ruronihs

NoW Rnd 2: The Basin

The oppressive darkness, stone warriors, and wretched little demon faded away and was replaced by beaming sunlight, a boundless ocean and sandy ground. Tomaru sheathed his sword, finding that just as Skallagrim had promised, his injuries were healed and of no consequence. He stood on the lip of the basin, his white and crimson kimono flowing gently in the soft breeze. The smell of salt and sulfur filled his nose, and he could tell from the odor -- and the ominous bubbling -- that he would want to avoid contact with it if possible. He glanced for a moment off into the horizon, that empty blue void that seemed just as oppressive as the darkness he had previously fought in. How small and insignificant this tiny island was compared to the vastness of this eternal ocean; and how small and insignificant the ensuing battle would be compared the the entire history of this sandy protrusion. All ambition must be tempered with humility. The words of his master resonated in his head, called forth by the beautiful, yet humbling scenery before him. However, this thought seemed comforting to Tomaru. How could a being as small and insignificant as him hope to have any effect on history? These things were not for mortals to worry about. All a mortal can do is live. And right now, Tomaru was choosing a life of battle. He smiled and waited for his opponent.

Nexus of Worlds Tournament

It would be hard to compete with a sword in your lung. lol.

Nexus of Worlds Tournament

Definitely about as close as it can get, and definitely a fun fight. I'd have no issue with us both advancing.

Sword Hall of Shadows

Tomaru instantly noticed the visage of a cracked composure. A lunging attack with the club was a sound strategy in the air because his movement was preordained by gravity, but with his feet on the ground, Tomaru had an endless valley of choices and could move as elegantly as a swallow in flight and as swiftly as a striking snake. A wide horizontal swing was possibly the worst course of action that Fuchsia could have taken given the current circumstances. The little demon left so many openings that if Tomaru was a mech, his targeting system would overload. Fortunately, his brain was better equipped for the scenario than such a targeting system, and he simply stuck to the fundamentals of Ayako-ryu.

Swoosh! The hellzooka cleaved through the air as Tomaru fell straight backwards into his Usagi stance, his weight shifting fully onto his tail. Then, as soon as he was able to rise up without decapitating himself, his tail snapped like a spring, pushing Tomaru's body back into an upright position with great velocity. And, as the heavy club continued on its horizontal arc, the kitsune lunged forward, propelled by the snap out of Usagi. He clutched his katana firmly with both hands and delivered a counter-stab, aimed so that the blade would slip between the demon's ribs and pierce any vital organs that may or may not reside their.

Sword Hall of Shadows

Keep in mind that the Ki attacks are kinetic energy. As soon as the spikes meet with his hand, they would immediately be pushed back, significantly reducing their piercing potential.

Sword Hall of Shadows

Tomaru hadn't expected the little demon to change strategies so quickly; hell, he hadn't expected him to use the club like an actual club after all he'd seen so far. A purely physical defense would be severely damaging, even if he blocked with his sword, so he would need to orchestrate something with the Ki that he had just channeled. Tomaru's mind once again raced down the paths of all possibilities. Buffer damage... keep the advantage of close range... there was only one path that led to both. He focused the Ki into his left arm and met the oncoming bludgeon with a sharp palm thrust. His palm met with the end of the club, and upon impact the Ki erupted into a Hasaiken, a violent surge of kinetic energy capable of competing with the heavy force produced by that full-metal club. The blow likely wouldn't damage such a sturdy device, and the demon's limbs could likely absorb the impact since they were used to taking massive recoils, but it was certainly enough to halt the spin and even send it in the opposite direction so that Tomaru and Fuchsia would have landed before any more of those baneful rockets could be fired at a grounded target.

A numbing pain shot through Tomaru's arm from the impact as well. Nothing felt broken, but his muscles would need some time to recover before they could exert any real force. He hit the ground hard, but he was once again able to buffer the landing with his tail. Blood shot out of his wounded thigh, though, as the stone shard began to cut through his flesh. If his legs absorbed another impact like that, his movement would likely be hampered. And, as Fuchsia fell down to the ground, Tomaru so that the statue fas falling as well. Perfect; soon he would have some cover.

Nexus of Worlds Tournament

Posting now. Had tons of books to read for school this week, so I got delayed a bit.

Sword Hall of Shadows

Right. No matrix dodging. He's really just trying to make sure that Fuchsia aims at the leg.

Sword Hall of Shadows

Tomaru braced himself for the shock wave from the detonation of the rocket cluster, but a map of all possible strategies raced through his mind before he committed to any actions. That last attack was a proof of theory; he had effectively neutralized the magical properties of the club, but that would merely result in a stalemate, which was an unfavorable predicament since he knew nothing of the source of power that the demon was drawing on. If he wanted a victory, he would need to enter close quarters combat, but that would be a reckless option -- a last resort -- so long as the volley of explosive shots held him back. This scenario would require something a bid more unorthodox. At that thought, Tomaru made a small backward hop and rode the impact of the shock wave so that it knocked him back about twenty feet. Now, he was standing near the base of one of those massive statues, and it seemed as though Fuchsia was actually taking a moment to aim this time. The pieces were in a good position.

As the first rocket left the mouth of the hellzooka, Tomaru bent his legs and made a big jump onto the platform where the statue stood so that he was standing on the stone warrior's foot. Perhaps it was just a convenient place to dodge to, or perhaps he had something else in mind. The kitsune was not as quick to react to the second rocket. In fact he waited until the last possible moment before diving off of the statue platform and back down to the ground to avoid the next blast. As he did so, though, he scratched his sword along the bottom of the warrior's leg, leaving a small notch in the rock. It was a pretty insignificant groove, but perhaps it would aid in the destruction of the satue's structural integrity when the rocket soared past where Tomaru was and into the leg of the stone warrior. The massive swords that they were holding ensured that if the rocket broke enough of the stone it would all come crashing down onto the arena. Meanwhile, Tomaru built up his Ki, waiting for when the time was right to unfurl the next part of his plan.

~Heaven's Needle: Valenti's Return

How long are you expecting the average post to be?