[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/70l9RvR.png[/img][/center][hr][hr] Kaz's punch hits its mark with a resounding smack and budges Lorken's head to the side by a small margin. Obviously, this can only mean imminent death awaits our plucky and neurotic young student. Kaz had anticipated that Lorken would evade or stop his attack. And he was right: Lorken stopped the punch with his face. Kaz's punches are so pathetic that people won't bother to move out of the way anymore. A cold bead of sweat runs down the side of his face as Kaz, once again, regrets several major life decisions leading up to this point in his life. The entirely unimpressed Lorken verbally analyzes the punch in full detail before "instructing" Kaz on what a proper punch should look like. The blazing quick strike–meant to disorientate–did nothing of the sort against Kaz and actually knocks him off his feet and into a face plant. This is his life now thinks Kaz as he debates the merits between getting back up or taking a nap. Lorken calls him a childish coward and demands an adequate performance from him in this fight lest he be of no use to Lorken or this school. [color=#A31221]"Mmmmmnnnfffff..."[/color] Kaz attempts to speak with his face still married to the floor. Clearly there was no way Lorken could understand any of that mumbling so Kaz lifts his face off the ground and looks up at Lorken, his body still unmoved. [color=#A31221]"And in case that didn't come through clearly enough to your thick skull [i](seriously, my hand still goddamn hurts!)[/i], I said that you're right to call me childish, but a coward?"[/color] Kaz picks himself back up. [color=#A31221]"Well... that's just something I have to politely disagree with."[/color] Kaz brushes himself off and awaits a response from his opponent. No verbal response was offered, at least not one that Kaz bothered to listen to, but Lorken did remove a knife from a strap on his back and hands it to Kaz before distancing himself a few feet away. Lorken goes on to explain that certain Pro Heroes utilize tools to tackle the more aggressive foes without inflicting permanent or fatal wounds but refuses to let Kaz use any until he is certain that Kaz needs it. He then tells him to attack once more. An all too serious demeanor takes over Kaz as he inspects Lorken's knife. A seasoned blade—razor sharp and painstakingly maintained throughout its years—it's nothing short of a work of art, by the story it tells if not by its visage. Kaz tosses it down and stuck the pointy end into the floor as the quality of his facial animations drops by seventy percent. [color=#A31221]"Boy, it sure is mildly warm in here."[/color] he says as he removes his cardigan and proceeds to wrap it around his waist. [color=#A31221][i]"It's obvious that he doesn't have any Quirk-based defenses I can 'punch' my way through and, from what I can tell, his attacks are that of pure oxen strength so nothing I can 'normalize'. So, when it comes down to it: this fight is a straight-forward physical match-up; one that I am bound to lose if I play by his rules. But he knows that. There's nothing he can gain from a slugfest with me. That's not what he's looking for. He wants to see how many times I'll keep getting up. In that case, he's probably read a file on me that includes information on the way I think and behave. If I give up so readily like I usually do, then he proves the file right..."[/i][/color] Kaz finishes wrapping his cardigan around his waist, grabs the knife, and proceeds to walk backwards, gaining more distance away from Lorken. [color=#A31221][i]"Then again, why do I care about any of this? Even if I prove myself here and now, it'll just be more of this in the long run. I've accepted who I am and have always been: a no-talent failure. Yeah, that's what they've always told me. They can't all be wrong..."[/i][/color] Kaz remembers the instructors he's had throughout the years. His third-grade teacher: [color=#228B22][i]"Kazuto, you need to do better. This is inexcusable."[/i][/color] [color=#A31221][i]"I don't care."[/i][/color] His gym teacher in middle school: [color=#FFD300][i]"Is this all you can do? Tha- That's just- It's pathetic!"[/i][/color] [color=#A31221][i]"I don't care.[/i][/color] His middle school homeroom teacher: [color=#A020F0][i]"In all honesty, you will never succeed in the Hero world."[/i][/color] [color=#A31221][i]"I don't care."[/i][/color] [color=ed1c24][i]"If you cannot do that much, I have no use of you."[/i][/color] [color=#A31221][i]"I don't care!"[/i][/color] [color=#A31221]"Tch."[/color] Kaz stares down Lorken. [color=#A31221][i]"I'm not that much of a masochist to keep on taking these beat downs. So, I'll just have to try, I guess... Hmm, feels like I'm forgetting something though."[/i][/color] Kaz shrugs off that last thought and charges forward, making a beeline directly to Lorken. [color=#A31221][i]"If he's thinking I'm simply going to bum rush him, he has another thing coming. Hehe, my master plan will surely- Ehh?"[/i][/color] Just a few feet away from Lorken, Kaz unexpectedly trips and goes sliding towards the towering figure. [color=#A31221][i]"Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap!"[/i][/color] Kaz's master plan seems to have crumble before his very eyes. But... sometimes the unexpected outcome yields the best results. In one swift motion, Kaz cuts the cardigan free from his waist and tosses it towards Lorken's face. While Lorken deals with that, Kaz has a split-second window opportunity to slide through Lorken's legs—it pays to be small sometimes! Once through, Kaz wraps his arms around Lorken's right leg and presses the knife against it. A somewhat pathetic look—a short guy hanging onto the leg of some big dude—but, hey, whatever it takes! [color=#A31221]"I don't suppose you're wearing any steel leggings and you definitely don't have any Quirk-based defenses. I may not be all that physically imposing but it doesn't take an All Might to plunge this really sharp-looking knife into a soft, fleshy calf. In fact, did you know there is a major artery in one's leg that when severed will cause [i](Holy shit, I'm totally making all of this up.)[/i] a person to bleed to death within a matter of minutes?"[/color] [@Zelosse]