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Post by Shoju on Jun 20, 2012 14:32:48 GMT -5
Yamuso held a grim expression on his face. "I believe you are right Thrakhath-sama. His voice flat, he looked from Thrakhath back at the woman who fled from them like an ant from the foot of a human.
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Jun 20, 2012 15:00:09 GMT -5
Thrakhath's scimitar slid from its sheath, an intense green glow emanating from his eyes. He roared then; a deafening, primal sound that seemed to come from the depths of Jigoku itself. Then he spurred his horse on and charged the gate and it's startled guards, Yamuso not far behind. They rode down the guards, Thrakhath's heavy blade decapitating one man as they charged past, and powered through the closed gate.
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Zeure
Crane Clan
Crane Clan ? Samurai ? Duelist ? Artisan ? Guardian of Metal ? Unique
Posts: 826
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Post by Zeure on Jun 21, 2012 5:59:12 GMT -5
Fire swirled around her fingertips adding a luminous glow that only highlighted how much she had worked with her hands in her life. Something a so-called noble lady ought not to do, but she had. Kaede buried her hands in the forge coals, and a brilliant flash of light accompanied this action; which could be seen even outside of the forge.
Being placed on a mountain top did not help this, of course, but Battou was not interested in being any more discrete than he needed to, at this point. The forge billowed with hot air and heat like he had never felt before. And he knew... he knew it was time.
He looked over his shoulder and saw the energies of the binding circle she had opened and left, waiting, for the dark spirits contained within the item. It glowed with a ephemeral purple light. She had said something about resonating with the energy of the spirit inside, but it was all gibberish to him. He had no knowledge of such things.
He thrust the helmet inside the fires, and waited for a few moments; then he removed it and placed it upon the anvil. He had never seen metal glow so brightly, and yet look so menacingly. It was something that he had always had control over, and yet he felt like this helmet would try and wrest control from him at any given moment; if given even half an opportunity, which was something Battou was going to deny it.
The first stroke of the hammer was a clear note that rang loud and pure... a dent! He had made a dent! He swung over and over again, each swing bringing a loud note of metal screaming.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Jun 21, 2012 18:16:59 GMT -5
As if a bubble of light and heat had exploded, waves of energy undulated through the air. Something great was happening in the Forge. Mitsouko saw it. She finally saw it. But what she saw wasn’t in fact related to the mere events that brought all four of them to this place. She saw something else. She saw her humanity, the frailty of her life, the frailty of her beliefs and the frailty of the constructs of life between lives. It was like dying. Mitsouko had been very near this very sensation once, but permitted it to go because she needed to grab strongly onto her beliefs, in order to live. She thought she needed to live. She thought she needed to do something important. What sort of vanity was that? And one more thought reached its complete understading in her mind. Wasn’t her attempt of avoid suffering what was bringing more suffering? But now… now she just knew nothing was as important as she used to believe. She gave up fearing failure. She gave up all fear; she had nothing to lose, finally. The horse was too exhausted to go on, and she slowed the pace, and she heavily slipped from the animal’s back. Her travelling clothes were blood stained, but Mitsouko didn’t care. She cleaned the cold sweat of her face using the sleeve, trying to pace the breath, trying to refocus in reality, to tame the heartbeats and domain her body a little more. She walked a few steps, reaching a long stairway of tall steps. After it, the porch of the Forges was waiting for her. But in fact, why? She needed to keep forces so she waited for them to come. So, she turned and faced the path she just rode. She knew they were breaking through their way and soon would be there. But everything was kinda frozen, waiting for the destruction of the Tainted Helmet and the inevitable confront between her and the Spider Champion. Mitsouko realized reality had a strange taste and appearance now. The buildings, the green horizon in the calm sunlight, the deceiving mute morning in the citadel. Colder, clearer; salty.
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Jun 22, 2012 7:30:32 GMT -5
With Yamuso close behind, Thrakhath followed the same path Mitsouko had taken into the mountain. He slowed his horse to a stop as he entered the forge and took in the image of Mitsouko, standing there in the oppressive heat, a heat Thrakhath could not feel, her expression pained, yet determined. He dismounted and approached her slowly on foot, stopping a few yards away from her. "Kakita-sama," he said, his tone flat. The air around the three figures writhed and twisted in the heat. "Forgive my intrusion, but I believe you have something of mine," he said, drawing his heavy-bladed scimitar. "I would like it back now."
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Post by Shoju on Jun 22, 2012 8:35:42 GMT -5
Yamuso drew his short blades and fell into a battle stance, and watched. He was certain that the Crane were not intent on letting he and his champion leave, alive, with the helmet. "Some days fortune smiles upon the rational, Kakita-san"
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Jun 22, 2012 11:16:42 GMT -5
"Thrak-san, it seems we both failed to come in time to save your precious helmet from fire..."
Her hand just nudging her blade's tsuba. She laughed, as if finding something very funny. In fact, the samurai ko had a totally different look in her face; her posture resembled the duelist style, but her stance had something a bit different from any other kenshinzen's they could have met. It was careless; untamed maybe.
"Was that this important?"
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Jun 22, 2012 11:36:51 GMT -5
Thrakhath settled into a stance of his own, sliding one foot back, blade held ready at his side with his empty hand held out in front of him. It was a stance he hadn't used in battle in a long time, because he'd never faced an opponent that required all of his skill. The thought of the coming fight made him grin, though the did spare a glance at her pregnant belly. "There may still be time to hand over the artifact, Kakitap-sama," he said. "Are you sure you wish to risk your unborn child in an unnecessary battle?"
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Jun 22, 2012 13:07:53 GMT -5
"Truly unnecessary, Thrak-san. No matter the result, we both lost already. The helm as you knew it doesn't exist anymore. " with a nail she pushed back a strand of hair of her face. "I don't have much left to lose, so I think that, if you wanna fight over a helmet..." she didn't finish her speech, just observed the slighest of his moves.
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Jun 22, 2012 13:27:04 GMT -5
"For a helmet?" Thrakhath snarled, and began to circle Mitsouko. He became lighter on his feet as he moved, swaying back and forth, and the blade in his hand spun with a flourish. His grin grew wider in anticipation. "You would have made a fine Spider, Kakita-sama," he said, and then he leaped forward on the attack, aiming a heavy overhead chop at her head that he fully expected her to counter.
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Kakita Mitsouko
Crane Clan Mod ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star.png)
::Daimyo::Kenshinzen::Hatamoto of Crane Clan::Paragon of Duty
Posts: 1,952
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Post by Kakita Mitsouko on Jun 22, 2012 17:50:53 GMT -5
"Redundance..." Mitsouko observed his swaying moves with the sword. But she had to admit he had pure strenght, he was a inate warrior, he had potential.
And you... would have made a good deishi, Thrakh...
As Thrak of course expected, Mitsouko finally drew her katana, but she did not parry his heavy strike. In a fluid iaijutsu movement she stepped forward and passed by him, in order to avoid the frontal attack, and turned back her upper body, keeping her feet firmly planted on the ground; her passing strike did not aimed the top of his head, but threatened his neck. The blade came dangerously closer as she spun...
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Zeure
Crane Clan
Crane Clan ? Samurai ? Duelist ? Artisan ? Guardian of Metal ? Unique
Posts: 826
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Post by Zeure on Jun 23, 2012 7:48:36 GMT -5
POUND!
The hammer sounded clear against the helmet, causing the echoed screech of metal against metal, to sound again.
POUND!
Battou was yelling at this point, though he couldn't have told you why.
POUND!
Asahina Kaede stood guard, waiting for the spirit to exit, ready to entrap it and banish it. Her ears hurt, and she had a pained look on her face.
POUND!
He couldn't hear anything. He didn't feel anything. Each stroke was a sweet promise of pain to come, but not yet.
POUND!
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! HAAAAAAHHH!!"
His final yell, something fierce and determined, finally shut out the horrible screech. The helmet shattered under his continued pressure, and all that was left was an evil dark energy, undulating in the place where the helmet was only seconds before; twisting into a ball of pure force and hatred. A dark thing, that he could not contend with. He was thrown back, clear against the other wall from it, he hit with a hard thud, his body, the wood, or possibly some combination of the two, making a cracking sound as it smashed against the wall. Blood trickled from him.
Kaede leapt into action immediately, words of power that she had already spoken twice, she began speaking again. She moved her hands in symbols meant to bind, making gestures, and trying to place her will against the being of energy that had been released.
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Daigotsu Thrakhath
Spider Clan
Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken
Posts: 600
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Post by Daigotsu Thrakhath on Jun 25, 2012 9:10:46 GMT -5
The speed of Mitsouko's counterattack was something Thrakhath was unprepared for. He managed to twist his body away from the blow, but her blade still bit into his neck and opened a deep gash there. He hit the ground and rolled, coming up with his free hand covering his ragged throat. No blood leaked out of the wound, but a pale green light did emanate from between his fingers. "You are very fast," he said quietly. There was a strange, unearthly reverberation in his voice that hadn't been there before.
His hand came away from his throat, and with a sneer he threw himself forward again. His blows were aimed not at her, but at her weapon, as if he were trying to simply batter her down with brute strength.
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Post by Shoju on Jun 25, 2012 9:58:53 GMT -5
As Thrakhath pressed the fight with Lady Kakita, Yamuso stepped back into the shadows of the forge, and began looking for her husband. He followed the sounds of activity, and reached Battou's location in time to see the helm violently shatter, and witness the formation of the energy that had been contained in it, and the force of the explosion that attempted to plaster him to the wall in front of him.
He chuckled as he exited the shadows. "You sought to destroy that which you can't even understand. That which held a power that is older than us all. That which.... serves a purpose other than your own."
Yamuso was wary of the unshackled fury that now found itself without a home. The Spirits of Nemuranai were shroud in mystery to the man. He knew only the power they imbued upon the creations they called home. He drew his blades, certain that the Kakita smith would draw his last breath, here and now.
As Yamuso prepared to strike, he looked at the Asahina. "I think you may be ill prepared" He spoke, his voice dripping with a mocking tone.
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Zeure
Crane Clan
Crane Clan ? Samurai ? Duelist ? Artisan ? Guardian of Metal ? Unique
Posts: 826
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Post by Zeure on Jun 27, 2012 0:42:10 GMT -5
Kaede did not hear anything going on around her. She was very taken up with the ritual, and the sounds from previously had deafened her. All her attention was on the ritual, trying to bind the thing, which, all things considered was probably going better for her than one would think. Given the forces that she was working against. However, the tiniest trickle of blood suddenly began to flow from her ears and nose, some form of magical pressure to heavy for her form to entirely contain.
Battou suddenly gasped air, and his vision was blurred and filled with pain, his eyes trying to focus on what was going on. He looked up at Yamuso with his knife pointed at him; and his natural movement was to slap the knife hand, dive sideways and come up to his feet, where he could make use of his considerable speed. However, he noticed a problem with this plan; he couldn't move, every joint and piece of his body hurt. He knew something was broken.
"Just get it over with, coward. You ran from a confrontation earlier, and now that I'm down you come around. Your kind sicken me."
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