’Keep going,’ thought Kazu. ’Keep moving forward. You can’t turn back now!’ Closer. The writhing mass of bodies filled his vision. The putrid smell of rotting flesh assaulted his nostrils. The spine-chilling sounds of moaning, groaning, unintelligible shrieks and growls made the hairs on the back of his neck stand so far on end that Kazu thought there must be lightning in the air. ’Preposterous. You’re just imagining things. Keep going!’ One-hundred meters. Seventy-five. Fifty. A flash of blue streaked past Kazu’s vision — a shark with legs — and the young boy felt some sort of chakra seal placed on him. ’Was that…Auntie Kas-…no! I can’t lose focus now!’ If Kazu stopped to think about who might get hurt tonight, who he might hurt if he didn’t come back from this fight, then he truly would turn around and flee. Twenty-five meters. Ten meters. ’Mother Suna, help us all.’ Kazu raised the point of his sword of bone, poised to strike.
He kept running forward, until the wave of enemies threatened to crush him underneath their combined mass. ’Now,’ he thought, ’Now is the time to show them all what I can do.’ He was ready to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.
His blade, made from his very essence, weaved in and out of the shambling forms coming towards him. His feet worked furiously, stepping in and out, side to side, and in as many directions as he needed to avoid the swinging arms, flailing bodies, or gnashing teeth that surrounded him on all sides. Soon, sweat coated his brow, streaking down into his eyes, and covered his arms, chest, legs, and back with the evidence of his exertion; dirt, dust, and other unmentionable ‘bits’ that had flung off his attackers after a well-placed slash of his sword gathered and clung to his body where the sweat was especially heavy. Kazu was no hero — he didn’t charge into groups larger than he knew he could handle, and kept his distance until an opportune moment allowed him to get in an attack here or there — but he certainly did not hold back, either.
”YOU WANT SOME?!” Kazu slashes at an out-of-formation Unbent. Another one takes its place, and he strikes that one down as well. ”HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, YOU UNDEAD TRASH?!” Kazu was livid. Something deep within him, deeper even than the training his adopted Ryuzaki family had instilled within him over years of harsh training, was coming out. Something primal. Something that thirsted for violence. In the midst of this battle, where life and death hung merely a thread’s length apart from each other, his Kokotsu blood was practically broiling. But that…was a story for another time…
"Young Kazu.” The voice of the Steward crackled to life in his ear. Kazu was almost shocked when he heard it; he almost missed an on-coming Unbent in his bewilderment of what was going on. It was as if he’d been in a trance — or perhaps, more accurately, a bloodlust rage — and the Steward’s voice had snapped him out of it. ”You are an inspiration to all both young and old. Fear is the mind killer. Let your bravery remind others of their task."
Shame. Regret. Disappointment. ’I…what am I doing?!’ Kazu had lost himself; for just a moment, sure, but he still had. He’d forgotten what they were here for. He’d forgotten what the stakes were. Glancing around himself, Kazu saw shinobi all around him fighting for a shared cause: to protect their home, the ones they loved, and everything that they were unwilling to lose. In the distance, Kazu saw streaks of fire and carnage that he recognized as only possibly belonging to the man known as Shinku Kaen — the man had saved his life, and was fighting even now to save the lives of everyone around him. He saw Kasen, using everything she had within her to keep friends and allies alive while still fighting The Swarm at the same time. He saw countless faces — some he thought he knew, but didn’t have quite a good enough look at to be sure — that all fought together. ’What am I doing letting myself get caught up in this?! I…I can’t do this alone…’
Kazu had thought that thinking of his friends, and the ones he loved, at this critical time might make him too weak-willed to fight properly. That was what his father, Ryuzaki Ryohei, had taught him. Instead, holding the hopes and dreams of all these different people in mind, even for just a moment, filled Kazu with hope. It filled him with bravery. It filled him with purpose.
’Thank you, Sousuke.’ The Watcher would not know it, but he had saved Kazu from a potentially dark path that night. Instead of fighting for glory, or pride, or revelry, Kazu fought for something greater: he fought for the future — of his friends, his mentors, and his new home. ’Thank you.’
He kept running forward, until the wave of enemies threatened to crush him underneath their combined mass. ’Now,’ he thought, ’Now is the time to show them all what I can do.’ He was ready to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.
His blade, made from his very essence, weaved in and out of the shambling forms coming towards him. His feet worked furiously, stepping in and out, side to side, and in as many directions as he needed to avoid the swinging arms, flailing bodies, or gnashing teeth that surrounded him on all sides. Soon, sweat coated his brow, streaking down into his eyes, and covered his arms, chest, legs, and back with the evidence of his exertion; dirt, dust, and other unmentionable ‘bits’ that had flung off his attackers after a well-placed slash of his sword gathered and clung to his body where the sweat was especially heavy. Kazu was no hero — he didn’t charge into groups larger than he knew he could handle, and kept his distance until an opportune moment allowed him to get in an attack here or there — but he certainly did not hold back, either.
”YOU WANT SOME?!” Kazu slashes at an out-of-formation Unbent. Another one takes its place, and he strikes that one down as well. ”HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, YOU UNDEAD TRASH?!” Kazu was livid. Something deep within him, deeper even than the training his adopted Ryuzaki family had instilled within him over years of harsh training, was coming out. Something primal. Something that thirsted for violence. In the midst of this battle, where life and death hung merely a thread’s length apart from each other, his Kokotsu blood was practically broiling. But that…was a story for another time…
"Young Kazu.” The voice of the Steward crackled to life in his ear. Kazu was almost shocked when he heard it; he almost missed an on-coming Unbent in his bewilderment of what was going on. It was as if he’d been in a trance — or perhaps, more accurately, a bloodlust rage — and the Steward’s voice had snapped him out of it. ”You are an inspiration to all both young and old. Fear is the mind killer. Let your bravery remind others of their task."
Shame. Regret. Disappointment. ’I…what am I doing?!’ Kazu had lost himself; for just a moment, sure, but he still had. He’d forgotten what they were here for. He’d forgotten what the stakes were. Glancing around himself, Kazu saw shinobi all around him fighting for a shared cause: to protect their home, the ones they loved, and everything that they were unwilling to lose. In the distance, Kazu saw streaks of fire and carnage that he recognized as only possibly belonging to the man known as Shinku Kaen — the man had saved his life, and was fighting even now to save the lives of everyone around him. He saw Kasen, using everything she had within her to keep friends and allies alive while still fighting The Swarm at the same time. He saw countless faces — some he thought he knew, but didn’t have quite a good enough look at to be sure — that all fought together. ’What am I doing letting myself get caught up in this?! I…I can’t do this alone…’
Kazu had thought that thinking of his friends, and the ones he loved, at this critical time might make him too weak-willed to fight properly. That was what his father, Ryuzaki Ryohei, had taught him. Instead, holding the hopes and dreams of all these different people in mind, even for just a moment, filled Kazu with hope. It filled him with bravery. It filled him with purpose.
’Thank you, Sousuke.’ The Watcher would not know it, but he had saved Kazu from a potentially dark path that night. Instead of fighting for glory, or pride, or revelry, Kazu fought for something greater: he fought for the future — of his friends, his mentors, and his new home. ’Thank you.’
HP: 10,800 / 5,800
CP: 8,475 - 109 - 413 - 413 = 7,540
AP: 4.25 - 1.75 - 1.75 = 0.75 (4.75 Next Round)
CP contributed towards Gaia's Vengeance: 68 (from last round) + 248 = 316
Total Damage: 4,877
Important Buffs/Abilities for this Round:
CP: 8,475 - 109 - 413 - 413 = 7,540
AP: 4.25 - 1.75 - 1.75 = 0.75 (4.75 Next Round)
CP contributed towards Gaia's Vengeance: 68 (from last round) + 248 = 316
Total Damage: 4,877
- [0.00 sec] Maintaining Chakra Absorption (109 CP).
- [0.00 sec] Cast Sword Juggleusing 'Prepared and Efficient!' (0 AP, 0 CP)
- Rolls: 19, 19, 9, 14, 14
- Damage: 265 + 265 + 265 + 265 + 265 = 1,325
- Dual Weapon Bonus Hit: 199
- [4.12 sec] Cast Sword Juggle. (1.75 AP, 413 CP)
- Rolls: 7, 12, 2, 14, 20
- Damage: 265 + 265 + 265 + 265 + 530 = 1,590
- Dual Weapon Bonus Hit: 239
- Due to Bloody Mess ability, last hit causes Bleeding (if applicable).
- [8.24 sec] Cast Sword Juggle. (1.75 AP, 413 CP)
- Rolls: 2, 1, 9, 1, 8
- Damage: 265 + 265 + 265 + 265 + 265 = 1,325
- Dual Weapon Bonus Hit: 199
Important Buffs/Abilities for this Round:
- -5% CP cost [Journeyman — Main Branch]
- -10% Damage Taken while in Defensive Mode [Defensive Technique]
- -10% Damage Taken for all Damage types (includes Illusionary). -1 to Evasion and Gen Save. [Fearless]
Weapon: Bone Sword — Slashing (Bleeding)
+2 Accuracy, -10% Damage
Assault (Free; Dead Bone Pulse)
Dual Weapon (Free; Ambidexterity)
Vanguard
Primal
Passive Buffs/Abilities:
+2 Accuracy, -10% Damage
Assault (Free; Dead Bone Pulse)
Dual Weapon (Free; Ambidexterity)
Vanguard
Primal
Passive Buffs/Abilities:
- All Fire Jutsu are cast using Melee Accuracy [Shinobi 101 — Fire to Melee Acc]
- -5% CP cost [Journeyman — Main Branch]
- Bleeding Ranks inflicted on a target with the user's Slashing weapon also inflicts a stack of Open Wounds, increasing the Bleed Damage dealt to the target by 10%. Stacks up to 5 times for a maximum of 50%. [Weapon Mastery — Slashing]
- If the target heals or removes a Bleeding Rank, they also lose a stack of Open Wounds.
- If the target is already at maximum Bleeding Rank, each time the user's Slashing weapon were to inflict a Bleeding Rank, it would apply a stack of Open Wounds instead.
- -10% Damage Taken while in Defensive Mode [Defensive Technique]
- The user regains 3% Max HP at the beginning of each round. All Medical Jutsu are +10% more effective on the user. [Healing Factor]
- At the end of a round the user may choose to pay CP equal to 5% of the damage done to the player during the round, to regain 5% of the HP lost by the player during the round.
- +5% Called Shot chance. Called Shots only take half the usual accuracy Penalties. User can inflict Broken rank debuffs. [Called Shot]
- The user's Critical hits will always increase bleeding rank, even if the attack does not normally inflict bleeding. This does not apply to non-offensive techniques aimed at allies that can crit, and may only apply once per action. [Bloody Mess]
- +10% Damage Reduction to all Damage types (includes Illusionary). -1 to Evasion and Gen Save. [Fearless]
- Hidden Actions are revealed to the user through PM. This does not apply to Genjutsu. [Insight]
- +1 Accuracy. +20% Called Shot Chance. [Custom Class]
- Bleeding damage is reduced by -50% if they reach Bleeding Rank 4 and above. Each time the user perform a Bloodline Jutsu, they have a chance to immediately remove 1 Bleeding Rank inflicted during that round. [Rapid Healing; Kaguya]
- Called shots have a -4% chance of affecting the Kaguya. [Skeletal Density; Kaguya]
- The Dual Weapon augment does not take up an augment slot. [Ambidexterity]
- Special Action - Flurry Guard: The user may reflexively counter an opponent's damaging Ninjutsu or Taijutsu with a Taijutsu attack made with their Dual Weapon. This directly reduces the damage of the target's jutsu equal to the damage of the user's attack.
- If the enemy's Jutsu damage is reduced by half, it suffers a -2 Accuracy.
- If the enemy's jutsu damage is reduced to 0, the jutsu is dispelled and the Dual Weapon's bonus attack attempts to hit for any remaining damage + half the reduced damage.
- After use, requires a full round of cooldown.
- Special Action - Flurry Guard: The user may reflexively counter an opponent's damaging Ninjutsu or Taijutsu with a Taijutsu attack made with their Dual Weapon. This directly reduces the damage of the target's jutsu equal to the damage of the user's attack.
- When attacking a target at their maxed Bleeding Rank, the user has a base chance of 10% to deal 1.5% Max Hp damage immediately. This chance may be increased with the user's Bleed bonuses up to a 20% chance, but may only effect a target up to three times per round. When either of the above effects trigger (the other being in the "Relevant Buffs" section), the target will take an additional +.5% Max Hp damage per round from bleeding on top of their current Bleeding damage. This does not stack.
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Sungakure rallied together. Through fire, lightning, blades of steel, psionic powers, fists, and Diamond Sand did our heroes smash through the ranks. As the forces of Sungakure cut into the Unbent Swarm on the ground level, they would see wounds seal up and close. They would see the unnatural process of death and rebirth occur. It was a horrorifying thing to behold. The regeneration was slow as the flesh knitted itself together, but the regeneration process would not complete in time. If a wound was opened by a sword, it was quickly enough fried and damaged deeply by lightning. If an entity was burnt by fire, it was then punched into a fine paste. That fine paste was then fried into nothingness. There was blood being washed away by the rains, the Unbent blood which was a tealish colour was being soaked up by the sands, and that sand turned into mud due to the rain. The Long Night was a miserable state of existence. People would see things that their mind could not fathom. They would see shapes of monsters be taken down. Bones cracked. Skulls fractured. Limbs were twisted in ways that they should not. Sungakure held the line for the time being.
It was at this time he heard Lord Sousuke over the radio again. His focus had faltered taking in the scene around him. Scanning the battlfield he quickly found the looming, approaching "siege weapons" he was speaking of. A guttural, thunderous noise reverberated across the desert landscape. There was a uneasy silence that followed as everyone was looking to see what the hell was coming. Gripping the oversized sword in his hand Kaen watched as they came closer and closer.
Michino raised his weapon above his head and breathed in deep before calling out loud Toraono war-cry, a loud yell that sounded akin to a tiger’s roar. The cry was returned with tiger roars exploding across the field. His family was out there, fighting, and so should he. Crushing his hand through the hilt of the elemental weapon he touched the seal on his chest with his left index finger. Focusing a little chakra into the edge, so as not activate the curse inside the other one, he flicked his finger down causing Kuro’s seals’ outer edge to spin and lift away from his body. It had once been a gift to control Owari, but not that she had her own body, he didn’t need it anymore. With the seal lifted from his body, purple flames suddenly raised up around his body and engulfed him completely until he exhaled a deep breath. The purple inferno exploded away from Michino to reveal branching horns from his temple and a large feline’s tail, made from the same fire that made his leg and arm. His flesh had paled, black ichor overtook the sclera of his eyes and shifted the color of his iris from purple to gold. The demonic blood pulled the fangs and claws of his kin into his form. He could only stare at the power he was holding onto for a moment. It was dangerous but enticing, like a chainsaw sword.