Description: WHAT DOTH SLEEP IN THE HEARTS OF MEN. What DOTH sleep in the crypts of dead men? When one angers the spirits, are they happy, or are they sad.. or are they just HUNGRY... FOR A BURGER.. AND DISCOVERY! .. Or maybe it's just violence.
Egypt. Land of the pharaohs, home of the pyramids.. and about as far off from Pacific High as one could feasibly get in this short amount of time. After realizing he's been mistreating a friend, Vince LaRose decided to take off to Egypt.. and wherever else he happens to wind up.
Seems like an appropriate response, right?
But this is where he's found himself. Admittedly, his wandering has been quite aimless. He didn't honestly -intend- to wind up in Egypt, but one ship led to a dock, which led to another ship, which wound up here in this.. remarkably dusty village near the Valley of the Kings. But still, this place is just as good as any. The people keep to themselves, and there isn't a great deal of commotion. It's suitable for the time being.
The burning gold sun looms high in the sky, unhindered by any clouds. There is no breeze to speak of, and the majority of the locals have retreated into shelter for some reason or another. Vince is just happy that his normally out-of-place hat is providing adequate shade. The cape isn't doing him any favors with the heat, though, nor is the leather backpack hanging from his right shoulder. The young noble tredges the main road, icy blues scanning this way and that for anything of interest. And there are a few street vendors that seem curious enough - particularly the little baubles and carvings they're selling. So it's to one of them that he now approaches.
You would think that in Egypt.. land of the Pharaohs .. especially in the valley of kings, you would be safe. Would be far away from the man whom plagues Metro City as one of the worse crime members. You would think you would never see just what IS there. You'd think that for the love of god after Katana is nearly horrible slaughtered in a massive assault by Adelheid that left him bedded for the last few months.
But that would not explain why there is a truck, covered in Japanese paintings of all kinds, going up and down on the dunes, have been, traveling for so long. So long they travel.. and the gang is simply in a particular mood.
A PARTICULAR MOOD OF VIOLENCE.
It just so happens that the first thing the Mad Gear Gang that are in the truck finds .. is that village.
As Vince approaches the street vendors, their peaceful begins to get turned inside out and upside down, as that truck breaks hard as it reaches the marketplace! And slides past. "Stop .. THE SHOGUN DEMANDED YOU STOP!" The voice screams as the truck slowly begins to back up with the beep beep beeping sound.
And on top, the large, massive man in a shirt, mask, armor and with large blades, cries out to the populace! And most of the market place.
"The valley of kings .. IS NOW THE SHOGUN'S VALLEY! LET IT BE KNOWN BY GIVING ME EVERYTHING! Shower me in riches, or I will shower you .. IN YOUR OWN BLOOD! FOR THE MIGHT OF JAPAN!"
Looking over the side of the Truck, Katana confers. "Hahaha! I think they'll get the point!" "Uh boss.. y'think they even speak english?" "ENGLISH!? It was CLEARLY JAPANESE!"
And then once more, Katana yells out, arms raising upwards, tense, weapons still head! "BONTA KUUU TARUU NOOO GAAA NAAA DESU WA KAAAAAA!"
Perfect.
Vince starts to reach for a funny little monkey carving when the damned Oscar Meyer Weiner mobile shows up. If wikipedia had an article on WTFery, the main page would display a picture of the marketplace at this moment - primarily the faces of everyone present, Vince included. The young swordsman dives against a wall to avoid being splattered, as does everyone else actually out and about right now.
Katana's announcement does nothing to settle the confusion permeating the village. All it does is make a few of the vendors tug their curtains around their stands to signify that they're now closed. Marvelous.
Vince, however, is staring wide-eyed at the man in the mask. He's usually one taken with dramatic entrances, but.. but.. "Are you mad!?," he asks. "You could have run someone over!" But in retrospect, the guy probably wouldn't have cares. Shower the people in their own blood and all that. "You cannot claim the Valley of the Kings! I won't allow it!"
As The Shogun stands tall on his truck, he basks in his victory. HIS VICTORY. There shall be no ANTI-VICTORY here.
But then there's a voice thrown towards him. And it speaks with ... distaste. That one would offend the Mad Gear Gang SHOGUN is .. unexplainable! But he gets Katana off the edge, anyways. "Huh? yeah kid, so wh.. I mean.. THAT WILL BE A WORTHY SACRIFICE TO THE NEW SHOGUN OF THE VALLEY OF KI-Uh..-SHOGUNS!" He yells upwards. "The valley of the Mad Gear Gang IT SHALL BE NOW!" And really, who's going to say no to him! REALLY!
And that kid sorta.. sorta does one of those things that the Shogun reaaalllly doesn't like. Pointing a wakizashi towards Vince, the Shogun stares at him, the eyeless mask glaring blankly at the boy as he takes in his words. "You are a spirited one. Quite a spirited one."
"BUT THAT SPIRIT, against the SHOGUN of MAD GEAR... has sealed your DOOM!" He booms, the truck shaking as goons and other thugs put arms, heads, hands out the window, cheering in response. Hey. Hey. Some of them still believe in him. Especially since he survived.
It was a huge explosion okay.
"I shall make it quick .. FOR BOTH OF US!" He yells, leaping off the truck. Screaming. "KAI NO FINA STRAIKE, FINISHING STRIKE OF THE SHOGUNS!" Both wakizashi are raised upwards and brought down as he leaps, flying slowly through the air with an attempt to bowl Vince the hell over .. while stabbing him as well.
But as Geese would say, 'Predictable'.
COMBATSYS: Katana has started a fight here.
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Katana 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vince has joined the fight here.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Katana
COMBATSYS: Vince dodges Katana's Deep Strike.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Katana
Swords. This guy uses swords.
-Excellent-.
Vince hasn't had the opportunity to face another swordsman in quite some time. And this one seems rather spirited, himself! And what's more convenient is that he's fulfilling the role of villain! This will make for an excellent stage and demonstration of Rose Dansant! And-
ohcrapattacking
Vince's train of thought is cut short, and the French youth dives aside to clear Katana's landing zone. He ends in a low crouch, and shrugs the backpack off his shoulder. As he raises to his full height, his blade is drawn from its scabbard into his right hand. "The only blood that shall spill here is yours, vile creature!," he retorts, sounding a little more composed and zealous. "When you face a LaRose, you face the essence of mastery!"
And with that, Vince dashes in suddenly, blade withdrawing towards his left shoulder and coming to life with a wreath of swirling gray energy. Suddenly, the rapier whirls in a full circle, tip searing for Katana's chest - and the energy spirals along the length of steel, forming a lance that thrusts out before the blade itself to penetrate through his target.
COMBATSYS: Katana blocks Vince's Venteuse.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Katana
A swordsman .. KATANA IS NOT.
He's far closer to being a Samurai.. but doesn't that use swords!? OKAY SO IT'S A VAGUE DEFINITION.
But as Vince dives clear out of the way of the assault. There goes the simple way of removing him from the fight! But as Vine lands away, shrugging the object off his shoulder and bringing a sword out .. Katana understands now ..
There is a warrior there. A warrior whom is challenging him .. TO A FIGHT.
You damn BET he'll take it.
"Hahah....!" Katana laughs, the blade dashing towards his shoulder and with a wreath of energy .. ENERGY!? BUT HE HAS A SWORD WHAT'S UP WITH THAT. The armoring, the gauntlets on his hands, come up and prevent the rapier from piercing to the chest, but the energy washes through, giving Katana a nice wake-up.
But nothing penetrates completely. "You think .. I... THE SHOGUN OF MAD GEAR WILL BE DEFEATED SO EASILY!?" Shaking off the remains of the chi that burn off his armor, the Shogun runs towards Vince once more, the wakizashi being swung around, intent on slashing straight into Vince's form. "HEEEEEEEEYA! THRUSTING CRANE STRIKE!"
COMBATSYS: Vince blocks Katana's Medium Strike.
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Vince 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Katana
Though the rapier fails to penetrate Katana's defenses, Vince is adequately swift in readjusting into the defensive. The rapier flashes back over to catch Katana's wakizashi along the edge. The impact is firm enough to hammer the blade back against Vince, but there are no cuts yet.
"I'd hoped to meet a decent challenge soon!," Vince replies. "You managed to not fall immediately, so try not to disappoint me!"
The rapier whisks from the parry to draw up over Katana's right shoulder, then slice cleanly down to the left hip, punctuated with a single thrust at the center.
COMBATSYS: Katana fails to counter Medium Strike from Vince with Shiraha Catch.
- Power fail! -
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Vince 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Katana
As Vince responds, slashing the blade towards Katana... the Shogun attempts to grip it.. and instead, it pierces forces, into him, causing him to stagger backwards. "You ... are not a decent challenge for the Shogun .. NO MATTER WHAT YOU BELIEVE!" The man cries out, bellowing as the blade still pierces him. It hurts a bit, but the Shogun, much like his shoulders, are rather large.
"Let it be known .. I SHALL DEFEAT YOU IN THE END!" He bellows, with the wakizashi held up once more ..
Katana is of course always a bit .. Katanay.. it's just how he works.
And how he WILL work!
"Tch," scoffs Vince, whisking the blade back into a high guard stance. "You'll soon learn to respect Rose Dansant. You and.. eh.."
Icy blues shift aside to the truck, wherein there appear to be quite a few thugs. Probably would've done him some good to notice them before.
"..uh.. the rest of your crew." Those eyes zip back to Katana, narrowed and ever-intense. Seeing what he believes to be an opportunity, Vince moves in swiftly to engage his foe again. This time, however, the stroke is a bit peculiar, as Vince suddenly turns aside and faces the opposite direction, dropping into a low crouch. The rapier glides past his left side, aiming a quick stab for Katana's torso from an awkward angle to predict.
COMBATSYS: Katana endures Vince's Quick Strike.
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Vince 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Katana
As Vince explains that KAtana will learn.. Katana merely laughs as the bou things his pathetic beestings do anything! SHALL A WASP DEFEAT A BEAR!? No wait.. SHALL A WASP DEFEAT A BEHEMOTH!? Katana thinks this over, and as Vince rushes in, engaging, the stroke is turning about and faces away.. with Vince dropping to a low crouch and glides to the side and stabs Katana's torso.
All the effort is lost, however, as Katana .. is merely standing there and taking it.
"My crew .. .no .. THEY ARE PART OF THE MAD GEAR GANG .. the gang... WHICH SHALL CONQUER THIS VALLEY! AND THEN METRO CITY! ... AGAIN!" The Shogun bellows, before looking at the blade.. "So you have stabbed me." He says..
And then uses it, rushing towards Vince, blades attempting to force the boy backwards, striking fierce, and quickly. "I .. WILL.. SHOW YOU ... YOUR.. MISTAKE! BURNING SUN PHOENIX BLADE OF THE BURNING EAST!" Both blades slide forth while Vince is perhaps .. still too into the attack!
COMBATSYS: Katana successfully hits Vince with Fierce Strike.
? Strange Hit! ?
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Vince 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Katana
Stab! ..That was remarkably easier than Vince expected. And still too into the attack Vince was. Such is the price to pay when coming in with a more intricate, but overall better assault. Still, it sees the young swordsman getting bashed about by the swords. This.. actually hurts a fair deal. "Guh..!"
Vince finds his footing again, despite, and stands with a more perterbed look on his face. "Good.. but not good enough." The blade is whisked back into position.
And suddenly, the teen is sailing back towards Katana in a blurred jump, covering the distance in an instant. He lands in a deep crouch, blade lunging heavily for Katana's torso with the intention to simply gore him through to the hilt. Or if his armor is just that uber, knock him back.
COMBATSYS: Katana endures Vince's Balestra.
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Vince 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Katana
As Vince explains it's .. just not good enough, the Shogun laughs at this! A hearty laugh. And the stab is rather interesting to Katana .. at such a strike.. it was .. AS EXPECTED, YES! It invigorates him that such a thing struck, but then he believes it .. of course.. had every chance in the world of working.
So why bother, after all?
When Vince explains that it's not good enough, the Shogun brings both wakizashi up. "Oh? .. You are telling the Shogun .. what is good enough now!? BUT THE SHOGUN KNOWS FAR BETTER!" He yells out.. and then Vince is sailing in a blurred jump, the distance covered, crouching and lunging for the torso to gore him.. but that does not fully achieve it's goal! No.. it stabs hard, but Katana's mask shows not what he is doing.
Simply put .. he's standing there.. blade red. "A mistake boy .. YOU WILL SOON REGRET!"
The shogun jams his blades downwards towards Vince, attempting to slam into him and catch him against the ground, wakizashi perhaps cutting him in the process. "DAIKYOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" He begins yelling, as he intends to make a NEW PATH with Vince as the plow, charging across the marketplace streets.. before tossing Vince upwards with his blades.
And leaping after him. "BUUURRRRRNIIIIIIING!"
You can probably guess he's aiming to make Vince impact heavily upon the ground, using his massive weight to help out.
COMBATSYS: Katana successfully hits Vince with Daikyou Burning.
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Vince 1/---====/=======|=======\-------\1 Katana
The trouble with a lunge position is that it can be pretty darn difficult to get out of. Vince has.. evidently underestimated the man's armor. And indeed, he pays for it as the masked marauder said. Vince is caught up, jerked around like a red-headed papoose, then slammed down. Like a red-headed papoose. And that's where Vince stays for a short period of time, groaning. Sandy roads aren't great beds by any stretch, but his limbs are giving him a hard time.
Until suddenly, there's a flash in those icy blue eyes. He props himself on his right elbow, and his left hand suddenly thrusts into the air.
The ground beneath Katana suddenly explodes into a violent tornado of wind energy, the swirling gray mass shredding, ripping, and rending at anything caught within, blasting them into the air...
COMBATSYS: Katana blocks Vince's LaRose Storm.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Katana
With his prey caught in the raging cyclone, Vince suddenly kips back up to his feet and leaps directly into the fray. Rather than being ripped of torn by the energies, himself, he appears to simply ride the winds to meet Katana at the top, cape flaring out behind him. Once the two meet, Vince begins what is intended to be an onslaught of agony.
This comes in the form of stabs.
Lots of stabs.
Way too fast to keep up with.
Vince's right arm blurs out of vision, but the physical entity - more importantly the physical entity the arm holds - is still woefully real. The rapier stabs innumerably across Katana, reaching from legs to throat, gouging, goring, lacerating... the wounds would normally appear rapidly, and the sustained combination of blindingly fast pierces comes to an end only with a single, forceful stab to the torso meant to blast Katana out of the tornado and to the ground.
After which, Vince simply drops out of the tornado himself to land in a crouch. The swirling gray mass soon after dies out.
As Vince meets the ground rather nicely, Katana stays still, looking on .. .. but Vince is thrusting his hand into the air..
"What are you.." Katana gets out, before the ground beneath him suddenly erupts, energy swirling around. The gray mass shreds and rips Katana, but he's buckled down. His armoring is taking a beating, as well as he is, but he continues to hold his position .. he refuses to let up..
And then comes the stabs. The cape flares, and the stabs come. Katana doesn't move, his body being struck here and there by the blades, the stabbing, striking all about, attempting to gore and riddle Katana.. and then comes the end.. the single last stab causing Katana to be thrown a bit, body skidding against the ground, then just rolling like some kind of Shogun ball.
Wonder what would happen if he was HIT by it clean on! Perhaps that will come .. later.
But Katana is thrown backwards still.. and suddenly shoots to his feet, steaming from the energy. "Hahah.. Boy .. Your powers of that energy .. I've felt far worse.. but they are appreciable ... BUT NOT TO THE SHOGUN!" Infact, Katana is charging towards Vince in an attempt to grasp him as he lands in a crouch .. and then leap up into the air.
"FALLING BURNING DRAGON CRASH! OF THE SHOGUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN! SHYAAAAA!"
He's trying to just slam Vince head first into the ground.
COMBATSYS: Vince dodges Katana's Medium Throw.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Katana
Katana's attempts are met with nothing but thin air as a somewhat disgruntled Vince tumbles over in the sand and gets back up to his feet. The guy not only lived through the storm, but he -laughed- through it! Clearly, this man is not human. He is.. an oni. That's the Japanese devil, right? Makes sense!
"Foul.. creature..," pants Vince, glaring at Katana. "..You've not seen everything I am capable of.." But still, Vince is slow to raise to his feet again, taking a moment to attempt collecting himself.
COMBATSYS: Vince takes no action.
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Vince 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Katana
As Vince tries to make certain of what he is ( weeaboo ) Katana tries to make sense on how he's able to stumble away! And as Vince takes a moment to attempt to collect himself .. Katana .. SHALL HAVE NONE OF THAT!
"And you have not seen .. me even BEGIN to try!" The warrior crows, wakizashi at his side. "I shall show you the might of the Shogun, and you shall only be able to bask .. IN HIS POWER! KANOOOOOOO...." He cries.. crouching down .. before leaping up, and towards Vince..
"LIGHT STRIKE OF KYAAA NOO CRANE!"
His sandal laden foot heading straight towards the boy, in attempt to bowl him over .. WITH HIS MIGHTY POWER. Those feet gauntlets look pretty metally, too. Might not be best to get stuck behind them!
COMBATSYS: Katana successfully hits Vince with Light Kick.
? Strange Hit! ?
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Vince 0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1 Katana
Vince is unfortunately entirely too winded and hurting to move out of the way of this.. funky assault. It clobbers him as intended, knocking him off his feet again. Vince rolls over with a wince, ending on hands and knees. This time without a comeback, he simply snatches two rosettes from his belt and flings them simultaneously at the Shogun's torso.
COMBATSYS: Katana interrupts Power Fling from Vince with Meido no Miyage.
[ \ < > ///////////// ]
Vince 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Katana
As Vince is knocked off his feet, rolling over and ending on hands and knees.. Katana watches as he snatches the blades from his belt and flings them.
But the Shogun .. is not amused. "If this is the best now that you can do ...." The Shogun chides as he slowly walks forwards from the result of his attack, growing closer. "THEN I SHALL END THIS HERE AND NOW BEFORE I GROW TRIED!" The Shogun suddenly breaks into a run, wakizashi flashing forwards, pushing away one of the rosettes.. the mask causing the other one to rebound off his face, rather luckily.
"MEIDOOOO..." He creies, as the first blade thrusts Vince through the air in the assault... the second catching up! "NO!"
He switches blades, thrusting the other hand out as he attempts to crash it straight into Vince, holding him in the air.
"MIYAGE!" Both wakizashi thrust Vince away, as he finally comes to a stop, sliding from the effort in his swings.
"You were a challenge .. but this valley .. THIS VALLEY NOW BELONGS TO THE SHOGUN .. and Mad Gear. THE VALLEY OF MAD GEAR, IT SHALL BE RENAMED.. THE DEAD KINGS SHALL BE THROWN FROM MY ANCESTORS AND SPIRITS AND .. .. .. BAKAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Okay so maybe he hasn't thought it through. "Your valiant defense... has only earned you defeat!"
And yes, he is fanning himself with a japanese fan.
And yes, that is sweat sliding down the mask.
Look its REALLY HOT out here.
The onslaught wasn't entirely expected by Vince, and his fatigue, again, prevents any sort of timely reaction. He's caught, and.. well.. hurt. Beaten about by blades is not at all a pleasant venture, and it ends with Vince down yet again.
..But yet again, Vince doesn't -stay- down. The swordsman grits his teeth and pushes himself back up slowly on unsteady legs. Without a word, he begins cutting through the air with his rapier. Yes, just cutting through the air, pointless as can be, it seems.
Only it isn't.
The arm quickly becomes a blur, then vanishes from sight yet again. And a second after this, the air itself seems to be assaulting Katana, as though each stroke from the rapier is elongated and delayed by a second or two. These slashes manifest against Katana (or any solid object between them) as gray rips through space itself. And this assault of his own, he intends to keep up until he absolutely cannot continue. Which will be very soon.
COMBATSYS: Vince can no longer fight.
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Katana 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Vince successfully hits Katana with Phantom Laceration.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
Katana 0/-------/---====|
But it's not over, and Katana realizes this too late.. and with Vince down, Katana turns his back on him.
And then Vince gets up, cutting through the air, slashing. Katana doesn't notice. There are no words. But then the air itself begins to be assaulting Katana, as he begins to flap himself with the fan.
The air begins to slash him, Katana not even looking at Vince as the slashes, grey in color, begin to tear at him. Katana attempts to leap out of the way .. to jump, to roll, to dive. But he is unsuccessful. The blades of air catch him, and Katana collapses to the ground, slashed by the energy.
And then he leaps back up to his feet, looking this way and that .. staring at the sky, at the wall. Everything. "MAD GEAR GANG ... take everything you can get and leave.. the Kings .. I HAVE WRONGED THE SPIRITS OF THE VALLEY, and the VERY AIR is assaulting us!" He cries out, a sense of urgency. "TAKE A SHOP OR TWO.. AND WE'RE LEAVING! NOW!"
Katana grabs his weaponry and tries to hightail it. Leaping upon the truck, they begin to zoom off.
ON THE ROAD TO MORE THEFT... but not there. NOT WHERE THE KINGS LIE IN ANGRY SLEEP.
COMBATSYS: Katana has ended the fight here.
The slashes slow down until they come to a full stop. And along with this comes a somewhat blissful escape from the pain that's accumulated - Vince falls unconscious and hits the sand. He's done his part in protecting the village. He's done his best, anyway. Now, on some subconscious level, he can only hope the locals don't loot him.
For, y'know, big drops.
Like kill-stealers.
Log created on 13:45:41 08/24/2008 by Katana, and last modified on 17:50:16 08/24/2008.