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Post by Kuma on May 31, 2015 14:40:53 GMT
 Only faint lights could be seen in the horizon, the dawn was about to arrive to this hallowed field of battle. For a moment as column of grey smoke manifested from nowhere, slowly spinning on its place until it took the form of a man covered in armor, standing proudly besides the statue that celebrated the legendary battle that happened in this island. The figure in grey armor walked towards the coast of the island and unsheathed his blade. He raised his arm and one of the first rays of sun, slipping through the veil of darkness hit his blade. A powerful roar surged from the weapon, a glorious sound that carried the memories of battles from the past, victories and defeat alike. Yet this sound couldn’t be heard by any regular humans, even the Hidden World Denizens couldn’t hear it… at least most of them couldn’t. This was a shout of challenge to call any individual in the vicinity who considers himself or herself a swordsman. From immemorial times Chambara has challenged the warriors for tread the land he serves and protects to test their mettle. Now he waits as the dawn is about to break. Chambara the Spirit of Japan awaits in Ganryujima, the battlefield were Musashi fought Kojiro.
Meanwhile in the JHWAB Kanto HQ, a small blip appeared in a machine. They were fully aware of Chambara’s existence and had some sort of agreement, considering that the Spectre never allowed mundane humans around when he fought it made their job easier and they learned to live and let live. Still they had created a machine that could pick up the signals emitted by Chambara, but with time they stopped documenting his appearances and started doing something else. -Okay people, the moment the fighters gets in the scene we will get his file from the computer and the bets can start, will this time around the challenger beat the champion, who is in a 4 matches streak?- Hyoron Kaisetsu one of the Military Branch Officers, usually the one in charge of the Department of Hidden World Sports was leading this improvised betting rink with other agents and workers that were in the morning shift. Everybody was ready to place their bets while Hyoron warmed up his pipes to do some commentary on the fight, with Shin Bushitora, a MB Agent ready to serve as the technical assistant for anything swordsmanship related that needs to be explained. |
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Post by Kazenokami on May 31, 2015 21:45:08 GMT
A loud glorious sound rang in the ears of the Hooded Swordsman, Shénmì. An enigma that has lived for centuries, yet has still retained the looks of young adult. Though his appearance is shrouded in a long black cloak reaching his shins, a hood that covers the entire top half of his face and head; only showing his slender neck, jaw, mouth, and the tips of his curly black hair.
Heavy boots threading lightly over a paved street. The bottom of his cloak flowing with feet step. This was not the first time that Shénmì has heard this sound, however, it was the first time accepting such a challenge. The Hooded Swordsman from all his travels through Japan and Feudal Japan, he has only heard whispers of the existence of the spirit; but never meeting face to face. The first time that Shénmì heard this sound, he brushed it off and ignored it carrying on whatever he was doing at the time. Although he wasn't about to ignore the challenge this time around. For some reason he wanted to test his skills on someone truly worthy of them.
Shénmì was just leaving Yukuhashi, the glorious sound guiding him where the spirit resided. It wouldn't take him long, in fact it would only take him about 10 minutes if he flew. His grip tightening around the handle of Kokuton Noroi (lit. meaning: 黒檀の呪い "Ebony Curse") as he pushed off from the ground and again in the air creating a sonic-boom as he launching himself in the direction of Ganryujima.
After ten minutes of flight, the Hooded Swordsman was just reaching the coast of the island. A grey figure coming into view as the wind ruffled Shénmì's hood—allowing him to see such worthy opponent.
Stopping abruptly in the air, hovering above the designated battlegrounds as he slowly lowering himself to the ground. His gripping tightly around Kokuton Noroi even more, the sun light beaming brilliantly in front of him, the glare reflecting off the tip.
The wind swirling beneath his feet, the bottom of his cloak fluttering about in the wind. As he finally touched down on Ganryujima, Kokuton Noroi pointing down. A calm and composed Shénmì stood, waiting for his time to either attack or defend. Several different scenarios rushing though his head.
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Post by Kuma on May 31, 2015 22:53:08 GMT
The precise movements of Chambara were odd considering his armored figure, yet each of his steps seemed to be calculated and confident, the true steps of a master of his craft. His masked face turned to Shenmi’s location, acknowledging the Hooded Swordsman arrival and thus accepting the challenge. Chambara walked until he was at the customary distance between two swordsmen, Toma, (About to lengths of sword) and he bowed.
Without waiting to see if Shenmi returned the courtesy Chambara placed his armored hand over his sword, “Nanashi”, handle. He was in a textbook Iaijutsu stance, from the Mugai Ryu style, the pressure emitted by Chambara was like the stillness and weight of a mountain, and as if he was prepared to take on anything the Hooded Swordsman would try to throw him. This style, at least this form, was lost to the sands of time as the creator never passed the whole school to a successor.
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Post by Kazenokami on Jun 1, 2015 0:01:50 GMT
Out of respect for the old spirit, Shénmì had bowed his head. The wind picking up as it swirled around the charcoal colored blade. Kokuton Noroi, absorbing it's masters magic energy that was instilled upon him by the magical lacrima; increasing the strength and durability. The wind at this point has been compressed into a thin layer around the ebony blade of five and a half feet.
With his left and free hand, rising it up as he would remove the hood. Revealing a young scar-less face; deep blue orbs searching the spirits armored body and stance. His eyes giving off a slight, beautiful glow. Adjusting his own stance as he rose his Kokuton Noroi from a pointed down position to a pointed up position and bending his knees slightly while he lowered his left arm. His elbow bent at about hip level. His forearm angled downwards his hand balled up in a fist.
The two basically having a stare down, waiting for the other to make the first strike.
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Post by Kuma on Jun 1, 2015 2:25:29 GMT
The tension between both warriors grew thicker with each passing second, almost as if the air surrounding them was charged. A cold morning wind bellowed around them, swaying the tall grass back and forth with an ominous rhythm, almost as if the rocking of the green blades equaled a clocking, ticking towards the end of a countdown. Finally the sudden gust stopped and Chambara seemed to do the first movement. With deliberate slowness his right foot, the one in front, slid almost imperceptibly to the side, using the wet grass to achieve this subtle motion almost without giving any outgoing signs.
What was his goal? Simple, he slid the tip of his foot from wet grass to solid rock, allowing him his first step to be as strong as possible. With that in mind the Spirit of Japan shifted its weight to his frontal leg and broke the “Toma” (Two steps distance) between them. He took a long step, in a peculiar half-crouched stance, once again showcasing surprising agility for someone so armored, and launched a dazzling Iai, unsheathing his blade and moving it in a single deadly line towards Shenmi’s chest.
The technique, an Iai launched from an almost horizontal position (in relation to the ground) with a full turn of the waist to creat a huge diagonal cut is called Mugai Ryu: Hiten Satori Zan (Slash of the Heavenly Illumination) following the Zen influences of the style. Still Chambara knew that this wouldn’t be enough, so he was ready to defend himself from the Hooded Swordsman if he required doing so. Nobody could bother them as the barrier that formed around the battlefield of his choosing stopped any mundane individuals from watching them.
-I have the information right here! What we know is that the challenger seems to be immortal and also controls wind, I don’t have a name, only an alias from an old case file “Fudo-Tsuki no Kenshi”- Hyoron told the “audience” that was composed by three workers from the cleaning staff (all of them with some percentages of Tanuki blood on them) Shin Bushitora from the Military Branch who wouldn’t bet as he came here to witness the fight as he was deeply interested in Chambara, a couple of Cultural Branch office workers and finally the always relaxed Dansei from the Intelligence Branch.
Before they even got into battle positions the bets were placed the JHWAB was 3/1 in favor of Chambara. -Oh! He is executing a flawless Iai!- Shouted Shin, getting everybodies attention to the screen as he did. Everybody was really interested on the fight.
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Post by Kazenokami on Jun 4, 2015 19:03:51 GMT
The tensions between the two was strong, until the spirit of japan had made the first move; executing a flawless iai, aiming upwards diagonally across his chest. But the hooded swordsman wouldn't allow himself to be cut that severely, even if he did have the ability heal. His grip tightened around the handle of his kokuton noroi and stepping back with his right foot while he kept his left firmly in place. Pivoting his right foot so his toes pointed away, his torso turned, facing the assault. Though the tip of the kokuton Noroi dropped back down, but for only a second as the ebony blade was swung back up, as it would clash with the spirits steel.
Sparks would fly from the clash of steel. "I almost regret passing up your challenge many centuries ago." His tone calm, but also with a slight hint of arrogance. Wind swirling beneath his feet as it rose up him up about an inch off the ground. "I know you are testing me, but let's make this little more interesting shall we?" He spoke in calm mannerism, as he would push up on the handle of his blade; attempting to push the spirit back, two blade lengths.
Locks of curly black tendrils swaying, no, dancing on the chilly morning breeze. "As you can see, my Kokuton Noroi is naked. No sheath to protect it." Shénmì announced coolly, hovering just inches from the surface. "Is it safe to assume, that since you are a spirit. You have the ability to manifest certain weapons? And is it safe to assume you can manifest an empty sheath?" He added, awaiting for a reply. Turning his torso slightly so it faced away from the spirit, his knees bent, his left foot pointing at the spirit of japan, his right point away. Shénmì had his wind charged blade pulled back behind him, pointing down at the ground the tip just barely reaching the surface.
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Post by Kuma on Jun 5, 2015 22:34:00 GMT
-And the challenger replies with a parry, trying to deflect the Iai. - Hyoron kept commenting and after him Shin added his own opinions. –I think it was a bad move the challenger trying to bounce back Chambara’s attack from a mid-air position, he lacks the strong footing needed to pull that kind of feat.- The Bushitora Swordsman quickly added. –And it was a bigger mistake trying to talk to Chambara, he clearly doesn’t know anything about him… - He changed his tone as he quoted Eien no Ha, the Military Branch Leader of the JHWAB. -“Once the clash of steel fills the battlefield words are not needed” –
Shenmi managed to block the first attack, but trying to push the amazingly balanced Spirit was out of the question, the Hooded Swordsman tried to return the fight to the Toma, but Chambara’s fierce and steely grip, both to his sword and to the ground below, thanks to the clever step he took at the beginning, was too much to be broken, specially without friction to sustain the movement.
They were still in the Chika-Ma, with their swords pressing against each other when Shenmi released the pressure and lowered his sword, talking without any hint of modesty. This would upset or enrage a regular swordsman, but Chambara was a crystallization of wills and spirit, pure discipline and skill in a corporeal form. Shenmi’s words didn’t seem arrogant, smart, dumb or anything else, he took them for what they were to him.
A hole in the defense of the enemy.
As he was talking Chambara didn’t doubt it and interrupted him midway, not caring at all about the meaning of the sounds that came out of Shenmi’s mouth, the Spirit of Japan only spoke a single language, and it that was Kenjutsu. He pulled a double slash, two consecutive hits one from upwards and the other, altering his grip downwards.
The Kashima Shinto-ryu was a school blessed by Takemikazuchi, the Thunder God of Battle, the technique Chambara was using was a Katate-Waza (One Handed Technique) in which he used the katana one handed, leaving his other hand free for defensive or offensive purposes. The Technique name was Takefutsu Zan (Brave Snapping Slash) surely a reference to the patron God and his fickle nature, changing decisions and in this case directions easily.
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