A Measurement of Morality and Martial Skill [Anarchy!]

[Enatsu]

This man dared him to raise his head did he? Koga would simply chuckle at him. "Says the man whose ushering a slaughter to innocent people." A devilish grin would creep across Koga's face. He was enjoying this now. Clearly he had gotten under someone's skin and he had only just entered. Saiga had apparently thought he won, and by Katsuo's injury Koga couldn't give him much more credit. Foolish man each of your attacks were being avoided, Katsuo's clearly holding himself back for some idiotic reason. Koga would simply walk closer to one of the trees and lean against it as Saiga continued his ranting. It was boring and doing battle would be so much easier than listening to their heartfelt words. Saiga would pay his penance in due time, and neither of their idle words would stop that much. It was however when Katsuo barked at Koga did he earn a response.

The blindman would slant his head slightly still gazing at the ground. He'd raise his head slowly in Katsuo's direction. "Is that... an order? Who the hell are you again? I'll wait for your response." There was a level of care that this one did not give. "Don't worry I'm not going to do anything but watch. It's quite clear you two want a one on one fight." He was already pissed but it was clear the warrior whom Kuro had let do battle alone wanted this fight. Koga would oblige him simply waiting until he needed to step in which likely wouldn't come until one of them were dead. He truly didn't care about their honor, or their chivalry it had no place in this warzone. However he had made the impression he wanted and thrown them off balance, although the immediate need to run to Saiga's defense worried Koga. Was Katsuo even an ally? Should this matter be left to him? Death and destruction would rest in the balance and it was clear the Cabal were not taking prisoners or showing mercy with their deeds, why should they.

A hand would extend as the metallic like bone retracted deeper under his clothes, and his chakra levels balanced. "Please continue your bout." It truly didn't matter to him what happened at this point. If this fool was going to do battle with an ally then he should be put down like a dog. Saiga who was clearly on the opposing side, should be beaten and interrogated for his crimes. They needed to locate Mikaboshi, maybe he would do something to help lead rather than Kuro who had sanctioned such a fight. Regardless of the circumstances he was witnessing, there was still a hint of interest to observe Saiga's fighting style. If nothing else he could figure out how he was going to do battle with this Taijutsu Expert.

 

[Sand Council]

Saiga​

"Says the shinobi who is busy skulking behind rocks instead of defending those innocent people."<i></i> Saiga grinned, but not at the death he implied, but the arrogance of the hot-blooded ninja.

Their duel had been interrupted and it had ruffled both fighters in the most prickly of ways. Saiga was at least glad the sentiment was shared as Katsuo had suggested the stranger leave. The young were impetuous, impulsive and did not understand the honor between warriors as the two who had put pause to their bout did. It is a path not often walked, and one that requires much diligence to maintain. Saiga would admit to having strayed from it, but those words would not be uttered here. Not anymore. Any chances of having wedged open a door of communication had been slammed shut. This was no longer a place of holy combat. It was now tainted.

There were a few steps taken that put Saiga on the opposite side of the clearing, and he turned to lock eyes with the demon-hunter, "Thank you."<i></i> He would say. "Perhaps we will meet each other again and then we may finish our dialogue. Stay strong, Masashi Katsuo. Anticipation of combat would be dull otherwise."<i></i> There was a pause as a look of contemplation crossed the rigid features of the old soldier and he gave a firm nod. There was an acknowledgement there, one he wanted Katsuo to know he got.

The crunching sound of his boots would slowly fade away as he vanished into the great forest.

[Topic Left]

 

[Enatsu]

"How easily the warrior's pride can fade. You are leaving now when the "threat" has packed up all their goodies and plans to not interfere? It shouldn't be uncommon what you're facing. It's anger and there will be hundreds of people like me who feel the same. Your groups oppression, is not right. Even if there were noble intentions, you didn't speak you didn't address you were just content with causing pain. Hate is the first thing you will receive from most, that's the reality. No need to leave though I think this one is going to burst if you do. Plus you haven't even seen his true power yet I'm sure you could tell he was holding back.... But then again so were you. Interesting how the hesitation in the way someone's body moves can drop subtle hints. The last minute shuffling of footsteps, the holding back and only resorting to a fist fight. It all leads to something I assume is never seen in war." Koga would begin to leave himself not wanting to be bothered with their talk of morals and by some way he had intimidated the big bad Cabal. He turned to the other fighter before shaking his head a bit. "Pride is all well and good, but it will get you killed the way you're going. That arm won't hold forever." He'd take his leave wishing to not be bothered with this instance. He had wished to use his flute and make the Cabal Agent dance until he told him where Kuro was. The ability to Deafen someone would have worked wonders on himself and his "allies" to prevent them from hearing the melody. After getting information it would have been execution, but clearly there were people who wished to have battle on their own terms. It was ultimately foolish.

[Attempting to Stop Saiga;Leaving Topic]

 

[Mikaboshi]

Katsuo chose not to rise to Koga's taunt and in the process let a heavy breath escape through his nose as he calmed his temper at the constant prodding of Tatsumasa. The sword was right; his anger did nothing here but make a tense situation even worse. He knew that under the icy cold of Saiga's demenor there was a righteous man but that didn't mean Saiga wasn't also very dangerous. He wasn't sure if Saiga knew that he'd noticed but when Koga had emerged from his hiding place the Cabal agent had slipped on his finger a ring that he'd not previously been wearing. Or rather had taken off before the fight. Katsuo was no stranger to enchanted rings. He'd once tangled with a sorcerer who had ten of them and that had been one of the hardest battles of his life. They could do all sorts of wacky things from projecting images of "hard light" to blasting bolts of energy which sheared through reality itself. Who could say what Saiga's ring could do? After all, Katsuo had chosen not to draw Tatsumasa or wield it's powers in their battle. Perhaps Saiga had made a similar choice.

Saiga turned to leave and though Katsuo wished to keep trying to get through to him he knew that right now it was futile. The interruption of their duel had shut any doors that the Masashi might have gotten wedged open and now wasn't the time to try and press the issue. Still, it seemed like he'd gotten through to some level with Saiga and he hoped the Cabal warrior would think on his words in between their meetings.

"Think on what I said, Saiga." Katsuo called after him as Saiga turned from the battlefield.

Koga dissected the way they fought and seemed to grasp that neither of them had been fighting to their most dangerous levels. There had been no need for it. Between the two of them their duel had been as much a conversation of understanding as it was a fight. That was the part that Koga didn't seem to understand. Between skilled martial artists a duel could be much more than a contest to the death. Katsuo wasn't looking to kill Saiga even though he was prepared to do so if it became apparent that there was no other option but that had not been the case.

"The moment is passed, unfortunately. Kinda like a good joke that's gone on too long." Katsuo mused, his anger mostly diffused for the moment. It was good that he had bothered to carry his sword with him rather than leave it in his hiding place. More and more it was proving it's worth as his partner. But as the adrenaline of the fight began to pass, the pain of his shoulder wound ebbed harder and harder on his mind as it stained his shoulder with red. "You might have a point about my shoulder though stranger. I should get it looked at."

[Topic Left]