Match of the Millennium

Description: After reports of a seemingly aquatic Darkstalker assaulting the Sandy Cove resort, both enterprising fisherman Banyu and NOL soldier Katsuro respond; which is precisely what the monstrous fighter hoped for! How many tentacles is TOO many tentacles?!

[MASARU]
Living in a peaceful cove near Southtown is a quaint resort; although close access to many marine hotspots of the large city, this place is one rife with the rich and privaleged, and general access to tourists is quite restricted. But things changed when SOMETHING in the water seemed to attack one of the pretentiously ornate yachts near the shore; emergency responses were rapid. The Library is contacted to send someone to respond to a possible monstrous darkstalker in the water; someone with a blade, and able to quickly respond...

But the broadcasts also show grainy footage from a phone camera. Indeed, there are strange tentacles surging around the front and back of a boat, gradually crushing it. It's likely no coincidence that a passing person would show this to Banyu as 'pretty cool' where he is currently situated, before the blonde schoolgirl points towards some forests, idly remarking that it's happening only about five minutes away... right this moment! Some kind of aggressive sea monster...? There may be enough people to fit on one hand who have any experience with that kind of thing!

Yet, it seems there are no fatalities. Although a half-dozen people got very waterlogged, the smoldering yacht is about fifty feet from the series of narrow docks, with a few other boats tied up near. Smoke and fire curl up into the air, but there's no sign of the monster... at the start.

Then, what seems a *human* slowly rises from the water, about twenty feet from the ends of the docks not far from the smoldering yacht; at least, at first glance. Perhaps six foot two and solidly built, Masaru's gradual ascension from the depths ceases at the middle of his knee, leaving everything else covered by the dark, slowly shifting waters. He's darkly tanned, blonde hair waterlogged as his claw-tipped fingers move up to slick them back. It's clear in an instant he is a Darkstalker; eyes are black with yellow iris, and as his lips peel back into a grin, each and every one is shark-toothed. He wears a simple white wifebeater, drenched, along with more water resilient dark green pants, belted twice to his hips.

"Heheheh... a bit of chaos can be fun, I suppose..." he remarks to himself, looking over the sea of frightened people huddeled well away from the shore. He wanted to make himself known, after all -- the main purpose to his little show here is for the Library to take stock... and, perhaps, for all those watching to see a monster outright resist, instead of flee!

[BANYU]
"Grr- What do you want, young lady..?"

"Eh?! A sea monster?! Could it be...?" The fisherman looks up, wistfully. Reminded of some distant memory. "It's time to get out the ol' Harpoon, aye!" And he stands up from his seat- He was sitting on a park bench... in a park... Enjoying a convinence store dinner that is now tragically left half-finished on the bench. From there, it was through the forests. He jogged, at a pace that he could maintain for the given 5 minutes-- It only took him 4, in the end! Banyu did fall right into the midnight channel's plans, unknowingly! For him, this was a coincidence.

Dressed in a grey shirt with blue dungaree overalls, his thick shoes dig into the beach's sand. Right in time to see the supposed monster's come-uppance! "Grr- Another one of these devilish.." Banyu's meeting with Lyraelle forever colored his perception of darkstalkers, unfairly so. But his first reaction can't help but to be anger and distrust, when meeting any of them! Of course, in this situation he has all the right to be angry and distrustful. The fisherman strokes his beard nervously, while meeting his grey eyes to the Darkstalker's yellow. He is still decently far away! Not quite heaving reached the docks yet, Banyu steadily continues his approach, and yells. "Killin' monsters of the sea was part of me' job! AND THEY WERE MUCH BIGGER THEN YOU! This will be /nothing!"

"Prepare yourself for my Harpoon, foul creature!"

[KATSURO]
Someone from NOL, you say? Someone with a blade who can get on the scene quickly, you say?

ENTER KATSURO!

...Okay, well, his entrance isn't actually that grand. He was going to make it grand, with a sweeping leap from amidst the crowds and everything! But lo and behold, there's suddenly a massive old man charging up towards the docks, and... well. That just deserves at least a little bit of a spotlight for a moment, apparently.

And some very confused staring on the part of the NOL operative.

"...Well, that's kind of ridicilous. Oh, well..."

It doesn't take too much longer for a japanese man with a glorious, messy, thick mane of brown hair to suddenly sweep out from amidst the crowds -- with a blue-white uniform jacket of the Librarium fluttering in the air behind him as he leaps through, loosely and casually worn as it is over the white button-up shirt and black dress vest.

"I guess it's not *too bad* if someone else tries to crash this party... The rest of ya though? Ya should probably GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE, HUH?!"

The last bit roared out over his shoulder back to the crowds of civilians -- and to further punctuate his point, he turns just enough to send a glance back to them with one glinting eye, accompanied by a beastial flash of teeth.

"'Less ya wanna get cut up in the crossfire?"

[MASARU]
"...who're you?" Masaru says, when he witnesses an older human running along the docks to confront him rather openly. This person isn't part of the Library... a fisherman? He's not even a monster of the sea in the first place, although he is certainly able to look the part... ah, well...

Then his eyes glance sideways, taking in Katsuro as he approaches. Ah; that is what he was hoping to see. "One...? Only one member of the grand NOL...? I do hope you're one of the fabled elite, human!" Indeed, the crowd rapidly shift further back, even if they are already at a pretty reasonable distance... slowly tilting his head to one side, then the other, Masaru emits a couple of cracks. "Very well... you." A finger points to Katsuro. "At one point, I believe you had me logged as the Butcher... although I'm rather different now... uncaged! Back to beyond my prime! Would you like to see?!"

Four tentacles suddenly flit from the water and grip the end of the docks, near both Katsuro and Banyu. Drawing forward, a dark mass is visible beneath the waves, before it crests; it seems that this creature's lower body is about ten feet long of dark yellow-brown flesh, covered in chitinous growths -- which his feet seem to merely vanish into, as if attached...

Masaru's eyes then flash open, before four new ones grow; a pair above and below his current ones, a forked purple tongue licking out as his arms open. "I'm not quite familiar with my new strength... but I'll see what I can do! Hahaha!" Before he suddenly vanishes beneath the waves...

Only to surface on the dock with Katsuro. What emerges no longer has even the slightest hint of humanity to it. Ten feet tall, vaguely humanoid in shame; possessing a pair of claw-tipped legs, although his upper body is expansive and huge. There are no arms, only six huge tentacles; some of which continue to grip the deck. What passes for a head thrusts out to loom, dripping, over Katsuro... six narrow red slits for eyes, before his mouth bisects open to reveal countless needle teeth.

"Are you ready?!" His voice is a dark, resonate hiss, a sudden surge of chi rippling out. The water seems to ripple and quake within his presence, as if a strange storm of power was scarcely contained within that alien body. It seems they are going to be monster hunting in earnest, today...!!

COMBATSYS: Masaru has started a fight here as a boss!

                               MASARU                              
  [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|---------------                



[BANYU]
"I am Banyu Darma! A name that strikes fear into the monsters that lie beneath!"

Or so Banyu claims... Rather hard to believe, though. "And I will strike you dow-" The old man's eyes widen as the opponent reshapes themselves- Taking on a terrifying, monstrous and gigantic appearence. He freezes on the docks, the reverberating footsteps halting themselves. "G-Gah.." He looks afraid, he talked big- but this creature is way, way bigger and scarier. But his brow furrows, as he calls back toward Katsuro. "G-Grr, we take him together!" He announces, letting his eyes wander across the various tentacles and claws that make up this creature. "So you better start carvin' up those tentacles! Graaah!" And with that, he dashes further upon the docks, heavy footsteps ringing across the wood. With how large his opponent is, he'll have to modify some of his attacks. And one of those modifications is right apparent. Jumping from the docks, and toward the Darkstalker! He raises up a knee, in an attempt to slam it into that torso mid-air, thenafter raising an arm straight up- And a pressurized wave of water surges out of it? Not even aimed at Masaru, mind: It only provides him additional downward momentum! Indeed, it served to blast him down toward the dock again, all the while he lowered his second fist to smash it into, and past the... shoulder? That general region, anyways. It's rather hard to tell. If he manages to reach it down toward the docks again, a loud -thump- is heard.

COMBATSYS: Banyu has joined the fight here.

                               MASARU                              
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                 0|---------------|---------------                


[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Banyu            0/-------/-------|

[KATSURO]
Katsuro's brows lift upwards while he stares at the... creature, for lack of a better term. It's not often he's outright called out by a creature of the darkness! ...Even if mostly by his association rather than his own identity, but NEVERMIND THAT!

"Most monsters don't really babble on like you, sheesh..." He complains, his shoulders actually slumping a bit with some apparent disappointment, complete with one finger scratching at the side of his nose.

But oh boy. Masaru has so much more to show him, so much more to give him! The first revelation of the tentacles brings Katsuro's eyes wide. Is that fear? Is he too shocked by something so monstrous?!

When the beast submerges for a moment, Katsuro lowers his stance slightly, and his right hand moves to his left hip -- where a swirling array of red energy forms, suddenly revealing a sheathed japanese sword there, slung into the thick red shash clinging diagonally to his leather-clad hips. He watches, he waits--

And then the massive beast of tentacles surges out before him again, and his eyes track up, up, uuuuup...

And he grins, of all things.

"Hahahaha! That's more like it! Hey, ossan!" The last aimed towards Banyu, with just the smallest sideward glances. "You look strong! How about being deputized for a bit? Is that a thing with us? Eh, I'll check later! JUST DO WHAT COMES NATURAL!"

A stomp onto the ground sends Katsuro forward into a leap, sprinting and bouncing across the mostly destroyed docks, ending in him jumping prevariously towards the base of one of those tentacles. Both feet planting against the wriggly, eldtritch appendage, and using it as a springboard to launch himself right back away again -- but beginning with a quick backward flip that serves to guide the now-unsheathed blade of his sword cutting at the tentacle amidst his retreat.

COMBATSYS: Katsuro has joined the fight here.

                               MASARU                              
  [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|---------------                


[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Banyu            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Katsuro successfully hits Masaru with Evasive Strike.
- Power hit! -

                               MASARU                              
  [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------------==                


[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Banyu            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru blocks Banyu's Anchor Drop.

                               MASARU                              
  [      |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------------===                


[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Banyu            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Katsuro

[MASARU]
"Is it...? That might be true..." Masaru casually remarks in that hissing, unnatural tone. Banyu has a strong energy to him; he would definitely believe the huge man would be the target of aquatic Darkstalkers if he's truly a man of the sea, and the fact he still remains alive to confront him here is proof that they would have failed! The wooden docks seem to creak and groan beside Katsuro from the unnatural weight of this abomination. It seems to flux, to shift; occasionally growing an arm-length tentacle only for it to retract. Eyes flex open, yellow and bulbous, before gradually melting back into the quagmire of flesh... as if his frame is not entirely stable...!

He then curls up one of the gigantic tentacles, which provides a firm cushion for Banyu's knee to slam into. Unsurprisingly, there's an incredible strength behind it, keeping the old man at bay...

Literally no mind was given to Katsuro, however. Even when he drew the blade; a foolish mistake. A mundane weapon of someone of his power is nothing to worry about... but there's a flash of steel, the shock of pain, the long, sinuous limb he had raised to defend himself drops to the deck. Yellow blood burbles out briefly, as the massive limb fallen before Katsuro briefly undulates, shifts, then seems to shrivel away, deteriorating rapidly.

"...Oh?! ...That's a good weapon you have, boy..." Yet it's not 'blood' in the most useful of sense. A foul essence, perverse, corrupted, and apparently acidic, eating away at the deck where the stump shifts. "It seems even the rank and file of the Library can have a proper artifact...?!" The end of the severed tentacle then compresses, flesh rippling into sight and stopping the flow of his fel blood.

Before the tentacle Banyu is nestled against suddenly flashes, aiming to wrap a couple loops around him as he remains within mid-air. Then the end of it metamorphs; adopting a sudden, bestial face like a dragon; searing red as it twists to face the man, opening it's maw... before building up a charge of yellow energy. The air hums and cracks around--

Then an explosive blast is aimed right at the bound fisherman. A broad, wide beam, which has the unfortunate side effect of also vaporizing most of the binding tentacle; the energy hitting the deck, cleaving through and causing a great, billowing cloud of steam to surge out. Yet when the injured limb retracts, his flesh seems to retract, even if now he's only got four of those huge limbs at the ready. Given his sacrifice of one of them in an attack, however, and lack of concern at one being severed, that might not be a permanent state of affairs...

COMBATSYS: Masaru successfully hits Banyu with Morbid Embrace.

                               MASARU                              
  [       ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|----------=====                


[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Banyu            0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0          Katsuro

[BANYU]
"Tsch- Good cut!" Banyu admits, seeing the appendage carved free from the corner of his eye. "But I would never join a organization such as yours!" He yells after, while his knee sinks into the fleshy tentacle. Unsuccesfully so- As he expected, attempting to assault the appendages with blunt force would probably not go down well. Hence why he tried to attack what he percieved to be the more vunerable parts.

But Banyu's moment of inattention would cost him dearly, the moment he glanced back, was the moment he was enveloped by the fleshy limb. "Grah?!" Feebly, he struggles, to no avail- Watching in horror as the appendage's end shapeshifts and glows with power- He couldn't even more his arms to defend himself! And indeed, the energy washes over him, the beam tearing at his very insides! "Ugyaaaaah!" A lesser opponent might have indeed been vaporized like the tentacle- But Banyu survives the assault, albeit with a searing pain across his entire body as he limply falls.. not onto the dock, but in the water! Right next Masaru, no less. An awful position, to be certain. The cold splash gets him back to his senses, as he quickly steadies himself in the water, panting heavily. "Ghhh- Ghhh.. Damn it!" He reels back one arm, before slamming it into the Darkstalker's lower body repeatedly and desperately.

Maybe it would give him just enough time to swim away..?

[KATSURO]
Katsuro looks all too pleased with himself - happy, even - for having gotten the chance to cut a piece of the monster off...

Only to suddenly be shown that the bleeding of... whatever the hell that is stops not long after he'd leveled the strike onto the thing, and his landing on the piece of the is followed by him staring at the beast with visible annoyance. "Oh, it's gonna be like that, is it?" He huffs out.

And a look is sent down to Banyu's way off the docks, down into the waters, and he wrinkles his own nose at the sight of the big man down there. "Oh come on! You looked so strong too!" He complains -- but all that lasts not very long at all, for he's quick to send another eager grin to the way of Masaru The Tentacle Beast again. All those annoyances apparently don't last too long in the face of more opportunities to slash at something.

Blade held out at his side, Katsuro goes leaping across the pieces of the dock, using another tentacle gripping at the woodwork as a bouncing board once more -- but this time, he directs his leap further up, towards the main body of the beast, with his sword held high over his head--

"Let's not miss out on all the fun now!!!"

And thrust out to stab at the to-... er, what passes for a torso anyway, it's... kind of hard to define bodyparts with this one, isn't it? But still, intending to sink his blade into the thing, even using that as a hanging point if he manages to get that sharp weapon in there!

COMBATSYS: Masaru just-defends Katsuro's Power Strike!

                               MASARU                              
  [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|----------=====                


[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Banyu            0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru interrupts Hammerblow from Banyu with Shallow Grave.

                               MASARU                              
  [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------========                


[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Banyu            1/---====/=======|-------\-------\0          Katsuro

[MASARU]
Indeed, Banyu went for the main meat of the creature; although that's precisely why it intervened with one of it's tentacles instead, to set him up for the painful, bizarre experience. The monstrous figure laughs, as the large fisherman falls amongst charred flesh and specks of acidic yellow liquid to splash before him. Yet for the moment, those unnatural eyes are leveraged entirely on the fisherman, seeming to enjoy the 'play' with some clear sadism...

"Wait a moment, please..." The reflexes of this creature may be surprising. The end of a smaller tentacle shifts, a lamprey-like mouth of countless ringed teeth flashing before it dashes out. Teeth clamp down upon Katsuro's blade, stopping it cold; as a couple eyestalks slowly draw from the yellow-brown flesh to peer towards him. "I'm finishing up with the old man for the moment...!!"

The hammerblow never quite makes purchase anywhere meaningful on Masaru's bulky, unholy form. Two of the massive remaining tentacles strike out instead, capturing him by the throat and midsection to draw him beneath the water of the docks; which is still easily fifteen feet deep, enough to allow boats to be moored and prepared. After a brief amount of unhealthy gripping, a series of yellow eyes all manifest across both tentacles... each charging up a yellow mote of power, before a great explosion surges the water up in a huge splash and another steamy hissing...

The tentacles draw out of the violently heaving water then, leaving Banyu down below, as the creaking legs twist to face Katsuro. The lamprey-like tendril does not seem keen on letting go of his blade easily, however. "You've an interesting aura, dog of the Library... you've a bloodlust that would put most of my kin to shame. Well, if you crave violence... I've still got plenty to spare...!!"

[BANYU]
"SHUT UP!" He yells back to Katsuro- "You haven't even gotten struck yet!" Frustration, and anger, through the pain. He only gets in 4 strikes, and only against one of those fleshy tentacles- practically no damage. It is a terrifying hopelessness, and the humilation only grows as Masaru seems to essentially ignore him for those few seconds-

But what comes next, is even worse.

Gripped and pushed underwater. Entirely hopeless as two huge limbs restrict any possible movement. He might be an experienced swimmer, but panick makes sure that water enters his lungs in his struggle. His eyes widen further, and so does his fear in the face of all those eyes. "HMMMMMMM-"

And all of it explodes, sending Banyu blasted through the water and toward the coastline. Another awfully deadly blow. Gashes cut through the fabric of his clothes, and his skin- With plenty of bruises to go with it as well. But the worst part is the inside, how much it hurts. The monster's energy digging into him deep. The fisherman struggles to swim back to shore, laying on the sand with his back facing upward as a sputters and heaves. "No- not again, not this.. Not again- not again.."

Terror. Absolute terror, and a recognition, something like this had happened before. A monster that turned the very waters Banyu considered home into a terrifying place. All with that feeling of utter hopelessness. He turns around, to his back- lifting himself up to peer at the creature once more. "Hhhhh- hhhhh-" He tries to calm down, he needs to calm down. He won't know what he'll do after that, but calming down is the first step.

COMBATSYS: Banyu gathers his will.

                               MASARU                              
  [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------========                


[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Banyu            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0          Katsuro

[KATSURO]
"Feh?!"

Katsuro's blade is caught?! Between... Ew, are those teeth along the tentacle? Ew. EW. Even Katsuro is off-put by this!!

At least that does mean that he has some kind of point of support there to keep him from falling down, even if he has to press his foot against Beast-Masaru's torso for further support. And from that... interesting vantage point, he doesn't actually pay attention to the eye-stalks first, so much as the old man down below, strugglign with... well, a *lot* of things, apparently.

"Ah, aw man, that guy has some issues to work through, huh?" He mutters with a shake of his head...

And then his eyes snap towards one of those eyes hovering towards him!

"But I'm still not done playing! You haven't half an idea, Wriggles!"

He lets go of the hilt of the caught sword momentarily -- and immediately halts the hold of gravity by snatching his fingers around it again, but from below, to set it into a downward grip. The foot pressed to Masaru's side pushes down hard to boost him up, followed by a kick from his other foot to carry him further, push the sword and the tentacle holding onto it upwards, upwards--

And then suddenly, his foot goes sweeping up for one of the eyes peering at him, poking the tipped toe of his shoe at it as a form of further encouragement to get his sword slipped free! And when/if his blade does push away from the toothy, wriggly appendage from the momentum, the Hound of the Librarium goes spinning again, and directing his blade to cutting at tentacle and eyestalk alike like a spinning razorblade before arcing back -- away and to landing on an upraised piece of the shattered docks once more.

COMBATSYS: Masaru endures Katsuro's Howling Hound.

                               MASARU                              
  [           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-----==========                


[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Banyu            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0          Katsuro

[MASARU]
The vestigial head of sort atop that stout neck does seem to regard Banyu curiously as he tries to gather himself on the edge of the shore; were he to judge things principally on observation, he wouldn't expect him to come back. Yet he can feel the powerful energy still welling within him, and clearly sense that despite the rough handling, the old warrior is hardly spent. Still... why does he not derive as much joy from this as he used to? Breaking body and mind of a human... for much of his centuries of life, that was near ecstacy. Yet it tastes now like ashes in his mouths... all of them. Is this the effect of merging with his host? He doesn't care for it!

"Wriggles...?" Still, the lone tentacle is not stronger then a determined Katsuro. The tip sinks into the flesh of the bidepal monster, although his response is to suddenly splay out the four remaining primary tentacles to either side of the LIbrary warrior; dark shadows falling across him as the eye tentacle severs and teeth are felt breaking, ripping a shallow slash in the creature's flesh as he drops to land before him...

And then the tentacles come down. All four of them manifest large, gaping maws of shark-like teeth at the tip, intent on sinking bracingly into the flesh of Katsuro's limbs; twining and crushing briefly, before aiming to yank each of his limbs taut in different directions, and briefly suspend him in the air, if he's unable to slip free or prevent his capture...

At which point, the entire center of Masaru's torso splits own sideways; revealing a massive, tooth-filled maw between the morphing pectorals and stomach, almost of enough size to take in a humanoid figure. Yet he once more causes a point of light to built up, before a pair of grotesque, twirling tongues...

And unleashes a point-blank blast of that powerful energy once more, rippling across the docks and annihilating the wood; hitting the water to spray heated mist and droplets across both Banyu and the newly shrieking civilians who dared to watch. There had been sufficient horror beforehand, but the series of explosions has rattled their nerves, only a couple daring to continue filming with cameras, while most head into the adjacent resort buildings in a desperate bid for safety!

[BANYU]
But Katsuro is still out there fighting, while the old man is writhing on the beach. How shameful. How utterly pathetic, that Banyu is put down by this. His brows furrow and his teeth gnash, as this realization sets in. "UURAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Banyu bellows out a roar, and from within.. a fire burns. A fire literally burns. The roaring flames overtake his streaming water, creating a searing heat from the inside as it glows orange beneath his skin. It burns, he needs it gone, he needs a /target/! And as such, he stretches out a palm: The glow moves to his arm, then to his hand. "LET THE BOY GO, AND GO BACK TO WENCE YOU CAME!!"

And a rolling wave of cylindrical fire surges free! A massive heap of energy in the shape of a tube, burning flames of a astoundingly bright red. All of it flies towards Masaru's midsection, attempting to schorch that foul flesh. The fisherman's sleeve burns up, before the arm falls limp at his side- The man breathing heavily from the explosive attack he just emitted. "AND THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM!"

COMBATSYS: Masaru successfully hits Katsuro with Apex Predator.
- Power hit! -

                               MASARU                              
  [            |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-==============                


[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Banyu            1/----<<</<<<<<<<|=======\==-----\1          Katsuro

[KATSURO]
Katsuro doesn't even manage to get all the way down to landing on his feet before tentacles descend upon him. The folly of his maneuver doesn't really hit him until it's already too late, at that.

"Hargh--?!"

Disgusting, wriggly appendages wound up around the man's limbs. Wresting, pulling-- it's so tight he feels like he's about to be torn apart at the center.

"Ghyaarggh!?"

And in the face of the massive maw opening across that mass of flesh, he tries to wriggle free. Tries to turn the hand holding onto his sword to where it can try to cut into a tentacle. To no avail, not before--

All sound momentarily disappears.

The NOL footsoldier is washed away in the wake of the energy. Even after it fades away, it's only a few seconds later, that a loud *THUMP* would alert eyes to Katsuro's actual location.

Fallen down limply upon his back on the docks, smoke wafting up from scorchmarks all across his body, eyes rolled up far enough in their sockets to show nothing but whites within them.

But his fingers twitch around the hilt of the sword, still.

"Hhh... Who you callin'... a boy..."

Weakly, the wild-haired man rolls himself around, and stabs his sword down onto the wooden boards to use the weapon as a supportive leaning post to pull himself up with. Legs shaking underneath him, knees all too close to buckling.

"Hhh... F-fine... Wriggles... Let's see who... fuckin' fills up first..."

Maybe part of him realizes it's a fool's errand still. A death waiting to happen. And yet, there's an undeniable glint in his eye regardless. A desire for violence. Even at the cost of that flame inside of him being snuffed out.

Katsuro's tongue slowly traces across his upper lip, and in the instant where Banyu's blasting out water-like chi at the beast, his own head snaps up to level his gaze on Masaru with a wide, wiiiide smirk.

"Let's fuckin' gooooooooo!!!"

In an instant, he's suddenly leaped up. A foot kicking atop one tentacle, another into an eye stalk to carry him up higher, higher -- and then flipping into rapid spins that carry both feet and blade against the beast, while his own blood - spilled from his mouth - flows through the air to coat along his blade. Glowing. Shining.

And a quick push off a tentacle sends him leaping across the length of the beast's torso, blade coated with pure energy of blood magic swung across to try and create as wide of a gash as possible. A motion which ends with a spin through the air, and a sudden, sharp kick against the flesh of the sea horror to spring him away all over again. Keep moving. Just keep moving. Don't stop until your own blood runs out!

COMBATSYS: Katsuro blitzes into action and acts again!

                               MASARU                              
  [            |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-==============                


[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Banyu            1/----<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=------\1          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru endures Katsuro's Laughing Hound.

                               MASARU                              
  [                  |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|-------------==|===============                


[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Banyu            1/----<<</<<<<<<<|=======\===----\1          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru blocks Banyu's Longline Flooding.

                               MASARU                              
  [                     ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|------------===|===============                


[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Banyu            1/----<<</<<<<<<<|=======\===----\1          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru fails to interrupt Rolling Hound from Katsuro with Monstrous Rush.

                               MASARU                              
  [                         ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-------------==                


[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Banyu            1/----<<</<<<<<<<|=======\====---\1          Katsuro

[MASARU]
Ah...? Things are starting to heat up a little, now! Masaru perks towards the beach briefly when the surge of energy runs out of the pair. Although to say that the beast is a bit complacent might be an understatement... he never went into this imagine either is a threat, and it almost immediately cost him the use of one of his limbs! That torso-mouth compresses down to a horizonal line, then grins upwards before slowly vanishing, becoming one with the odd, pulsating mass of the monster before them.

"Hahaha...! I don't hate people who pursue their own primal instincts!! Come, then!" Yet it seems the sum of the two is more then the individual parts! Banyu fires that massive beam of energy towards him at the same time that Katsuro rushes forward. He's caught, at the start; he cannot defend against both at once. Clambered along by the acrobatic and fearless NOL soldier, he's struck a furious blow as he almost desperately flicks up two crossed tentacles. Banyu's hit strikes it dead center, a great, thrumming KABOOOM!! that sends a spatter of flesh and acidic blood in all directions.

"HRRRRAUGHT!!" Suddenly the bulk of Masaru's body sprouts multiple vicious-looking teethed mouths. As the thrumming blade of Katsuro's flashes through the air, he surges forward; a scant evasion causes his attempt to collapse bitey flesh around the human to fail, as a ripple of his blade cuts deep. A gout of yellow blood sprays out again, before the weight THUNK! of a third tentacle, severed closer to the base, hits the gradually collapsing docks.

"...! Heheh..." Again, the rampant bleeding seals off in short order, but the creature takes a few moments to look at his remaining three primary limbs. Undulate, undulate. "Well, well... my reserves are starting to drain at your TENACITY...!!" he growls out. "Perhaps I ought take this a little more seriously...?!"

[BANYU]
"TAKE THAT, YOU FILTHY ANIMAL!"

He writes home, not realizing that his attack was not entirely effective- But it created an opportunity, at the very least! Banyu charges forth, blinding rage clouding sound judgement. "I will not be pulled under again!" Is he referring to Masaru's earlier attack... or something else? Nontheless, he reaches the docks in his mad dash- at where one of the main appendages is still making it's rest. He raises up both arms, fists interlocked- And between them, water surges! Water that shapes itself into a harpoon. Normally, it would be of a smaller size- something more reasonable for fighting against humans. But this time around, it's downright huge! Holding it with both hands, the point pointing downwards before the fisherman /thrusts/ it into one of the main limbs.

If it could seek contact, it would impale deep- Before finally stopping as it penetrated through the wood of the docks. Masaru would find his tentacle pinned down, with Banyu standing right behind the spear-- Using it as some sort of cover while the fury is obvious in his eyes! "Keep it up, boy! We will slay the beast, and we will come out as warriors- heroes!" Pointing attention to the fact they are still being recorded, he yells out.

[KATSURO]
Disgusting ichor sprays out in the wake of Katsuro's sweeping, spinning motions -- and rains down around him when he finally comes landing down right atop a supporting pillar that... well, doesn't really have any dock atop it to support anymore. A three-point landing atop that precarious landing, with his blood-and-ichor-soaked sword swept out to his side.

"Be my fuckin' guest, Wriggles-chan~," Katsuro practically coos out in response to those threatening words from Masaru, as his head lifts up to flash a toothy smile that somehow manages to be all the more beastial. The mad glee of a bloodhound enjoying it's job *way* too much.

"But who ya still callin' a boy, gramps?!" He does yell down to Banyu, right before he leaps up and out from atop the pillar, spinning through the air once more -- just from one pillar to the other this time, one that's just close enough to the beast that he can make a quick - but shallow - slice along the fleshy bits just before he lands properly.

COMBATSYS: Banyu successfully hits Masaru with Harpoon Wrest.

                               MASARU                              
  [                          |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|----------=====                


[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Banyu            1/---====/=======|=======\====---\1          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru blocks Katsuro's Quick Strike.

                               MASARU                              
  [                            |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|---------======                


[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Banyu            1/---====/=======|=======\====---\1          Katsuro

[MASARU]
"Hrrm..." Masaru comments, still seeming more interested in his present state then the ongoing conflict, three remaining limbs somewhat poised before himself. He should have tried to finish drowning the old man, if he wished to play around against an opponent like Katsuro... yet the human is fast, with a weapon capable of wounding even the monstrous flesh of something like him. He's far too large a target, as he is. Yet that lack of attention is going to cost him, in the end. The six-slitted mass that must pass for a head shifts towards Banyu at his aggressive cry...

And the attack finally hits home! It bursts through the final limb of his left, penetrating the mass to the deck with a hiss of pained annoyance. The remaining tentacle on that limb is certainly under duress as a result, twitching heavily. "ENOUGH OF THIS!!"

Twisting hard, Masaru then rips his tentacle free of the ground, twisting hard as he leverages it to attempt and coil it with the amplified speed of the spear drawing back to catch Banyu by the waist, and attempt to hurl him aside -- with horrifying force; the momentum might make him skip off the water a time or two!

Chitin ripples into place as Katsuro's blade snakes towards him again, ripping through it but significantly dampening it... before the gigantic form suddenly flips up. The two remaining tentacles coil together, the wounded other stretching in the other direction. Flesh seems to literally bubble and hiss... before his mass suddenly begins to decrease, rapidly! Twisted muscle, rubbery skin, and strange growths all melt away, until the rippling, amorphous blob is fairly humanoid once more...

And then, Masaru lands upon a broken piece of the dock once more, looking to be almost entirely human; the same blonde-haired man they saw 'standing' on the water at the onset, still possessing the white shirt and dark, water-resistant pants. Yet he's breathing heavily, despite lacking any sort of external wounds... black-scelera'd eyes blinking towards the pair as both clawed hands reach up to smooth back his wettened hair, and grin his shark-like teeth towards them.

"Very well... let's begin round two!!"

COMBATSYS: Masaru successfully hits Banyu with Deceptive Tentacle.

                               MASARU                              
  [                          |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------=========                


[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Banyu            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\====---\1          Katsuro

[BANYU]
"G'ahahaha- Take that- Ugh?!"

And once again, grabbed and tossed, and as was predicted, skipping across the water as he yells through the sky! "AAAAAAAAAH!" Another attack that, to put it simply, really fucking hurt. At the very least the water washed some of that vile blood off of his clothing. He recouperates swiftly, however, swimming back to a part of the docks close by Masaru- Before holding onto the top of it and /pushing/ himself up-

Using that momentum to launch himself at the now much more human-looking opponent! He flies past surging with roaring flames once again. As he does so, he attempts to sink the side of his hand into Masaru's neck! A chop to the spinal cord with all his weight behind it, that would explode with fire- Though in comparison to last time, the flames seem much more timid, and they fade quickly. If it would successfully connect, the darkstalker might find his world shaken somewhat. The injury would cause a human to experience a momentarily loss of motoric function in their entire body. An experienced fighter might recover quickly from this, but a sickening feeling of Nausea and exhaustion would set in as their body would struggle to catch up-

Only if it connects, of course. And even then, it might work differently for a Darkstalker! Banyu would attempt to transiton the chop into a desperate hold around Masaru's neck, hanging onto him while attempting to sink his other fist into the man's sides twofold! "Go down, dammit!"

[KATSURO]
"Eh? Hey, hey, why are you smaller now?!" Does Katsuro actually sound... disappointed? You'd think he'd be more disturbed by the active shifting of flesh before him, but apparently no!

Still, the NOL operative might sense some other distinct change there, too. A different kind of threat, perhaps?

And maybe *that* thought makes up for the disappointment of a smaller, more regular-looking opponent!

STill perched on that one pillar, Katsuro straightens up from his crouch. Crimson blood - somehow in much larger quantity than should ahve been vomited up by him alone - channels out from the ground, his own blade, in streams across the air, flowing under his own clothes.

"Hyahahahaha..."

Scarlet spreads out from underneath the shirt and the sleeves of the jacket, coating the bare skin of his hands in a sheen much more solid than a liquid such as blood should be able -- and the same spreads up his chest, throat and neck, to cover up his whole face. Even Katsuro's hair somehow takes on a red color, albeit brighter than that coating up his skin. It covers up his uppe rface more thouroughly, hiding his eyes behind a wall of blood-like chi. And the wide, feral grin that flashes out amidst it all is now outright *demonic*.

"HYAHAHAHAHA~!" And the voice that rings from within the soldier's throat echoes unnaturally now, too, with an unnatural twist end reverb. "LET'S PLAY~!"

A blink of an eye and you'll miss it. The thump of a foot kicking at the pillar, and suddenly Katsuro is *gone* from there, and instead speeding across the stretch of the dock where Banyu is now engaging in glorious melee with Masaru. The Bloodhound's sword now held in both hands, coated in a similiar glowing red as his own body, poised to outright impale the Darkstalker upon the blade at the end of the lunge!

And if the blade does, indeed, sink in, the glow upon it grows only brighter -- and some power channels Masaru's blood - or the yellow ichor that passes for it - to flowing out in streams through the air... into Katsuro in some manner of blood-sucking magic?!

...The potential implications of using a spell like this on a beast like Masaru definitely did not cross Katsuro's mind at any point in time before, during or even *after* this.

COMBATSYS: Masaru dodges Banyu's Ike Jime.

                               MASARU                              
  [                           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------=========                


[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Banyu            0/-------/---<<<<|=------\-------\0          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru dodges Katsuro's Bloodhound's Bite.

                               MASARU                              
  [                           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------=========                


[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Banyu            0/-------/---<<<<|=------\-------\0          Katsuro

[MASARU]
"I'm a bit different like this..." Masaru admits, flicking droplets of water away from himself as he observes the pair. This is a gamble; he might be playing coy, but he can sense the intense drive and determination of them both. Were he to remain in his oversized form, where his last ability to physically defend had been eroded away, he'd probably be taken down by this tandem assault...! Yet like this, he's by no means restricted in speed. And he has the wealth of many generations of the Ametsuchi-style martial arts aggravatingly honed into his brain...

"...!!" That's fast! Masaru suddenly ducks down, crouching upon the pillar of wood as the fierce chop flashes through the air right where he had been; catching and burning away a few locks of blonde. It's clear from his wide eyes and shocked expression he had not expected such a potent assault from Banyu; testament to things turning against him a few times that he kept up a razor-sharp attention at the moment.

Kicking off, the follow-up ripples through the air, compressing around naught as the monstrous humanoid lands on the edge of the broken docks. Only for Katsuro's own aura to feel nothing like a human; no, he would expect to see an oni from the way it burns just the back of his head. The world seems to be moving in slow motion, there... Masaru is leaning backwards, black eyes wide and unblinking. But it's not enough... with his enhanced form and the launch, it's going to definitely reach this creature's neck...!

Yet then, his knee flashes up at nearly the same time. It bumps the bottom of Katsuro's hilted blade, bumping it the extra two inches needed to whisk just over the Butcher's face, a cracking sheen of crimson energy flickering past. "...Nnn! I sorely underestimated you both!!" he growls. It's frustratingly humbling... especially when the deepest part of his psyche seems to almost ridicule him for underestimating humans so much. Were he in his old form, the Killer in the Mists... his physical reflexes along would have not been enough for either. Only the technical mastery of his human host barely got him past either...

Then, Masaru shifts, twisting about to almost gently press his palms upon the front of Katsuro's chest. Booted toes digging into the wood, an exhale of heated breath swirling past. Focusing for a split second... before twisting forward, thrusting both of his arms towards the mad fighter.

It would feel like an internal detonation, kinetic force converted almost entirely into a percussive wave of force that cracks the air like a gunshot. A strange maneuver that seems designed to destroy an opponent from the inside out...! "Come! My head is still within reach, isn't it?! I didn't expect such a thrill from you two!!" ...a thrill? Is he enjoying the act of battle, now? Hrrmph... he should normally only enjoy dominating another, not being /challenged/...!

[BANYU]
"Gah?! No- NO, NO!" The fisherman yells out as not only his own, but also Katsuro's attacks whiff their target entirely! How did that creature manage that?! It is infuriating, and, at least in Banyu's case, it was an attack he put a whole lot of energy into. The large man flies past, but catches himself on one of the wooden pillars. Clambering up before balancing on the top, seeing Katsuro's insanity in full view. "Eh?! Get a hold of yourself, swordsman!"

"Tsch- It seems that there's not just one beast here.." He remarks, in frustration- and discomfort. No time for that though, and he jumps right back toward Masaru as he's busy making his assault on the NOL agent! Straight and high, lifting one leg higher- even above his head. It is some intriguing flexibilty from such and old, and large man. Judging from this, Banyu could likely even enter a split, should he want to! Nontheless, he comes down with a swift axe kick aimed at the shoulders- really attempting to dig in his heel deep!

COMBATSYS: Katsuro dodges Masaru's Crushing Throw.

                               MASARU                              
  [                          |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------=========                


[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////              ]
Banyu            0/-------/---<<<<|=------\-------\0          Katsuro

[KATSURO]
Whereas Banyu reacts over Masaru's deft maneuvering around the two attacks with frustration, Katsuro? Well, Katsuro...

"Hyahahahahaha!"

The ethereally-echoing voice of his laughs out like a hyena even while he's skidding across the dock without his opponent's weight to set into his blade and halt his advance.

"Yeah! YEAH! That's right! YOu feel it too, don't you?!"

A quick spin on one heel in a motion akin to a dancer brings him facing Masaru all over again, with hidden - but possibly maddened - eyes staring at him from within the strange coating of power. Only to immediately lean to the side and flip into a cartwheel around the Darkstalker, away from the exploding thrust of his palms.

"The way your blood's pumpin'! You too, gramps!! COME ON!!"

The end of the cartwheel sees a quick, probing vertical slash from above coming down upon Masaru -- and just that swing of his arm used for it carries him into a frontal somersault, rising up high enough that the end of the mid-air spin would see his shoe coming smacking down upon the Darkstalker's shoulder!

But even that's not meant to be the brunt of his maneuver. His heel would dig in to that shoulder, as leverage to carry him further up, and then kick the Butcher back while he continues into yet another flip -- and from much closer now, slice a diagonal cut across his back before falling into a rolling landing along what remains of the docks.

COMBATSYS: Masaru dodges Katsuro's Vaulting Hound.

                               MASARU                              
  [                          |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|------=========                


[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Banyu            0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru blocks Banyu's Quick Smash.

                               MASARU                              
  [                             ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|----===========                


[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Banyu            0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0          Katsuro

[MASARU]
For the most part, Masaru is acting awfully sedated, himself; having avoided the tandem assault from both warriors by a close shave, he is still predominantly pondering how much his own thoughts and impulses have changed. He is the dominant one, after all; although another's life, experiences, the complexity of their entire being is now his, he had thought it would be more like having access to a particularly complex library of thoughts and memories -- he had not expected to be changed on such a fundamental level. 'This is not how I would normally act.' keeps dissonantly repeating in his mind. He should be more like Katsuro, if he was entirely honest... overwhelmingly descended into the thrill of carnage! How bothersome, indeeed... it would feel like a cheap, empty act to more properly play the 'wicked monster' here.

Although analyzing the effects of an ancient soul merger in the midst of a battlefield is always a tricky proposition. Banyu's leaping assault thus catches him in a reverie... he reaches out his palm, catching the fisherman's ankle at maximum extension. Rather then compete with power and inertia, he does not immediately fight the descent of that brutal kick... every inch closer it comes to the beast, he slows it more and more, until when it taps upon a bare shoulder, it's soft as a feather. A strange method of kinetic manipulation, it seems, before flicking up his hands to try and fling Banyu away. He would follow it up with something more meaningful, but...!!

Katsuro's still launching himself around like some kind of monkey against the Darkstalker! There's ferocity, technique, and no small amount of unnaturally amplified physical ability behind it. Yet he can see much of the hunter's intent clearly, through the tension of limbs, the flow of his body, clear as day. It's a far more instinctual thing now, then when he merely hijacks the puppet of a mind he's buried deep... within the vessel he used to be, he could never leverage this talent into the sudden twist that makes the heel flash past to crack into the wooden remnants of the deteriorating dock. Exhaling to himself, there's a brief moment of relaxation before a billow of air, a flash of movement that seems to momentarily take him out of sight... the weapon cutting the open air, hopefully not so close to Banyu that he nearly gets nicked himself!

The stepping technique catches hold just behind Katsuro, then. Yet Masaru grimaces heavily, a surge of pain burning within his veins. "...?"! A power seems to well up within him, unnatural and foreign. Blackness ripples through the veins of his right arm, a hissing noise as if his own flesh burns. Anathema to his very being, a thrum of strength and essence flows out with little control. "What is... hmm? Hmm?!" This is coming from his human soul. A purifying rush, building up like an uncontrollable sneeze.

He then thrusts out his right arm, intent to grip Katsuro by the scruff of his bloodied clothing. Light surges from between his clenched fist regardless, his own flesh burning and sizzling with a wince. Were it not for his current state of being, these wounds would be rather significant.

Yet he twists, trying to haul Katsuro overhead to slam him upon the broken dock in a brutal acceleration. Only to turn, trying to haul him up and then flip him back over the monster's shoulder, to drive him face-down opposite. Three, four... five times total, he attempts to brutally chain Katsuro's impacts, as the glow of light continues to grow within his clenched fingers. Before a great explosion of brilliant, pure, beautiful white light flashes out, blinding and brief. It causes Masaru to recoil, and when his hand retracts, all of his fingers on it are missing... black stumps there instead, black and burned flesh carved deep into his hand nearly to the wrist, smoke curling out.

"What cruel joke is this...? I have never consumed an entity able to generate such a power...!" Most people who have seemingly lost a hand in the course of battle would probably be more concerned about that entire aspect, most like. "Is it some side-effect of merging souls...? No... he could manipulate souls, but not generate energy...!!"

[BANYU]
"Geh?!" Banyu reacts, as his leg is gripped, before some energy pushes him away! He manages himself to land one of of the pillars again. "You're strong, I'll give you that!" As it that wasn't already obvious. The fisherman keeps observing- And his eyes widen in surprise as a new type of attack reared it's head. "Grr- Even a monster like you?!" Is his response to the bursts of light that suddenly emerge-

"Be careful, swordsman! G-Gah!" But just like that, it's happening to him as well. The flames within are stoked again, his skin glowing orange the fisherman's body heats up painfully. "Why?! Why! Why does this keep happenin'! GRAAH!" Pulling back his arm far, it sets on fire- The man balls a fist before extending his middle knuckle. Out of that knuckle emerges a small point of burning hot fire, in the shape of a triangle. With it, he leaps at Masaru once again, landing on his section of docks before /slamming/ his fist foward, toward the Darkstalker. If a successful hit was found, the point at his knuckle would impale before exploding with flames under the creature's skin.

"And get a bloody hold of yourself, NOL Dog!"

COMBATSYS: Masaru knocks away Katsuro with D.O.A. EX.

                               MASARU                              
  [                              |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|--------------=|===============                


[                       \\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Banyu            0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1          Katsuro

[KATSURO]
"Ara?"

It's a strange feeling. Katsuro is used to more or less flowing and flying through the air with his acrobatic maneuvers. But going through the air so suddenly without any real feedback from his own muscles and nerves is... odd.

And very dangerous, as it turns out, when he realizes he's getting yanked along by his jacket. That's all the processing his brain manages, though, before his body finds itself on the ground.

Violently.

"BWUGYAH?!"

And again.

"GARGH?!"

And again!

"Gaaaaah--"

Somehow, he still manages to maintain his grip on his sword all through the process of getting swung and smacked around like a ragdoll. Not that it helps him much, seeing as every time he turns his wrist to try to guide the blade to doing... well, anything even vaguely useful, his head is getting jolted into the wooden boards all over again, and everything gets internally reset.

The explosion of light that takes away Masaru's own hand sends Katsuro flying into the air, too, flipping around with his limbs flailing uncontrollably this way and that. He even ends up landing right on top of his head, AGAIN-- and without intrusive hands holding onto him, he simply slumps there, ass over head.

"Arooo..."

The sound is weak enough that it might not be considered indicative enough of any ability to get up again to consider the NOL agent a threat.

...And yet, all that hardened blood remains glowing on him.

Without any warning, his upward-pointing legs suddenly swing out to the opposing side, and Katsuro's form is flipping in the air again. This time, however, he lands on his feet-- panting with heavy breaths as he might be, and with uneven knees underneath him.

"Gahahahaha... I can see it... I can feel it... Gehehehe... Is that it then...?"

And he still grins. Even in spite of everything. Even in spite of his left leg actually already looking mangled to the point where it may very well have bones twisted and broken in all the wrong ways in it already.

And yet he still seems like he is having the time of his life.

"But not... hhh... yet...! Still have... some fun left...!"

The katana is gripped with both hands now -- and unusually for him, his stance actually seems more in line with traditional kenjutsu techniques rather than the utterly wild maneuvering he has employed up until now. With a deep breath, he kicks down at the ground with his good leg to send him after Masaru--!

...Just to make a quick swipe at him with the blade. Just the very tip, enough to make a shallow cut. But if that much goes through, he suddenly turns his left hand from the hilt of his sword to pressing at the blade--

And the trail of ichor and blood between blade and wound would grow much brighter. The yellow overtaken by red, in a forceful flow of blood and energy both directly into the Darkstalker's bloodstream--!

Right before the energized blood coating Katsuro suddenly explodes away from him, taking away the image of the demon while the man himself buckles subtly under his own weight. "Hugh--!"

COMBATSYS: Masaru dodges Banyu's Sharkfin Knuckle.

                               MASARU                              
  [                              |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|--------------=|===============                


[                       \\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Banyu            0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Katsuro successfully hits Masaru with Unstable Blood.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                        |||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|-------========|===============                


[                       \\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Banyu            0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0          Katsuro

[MASARU]
"Hrmph." Masaru comments, still turning over his smoldering hand a couple times, inspecting it as if it wasn't quite so crippling a wound. A monster like him...? Perhaps at one point. But he's the essence of a human soul blended into him now... this light certainly came from his host. Is that why he's vulnerable to it? He's always had the ability to manipulate the soul since he first crawled from a hole in the demon world, so has some level of intuition...

Yet, how fascinating it is to watch Banyu's own struggle. He has been after his own agenda for so many months, he had no idea the world was turning out this way! "Where is this power coming from, I wonder!" Katsuro is still up, however...? Masaru knows fully well the soldier is not weak, but he should be well beneath the Butcher at this stage of his life... both of them! The tenacity is... it should be aggravating! Why would he respect it? His entire goal with this is to establish himself as a threat to the human world, but he can't be sure he's ever done an attack meant to seriously harm or kill either of them... hmm.

Banyu then leaps towards him, that burning fist slamming into the ground. Surging backwards, Katsuro's timing is then perfect... honing in on training and skill instead of his bloodlust, the extra beat to prepare his stance and wait for an opening pays off. A flash of motion; it's not too fast for him to sense, to look towards, but all he can do is twist mid-air, before the slash cuts open on his side.

A shallow cut like that, though, is as good as never hitting--

Before the wound erupts outwards, his dark, corrupt blood painting the nearby harbor and much of the side of a partly damaged boat; hissing and burning into both. A brief stagger as he nearly drops to his knees, then. "...hah! You got me. But... it's about time we finish this. I've no intention of losing..."

Reaching up. Masaru then grips his right arm at the shoulder -- the same one that currently has a ruined hand. Before... ripping it off. Unlike the cut, his flesh seems to twist away, as if it were suddenly made of clay. He then twists, bracing himself before flinging his own arm towards Katsuro as his reckless self-empowerment finally breaks...

Yet the flesh of his rapidly approaching limb bubbles, shifts, warps. It then shifts into what seems to be a giant, monstrous serpent; almost three meters long, it lets out a horrifying shriek, trying to latch lamprey-like teeth upon Katsuro's throat before wrapping tight around him, the bestial manifestation trying to compress and squeeze him with terrible force. Almost immediately, it begins to decay; burning away like ash, in a manner similar to his severed limbs in his much larger form...

"Hnngh!!" There's a disgusting SPLAT! as a fresh, unscathed right arm bursts from his socket. Glistening and slick, he pumps his hand a few times. "This form is a simple convenience to utilize the techniques of a human, and amplify my speed... as you already know, my true mass and visage is rather more alarming and huge... but my energy stores are almost spent!! How exhausting this is... heh!"

[BANYU]
"Drat!" This form of the beast proves to be much more agile then the monster that came before. It is genuinely infuriating

"Gah- Give em' a break, beast!" He shouts out, watching Katsuro get slammed about- But more horrifying then that, is how the creature mutilates his body, before it shapes and twists itself into new, even worse forms. It is sickening, a sickness spreads deep within the old man's plentiful belly.

"And the serpent, it reminds the fisherman of something.

"G-Gah?! N-No, No! You won't pull me under agin'! Ye won't crash me' ship into the rocks!"

Banyu seems utterly transifxed on the serpent-arm, as he takes a few steps back in terror. He barely even seems to pay attention to either Masaru's main body, or Katsuro. "Be gone! BE GONE!" The indonesian yells- no, screeches. Before stomping the wood below him! Energy surges through the timber, travelling a few feet until all of it gathers under their adversary. It would then surge upward. A geyser of water manifesting from the wood and attempting to crash into Masaru. The fisherman isn't quite done, jumping up before coming down with another stomp- Sending a second geyser to emerge from below the darkstalker!

COMBATSYS: Katsuro dodges Masaru's Dead Weight EX.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                        |||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|--------=======|===============                


[                        \\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Banyu            0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0          Katsuro

[KATSURO]
"Guh... Wouldn't be fun..." Katsuro rumbles, stabbing the sword down into the wooden boards once more to make use of it as a leaningp ost. He can barely keep himself up like this. "If ya just... rolled over... Wriggles..."

BReathing heavily, panting. Feet shuffling underneath him to try to bring him to motion, but... not quite able to. Not with the the pain, not with how much he's been pushed to his limit, how much the enpowering blood magic recoiled into him when he couldn't maintain it anymore.

And come the removed, toothy appendage, flying straight for his exposed, unguarded throat while he simply sways lightly in place.

And yet, he still smiles. And as those teeth close in upon him--

Suddenly the swordsman's entire form drops down. The serpent's teeth sweep past the top of Katsuro's scalp by just an inch, and his hair is swept back from the wind of the momentum there.

"And that goes.... both wayyyys--! Gyahahahaha!"

His left leg is useless. Flesh mangled and bone shattered, he won't be able to use that to move. But after catcching the hilt of his sword between his teeth, of all things, he actually drops down to press his hands on the ground-- and sets off into a run like that, making up for the lack of one functional leg by carrying him along with his hands. Until he's close enough to kick his good leg down, and send him flying forward through the air, and past Masaru--

And hopefully cut into him with the sword he's holding onto with his jaws.

COMBATSYS: Banyu successfully hits Masaru with Madura Geyser.
Glancing Blow

                               MASARU                              
  [                                            |||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|------=========|===============                


[                        \\\\\\  < >  //////                        ]
Banyu            0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0          Katsuro

COMBATSYS: Masaru dodges Katsuro's Leaping Hound.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                            |||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|------=========|===============                


[                        \\\\\\  < >  //////                        ]
Banyu            0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0          Katsuro

[MASARU]
"Do you have some trauma, old man...? I'm not a creature of the water... well. Most of me... perhaps fifteen percent of the monsters I absorbed were yokai and demons that harried the shores?" Masaru seems to be genuinely trying to think on that, when the assaults come. Banyu's tank must be almost empty. His mind is strained, as well. Any normal attack might have been harmless to him. He's done underestimating these two...

Yet the surge of water splashing out from beneath him was not what he expected at all. It's truly testament to his greatly amplified physiology in this form, and the honed instincts of his former host, that he leaps backwards as a partial scour slashes across his belly and chest. The chi sizzles within him, but the beast can feel his own inner turmoil once more. This is not what he really looks like, after all... maintaining the facade of a human is difficult, yet if he reverts to his bestial one, he will be a sitting duck...!

"ENOUGH...!" Masaru intones, both at the shocking tenacity of the crippled human not only evading his rapid, unconventional attack, but daring to try and strike him?! He seems to shimmer away, that odd flash-step again taking him away from the attacking NOL soldier...

To manifest himself again right before Banyu. He's a good bit shorter, and far less built, then the hulking fisherman. "That boy has the spirit of a monster... I can't make a meal of that. Yet when you get right down to it..." He flashes out his hand, trying to catch Banyu by the face in a vice-like grip. Before all five of his fingers shift, to wrap about him in a ripple of motion.

"I *am* a demon... and I'm very much able to feast on the souls of you humans...!!" Before compressing his tendrils to lash taut around Banyu. Teeth part, baring each shark-like one; as he makes to draw out the unstable essence of the fisherman's very spirit, and draw it into his own body. It might be quite the unpleasant thing... having one's own soul be gnawed upon by a beast.

But even if he succeeds, chances are that neither he nor Katsuro are going to let him finish to the point of it being fatal, is it...?!

COMBATSYS: Masaru knocks away Banyu with Soul Reaver.
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-

                               MASARU                              
  [                                    |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|----------=====                


[                                < >  //////                        ]
Banyu            2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|==-----\-------\0          Katsuro

[BANYU]
"Ghhh-" He groans out, as the creature seems to be reading him well. Both emotionally, and physically. He is tired and on his last legs, in a bad place mentally, and desperately fighting for his life. It's just like that story- The time he claims to have encountered the great serpent of the sea. Leviathan, Tiamat, or Jormungandr- All different names for the same creature of mythology.

Even if he atleast finally did /some/ damage to Masaru, it is doubtful to be enough for this to end in a victory. The snake might have faded, but it's creator is still there.

And when the monster appears in front of him? Banyu freezes. He freezes in terror, as his face is grabbed- those fingers curling around his head in unnatural fashion. "No- No..." he mutters out, feebly, struggling with arms and legs now that he feels the deadly embrace. But to no avail. He feels Masaru reach inside, until his very being begins to be sucked out. His leg launches forward in the grip, a weak attempt at striking his opponent with that foot.

But after that, he goes entirely limp. His conciousness having been snuffed away, as had a large part of his soul.

Yet, the trauma that had been sustained and re-awoken, might last even longer then those wounds.

COMBATSYS: Banyu can no longer fight.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                    |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|----------=====                


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

[KATSURO]
"H-hey...!" Katsuro growls from afar, the sword pulled away from his mouth to be held in one hand again instead, while his otehr arm drags himself up along the shattered boards.

"Don't... you forget about me... wriggles..."

It's more defiant than anything at this point. The kind of defiant energy that, in spite of everything else, manages to push his good leg dow nagainst the ground again, just to send him launched into the air.

"Ghyaaaah--!"

From spinning along his vertical axis, blade whirling about him like a sawblade -- accompanied by splatters of blood that take more solid form around him, into hovering tendrils of blood that lash out along with himself, lashing out towards The Butcher while he's sucking on Banyu's very life force. Is it an actual hope at winning, or is it just blind leaning into the adrenaline rush alone? Maybe both. Maybe neither. Maybe the inner workings of Katsuro's mind are just completely alien at this point.

COMBATSYS: Masaru dodges Banyu's Quick Smash.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                    |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|----------=====                


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

COMBATSYS: Masaru blocks Katsuro's Running Hound.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                        |||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|--------=======                


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

[MASARU]
Ah! What a surprisingly delicious soul. Many monster are biased against the old... and for centuries, so was the Butcher himself. Yet there's an edge of refinement to it, he finds. A shift to the side evades the final, desperate attempt to knock him away, but the trail of rich, water-colored energy slithering free from Banyu continues.

"...!" Ah. That's right... the man from NOL. He twists to the side, bringing up his free hand to strike the knuckles against the edge of the blade. Yet... it diverts downwards, before slashing to impact the ground between himself and Banyu.

"...oh?" He glances to his forearm, hand still fiercely holding upon the fisherman's face, as he collapses backwards onto the remains of the wooden dock. A wise move, really -- that was the part of him he had the least ability to evade. Even if severing his limbs has proven to be a less absolute solution then any human opponent!

"Well, that already took a chunk out of my recovery... but now it's just us!" He bares his shark-like teeth towards Katsuro, flesh burbling and boiling upon his stump before a fresh hand snaps out, flicking away the strange, clear liquid. "You could become a demon yourself, boy... you'd be far stronger. And the lustful fulfillment of violence would be even more divine a treat. Free of the rules of this world, selfishly indulging your every whim... isn't that superior? Your entire life... have you not sought the freedom to do what you'd like in the petty rules of this society?!"

He licks his thumb, lazily. "That is my goal, I think... us beasts who cannot fit with humans, who consider them only good as fodder... a place for them to exist. I can give you power... and protect you from the hypocrites of the library...! Heh. Give it some thought!!"

He then shimmers, doing his displacing step once more. Aiming to move just past Katsuro, while gripping him by the face with his free hand. "But either way... my goal from the start was to make sure the cameras show that I'm a threat to humans who wish to control and subjugate my KIND!!" Before he twists, intent on dropping down and slamming the back of the blood-mad fighter's head upon the cracked wooden pole barely keeping this portion of the docks still upright!

COMBATSYS: Masaru successfully hits Katsuro with Buried Alive.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                          |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|---============                


[                                <
Katsuro          1/-------/=======|

[BANYU]
And the fisherman falls over on his back, hand still attached to his face. There is no grand surge in power, return to conciousness, or anything of the sort- But his skin begins to glow orange again. The fire-like chi reared it's head for a final time, albeit, without an outlet, it simply makes the pain in his body grow, before fizzling out.

[KATSURO]
"Hungh--!"

Without the proper use of his left leg, the spinning leap ends up resulting in him falling onto his side with a bounce and a groan all over again, needing to force himself into a rough roll over to keep himself turned to facing Masaru, at least.

"Ugh... THe fuck you talkin' about... Wriggles...?" He mumbles, past the blood bubbling up from his own throat, arms and legs both shaking while he tries to push himself upwards.

"Stronger...? Get the fuck outta here..." His kansai accent just grows stronger and stronger with these exasperated words. "I don' wanna get so strong... cuttin' up things won't be fun anymore..."

Thankfully, Masaru is right there to help Katsuro up from the ground! How very helpful of him!

Well, except for the part where the picking up is followed a violent swing up and down onto one of the poles. The wood practically explodes under the weight of the impact of his face-- and Katsuro himself may veyr well feel as though his *face* itself is getting exploded too, with it.

He's certianly left slumped up onto the base of the pole by his face, with blood flowing in rivulets down the length of the pillar. A second passes. Two seconds. Three, four...

"Brghf--!"

There's no words, no real sounds anymore. Just a burble of blood in Katsuro's throat getting displaced by the effort of vocal muscles trying to work through -- and with that, a sudden surge up from the pole!

A wild turn, an upward-arcing swing of the sword... that unfortunately comes with his fingers slipping off of the hilt, sending the sword flying high up into the air.

"Ghhaaaaagghhh--!!"

And in a fit of pure animalistic rage, he still tries to keep going. Limping closer to Masaru with his one good foot to keep himself in range to throw wild punches at him. One, two, three-- and then a sudden push to send himself spinning. Is he... actually trying to level his left leg into a spinning kick at the demon in spite of it already being so horribly mangled?!

Well, technically yes, but actually no. For the sword comes falling back down, and his foot collides with the very end of the weapon's hilt -- the sweeping kick guiding the blade right for Masaru's ribcage in one final, desperate attempt to stab it into him!!

...But regardless of wether or not it goes through, his foot underneath slips upon that motion, and he falls down with a gurgling groan of pain. Several bones in his face broken, splinters of wood stuck to it, one leg completely mangled... and even his weapon either stuck in his opponent or sent flying to the other end of the destroyed pier.

COMBATSYS: Katsuro can no longer fight.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                          |||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|---============                



COMBATSYS: Masaru blocks Katsuro's Dancing Hound.

                               MASARU                              
  [                                              |||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|===============                



[MASARU]
"Heheheh... so you like a challenge, do you? I think I'm coming around to that. I used to be more of a cat and mouse sort, I'll admit..." Masaru idly comments towards the NOL soldier as he sniffs at the blood tainting his fingers. Still, his attention is fully on Katsuro. He's not interested in any more statistical anomalies where he slithers through. Almost lazily he leans back from the sword being flung upwards... given how the soldier has fought, he doesn't think it to be anything beyond desperation. The furious strikes of his palms are intercepted with the heel of his foot, carefully calculating where he's going to punch with his arms crossed before his own sizzled, blood-spattered shirt.

Which makes it surprising when his wild unpredictability works yet again! The kick baffles him; using a mangled limb like that isn't going to... ah! The sword was not going to hit him, had it merely fallen back down unassisted... he could tell from how it cut the air. Both forearms flash upwards, handy given where they were situated, before the sword penetrates between both and pricks the tip of his sternum.

"...!! I'll never get over this mad generation...!" He twists and yanks his arms apart. The blade is yanked free from one, and flicked away to splash into the water; which might be a boon for future recovery efforts, as it's unlikely anyone's going to nick it in the fallout. A final kick is aimed into Katsuro's midsection, to send him hurtling towards the shore a dozen meters away. ...not in the water, though. He might drown. Why risk killing an unhinged beast...?!

"There you see it, humans!! Even the Library and your noble heroes can fail!!" he calls out to the terrified crowds watching from the nearby resort buildings, crouching behind trees, ducking in bushes. "But I'm not here to declare war... merely my RIGHT to EXIST... if any of my kind out there who wish to feed -- or even NEED to... want more power, more protection, more freedom...! Then make sure to find me!! Hahahaha!"

His body then bulges, twisting, growing. A horrific roar as he violently grows nearly ten feet once more, six fresh tentacles billowing out to flail in the air, long, whirling tail rippled in chitin flicking beside and smacking a massive dent into the nearby boat. Turning away, he then leaps into the adjacent water with a mighty splash... before the dark, whisking shadow of him retreating.

He spoke a bold claim, but turning back into this form is not merely theatrics... he was clinging to his human skin by his fingernails, and is close to losing cohesion entirely. He'll need a long rest, and a number of snacks, after this one...

COMBATSYS: Masaru has ended the fight here.

Log created on 15:46:15 07/02/2021 by Masaru, and last modified on 17:18:32 07/07/2021.