[O/5th] Week -- : Round 1: Masato Fujikawa vs. Raury Feybrand

Several Zombies · Jul 28, 2013

Striding through the cavernous Agoge, Masato Fujikawa peered around the gleaming space with a look of distaste on his face. Everything was so bright and antiseptic. He had to wonder how a blank wall-to-wall stainless steel room helped train Cerberus agents in any capacity, but then, knowing the Corporation's reputation and history, he had to imagine there was some sort of trick to the place. Despite the recent bout of civility between their organizations, Masato had never actually been to the subterranean battleground before today.

Heaving a sigh, the gunslinger reached into his duster and retrieved a cigarette, lighting it and taking a long, deep drag. Amber eyes traced their way down his arm to the obsidian bangle clamped there -- something the Grims had thought up to even the playing field between combatants -- a limiter of some kind. While he wouldn't have willingly accepted such a handicap normally, his suspicion of the Shinigami was overruled by his orders from the Initiative's would-be overlord.

This was to be a 'friendly' spar, and Masato had no choice but to accept the handicap for the time being. Stuffing his hands into his duster's pockets with a sigh, the gunslinger waited patiently for his opponent to arrive.

Fisher · Jul 28, 2013

“This place is huuuuuge!” Raury crowed, stumbling into the building with wine at the ready. This was a Cerberus training center? Looking around the place, it pretty much just seemed like one big empty room. Big, steel-plated empty room. Maybe that counted for something? Either way, he didn’t really care.

Knocking back another mouthful, he made his way toward the center of the room, a youngish man smoking a cigarette waiting on him. His opponent, he supposed. Human. Raury made note of the artillery, remembering those to be loadouts common to the organization Orpheus. The man looked bored. And who wouldn’t be? This room sucked.

Nice coat.

The drunk shuffled up to about 20 paces from his opponent, then promptly plopped down onto his ass, crooking one leg up to make his knee available for cradling his arm. The cradled arm gestured up to his opponent, wine gourd flailing.

“Heya, mate.” Raury offered the man a goofy grin. “Name’s Raury.” Belch. “Straight outta the Fifth division ‘o the Death Gods o’ Death Goddery.”

He wondered if this man wore a limiter. Sad, to have to wear those. Then again, this was all fun and games, and while it ruffled Raury’s feathers a bit, he was well aware that otherwise most of these combatants would flatten him in a heartbeat.

His waving arm stilled, his other diving into his overcoat to retrieve a pair of clay cups. He deftly filled them both and held one up to his soon to be enemy. Maybe enemy was too strong a word. Co-combatant. Yeah, that one worked.

“Drink, eh? Or you one of them stiff-noses?”

[271]

Several Zombies · Jul 28, 2013

"Scotch is more to my taste," the gunslinger grunted trodding over to the fiery-headed swordsman, irritation evident in his tone. Eying the decanter suspiciously, the General crouched down, flicking a glowing pillar of ash into one of the clay cups.

"Now look, kid," the gunman started, ignoring the fact the this particular being could be centuries older than him. "...I don't want to be here any more than you do, but I certainly didn't come for a friendly drink."

Taking a long drag on his cigarette, Masato took stock of the drunken Shinigami, amber eyes boring holes into the man. Slowly, the gunslinger's gaze fell upon the redhead's zanpakutou; the abilities of which Masato probably wouldn't learn of until it was too late.

"Whoever decided to organize this little tournament," the grizzled man breathed, wisps of smoke puffing from his mouth as he spoke. "...They're looking for a show. I don't imagine we could get away without fighting even if we wanted to."

Rising to his feet, the gunslinger walked a few paces away from the prone swordsman. Flinging back his duster, he drew his dual pistols in a swift and practiced motion. Turning on his heel, Masato eyed Raury with a look of intensity.

"Square up. Limiter or not, I'm not going to hold back."

Fisher · Jul 28, 2013

Raury stared down at his offering, the ash spreading out into a thin film across the meniscus, liquid turning grey and sickly. He had yet to look up at his opponent.

“Oi, that ain’t no way ta’ treat a drink, mate.” He stated, knocking back his own, and then without hesitation knocking back the ashed one as well. No sense in wasting wine, funny aftertaste or not. He tossed both emptied vessels behind him, the tinkling of shattered crockery rebounding lightly around the room. He sighed, unsure of whether or not he could like this man.

So stuffy.

And yet, he grinned. “If ya wanted whiskey, mate, all ya had ta do was ask.” Raury chucked, discarding the gourd and pulling free a flask from the other breast pocket. “Got that, too.”

As he spoke, he made no motion to ready himself.

“‘M fine where I am, by the way. Fire away, yo. But don’t forget Churchill.”

[157/428]

Strats

Several Zombies · Jul 28, 2013

"Suit yourself." the gunslinger chortled, coalesced arcs of spiritual energy radiating from his form. "I'm not keen on drawing this out, kid."

With a flash of arcane power, the gunman's weapons exploded with dazzling light; warping and reshaping into the massive and ornately designed forms bestowed upon them by Masato's post-human evolution. Hefting one of the massive revolvers over his shoulder, the General leveled the other at Raury's chest.

"If you won't make the first move, I will."

Squeezing the trigger, the weapon's barrel began to glow a bright white before, in the blink of an eye, the air between Masato and his quarry exploded with pillar of radiant light.

Laz0Rz

Fisher · Jul 29, 2013

As his opponent (didn’t even introduce himself, the dong) levelled his firearm at Raury, the drunk’s muscles tensed in anticipation of a shot. Something he didn’t anticipate? Whatever the fuck the man was actually firing. The solid hum and light were his only warnings, eliciting a kneejerk reaction from the founder.

Oh shi-

Just as the light coalesced into whatever the fuck, Raury was shot skyward, a pillar of steel and stone amalgam erupting from the ground where the drunk sat, propelling him a few yards up just as the beam would have connected. The pillar did not withstand the onslaught at all, the bottom tier vaporizing in less than a heartbeat.

Tottering, Raury used the pillar as a platform, using his bended knee to kick off in the direction of his opponent just as the construct began to topple.

“Guess we’re skippin’ foreplay, then?” He called, arcing through the air downward at the gunfighter. “Let’s rock, Zhang Xu!”

The guards on arm and knee formed quickly, Raury twisting into an angled straight aimed for a headshot. As he neared the contact point a buzz and whir trailed the air, condensed reserve energy forming into a powerful blast in his punching arm, which he released as the punch extended.

[209/637]

The things that hapn'd

Several Zombies · Jul 29, 2013

Time seemed to slow as the death god neared, the Advent's perception bolstered by arcane energies. Tendrils of coalesced reiatsu wreathed themselves around the gunslinger, jerking him sideways with a snap as the fiery-headed Shinigami's attack blasted past him; the sheer force of the strike buckling several of the steel plates below where Masato had stood.

Skidding along the polished metal floor, the agent rounded his spiritually-imbued weapons on Raury, their cylinders spinning wildly as the man's post-human powers activated. One by one, they rolled to a halt, each burning with a distinct glow to indicate the brand of elemental doom fate had decided upon.

"Unlucky!" the gunslinger quipped, squeezing the triggers. The weapons' report echoed throughout the expansive battleground as they fired, spitting fourth flames and lightning to fell the unruly Shinigami.

Stuff

Fisher · Jul 29, 2013

His spent reiatsu exploded onto the floor, tearing up steel like so much fodder and unfortunately targetless as far as his quarry went. Raury tracked the movement of the gunslinger, but not as fast as he would have liked. Somersaulting as he struck the floor, torn flecks of ground thrown up all around him mid-motion, the drunk felt pain in his right arm, white hot and angry as the incendiary round snapped into his flesh. The other round came, quick succession to its predecessor.

The split second was enough, Raury finding his bearings midair. Slapping the other round away with his uninjured and guarded arm, it skittered off, striking something in the distance. Once on his feet proper, the drunk wasted no time, his scalded and throbbing arm diving into his kosode and bringing out another gourd, this one with a symbol denoting fire. Taking a quick gulp, he rounded on his opponent, regurgitating the liquid now mixed internally with his reiatsu directly at the gunslinger point-blank.

[167/804]

Things

Several Zombies · Jul 29, 2013

Raising his arms defensively, the gunslinger cringed as the orbs of fire splashed over him, sticking like napalm and burning clean through his prized duster to singe the flesh beneath. Holstering one revolver, Masato grabbed a fistful of the sodden fabric -- throwing the smouldering coat from his body before it could deal more damage. Grimacing at the sizeable burns on his forearms, the agent glared at his co-combatant.

Levelling the now-singular revolver at Raury, the agent's reiatsu flared wildly. Once more, the cylinder began to turn, spinning madly before snapping to a halt; the barrel glowing a pale blue.

This attack however, was not like the last. As the agent steadied his aim, several flanges on his ornately designed weapon snapped open, glowing with the same icy radiance as its core. This attack would be on a whole different level.

With a grin, the General pulled the trigger, sending a massive wave of crushing ice sweeping across the Agoge towards the Shinigami.

thangs

Fisher · Jul 29, 2013

Too late! Rang in his head as the shot barrelled onward toward the redhead. He couldn’t avoid it, but the strength in his arms told him he could take it. Rooting his legs, the Founder held up into a cross guard as the cryo made contact, frigid waves of reiatsu bombarding his forearms. The previously scorched right arm sang its agony as the cold penetrated it, a stark and powerful reverse of its previous injury.

Bellowing, Raury forced his arms downward, negating any further harm and sending the remnants of the round into the abused steel of the two men’s battleground.

Laughing wildly, the drunk surged forward, closing the gap between the two men once more. Rude or not, this guy knew how to fight. And fighting could be fun. Shame about the rude part, though.

As he closed space, Raury put his entire weight behind another mighty strike, putting all he had into a solid haymaker. And then some, it would seem, as the shrill hum of his gauntlet added its power to the move, augmenting an already monstrous strike into a localized calamity as reserved reiatsu spilled into the Founder’s fist and outward toward his opponent.

To seal the deal, the ground around his gunslinging opponent surged, the familiar amalgam of steel and stone flowing up and around the Orpheus operative into a makeshift three-sided and roofed wall, boxing the man in.

[234/1038]

What Hapn

Several Zombies · Jul 30, 2013

Even the gunslinger's post-human reflexes couldn't save him from the hit. There was no where to run this time. Despite his reluctance to start their bout, Masato had to admit that the fiery-headed Shinigami had some skill after all.

Clenching his teeth as the death god's fist struck him, Masato felt the breath leave his lungs with the sickening snap of ribs. For a moment, the gunslinger seemed to resist the strike before inertia took over, sending the General's body careening through the hastily constructed confinement and skidding across the polished steel floor of the Agoge; a streak of crimson forming in his wake. Finally coming to a halt against the opposite wall, the gunslinger gasped for air, trying desperately to regain his focus. Dragging himself to a knee, the advent held back a bloody cough, streams of deep red pouring from the corners of his mouth.

Held tightly in his grasp was his lone revolver, still seething with arcane energy. If anything, the weapon seemed to be burning brighter than before. Clutching the cold steel, a sanguine smile snaked its way along the gunslinger's sodden visage.

"Sanzoku, Rikugun no Ichi."

Throwing the weapon upwards, a flash of spiritual energy tore through the Agoge. With a crash, a lone rifle fell to the ground in front of Masato, rooting itself barrel-down in the steel floor. And then another, and another. One by one, hundreds of the ornately designed repeaters rained down on the battleground, each seething with arcane might. Grabbing the weapon nearest to him, the agent pulled himself to his feet, a sodden smile still plastered on his face.

"Now, kid," the grizzled man hissed, hefting the rifle and levelling its barrel with Raury's vitals. "...Now you've pissed me off!"

And in a heartbeat, he was gone. The speed at which the gunslinger moved would have confounded even the keenest of observers, appearing in the blink of an eye on the opposite side of the Agoge -- behind the fiery-headed Shinigami. Rifle still held tightly in his grasp, the gunslinger lowered the barrel and fired, a brilliant torrent of cleansing light exploding outward from the weapon and racing for the unwitting swordsman.

Stuff

Fisher · Jul 30, 2013

Feeling the satisfying crunch of bone under his knuckles, Raury had taken a step forward, tugging at his kosode to loosen free his cordial and quickly downing a swallow, intending a follow-up. Unfortunately, the elated feeling of his fist making contact was brief, shattering quickly as he caught sound of a familiar whining hum. Biggest problem? The hum was behind him.

H-

Not even enough time for a thought, the Founder spun around on a heel, reactively ducking as he turned his head in time to catch a blinding flash of laser rage tear across his already-abused right side, the area where shoulder and arm meet eating the beam of light full-on. And you know what? Beams of light fucking hurt.

“Grah!” Raury choked out, stumbling back a step, his right arm dangling uselessly. His reiatsu flared, quickly churning a higher degree of his energy into the volatile cocktail in his gut. With a rumbling belch, multi-hued flames shot out in a blazing coil of power toward the gunfighter.

[169/1207]

Fucking Ow

Several Zombies · Jul 30, 2013

The counter attack came faster than the gunslinger had anticipated, a brilliant explosion of flame and color raging towards him. Cringing as the blast singed his flesh, the Major disappeared in another burst of arcane energy. Blinking into being on the opposite end of the Agoge, charred skin still smoking, the agent's reiatsu raged forth.

Overhead, a torrent of cobalt energy whirled into being, drawing on the gunslinger's reiatsu before, from the ether fell a massive, gleaming rifle. Landing in the agent's outstretched hands with a metallic thunk, the General hefted the truly gargantuan weapon with apparent ease despite it being many times his size. Rounding it's polished, glowing barrel on the Shinigami, Masato took aim. With a resounding thump, the gargantuan firearm's bolt snapped back, pulling in massive amounts of spiritual energy as it prepared to fire.

He was putting everything he had into this shot. A final coupe de grace.

Go big or go home, right?

With a crash, the bolt jumped forward, signalling that the weapon was, at long last, ready to fire. Mechanical clicks reverberated off the walls of the Agoge as the rifle's scope dropped to eye level, its reticle centered neatly over the unwitting death god. Taking in a deep breath and exhaling, Masato squeezed the trigger.

The recoil hit him first, a resounding thump that knocked the wind from his already damaged lungs. With a crash, a spent shell casing easily the size of a man clattered to the ground next to Masato. Opposite him, the gathered energy built up at the tip of the weapon, burning white hot with arcane power until, in the blink of an eye, it was unleashed. A massive pillar of radiant energy -- nearly as wide as the Agoge was tall -- exploded from the barrel of the weapon, cutting a burning swathe through the battleground as it raged towards the Shinigami.

For better or worse, the battle would end in this moment.

Shock and Awe

Fisher · Jul 31, 2013

I hate guns.

Raury’s only thought as the impossibly large firearm coalesced into being from across the room. The only fortunate bit about current events being Raury was looking at Mr. Sourpants McBoomgunz (tm) when the man zipped away this time. And, to the drunk’s relief, people on fire are much easier to track. Plugging down another mouthful of Cordial, Raury made to close the gap, intending a flash-step.

Unfortunately, the gun and its wielder were much faster in firing than Raury was at drinking liquor. The shunpo aborted, the Founder took a step back, frantically slinging up a solid wall of steel between himself and the madness spiraling toward him. The blast crashed through, flinging slag in all directions as it continued onward.

Exhaling the stored rei-laced liquor at the oncoming calamity, Raury prepared to deal with the remainder of the attack. Reaching deep, the drunk’s reiatsu flowed through his limbs, adding uncanny limberness and rubberlike properties to his body.

The attack arrived, Raury weirdly separating the movement of his torso from that of his legs, achieving something akin to a full backbend and a scuttle. Out of the red zone, but not clear, the horrifying blast of raw power slammed into his left side, combining its forward motion with his awkward bent-crab-backbend, the connection sent Raury ragdolling to the opposite wall, slamming hard.

He slid down, head lolling as he tried to get a look at the gunslinger. Hard to do through the blazing mass of light, sound and shrapnel. He could feel some choice bones busted. Namely a rib or two. And his hip felt like nothing. Which was probably bad.

“Why couldn’t we jus’ have a drink, mate?” He called to his opponent, the statement punctuated with a round of coughing.

[295/1502]

Doomboom

Several Zombies · Jul 31, 2013

Letting go of the massive rifle, the gunslinger's ultimate weapon began to deteriorate, disintegrating piece by piece, part by part until nothing remained. Similarly, the hundreds of smaller repeaters scattered around the battlefield began to fade, slowly blowing away like so much dust.

Dropping to a knee, two comparatively normal firearms in his grasp once more, the agent heaved, holding back another bloody cough.

"I'm really considering it," the General huffed in response to Raury's offer of a drink. It seemed that the Shinigami hadn't been able to avoid his attack in earnest; both the combatants seemed to be on their last legs.

"...But I can't afford to lose here." the gunslinger affirmed, struggling to his feet. No matter his personal feelings on the matter, and in spite of his orders, the agent knew that he was here representing his comrades, representing Earth. He would fight tooth and nail, to the last bullet, the last breath, to uphold that pride. To show the Death Gods, and anyone else who might doubt them that Earth would no longer be a passive participant. They would take control of their own fate.

And as his reatsu flared once more, standing tall with a wry grin on his bloodied face, the Advent's words echoed those he had heard long ago; an declaration burnt into memory by a force far more powerful than him.

"We are not weak."

Taking on a defensive stance, the agent readied his weapons.

"Come," he barked, spitting a glob of crimson onto the ruined steel at his feet. "...We're going to finish this."

Fisher · Aug 1, 2013

A brief wave of nostalgia flickered to life as Raury checked his wounds. The numbness in his hip was fading, but there was serious damage. He could endure.

A flash of alabaster sands.
A perpetually dark sky, his body in a pool of blood.

I understand ya, mate. But I can’t be done me’self. I’ve gone too far riding the coattails of folks more willing to put in the work. If I drop the ball now, nothing changed.

Ribs protested his rising motion, a flash of intense pain screaming through his nerves.

If I drop the ball now, I haven’t changed.

Friends marching to war.
The greatest of which never returned.

Feet scraped across the steel floor, one scratching out to an angle for balance as he stood hunched, head ringing.

I ain’t gonna be useless anymore.

Hope lost.
Men turning to base instinct.
He let them down.

The Founder’s head snapped up, his eyes locking onto those of his opponent. The drunk’s reiatsu stirred, the dust of wreckage riding its currents.

Time ta prove I’m worth a damn.

A bulwark of a man.
A lack of power.
He had felt helpless.

We’re going to finish this.

Raury smiled, nodding. “Yer damn right we are, mate.”

Time ta prove I’m worth a damn!

With a wild bellow, Raury’s remaining reiatsu flared, the space he had been standing blurring as he closed the gap between the fighters in an instant, appearing partially to the gunfighter’s left. Crouching down, Raury summoned his will into the muscles of his legs, gathering strength before shooting up at an angle, a rising uppercut aimed at his opponent’s chest.

[273/1775]

SHORYUKEN

Several Zombies · Aug 1, 2013

Once more, the Shinigami's speed proved to be too much for the gunslinger. Post human senses could only do so much, giving the agent precious seconds to prepare himself to the strike. Spinning towards the fiery-headed Shinigami, the General barely had enough time to grit his teeth before the man's steel-clad fist connected with his flesh.

The force was intense. Every fibre of Masato's being screamed out in protest as his reiatsu flared, tendrils of coalesced energy wreathing his form before snapping taught, pushing his body towards Raury's strike and driving the man's fist deeper into his already cracked and bruised ribs. But in the end, the Shinigami was right where he wanted him.

"Bingo," the gunslinger spat, streams of crimson pouring from the corners of his mouth. With his left arm, the agent grabbed hold of his assailant. Whipping his right arm around, the gunslinger pressed the barrel of his revolver into the man's gut.

"Looks like your luck's run out, kid."

Squeezing the trigger, the muffled gunshot reverberated off the ruined walls of the Agoge.

What happened

Fisher · Aug 2, 2013

Eyes shocked wide, Raury more felt the sound of muzzled gunfire than heard it. In fact, aside from the ringing inside his head, there was no sound. His vision blurred, the attacking arm slackening and pulling away as the two men began their descent.

The Shinigami’s irises shifted rapidly, practically vibrating as they attempted to find measure of the blurred chaos in his skull. He was sliding away, the terrifying bliss of the abyss taking him.

Goddamn, what a bitch.

The obnoxious sound of a particularly insane chimp echoed through the darkness, penetrating into what little consciousness remained.

Fuck off, Zhang. I pulled out the stops on this guy. Didn’t matter.

All I hear is blah blah, the dark miasma of my candlelit rainy soul. Emo bitch.

Oh, like you could do any better, ya greasy ape.

-Snort- Ape. There’s yer first problem. ‘Bout time we had a chat, boyo. But! You give up now, you little bitch, I’m abandoning the cause. Find some other jackass to bestow my ample powers to.

Quit calling me bitch.

Then wake the fuck up and prove you ain’t, you little nanny goat.

Oh you little-

“-fucker.” The world around Raury blazed to light, still shuttering. Still madness. Still a deep resounding buzz of sound. But light all the same.

Teeth bared, Raury fought against every urge to surrender. His body railed against the injustice being done to it by its owner, but still it moved. Whipping his hand around full force, he brought it to the back of the gunslinger's head, pulling it forward into his own. Their skulls collided, a jarring bash of raw physical brutality as they landed, knees slamming hard into the steel of the Agoge. Raury’s eyes flashed, maintaining eye contact with his opponent as they knelt, bodies busted to hell.

[302/2077]

Several Zombies · Aug 3, 2013

Falling to the ground in a heap, the gunslinger heaved, his head spinning. Clutching his destroyed ribs, his revolver still held tightly in the opposite hand, Masato shakily took aim at the Shinigami knelt opposite him.

"Not yet..." he spat, straining to steady the barrel, a bead of crimson pouring from his forehead.

Bang!

A single gunshot echoed through the Agoge, accompanied by metallic pinging as the bullet went wide, missing Raury by a fair margin.

"Not fuckin' yet..!" the General barked, as though he might recover through willpower alone.

Bang!

A second shot skidded past the Shinigami, rending a few crimson hairs from his head. Stifling a bloody cough, Masato struggled to drag himself closer to Raury. Steadying his shaking hand, the agent took aim one final time and squeezed the trigger.

Click.

Falling flat on his back, gasping from the exertion, Masato couldn't help but laugh. He really had fought to the last bullet.

"Well shit..." the grizzled gunslinger spat, turning his amber gaze on his co-combatant.

"Looks like you still had some luck to spare, huh?"

FINAL: 2,129

Fisher · Aug 3, 2013

Luck, huh?

“Heh.” Raury coughed, grimacing as his stomach contracted painfully. “Story of my life, mate.”

One day, somebody’ll jus’ want the drink...

[23/2100]

Ready to join Post Terminus?

[O/5th] Week -- : Round 1: Masato Fujikawa vs. Raury Feybrand

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