Description: When Testament reaps havoc at the Sound Beach death metal concert, only one Defender of Earthrealm has the will and the drive to face him in single Kombat! Unfortunately for Nightwolf, that happens to be him.
FIVE MINUTES AGO:
Lethargy.
It's a horrible thing. When it feels like your efforts aren't amounting to anything, you just want to stop doing this. Lay down and give up. Just go to sleep and never wake up.
Testament suffers from it too.
Outside the city it's a lot quieter. So that's where he's been living. It's not like the weather is a problem. And not only is it quieter, but the foul stench of humanity isn't all around him. Well, it is-- because it ALWAYS is, looming overhead, pressing down like a blanket of FILTH-- but it's not so prevalent out here. Humans fear the wilds. They're afraid of the beasts that live in it. Then, it's not surprising that Testament should end up out here.
He's a beast, after all. A monster. One of the things humans fear.
He's been watching the lights in the city grow brighter in one place. Something must be happening. Wonder what they're doing?
...Oh. That music. Testament emits a snort of laughter, and then smirks. "...Ha. 'Death metal'. What would humanity know about death?" A pause, and the smirk widens into a mad grin. He tilts his head up at his raven, perched on a higher branch. "...What say you, my dear? Shall we go teach them WHY they fear death...?"
The raven squawks, and Testament hops lightly down from the tree. The bird alights on his shoulder. No sooner does she do so than he disappears, leaving an afterimage of a skull in the air.
PRESENT TIME:
There's a huge gathering of humans here on Sound Beach. A concert of one of Southtown's death metal bands is taking place. There are a lot of people here, a lot of fans of the group, and of death metal in general. Most are enjoying the concert. Though there is a mosh pit being organized... if one actually 'organizes' a mosh pit. They may simply happen. In either case it looks like there's a bunch of people about to start moshing!
Except the screaming starts WAY earlier than expected, and not from the mosh pit. There's blood on the ground suddenly, and it too isn't from the mosh pit. No, there's a raven flying above the crowd, and on the ground underneath it there is a pale man in black, with a scythe. The crowd's running from him too, and with good reason... a handful of people from the crowd lay dead at his feet.
And he's cackling. "COME NOW!" he bellows, even as the crowd flees. "Don't you want to understand DEATH better?! It would help your music, for you to understand and EMBRACE it!"
BASTION VILLAGE
A FEW MINUTES AGO
It is a bright sunny day in the hidden village of the Society. At long last spring is coming and the rays of sun are melting the snow, giving much needed opportunity to its residents to move about and stretch their limbs.
No one is enjoying this more than the younger Darkstalker children, who even if many would consider them foul creatures of darkness, they still feel joy and energy like any human. Incidentally, they also fall prey to many of the human vices, like fanboying endlessly about mindless music bands. These children Darkstalkers are no exception, as a group of them have appropriated Nightwolf's laptop and have set it up to watch a stream of 'Death Metal' that'll be playing in Sound Beach. Tsk.. kids! Nightwolf doesn't see what the kids see in this kind of crap. But it certainly amuses them and thus lets them be. Not without supervising them though since he never knows when they will be watching something not suitable for their age.
"Hey! The concert started a lot sooner!" One cries in delight when the cameras of the stream start showing people screaming in the crowd.
"I don't think that's supposed to be happening." Says another Darkstalker girl when they all start peering closer.
"What the--" Nightwolf himself looks closer into the screen and sees a sight most horrid.
"Testament!!"
The shaman steps back, and with a cry of 'Hoka Hey!' he raises his arms up to the sky and a wave of light washes over him as he vanishes from sight.
SOUND BEACH
NOW
Nightwolf appears in the midst of screaming people and he pushes his way through the crowd to reach the pale man with the scythe. "TESTAMENT!!" Cries the shaman as he reaches where the grim reaper is, standing in his way to protect the crowd.
"Leave the people be!"
"I will be your opponent."
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf has started a fight here.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-------|
Even as Nightwolf speaks, even as the crowd flees, there are cell phone cameras being pulled from pockets to catch the action. Most of which commit the unfathomable, unforgivable sin of RECORDING WITH THEIR PHONES VERTICAL. Is it any wonder Testament wishes death to these... BARBARIANS?! These uncouth FLEAS!
In all seriousness though, Testament is having a grand old time when Nightwolf appears, snarling at the crowd and trying to kill more. And then the shaman appears. Testament stops as Nightwolf makes himself known, glaring at him for a moment. His response is surprisingly civil. "You again, hm?" he grunts, his metallic voice quiet.
But he is curious. "Why do you keep defending these people?" he inquires. "If they knew about you, knew what you were capable of, they would hate you just as much as they hate me. They would call you just as much of a monster as I am. So... why does it matter? Why do these sheep matter so much to you?"
COMBATSYS: Testament has joined the fight here.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 Testament
The skinwalker advances, all while shooting glares at the crowd, particularly those who are staying to record this mess. What are these idiots doing? Flee you fools!!
The shaman doesn't voice this out loud as speaking his plans to Testament would cause the Gear to target those that Nightwolf is trying to protect, no doubt. Long ago has Nightwolf shown that he cares nothing about his own well being, it is the people of Earthrealm's safety which concerns him the most.
"I told you I will always be there whenever you wish to reap havoc in this world." Answers the skinwalker, an energy axe appearing on his hand.
Though he indulges him with he again question his motives. "Some of them, certainly. But not all.. it is those I care for that I fight for. That is why you will always continue to feel wretched on the inside, Testament."
"You generalize far too much!"
And he charges!! The Apache brave runs headlong, axe raised high to jump and swing his weapon on a downward arch towards Testament's head.
COMBATSYS: Testament interrupts Tomahawk Smash from Nightwolf with Weapon Jab.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1 Testament
And when Nightwolf comes at him with tomahawk upraised... Testament only moves forward. And he meets the upraised tomahawk with a countering jab of the haft of his weapon into Nightwolf's stomach. The blade of that tomahawk still cuts into Testament's arm deeply enough to cause a rather spectacular spray of blood. That's an arterial hit.
Not only that, but when the blade cuts into him... Testament laughs. It's a laugh of pure, unbridled joy. Almost has the same quality as a child's delighted laughter... except it's a dark cackle. "Ah, but I DON'T feel wretched anymore," he says quietly. "Not like this, not when erasing these people from this planet. I was MADE to be a monster!"
"Hmrg!!" There's a grunt of pain from Nightwolf when he's stomach is struck by the grim reaper's handle. He backpedals a bit, holding his stomach and shakes his head to surge back into the fray. Even now he's still looking over his shoulder to make sure that the people are clearing the area. All he needs to know is hold Testament long enough for the people to escape. That's the key plan here, because even if the Sin Eater could overpower the Gear, he does not know how to permanently seal him. All the shaman can do is buy time for everyone.
"No one made you a monster, Testament." He says through clenched teeth. "You are the only one that decided to be one!"
And here comes another headless charge, bringing his axe up to hook Testament's weapon and pull it out of the way in order to swing an energy knife at the Gear's face.
COMBATSYS: Testament fails to interrupt Blade and Edge from Nightwolf with Quick Throw.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Testament
Testament tries to block the tomahawk strike with the haft of his scythe. But it's a distraction tactic, it seems, and the scythe is pulled out of the way, the energy blade slices across his face, splitting his cheek open. It's pretty gruesome, but Nightwolf can see the split tendons beginning to reach across the new gap in Testament's face and knitting together.
This time it's Testament that reels back from the attack. Though he's laughing again. As the blade strikes true, he is laughing. By now Nightwolf knows that Testament is not right in the head, whatever was done to him. "Yes, I chose it. Because it was better than being a slave!"
On the bright side, the people seem to have cleared out of the area, so splash damage to bystanders is no longer a danger. Collateral damage though? Who knows on that one.
Normally, the skinwalker wouldn't stay inside the Gear's guard for too long. He has not yet come to the point where he is fully consumed by the sins that he has eaten where he is naught but a mindless, frenzied berserker. He'd normally pull back and calculate his attacks better being more of a patient fighter. However, the shaman cannot afford to wait now, he's managed to hold on to Testament's guard and he's not going to let go. The more he's focusing on him, the more time the people have to escape. And maybe call the police or something, although Nightwolf does /loath/ working with police, he's the one that ends up getting arrested more often than not.
"You /are/ a slave already!" Grunts the shaman as he dives in to tackle Testament. "A slave to your emotions! They are the only ones that control you!!" When he charges, Nightwolf is delivering a fast cross punch to Testament's jaw, desperately trying to make himself the biggest target in this fight.
COMBATSYS: Testament blocks Nightwolf's High Punch.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Testament
Testament brings the scythe up to take the strike for him. The blade ripples as if it's aliveas the punch impacts it. And there is a sickening squelch from the blade, as if Nightwolf had punched a sponge. A BLOOD-SOAKED sponge! It really is gross. But on the bright side, it's clearly hurt Testament, given the wince he offers.
"Can't the same be said of you?" he counters as he jumps back, out of Nightwolf's reach. "You, a slave to your desires to keep these pitiful sheep alive, you THROW yourself at me desperately. And NO ONE is here to aid you. Can't you see? They're content to let you die, so long as they live!"
He smirks, calming somewhat. "But then again... can't the same be said of all people? The only choice we have is what holds our leashes." Which is kind of the ironic thing. Testament hates humans, yet he recognizes he's very much like them. But that's hy he's doing this. If he can take them down with him it will be worth it.
Speaking of taking someone down with him...
He levels a narrowed-eye look at Nightwolf. And a wind seems to ruffle his kilt and his hair. If Nightwolf remembers fighting him... well, there's going to be something happening at about ground level. Namely, a dead tree will suddenly grow into being and try to throw Nightwolf skyward!
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf fails to reflect Hitomi from Testament with Shield of the Ancients.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Testament
Hm, that sensation is rather weird. Nightwolf doesn't think he's ever had the opportunity to punch a sponge before, but it does feel awfully weird when his knuckles connect with Testament's skin. Let's just say its not what he was expecting.
"No, I chose this path out of my own volition. I chose to bring good to this world and defend it from that which plagues it! All you are doing is fueling the problem, the world that you despise so much.. it is people like you that create it!"
Nightwolf does remember fighting Testament, it's not an experience he'll soon forget, even if the shaman rarely forgets anything. He remembers how he dealt with that attack when it was thrown at him, but the key difference is that he had the aid of many a warrior that day to bring Testament down, and even then they had trouble doing so.
He has no such aid this time.
"HrrrRRAAH!" Nightwolf attempts to hold the tree down with his energy only for it to blast him away. The shaman goes flying several meters back and lands on a roll, finally stopping on one knee cursing softly.
"Then let it all burn!" Testament declares, letting his arms go out to his sides. "Let the world burn, then, because ALL people are like that!" He doesn't specify what 'like that' means, but he doesn't feel like he has to. He's also insane, so it's probably not too surprising that he'd forget to do that.
Testament presses the attack as Nightwolf rolls to a knee, lunging forward. "Will you die with them?!" The weapon's raised as he lunges forward, into a downward slash that's aimed to cut into the shaman's chest.
COMBATSYS: Testament successfully hits Nightwolf with Medium Strike.
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Nightwolf 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Testament
Looks like the problem with all this is that Nightwolf hadn't taken into consideration that Testament is well and truly mad. Given the boy's actions of saving people out of whim and seemingly holding back every once in a while, the shaman had thought he was somewhat in control of his actions and was action out of incredible loss.
His words of 'letting it all burn' though... those are things that are said by those who are very well lost in the depths of their own despair. Maybe at some point Testament can be reasoned with.
Now it's not the time.
"So be it!!" The shaman surges from his kneeling position and moves forward. Unable to move out of the way of the downward slash, he takes the strike on his chest whilst summoning two glowing green axes to his hands. He swings them hard against the Gear, bringing them both down in unison against his ribs.
COMBATSYS: Testament endures Nightwolf's Ancestor's Call.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1 Testament
Too close to dodge out of the way, Testament tenses his muscles as he sees the tomahawks coming down. The unmistakable sensation of bone smashing under the edge of the tomahawk is felt. That's normally a good thing, but Testament just laughs. "That's right," he all but hisses. The metallic undertone almost overwhelms the voice itself as he says this. "Inflict pain. That's what we're all here for, to inflict pain on each other. It's the only thing that makes us feel alive, isn't it?"
Testament grins madly, "Let me return the favor..." And then he begins to chant softly, under his breath. Nightwolf may need to be careful here. Testament's features might begin to blur as he chants... and suddenly he may not appear to be there anymore. Instead, Nightwolf may see the softer features of a woman with light blue skin and golden horns on her head, like those of a ram. She doesn't appear to be trying to hurt him. Just to wrap her arms around him... to try to push him back on a bed that Nightwolf may suddenly see behind him...
Of course that's all an illusion. What's really happening is Testament has created a second scythe from blood pulled from a gash in his cheek. And bothare swung in an X-shaped pattern at Nightwolf's chest.
COMBATSYS: Testament successfully hits Nightwolf with The Seventh Sign.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Testament
If Nightwolf was concerned about being careful..
He wouldn't be here in the first place!
When his axes ram into Testament's side and he simply laughs them off he knows that he's going to reach into his very depth to come out of this one alive. The skinwalker decides to jump back this time rather than stay in, because he can't really give people much time to flee if he's dead anyway. His guard comes on full force when the Gear summons.. some kind of woman to attack him? The shaman's boxing guard coming up instinctively, but no attack comes yet?
No, it's the scythes that are coming next the ones he doesn't realize are the ones that are about to strike him. Nightwolf brings his guard down a little too quickly and is struck by both blades on his body, driving him back whilst his feet skid on the ground, all while growling viciously.
"Bah!!" He snarls, spitting out blood and ripping the scythes out of his body. The man is covered in blood, and while he is looking considerably more pale due to all his open wounds, he's still standing, blank white eyes staring straight on.
"Is that all you got!!??" And he's charging again, his body knowing no limits when people's lives are in danger. He is running on fumes now, but he just.. has to hold on.. a little longer...
"HRAAAAA!!!" Another furious snarl and Nightwolf doesn't even have the strength to summon his chi weapons to aid him. He's just diving in and delivering a swift uppercut to Testament's chin.
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf prepares to take his last stand against Testament!
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Nightwolf 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Testament
COMBATSYS: Testament dodges Nightwolf's Uppercut.
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Nightwolf 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Testament
That was actually a shock. Testament saw Nightwolf relaxing his guard and took advantage of it. He'd been certain Nightwolf would just go down after that. But then the shaman got up and came back after him! It's only through sheer adrenaline that Testament manages to get out of the way in time, and he feels the punch whistle past his face as he does.
He does reply to Nightwolf's question. "No. It isn't." Smirk. "WATCH!" And then he leaps forward, swinging his scythe around him from underneath, hoping to throw Nightwolf into the air again.
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf blocks Testament's Badlands.
[ \\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Nightwolf 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Testament
While Nightwolf really doesn't have much to say when Testament swings his scythe at him, one thing he /can/ do is resist the throw.
Sure, he does it by means of curling his arm up and taking the blade on /his bare forearm/ the sharp blood made weapon cutting through his arm and bone. But if that's what it takes to stay in toe to toe distance with Testament, then that is something he is more than willing to pay.
"Come on.." The shaman hisses, blank eyes wide, a fierce razor sharp grin on his face in a way that can only be described as wolfish.
"I thought you said....YOU LIKED PAIN!!!" Reaching into the very last he has of energy, the skinwalker unleashes holy energy from his very core to be unleashed upon the Gear, hands, eyes and even the inside of his mouth glowing a pure white color.
There are no lengths he won't go to save people.. but in the end, he can only walk as long as he's conscious.
COMBATSYS: Nightwolf can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Testament 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Testament blocks Nightwolf's Banishment.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Testament 0/-------/----===|
And then suddenly...
Light.
The thing Testament has been hiding from, as a creature of the darkness. The raven immediately screeches loudly and flies off from the tree at the first sign of the holy light. Maybe Testament does like pain. But this... this is something else. It burns like fire, eats at his skin like acid, and hurts on a level that he's just plain never felt before. And there's little way to defend against it.
All he can do is cross his arms over his face and back away, with a growl. Nightwolf may not have much left in him, but Testament doesn't want to get hit by that again. Besides that...
Testament pauses, to look around. No one's here. His prey has mostly escaped. So he lets the scythe disappear. "No one left to kill. Seems you won this one..." He looks at Nightwolf. And smirks. Then suddenly...
If Nightwolf's still standing, he might find Testament reaching out to shove at his shoulders. The movement is almost... playful. The raven alights on his shoulder, and then he disappears, leaving that skull afterimage at about where his head had been a moment or two ago.
Testament has little to fear when it comes to what other tricks Nightwolf has under his sleeve. That was literally his last, forget about Plan B, or C, it was probably much further down the alphabet.
Down on the ground, on one knee and one hand down, Nightwolf breathes heavily as droplets of sweat run down his face and onto the sand. He chuckles when Testament mentions that he has won the day, noting the calmness of what was once a very crowded concert and can do little in the way of a retort but say..
"Hah..."
He's pushed down to the ground, the shaman scowling fiercely as he tries to at the very least get on a triangle guard if Testament tries to do anything.
Instead, the Gear decides to disappear in a Chesire Cat like style, but its a skull instead of a grin. Nice touch, thinks the shaman.
Soon after that, police sirens are heard in the distance and its now Nightwolf's turn to vanish into thin air.
BACK AT BASTION VILLAGE
A ray of light beams down from the sky and Nightwolf flops face first on the snowy grass with a grunt.
"Wow!!" Cheer the Darkstalker children all around him. "You were in TV, Nightwolf!"
"Best stream ever!" Cheers another.
"I'm not even sorry the concert was canceled." Says the Darkstalker girl who is decidedly the more devious of the trio. Although she does glance at the shaman worriedly and says. "Sorry, do you want us to go get a healer?"
Nightwolf just grunts from his current position face down on the ground, hard to tell if he's annoyed or more like a chuckle. "Oh no.. don't mind me..I'll just lay here on the ground bleeding while you gush..."
Another regular day in Bastion Village..
Log created on 13:41:02 03/06/2015 by Nightwolf, and last modified on 19:24:36 03/06/2015.