose relocated to another area of his face. The man moved away from Kurayami, his back still turned to the ronin.

Kurayami, having already used his tanto knives to what he considered their full potential at the moment, silently sheathed them into the small twin saya on his lower back. His right hand immediately slipped from his back to the handle of his secondary sword, even as his opponent surprised him.

Not only before Kurayami can attack, but before he can even draw, his enemy is pressing the offensive. The man came up in an instant, spinning and brandishing the gauntlet that had been attached to his left arm as a makeshift bludgeon. Kurayami hadn't been expecting desperation such as this, and the attempt to knock him senseless almost worked.

Almost.

If it hadn't been for his exceptional reflexes.

Kurayami tilted his body to the side quickly, bending his neck to move his face from harms way. The gauntlet managed to sweep some of his hair off of his face, but The Reikoku managed to avoid being struck in the jaw by utilizing his natural speed and combat prowess. However, he wouldn't have time for a proper draw with the man swinging his "arm" like a maniac, so he would have to improvise.

Kurayami stepped forward, closing in on the man before he could attack once more with the armor. He would cross left arm across his chest, palm moving to grasp the tricept of the mans right arm. This would keep him from coming back with an immediate follow up attack, and open him up somewhat for Kurayami. His right hand would then draw Komakai Eki from it's housing.

As close as he was to his opponent, it was about impossible to actually pull the entire blade from it's sheath, though that did not affect Kurayami's attack. He attempted to slam the blunt end of the swords hilt against the man's ribs with as much strength as he could muster in close quarters. Should the blow impact, it would cause a good deal of pain to the mans already tender body, though it wasn't sufficient to break bones.

That was the purpose of his next strike.

Even as Kurayami propelled the handle of his sword at the man, he slammed his forehead down at the mans nose. His aimed the most hard part of his head at the soft cartelage at the bridge of his enemys nose, intending to shatter it and hopefully impair his vision and senses. This would make the battle much easier, while lowering the risk of Kurayami being hit by another desperate attack.

He had future battles to think about.

As close as he was, the gauntlet wasn't half as effective as it would have been from an arms length or more away. The blows that his foe could throw at him now were all purely physical, as he was left with no blade and little room to hit him hard. He would simply wait out whatever attempt to harm him the man made, and then move to finish the battle. It was beginning to bore 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]

Wow. If only there were a battle I could have both people advance from.


This battle was incredibly well done on both sides, but I still have to pick a winner, so, I guess I'd better get down to it.

After a lot of debate, a couple sodas, a bit of pacing, and some thinking, I'm giving this one to Psiko.

Blow for blow, I'd say stylewise, you two were pretty much evenly matched--that is, to say, you both were really really good. However, I think psiko worked slightly more creatively--he used injuries from previous battles more than anyone else I've seen for this tournament, and that earned him some serious props. Overdriven, your posts were very very good as well, but they did lack some of the creative flair (although they were still some of the most interesting posts I read today), but they did have slightly more substance. So, in the end, it came down to the creativity vs. the length, and I've maintained for a long time that length is one of the least important factors in judging writing. As such, I gave it to Psiko.

Excellent job you two, and good luck in the next round.