The Master Swordsman (Open)

It was a dark cold night, but now the sun was starting to rise. Red, Orange, and yellow began to flood the horizon, and there was a slight warmth to this field. Trees were sparse, and it was a cloudless sky. Standing in the field was a warrior dressed in a fine red armored plate the stopped just below chest. His stomach was exposed covered in a fish net, and he was wearing slightly baggy black pants the were neatly tucked into two traveling boots. His right hand had a small thin plated gauntlet, and his left was fully exposed. On his shoulders hung a long cape that dangled just above his ankles.

His brown eyes followed the movements of his blade as if he were fighting an invisible opponent. Sweat clang to his dark brown hair as he finally sheathed his blade and whipped the sweat from his brow. His moves were something else it was beauty to watch the blade dance in his hands making it seem effortlessly.

He yawned, and stretched having completed his morning ritual. He saw a figure come over the next hill some distance away. He snarled, he was one whom didn't enjoy the company of others. There can only be one reason another person would come all the way out here, this person had to be tracking him for some time.

::Voulentary double post::

Wow, no one is gonna take me up on a duel, I'm shocked... Seriously shocked.

Heh, I think the others think your a little too intimidating for something...also for the point everyone is busy with other things. Probably more the second reason than the first, heh. I'll go ahead and fight you Kishin (I myself thought someone would step up and go against you...that's my reason everytime for not stepping up and taking you on, heh)

Think you could give a quick synopsis of the character though? I don't really follow other's characters...and you've got a hoard of them yourself. That way I can use a suitable opponent.

I posted his bio in the character acceptance thread two pages or a page back. ^_^ It's long...

OoC: :: reads Kishin's character profile ::

Heh heh...I'm...gunna die. Well, might as well make it last to an extent. I'll use my "artifact boy" Suntao.

IC: After trekking the surrounding lands for some time, Suntao became disgruntled for not finding a speck of evidence to help him on his new quest. And after all these years of being away from his home...he worried about his sister as well.

As he graced the top of a hill, he noticed a figure standing in the distance, but he was still too far away to make out anything at this point. As he started to wander closer to the base of yet another, yet smaller hill, he started to get an awful vibe...something that he was never quite fond of. But in his mind he thought there was no time to dwell on something like that...so he proceeded.

Now the somewhat blurred figure of before had become more clear, and Suntao could now make out the man ahead. As he stepped into the field, he felt a great calmness around him. A reminisce of home seemed to etch in his mind as he looked around him...until his eyes caught site of what was before him. The glare the man was giving off was quite intense, almost as if he was seeing right through him. As Suntao walked toward him slowly, he felt Umbolo's necklace shaking violently...

That was the only reason he needed to engage this man...

Senju-nata saw the determined look in his eye, and before a word was spoke Senju-nata took flight. His right hand was held firmly on the Katana while his left was tightly grasped around the sheathe. Suntao drew his blade, but Senju-nata was already within striking range as his hand hit his blade. With his left thumb he used the Battou-jutsu (Sword Draw) technique. The Sword flew true, and the path was clear, and unabscured. The sword glazed arcross his face, the blow turned his body around, and Senju-nata jumped into the air spinning his body, he brought down the sword to cleave his body in half, but was met with the sound of clashing steel.

Senju-nata pressed as he landed forcing him down testing his might... he was strong. Then gracefully Suntao rolled to the side spinning his sword between his fingers, coming down with a vertical chop. Senju blocked, and pushed up, tilting the blade to the side, and attacking with the After Image Strike Suntao was regaining his balance from the throw back, when Senju's sword cut across his chest, and his right under his shoulder.

Senju-nata turned his head around to him as he staggered from the wound.

"Do you know you are facing none other then Senju-nata the master Swordsman? I didn't think so."

He had barely started this battle and already Suntao was wounded. This wasn't going to be easy...

Confronting someone like this...one this advanced in skill was deadly, but he had to finish this. He wasn't going to back down gracefully...

He had no time to think. For in this battle, his actions had to be quick. But it seemed this man gave him time to respond to his retort.
"To tell you the truth..." He smiled and put his hand behind his head. "I don't even know where I am, much less know a master Swordsman by that name."
Senju just scoffed at him. Suntao took it in stride, grabbed the hilt of the Jutondo and rested the blade on his shoulder.
"But...I have a feeling these words are truthful. Dealing with swordmanship like this will be quite a task for me..."
Suntao then plunged his sword into the ground, causing a small tremor around them.
"It won't stop me from accomplishing the task though."

Senju didn't spend anymore time listening to what he had to say as he quickly swept around him. The man was quite fast, making it slightly difficult for Suntao's eyes to keep track of him. As a gust of wind slowly brushed his left cheek, he raised his sword, narrowly escaping another attack. Suntao quickly reached in his garbs for a knife and sent it flying in Senju's direction. Just as he side-stepped to get out of its path, Suntao pulled Jutondo away, bent his body down and swept Senju's legs with his sword.

The speed of this man was incredible. Suntao felt a connection when he swept Jutondo at his legs, but it wasn't enough. As for the knife...all that was visible was a small nick on the side of Senju's right cheek.

Suntao decided that his morphing abilities would have to come into play soon, or he would be in a bit of trouble...

Senju-nata reached up dabbing his fingers in the red substance. Pulling his hand away he looked at his crimson stained fingers. Smearing it with his thumb he grabbed the hilt with both hands. Senju turned his head back to the warrior behind him. Closing his eyes the sword began to glow faintly as if he were preparing for something. The Sword began to glow with a very, yet noticeable dark aura. It shined for a moment.

"The Dark Strike... harnessing ones anger, pain, sorrow, all into one strike... also known as the Swordsman Reliver." Senju concentrated the pain in his cheek into an actual energy, the pain on his face faded away, and he could feel it in his sword. It was a way for a master swordsman to avoid the pain, and limitations of the human body.

Turning to him, his cape was caught by a powerful gust of wind.

"Most warriors who stay when I announce my name, know nothing of me, that is why they fight... It is a shame that tremor you caused with your blade... you have so much potential it's a shame I'm going to cut you down where you stand... As hard as you try, you can't defeat me..."

Senju launched himself forward towards Suntao the blades clashed, and not sparks of steal flew, but sparks of energy from Senju's blade. Suntao could fell a dark warm emulating from the sword as Senju pressed foward closing in on him. He pushed with all his might, and stepped in on Senju. Senju then tilted the blade to the side allowing him to fully step forward, and thus staggered with his extrusion of strength. Senju's blade was approaching quickly towards his neck, but he ducked just in time. Senju spun the blade rapidly, and held it upside down as he thrusted the blade into the back of Suntao's shoulder.

With a gasping, and horrific pain Suntao screamed as he felt Senju's pain swarm in his shoulder. As he pulled away it felt like a normal wound, it stung so bad, and was already festering, it smelt like burnt flesh.

Senju jumped forward flipping the sword between his fingers, and looking over his shoulder again, at a paralyzed with pain Suntao.

"That is but a taste of my power, it is so unlike me to gloat, but I find your lack of skill... insulting."

ooc: Don't take my posts seriously Senju's pretty mean. I know a few people who take this stuff REALLY seriously heck I used too, till I realized it was just role-playing.

As Suntao staggered back, now holding the gaping wound at his shoulder, he could not believe this power. Had his master's teachings been for naught? No. He wasn't going to go down like this. He still had a chance to pull himself out of this, even if it was only slim.

As he grasped the hilt of the Jutondo, his left armlet started to shimmer. The light jumped from his armlet, moved around in the morning sky brilliantly for a few moments, then attached itself to Suntao's wounds. In no time at all, the wounds had faded and the pain had vanquished. As Suntao felt his energy return, a new expression took over his face. He rose his head and glared at Senju standing before him, only knowing he'd get the same response back. He did not care about anything else at this point...just that, this man was the key, and he would keep on fighting to get what he was set to come for.
"You may have caught me off guard, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well..."

Only after saying this did he grab the hilt of the Jutondo. As he dropped it to his side, Suntao vanished to his left...with Senju on his tail.

The sound of steel could be heard for quite sometime. Only the sparks from the clashing of blades could be seen by the naked eye.

It became quite clear to Suntao it'd take some time to try to defeat this character. As he once again used the Battou-jutsu, Suntao took his chance. He strained a bit, contorting the image of his body, and suddenly became quite small, making Senju miss his target. Then, only at a moment's glance, Suntao shifted his body again, returning to his former self. He then grabbed the hilt of Jutondo and swung it at Senju, catching his right arm as he went to dodge.

Suntao jumped back, keeping only a few meters from his opponent. He then raised the Jutondo from his side and rested it on his shoulder.
"As you can see...I have only begun to fight."

OoC: Don't worry about me. I doubt you'll ever see me actually take battles too seriosuly. Like you said, gotta remember it's just role-playing, heh.

ooc: Shiby, just a little note, the Battou-jutsu starts from the sheathe of the sword, its a quick strike. As for the Dark Strike which Senju justed used then energy transphered from the sword actually eats away at the target's energy.

ic:

"Is that so... I don't even believe that I've started." Senju took a traditional samuri's stance. Then bringing down his right arm the sword angeled towards the ground guarding his upper body. The charge then initiated as Senju rushed in. He was a few good feet away. Senju started with a common thrust. Suntao saw it coming easily, and swiped away for a block. Lowering the sword on Senju's part he knelt down jumping to his knees just below Suntao, only a inch away.

Suntao's eyes widened as Senju rose holding the sword in the postion he started out in. The attack rose till it was just below his groin when the steel clashed again, and Suntao's palm bleed as he was forced the block the strike with both hands, one on the handle, the other on the blade itself.

Senju-nata used his postion to kick back, then raising his sword high he slamned the blade into the ground causing a rupture, and then the Do Ryu Sen (Ground Dragon Flash):. Rocks pelted Suntao a dozen times over with a great deal of force, not enough to cause serious damage, but enough to make him think twice about getting into the fray with Senju. Then came a wave of earth at least fourteen feet high. He lept over it easily, but what he saw he did not inticipate. Senju right infront of him.

The blades clashed midflight as Senju landed on the back side of him. It was a tradition ninja jump, and they both stood. Senju fell to one knee, closing his eye as he held his chest plate, it was torn right open, and there was a thick cut. Suntao escaped with a wound the same, only deeper.

"I didn't see that coming..." Senju coughed.

"Me niether." Suntao exclaimed holding his sword freshly tainted with Senju's blood. Senju rose to his feet at nearly the exact moment as Suntao. Turning his head over his shoulder he grinned.

"You got lucky, but I'm afraid I'm done playing. With around with my small spells, and weak novice swordsman skills... I'm going to take this to another level... With the Shin-taga!"

OoC: Heh, yeah, sorry about that. Got it mixed up with another technique. Either that or I wasn't paying attention while reading that profile...hope not.

IC: Suntao braced himself as soon as Senju had said that. There was no way he was going to underestimate this man, even only this far into the battle. The wound on his chest became increasingly painful, but by focusing on the battle at hand he was able to mask it...but hope was lost as he saw the energy seeping from Senju's blade.

Suddenly he felt the wound in his chest slowly start to dissipate...but there was something behind this. No man would carelessly heal the wounds of another without a purpose. But as he tried to move forward, a tremendous amount of pain shot into his chest. Suntao couldn't believe what was happening. The pain was unbearable, and there was no possible way of moving. He gritted his teeth furiously trying to avoid it.

There is no way I'm giving up now...

Just as he felt the pain slip away, he noticed Senju vanish before him. The only invulnerable part on his body right now, that seemed feasible to use, were his arms. He had to make his movements precise though, for any sudden movement might trigger that horrendous pain once more.

"I enjoy this now... One false move... One slip...and you're mine." Senju retorted.
"Don't count me out of the running just yet."
As the Jutondo still hung at his side, Suntao began to channel a small amount of energy into it. The tip of the blade shined brightly as Suntao raised it slightly, and just at that moment, Senju had come from behind.
"Got you."

...or so he thought...

Suntao felt the tip of the blade run into something behind him. By carefully maneuvering the hilt if the sword in his hand, at the right moment, he caught Senju with the tip of Jutondo. But this time it was all too different. As Senju went to force the blade from his body the light shining at the tip of the sword grew even brighter. And the second he touched Suntao's blade, the light had attached itself to his own wounds.

The light poured into Senju, slowly making each wound Suntao had created more and more deeper. And as Suntao stood there, practically unable to move himself, he listened to Senju grunt violently, trying to hold back every once of pain that was seeping into his body.

As Suntao looked down at the ground, he noticed the shadow behind him slowly begin to lower. He grinned and maneuvered the hilt in his hand, bringing Jutondo forward.
"You see... I still have a few tricks of my own."

"Its been so long since I've been wounded so seriously... I may need to take a break after this battle." Senju-nata rose from his knealing postion. The pain setted in, and it was intense, but it was nothing compared to what Suntao was feeling. With each passing breath he felt the sharp pain start to consume him. He would have to hold his breath in order to escape the intesne pain, even then just using his chest muscles caused such an eminse amount of pain that he wished he was dead. Senju laughed slighty, and then coughed.

"Damn AH! you what... what have you done to me!" He called to Senju in a faint whisper he s replied with a laugh.

"It is called the Shin-taga, and you have fallen prey to it." Senju smiled again turning around viewing his heep of body, even his speach caused him a great pain.

"What I want to know, was what you did to me... I don't believe I've seen this move before, what regien did it originate at, who created it... How did you learn it! The wounds... that you gave me, they grew... how explain boy explain to me."

"Besides you can't move anyways you might as well tell me."

gah me and kishin use to have great battles.
*sits down on cold hard floor and watches fight*

(we Still can if you want to, but hey a new rule that is bieng established is not to post in other peoples fight, this way it makes a clean read for other people other then reading other peoples posts as well, and I'm loving this fight, just wish Suntao would take the offensive.)