Haupien swung his blade low, his foe avoiding it with a quick hop. He didn't mind the dodge, as it still kept her distracted and on the defensive. He at first thought his feint was succesful- she didn't move to block the attack, or to dodge it. However as he brought the blade closer, with a flash of green light she was gone. His eyes went wide, and the world seemed to slow. He listened carefully, starting to turn his body to search for where she had gone. He felt however, that this would be too slow, as he recognized the crackling of energy.
Shadows seemed to swarm from the ground to his body, wrapping him in darkness as the energy covered fist came closer. He stepped backwards, first the attack passing harmlessly through his body, then he moved through her, now being behind her. As quickly as they had appeared, the shadows dissapated, his body no longer concealed. He quickly attacked, swinging his blade hard at her backside. While such an attack would leave him open if she managed to block him, the counter-counter-attack would prove hard to defend. He smiled, hoping he had finally taken the upper hand.
Used Konatsian Keen Senses (1,500) to dodge Sparks (1,000) MP- 5/6 KP- 6/6 PL- 5,000 Damage Sustained- 0%/250%
A dodge into a dodge into her being back on the defensive. Lovely. This specific Konatsian seemed to have some sort of shadow-related powers given both his attack and defensive maneuvers so far had both been byproducts of it. His copy of her strategy immediately after she did it left a bit to be desired. With a small frown, Amara didn't even need to concentrate to know Haupien was behind her. In a smooth motion reversed normally for getting into push-up position on an officer's order, Amara hit the ground to let the sword swing harmlessly overhead. The Saiyan continued to move, morphing into a roll away from a follow-up as she sprang to her feet a little ways away. Both of them had expended some energy during their game of cat and mouse, and with Haupien not moving to attack her quite yet Amara decided to let herself recharge for a second or two. "Not bad so far," Her tone was neutral, appraising even. "But you're going to have to land some actual hits in if you want to impress me, knife-ear." They both seemed to be rather agile in their styles, so this fight could drag on for quite some time without brash action.
Haupien's strategy proved safe, for although she reacted quicker than he had hoped and was able to dodge it, she was unable to use the opening to provide her own attack. He took another step back quickly, bringing his sword back to a protective stance once more. They both took the moment to stand still, the battlefield seeming to grow silent besides the occasional heavy breath from one of the two. She addressed the standstill, encouraging him to take an action. Usually he wouldn't allow an opponent to goad himself into taking such an attack, Haupien doing better when fighting defensively and slowly wearing his opponent down, but this was no normal fight. If the intervieweee wanted him to change up the fight, change it he would.
He suddenly sprinted forward, shadows curling around his body and to his blade. He swiped up violently with the blade, following up with a series of slashes. However it was far too early to actually hit his target. Instead wisps of shadow launched from the blade with each strike, flying towards his foe. He continued his assault moving forward with the cover of the blasts to attempt to land the blows physically now.
Amara took a short breather, regaining what little energy she had spent as Haupien presumably did the same. Their initial exchange had proved one thing very clear, that they were - at the moment - extremely evenly matched. The Konatsian's tactics were very similar to her own in that fighting defensively seemed to be the key focus. The addition of a sword gave the man extra permanent reach provided he wasn't disarmed or had his blade shattered, but relying on it too much could lead to a weakness she may be able to exploit. He had reacted to her goad willingly, moving on the offensive as he started to swing his blade before even coming close. Yet Amara was surprised to see edged shadows peeling themselves off the blade, hurtling towards her in a flurry of makeshift projectiles. Her arms crackled with electricity with a sudden burst, Amara swinging to deflect Haupien's ranged attacks before catching his melee swing with one of her hands. Without hesitation the Saiyan quickly formed a dagger-sized bolt of power, aiming to drive it surface-level into the Konatsian's main sword arm. Afterward she'd twist her wrist on the arm that had caught his sword prior, aiming to wrench it from his grasp and throw it behind her.
Amara BULKS using her Overcharge support technique!
Amara uses her Lightning Javelin overflowing technique to CLASH and defeat Shadow Jab, leaving 1,500 PL bleedthrough for Haupien
As he charged forward, she met his attacks with ease, an electric burst of energy allowing her to grab onto his blade without harm, stopping his assault in its path. At the same time, she formed a dagger of energy, striking at his blade arm. He could try to break out of her grip, but doing so would mean she was certain to strike true and he had little hope of keeping his grip if he took a direct hit. He couldd't evade the attack, as she had him locked down. If he tried to deflect the attack with his own, he would be giving up on his attempt to keep his weapon. That left one answer.
Shadows wrapped around his feet, crawling up his body. His body became cloaked in darkness, that condensed onto his body and arms. It solidified, forming an armor of energy as the blade struck. The attack struck the armor harmlessly, the damage it had done repaired by collecting wisps that filled in the gap it had made.
As she twisted twisted his sword arm, trying to wrench the weapon from his grip, he grabbed onto her now with his left hand. He tried holding onto the weapon as best as he could, feeling it slipping from his hand. If he was able to grap onto her, the two entangled in a grapple, he would then push forward, tackling her. If he was unable to suceed, he doubted he would be able to keep his blade, but he hoped his attack would be enough of a distraction to secure it.
Used Sparking- Shadow Armor (3,500) to block the attack, with 2,000 remaining, with Sustained+ 350 regenerated for 2,350 remaining PL, 3 turns remaining MP- 2/6 KP- 1/6 Damage Sustained- 0%/250% PL- 5,000
Last Edit: Mar 31, 2021 13:06:40 GMT -5 by Haupien
"Well that's inconvenient," A sudden defense had sprung to Haupien's aid, a barrier of shadows blocking her attack as it fizzled away into nothingness. Amara couldn't be sure of how exactly tough it was, but with how little damage her javelin had done it was safe to say she'd have a hard time piercing it. Even worse was the fact it was still up, knitting back the hole she'd created before in short order. The woman frowned, hoping that it'd eventually run out of power and disperse naturally... but she'd have to stall until then. They struggled for a bit in a grapple, neither fighter willing to back down before eventually Amara found herself on the losing end, skidding back across the cracked ground as the Konatsian kept his weapon. Amara simply stood there, ready to defend herself but otherwise not taking any other action. If he wanted her to try and slam herself against that shadowy barrier until it broke, Haupien would have another thing coming. "Neat technique you have there, reminds me to work on a more specialized one of my own sometimes to deal with shit like that." For now all she could do was wait and avoid whatever the swordsman would throw at her.
Amara will drop Overcharge this turn, and takes no other KP action
For a brief moment, neither side gave out, the two locked together. He pushed harder, focusing his energy on winning this struggle. While he could fight without his sword, he wasn't nearly as skilled without it and it offered one of the few advantages he had in this fight. He managed to eke out a win, pushing her backwards as she relenquished her grip on the weapon. He stepped back, neither side renewing the attack yet. His specialized technique had not only succesfully blocked the attack, allowing him to take a small victory, but also deterred any further attacks. The two stood still, Haupien breathing heavily from the energy he had extended in their battle.
He considered responding to her words, but could think of nothing to offer. He had never been as chatty as others on the battlefield anyways. As it became clear that she had no intention to attack, he sighed. Apparently, he'd have to.
He moved forward, at first taking careful steps like he had before. Then suddenly he dashed forward, abandoning caution and swinging aggresively at her. They would certainly leave him open to an attack, but his armor would keep him protected. After the attack, he would keep swinging, intent on giving her little break.
Shadow Armor regenerates another 350, 2,700 with 2 turns remaining MP- 3/6 KP- 3/6 Damage Sustained- 0%/250% PL- 5,000
The Swordsman so once again quiet. The two stood apart from each other a few feet away. each knowing that this battle was far from over, and yet neither of them had taken any serious damage yet. Of course, powers so close together, perhaps even dead even, this outcome was to be expected. The only thing she heard from him was a small sigh, he apparently had recognized that Amara did not intend to take the offensive all his barrier of darkness was still present. He had begun to move again taking slow cautious steps. Then without warning, he moved as quick as a flash. His blade bore down upon her and a series of Swift strikes and while normally an aggressive approach would be punished by retribution by of her own key, that was currently not an option with the sustained protection of his shadows.
In response to the wild and unabated slices and stabs, Amara simply dodged to the best of her ability - focusing her efforts solely on defense rather than looking for any sort of opportunity to counter-strike. Even with this in mind, trying to only dodge attacks instead of attempting to turn the pressure back on the swordsman meant that she couldn't keep this charade up forever. Sooner rather than later, she would take a glancing blow. And speak of the devil, exactly such an occurrence happened. Haupien's blade nicked her at the edge of her cheek, drawing an extremely thin line of blood. The wound stung but was otherwise completely inconsequential. With a sudden flash and a burst of energy Amara are once again disappeared for a moment from the battlefield, reappearing a fair distance away and challenging her opponent with a strong glare.
Amara utilizes her Flash Step evasive technique to flavor dodge Haupien's attacks
For the first time in the fight, he was in control. With each stroke he forced her back, unable to retaliate while his armor was still intact. She continued to dodge, slowly being worn down by the attacks. Of course, he grew tired with each stroke as well, but it simply had less consequences for him. He was left more open, but his armor ensured that if she tried to attack him back he could ignore the blow and attack at the same time. His movements were more sluggish, but with them both tiring, he'd soon be able to land a glancing blow. He felt a small hint of satisfaction as he saw a line of blood appear on the Saiyan. He didn't truly care for fighting, and growing stronger didn't motivate him like it seemed to drive Mayze, but being engaged with a true opponent where he could use all of his swordsmanship- that felt good.
She flashed back after the wound, intent on creating distance between then. Her plan was painfully apparent at this point. She intended on outlasting the armor, conserving as much energy as possible until she could safely strike. His energy draw was weakened, the armor drawing eating away at it. Usually he would try to conserve it, recovering until he was once again at full strength while he continued to wear down and outpace his foe. He didn't have the option here- she had the advantage in energy, and he doubted he could restore his armor if it collapsed.
He meandered forward, slowly approaching his foe. He held his blade at his side, inviting her to waste her energy. If he wasn't able to end this now, he didn't know if he'd get another opportunity. With each step taken, his speed slowly increased. Soon he was running forward again, his sword dragging on the ground. It seemed to tug at the shadows on the ground, the darkness collecting on his weapon like it had on his body. He raised the sword above his head, intending on bringing it crashing down on her. If she tried dodging, he'd hunt her down, trying again and again. He breathed more raggedly with each attempt, drawing upon all of his energy.
Using Shadow Strike (50%) with a Momentum Boost (10%) for 3,000 Shadow Armor regenerates 350, 3,050 PL with 1 turn remaining MP- 1/6 KP- 0/6 Damage Sustained- 0%/250% PL- 5,000
Haupien continued to attack, losing steam as Amara continued to play chicken and avoid him for as long as possible. After her short-ranged flash, the Konatsian truly started to show signs of fatigue in both his stance and the waning cover of darkness that surrounded him. It wouldn't hold up for much longer and Amara would finally be able to retaliate for real. Yet perhaps she could use his continually reckless style to her favor, new plan hinging on what Haupien did next. With a short pause, the swordsman gathered as much energy as he could, rushing at her once more with the intent to deliver a shadow-infused slice upon her body.
Amara's own energy surged in anticipation. Without much thought, her hand raced up to meet the oncoming blade... stopping it in its' tracks to the woman's surprise. The energy behind Haupien's attack surged forward, flowing through her body as the Saiyan struggled to contain it all. This feeling was similar to once she'd felt before during her trial with Beowulf, Amara's body relying on instinct to fall into position as she pointed two fingers back at the Konatsian's chest. Without warning all of her pent-up power was released in a shocking blast.
Amara uses Overcharge (Bulking)!
Amara uses her SPARKING, Lightning Thorns (reflective barrier) to absorb Haupien's attack before rebounding at him with 1,500 PL!
Haupien chased her, each time unable to land a blow before she escaped. Finally, he swung his blade hard, shadows dripping off of it, as he looked to finally land a major blow. Instead she grabbed onto his weapon for the second time this fight. Instead of following it up with an attempt to wrest the blade from his grip, she simply pointed two at his chest. He looked down for one brief moment, before he was suddenly shot backwards. He flew backwards, landing a good twenty feet away on his back.
He laid there, catching his breath. He looked down at his chest, noting that he hadn't been injured. His armor had managed to stop any wounds, but it was dissolving by the second. He stood up, not making any attempt to close the distance now. Without the armor, he could no longer afford to be reckless. He slowly moved into the familiar defensive stance, holding his blade in front of him protectively.
As they currently stood, neither of them had hope of ending it soon. They seemed to equally powerful, and he didn't posses the raw power to overwhelm her defenses. His only hope at this point was that she would slip up.
Her counter had hit its mark, the Konatsian flying backward and crashing into the baked clay earth but otherwise appeared to be unharmed as the last vestiges of his armor had faded from sight. Despite the intensity of their battle thus far next to no damage had actually been dealt to either combatant aside from glancing blows or small bruises. It was true that her current power was actively restricted, far from what Amara could put out if she fully concentrated, that wasn't really the point of this battle. Amara huffed and puffed, shoulders rolling and eyes snapping to Haupien as he got up, leveling his blade at her once more. "Alright, alright. That's enough,"
Her hand went up to form a halting symbol. "I think we got the gist of skill and whatnot. Consider yourself tested and thoroughly passed with high marks." The Saiyan sighed, walking back the fair distance they'd moved away from the crick to retrieve her bags. "Nice pointy stick. Seems pretty durable, what's it made of?" Though she hadn't halted preparing to travel once more, straps and buckles clicking into place. "I'll keep your name in mind but it seems we both have places to be sooner rather than later." She stuck out her hand for a quick shake, giving a nod if the gesture was reciprocated and turning after to walk off. "See you around."
He sheathed his sword, relieved. He had enjoyed the fight, but at this point it could have gone on for hours. Instead of one overwhelming the other, it was likely they both would have passed out next to each other from exhaustion instead. This made for a much better end, with Haupien having proved his skill. He was proud- the Kontastian hadn't even arrived at the Mercenary Outpost yet and he had already proved himself for an offer. He thought it made sense for his rather unconventional path to his destination. Instead of simply listening to and remembering the Saiyan pairs' directions he had... forgotten them and ending up going in circles.
"Oh yea, it's made of. Well. It's a family heriloom," he said as if that actually answered the question. He had never actually found out what the weapon was made of, being taken away from his family before he had ever founded out. It had never mattered to him anyways- it was strong and durable, the why wasn't important as long he could use it well. He accepted her handshake, and watched as she walked away. He began to walk towards his destination- for he was fairly certain he was headed in the right direction now- and then it occured to him. He wasn't sure they had ever actually exchanged names.
Apr 6, 2024 1:21:15 GMT -5
Lottus: Friendly reminder for new folks to check the rules regarding art claims - AI Art is not accepted on Sparking for character sheets.
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Yakito: I am the #1 Tenrec hater (Striker will be struck)