Description: Years have passed since Eiji had last seen his sensei. And together for the first time in many years the master tests the student while both hatch a plan to send Kyokugen straight to hell.
Strolheim can be a rather lovely place in the evenings. The castle is often silent during the evening as all the men training have retired for the evening while a sparse, but effective group are left to deal with security for the night. This is not a place someone would ever want to try to break into. Not when an assassin of Eiji's caliber is on guard as well. Yes it isn't often when he too is on the official list of men on watch duty for the night, but this is a special occassion. This is also why the better part of the castle has been cleared of guards so Eiji can have more privacy.
He almost didn't believe what he read when the carrier arrived from his village. One of the few men that Eiji ever truely was loyal to and respected wished to meet. A name that Eiji hadn't heard long since he ventured out on his own to make his own niche in this world. But now.....his sensei is on the move. While a better place could have been chosen, his men respect him enough to not come within the designated area. They appreciate living a longer and more healthy life. With the fog rising up around the castle the conditions are even more acceptable and the student waits patiently with arms crossed and gaze fixated on the sky above.
It took little time to pinpoint where Eiji has bidden most of his loyalties; Such was assuredly unsurprising, within the grand scheme of things. But tonight, the 'protection' of the grandiose castle will be thoroughly tested for mayhaps the first time in Krauser's history. A silent figure, dressed within black vestments of the Kisaragi clan, maneuvers silently. There is no chance for the lesser peons to even catch hint of him, as he slithers through the darkness. For respect or not, last that Eiji would have heard, the man who wished to meet was 'fallen'; No longer able to function and perform missions, even if his value was never decreased. Which might make it something of a surprise when the fog seems to swirl, in an unnatural manner across the ground. Rippling, almost mesmerizing. A slight feel of chi tingles in the air, but almost unable to be sensed. A distraction technique. In a whisper, a powerfully built ninja manifests directly behind Eiji, holding a long knife in his right hand. And slashes it out towards the other's back, flickering in an eyeblink. Still without a single sound. Immediately, Zansatsu backflips twice to clear the distance between the pair, landing in a heavy crouch. What he would say next depends entirely on whether the ambush succeeded; But the man is certainly Eiji's sensei. His skin is dark and tan, silver hair bound tightly in a thin if long ponytail. That left arm, known to be defunct, is bound to his chest via straps. But beyond such, he's remarkably virile for a dying man...
COMBATSYS: Zansatsu has started a fight here.
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Zansatsu 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Eiji has joined the fight here.
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Eiji 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zansatsu
COMBATSYS: Eiji dodges Zansatsu's Fierce Strike.
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Eiji 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zansatsu
It is unsure if Eiji was really paying attention to his surroundings or not given his rather distant gaze, but his actions prove that he is his usual alert self. If his sensei truely was to arrive he wouldn't expect any less than a sneak attack from the old man. That is the Kisiragi way afterall. Even as the the strike is made there is a shimmer and quickly Eiji jumps upwards and flips about in midair, his eyes fixating on the fighter that attacked him.
So it was true. There was no denying the man before him truely is the man responsible for his training. Seeing that only causes the ninja's lips to draw into a small smile as he comes back downwards right towards his sensei. His feet lash out quickly to strike at the man's chest, several kicks made in succession in order to batter away any defenses and to knock the older Kisiragi back. It is time to see if he truely has gained back all of his abilities.
COMBATSYS: Zansatsu counters Stallion Kick from Eiji with Mist Execution.
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Eiji 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Zansatsu
"..." There's nothing much said, but an air of satisfaction upon the elder ninja's half-covered features. In actuality, Eiji has never seen him fight; Supposedly he was an assassin of an immense caliber, as he could hide himself in plain sight. This is the first time they have ever sparred, where it was not instruction on technique; A genuine fight, and one that shows his experience quite overtly. Two fingers extend outwards from the hilt of his long knife, and there's a sudden swirl of mist that envelops Zansatsu the moment his apprentices' kick lashes out. And it connects with nothing, merely billowing the cloud, and for a few seconds completely blinding the other ninja. Then there's a sudden eruption of four crimson slashes, striking deeply into Eiji's body and blowing away the concealing technique. Zansatsu would stand almost literally back to back, untouched from that onslaught. A haze coats the ground, seeming to ripple unnatural. Still, not a word. Although he has been the first to shed blood...
The speed shown by the man is much more than one could expect. Zansatsu truely had been crippled in the past. He said so himself when Eiji was just a trainee learning from the man. To see such a proud warrior reduced to being a teacher is what made Eiji really want to avenge the man. Yet here he is showing more speed than even the younger Kisiragi could muster himself normally. The strikes lash through him even before his footing on the stone floor is solid. The burning of the wounds followed by the wetness against the gi let him know he was injured quite well. All this just makes him let out a quiet chuckle as he stands back to back with his old teacher.
"I did hope the rumor was true." he says in a rather soft tone as he keeps his footing. Often there is no need to exchange words in a fight, but to find out that his sensei could once again fight like the days of old truely make Eiji feel happy. Revenge can now come swift and effective without relying on the rather brash and boastful Todoh girl he had been working with. There is a moment of silence as the two remain where they are and finally the younger Kisiragi makes his move, a blurring of his body followed by him almost just slipping right through his sensei to stand before him as an red swath of chi erupts from his hand as he brings it across to properly greet his sensei in a violent way.
COMBATSYS: Eiji successfully hits Zansatsu with Bone Cutter.
- Power hit! -
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Eiji 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Zansatsu
"...There are always ways out of any situation, Eiji. If you are willing to take the price." is mulled out, voice hoarse and somewhat weak. As the movement is made, an evasionary leap was attempted, but failed; Droplets of crimson splatter the ground, a clean wound seen carving through the black gi of Zansatsu's uniform. A heavy blow; He's still not as fast as he once was, after all. But the moment he lands he rushes forward, shimmering almost into a blur before unleashing his own crescent of energy with the blade of his knife rather then open hand, piercing through the air in a shimmer and attempting to lacerate across the other man's chest with pinpoint precision. He'd aim to leap up as well, already beginning to grow hazy as that peculiar mist starts to swirl over his form anew. Ah... Eiji might very well have been his equal, were they the same age. But whether he's superior to the elder ninja when at his own prime is the question both likely have, if not spoken.
COMBATSYS: Eiji reflects Shadow Attack from Zansatsu with Shadow Slicer.
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Eiji 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Zansatsu
Those words are ones he has always heard. It really shows how much Zansatsu really wishes to uphold the honor of the Kisiragi clan. To pay any price to do what the clan does best, to kill. "Of course there is. In time I am sure I will have to make the same decision." His words are quiet and he prepares himself for the oncoming attack from the elder ninja. To deal with someone as quick as his sensei really tests his ability to think quickly and adjust to the situation.
His eyes keep focused on the deadly blades that are wielded. They are something Eiji keeps on his person sometimes as well, but unlike most ninja of his clan he has managed to focus his energy to do equal amounts of damage with just using his hands. Said hands flare up with the same reddish chi once again as he swings his hands upwards to unleash enough of an amount to break through the strike aimed at him and to repel his sensei. "I just hope the price that Kyokugen will pay is much more grave than the one that you did. I shall help you in any way possible."
And that evasion never came to pass, as again there's a vicious slash that pierces the other ninja, his mist fading away as he lands heavily with another cut arcing across his chest just above the bound arm. "Ah... Your technique remains honed. Fitting; Krauser is a fighter of no small caliber... I was pleased to hear you worked with such a man, and appear to meet his standards..." Suddenly sheathing his knife, his fingers splay as crimson energy swirls within it, and he hurls it outwards without a sound. A condensed ball shoots forth, attempting to impact Eiji and strike him backwards. "...But you are correct. I have come out of retirement for a final mission. I will not waste away as the last of my old strength erodes. I will take death of my own accord! And bring down the man who wrought such upon me." He takes a defensive stance, again yanking out his knife and flipping it to a backwards hold. Lacking both limbs forces him to use the weapon to focus the chi he summons; And to make his physical strikes more damaging. A fallback he detests, but will accept for further viability. "If you wish for the vendetta to be settled... then you may join me in this last endeavor."
COMBATSYS: Zansatsu successfully hits Eiji with Spirit Blast.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Eiji 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Zansatsu
[OOC] Eiji says, "Oofa."
Such words cause the mask to crease again when the ninja smiles. A viable chance to truely defeat the Sakazakis and send them to hell has finally shown itself. Even so he cannot let himself get carried away by thoughts of revenge. He still must prove to his sensei that he truely hasn't forgotten any of the lessons from years ago. "Krauser serves as a viable way of gathering information on targets and also pays well. While I do work with other individuals this is the most beneficial." he murmurs in response while he starts to leap back once that blast of energy is released. It catches him and blasts him backwards and almost over the edge of the castle wall. He grasps onto the ledge and hangs there for a moment before kicking his feet off and flips back up onto the stone ground.
"I shall help you in any way possible. Let us make sure your sacrifice for our clan does not go in vain." He inhales deeply and keeps his ground for now. The last blast hurt him more than he would expect. The old man still has great control with the energy members of his clan hold so he will need to take a moment to devise a new way of dealing with his sensei.
COMBATSYS: Eiji focuses on his next action.
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Eiji 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Zansatsu
"Ah... so you can tell." Zansatsu muses, without any seeming emotion. Indeed, his entire body almost brims with chi of some manner, unnatural and sustained. He will doubtlessly die due to this, if not exhaustion alone then when the damage upon his body comes at the end. "I have a month, if I am lucky. But my strength will not wax in this time. When I fall... I wish to bring the heavens themselves with me at that final moment...!" Suddenly rushing forward, the elder man lunges into the air and spirals his blade, knees brought up high. And attempts to get within point blank range as he descends, forcing Eiji backwards while attempting to slash down and sink the weapon into his shoulder to break his concentration. "But I have developed a new technique. One that shall null all of the greatest techniques that the Kyokugen hold dear. I shall show it to you this fight..."
COMBATSYS: Eiji dodges Zansatsu's Weapon Jab.
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Eiji 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Zansatsu
A month. A short time in reality, but plenty of time to teach the members of the Kyokugen clan a lesson indeed. Eiji hopes he too can show his loyalty to the clan in such a way if he ever became injured much like his sensei. His form blurs slightly again and he jumps upwards and flips back to avoid the strike before balancing on the edge of the castle wall. "A new technique?" he asks with a brow raising a moment, but then he soon grins again before pushing off and launching himself foward as images of himself trail behind him and his body erupts with the chi all around him.
"Then show me!" he cries as he barrels forward, attempting to assault with several strikes meant to open up the old man in various places combined with powerful kicks meant to crush through any defenses that the older Kisiragi might try to throw up. "Teach me once again so I may better serve my clan." Of course if the old man falls under the brutal assault the ninja will be well away from where he stands prepared for any sort of retaliation.
COMBATSYS: Zansatsu stops Dark Hunter from Eiji with Mist Feint.
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Eiji 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Zansatsu
"I may be the only member of our clan who managed to develop the Kirigakure... But I have not taken that gift for granted. Observe..." There doesn't seem to be any change whatsoever. He's simply standing there, but two fingers are extended. And the onslaught of assaults merely barrels through an afterimage; What seemed like flesh melts away, dissipating beneath the blows. Zansatsu himself stands upon the adjacent wall behind Eiji, within the same stance he just held. "Instant teleportation with a perfect duplication. The epitome of my defense. Even one able to sense chi will be fooled by my doppleganger. It can only fail if the maneuver is swift enough to strike me before the heartbeat it takes to complete... Do you see? The Ryuuko Ranbo. The Hao Shoko Ken. All of it is useless... in the face of my murderous intent." And then he spreads his stance, beckoning the other fighter towards him anew.
It isn't often when Eiji can truely be amazed by something. Even more rare when he just pauses in disbelief when he finds nothing to actually strike. His eyes remain wide for a few moments before a chuckle turns into a full roar of laughter. "You truely are one of the clan's greatest." he says in a tone much more booming than he usually would use. "I can only hope to one day achieve something like that." With that being said he spins about on his heel to face the other Kisiragi ninja and prepares himself to attack again.
Another quick burst forward sends Eiji head on towards the elder ninja. He takes to the air this time while flipping forward, his body remaining upside down as he thrusts a open palm forward to slam into the jaw of his sensei and push off to flip back around and to land a few feet in front of the elder man. "I cannot wait to see the look on the face of those bastard Sakazakis when they cannot land their most powerful techniques on you."
COMBATSYS: Zansatsu counters Strong Punch from Eiji with Mist Ambush.
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Eiji 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Zansatsu
"They rely upon such shattering strikes. Takuma was my lesser in a straight fight. ...This merely evens the score between us once more. Very little..." Once more the sign is made, and a more violent gout of chi-based mist rushes forward before the fist quite reaches the elder ninja. And a single arc of crimson energy lashes out, striking Eiji in the stomach as he plows through touching naught as his vision returns. Zansatsu appears to not have moved, or even much shifted his stance upon the wall. "...Can bypass my calculated defenses. You, however, still seem to be fragile. And have little endurance. ...You have no chance against me without the Kisaragi-ryu techniques. You cannot rely upon offensive power alone... I shall see what I can do to help you overcome this weakness before my passing. A final lesson for your final weakness..."
It isn't often that Eiji is destroyed in such a manner. Truely the only way to ever really deal with a Kisiragi ninja is to be one as well. Zansatsu may have aged, but his intelligence has never dulled nor has his sharp eye for keeping track of the quick movements of Eiji. This is why the student has yet to surpass the teacher. The end result is a horrible gash that has the Kisiragi ninja slumped forward with an arm clutching it. "A month shall be enough time for me to learn. I promise you that." he says while still not allowing his expression to show how much pain he is in.
Even so he cannot just submit. He will not stop till he is truely beaten down without the ability to fight back. Gathering the last of his fading strength he lunges forward again, a quicker slash with his hand being made that when he had attacked inititially. "I will not fail the clan and I will erase any weaknesses I truely have to become the best of our clan."
COMBATSYS: Eiji successfully hits Zansatsu with Mist Slash.
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Eiji 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Zansatsu
An attempt was made to interject his blade, sheathing it with crimson. But Eiji manages to blow through it with raw power, staggering him backwards with a grunt. He had never mastered repelling energy; That was one difference between the pair, and the effort it takes to manage such is rather obvious in Eiji's mentor. "Good... I have seen the present crop. They sicken me. You were the true star, and the only one to reach full potential beneath my teaching. I will waste no more time on those without a future..." He then narrows his eyes, twisting his blade around and assuming a significantly more aggressive stance. "I shall end this with my next action. Are you prepared?"
COMBATSYS: Zansatsu focuses on his next action.
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Eiji 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Zansatsu
[OOC] Eiji says, "Sir, I might be a bit slow because I am trying to fix my oven."
[OOC] Zansatsu says, "IT IS OKAY I HAVE ONE TO TEN HOURS LEFT"
Has the clan fallen so far? Eiji has lost much contact with his clan since striking out on his own. The thought that the current students not showing much potential is a rather disheartening thing. "So we are weakening...." he says while hanging his head for a moment. "This will be something that has to be remedied. We have survived too long to just fade away now." He inhales deeply and he draws himself upwards even as the wounds he is covered with continue to bleed. "I do not fear defeat. Strike me with what you have so I may grow stronger." he murmurs and his hands begin to flare and swirl with chi as he begins to ready himself for the oncoming onslaught.
COMBATSYS: Eiji focuses on his next action.
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Eiji 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Zansatsu
"...We are weakening in my eyes. Our era is dead. Those present are content with mediocrity. They shall not fall to naught, but prosperity is gone. I will have no part of it. Mayhaps you can incite the spark within Kisaragi, but it is far too late for me. But know there is more to life then vengeance. You have a proud line of ancestors to live up to. Do not shame them. I have spent twenty years quiet with my failure. This is my final atonement, and how I choose to die." And then he suddenly shifts forward, before shimmering with energy. In a sweep, a literal cloud of mist swirls around like a cyclone, and four silhouettes manifest in the midst. And in tandem, they all slash out with crimson arcs. Are some an illusion? Is there more to it then meets the eye? It might be hard to deduce in the midst, but the onslaught would indeed feel like one was shredded from all sides. And all four would combine into a single upwards slash, blowing apart the mist and aiming to send Eiji flying backwards as well.
COMBATSYS: Zansatsu successfully hits Eiji with Mist Genocide.
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Eiji 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Zansatsu
The wounds are making things a bit hazy. Eiji is used to fighting under these circumstances at times, but it isn't often that he gets cut up so bad by the types such as a master of his style. He starts to move while preparing to move out of the way, but the release of energy is just too great. He is overtaken by it and the final slash sends him back hard against the wall where he crashs into it and slumps down. He still smiles though as he grins behind that mask of his. He looks a bit too beat up to do much attacking at this point, but he does find the strength to remain concious as he holds his wounds. "I shall help you atone, sensei." he says, his voice faltering slightly as he is doing his best to bite back the pain. "You remind me that I still have much to learn myself. Let us see if a month is enough time for me to strengthen myself and learn as much as I can from you."
COMBATSYS: Eiji takes no action.
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Zansatsu 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Eiji can no longer fight.
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Zansatsu 0/-------/-------|
"Hmmph. In one week we shall begin our assault on Kyokugen formally. I shall investigate them of my own accord before then. Such a fighting style... Deserves to be purged from this earth." Reaching into his pocket after sheathing the blade, the elder ninja flicks a rolled scroll towards Eiji. "Meet me there tomorrow. Your final lessons shall begin." There is no true emotions overtly conveyed. No statements of how good it is to see his old pupil. How proud he is that he retains such strength. But the nuances have been there, and his student will know. Slowly another spiral of mist shimmers up, and swirls about the black Kisaragi like a cocoon. It pulsates once, and when it vanishes, the man is nowhere to be seen. The scroll itself is sealed in wax, and is the exact same ones given out for formal missions by the clan, for those who have yet to earn the right to make their own careers as Eiji has. A small bit of nostalgia, mayhaps...
COMBATSYS: Zansatsu has ended the fight here.
Log created by Eiji, and last modified on 10:33:20 05/01/2007.