The mountain was quiet, peaceful, absent of the usual choir of birds and the snorting of beasts. The sun had started to peak over the horizon, a slender band of orange and yellow rising over an emerald field. Vod had stopped to watch the sunrise, a single hand on the strap of his pack. His late master, Eva Clear, loved the sunrises and often forced Vod to stop whatever he was doing to witness them. 'Nothing is more beautiful' She used to comment every morning. Vod never quite understood the ritual, honestly he thought it was a waste of his time- a few precious seconds that could be better used training. It's been a year since Eva passed on, and Vod has yet to miss a sunrise. He wasn't sure why he continued her ritual, staring at that great eastern light. Was it out of obligation to her memory? Or was it simply a habit he has yet to break?
Whatever the reason, the Crane Hermit continued to linger on the forest trail and watched the sun rise.
Last Edit: Mar 4, 2018 18:35:53 GMT by Vod: Added music
Zaru had barely woken up, having worn himself out a lot from training the previous day. It had been a long week, that was for sure. He'd been to some of the tallest peaks of Mount Paozu, but only recently did he feel like he'd been truly pushing himself. The forest was stirring, just as he was. He could hear the noise of birds and the rustling of the larger predators, various creatures grazing amongst the grass. As it was now, he simply slept outside, his Ki keeping him warm and animals knowing to make their distance. He wondered if they could subconsciously feel it, too. If they could even understand why they made no attempt to threaten him, like they would anyone else they considered an intruder. Or at least, most who would enter the deep forests.
It was as he began to ponder on the sensing of Ki that he picked some up himself. It was a much more powerful signature than he would feel from most normal people, and it certainly didn't feel like an animal. Though they didn't seem to be causing trouble, he made his way there anyway. As he approached, standing a good few feet behind the older man, the white and black robe on him began fluttering in the wind, red and orange light shining through the trees in front of whoever this man was, making him out like some sort of silhouette.
"Does it mean something to you?" People didn't often stare at things they cared nothing for. Not for this long. The sunset was beautiful, but most people didn't appreciate such a thing. That, and he...needed some kind of opening question. It was as good as any.
Vod felt him before he heard him, the newcomer's Ki pulled at his own senses. It was stronger then anything else on the mountain; but subdued, focused, like a stream diverting from a river. It was getting closer, and Vod doubted that whoever possessed such a Ki wasn't aware of his own presence. The Crane Hermit debated turning around, breaking the ritual early in order to greet the stranger properly. Despite the danger however, Vod found that he couldn't divert his eyes. So he stood there, arms crossed behind his lower back, and waited for the footsteps.
There was a faint crunching of leaves, a small inhale, and finally a question.
"Does it mean something to you?"
The voice of a young man, more humble then timid. Vod turned, the red orb flaring behind him, and stared at the stranger. Loose clothing, powerful arms, bald. A monk of some sort, or maybe something more? A second passed, then two, before Vod broke the silence. "Someone once told me that nothing is more beautiful" The hermit unclasped his hands to gesture towards the rising sun. "It represents potential, the challenges that you will face under it's light." His expression hardens and he turns back, staring at the sun once more.
"The East is burning red."
"Strive to become stronger before it meets the West."
Zaru returned his stare. The man, whoever he was, looked a bit younger than he expected, though to be fair, he couldn't really tell how old he was. He could just somehow...feel from the Ki that he sensed from within that the man was old. Or older than him, at least. Which wouldn't take much, but it seemed like most powerful combatants he'd encountered were young. Very young, in fact. He wondered if the strongest potential tended to arrive early, or if those people were only leaking small amounts of the power they could possess. He wondered that sort of thing often, worried about the Earth as he was, and seeing this man here only brought that more to the forefront of his mind.
"They sound like a wise person." His brow furrowed as he continued to stare, his fists clenching defensively. "...Why are you on this mountain?"
It seemed like a legitimate question. At least, from his perspective. It was hardly his property, he wouldn't try to be so presumptious as to act that way. But..people didn't usually come to places like these. Not just for sightseeing, there were better places to watch the sunset. Perhaps he was still a little grouchy from only waking up recently. Regardless, his arms stayed at his side, seeming idle as they tensed, ever so slightly with the rest of his body.
There was little warning, a condensation of ki, the slight shift of Vod foot before he went airborne. The sun shines behind the hermit as he twists in the air, his violet robes flowing freely around his form. He was only airborne for a half second, barely enough time to blink before the old master was suddenly upon Zaru- directing a spinning kick towards the stranger's face.
It didn't take long for Vod to recognize Zaru for what he was; a warrior demands a warrior's greeting. How else could two souls understand eachother? Words are useless, fitting only for the weak. Strength flows though action, the strong greet each other not with smiles; but though the colliding of fists. Vod was simply waiting for the sun to crest the horizon before greeting the stranger properly.
Zaru hadn't been expecting the attack coming towards him, but his trained reflexes came into play. Everything was happening, but in a moment it almost felt as though things were happening in slow motion. He felt the Ki condense and focus within the master that came rapidly towards him, and then his leg. Zaru's hand came up, suddenly wrapping it around his leg as he gripped tightly, holding it still inches for his face. "I hope they didn't teach you to greet this way." Perhaps this was something of martial artists, something he didn't truly understand; it wouldn't have surprised him.
Zaru yanked back on the man's leg, letting go as he rushed forward towards Vod's face. Ki rushed through his body as he charged forward, his fist careening towards the man's face. He condensed the Ki into his arm and fist, hoping to land a strike hard enough to send the older man flying back and through a formation of trees. He expected retribution, but he was hardly about to allow someone to attack him without recompense.
Vod smiled as his foot was deflected, still airborne. The hermit's attention was focused on his opponent; his stance, his ki. 'and most importantly'. Vod pivots his head slightly towards the right, bracing in preparation for the incoming counter attack. 'His strength' The blow smashed against the hermit's face, sending him pinwheeling backwards towards the treeline. Pain clouded the old man's vision, and he twisted in midair- landing 'feet first' against an old oak. His opponent said something, it did not matter. They were past words at this point.
"Again!"
Vod barks and kicks off the tree, propelling himself towards Zaru. An eyeblink later, he is upon him. The hermit lands just short of his opponent, and he follows though with the momentum to launch into a flurry of blows.
Zaru wasn't exactly expecting the rapid return, especially when the older man simply bounced off the tree in front of him. He was definitely not expecting the blows that came towards him, and he was caught off-guard. The exile was struck multiple times, feeling at least a few punches and elbows striking him, along with a kick. As he was struck again, he felt himself spin, almost a bit out of control as he fought to regain his footing. Whoever this was, he wasn't about to allow some random intruder to do this to him. There was a pride there, something within him that began burning up.
Suddenly, Zaru bounced off the ground, rushing forward. He moved low, attempting to dodge any potential counter attack as he tried to elbow the old master in his guts, suddenly standing and spinning as he tried to send him flying to the side with a kick. As he did so, Zaru turned his body, lining himself up and lining up his hands, one taking the shape of a claw. The other wrapped around it, the exile let out a war cry as a yellow beam of energy came flying from his hands, trying to catch the older fighter within it and send him flying deeper into the forest.
He was good, that much Vod could acknowledge. The Crane hermit could only get a few seconds into his combo before the stranger managed to break out, a spinning kick that slipped between Vod's guard and sent him spinning a few feet away. He only had a few seconds to recover before he sensed the spike in his opponent's Ki, and only managed to shield himself with his forearms before the impact overtook him.
His sleeves tatter as the Ki blast washes over his arms, followed by his own cry of pain. Vod managed to find his footing however, digging his heels into the dirt. The boy continued to impress Vod, he's not only holding his own. The stranger is actually putting the old master on the defensive. It was exhilarating, a rush greater then any high or lecherous activity. Race, sex, history- it was all meaningless compared to the thrill of the fight.
When the attack was over, Vod was prepared- immediately pointing his blackened fingers towards his opponent. "Very good!"Vod roars, molding his Ki into the tip of his index finger. "I acknowledge your strength~ Dodon-pa!" A thin beam of golden energy blasts from his fingertip- seconds after Zaru's own attack.
Vod doesn't wait for the Dodon-pa to hit, rather he chases after it. Vod launches himself behind the beam of energy, and again launches into whirlwind of fists and kicks.
Zaru only had seconds to realize what was coming towards him as the golden beam careened downwards, a golden shadow washing over him and everything around him. Zaru only had moments to bring up his arms, crossing them over and covering his face as his body tensed. It almost seemed as though the bones in his body locked up as a searing heat overwhelmed him. The robe burnt off at his wrists and his body was sent flying back. The exile slammed into a tree, standing a bit unsteadily against it as smoke came off of his arms, a tense and furrowed expression across his face.
And there was more to come. A flurry of punches and kicks came rushing towards him, and the younger man began dodging and weaving, barely avoiding the strikes. One kick he ducked, the strike actually slicing the tree behind him in half. Zaru pushed his foot off the stump, rushing upward and forward, trying to slam his head into the Hermit's face and send him flying. The exile seemed to disappear, reappearing where the older man would go flying and using a two-handed strike to try and send him crashing into the ground below.
The headbutt did indeed connect, Zaru face smashing hard against Vod's own. The old man only gave a short muffle of pain before he was sent flying upward- away from the trees. He hasn't fought like this in years, the majority of the self proclaimed 'masters' were usually fakes seeking to cash in. To find himself here, trading blows with an equal? A potential rival? Blood seeped from Vod's nose, and he grinned though the crimson stain.
He's coming.
Vod felt his opponent's rapid advance, and saw the growing shadow looming above him. The hermit feigned weakness, continuing to soar in the air and waited for the counterattack. When Zaru did finally attack his fists didn't hit flesh, rather they passed though a faint afterimage. Suddenly Vod was behind his opponent, and he attempts to slam a downward scissor kick into Zaru's back- and hopefully sending him pinwheeling to the ground.
As Zaru struck downwards, his arms just went through....nothing. The man seemed to disappear entirely. He had simply struck his afterimage, and Zaru knew what that meant. Even if he was prepared for the hit, it didn't make it hurt any less. The back of the foot struck the top of his head, and for a moment, everything was white. His body twisted and turned as he rocketed towards the earth, landing with a crash as he felt the ground actually open beneath him. Dust was kicked up around where he landed, and Zaru struggled to his feet as he stared upwards, standing in a crater made from the impact.
Enough of this. Zaru's anger welled up inside him, a heat overcoming him as his hand took the shape of a claw once more. He wrapped his other hand behind it, a building roar coming from him as the yellow energy began to appear in his hand. His eyes widened as he yelled out a war cry, the large yellow beam rocketing through the air towards Master Ka as Zaru tried to send him careening out of the sky, his Ki overflowing from out of him.
When Vod started this engagement, he wasn't expecting the bout to go this far. No matter how hard he pushed his opponent, the young man continued to escalate. The boy's ki is raising, rapidly. The stream he described earlier is starting to swell, overflowing the metaphorical banks. Zaru was getting stronger, and he'll likely overcome the Hermit if things continue. It was time to end this.
Vod stared down at the rapidly glowing dot, squinting as the golden rays grow brighter and brighter. He raised his own hand, palm open and facing down at the incoming attack- and proceeded to meld what's left of his Ki around it. Vod grit his teeth, pulling and molding his power into a single point in-front of his palm. The air heated and popped and the Ki began to distort the very light around it, until there was nothing but a baseball sized golden orb.
SUPER
The orb continued to shine, intensifying until it was near impossible to look at.
DODON-PA
The golden beam screamed out of his palm like a rocket, shaping itself in flight. Gold meets gold as the two beams crash into eachother, filling the entire mountaintop with light.
Zaru continued yelling out, his war cry echoing through the forest as he pushed as hard as he could against the Super Dodon-Pa raining down on top of him. The exile's knees began to struggle as he felt the beam pushing down on his, physical pressure forcing down upon his Ki. The beams stayed taut in the middle, and Zaru would have preferred to keep it that way. He figured he had more Ki, more stamina to spare than the older fighter above him, but what he did not have was the Crane Hermit's level of Ki Control. Suddenly, the floodgates were open. As hard as he pushed, the Dodon-pa continued rocketing towards him.
He was in a state of confusion, almost shocked. Even as he continued to push, he tried to speak. "What-" His voice, and everything was suddenly engulfed in white as the beam struck him, totally destroying the Ki beam that he had expelled from his body. Dust and debris exploded from the smoke that engulfed where Zaru had once been standing. As the smoke cleared, he found he could see again. He was laying there, flat on his back, in a bigger crater than before. His robe was torn, holes and tears through out as he tried to force his way to his feet. His legs shook as he tried to stand, blood coming from a corner of his mouth as scratches covered his face and body, a searing smoke coming from his whole body this time.
"I-I can still-" He stopped himself, almost falling to one knee as he forced hmself to stay up, a fierce anger in his eyes as he stared up towards Master Ka, still ready to fight despite how overwhelmed he felt right now.
Vod hovered above the crater, staring down at his opponent. While he was able to defeat the boy in the beam duel, the effort took the remainder of his energy reserves. The monk had been an incredible opponent; his form was fantastic, his technique was fluid, and he possessed a vast amount of energy. The fact that he is still on his feet, even after taking the full force of his Super Dodon~Pa, screams strength. The Crane Hermit hardened his expression and began to descend towards, locking his hands behind his back. Vod put on a brave face, but he was exhausted. He hadn't had to fight that hard in a number of years, and his muscles ached from the unexpected exertion.
"Enough." The old man barked, landing on the lip of the crater. "A warrior knows when his limits." Vod smiles and extended his hand, gesturing towards Zaru's wounded arms. "See to your wounds."
