[Round 3 - C] Retane & Victor vs Serraph and Sasuke

[Karl Jak]

"What is this?" Sasuke muttered as he glanced at the battle standard that flapped in wind that had no right existing in an enclosed dome. He recognized them from years ago.

"I'm assuming it's supposed to be ironic," Victor Wolfe spoke from across the courtyard. The assassin stood before a pair of large tattered banners that bore the golden imperial lion. Turning from his adversaries, he ran his thumb across a rack of weapons and smirked. "I wouldn't take it all too seriously," he muttered.

Beyond the boundaries of the Fight Area, there was a flash of yellow light that caused the four men to wince and glimpse away.

Victor squinted. He swore he saw familiar shapes fighting out there in the perma-haze. Karl had really open the purse strings on this occasion.

Word Limit: 850
Posts: 2
Time Limit: 48 hours
Random Elements: On
Damage Meter: Off

Time limit starts at 10 AM CDT on July 12, 2018

“Battle of Nippur” – The most famous minor city in the Omniverse not run by a Princess and filled with talking ponies. This recreation of the Battle of Nippur is a Fight Area that encompass the front exterior of the Royal Palace and the surrounding blocks. Beyond the barrier, you can spot the forces of LAW and the defenders of New Babylon locked in eternal struggle. Both teams are provided with optional equipment armories on their side of the Fight Area related to the side they represent.

Stipulation: Extra weapons and equipment provided.

LAW-themed Side -- Sasuke and Serraph
NB-themed Side -- Retane and Victor

[Retane]

Out of the fire and into - where the hell was this?

The Namekian wasted no time as he started to scan the area. The other three seemed comfortable with the environment, almost as if they had been here before and Retane wasn't about to be kept in the dark. The heat; the archaic buildings; the almost near lack of vegetation; it almost reminded him of Planet Vegeta from back in his own universe. He knew, however that that wasn't the case placed his hand on one of the sparse desert palms that was mere inches from him.

Speak to me.

After only seconds, the Horsemen had his answer, and even more questions. They were in the battle where Gilgamesh had fell after taking siege from LAW. Victor had been there it seemed, but where had Sasuke been? What of this other guy? Why wasn't he there? Why were The Horsemen not involved? Had New Babylon not called for aid? Did word not get to his colleagues? Would they have made a difference? Of course, they would have! Right?

By the time the Namekian had become nearly flustered with questions, he noticed that all eyes were upon him with perplexed facial expressions. Retane threw his hands out wide showing his own confusion, "What are you looking at me for? Do I got shit on my nose?"

The Horsemen didn't know why he said it, but he did. He even glanced to and sniffed to check. His eyes went further down to his body and he saw what they had saw. Instead of wearing his normal attire, the Emerald Fiend was clad in golden armor. The armor looked exactly like that of the New Babylonian King, Gilgamesh.

"What's the deal, Big Green?" It was Victor that questioned.

"You would insult our King?" It was Sasuke's partner, Serraph, that spoke up.

The Namekian grumbled underneath his breath, knowing full well that he, himself, had subconsciously materialized the armor. His hand slid to the device upon his wrist and grabbed cards from the Deck of Destiny. With the flick of his wrist the three cards went flying in the direction of the cur. They never reached their destination though, as each card was intercepted by a kunai, sink all three into the sandy ground.

Retanemesh looked to the shinobi that decided to intervene and gave a grin, "Sasuke. It's been a while."

"Yeah, too long, big guy." The ninja didn't look different really, but deep in his eyes there was change. The Horsemen couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly but maybe before it was all over, maybe he could figure it out.

The Green Warrior looked to the nearest rack and grabbed a set of studded tonfas that were as wide as his forearms. They were lighter than they looked with their bodies extending the length of his arms and the heads just slightly longer than the grips. He flexed his arms a few times and walked out, putting himself near center of Victor and the other two New Babylonians. Retanemesh spun around with his arms out wide, gesturing at the battle going on outside the barrier before stopping and staring at the shinobi.

"So, is this your doing? Is it our doing? What is it? Tell me!" Retanemesh's voice rose with every question.

"Not my doing, but you know, it will be their undoing. If you catch my drift?" Sasuke rolled his eyes with a slight shrug.

"Indeed, I do old friend," Retanemesh chuckled. "That is why I'm sorry for this."

The assassin had snuck up behind Sasuke and before the ninja's face could contort into confusion, both of Victor's daggers plunged deep into the sides of his New Babylonian comrade. Retanemesh moved then, dashing forward, towards the paler of the two foes. He swung his arm out, the head of the leading tonfa smashing hard into Serraph's chest. The moment of the blow caused Searraph to fly back until he collided with the wall. Retane followed up, closing the gap once again, this time leading with a punch from his other fist.

Before the blow could land, both Sasuke and Seraph's bodies poofed into a small cloud of debris revealing two similar dummies made of clay. Wolfe ripped his blades out of the substitution, letting it fall and shatter across the ground. The Namek's replica burst into a cloud of red smoke as the head of the weapon smacked hard into the structure. Not wanting to be blindsided, the mercenary leapt back and looked around, catching eyes with his comrade.  

"Ninja?" The assassin questioned, hoping to get the same sentiment.

"Copying bastard!" The Horsemen answered with a growl.

Before anything else could be exchanged, a slight and sizzle followed by a small ‘fwoof’ of flame appeared near Wolfe’s feet and upon the wall where the Emerald Warrior had hit. Both looked at each other and nodded in unison as they tried to get out of the proximity of the soon -to-be explosion.

“Ninja!” Wolfe yelled!

“Copying fucking bastard.” Retane dove for cover.

“That too.” Victor followed suite.


BOOM!

850 words Office

[Serraph Quarrere]

A stranger and a familiar face, contestants Retane and Lord Victor Wolfe were Serraph’s opponents. Here the King’s men fought for the honor of Gilgamesh, in a beautiful recreation of his glorious kingdom. All was as the arrancar imagined it had been, prior to the calamity that befell it. The architecture was flawless, and the courtyard they fought in was lined with the most exceptional shrubbery. Gold trim lined everything in sight, and a flag of his glory stood proudly over the palace gates.

What better way to squander King Gilgamesh’s gift than to don the king’s own personal armor. The gilded armor of his King, now tainted by the sweat and blood of one outside his Kingdom.  Serraph was not particularly quick to anger, yet he could feel the viscous ink in his veins begin to boil. This man, no, this thing, had dared to disgrace one of Gilgamesh’s priceless treasures with their foul touch. A teammate of Lord Wolfe or not, Retane would pay for his grave transgression.

Serraph observed with his arms crossed as Lord Wolfe and the Foul One were forced away from an explosion.

“Now!” his mind signaled, and the arrancar sprung into battle, his hands finding the hilts of his blades hung from his back and belt. Sasuke ran alongside him, his eyes a bright crimson as their strides were a mirror image of one another. Sasuke’s partner glanced at him, his furrowed brow unlike his usual calm and relatively indifferent expression.

“My apologies, My liege. I must borrow yet another trait from you.” Serraph declared morosely. His steel grey eyes concentrated on his partner’s for a moment and like ink on paper, the information he sought imprinted into Serraph. Embolden, he turned his head to face his recovered enemy.

The heathen fell back into a defensive stance as his pale assailant burst forward in a fury of crackling static. Kusanagi and Libro thrust forward in unison, vengeful edges tearing the space between them, only to clash against the heathen’s tonfas.

“Let’s have a look at you,” Serraph growled. Fuming silver irises darkened into a radiating crimson as a thin wheel formed around his pupils. One by one the iconic tomoe phased into existence along the ring before locking into place. His reiatsu reached out to grasp against the Impersonator’s violent ki. The enemy’s aura he saw through Uchiha eyes flared, concentrating into their grotesque feet.

Before he could read much, Retane leaped back and flung yet another trio of weaponized cards. He dove beneath its flight path, a burst of Reiryoku propelling him forward. Rolling and recovering to his feet, Kusanagi was brought to bear against the imposter.

His imitation Sharingan pierced through the poor counterfeit breastplate, analyzing his opponent’s source of power.  Interestingly enough this power, this Ki, functioned similarly to Sasuke’s chakra in the instance that it was pooled in the body’s core. However, his seemed to forgo similar paths Chakra took following their bloodstream.

“Interesting,” commented Serraph, Libro striking through Retane’s defensive wall. The paper blade cut into the shimmering surface of the armor as if it were composed of something softer than the gold it was based on.  "Another insult, poor craftsmanship!"

“What’s interesting, Asswipe? Got shit on your nose?” he taunted before flaring his ki once more, using it to accelerate his leg. The alien shot out, his painfully false grieves catching the arrancar’s cheek.

Retane was strong, and his speed matched Serraph’s own. He wasn’t graceful, but he was durable, and his style did the job. Libro plunged into the ground, keeping its owner from sliding too far upon the loose sand covering the courtyard.  He recovered and sheathed the hollow blade. His partner clashed with Lord Wolfe, though their battle was more reserved than dire.

The two fighters elegantly weaved in and out of each other’s strikes; neither able to necessarily get the upper hand, neither really trying.

“Pay attention bookworm,” said the jolly green giant as a fist came down. He hoped to cash in on the arrancar’s lack of attention, but his fist caught nothing but a poof of smoke and the flat of Libro’s blade. The sword snapped cleanly in two; its structure was left clanging against to the courtyard ground.

A charged burst of static crackled and Serraph appeared beside Retane with Kusanagi held low. His left hand bled from the sheer pressure he exerted to the sword’s hilt while his other hand glided across the blade’s surface. The blue energy screeched as it traveled up the sword’s structure, the sound reminiscent of a thousand birds chirping. Arcs of spiritual lightning sizzled and popped as they licked against the glistening metal of Retane’s fake armor. The arrancar’s ever-present smile of the previous rounds had finally resurfaced as the lightning he wielded seared against opposition and sought to claim retribution for his king.

Thrusting Kusanagi forward, the arrancar cried, “Perish, beguiler!”

818/850

Mimicking: Kusanagi Sword/Chidori blade/ Uchiha Insight/
Mimicked: Substitution Jutsu/Burst Movement/Foresight
Used T2 Super Offensive: Sword of Kusanagi ( Chidori Blade)
 2/4 SP Remaining

[Victor Wolfe]

The static and flashing of electricity drew the assassin’s attention. The pale kid planned to cook the green bean alive as the knock-off sword of Kusanagi smashed into Retane's chest. The sparks spread across the golden armour as the heat caused the metal to soften, breaking and falling away from the namekian skin. His insulting imitation of their king was finally destroyed. Victor chuckled as the Namekian was thrown backwards, smashing into the wall of a house.


The assassin giggled as the imposter was swatted down for his impudence. He continued his search for the second best ninja in Nippur. Being the king's golden boy, it was rare for Victor to get an opportunity like this. After everything that had transpired over the past few years, some punishment needed to be handed out. Things had not gone well and although he knew it was petty, someone had to take the blame.


"You know Sasuke, I probably should have expected that decoy given your history of running away?." The assassin grinned, a hint of venom in his eyes as he stared down the shinobi. He spun his blade on the edge of his finger as they circled each other. Neither willing to be the first to risk slipping up.


"Whilst I do find my partners costume to be a little distasteful, I didn’t notice any of your equipment in the armoury? A little surprising don't you think given you are the ‘King’s hand’ and all? Oh! That’s right, because whilst we were dealing with the largest threat to the sovereignty of our nation, you were off playing in the sand!" Toxicity and bitterness spewed forward from Victor's mouth as he unleashed his pent up aggression towards the pre-teen in front of him. "You know what the difference between you and I, Uchiha?" Victor mused.


"I assume you are going to tell me, judging by how much you seem to love the sound of your voice." Sasuke shot back, a sly grin crossing his face.


"Well, it is my gift to the world, dear. But you are right, I am going to tell you. You see my dear boy, I am always there. I keep the show running, without me, Nippur’s industry would still be under an oligarchy, and we would still be viewed as the enemy number one for most of the civilised verses. I advise, I administrate, and I persuade. I even gave my life at this battle willingly to allow as many people to live as I could." Victor took a breath as he continued to get things off his chest.


"Now you on the other hand... You won the Abyss Congrats on that by the way.” Victor took a breathe preparing for his next quip. Then you spend the next three years hunting down one clan of bandits. We could have raised and trained an army; used the battles with those bandits to give them vital combat experience. Face it Uchiha, you are not a leader, you are a glory hound. You will run into every situation that promises a chance to gain fame, no matter how risky or how much it costs everyone else!" Victor sneered, the last comment seems to hit the ninja a little harder than the rest as he broke the stalemate, rushing forward to strangle Victor’s lanky ass.


Right into the assassins trap; Sasuke may have been a brilliant warrior, but he was still just a kid. Letting the ceaseless taunting from someone he had viewed as an ally at one point get to his head, it was clear to him that the assassin would be pulling no punches. But Victor had been prepared for the burst of movement as the ninja rushed forward. Victor burst backwards, tossing a handful of sand, the dagger spinning on his finger was a mere distraction.


The sand blinded the ninja, the tiny shards of dust were pushed into his eyes with his own burst. Victor cackled as he pressed the button on his belt, unsheathing his second blade as he charged them up.


"Face it, you were never a Babylonian," he whispered into Sasuke's ear as he aimed the charged slash at the back of the Boy Wonder’s knees.

704 words

Vic aimed t1 super offensive "Now you see me..." at Sasuke

5/6 SP left

[Sasuke Uchiha]

Charged electric might shredded through tonfa and green flesh alike, as the sounds of a thousand birds called for the end of the Namekian’s life. Electricity crackled, a bright light enveloped them, and blood piercing cries escaped emerald lips, but when the spectacle had faded, the green bastard lived on.  

“That,” his breathing was slow and heavy as he challenged Serraph from a kneeling position, “that all you got?” Singed flesh gave way to an atrocious aroma as the alien went full retard, “More! She needs more! She’s angry! She wants more! Death! More death! I’m going to feed you all to the abyss!” 

Serraph arched an eyebrow, an expression of, ‘is this guy for real’ painting the arrancar’s face. He engaged him in battle regardless. 

---

Sasuke should have been feeling nostalgia about their arena, he should have been feeling nostalgia about all of the wonderful Nippurian  aspects of the round, but instead, Victor was too busy being an asshat for any of that. The shinobi sighed.   


“You win.”

“What?”

“I’m not a Babylonian. I am an Uchiha. Always have been and I always will be; nothing will ever change that.” The shinobi unveiled Kusanagi, but abandoned it, plunging it into the sand. “You say I don’t belong here. Well, maybe that’s true. Maybe I don’t belong in this fight at all.”

“Running away again?” 

“No.” Sasuke gave his back to Victor, strolling over to the courtyard's stair set, and plopped down. He moved with a limp that slowed him, but managed all the same. “I just agree with you. I don’t think I should involve myself. You say you’re the true Babylonian here. Well, why don’t you show me how it’s done?”

“What sort of trickery is this shinobi?” Victor demanded. As they talked, the battle between their partners raged on without them. 

“Go on, gang up on your fellow Babylonian. Nevermind the disgrace and contempt your partner shows for your king. Tell me, was it also your idea for him to don the king’s armor?” Sasuke scoffed.

“No, of course not, I would-”

“Shut up Victor.” Sasuke cut him off. “Show me the actions of a true Babylonian. Go on, help an outsider kill your own.”

“I’ll just kill you instead.” the assassin grinned as he taunted. He never looked more like a weasel than in that moment. 

“Makes no matter to me.” The shinobi folded his arms over his head as the assassin drew closer, “I will not spill the blood of a Babylonian.”

“Wait, what?” the assassin balked in bewilderment. 

“Kill me.” the shinobi leaned back, while still locking eyes with Victor, “I will not fight a comrade.”

“This is too easy.” this time Victor scoffed.

“Yea, that’s right,” the shinobi closed his eyes, offering himself up to the assassin, “show us all how easy it is to betray your kinsmen.”

“Hey! Stop that. It’s not like that!” For the first time, the the assassin began to express frustration. “This is a competition, we're to show the strength and might of New Babylon!”

“No, you’re wrong,” the Uchiha snarled, “but I wouldn’t expect a sniveling traitor like you to understand. Betrayal paved your entry into New Babylon, didn’t it? You make me sick.”

“I did what had to be done!” the weasel professed, “I always do what has to be done! Unlike you!”

“You got that right," the shinobi chuckled, "you and I are nothing alike.”  Carefree of the threat in Victor, the ninja continued, “I will not raise a blade to New Babylon. I may not visit the king as often as I should, but at least when I see him, my ledger will be clean. Will you be able to say the same?”

[Retane]

Retane leapt back, putting distance between himself and the New Babylonian. The Namekian looked down at himself. His chest was charred black, nearly matching his left forearm, with the burn marks from the attack that was rightfully Uchiha's. The Emerald Warrior grinned as he locked eyes with Serraph and wiped the oozing blood away, allowing it to soil the ground.

Dark mist spewed from the Mark of Lythia upon the Namek's right arm. Retanemesh's body glowed a bright light for a few moments as a green aura kicked up and strength again pumped throughout the Green Warrior's veins. As the light around the mercenary dissipated, it left, in its wake, another mock copy of King Gilgamesh's armor. To emulate it even further, Retanemesh's aura changed to match the golden plating. The only New Babylonian still fighting seemed to get outraged even further.

"Thought you would teach me a lesson? DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?" Retanemesh's question was loud. As he spoke, the dark shadows gave way to Arith and Inirtias, both quickly grabbing their choice weapons from the racks.

"A cadaver in waiting." The ginger didn't show any fear in his eyes, only determination.

Retanemesh sneered. This was about to be rectified.

"It's time to remake history". The Emerald Fiend barked. "Or at least teach you a lesson of what could have been!"

All the while, Arith had snuck out of view and Inirtias had perched himself on the highest building that would give him vision of the current battlefield. It wasn't much but would do for now.

"I don't agree with this. They are your allies! You said I wouldn't be killing!" The Elfish Lythian notched his arrow unsure what to do as he fired a message at Retanemesh.

"Give cover. Immobilize only. Just do you."

The Namekian charged then, faster and harder than before. He struck fast, a punch to the gut of the Babylonian. Then, without hesitation, Retanemesh lowered himself into a crouch and before Serraph had a chance to muster a defense, the charred arm connected with the jaw of his foe. The pale one's head flew back, his body in tow, only for him to crumple far off into the ground.

The Emerald Fiend grinned as the strong-willed warrior got back to his feet.

”Guess he can take a hit." The Emerald Warrior smirked to himself.

Arith appeared from behind a building, dual sabers in hand. He charged in the direction of Victor and Sasuke. The Leader of The Horsemen tried to call back the Golden Lythian, but it was too late. Inirtias, however wasn't.

The first arrow the elf loosed whistled through the air and slammed deep into the right buttock of his comrade, bringing the saber wielding warrior to his stomach as he dropped his weapons and clutched the shaft that stuck from his rear, "Betrayed! Friendly fire! Friendly fire!"

Inirtias had already notched his second arrow and released it as clanged hard against the imitation blade that the bleach-haired boy wielded. Retanemesh shifted his eyes back to Serraph and with a guttural roar, sent one of his fiercest punches at his foe's chest. Retane flashed forward with the momentum and landed another punch into the rookie's chest, planting him deep into the sand.

"Look at you!" The Namekian in mock Gilgamesh's armor bellowed as he looked to towards the two having a stare off, then back to the one that wouldn't give up.

"Fucking pathetic!" Retanemesh stepped on the hand that wielded the imitation chokutō. He called forth the Glaive of Dante and tucked the curved edge of the blade just beneath the New Babylonian's neck.

"Look at you now!" The Leader of the Horsemen was loud. "You call me a beguiler! You call me a cadaver! But, look at it! You represent LAW! And you are attacking your own people!"

Retanemesh's words were loud. "Call me any fucking name you want to, you piece of shit. But today, the King does not fall! The Horsemen are here to fucking make this shit happen!"

Up till then the Namek's ears had heard the entire discussion and he hoped the others were listening. He leapt back and let the gold armor fall off him, only to reveal a charred chested Namekian.

The Brave Sword soared through the air and stuck between Retane and Serraph.

“They say 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery'." Retane shook his head as he eyed his blade. "But, you! You don't flatter shit, boy! You are unoriginal and weak, and we are about to prove this once and for all."

Inirtias nodded in agreement and Arith moved in between the Leader of the Horsemen and his foe. The Golden Warriror dropped the bloody shaft in his hand and nodded, " I got this shit!"

Arith, after watching the ninja many times started his hand signs as he called them out, “Frog. Uakari. Chicken. Kangaroo. Yak. Ox. Uakari.”

For the last hand gesture, Arith held his bloody golden fist with a thumb stuck out to his helm and pretended to blow, allowing his middle finger to appear.

850 words
Used T1 Assist Entire Round
Used T2 Power up Entire  Roind.
0/6 SP

[Serraph Quarrere]

Amidst the shattered remains and howling winds of Nippur, Retane’s words fell on deaf ears. Serraph was attacking his own people? Not plausible. The green man was neither hollow nor a servant of the great King Gilgamesh. What servant would parade around in his magnificence so lightly and attempt to capture his aura? Perhaps he was referring to the theme of this battle, but Serraph cared little for it. The king’s grace trumps all others, especially something as trivial as a violent entertainment broadcast such as this one.  

The Arrancar strained to turn himself over to meet the false Nippurian sun’s light. The rays hammered down upon his sensitive skin. His hands reached to block the blinding star from his eyes. He could feel it; He could feel her.  Enraged and vengeful she tore at his very soul to gain control. Serraph’s other, Serra, would have the false king’s head on a pike.

Serraph took a deep breath and sat up, his hands grasping the cold grip of Kusanagi. This wasn’t the place for her. His mind thought back to visiting her inner world, the world that rested in the depths of her soul. He looked past the forest of pikes that lined the cold desert.

“Almost heaven, Hueco Mundo,” he sang softly under his breath. His chest burned from battle, the thorns of agony intertwining with each syllable. Even still, Serraph’s words weaved through the tendrils of pain intertwining with them. Such a sound that was reminiscent of the ominous, but sweet notes propagating from the soft winds, blowing over the dense onyx trees. The angered soul within calmed at the sound of his voice, the feeling of vengeful flames receding to a collected warmth.“Nightshade firmament, hollowed lonely satellite.”

“What’s that, paper man? Want more? Bitch, I’m’a fuck you up!” Arith spoke, clenching his twin sabers. He stepped forward to the Arrancar, his sabers poised to finish the fight for good.

“Arith! Get back!” Retane’s voice boomed, but like before, the Lythian was not having it.

History repeated itself, but some tricks only work once. Inirtias’s arrow hadn’t achieved the same amount of luck from before and only hit the dust behind him. Arith turned and stuck his tongue out at his comrade mischievously before turning back to Serraph.

The arrancar faced him, his hands softly clenching Kusanagi’s hilt.  Serraph’s smile widened unnaturally as Retane’s minion thrust its saber into his guard.

"All according to keikkaku*."

Guided by Serra’s spirit,  the King’s Servant discarded Kusanagi and stepped forward. The Saber tore through his shirt and plunged into his chest, but no ink spilled. Serraph’s smile faded, while his trembling hands reached out to clinch the spine of the saber and the wrist holding it.

Such action brought pause within Arith. Why would one willingly endanger themselves like that? Serraph’s faded grin returned. His thumb jammed into the Lythian’s wrist, disarming him of the saber. Before he realized what had happened,  Serraph had already wrestled the other saber away. His maneuvers were too much for Arith, slithering past his guard, and, pinning his arms behind his back. The arrancar drove his foot into the back of Arith’s knee, pulling the taller one down. His hand gracefully flourished the balanced saber, bringing its edge to the lythian’s neck.

“Death is old there, older than the sand,” his song continued as the sword’s edge slowly began to part Arith’s fair skin.

Retane roared and charged Serraph before he could further harm his comrade. As skilled as the King’s Servant’s enemy was, his strong attachment to the human betrayed him and drew him out from the safety of his defenses. The arrancar grinned and kicked the foul-mouthed lunatic aside. Arcing around, the vicious Glaive of Dante cleaved through air and Serraph’s side alike. Weak parchment flesh made way for the lethal weapon as it cut deep into him. Despite such grievous injury, he continued to smile.

 “Older than the time there, older than the land.” The King’s servant’s eyes flared a deep crimson, the Sharingan peering deep into his foe, and then Serraph’s body erupted into a puff of white smoke A broken Lythian saber and a white button-up shirt fell from the form that was once perceived as Serraph.

“Endless Dunes, take me home, to the land I belong. Hueco Mundo, Lonesome Moon. Take me home, Endless Dunes.”

 He revealed himself ten yards away at his six o’clock, arms outstretched. Behind him, the flag of New Babylon unfurled against the false Nippurian wind. The visage of the Nippurian lion roared valiantly behind the King’s servant, and its defiant Sharingan peered down upon the courtyard. Serraph’s brow furrowed, matching the intensity of the King’s Lion. Serra’s spirit worked alongside the Nippurian aura, guiding his hand. Crimson light coalesced into a perfect sphere between his fingers. Erratic spiritual energy arced over his arm and the ground, repelling the dust away from his form. The chaotic orb of sanguine energy condensed, packing itself smaller and smaller until it was no longer visible. Serraph’s smile faded away.

“Cero.”

T1 Super Offensive Cero used. 1/4 sp remaining.
842 words according to Wordcounter.net
*Translator's note: Keikaku means plan.

[Victor Wolfe]

The blinding red light distracted Victor from the whiny preteen in front of him. The flash forced him to turn his head as he saw the white-haired opponent unleash a beam of zig-zagging energy towards the namekian. The sound of sparks filled the arena for a brief moment before the beam collided with Retane's chest, knocking him backwards with a loud thud.


Victor held his index finger up at his opponents as he facepalmed, letting out a sigh at the incompetence of his partner. Victor slid across the sand-covered stone in order to lend a hand to his crouching partner, Serraph’s gaze burrowing into them from a distance. A look of disdain spread across his face as he examined the wounds on Retanes chest, large purple gashes that leaked his alien blood. Not wanting the filthy ichor to stain his flawless skin, Victor unsheathed one of his blades and traced the edges of the split skin. The namekian growled as the steel grazed his flesh, piercing eyes glared accusingly at the assassin, who replied with a crooked smile.


"You see, my mentally challenged friend,” Victor began, continuing his playful- yet psychotic- ordeal. “This is what happens when you imitate our King, whilst in a recreation of his city, and under the watch of our banner.”


The assassin then presented his dagger to the namekian, pointing the blade towards him. “Now, if not for my intense need to upstage that bastard child over there, I might even take their offer to gut you. Look at you, not even worthy of licking our boots clean! Perhaps all three of us would play a little game of how many organs can we remove before you die?" The barely hidden contempt for the pathetic oof began to surface as the assassin painted a violent picture, not even his partner was safe from the wrath he felt today. The namekian’s veins bulged with anger and pride, his fists clenched at the assassin’s words.


Victor’s languid motions then took a sharp turn as his eyes narrowed."Or who knows, maybe we just make a campfire, tell stories about the old days, and cook your flesh. I have always wanted to taste escargot and I don't think namekian would be viewed as cannibalism. Then again if I believe some people that really is the way to get your protein.”


Retane’s hand suddenly grabbed the assassin’s arm, squeezing hard with rage. Victor batted the namekian away and spit on the floor. ”Well, that is a question for another day my good man, because you are in luck!" Victor tittered madly as he grabbed the slug, yanking him to his feet before once again pointing the dagger at his chest.


"Now listen here, I am a generous man, but fail me one more time…” Victor allowed his words to trail off as he gave another wicked cackle. A quick shove sent Retane back into the battle, Victor shouting behind him. “Off you go, my precious~!”


With a mischievous chuckle, the assassin skipped off back to the stairs, back to face his fellow lord. A soft sigh escaped from his lungs at the sight of his former comrade. How fitting it was that they stood at the steps of the glorious palace.


"Don’t mistake this dissatisfaction for hate, Uchiha. You are one of the few I would feel safe having my back in a fight.” The assassin drew his other dagger, flipping it in the air and catching it. He gave it a quick look over, glancing Sasuke’s way. “What I do despise is that no matter what I do, how much effort I put forth, “ Victor cocked his head and gave a dark scowl. “Your damn legacy overshadows all.”


The only response the Uchiha had was silence.


Victor took a step forward, clenching his daggers.


“I signed a historic deal allying us with The Town With No Name.”


Another step.


“I crushed a shadow oligarchy that had a stranglehold on the Nippurian economy.”


“But all that sounds in the streets is the sightings and wandering battles of the Bastard of Nippur!”



The distant sounds of their fighting partners fell upon deaf ears as Victor stood over the Uchiha.


“And here we are again. Dante’s Abyss. Another shot at glory for you while I fight for our King.”


Silence still.


“Yet here you sit, refusing to fend for yourself like some childish tantrum, believing that I don’t deserve a proper duel with one of our own.”


Victor couldn’t help but laugh- a deep, psychotic laugh that continued as one of his blades dropped from his grip, instead pulling at his own hair.


“ABSOLUTELY PATHETIC.”


He reached out and snatched the dark hair of the Uchiha boy. With little resistance the assassin lifted the boy from the stairs, suspending his limp and defeated frame in the air.


“Once again you seem to forget, boy, I serve our King, not a petulant child!”


The assassin’s lunatic smile seared into the ninja’s memory as the dagger thrust towards him.

836 words according to word counter

Vic used Sass, it was super effective!!

[Sasuke Uchiha]

Under a translucent recreation of a baby riding a pig-steed into battle, Victor’s blade was true and came away bloody. His cold eyes shared a lifetime with Sasuke’s own, refusing to miss their departure from the living. Sasuke grinned, a plume of smoke enveloped him, and the assassin was left standing alone. A scowl plastered across Victor’s face to the sound of a wooden log thumping against sand.

“You should be careful what you wish for,” Sasuke’s voice sounded from behind Victor’s left shoulder, just before his knuckles collided into the assassin’s jaw, “you might get what you ask for!”  

Pivoting to catch his balance, the assassin lowered his center of gravity, placed a hand to the ground, and sprang into the air towards the ninja, “It’s about time!”

The ninja’s Sharingan came alive in the form of goosebumps manifesting throughout his body and gave him a moments advantage. Contorting his body, the shinobi planted the balls of his foot into the approaching assassin’s sternum. The sudden pain and loss of breath forced his eyes to widen and his arms to flail forward. Suspended mid air like Deathchew’s head on a spike, Victor was unprepared for the barrage that followed. Coiling his body, the shinobi released kick after kick, refuting the assassin’s descent in a bout of unorthodox juggling. Shin to face, foot to chest, and heel to back, the shinobi pelted Victor like a hacky sack.

One strike too many, the assassin latched onto an oncoming ankle, slithered around it, and used it against Sasuke to pole-vault an elbow into his teeth. Tumbling to the sands in a scuffle, Victor gained the dominant position. With his dagger layin astrew in the sands nearby, the assassin retrieved the blade and plunged it into the obliques of Sasuke’s abdomen.

Victor’s eyes bored into Sasuke once more and this time there was no sudden smoke or wooden log to save him. Blood pooled around and underneath the shinobi as his breathing grew heavy. Victor twisted the blade and the ninja squirmed. Sasuke braced against Victor’s hands, and the assassin cooed, “Shhh, shh, shh.” He used his free hand to place a finger to his lips,  “Shhh, don’t resist. Just let go. New Babylon will live on without you.”

The shinobi’s hands dropped, and Victor could taste victory, “That’s it. There’s no need to struggle. I can take care of things from here.”

Suddenly Sasuke’s hands re-joined the resistance, peeling Victor’s grip from his dagger and bucking him off. Transitioning from the bottom of the guard to the top of the mount, Sasuke’s face was wild and conquered by a series of tribal and nefarious looking tattoos.

“You know what,” the shinobi asked rhetorically as he slammed down fist after fist, pulverizing Victor’s face in a furry, “you might have had me.”

Satisfied with the mess he’d turned Victor’s face into, Sasuke slammed one last elbow down for good measure and stood over him, “If you had it in you to shut the fuck up.”

“But you don’t,” the shinobi scoffed as he unveiled the threat in Kusanagi, “and I don’t live for New Babylon. I live for the Uchiha. I live for vengeance!”

The very air surrounding Sasuke grew dark and malignant as sparks of azure chakra sizzled and popped until finally, the Chidori Blade flared to life. “You can’t avenge the Uchiha.”  

Victor shimmied, shuffled, and scooted away from Sasuke, retreating to his feet, but by the time he righted himself, the shinobi was already upon him. “Only I can do that!”

With a clap of thunder and a flash of light, the mighty replica of Kusanagi roared a chorus of demoralizing chirping–crackling and fizzing sounds, the kind meant to herald the assassin’s end.  

Used T1 Power Up: Cursed Seal
Used T2 Super Attack: Chidori Blade
SP Remaining 3/6

[Karl Jak]

Face to Face
#04 Serraph Quarrere & #36 Sasuke Uchiha vs #29 Retane & #24 Victor Wolfe

“Cero”

Retane sneered even as he realized he had been backed into a corner.

***

Victor dipped to the side, but even as he did, he knew the movement was too slow.  His eyes went wide as the realization dawned on him that he had egregiously fucked up.  The sidestep didn’t take him far enough—a feint that didn’t get out of range was hardly a feint at all.

***

The fire struck home, and although he planned to stand his ground, Retane felt himself driven backwards as the armor warped beneath the fury of the arrancar’s attack.  The namekian warrior winced as he tried to plant himself further into the earth, but the golden boots had already been compromised.  He felt fresh pain across his body as the armor melted against his flesh.

***

There was a flash of white.  A surge of electricity ravaged the assassin’s form, but for his sake, it was all over within a matter of moments.  He lost consciousness moments into the assault, and by the time his smoldering form smacked the ground, the game was already lost.

***

Unable to hold on, Retane shared one last glaring exchange with the victorious arrancar before his arms failed him and he was consumed by the wrath of attack.

***

Victor’s form twitched as it was claimed by the teleportation tech.

Sasuke smirked as he turned to his partner.  Serraph nodded his head as both were likewise taken back to the preshow facility.      

[spoiler]
Serraph (2.75) & Sasuke (2.8) defeat Victor (2.8) and Retane (2.7)

#29 Retane ELIMINATED
#24 Victor Wolfe ELIMINATED

Sasuke & Serraph advance to Match I of the Consolation Bracket, where they are scheduled to face the winner of the Erik/DP vs Cell/Ricter contest.

Retane and Victor will receive treatment in the Preshow Facility and can then use the Elimination Exit thread to depart and select what verse they would like to be dumped into.
[/spoiler]