[. . . and Akira nods, lifting a hand in a two-fingered salute of acknowledgement]
A few hours, then. Don't stand me up.
[and with that, he turns on his heal and heads on out]
[SMASHCUT TO A FEW HOURS LATER-- Akira will be waiting near the courts, as promised! back to the entrance, hands in his pockets, and gaze focused on the trees of the forest beyond]
anyway. in a few hours, kara shows up to the courts, one hand resting on his sword as he walks up. he won't offer any greeting, the rude bitch, but wait for akira to acknowledge him. this was his idea, after all, and now he's staring into space. ]
[ he pulls the sword from his sash, unsheathing it slowly with both hands. the dragon carving on his blade glitters in the sunlight as he sinks into a ready stance, and the sheath is held defensively in his left, almost as if it were a second blade. ]
[he draws his own dagger from his sheathe, spinning it in his hand before he grips the handle tightly, takes a step back, and adopts a defensive stance]
My invitation, right? So you can have first strike.
[if he wants it. if not, Akira doesn't mind taking it for himself]
[ the playing field has felt woefully uneven since arriving here, so ookurikara has taken to allowing his opponents to have the first move, both as a courtesy and to see what they have to offer.
he doesn't wait this time. as akira said, he was invited. the right to first strike is his, and kara seizes it without hesitation, lunging forward into a slash right at akira's face. the momentum carries into him a spin, and he follows up with a wide downward swing. ]
[to be frank? Akira is going to be woefully outmatched. he's a strong fighter in his own right, but there's no way he can stand up to someone literally built for the battlefield. but hey. . . even if that's true, he can still give his best performance, right?]
[he's prepared for that slash, drawing his dagger upwards to catch the blade, the force of the blow knocking him back a step. with a tch he responds to the second swing in much the same manner, Kara's sword glancing off of his dagger like rainwater off a parka]
[he's quick enough to defend, but the strikes don't leave him much in the way of openings for a counter strike. for now. . . he watches, gaze sharp and wary, and fully on the defensive]
the one obvious advantage of being an uchigatana, however, is his reach. he'll take full advantage of that, pulling back for a step to adjust his grip on the sword's hilt before stepping forward into a jab. ]
[only for now!! Akira plays up his strengths as best as he can, and he knows his speed-- not his strength-- is one of them. as soon as there's an opening he'll take advantage of it. and. . . speaking of openings. . .]
[Kara pulls back and Akira presses forward, drawing his dagger up to block the blade a third time, catching the jab on the side of his weapon and pushing it to his own side]
[and then, with the dagger blade still pressed against the uchigatana (to keep it away, to drag metal against metal in a shrill noise as he moves) he rushes forward again, trying his best to get into Kara's personal space and just]
[straight up punch at his face!! it's a left-handed punch though so it's a bit awkward and not as powerful as his usual ones, but hey. do what you can, right?]
[ having fought against tantous many times before, kara knows this game. akira may be closer to his own size, but the strategy can still be adapted - he'll be relying on speed and defense, instead of power. and when it comes to speed, akira probably does have him beat.
but his specialties are offense and defense. he will not make it an easy battle.
he doesn't mind his blade being deflected. it's a matter of course, in any battle. but when akira presses forward, he sidesteps, and swings to his left to slam the sheath against akira's arm and, theoretically, redirect the blow. it would be easy to go into another spin and slash after that, but kara chooses instead to spin the sheath in his hand and use it like a battering ram against akira's chest to shove him back. ]
[that blow hits without much issue, and Akira lets out a surprised noise as the awkward punch is deflected, as the sheath strikes his arm and causes a wave of pain to course up to his shoulder. he hisses his displeasure as he is then shoved back with the same sheath, and he might have stumbled but-for his ability to recover quickly. instead of tripping, he bends backwards into an easy back handspring, landing in a crouch a few feet away from Kara]
[his arm and ribs ache a bit from those two blows back-to-back, and he knows from experience it'll bruise later on. but he's had worse, so he doesn't linger]
Hn. . .
[there's a moment where he pauses in the crouch before he launches himself forward again, relying on his speed to carry him closer to Kara. this time instead of aiming for his face, he strikes low, a sweeping kick aimed at Kara's feet in an attempt to knock him over]
[ he sees it coming, but without the speed to fully avoid the kick, all kara can do is pull back to mitigate the damage. it connects, though perhaps not as well as intended - but it does make him stumble, drawing a grunt from him as he catches himself and holds his sheath ready to defend.
he wastes no time once he's regained his footing again, immediately whirling into another combination of wide, slashing attacks. just as akira will be better off up close, what kara needs is a little more range to be most effective. if he can force akira back, all the better. ]
[a stumble is all Akira is looking for here, but Kara's recovery is far quicker than he had intended. with another hiss he's pushed back again by the slashing attacks, one of the blades even managing to sever a few strands of hair from his bangs. whew. that was a close one]
[but exciting nevertheless]
[. . . this time, instead of rushing forward, Akira adjusts the grip on his dagger, and-- flings it forward like it's a throwing dagger (which it is not!!) hoping that blocking or dodging the knife will give him time to breach Kara's defenses again]
[ for someone who is never far from his blade - tossing it is a startling move. kara throws himself to the side, eyes narrowing as it cuts the edge of his jacket. if akira wanted the element of surprise, he has it, but only for a moment, as kara tightens his defenses with both sword and sheath before him against the obvious follow-up, a forward rush.
it does, however, mean that akira is unarmed, which itself puts kara at an advantage. he'll be watching for an opening, either to counter with the sheath or to aim for a killing blow with the sheath. ]
[sometimes one needs to be crafty when they're obviously outmatched. . .! Akira rushes forward right behind the dagger, trying to take advantage of that brief moment of surprise-- that one millisecond of an advantage he managed to procure by releasing his weapon-- before Kara recovers]
[and he will do that by aiming another kick at Kara's torso. if he can get one good strike in, then-- then that's enough. right?]
[ kara's preferred defense is, for better or worse, holding both sword and sheath before him like a sort of shield - so the kick may land, but not quite where it was meant to. his forearm takes the brunt of the blow, loosening the grip on his sheath and forcing him back a step or two with a grunt. that's going to bruise later, and he has no way of making repairs here...
it's a problem for later. with akira close and weaponless, kara isn't about to give any more ground than necessary. so this time when he recovers, he moves straight into a charge, moving his blade in a wide, horizontal arc at akira's neck.
(he is, of course, prepared to stop before he actually hurts the boy. but he has no intention of losing, either.) ]
[it might not be the solid strike he had been hoping for, but at least he put on a good enough show before everything came to an end, right? Akira is quick on his feet, but even he is still recovering from his offensive kick when Kara slices at his neck with the blade. and without his own dagger to block. . . well]
[it's fine! and so he freezes in place with Kara's weapon hovering close against his neck. he has no doubt that Kara wouldn't actually hurt him, but his entire body is tense and stiff anyway, gaze locked on his opponents with a fire in his irises that doesn't go out despite his defeat]
[he doesn't move, nor speak, and likely won't until the sword is pulled back again]
[ he holds the blade there for a moment longer, almost as if he's waiting for something more. when it doesn't come, he straightens with a satisfied look in his eyes, and steps back to sheath his sword without a word. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[squares his shoulders, jaw set and tilted up. and when he speaks again, his request is simple]
Fight me.
[it's not a question, though it isn't phrased as a demand, either]
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I'm busy.
[ with
the wagashi ]
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[somehow Akira isn't offended!! wagashi is important!!]
Doesn't have to be now. It can be later today, or tomorrow. It doesn't matter.
We have all week.
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Fine. I'll be at the courts in a few hours.
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A few hours, then. Don't stand me up.
[and with that, he turns on his heal and heads on out]
[SMASHCUT TO A FEW HOURS LATER-- Akira will be waiting near the courts, as promised! back to the entrance, hands in his pockets, and gaze focused on the trees of the forest beyond]
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anyway. in a few hours, kara shows up to the courts, one hand resting on his sword as he walks up. he won't offer any greeting, the rude bitch, but wait for akira to acknowledge him. this was his idea, after all, and now he's staring into space. ]
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[he glances at the sword, then up again in approval]
I'm not afraid to fight with weapons included.
[most people he's scuffled with so far have insisted it be bare-fisted]
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I always fight with my sword. But I can leave it sheathed, if you don't have a decent weapon.
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Nah. I have one.
[he rests his own hand on the hilt of his dagger at his side]
I don't like holding back, anyway.
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[ he pulls the sword from his sash, unsheathing it slowly with both hands. the dragon carving on his blade glitters in the sunlight as he sinks into a ready stance, and the sheath is held defensively in his left, almost as if it were a second blade. ]
Then I won't hold back, either.
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[he draws his own dagger from his sheathe, spinning it in his hand before he grips the handle tightly, takes a step back, and adopts a defensive stance]
My invitation, right? So you can have first strike.
[if he wants it. if not, Akira doesn't mind taking it for himself]
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he doesn't wait this time. as akira said, he was invited. the right to first strike is his, and kara seizes it without hesitation, lunging forward into a slash right at akira's face. the momentum carries into him a spin, and he follows up with a wide downward swing. ]
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[he's prepared for that slash, drawing his dagger upwards to catch the blade, the force of the blow knocking him back a step. with a tch he responds to the second swing in much the same manner, Kara's sword glancing off of his dagger like rainwater off a parka]
[he's quick enough to defend, but the strikes don't leave him much in the way of openings for a counter strike. for now. . . he watches, gaze sharp and wary, and fully on the defensive]
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annoying.
the one obvious advantage of being an uchigatana, however, is his reach. he'll take full advantage of that, pulling back for a step to adjust his grip on the sword's hilt before stepping forward into a jab. ]
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[Kara pulls back and Akira presses forward, drawing his dagger up to block the blade a third time, catching the jab on the side of his weapon and pushing it to his own side]
[and then, with the dagger blade still pressed against the uchigatana (to keep it away, to drag metal against metal in a shrill noise as he moves) he rushes forward again, trying his best to get into Kara's personal space and just]
[straight up punch at his face!! it's a left-handed punch though so it's a bit awkward and not as powerful as his usual ones, but hey. do what you can, right?]
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but his specialties are offense and defense. he will not make it an easy battle.
he doesn't mind his blade being deflected. it's a matter of course, in any battle. but when akira presses forward, he sidesteps, and swings to his left to slam the sheath against akira's arm and, theoretically, redirect the blow. it would be easy to go into another spin and slash after that, but kara chooses instead to spin the sheath in his hand and use it like a battering ram against akira's chest to shove him back. ]
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[his arm and ribs ache a bit from those two blows back-to-back, and he knows from experience it'll bruise later on. but he's had worse, so he doesn't linger]
Hn. . .
[there's a moment where he pauses in the crouch before he launches himself forward again, relying on his speed to carry him closer to Kara. this time instead of aiming for his face, he strikes low, a sweeping kick aimed at Kara's feet in an attempt to knock him over]
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he wastes no time once he's regained his footing again, immediately whirling into another combination of wide, slashing attacks. just as akira will be better off up close, what kara needs is a little more range to be most effective. if he can force akira back, all the better. ]
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[but exciting nevertheless]
[. . . this time, instead of rushing forward, Akira adjusts the grip on his dagger, and-- flings it forward like it's a throwing dagger (which it is not!!) hoping that blocking or dodging the knife will give him time to breach Kara's defenses again]
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it does, however, mean that akira is unarmed, which itself puts kara at an advantage. he'll be watching for an opening, either to counter with the sheath or to aim for a killing blow with the sheath. ]
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[and he will do that by aiming another kick at Kara's torso. if he can get one good strike in, then-- then that's enough. right?]
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it's a problem for later. with akira close and weaponless, kara isn't about to give any more ground than necessary. so this time when he recovers, he moves straight into a charge, moving his blade in a wide, horizontal arc at akira's neck.
(he is, of course, prepared to stop before he actually hurts the boy. but he has no intention of losing, either.) ]
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[it might not be the solid strike he had been hoping for, but at least he put on a good enough show before everything came to an end, right? Akira is quick on his feet, but even he is still recovering from his offensive kick when Kara slices at his neck with the blade. and without his own dagger to block. . . well]
[it's fine! and so he freezes in place with Kara's weapon hovering close against his neck. he has no doubt that Kara wouldn't actually hurt him, but his entire body is tense and stiff anyway, gaze locked on his opponents with a fire in his irises that doesn't go out despite his defeat]
[he doesn't move, nor speak, and likely won't until the sword is pulled back again]
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Thanks.
[he forces himself to relax before he goes collect his dagger]
Do you feel any better?
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