Match of the Millennium

Description: Stalwart believers in what each of them is doing being the correct path. The still recovering Akame and Boy Scout Aaron and both convinced that their paths are the one that will protect the most lives and are willing to go to the extra mile in fighting for their ideal future. Neither will stop, neither will retreat the bloodiest and tiniest of battles begins.

[AKAME]
The twiggy tiny figure making her way along the path does so with one arm on the rocky walls, The puffy jacket had pockets big enough for her radio, it maybe wasn't quite warm enough or the right kind of thing for the climate. Her muscles ached and she was shivering just a little with the cold but she had warm woollen leggings and mitten just in case she- legs shoot out from under her and she falls onto her back. Sitting up after a moment's down she straightens her glasses with a practiced motion and an attempt to regain some dignity. A plume like steaming cloud of breath which hangs in the moist and chilly air, barely audibly and from a mouth concealed by the plaid muffler wound around the collar of her jacket and lower face a girls voice murmurs, "fourty-two."

One last job.

She'd jumped at the chance, thrilled and all too enthusiastic she was all but bowing her head to the floor in her little apartment. The messenger passing along the details by brief yet clearly made uncomfortable, excusing himself at high speeds. A pre-setup radio and instruction was all it contained, she'd have to equip herself.

Climbing back to her feet she takes a moment to brush at the knee of her stockings, the rear of her skirt and raises a hand to straighten the muffler. The bare and readily visible mop of pinkish hair, not fizzy so much as clumping into curls from which droplets of water gather and occasionally fall. Whatever happened to her hat she'd probably never see it again.

Stupid disloyal hat going and getting lost like that. They'd been together for such a short time.

Resuming her slow march she picks her footing carefully, using rocks for support, testing the unused trails in places by prodding them experimentally and then recoiling in fear if something moved or did indeed break; Crossing the rope bridges by holding the rope rail with a near death grip, then she would fitfully side-stepping her way across. Akame was determined not to look down or at the river at all. Just forwards, or a little bit sideways when necessary!

The trek itself is arduous but she's to walking long distances, it's just how slippery and wet and cold the areas is that- FWuAAAH!-nnnnnnnnMPH.

"HGmh!! ... 'orty 'ree."

Tearing up a little at that last fall she checks her face, wipes her glasses and then inspects her leg, sure she grazed her knee with the fall and slide down and incline but unable to tell through her tights. This would be at least a little easier if she still had her supplies and water.

Stupid disloyal bag.

[AARON]
A young man, a youth, was garbed in a long coat, woolen pants, and a boonie hat. He trekked the rough slippery terrain in the foul weather. The few who would dare to navigate in such conditions were either mad, or very skilled. The atmosphere was cold, wet, rainy, and sparkling with the arcane. The cause of the later, was the reason he was there.

Aaron Fang was presently trapped in a foreign land by warfare, and in the center of a massive global conflict. When he learned of a third option, one that would end the reason for the whole conflict. Now he was "Scouting" the valley. He was to keep his eyes wide open for any interlopers, and to stop them if he could.

His patrol was interrupted by a startled scream, and it lead him to the rope bridge. He saw the girl who had fallen, and reacted accordingly. He pulled a rope from his pack, lowered it down, and called down to her.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?"

[AKAME]
The figure takes stock wiggling their glasses up and down more than necessary as she studies her surroundings. The falling rope being lowered was a sudden and unexpected lifeline. A savior! There was someone looking out for her and the enthused shout of "I'm fine!" A statement which almost belies the death grip she had on the rope, low-balling the struggle and superhuman effort of what would normally be rope-assisted climbing done like the worst novice. Working her way back up she's left panting and half-sodden, but overly cheerful and bubbly despite the ordeal.

"Thanks for the rescue!"

It might have been more pragmatic of her to jump back up but with the wet footing, she could equally as well have jumped in the wrong direction and wound up in the river or in a dangerous freefall.

"I'm glad you came along when you did."

The long coat and warm clothing, he was obviously prepared for being here, probably part of the same expeditionary forces she was. The pink haired moppet offers him a weak but pretty smile and then ruins it all by sniffing back into a wet sounding snort and then spitting off to the side away from both of them.

"This fuckin' weather eh?"

It smacks of a child imitating a tougher and more experienced adult.

[AARON]
Aaron began to think of how to turn her around, if she was an interloper. He began a plan to find out her route, and make sure it goes away from the ritual. He turned, put out his hand to shake, and spoke in a cheerful voice.

"Glad to help you when I did, I'm Aaron, Aaron Fang"

He then switched from greetings to his attempt at prodding "You are right, this is terrible weather. Most people wouldn't be out here unless they had too. So that begs the question, why are you out here. Because I would be glad to help you get to where you need to go."

[AKAME]
The muffler girl accepts the proffered hand and shakes it. Hot and damp, soaked through with water she swats her palm into his and shakes his hand less than strongly, without removing the mitten.

"Akame. Uhm, Akame Sanshouuo."

She mirrors his format simply because he had said his own name like that. She wasn't sure why. As he raises commentary about the weather Akame realizes her mitten is sodden and squeezes it into a fist to squeeze some of the water out of it. Straightening her muffler with the same hand while her other sleeve hangs at her side.

"An important job. It'll pass at some point and the sun will come back out."

She suspects he disagrees with someone like her being allowed to be here, like so many others did. Her presence on dangerous jobs was often a liability that could get others hurt after all. Unless the terrible monster-god somewhere in these hills had his way; then the rains would spread and continue unabated for days on end.

She stuffs a hand into her pocket that also contains her radio and fishes out a handful of crumpled up notes, teasing one and then another thousand yen note out of the messy wad she offers it in Aaron's direction. Hunters didn't help one another out of a sense of camaraderie.

"The radio in her pocket crackles and emits a garbled and incomprehensible call, the signals were complete garbage being bounced around these paths.

Akame holds her position, holding out the money even as the rain picks up in intensity so it too drips and falls limp.

"For ... The use of your gear and time. I'll find my own way!"

She didn't intend for him to bilk her out of even more money on pathfinding. It was part of the job as a whole, finding a route to most safely move forces up.

[AARON]
Aaron was taken aback by the offer of payment for his gear. He refused her money with a gesture of the hand and a shake of the head. "No need to pay me. I can loan you some extra water and a hat, but I am just a good scout, and I want to make sure you can get were you want to go safely."

Aaron realized he would have to be direct, as she seemed to think he was something else entirely. "But what I need to know is where you need to move to." He rose with his walking stick in hand to point the directions. "Are you be heading into valley. Or are you heading to something past the valley, or do you just need help getting out of the valley." He was being direct as he could without asking her flat out if she was here to interfere.

[AKAME]
Akame squares away the money in her pocket with a shove, probably how it got messy to begin with. Her eyes narrow suspiciously but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. At the mention of water she squeezes her eyes shut and hold her trembling arm out to receive water at the same time she squeaks outs "I'M GOOD Thank you for your consideration!!!" into his face. The body language completely at odds with how much she wanted water.

In answering the following question she looks up, left and right to get her bearings, dislodging droplets with the movement she check the horizon line and then points off in the direction of the ritual. Towards the heart of the storm and in a direction the sparkles were heaviest.

"That way -- it looks like. Yeah, I think that way."

She wasn't entirely certain but there was something going on there so a fair to high chance the target would be there.

[AARON]
Aaron looked to where she wanted to go. He held out one last hope that he could send her back, without conflict. He rubbed the back of his head, and tried to convince her to leave.

"Oooooo, that's going to be a real problem right now. This storm is going to get any better, and going deeper in is just not safe. I can't let you go in there with a good conscious. I'm afraid what ever it is, will have to wait until after the storm."

Aaron gestured to a trail that lead away from the ritual and pulled out his extra water bottle.

"I can help you get out of the valley, and you could really use water. Dehydration is dangerous."

[AKAME]
Akame allows her hand fall, she still craved water. Her body was screaming and protesting her actions but her path was more clear, the animal within was no match for the drive to keep moving forward.

"This storm, it's only going to get worse. It'll follow wherever anyone goes."

She trails off, continuing to watch Aaron but the angle of her head and glasses hiding her eyes, the muffler and mop of hair making her indecipherable.

There was no safety or shelter from this. It exposed all human to survival conditions like these and at least those who had the option to prepare, and were healthy enough weren't left naked and at the mercy of the elements. Not all people were so lucky. It left just one option that best served humanity as a whole: Attack the root of the problem.

Kill God.

She what feels like tormenting her with water and focuses on the thing he said before that. Her voice sounds soft, incredulous as she processes what he was suggesting "Wait?" --For the thirty or forty nights of rain and for the world to drown as the Thunder God created these storms. She didn't know what his aims were or who he was fighting. The fact he was willing to harm humans made him an enemy of humanity.

"I don't need that much water."

[AARON]
Aaron felt regret as he knew he had to use more forceful methods to keep her away. He turned away from her to collect himself for what he had to do now. Down with his hands, he strung his bow. The Eagle Scout turned and looked her down with a straight and serious face. He spoke up in a loud authoritative voice, trying to make her listen.

"I'm sorry Miss Sanshouuo, but I can not allow you to go there. I need you to leave this place, there is more than your own safety at stake here."

[AKAME]
They were in agreement that there was too much at stake.

A minute and slow incline of her head as she seemingly resigns herself; a nod, she wasn't going to allow herself to be stopped by him.

"You are human though, aren't you?"

Horribly misguided maybe, certainly a strong possibly he was insane or hated other humans. He must have his reasons. Akame was no better and she knew it.

This potential battlefield however was pretty desolate, no trees or anything around. Rocks, and water. She gives it a glance over and then folds down into a crouch and picks up a select and better-than-nothing rock. Vaguely pointed and cracked so it had a sharp edge, it didn't even fit neatly into her palm. It's holding this she rises back to her feet and squares off against Aaron angling it to make best use of the edge.

Beneath the muffler she bites a hold of her muffler and sucks on the damp wool. Aiming the improvised weapon at the bowman she waits for him to make a first move or answer her question.

[AARON]
Aaron held his breath for a moment. Then he let it out a great sigh when Akame turned back, with a rock in hand. He looked into her eyes, his own bearing a twinge of sadness.

"I am a human that wants an end to this war. Can you even think abut what the death toll will be in such a urban nation. I want to make sure this conflict ends at the source, with the people spared."

Ending his plea, the Eagle Scout raised his bow, and pulled back the string. He stood patient, waiting for Akame to move against him.

"But Miss Sanshouuo, do you have any humanity?"

[AKAME]
Akame jerks as if struck, questioning her humanity seems to silence her since she didn't bother to respond to anything Aaron had said. The girl maintains her posture though suddenly and adeptly flicks the rock into a reverse hand grip. She was out of time! Being delayed was as much a failure as defeat was. Time was of the essence.

Instead of an answer she runs right at him. Both arms dragging behind her in something approximating a ninja dash she runs into a range that a bowman would be disadvantaged. The long fountaining trail of splashes from puddles behind her an indicator that she was actually moving at an appreciable speed.

COMBATSYS: Akame has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Akame            0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Aaron has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Akame            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Aaron

COMBATSYS: Akame takes no action.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Akame            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Aaron

[AARON]
The girl began to move. She began to move fast. Aaron began to fire faster.

Light coalesced from his finger tips. When he let go of the string, a bright light flashed towards her. An arrow of pure light, jettisoning towards Akame.

COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Akame with Arrow of Light.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Akame            0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
Akame has to adapt mid-stride, else running facefirst into an oncoming arrow would have undesired consequences. Hastily she starts to lean aside, rolling her ankle and leading hard enough to wildly throw herself off balance. The Arrow shot scores along her side and pierces through her right shoulder, now moved closer to where her centreline was.

She doesn't seemingly blink so much as continue a crashing and rolling dive that's the product of such a wild evasive attempt. Going head over heels into a tumble she rolls far wide of the intend mark but the eventual controlled stop to her rolling does so with head down, legs compacted beneath as she springs back into a lunge. Coming around in a fast break turn right back at Aaron.

She turns into him, matching her smaller build and the power gained form speed to lean into and corkscrew around him, ruin his footing and shove him into to fall by occupying the same space he was.

She wasn't gentle. But neither was she using the rock just yet.

COMBATSYS: Aaron blocks Akame's Quick Throw.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Akame            0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0            Aaron

[AARON]
Aaron's arrow hit it's mark, yet the girl still rushed forwards. She spun around and forced the Scout into a fall. But the Eagle caught his descent. He stopped himself abruptly by leaning on his bow.

Akame was getting into his space. Aaron disapproved of that action, and sought to rectify it. He grabbed hold of his bow, and lightly turned. He jammed the bottom of the bow backwards at Akame's hip, trying to get her out of his space.

COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Akame with Light Strike.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Akame            0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0            Aaron

Akame lands face first on the rock in a belly flop. One arm superman style out in front of her prone body, legs folding up at the knee and heels pressed to her buttocks, pinning the hem of her skirt and preventing anything immodest. One ankle twitches and flicks her foot as she lays face down.

It takes only a brief moment to pick herself back up and resume the chase. A touch to the spectacles to affix them properly.

She winds up her arm and throws a softball style underarm pitch at Aaron. Low and at the midline she was either aiming for the bow itself or his arms. Her palm was scratched and bleeding, the rock hurled toward Aaron bloody and sharp."

COMBATSYS: Aaron dodges Akame's Small Thrown Object.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////////  ]
Akame            0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0            Aaron

Aaron watched as Akame went right by him, he watched her keep going, and he watched her crash. He waited a moment to see if she would get up. Then she did.

He dodged the rock she threw like it was a wrench, and he closed the distance. He grabbed the far end of his bow with his right hand, and swung it in a wide reach. The carved Eagle's head acting as a hook. If it struck, he was thrust forward three arrows into the opening.

COMBATSYS: Akame dodges Aaron's Scout Salute.

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Akame            0/-------/----===|=------\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
Seki~gan� the word was mumbled rather than repeated alound... Her heart clamps painfully in her chest. It causes a minute spasm in every extremity, her fingers twitch uncontrollably for an instant, lips swell and her arm goes numb. But as the swinging rounds in this arc he was using to hook and collect her, it meets only air... the press of a dainty toe on the topmost edge as Akame vaults off the topside of the bow the only connect. She kicks her legs up and over so she cartwheels. Her upended head swinging past Aarons she stares at him with one mousey brown eye and the other a bright bloody red. Mid swing and upended the other eye transforming by a spreading paint like blossom to match in an instant.

One arm snaking out horizontally and cross in front of Aarons forehead she aims to snap him down into a near backbreaker while landing behind.

The droplets of rain clinging to her exposed skin starting to run away or steam gently, her entire body was getting palpably hotter especially to herself and someone standing so close.

COMBATSYS: Aaron blocks Akame's Armed Combo.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Akame            0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0            Aaron

[AARON]
Aaron looked in amazement as Akame lit up in the air. When she shot down to break his back, he tried to stabilize. He drove his bow down into the wet soil. He managed to stay upright, but body was strained.

Gripping his bow, he pulled himself up tall. The Eagle Scout gained a faint white light about him. The light was followed by the sound of thunder. The sound reverberated through them, just as a harsh wind picked up speed. The storm was growing worse as Aaron began to shine.

COMBATSYS: Aaron gathers the Spirit of Scouting.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Akame            0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
Akame releases her grip earlier than intended, she wasn't done yet though!! A mutual catch-and-release since he was starting to slip the hold anyway, he had broken it. She skips forward, buries her heel and vaults back. She keeps worrying at him, every time he batters her away she comes right back. Most likely determining she didn't want the bowman to escape to range and was intent on infighting.

The thunder doesn't scare her, Blood likewise thunders in her ears much louder, her veins thrum as though they were being plucked or played. Her vision red tinted the light surrounding Aaron was inconsequential or unnoticed.

Kicking up a veil of water she cans up a thrust kick all while speeding back at him like an arrow. A veil she herself passes through since her momentum is faster than it is travelling. Reflexively she brings a hand up to shield her eyes and face from the splash as she attacks. Water flashes into steam where it makes contact with bare skin.

"Teeee-YAAAAH"

The muffler falling lose around her shoulders and upper chest and breath escaping leaving a cloudy trail like she were an oncoming (teeny) locomotive.

COMBATSYS: Akame successfully hits Aaron with Strong Kick.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Akame            0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1            Aaron

[AARON]
Not only did Akame look like a train, she impacted like one too. Aaron was struck, and his rooting was broken and tumbled forwards across rock and moss. A large gash in the damp soil was left behind him.

Looking carefully in the rain, steam, and lightning, the Eagle eyed his target. The stabbed his bow towards the steam's origin. The wind blew even harder, sending great clouds of steam over the stones.

COMBATSYS: Akame dodges Aaron's Quick Strike.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Akame            0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1            Aaron

[AKAME]
Akame continues her desperate pursuit with a scrabbling start, kicking up water and pebbles, one hand touching down to stabilize her as she kicked up a storm. Even through the steam as she approaches the clack of flint against stone, a trail of sparks as she brings the sharp chip up and twirling with her through a pirouette as she sidesteps the lunge.

She hasn't given up on disabling him... bringing her arm and shard both down and aiming at the top of his wrist or forearm she only has to disable one arm to interfere with the talents a bowman uses. If it were a gun, dagger or knife this kind of tactic would be suicidal. Unlike any of the earlier weapons, he needed both hands to make use of a bow.

The clearing steam can't obscure the gasping and sodden girl whose body heat was still steaming her clothing dry. Mouth falling open and closed too quickly as she wildly gasps for breath.

COMBATSYS: Akame successfully hits Aaron with Medium Strike.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Akame            0/-------/-----==|=======\=====--\1            Aaron

[AARON]
Aaron felt the pain in his forearm as the flint is stabbed into it. He stepped back as he held his arm in pain. Blood was running down it, and he would need to treat it soon. Before that, he tried moving three fingers.

They could move, then he could shoot.

The Eagle Scout pulled out 12 arrows from his bag. The tips were not his normally safe metal pegs, they were Obsidian arrow heads made by a local Ainu. The 12 arrows stuck into the soft soil amongst drops of blood.

Once Aaron touched the first of the arrows, the wind picked up into a terrible gale. A sharp red light shown from his eyes, his arrows, and his arm. He pulled back the arrow, ignoring the pain. He lined up the shot to the source of the steam, prone on the ground. He might've hesitated, but the red from his arm dismissed such ideas.

There was a flash of lightning in the distance. 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6.. 7.. 8.. 9.. 10.. 11.. and 12. A dozen arrows flew. When the last one entered the air, the thunder resounded.

COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Akame with Scout's Law.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Akame            1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
The teenage girls falls to her knees. Head tilted back to capture a few drops of the rain her mouth falls open and tiny pink tongue protrudes to catch a few drops in her mouth. The water was hardly enough for a swig, it mostly evaporated on her tongue but it causes a thick trail of red to wash out of her mouth, from the corner of her mouth it runs to her chin and gathers to drip.

The camera pulls away and the dozen shafts lodged in her torso pin her body place such that it's difficult to breath, what internal organs were hit it was simpler to leave the shaft in that risk inflicting more damage pulling it free.

An asthmatic wheeze of a breath and she picks herself up. A dozen arrows heavier, it made movement all the harder.. Akame is grateful though. The wounds being plugged meant she wasn't bleeding out. A pin cushion was lucky in that it didn't have to feel what actual wounds felt like.

He was a scary guy this Aaron fellow. She could only assume he believed what he was fighting for as much as she did. She didn't believe him any longer that he wanted to save her or guide her away, they were past that point. How far was she willing to go through...

Closing her hand around one of the shafts she pulls hard and twists just a little to wrench the thing free, The splatter of blood was lamentable, the pain -- was immense. She was now holding the shaft in her own hand and able to see the arrowhead. Stone? But it meant nothing to her, nothing she knew about or understood the special properties of. A sharpened rock, She drops the shaft rather than using it as a weapon herself, lets it clatter around on the ground where the wood begins to smoke and crumble where covered by her blood.

Another wheezing breath and she drags her body forward into a sluggish run, if she couldn't do this.. she had to protect whomever she could.

The grab at Aarons arm is more forceful than previously she had been, trying to torque his wrist or thumb howsoever she can and at an angle there was a good chance she would break them.

COMBATSYS: Aaron dodges Akame's Medium Throw.

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Akame            1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0            Aaron

[AARON]
Aaron was scared by what he was doing. When he looked at the wounds he gave her, he started to doubt what he was fighting for. This was the kind of pain and suffering he was trying to spare others from. He did not want to know what he was willing to go through. All he wanted was to send her away. He jumped out of her grasp, and he knew he had one option left.

He was going to swing the eagle beak on his bow down on her like an ax. He was going to stop the violence by trying to win even faster.

COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Akame with EDGE Method.
- Power hit! -

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Akame            1/----===/=======|==-----\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
Akame shifts her head to the side in an attempt to stop her brains being bashed in by the descending cleave. The hooked beak crashing down onto and carving into her shoulder, it bites deep and opens a huge gash in her jacket. An arterial spray of blood fountaining into the air and wide doe-like eyes that stare form behind askew spectacles, half a moment later a gust of wind catching and carrying the mostly torn off sleeve which tumbles away through the air. The girl in front of him had one little stump instead of a right arm, little more than half her bicep in length. She'd lunged that way in order to preserve both her head and her one good arm.

Sacrificing what was already lost and wouldn't save her.

Her good arm sweeps upwards to contact with the front of the bow as she forces it up and to tear free. Enough she can totter backwards as her legs don't seem to want to remain fixed and firm, keeping her up. She braces herself by turning her knees inward, throws herself forward to steady herself and rasps another breath. She can't speak, and contrary to how it appears, she felt every single wound. A high tolerance for pain was no help in actually masking it...

Hu-uhhn-nnn.

Another shaky breath and she was back on the offense. A wobbly and tottering lunge back toward she slaps her good arm across her body and Aarons in an attempt to knock the bow while the real attack comes when she steps on his foot and tries to shove him his weapon back into him. She was a weapon user, if she had none she'd have to try and use what her enemy was holding as her weapon as well. Because she had none, she wouldn't!!

COMBATSYS: Aaron blocks Akame's Random Weapon.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Akame            1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0            Aaron

[AARON]
When Aaron looked how his swing landed, he was looking at it in horror. He was stunned by the blood that was spilling, spilling by his doing. When Akame went for his weapon, he held on tight. They shook and struggled, and Aaron buckled against his own weapon.

Aaron began to feel his heart sink. He was near tears. He tried to shove her away with a great push from his bow.

COMBATSYS: Akame dodges Aaron's Strong Strike.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Akame            1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
The push to shove her away causes the girl to reel away drunkenly, an ultra-light type she sails away with all the resistance a balloon would usually offer, a wheel about in her stupor and she is coming back with a straight palm strike aimed at the fingers wrapped around the plain wooden grip of the bow. The remnants of her woolly mitten flutter around her wrist as though a bracelet and she just stabs out at him.

Her jacket and the cardigan beneath were torn, muffler splattered with her own blood and tights torn and exposing holes where she had grazed a flying rock or torn in the exchanged blows. She was like a mute and rasping zombie; a creature from nightmares that seemingly won't ever stop coming to take your life.

She was still feeling the cold and shivering, even more so now she'd lost her sleeve. The radio in her pocket had gone and been silent awhile now and that was a bad sign she didn't have time to waste here. People may not have been depending on her but they took a chance in trying to have her help them one last time.

She kept moving forward.

COMBATSYS: Akame successfully hits Aaron with Fierce Strike.

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Akame            1/----===/=======|=======\-------\0            Aaron

[AARON]
Aaron hoped she would go away and stay away. But it was hope, and nothing more. Her strike left him with a great pain over his lung. He pulled back his bow and leaned on it, coughing. He looked at the blood mess he had left, and just wanted to end the suffering. Then he thought of one last chance.

He pulled out one more obsidian arrow and a handkerchief. He stood out firm in front of Akame, he shown a faint shade of white, and the winds died down a mark. The Scout regained his strong voice of authority. As he tied his wounded arm, he held firm on his bow. Then he began to try to talk the girl down one last time.

"Akame Sanshouuo! End this now! Surrender, and I can help you. You do not need to do this to yourself."

"It is inhumane to continue this... madness."

COMBATSYS: Aaron takes aim.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Akame            1/----===/=======|=======\=------\1            Aaron

[AKAME]
Akame pauses and invariably slumps to a stop at his words. She doesn't have much energy to spare but instead of continuing her headlong rush into combat she touches her finger to her nose and pushes the finger up sliding her spectacles into place. Obviously taking stock of the situation and watching him carefully every movement and his body language. The presence of another one of those arrows, he was hurting but intended to shoot her once again.

Akame turns her body to the side as though this were an old fashioned pistol duel and raises her one good arm overhead, angled to strike downward. She wasn't surrendering, if anything it looked like an awkward and one handed attempt at a kendo form. With the arrows in her torso she doubted she could bring her arm down fast enough even if she still had the use of both arms.

She can't respond with words, instead her refusal to back down even as another arrow is produced is the most she can convey. Eleven of those same arrows were still embedded in her torso, this last shot could add the twelfth back that she had removed to examine the tip.

COMBATSYS: Akame focuses on her next action.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Akame            1/----===/=======|=======\=------\1            Aaron

[AARON]
The Scout saw Akame not back down. She seemed like nice girl, he was sad it had turned out this way. She was such terrible condition, more soaked with blood than water. He knew the only way to make sure she was safe, was to win. He notched his arrow and tried to clear his mind.

He would have to add that twelfth arrow back.

Aaron crouched down into the brush, and kept his bow steady. Pulling back the arrow as far as he could, and let it loose. The missile flew through the air, covered in a cloak of white chi. The air was so tense in power, the arrow began to spark with electricity.

COMBATSYS: Akame reflects Empowered Leave No Trace from Aaron with Shinku Tsuki.
- Power hit! -

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Akame            0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
The descending diagonal slash starts too early to swat the arrow out of the air, an error on the girls part unless she intended for an imaginary sword to split the arrow in twain when it reached her.

Her previously empty hand swings a three foot long cylindrical torrent of gloopy and spattering red-black blood down like it were a baseball bat and she a mobster. Positioning it in the arrows path she swings for the fences with a one armed forceful flick and backhand spin that that almost spills her to the ground as she overbalances while swiping it to her side.

The arrow scooped out of the air, Akame Hurls! It! Away from the pair of fighters at a ninety degree angle, speeding away from either combatant it buries itself in a craggy rock face at a high enough velocity to widen a split in the rock wall and trigger a noisome shower of dust and debris. Freshly exposed stone quickly being pattered and washed clean by the still falling rain.

Akame wobbles where she stands, opening her hand in what would be a gesture that dropped a held weapon the core of the sword is vacuumed back toward and into her hand (actually an open wound in her wrist.) A substantial amount of the blood that formed the blade freely falls to the ground and splashes into the puddles and across rain slick rocks.

Breathing hard and only occasionally, still unable to speak she continues to square off against Aaron. She had been hiding an ace all along, all this time striking or lashing out at Aaron with her fist or an improvised weapon instead of revealing she could do something as ridiculous as she had just.

[AARON]
Aaron watched his arrow fly, sharp and true. When the arrow flew back, and sundered a stone, he was taken aback. It took him a moment to process what Akame had done, and what that red weapon was. When he realized that she was using her own blood as a weapon, the sanguine streams made sense.

Leaping out of the brush, he held his bow firm. He knew he was not fighting any ordinary girl. That thought was just enough to keep him fighting, over just letting her go then and there. Holding his bow forward like a spear, he was going to impact her straight on.

COMBATSYS: Akame dodges Aaron's Medium Strike.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Akame            0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
Akame reacts to the spear charge by trembling in place but shifting the position of her hand until it was low centre mass. Parallel her navel she doesn't even resist against the charge so much as get pressed backwards. Leaning away with the bloody little palm pressing against the curved arch side of the bow she weaves around the tip of the 'spear' with a beautiful economy of movement, to press and fade away.

The thrust itself provided the line and angle she needed to move away from, her arm what was guiding her around it. Unfortunately Aarons shoulders and body were wider than just the thrust point so right about then she turns into a wobbling and spinning top, with arm and stump spread wides she spins, wobbles from leg to leg while stomping around crazily and still throwing her weight back and forward trying to remain upright. The heel of one of her uncoordinated stomps coming down at Aaron's foot more by accident than intention while she was busting fly clumsy girl moves.

When she does come to a halt it's in a half bent over crouch with her hand on her knee for the support. Boy that was a close one, and it hurt her a lot more than it should have to try being so acrobatic with so many wounds and things puncturing her body.

Her thumb brushes the tip of her nose again and wipes off a raindrop that was tickling it. A Bruce-lee like gesture from a girl his weights or training equipment could probably soundly defeat her.

COMBATSYS: Aaron endures Akame's Weakened Light Kick.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Akame            0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0            Aaron

[AARON]
The Eagle Scout watched Akame dodged his trust with apparent grace. Then saw her try to stand with an obvious lack of it. While he tried to stop himself after his charge, he was put in place by a wayward heel. He felt it hold his foot down a bit as he tried to keep is own footing.

He looked Akame in the eyes. They were hard to see at all, past water and blood. Still holding his bow, Aaron pointed the beak outwards. With his left foot he pushed down to put him self into a spin.

Using his whole body, the Scout brought the hook of his bow around in a bright circle blazing white. The white circle spent out speaks of rain drops, filled with touches of white light, producing a glimmering fountain for an instance, in the downpour.

COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Akame with Good Turn.

[                          \\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Akame            0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0            Aaron

COMBATSYS: Akame takes no action.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Akame            0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0            Aaron

COMBATSYS: Akame has reached second wind!

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  //////////                    ]
Akame            0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0            Aaron

[AKAME]
With a profound dent in her cheek Akame pinwheels heels over head and crashes down several feet away. Abrasively skids to stop in a growing wave of water and splashed sown into an awkward and still pile.

Theres a wooden knock and rattling from the same direction but further away.

She she begins to unfurl and start pushing herself back to her knees there's a point where she's halfway where she stops suddenly and pitches forward but pats the ground in front of her and slaps around for a few seonds before continuing to rise. Back on her feet it's plain to see two of the arrows are missing and a number of the wooden shafts are damaged or missing, twisted at odd angles where either the shaft is broken and swinging by just a few fibres.

Akame blinks in Aarons direction and turns her naked face toward him.

The spectacles absent and probably dropped in the fall a forked line of red falls down either side of her nose from a cut on the bridge of it, right between her eyes. Her eyes still a blood red they also never sit still and keeping looking at and past Aaron. She looks at him twice as often as her gaze drifts from right to left over him, then back again. Sweeping and scanning for movement.

It's clear after a few moments she can no longer see Aaron at all. So long as he makes no noise she cannot detect him. If he no longer attacks she cannot continue her counter-attack and stumbling lunge style of fighting, given a few minutes of this standoff it's Ayame who crumples fist. Adrenaline sputtering out and the full weight of her wounds dragging her down to her knees.

A half a minute later she slumps forward, collapses onto her good arm and lays still. Was she dying...? Would she wake up again after this? She didn't know for certain, but was still proud of herself. She hadn't used her powers on a fellow human; she hadn't crossed that line in the sand that separated her as she wanted to be and being a monster herself.

With the sky overhead gradually ceasing the downpour and opening in parts to let the sun shine though. That was a beautiful sight and she was fixated upon it. Someone had completed the mission: Saved the day and the city below, maybe lives all over the world. It wasn't her, but she was a tiny part of that. It was 'one last job' as a contractor for the Guild after all.

COMBATSYS: Akame has left the fight here.

[                    \\\\\\\\\\  <
Aaron            0/-------/---====|

Log created on 23:47:36 12/05/2017 by Akame, and last modified on 20:53:38 02/11/2018.