Battle BR: Ethan VS Kaine

[Ricia]

Semi-Final: Battle BR

@TheWizard and @Emperor Shadow IV (Only they can post in this thread. All other posts will be deleted. OOC is allowed though.)


"Ethan Faust, Kaine Acerbus... please move to the battle arena." A short stout man in an arena staff uniform informed them.


Instead of walking through some gates, as soon as they opened, the entire room they stood in filled up with water and a large deep blue open space was presented in front of them. After a few moments of possible panic, the contenders will realize that they could breathe freely in the water. Even taking a deep breath through their mouth, water did not fill their lungs.


As soon as they stepped through the gates, they shut with a loud clink and the crowd erupted in a loud roar, though sounding muffled from the water. No matter what way they swimed, the water would never break to a surface. Swiming out of their starting rooms, the gladiators would see a wide open sea full of different coloured fish and a large sunken boat in the middle.


"Round 3! Ethan... Versus... Acerbus!" The announcer said loudly


Another loud cheer erupted. The announcer didn't even wait for it to stop before she spoke again,


"FIGHT!"[/font]

 

[The Wizard]

Ethan awoke once more in a small white room. The same young lady was monitoring a strange device as she looked to the alchemist with a smile. "Glad to see your awake earlier then last time Mr. Faust." she spoke with a bit of humor. "...what happen?" he stated as he got up dressing his shirt. "Why you won and now are in the semi-finales!" she stated a bit excited "...to be honest I didn't expect you to survive a dragon master and a dragon but you seem to scratch by each time." the woman giggled before turning the device off and writing on her pad. Ethan was puzzled and didn't know if Sean was okay. He had hoped that with the arena's mysterious power he was back at home and safe. It was a bitter win to defeat such a creature but none the less a needed one.


Soon two men walked in looking to Ethan with little a smile nor emotion. The alchemist recalled their purpose from before and immediately began to follow them. The young nurse rushed to Ethan "Oh don't forget these I'll be rooting for you!" as he received his cloak, hat and satchel once more filled with four vials. The woman attempted to steal a kiss from the young man but Ethan stopped her with intent eyes "I thank you kindly for your support and kindness madam..." as he traced his hat's rim "...but I promised myself that I'll return home and confess myself to another." as he plopped the hat upon his head and fastened the cloak. With a smile he bowed his head lightly towards her and proceeded to follow the two guards out. The familiar wisp appeared near his shoulder as he was lead slowly into a room.


Ethan felt strange as the two men disappeared behind a door. There was no flash of light or gates like before and for a moment Ethan was lost in confusion of where these people would send him now. Suddenly a large snap echoed into the room as a door opened. The alchemists eyes widen in shock as water started to rush quickly with no sign of stopping. Ethan struggled to look for an exit, clawing and diving his dagger into the walls. Still the water poured and soon he was swept up as his head pressed upon the ceiling of the room. With a fighting desire to live Ethan took one final breath before the entire room was now submerged. The cold chill of the waters engulfed the alchemist as his eyes strained to find a solution. His lungs ached for release as he forced himself to hold on to what precious time he had. Swimming out of the room he found himself surrounded by water. Was the arena a sea or ocean he could not tell or care. His only thought was to reach a surface for air as his body started to bellow.


No matter how hard or fast he swam though the surface of this abyss never surfaced. Fearing he was tricked to a death in this arena Ethan could only think of home and the fishing village where he had grown. Images of his friends and the world he had left behind past quickly as he succumbed to released his breath and accept the bitter sea water to drown him. Seconds past...then a few more...Ethan held his eyes closed expecting death to be painful yet soon he came to realize that he was not drowning. Shocked to see that the sea had not claimed him nay he was able to breath! His mind was bewildered but soon the sound of the announcer "Ethan Faust, Kaine Acerbus... please move to the battle arena." cleared him of any doubt. This arena was fashioned beyond anything he could have predicted. Even the great stone and damp city before paled to the rawness of this world.


With no fear of drowning now his eyes slowly adjusted to the water-world that he was flushed into. Vast array of sea creatures swam and crawled through the dark waters. Coral of every color and shape seem to draw out the floor bed. Soon his eyes focused upon a ship. The great ship seemed to rule over the sea of the arena. Like a forlorn whisper it's vast mass and deck seemed to tale of its history and demise. No longer gliding upon the surface its home had come to lay here to home the world of the sea. Now Ethan and his opponent Acerbus where to fight upon its domain. The drawing concern that ran in his mind...would the ship claim one of them to serve its underwater vigil.


Opening his satchel two small vials and two large bottles floated out. Quickly he gathered them anchoring them back into the satchel. Their colors where distorted by the dim light but with the help of his wisp he was able to identify what he had been given. Realizing that his mobility was limited and though they could breathe the waters still held to its way as the feeling of currents swayed in different directions. It was time to face his opponent and with the final call of the announcer "Round 3! Ethan... Versus... Acerbus!" Ethan held close his dagger, swimming towards the ship to meet his fate. "I am almost there...just a little longer...wait for me." a whispered prayer to her as he reached the port of the ship carefully surveying the area. "FIGHT!"

 

[Emperor Shadow IV]

The Semi-Finals - nearly the end. Foe after foe, arena after arena, wound after wound, here Kaine was, standing tall and unbreakable at the entrance to his next battle. Quite possibly his last battle. If his training had been worth the sweat and blood it took, Kaine would find the hidden answer here. Here and now, he thought, ensnared in the frail, yet cruel, threads of fate . . .





Everything around the overlord was silent. In the past, distant cheers had beckoned him towards the arena's entrance and to the sprawling landscape laid before him, but this time nothing other than silence was his companion. And a shallow companion it was. Even a man such as Kaine, cold blooded, uncaring, and ruthless, would abide by the laws of human emotion at times, and this was one such case. He felt a mixture of emotion brew in his chest, unsettling him to the point of pacing. Fear, anticipation, and anger were haunting him. "Get on with it!" he yelled out to the height of the ceiling above. "End this silence."





As if heeding his call, a large crack sounded the unhinging of the massive double-doors in front of Kaine. Their ancient structure swung open with the sound of thunder, greeting the overlord with an overwhelming sensation. Instead of an impressive landscape stretching out for miles in front of him, there was nothing but blue; charging, rushing, forceful blue. Water.


Kaine was swept up by its overpowering force and thrown against a wall. The water began filling the chamber within seconds, and Kaine's body couldn't react before it had been swept up by the roaring currents. He was pushed and tossed about, his head bobbing below and above the currents, gasping and wheezing for breath. Damn! I've been tricked, betrayed! How did I not see this comi-- Suddenly cut off from air entirely, Kaine found himself beneath the surface of the water, the room he was in filled to the very ceiling. His eyes widened with shock. There was no air now. None.


He made a quick and forceful effort for the entrance to the arena, through the ancient double-doors that had unleashed the deathly currents. An ocean, larger and far more vast than any arena, stretched out in every direction before Kaine. Everywhere his gaze fell, water greeted it. His breath was held, but would it last? He knew his time was nearly out, but there wasn't the slightest conceivable sign of an escape route. No, he thought, if this is a trap, they'd ensure I'd never be able to escape. Damn them . . . damn . . . them . . . The last few traces of oxygen escaped from Kaine's lungs, leaving a limp body to float at the ocean's whim. But then, suddenly, there was air. The overlord's eyes widened as his clenched maw released itself and allowed a wave of water to pour in, forcing him upon instinct to choke and gag, but there was nothing to gag on. Air dwelt in the water. It filled Kaine's nostrils and mouth, its sweet scent relieving the panic that had gripped his heart.


"Round 3! Ethan... Versus... Acerbus! FIGHT!"


Yes, Kaine breathed, that's right . . . ah-h-h-h-h . . . Relief trickled over him, putting him entirely at ease. Everything seemed easy to accomplish now, after the "would-be" death experience he had just overcome. Now that it was behind him though, his attention turned immediately to the next task at hand, sparing no thought for the past or further sense of relief. He began to test the capabilities of this supernatural water environment, flexing his limbs and moving around a little. The greatest thing he could derive pleasure from under these watery depths was his leg, nimble and light as though it had never been weighted down by a limp. Certainly his prospects of winning were already increased from this notion alone, but his mind had already moved on - on to the massive sunken ship that held it silent vigil at the bottom of these watery catacombs, posing ominously ahead of the overlord. There, he thought, beginning his journey towards it.


Surprisingly, though his movements were hindered to a certain extent by the water, Kaine's swimming was quite adept and speedy; he covered the distance between the sunken battleship and himself within mere moments of the call to fight. One stroke after the other, he found himself hovering a few feet from the angled deck of the ship. He was alert, ready. The sprawling expanse of the ocean would hold the choirs of fallen angels that cheered silently for his victory, for his descent into hell and flame. So it begins . . .

 

[The Wizard]

Ethan noted the arena's design and the resistance of the water seemed unchanged despite their ability to breath. Was then he realized his potions would do little in this environment making them nearly useless. Still seeing the battle play out he couldn't rely solely on his wisps for protection. It was then he saw below the reefs a familiar creature that the fishing village had. Its long eight tendrils and bulbous eyes stared back before hiding back in its little hole. A smile formed on his face as an idea crawled into his thoughts. Looking once more for his opponent it their dark figure was making a quick swim towards the ship. There was very little time to prepare but Ethan wasn't going to put them to waste.


The weight of the water would be a constant hindrance and Ethan needed speed for this battle. Removing his cloak and hat he stuck them upon a pole in such a way as to look as if a figure was standing behind. Removing all but his pants and satchel he tossed his other garbs down below the ship's resting place. Removing the black vial from his satchel he stuffed it into his hat and sent his wisp to hide within the cloak. The figure now coming into sight was male in for the most part human. This was a bit of a relief considering his previous foes but with memories of the former prince fight he wasn't about to let his guard down.


Swimming down further he slipped through on of the open port windows of the boat. The stagnant growth of the ocean had covered most of its interior in a dark and mucus-like algae. Calmly he began to breath as the forms of blue lights gathered around him till finally his eyes erupted in azure star light vigor. Focusing upon the wisp above his vision slowly connected with the orb. Soon he could see the surrounding pole and the still formed figure of his garbs. It was time to put his plan into action and too see how far this opponent was willing to go. His voice echoed through the orb resonating all across the ship "Kaine Acerbus it seems we both have made it this far each with their own strength and desire..." the wisp slowly rose from out of the cloak to hover near the false figure's shoulder "...but now fate has pinned us together, forfeit now as I do not wish to fight..." the roars of the crowd above where screaming for blood, but after the last battle Ethan felt his desire to win and morale to help those in need cross.


Thoughts fell to his fishing village of the open sea and river. The memory stung from the dark last days the village had gone through, the journey he made since then, and the people he has met. Soon and so close he would fight for his victory and return to them...to her.

 

[Emperor Shadow IV]

"Kaine Acerbus it seems we both have made it this far each with their own strength and desire... but now fate has pinned us together, forfeit now as I do not wish to fight..."


Kaine's nostrils flared and his senses went on the alert. The vibrant wisp crossed his vision, beside what seemed to be his opponent. But the voice, so voluminous and echoing all around, brought what his eyes saw into immediate doubt. His opponent, was he inhuman? An alien of sorts, incorporeal, or perhaps the wisp before him? He lowered his eyebrows to a glare and drew his sword, but the force he put into simply retrieving it from its scabbard was considerable, and the outlook of his mobility seemed dim. Throwing knives wouldn't do him any good either - the katana, and his fists, were all that he had.


"Nay," Kaine at last replied to the open ocean, "I will not retreat on unholy ground until it is stained with my opponent's blood. Make your move."





His stance of Battojutsu was ugly and awkward underwater, so he left the classic battle stance behind him. Instead, his sword was thrust out before him, an entire arm's length away from his chest. He would hold it here and wait for the visual threat of his opponent's first move. Then the real battle would begin.