Reunion of Champions(HUNK vs. Darkwolf)

[HUNK]

(OCC: I was thinking since I've not seen you in awhile it'd be a good idea to do this fight as if it were a reunion. Friends who've not seen each other in a long time and who have changed much.)

Andres stood before the Grand Cathedral in Romainia. "The beauty of the Lord himself, watching over us all..." Andres' train of thought was interupted when over the horizon he could see a figure moving in the distance. It appeared to be a person, with long black hair in a black shirt.

"Is that who I think it is? Surely not... I thought he died..."

Andres gripped his cross uneasily. "Let's meet this person and see..."

(OCC: Didn't want the story to progress far without your imput. Take it where you want.)

[Darkwolf]

Zetsu was standing against the farthest wall in the Cathedral, closest to the door. The whole place had been filled with many sorts of religious symbols and elegant decorations. It seemed to be a massive piece of artwork.

Andres had taken his last step toward Zetsu before greeting him.

"You finally noticed me, huh?" Zetsu said, scratching his head. "I've been waiting here for quite a while. You'd think a fellow ex-soldier would have a better sense of what's around him." He chuckled a bit, and then fixed his eyes on Andres's and smirked. "So, do you remember how we used to practice?"

(I think your idea is fitting. I have no idea what we should use as an arena though, so that'll be your choice. Let's see where this goes.)

[HUNK]

(OOC: Cathedral's Cemetary. ^_^ Good fight-zone)

"You remember how we used to practice? "...Ex-soldier..." All of these memories floated around in Andres' mind. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the horrors of war, playing out before his very eyes. He had slain many... A belmont was needed in the front lines, as the undead were being used as soldiers. Andres' had no problem in fighting fiends but the soliders were another story. They were people, they had familes and it was strictly against the belmont legacy to do what Andres' did on that battlefield...

"Yeah... I remember. Those drills sure were heck, huh?"

Andres' could feel the weight of The Vampire Killer, almost as if it were trembling in his hand. "You know, a belmont has never lost in a battle before. Have your skills further improved?"

"Tell me one more thing, why have you come here? I thought you were KIA during the Necros Conflict."

[Darkwolf]

Zetsu studied Andres, he seemed to be still traumatized by what had happened during the days when they were fighting a war.

"Yeah... I remember. Those drills sure were heck, huh?"

"You still haven't changed. Yeah, it was hell though, but we got through it. We'd be damned if we hadn't though, am I right?"

They both chuckled for a bit, Zetsu grinned at Andres to try and shift his focus away from the memories. After a short moment, Andres spoke.

"You know, a belmont has never lost in a battle before. Have your skills further improved?"

Zetsu laughed. "Is that so? Maybe it's because I've never had to fight a belmont. At least, besides our sparring now and then. You could say I was forced to improve, under the circumstances."

When Zetsu said this, Andres' face seemed to become more cold and sober. He spoke in a very solid tone.

"Tell me one more thing, why have you come here? I thought you were KIA during the Necros Conflict."

Zetsu knew this was coming. He sighed. "That.... " He swallowed nervously. "Well I'm here because I wanted to meet up with you. After all, it's been years hasn't it? At least two. Well... let's just say they couldn't kill me that easily. It was better though, if I had made it seem that way. With the situation I was in, if anyone had come and tried to help me out, they would've surely died. I just didn't want that to happen."

Zetsu recalled the events. Nobody in the group had known they were being sent on a suicide mission. The enemy had a gruesome ambush waiting for them. As that battle progressed, and Zetsu saw how many of his own comrades were dying, and how Andres was struggling, he knew he had to do something. By separating himself from the group and creating a diversion, the others could live.

The year following that incident were hell for Zetsu. He had been forced to live behind enemy territory, not able to return home and not able to trust anyone. He had decided that he was tired of it, and had focused all of his energy on an assassination plan against the enemy leader. That moment, when all of his skill and planning had unfolded perfectly, replayed itself in Zetsu's mind. Diversion, Separation, Assassination. However simple the plan, he had gotten it done without anyone knowing who had done it. If only Andres knew... would they still be friends?

Zetsu looked into Andres's eyes. "If you only knew..." he said almost under his breath. "Anyways, let's put that aside for now. You seem confidant that you can beat me. We'll have to test that."

(Can you link me the post of your character page? I would like not to sort through that thread)

[HUNK]

( http://thefinalfantasy.net/forums/ro...istics-33.html ) (Link for Mah character. Second of mine on list. Right under yours ser.)

"You seem confident that you can beat me, We'll have to test that."

Andres didn't like what he saw. As Zetsu stared into his eyes, Andres what he at first belived to be malice, but no, it was.... something else.

"Please, church is for God's work, and I should surely hope you're no demon."

Andres gave a short and almost fake laugh.

"But, if you're really so willing to test my strength, we can move outside."

Without even a glance Zetsu's way, Andres walked briskly out of the chruch. Into a large courtyard. The usuall splendor of it's beautiful flowers and small water pools were undermined by the dark and cloudy weather above. Andres sighed as he looked to the skies. He turned to Zetsu who was slowly following behind him.

"Many a demons and powerfull creatures reside in the land of our enemies... You must've grown strong. Know that I shall not hold back, my families honor is at stake!"

Andres leaped through the air Whip in hand, striking the ground in front of Zetsu. For a brief moment, time moved slower. He could hear the crack of his whip, like a lightning bolt striking a tree. He could feel the wind as his whip quickly rushed back around him... Then time seemed normal again.

Andres' whip bolted stright at Zetsu without warning.

"Come now, with all your strength!"

[Darkwolf]

"Please, church is for God's work, and I should surely hope you're no demon."

Zetsu's eyes widened quickly. Was his old friend suggesting he be a demon? He quickly dismissed the idea as a mere joke, chuckled and allowed Andres to lead him to the church's courtyard. The silence almost killed him. Usually, they were always talking to each other, and on the rarest occasion when they had not, things were still not this awkward.

Zetsu frowned slightly, and as the two had gone into their stances, he heard Andres speak.

"Many a demons and powerfull creatures reside in the land of our enemies... You must've grown strong. Know that I shall not hold back, my families honor is at stake!"

Andres drew his famous chain whip and leapt. How one can fight with such a weapon, Zetsu couldn't understand. Zetsu stood as Andres made a warning strike, in which all was still for a moment. The whip was then pulled back, and Zetsu closed his eyes and placed his right hand on the handle of his first katana.

His eyes closed, Zetsu could make the sacrafice of sight to focus his ability on focusing his mana. As he did, he felt a burst of energy as Andres's whip flew straight at him. Remaining focused, Zetsu drew his first blade from his left side, and with his right hand struck the whip downward at a diagonal angle, starting at his left shoulder and ending at his right leg.

After doing so, Zetsu raised his left hand and gripped the blade of one of his throwing knives, and threw it almost instantly. He had aimed the small blade to strike Andres at the moment when he would land, given the time of his descent and direction.

[HUNK]

Andres looked with shock as Zetsu managed to block his strike. He was somewhat thankfull, he had not wanted to harm an old friend...

However, these feelings didn't change his will to win. After all, the Belmont legacy was at stake here!

Andres slowly fell back twords the ground and out of the corrner of his eye, he could see a small blade being drawn and thrown. It was coming straight for his position on the ground. Rather than letting his body become impaled, Andres caught the ground with his right hand. The dagger narrowly missed his arm, it must have been aimed as a body strike for when he would land. Andres was thankfull for his acrobatic skill, but his weak arms gave out and just moments after dodging the knife, he plumeted to the ground, rolling a few times before quickly getting up.

"You've lost no skill. Most would not be able to preform a guard and an attack so quickly in succesion. Well done."

Andres laughed as he prepared his next attack. "Forgive me for this but I must know..." Andres reached into his jacket pocket and pulled forth a blue vial filled with Holy Water. "Behold the power of a Belomont's Holy Water!" As he splashed water on the ground in front of Zetsu, blue flames rose out of the dround and quickly closed in on Zetsu's standing position.

His eyes were closed but Andres could tell that he had just been focusing. It's how he used to fight back in the day... Oh what simpler times those were...

[Darkwolf]

"You've lost no skill. Most would not be able to preform a guard and an attack so quickly in succesion. Well done."

Zetsu grinned a bit. He missed this kind of fighting he and Andres had done countless times before. However, the mood was broken by Andres's next words.

"Forgive me for this but I must know..."

Andres drew his vial of holy water and splashed it in front of Zetsu, who quickly opened his eyes in shock. What is this? Andres always used his holy water only on the demonic! Does he really... Zetsu had no time to finish his thought as he quickly jumped backward and found the blue fire closing in on him fast.

Thinking quickly, Zetsu placed his left hand on the blade of his katana, and focused his mana. An almost colorless aura burst from the sword, moving very quickly in every direction around the blade. This was the aura of Wind. Zetsu then placed his left hand on the bottom part of his katana's handle and, as the fire grew closer, made a large sweeping slash from his left side to his right, widening his range of control on the wind aura so that it was able to choke the fire of any oxygen and kill it.

He then focused his attention on Andres, who was too far away to strike with a close-range attack. Zetsu drew three throwing knives, and using the aura of wind he had placed on his katana, he threw them in the air and slashed so that he could direct the blades with a fine control via his mana. They had begun flying their straight path, the first directly at Andres, the other two directing themselves above Andres and one to his right.

After he was finished, Zetsu released his control over his aura and allowed it to die out. Now sweating, he realized that he was just beginning to stress his mana. If Zetsu did not be careful about his mana usage, he would exhaust himself too early in this fight.

[HUNK]

Andres saw the terror in Zetsu's eyes as he frantically swipped away the purging flames. He quickly extinguished the fire but he was weakening. Weaking was a term Andres used lightly, there is alway hidden potential behind any kind of warrior, and Zetus was no exception.

Zetsu hurled three knives at Andres, one was heading right for him, the other two were aimed at his right and above him. "He's trying to make it so that I cannot dodge! Fine then..." Andres stood his ground and at the very moment the knife came at him, he drew his sword and slashed at it.
"Ha, you'd think I wouldn't fall for the same trick twice!" However, the knife tore a hole straight through Andres' sword and impaled his coat. Blood slowly trickled down his arm as he fell to the ground.

"Elemental Mana, of cource, you wouldn't use normal daggers... What was I thinking..."

Andres may have been bleeding but he was far from defeated, fire burned in his eyes and he was determined to survive. He discarded the half of a sword he held and grabed his whip again. He sprinted twords Zetsu, spinning forward and quickly switching to his right hand, taking a decicive swing twords Zetsu's body.

"I cannot loose old friend, it's my duty as a Belmont..."

[Darkwolf]

Zetsu had stared at Andres for a moment. He was bleeding, and yet Zetsu clearly saw him block the attack, but his sword was broken in the process. He let out a quick chuckle. Am I really growing this strong? It's been so long since I've had someone to test myself against.

Andres had gone on the attack again, sending his chain whip flying toward Zetsu. Thinking carefully, Zetsu sheathed his blade and focused his mana. As the whip struck, the pain in Zetsu's body shot up and he let out a very short scream. Now was the moment he wanted though, his body was wrapped with chains and he was now ready to preform his counterattack.

With the mana he had focused, he placed his hand on the nearest chain link he could. Then, a small flame appeared near his hand. It traveled around, following the chain until it was a foot away from Zetsu's body. "It seems you've landed a blow, Andres." Zetsu said, now sweating more intensely. "But you forget, I do not fight exclusively with weapons."

As he said this, he allowed the small flame created by his aura magic to grow, and shoot with as much speed as he could control toward Andres's arm. He made the flames grow in power, and focused the power into a small, narrow form around the chain as to not let it grow out of control. He would not, however, stop the flame from consuming Andres's arm if Andres did not act.

[HUNK]

"I do not fight exclusivly with weapons!"

As he herd these words, flashbacks from the war came back to mind. Andres recalled a time when countless skeletal fiends attacked the main outpost of the Romainian Military. Both Andres and Zetsu were stationed here. It was where they met... As the army amassed and the fighting was too much, Zetsu had released an un-fathomable amount of mana and burned them all to a crisp. Andres haddn't counted, but it could easily be said that 200 fried corpses littered the battlefield that day...

Andres clicked the button on the handle of his whip, it realeased Zetsu in an instant and quickly retracted back into the handle, but it was not quick enough, as the flame Zetsu had started with his mana had followed the whip back on to Andres' arm. Andres let out a frightend yell. He had hated fire, it was one of his greatest fears... Andres quickly tore off the sleave of his jacket and let it fall to the ground and burn. He remembered that battle from long ago...

"Is he....holding back? Surely if he were tainted by a demon he would not... Then why do I feel this, is it something else?"

Andres looked confused for a moment, he was uncirtain of his feelings, he sensed something but it may have not been coming from Zetsu. "Whatever, all that matters is that he's here and fighting me, I must stay focused." After rationalizing that in his head, Andres threw his Holy Water to the ground in from of him, blue fire had started closing in on Zetsu once again, but this time after throwing the vial, Andres leaped into the air behind Zetsu. He held his whip handle and threw the whip forward while screaming "Flame Strike!", Fire encompased all the chain links of his whip and it shot straight forward, like an arrow of fire, raging with all the strength of a mighty dragon's breath.

"E nomine patrice..." Andres muttered under his breath.

[Darkwolf]

The same blue flames that Andres had used before were now raging toward Zetsu. At first, Zetsu doubted whether Andres's attack would just be a repeat from before, but as he leapt in the air, Zetsu now knew differently.

Now he was left with a very difficult situation. Flames were closing in on Zetsu fast, and now Andres was on the attack as well. Zetsu reached for his spear, and quickly extended it to full length. Waiting for just the right moment, he focused a large bit of mana on his own movements. He quickly leapt in the air, and as the chain whip struck the ground, Zetsu thrust his spear into the first link, pinning it to the ground. Now using the tension the whip had, he drew both katanas and quickly started to run up the whip, his boots burning. Just as he reached Andres, he gave two quick slashes and leapt off of the chain, however too late to have escaped burns on his feet and a pair of ruined boots.

The pain seared up through Zetsu's legs, and as he landed, he fell to one knee, sweating and feeling the severity of his injury.

[HUNK]

Much to the surprise of Andres, who thought he had the battle, Zetsu ran up the chains of Andres' whip. Zetsu's boots turned black and caught on fire for a moment but that did not slow his charge. He gave two quick slashes with his katanas before leaping back to the ground.

Andres fell back twords the earth, he landed harshly on his feet at first but upon touching the ground his legs gave out and he fell to his knees. As he fell forward he caught himself with his left hand and stared vacently at the ground. A small pool of blood was fomring in front of him. He opened his jacket and found the two slashes made an almost X-shaped pattern on his chest and he was bleeding. Andres' last bottle of Holy Water also was broken in the attack, trails of Holy Water leaked down his chest, searing shut a few of his cuts. Steam, a mix of blood and Holy Water lifted off his body and into the air. Andres inhaled the fummes and choked. After a brief coughing fit, he threw down what was left of his jacket.

"You just show up and ruin my jacket... Tis cruelty for sure, Hahaha!"

Andres pressed the button to retract his whip, Zetsu's lance stayed attached to the end of Andres' whip. Using it to his advantage, Andres quickly spun the lance-ended-whip around his body like a morning star mace and flung it back at Zetsu.

"I've one measure I can take if this goes wrong, but I'd surely not want to do that to him... That kind of fate is too cruel..."

[Darkwolf]

Zetsu had been breathing very heavily. The burns on his feet were searing, and his focus was consistently being lost due to the nerves flaring up. As he looked over at Andres, Zetsu saw that his attack had landed.

Much to his surprise, though, Andres had preformed yet another attack, using Zetsu's own spear against him. The chain whip was being hurled yet again at Zetsu, this time with the spear attached at the end. Thinking carefully through the pain, Zetsu thought of how to take this attack.

Focused, Zetsu allowed the spear to draw close to him, and at the last moment, stepped as quickly as he could so that he may not be struck with the blade of the spear, but with the extended handle. He took the blow to the side, and placed his hand firmly on the handle to keep it in place there.

Now, with the handle of the spear firmly tucked on his side and holding it with all of his might, Zetsu knelt to the ground and with his other hand, gently rubbed his feet. He was applying a magic to cure the burns as best as he could with the little time that he had.

As soon as he felt the flaring of his nerves calm down to a much more subtle level, he placed his other hand on the handle of the spear and waited for Andres's next move.

[HUNK]

(OOC: After a long slumber, I can RP again. I'll message you after this post to see if you're still up to it. )

"Tch, he caught it..."

Andres was now locked in a powerstuggle, his hand clutching his whip's handle, while Zetsu had one hand on the handle of his spear. Andres started to pull back, trying to retrieve the weapon, but Zetsu's grip held strong. As Andres started to give slightly, Zetsu used his spare hand to send healing magick on to his feet to sooth the burns. Vacently staring at Zetsu's burns, Andres started to recall his first experiance with his Flame Whip attack...

(Flashback)
Andres was surrounded, he stood in the center of a graveyard. He looked all around him and saw nothing but skelotons and zombies. Andres had been practicing this attack for some time but had never used it in combat... He knew this was a perfect time to test it's strength.
Andres slashed horizontally with his whip and watched it start to blaze with fire. It sliced through the flesh of the zombies and smoldered the bones of the skelotons. As Andres had spun his whip around, the end of it came back and slashed at his own body. Flames scorched his left arm and he quickly extinguished them. He looked down on his arm and tears filled his eyes, the skin of his left arm had gone completely black, and all Andres could feel was the searing pain left over from the burns as the light graveyard air hit his tender seared skin. He then knew that this attack was no joke, and could seriously harm someone with a proper strike...

(Present time)

The pain must have been tremendous as Andres could see Zetsu struggle as his body shaked. Andres released the lance and it, Zetsu's hand still attached, fell to the ground. Andres retracted his whip slowly...

"You're shaking... Those burns have struck nerve endings haven't they? You know we don't have to do this... I know not what darkness may have possesed you but you can fight it! Please, don't make me finish this cleansing..."

Andres' cross slowly swung back and forth, he caught it and lifted it off of it's chain and held it eye level.

"What will it be, Zetsu?"