Cloud's Chosen: ROOM 2

[Cloud Seer]

Maki Kazumi, Okada Kaji and Shieo



Walking through room [number], the team of three found a plain, albeit useful room. Nine by thirteen feet, from floor to ceiling, the entire space was various shades of simple grey. Not a single window would be found. Instead of plaster, they padded the walls with sound dampening fabric, and if one were bored enough to pull that back, they found themselves surrounded further still by several inches impenetrable steel. The door behind them closed with a soft click and a lock. There would be no way for the group of men to ascertain what when on outside of the room. If there was a chance to back out before, their moment was now long gone.

Centered in the room, four foldable chairs surrounded a square plastic table. For the particularly neurotic types, a blackboard equipped with chalk and erasers was pushed against a wall. Opposite the board, they would see a camera with a blinking red light, letting them know, that big brother Kumo was watching. Finally, an especially thick, steel door stood opposite the entrance equipped with a heavy-duty triple-lock and no handle. “Your time to plan is up when the door opens.” Came a raspy call from the intercom directly above their head.

[You have five days to post as much or as little as you like before the trials begin. Enjoy.]

 

[Okada Kaji]

By Any Means Necessary: Kaji Okada!!!

All the same, the chain of events went on and on. It was like pulling the thread of a sweater, continuing and making things more knotted and complex. Kaji Okada was happy with his parting words as he carried on down the halls of the Torre Celeste. It was just a short walk until he arrived in the room designated for his team— short, but long enough for his words to undoubtedly sink in for the others. He saw his strategy as a subliminal effort at subterfuge for the other teams; just enough to make them question one-another and give his own team a potential edge. Of course, he’d have to win them over all the same, but having a common goal would make that easy. He was not a schemer, just an opportunist acknowledging the truth of their situation.

Just as he had left the previous meeting first, Kaji was also first to arrive in the nearly empty room. There were just a couple simple aids for concocting a plan within the room, mostly a table to gather at and a chalkboard to jot down notes on. Thinking ahead, Kaji went to the board and pocketed a few pieces of chalk for a reason that wouldn’t seem so apparent at first. He took the remaining piece of chalk and wrote out the names of his team members, himself of course, and the other teams, all with plenty of space in between. Once his colleagues arrived the meeting of the minds could begin.

"You should have crushed one of them" chimed a small voice which whispered to Kaji from beneath the protection of his wool jacket. Then, the sleek design of an obsidian-scaled salamander peeked out face first from beneath his collar. His name was Dohqull, a friend to Kaji and ally in battle when Kaji called on him. Doqhull crawled out and perched on Kaji's shoulder then, taking advantage of their privacy from most of the competitors. "Aligar would have bitten someone's arm off in a show of dominance, Kaji" said Doqhull. "Do you think the two-leggers will really buy what you said?"
"They'd be fools not to" Kaji replied, all the meanwhile clapping his hands to disperse the chalk residue. "It was only the truth— maybe I just have a way with words. 'Continue following me and someday it might sink in, Doqhull; force isn't always the answer."

- Kaji has entered the thread.

 

[Shieo]

It didn't take much longer behind Kaji, for Shieo to arrive; he had intentionally fallen behind quite a distance just to give himself time to think... After-all, his life was about to get much more chaotic and in a very short amount of time, even if he didn't succeed past~ Which he suspected would be the result, he did need to actually survive what was about to come. Given the timing, he only somewhat caught sight of the salamander. Granting an arched brow; which seemingly didn't interrupt his half-lidded dour-expression that lived ever-present on him. "Mh."

"It was only the truth— maybe I just have a way with words. 'Continue following me and someday it might sink in, Doqhull; force isn't always the answer."

Clearing his throat, his monotone voice finally filled a bit of the void that wasn't Kaji and his ally speaking amongst themselves. "Well, you're certainly confident." Casually striding to a seat, he nudged it back with the tip of his foot, turned and sat down rather sloppily. Kicking one foot up and resting it atop the other's knee; his overall presence was nothing exceptional. In-fact, it may even bring into question why he was here.
Ultimately, no one knew him. He hailed from no family of importance, he hadn't accomplished any publicly exceptional feats~ Ultimately, he just seemed like a regular Academy Teacher; he wasn't even Jōnin in rank. Nevertheless, while he was monotone; he didn't seem to be talking down to Kaji either, it was of apathetic indifference. "In regards to what you left with, I'm not terribly concerned about everyone being a rival, challenger; whichever term of whatever day. We're all here to try and represent Kumogakure in a positive, strong light. So I'll be an open book." Clearing his throat, he pulled out a small capsule and plopped it into his mouth rather listlessly; judging from the smell it was a encapsulated coffee.

"Besides. We're expected to succeed in an obstacle course; working with people we don't know~ or barely know. With no information on the obstacle course. Logic dictates this isn't about succeeding the obstacle course alone. They're not judging candidacy solely on it, at least~ I suspect it's also a manner of preparation, execution and acceptance of who you're with. A measure of adaptability and knowing that whoever you stand with in this village is an ally. After-all, we're trying to foster interest and respect for our village; if we're portrayed as vile and antagonistic towards our own kin. That doesn't convey much positive-emotion and respect to the general world." Ending with a gentle shrug of his shoulders; both arms had found their ways to being crossed.

"At least. That's how I see it."

[Thread Entered]

 

[Cloud Seer]

​

"T-minus "ten minutes" until round one begins. Please prepare yourselves." A voice crackled over the intercom.

"T-minus "nine minutes" until round one begins. Please prepare yourselves." A voice crackled over the intercom a minute later.

"T-minus "eight minutes" until round one begins. Please prepare yourselves." A voice crackled over the intercom a minute later.

"T-minus "seven minutes" until round one begins. Please prepare yourselves." A voice crackled over the intercom a minute later.

"T-minus "six minutes" until round one begins. Please prepare yourselves." A voice crackled over the intercom a minute later.

(You have two days left to finish posting in these areas. Please remember to send your battle info.)

 

[Ko]

Six minutes? Already? the spy thought to himself as he walked through the entrance of the place, and arrived in front of Kaji and Shieo. He hoped that Kaji would try and not impart more “words of wisdom” regarding what their rivals were thinking. Everyone knew that in the end it would be best to backstab one another if it meant getting into the tournament. And everyone knew more that it would be one vs one, so being friendly was just a mask to make sure they got in.

It seemed they were already starting to make acquaintances as the Jounin arrived. One of the group, who he figured was Shieo, was already sitting down around the table. He had leant back, as if to show how casual he really was.

”Until we actually figure out how they’re going to judge us all we can do is just follow along with the task at hand. After all I suspect they are either going to give the winning team the place, or one candidate from each team. It was meant to be 3 people after all.

”Maybe formalities won’t matter, but talking to each other by name during the task will be useful. I’m Kazumi.” He pointed to himself as he said it, hoping that they would play along. ”I would be good to get your names to so we don’t have to keep calling to each other by other things.

He was trying to be as nice as possible in this group. But he knew it would be only temporarily as they would eventually have to face each other in the tournament. That he was certain about.

[MFT 273 words]

 

[Okada Kaji]

As expected, Kaji’s solitude with little Doqhull was short-lived as his partners for the first stage began to trickle into the room. First came a young man whom was known simply by the name of Shieo. The lad overheard that last bit of dialogue between Kaji and Doqhull; layers of Kaji’s raven strands and grey coat eclipsed the scaly creature from view, leading Shieo to mistake Kaji for being alone. With a little loftiness in words, he took note of Kaji’s statement and announced his presence. Sounds of the chair sliding back and Shieo planting himself in it told Kaji enough about him, so Kaji continued writing on the blackboard. Instead, Doqhull crawled over Kaji’s shoulder and glanced at Shieo, showing intrigue.

Before Kaji managed a reply to Shieo’s arriving observation, Shieo went on to address the last things Kaji said before leaving the meeting between Chigusa and the other fighters. Shieo’s last criticism was met with some unnerving silence from Kaji until he was finally done writing the names, and all the skills he knew those candidates for having. “I agree,” Kaji said, finally breaking his silence as he turned to face Shieo and approach the table. “The point of forming teams and sending us off to compete in an obstacle course is to foster some idea of a group identity— that’s important if we’re meant to represent the Cloud.” The Hunter then spun a seat around and joined Shieo at the table. “What I said in that room was more like a logical ruse meant to set those who’d blindly trust their allies off-guard. This is a competition after all; it doesn’t work to our advantage if the other teams work with perfect synergy. We need them holding secrets back from each other, and trying to one-up each other as rivals do.”

Then Kazumi entered the room and conversation with just about perfect timing. He came with more valid points, making good assertions with every vowel— count on a puppeteer to be so precise. Kaji nodded in agreement, and followed up, saying “It’s a pleasure to be working with you both. You might know of me by now, Kaji Okada at your service.” Kaji dared to show something of a friendlier side despite the talk of rivalries he preached earlier. The obsidian-scaled reptile on his shoulder ran down his arm and onto the table in a revealing show and stole the scene for a brief instance. Full of dignity, he began reciting his title; “And I am the mighty Doqhull, sixteenth son of Darqhori, warrior of the venom-scar legion, destroyer of the weak-willed—”

“Hush” Kaji interrupted before snatching the loud-mouthed lizard up in a hand and stuffing him into his jacket pocket. “Interruptions aside, I do believe I have an inkling of the real reason we are operating as a team, first. ‘Check out that board,” He said before swiveling his upper half and glancing at it for himself as well. “Based on what I’ve grasped from personal knowledge and the dossiers, our teams have been divided based on overall specialty: it's like a game of rock, paper, scissors, in how we’ve been segregated. Choosing one entrant per team seems like the most probable solution, however, the end-goal seems much clearer. Were either of you present or maybe even familiar with the incidents that occurred the last time the world’s major shinobi villages gathered in one place? The intervillage exam at the Hidden Sand…”

Kaji’s memory played back within, remembering several schemes which nearly wrought disaster on citizens from numerous nations. It was pure chaos, and the cause of the madness was never even uncovered. “I believe we're headed towards something just as likely to go pear-shaped, and the Cloud expects to send a team capable of responding to whatever is awaiting us in Tea Country.”

 

[Shieo]

Shieo's demeanor had an air of suppressed tension; notably after Kaji had started pressing his intensity among the other contestants. A very brief furrow of his brow lent some release to his state; giving himself back to his calmed notions. When Kazumi entered, and ultimately gave some more thoughts behind the action of the Village's leaders, he finalized with the introduction of who he was; and aired the potential of theirs.

"Shieo." Making the simple comment, without hesitation to allow the whole group know who he was, and in turned learned of both of them. While there was a sensation of intensity; he figured they had begun some level of cohesion, or the attempts were being established.

Shortly after Kaji had created the image of his intentions, Shieo's brows twitched once more. Although subtle; and only lasted fractions of the cognitive eye; he figured the others may have noticed past the fringe of his semi-kept hair. It was clear he had some disagreements, but wasn't fully prepared to start causing a scene with people he only just met, and ultimately had to work with only minutes from now. Deep down inside; however, there was a conflict of feeling ill about encouraging failings of their other kin of the village~ Perhaps a fault in his position, nevertheless. He knew that in this instance, he had to play along.

Upon the pleasantries; he still gave both Kaji and the Salamander a dip of his head in respects and agreement of the statement. "Lookin' forward to it." Phasing a momentary comment in, just before Kaji had directed his observations and their attention towards the chalkboard that he did some logistics breakdown.

"So the intent is adaptability, public-appearances and an operations squad based off necessity. Unfortunately I can't speak on the incident of Sand, as I wasn't present." Leaning forwards, he had rested an elbow on the table, and a closed fist to hold his head up. "So the most likely situation is they'll be picking one among the three based off the criteria we previously established. Which, is acceptable when put into perspective." Sniffing quietly, somewhat a habit to collect some thoughts. "Regardless, I suspect it will be one of you two~ And to be frank, to voice things. I'm somewhat surprised I even was chosen to be here..." Leaning back again, so he could have both Kazumi and Kaji in his ocular peripherals. "So I'll do what I can to help you both out, if they require an incident specialist; I may not be the best fit. Nor strong enough; but that doesn't mean I can't provide some aid seeings how it's still an unknown course with the three of us." Bringing both hands behind his neck, somewhat just taking the time to rest while he still had the few minutes to do so. "For a pointed reference, I'm mostly just capable of Genjutsu; but have some knowledge in Kunai-Kenjutsu, and a small dabble in Futton(Vapor) techniques." Clearing his throat, indicating he was just about done; but felt the need to conclude. "In other-words, I'm not particularly suited to be a power-house; or necessarily a frontal-combatant... Questions?"

 

[Kagetsu Yuii]

Due to unforeseen circumstances with the mod, you have an additional three days to roleplay before the trials begin to allow for preparation time. (Sorry for the delay)

 

[Cloud Seer]

Time was up. Any further chance of strategizing under a calm condition was over, and just as the voice over the intercom stated, the locks slid one by one opening the door as if it were a pressurized vault system.

“Team Two, it is now your turn to enter the arena. Good luck, and may the odds be in your favour.”

At the behest of the person closest to the door, the three men would walk through a short, dark tunnel before walking into the blinding light of a large, roofed arena. A wall, about four feet high, surrounded what was to be their battleground. Cheers and music blared all around them as they entered the stage. Sounds roared across a stadium as their fans essentially lost their shit at the sight of their new celebrities.

In the front few rows, academy students were given a seat of honor so they could both see and be inspired by the men who would battle today. Excitement written across their faces as some nearest the combatant’s entryway leaned over the railing trying to get a high-five or score some cool keepsake from their new idols. Higher along the wall, a balcony of masked sentries stood, guarding the populated area, and--behind them--a crowd of citizens given the lucky chance to view the day’s proceedings. Any ANBU among the nine would find the sentries peculiar, as none of them sported the traditional mask synonymous with the elite division.

But what would take a majority of their attention, was the creation that rested on one knee before them.

​

With a fisted hand over its chest, the machine kneeled as if in respect to the three shinobi. It easily scaled twenty feet high at it’s full height, and ten in its current position.
A megatron-size screen was already lowered behind it. From the static, the image of their Raikage, Kogami Ayumu, appeared.

“Why, hello there! How is everyone doing?” Slowly, B.B.90-02 stood casting a shadow from the ceiling spotlights over the men and members of the crowd. “Huh, some of you look worried. Well, by now you’ve seen what you’re up against. Let me reassure you if you are concerned, it’s more powerful than it looks! Have to make sure you’re good and prepared for the tournament, now don’t we?”

You’ve been selected because you were those who stepped forward to face the challenge set forth to Kumogakure. Chosen because among those who stepped forward, you shined the brightest. The nine who came here today represent some of the boldest and strongest of our shinobi. However, nine is too many. Were it possible, I’d send the whole lot, but we are allowed only three.”

So I’m left with a difficult choice: who among you is most worthy? Who among you represents the pinnacle of not only our strength but every quality that makes up the ideal Kumogakure shinobi? Today we will find out.

Impress me.“


The sound of corresponding cheers to Ayumu’s words were drowned out by steam emanating from the joints of B.B.90-01. The ground shook as it took a couple steps before sliding into a fighting stance. The thing appeared disturbingly agile for its size. The screen changed from Ayumu’s smug grin to a 3 second countdown. Familiar with what was about to happen from previous combatants, the crowd chanted along.

Three…

Two…

One!...

With the sound of the buzzer, the machine bolted into a headlong sprint directly at the three men.

[Please send your actions in to our saviour, the holy Umashi. You have the normal designated cut off time applied to any modded situation. Goodluck]

 

[Shinrya Kahako]

Before sending me actions please make sure that you clearly understand the following . . .

1) I'm modding for 3 groups of 3 . . . if your actions fail to mention the passives/things affecting your actions, such as gaining +15% Shadow Damage due to being a Nara, then don't get overly upset if I miss something. Dummy proof your actions!

2) Links, links, links . . . Again, just like the above, time is of the essence, and trying to search through the shop for an obscure Acid ninjutsu isn't fun, and especially not if I have to do that x9 every round. It cannot be stressed enough, dummy/human/dog/platypus proof your actions!!!

3) I'm only human, and I have a life outside of NC. I'm going to miss things and my life comes before NC, always . . .

4) In harmony with #3, I typically mod Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm. Holidays and Weekends are toss ups for what should be obvious reasons.

5) It looks like you're in for an enjoyable ride, have fun!

 

[Seijin]

Round 1

Kazumi
HP: 42,000
CP: 36,000-1,935+1,080=34,145
AP: 10-10=10
Status: Dueling B.B. 90-01| Defensive Stance | Puppet Symbiosis w/ The Coolest Puppet | Wires | Blood Bending
Equipped:: Himself x The Coolest Puppet Ever = The Coolest Himself Ever ! ! !

Kaji
HP: 33,000
CP: 36,000-4,270=31,730
AP: 10-9=11
Status: Camo | Stealth | Maintaining Something #1
Equipped:: N/A

Shieo
HP: 14,522
CP: 15,900-1,542=14,358
AP: 6-6=6
Status: Sharingan
Equipped:: Hirashin Kunai



VS


B.B. 90-01
HP: 250,000-4,135=245,865
CP: 250,000-7,360=242,640
AP: 12-11.75=12.25
Status: Gargantuan | Titanic Implications | Clockwork Automation | ? | ?? | Swinging Blindly (A whole mess of Acc/Dodge Debuffs)
Equipped:: Fistacuffs




Round Actions:
0s~The robot does something!
0s~Kazumi duels the robot!

.5s~Kazumi enters D.Stance!

.83s~Shieo activates his Sharingan!

1.5s~Kaji activates his Active Camo!
1.5s~Kaji goes into Stealth! (Success)
-Nobody knows where Kaji is!

1.66s~Shieo equips his weapon!

2.5s~The Robot Uses Earthen Magnitude on Kazumi, Kaji and Shieo (All Miss)
-The Robot does not know where Kaji is.
2.5s~Kazumi Fuses with his puppet!

3s~Kazumi wires up the robot! (Hit)
3.95s~The Robot does a Render Blitz on Kazumi and Kaji! (All Miss)
-The Robot still does not know where Kaji is!

4.5s~Kaji does something! (Hit)
-Kaji is still in stealth!

5s~The robot does something!

5.82s~The Robot does a 16 Hit Combo on Kaji!
-The Robot still doesn’t know where Kaji is!

5.83s~Shieo does looks at the robot! (Miss)
5.83s~Shieo looks at the robot even harder! (Miss)

6s~Kazumi Observes the robot!

7.5s~Kaji does something! (Hit)
-Kaji is still in stealth!

8.32s~The Robot uses Water Dragon Bullet targeting Kazumi! (Miss)

8.5s~Kazumi uses Blood Bend on the robot! (Hit)

9.77s~The Robot uses Roaring Combination at Kazumi, Kaji and Shieo (All Miss)
-The Robot cannot see Kaji and should give up on trying to do so . . .

10s~The robot does something!
10s~Kazumi uses a Hidden Smoke Bomb on the robot! (Hit)


Round Note(s):
-Had to wing certain Puppet things so Kazumi most likely has more CP than he technically should have.
-The roller bot went down and I'm still working on the other two rooms stuff so please don't send actions until Tuesday as my PM box is full.
-As always, I’m not perfect, if you see something, please let me know.

 

[Okada Kaji]

So the time for scheming was over just as soon as it had begun. Kaji Okada and his new allies were fortunate enough to have a brief meet and greet but never got down to business before the clock ran out. Of course, Kaji was on the verge of strategizing. He had ideas, but they were worthless without confirming his partners’ potential. It was almost unexpected when Shieo began explaining a full summary of his skill set; his lack of confidence tripped an alarm for Kaji though. It was reasonable to find doubt in his inexperience— that much Kaji understood well enough. But it took courage to admit one’s faults, and that was something Kaji respected highly. “Nope, no questions” Kaji answered securely, along with an assured look.

If things were a bit different Kaji could have seen himself opening up as well, but time and opportunity just didn’t permit him to utter another word. Suddenly the room betrayed their directive and a transformed to reveal a once-hidden chamber door. The Torre Celeste was full of mysteries, and Kaji underestimated the fact as a walkway revealed a roaring crowd and combat arena. “What the—” mumbled Kaji, baffled at the implausible arena reveal.

Nonetheless, Kaji and his newly befriended misfit friends began their march towards the field. With a nearly silent whisper, he asked: “Are you ready, Eelspine?” While he came to this enigmatic obstacle course with allies, it was the sword which served as his first and last partner in all forms of battle. With every step, Kaji felt the tremors of an overly-excited crowd gleefully awaiting their promised battle: Man versus Machine. As the three competitors stepped out beneath the myriad of lights they heard the sound of the Ayumu Kogami stepping out of his usual persona as Raikage to act as a master of ceremonies. All of this— from the charismatic Raikage to the blaring music, to the energized crowd all felt foreign and overwhelming.

“Chiyo… Kameko.” Kaji spoke of a remnant to himself while looking ahead at the statue-like goliath across from his party. The past flashed through his mind— another life, another tournament, and repressed memories galore. It was a past victory; one nearly invalidated by the trials ahead of him. A mountain of dense metal represented the summit of the challenges awaiting Kaji Okada in the near future. “I can cut through that” Kaji said confidently, however his voice was practically muted by the roaring crowd. “I can cut through that,” he said again, a bit louder, though nervously as if it were really to convince himself that time.

But then that loud signaling buzzer rang.

Up sprung the machine, coming to life like a newly forming construct rising from some soft soil, but a thousand times more complex. Kaji’s pair of emeraldine orbs focused on this monstrosity so intently that every lumbering step seemed to slow to a fragment of its speed. There was so much absorb from staring at this figure as it drew near— it held a dense shell with intricate designs which yielded countless stress points ready to be smashed. Beneath its fortifications was a framework of parts functioning just like your body, just a matter of gears and oil rather than flesh and bone. At least now Kaji didn’t have to consider the morality of giving his all to destroy this opponent.

How does one hide in a wide-open setting? Well, the answer is simple— there is nowhere to hide, only the option to keep moving until your opportunity arises. In truth, Kaji Okada was never the type to turn his back from a fight, not even this charging behemoth. Avoiding attacks was simply a matter of common sense, really. And so, Kaji raised his left hand to chest height and formed a single hand seal, molding chakra and quickly changing the seal to modify this mustered energy. Meanwhile, his right hand reached over his shoulder to grasp the hilt of his trusted saber with the emerald shining in its pommel. Bright stadium light bounced off of the silvery blade of Eelspine as Kaji awoke it from its slumber. With that single flickering display he suddenly vanished, lost to the spectators and his peers alike with a burst of speed.

He appeared in brief intervals, pausing only to assess his target, allies, and environment further. The goliath construct was powerful but so slow against the shinobi targets, not even coming close in his attempts to swat at them. “We have to disrupt its sensors” he decided or something to that effect. He expected the B.B.-90-01 to use some sophisticated magic or technology to target rather than a regular pair of eyes. As so Kaji dared to get closer, and used the distraction of his teammates taking fire from the goliath to traverse it’s composited metal hide. With a hunting cat’s grace, Kaji found ease in delicately hiding atop the machine as it worked its way around the field. He narrowly avoided steam jettisons hot enough to cook him on the spot and clung atop a large component on the B.B.-90-01’s back.

“I wonder what you’ll bleed,” Kaji thought, seriously contemplating what might flow— if anything— from the hulking machine. “We’ll find out,” he said, daring to alert the B.B.-90-01 and avoid at least sixteen sudden attempts at grabbing him. It was a proper distraction, or so Kaji noted as Kazumi used the moment to capitalize, triggering a wire trap. Somersaulting back and gaining distance from the B.B.-90-01, Kaji spun Eelspine and focused a vast charge of chakra before sling it in an arc. The immediate atmosphere in front of Kaji nearly split as he created a crescent shape of emeraldine chakra almost imperceptible to the naked eye. It was a burst of psionic energy sailing at high speed, and it hit the goliath machine head-on, rocking the unit and the crowd with a waving reaction. “You will bleed” repeated Kaji, thinking of his previous sentiments about gory motor oil.

 

[Shieo]

It wasn't long after the three had entered the room, spilled some information and informally devised a degree of their plans; skills and the like before the 'curtain' was lifted to their reveal. Shieo's eyes fell onto the door while locks, bolts and the tumultuous sounds of hissing filled their room while the steel door made its lift to reveal the tunnel just before them. "Hn... I guess it's time to see what we can do." Lowering his legs to the floor, he released his relaxed position and pulled himself to a stand. Facing the other two for only the briefest of moments afore he departed down the long hallway, his attention during their walk seemed to be focused everywhere but the end of the tunnel. Figuring he should keep himself off the stress of the situation and face it as it were to come.

It was then, that they arrived to the uproar of cheers, revealing what was the rather ambiguous obstacle course~ Or at least, it was until Shieo caught the visual of the full arena; the massive robotic structure in the center. And a distinct lack of obstacles. Or at least, of the traditional fashion. Doesn't take a genius to know, they duped us. Closing his eyes, while they stood just past the entryway to the massive arena. His head lowered a moment, gathering his wits and thoughts; finalizing that he had come to the conclusion of what was to come with an audible auhh... the sigh of commitment. "They've got to be kidding." he muttered quietly to himself.

Gulping down the last of his resistances to the inevitable fight that was drawing ever closer. Drawing both hands out of their pockets; positioning them at his cheeks and gave himself a good couple gentle, but audible claps to his cheeks. The dullen persona of his eyes faded away, and drew on a look of steeled focus. Despite knowing the massive disadvantage he was faced with here, not only just against his opponent~ But he had to work and coordinate with people that exceeded him by leagues, it was two battles to compete with. It needed all of his focus, and he knew it was going to try him to his limits...

Bzzzzzzzzz!

For any normal superhero, faced with a massive robotic opponent rushing at them with a bulls-intent would be a laughing matter. Sadly Shieo is not~ Normal, or a superhero. Thus drawing a bead of sweat to immediately trickle down the side of his face, his heart skipped the part of speeding up; and simply started at mach-one. Pursing his lips to exhale slowly and to calm himself, granted Shieo the perception to get his body moving. And without further delay, his right hand quick-drew out an unusual looking kunai and launched it a ways from their position~ and ultimately away from where their opponent was barreling towards.

Perhaps good luck, or a well hidden plan. Shieo's body had vanished from sight instantaneously once the earth began to shake and cry at the force of the robotic monolith; forcing spires and uprooting of earth across their field of battle. Shieo had found himself, airborne just at the most opportune of times; and given enough time to land~ normally. However as he came flying towards the earth with chakra prepared to soften his landing, the earthen field of battle was still undergoing changes from the sheer magnitude of the robots chakra. With little time to react he met himself with getting scored on his side by a rapidly flying earth-spire.
While no significant damage was dealt, and Shieo seemed simply winded while he rolled down to the ground below with a crash. Without hesitation he vaulted from his prone position and twirled the kunai in hand; preparing himself to assault the robot's moving parts internally.

Once he caught sight of the Robot's senses; the young shinobi begun and ocular assault on the being sending a crashing wave after wave of chakra. Designed with illusions crafted moments before to help aid his allies in the soon to be long-standing battle between the two forces. Unfortunately, after a few passed moments to gauge whether it succeeded left him with the impression it hadn't kept its hold.

"Well.. It certainly has well-founded defenses against Genjutsu." Sharpening his senses, he twirled the kunai in hand and caught it in a reverse grip. Figuring Kaji during his lightning-fast assault had a solid plan beyond simple mind-games, to drain the monolith of what makes it tick. Given the structure of the device and where each joint made its movements, didn't take an extreme amount of time to devise ideal locations to strike~ if he somehow managed to close the dista- 'fwomp' the sound of the monstrous arm came rocketing towards him; with little time to act, he flicked the kunai skywards and just in the nick of time. With a massive fist inches from his face; warped to his marked kunai and granted him the opportunity to land atop the machine and started to run along the length of the arm.

His attention gave either of his teammates; when Kaji wasn't completely out of sight. Trying to gauge their next movements, figuring that his own were clear enough with the distance being closed. While the machine was massive and strong; and still albeit fast, it was ultimately the constructs weakness. So forcing it to make intricate and fast movements so close to its form~ theoretically would give him the chance to evade it and have openings at a much higher rate.

"Closing in!"

 

[Cloud Seer]

Across radios and televisions country-wide, the event of the nine began its broadcast. While each group of three fought their great opponent, the rest of the country listened and watched on…
_______​

“LADIIIIEESS AND GENTLEMAN!!!! At the sound of the buzzer, neither man nor machine hesitates in their attempts to pummel one another into the ground! It looks like our own B.B-90-02 is the first to take a swing in this battle of fisticuffs! And, holy cannoli, what a swing it is! With a mid-air flip, the metal behemoth lands a punch to the ground that disrupts the entire field of play! But it seems our intrepid competitors are well prepared, as each easily maneuver around the sudden change in terrain. In the chaos, Kazumi takes the initiative, what appears to be wires wrap around BB in an attempt to bind him! It seems effective... BB jerks but he isn’t ready to slow down!”

“Speaking of top speed… I can barely keep up with Kaji as he moves around the arena! It seems BB is having the same problem… he tries to keep track of his target, but seems to be floundering!”

“He swings wildly in an attempt to hit Kaji, but the man is just way too fast—it looks like Kazumi’s in the line of fire, BUT DODGES THE ATTACK IN THE LAST SECOND! Clearly, this machine has it out for both our resident jounin. A sudden strike by Kaji, and the metal behemoth takes a couple steps forward before turning, but Kaji is already disappeared from sight!”


[BB’s voice filters clearly through the speaker above the background noise] "Hit me BB one more time…"

“A few yards back, the underdog of the pack, Shieo, seems to be working some mental mojo by the look of concentration on his face. Kazumi, now also a safe distance away, pauses as well! Is he trying to do the same?”

“But Kaji appears from behind before disappearing again! I didn’t see what it was, folks, but BB took a beating! Seems like Kaji muttered something, but we, unfortunately, can’t hear the contestants.” [A wave of cheers erupts through the speakers.]

“I ain’t got no time to bleed.”

“I didn’t know robots could get frustrated, but the response Kaji elicited from our favorite machine is truly an interesting one! Focusing on a target it can see, BB slaps his hands together before sending a water dragon bullet towards our resident puppet and puppet master! Kazumi evades the move with easy before countering with an attack of his own! His fingers twitch, and BB jerks in response!”

“But this thing can take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’! BB winds up before releasing a series of powerful punches pointed at all players in the field! It seems it just has no luck in keeping up with Speed Demon Kaji! Every punch thrown his way is met with air! Same goes for Kazumi! Shieo, however, is having a very hard time keeping out of the way... He notices a last second flying punch coming his way… it looks like it’s noticed too late… AND IN THE LAST MOMENT WARPS TO HIS KUNAI IN THE AIR AND TO SAFETY ABOVE!” [The crowd goes wild at the near miss] “What a dish! What a dodge! And Kazumi counters BB again, tossing a smoke bomb in front of BB’s sensors, causing the machine to take a step back. Our contestants are in top form today, that’s for sure!”

_______

Meanwhile…

The crowds around the three men were pumped. Some spectators stood in anticipation due to how rarely they got to see shinobi fight without worry for their own safety. This was an auspicious day for the common folk of Kumogakure. A chance to witness with their very eyes what it is that their silent protectors do to protect them. The god-like skill that came with being a shinobi on display for all to see.

The outer doors to the amphitheater opened, and small groups of more masked guards entered leisurely. The sound of the ground being blown to pieces more than likely bringing their curiosity. The movement brought the attention of the sentinels currently standing, looking at each other before a few went to address their backup.


[OOC: Please send your actions for round 2 to Umashi if you have not yet done so]

 

[Ko]

Kazumi continued to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge not only in making sure he wasn’t tardy, but also to make sure he backed up his team.

Though he was silent in his attacks, as one would be when you were emulating coolness, he was mindful of what his team mates were doing. Indeed they were strong enough to take care of themselves. But the real objective was taking down this robot.

He would ignore the announcer as he planned his attacks, making sure he wasn’t still making them as the battle progressed.

[Sorry it’s been a hectic week 8D]

 

[Seijin]

Round 2

Kazumi
HP: 42,000
CP: 34,145+1,080-6,902=28,323
AP: 10-10=10
Status: Dueling B.B. 90-01| Defensive Stance | Puppet Symbiosis w/ The Coolest Puppet | Wires | Blood Bending
Equipped:: Himself x The Coolest Puppet Ever = The Coolest Himself Ever ! ! !

Kaji
HP: 33,000
CP: 31,730-7,700=24,030
AP: 11-9=11
Status: Camo | Stealth | Maintaining Something #1 | CS of Duality
Equipped:: N/A

Shieo
HP: 14,522-6,531=7,990
CP: 14,358-1,685=12,673
AP: 6-5.75=6.25
Status: Sharingan | Maintaining Something #1
Equipped:: Hirashin Kunai



VS


B.B. 90-01
HP: 245,865-24,951=220,913
CP: 242,640-6,543=236,096
AP: 12.25-11.75=13
Status: Gargantuan | Titanic Implications | Clockwork Automation | ? | ?? | Swinging Blindly (A whole mess of Acc/Dodge Debuffs)
Equipped:: Fistacuffs




Round Actions:
0s~The robot does something!
0s~Kazumi, Kaji and Shieo maintain their maintains.
0s~Kaji activates his CS!

2.04s~Robot tries to create a Burning Mist but finds no available targets between Kazumi and Kaji! (Auto Dodged)(Stealthed)

2.72s~Kaji does something . . . (Hit)
-Robot suffers a Flesh . . . err . . . Casing burn!
-Kaji stays in stealth . . .

3s~Kazumi sends a Shredding Torrent towards the Robot!(Hit)
-Two limbs are called shot but the Robot ignores them.

4.16s~Shieo does something! (Success)
- Shieo does something else! (Failed)

4.48s~The Robot tries to release the Scorn of Aquarius but . . . (Miss)(Stealthed)(Miss)

5.45s~Kaji does something! (Hit)
-Something activates . . .
-Kaji remains in stealth . . . !

5.90s~The Robot goes on a Blast Rush against Kazumi and Shieo! (Miss)(Hit)
-The Robot actually hit something . . . ()?

6s~Kazumi sends a Kinetic Blast towards the Robot! (Hit)
-Psionic activates!

6.24s~Shieo attempts a Gasher at the Robot! (Hit|Hit|Hit)

8.17s~Kaji does something! (Hit)
-Kaji remains in stealth!

8.34s~The Robot releases a Reflective Storm on Kazumi, Kaji and Shieo! (Miss)(Sthealed)(Hit)
-Shieo hit with Fire Mirrors! (Effective start of next round)
-The Robot hit something twice in a round!?! *swoons*

9s~Kazumi creates a Psionic Rend within the Robot! (Hit)
-The Robot ignores the bleeding that it is subject to!

9.15s~The Robot randomly targets someone with a Light Flare! (Auto Dodged)
-Kazumi randomly chosen as target since no target was indicated via actions sent by Robot.

10s~Kazumi does something!

10s~The Robot does something!

Round Note(s):
-Had to wing certain Puppet things so Kazumi most likely has more CP than he technically should have.
-As always, I’m not perfect, if you see something, please let me know.
-Press "F" to pay respects to Shieo . . .
-For all rooms, I know that I said that you could send stuff starting Wednesday but please wait until Saturday . . . I desperately need time to actually do swaps and what not before the Dec 7th deadline.

 

[Cloud Seer]

> Combat portion concluded (sorry)

"And the battle rages on!!! I think I may have spotted Kaji there and and it looked like he's undergone some kind of transformation! I'm sorry folks, I just can't keep up with this guy! I assume that he's become even more of a force to be reckoned with!"

"I think I'm coming down with a case of the vapors..."

"B.B. just unleashed a massive cloud of vapor! I can feel the heat from here, folks! I think I see some glasses fogging up! Fortunately, our heroes seem to have successfully evaded that cloud! B.B. is going to have to be quicker than that!

WAIT A MINUTE, what is that?! Seemingly out of nowhere B.B. is being assaulted by flames!! If it's not Kazumi or Shieo that must be Kaji's handywork! B.B.'s shiny exterior is glowing red now! It might even be warping from the heat! But I still can't find Kaji, how on earth?!

Not letting up, Kazumi launches a torrent of... paper?! That looks sharp and the paper is igniting from the flames as well! I would not want to stick a human being in front of that combo, but B.B. is no human being! There's a lot of stuff on fire right now! Meanwhile, Shieo is still glaring daggers at the bot! I'll assume there is some mental gymnastics going on there as B.B. seems even more confused than before now! Hold on, B.B. is winding up for something!"

"Fire extinguisher protocols activated..."</I><i></i>

"Somewhere in that monster there must have been a huge tank of water! B.B. just opened up the floodgates, unleashing an enormous wave of water! We're talking as high as the ceiling here, folks! Thank goodness for those barriers or our audience would have been in an extreme version of the splash zone! Fortunately, our friends were able to keep mostly dry by leaping out of the way! The water is being drained out of the stadium rapidly, but thanks to that the flames have subsided... wait, what?!

B.B. suddenly staggered forward as if it was hit something, but I didn't see anything! Whatever it was, it certainly left a scratch! Could it be our stealthy friend once again? I don't know if it's possible for a robot to look angry, but this one certainly does!

"That is not going to buff out. Somebody is paying for that one...<i></i>

"B.B. wheels around and swings its massive arm... OOOO, that's got to smart! Kazumi managed to evade, but Shieo was just bludgeoned by a whole lot of metal... he's gone airborne from that hit! Kazumi appears to be preparing a counterattack and... yet again, I didn't see a thing but B.B. definitely just took a big hit! He staggers back from the impact- I think I see a dent! I hope someone's got insurance on this thing!

Shieo is back in the game now and ready for some revenge if the way he's wielding that kunai tells me anything! He's gone in and... “[clank, clank, clank] “1, 2, 3 slashes that makes! This thing's more scratched up than a lotto ticket, folks! Now B.B. is acting strangely... it seems to be grasping for its... I suppose those are its eyes? Whatever is going on, it's shrugged it off and appears to be... did I just hear something shatter? B.B has just unleashed a veritable cyclone of... shards of... something reflective! Whatever it is, it looks really sharp! Oh no, Shieo is unlucky once more, he's getting torn up by those shards! As if that wasn't enough, are those flames I see? Shieo's clothing seems to have ignited! Stop drop and roll, Shieo!

"Giving Shieo a moment to work out his wardrobe malfunction, Kazumi unleashes another jutsu! My eyes must be going bad folks, yet again I didn't see a thing but there's a massive scratch in that metal and B.B. is reeling from whatever hit it! "

<I>"Activating high beams..."

"Ack! If my eyes were working before, they definitely aren't now! B.B. just unleashed a blinding technique of some kind, sending a projectile of light at Kazumi! Kazumi just refuses to be hit, and seems unfazed, but I'm seeing stars here!"

From the roar of the crowd, it was a scream of terror that would pull BB’s attention away from his opponents, immediately shutting down his flare. Off to the side, the body of one of the sentinels came rolling down the stairs. Blood spurting from his split esophagus, leaving trails of red on each step his body bounced down stair to stair. An innocent bystander, who stepped out from her seat, was the unfortunate soul and the screaming individual to catch the guard’s body, nearly toppling herself as she did not expect to be almost taken out at the knees.

Sensing the danger, B.B. made a dash away from the champions and to the unexpected assailant on the stairs—one of the sentinels that entered the room only seconds before. Carrying a now bloodied, hand-crafted dagger. The masked individual raised a gloved hand that held a small remote button. At the press of it, B.B. jerked and sparked, losing its footing and careening into the wall of the arena.


The academy students in the front stands were forced to scamper away, as the sparks from BB grew to a critical point. Realizing its systems were compromised, the machine struggled—to no avail—at creating space between it and the people.

“I may have made an oopsie…”<i></i>

With a flash, BB went up in smoke, causing an explosion that rocked the entire room. The individuals closest to BB were forced to dive into the floor of their seats to protect themselves from the shrapnel. Though mostly protected from the initial explosion by the barrier, sharp pieces of metal began its decent upon the innocent bystanders, the students of the academy taking the brunt of the attack since they were closest the stage. “Shieo-sensei!’ one screamed out of fright before a large piece of metal fell on him, pinning the boy. Shieo would recognize the student in the flash of fire and steel, but there were others not capable of saving themselves from the danger.


Simultaneously, the other imposters reached the rest if the guards around the room. Using the chaos BB created, they took down more of the shinobi force meant to protect the masses. Soon, one could not tell friend from foe unless they saw the individual cast a jutsu, or could see chakra pulsing through their veins.

Wasting no time, the assailants pushed forward. “Death to all shinobi!” screamed one of the assailants, making their goal apparently clear as he grabbed ahold of a student, not much older than eight with bright blue hair and expressive eyes. “Papaaa!” she screamed at the sight of the blade above her. The first strike, she blocked with her arm. The cry of pain was stifled as he held a hand to her mouth before holding the knife to her throat. “Either of you two move, and the girl gets it!” The man shouted at Shieo and Kazumi. The three competitors would see similar scenes, as others in the massive group of attackers tried to grab ahold as many students as they could at once before help arrived.

 

[Shieo]

'Thud, thud, thud, thud...' The rapid succession of footsteps against the metallic form of the robot echo'd in Shieo's ears while he was closing the distance on the target. He knew it was a dangerous maneuver to get so close to their target; but he also discerned that being at a distance wasn't granting him any favors either. It was then that the machination begun to hiss and pop with the sounds of pressurized water, alerting Shieo he winced knowing that he was in a bad spot to be if this thing blew up in any way.
With a quick motion and what he figured was clever thinking he twisted his torso and flung his kunai skywards, waiting until it gained considerable distance afore he pressed both feet against the metal form of his opponent and launched himself at blurring rates towards his marked kunai, appearing essentially as a warp. Gripping onto the kunai while looking from a birds-eye he watched as a wave of destructive water crashed around the arena; given his escape from the destructive torrents, he let out an audible 'Pheew' While he descended. Reasserting his focus, he had to be prepared for anything; while his descent was inevitable he prepared his weapon and charged his chakra for the landing. All during this descent he was given a view unlike any other; he had to take in the fact that his allies were leagues... Miles above him in terms of skill. The monolithic machine was being thrown around by their skill and power; it was sore, but he also knew that there was some degree of his being here. From here he certainly caught sight of many Students from the Academy. Knowing them they were here to witness the Jounin, but he felt that even still. He had to try.

Sadly, when airborne there's only so much a person can do to evade directed attacks. So when he became somewhat level to the robot; a crashing rocket fist impacted straight into Shieo. And all he could do was simply use his arms to try to reduce the impact with the efforts of chakra to avoid creating any significant bone or muscular structural damage. Given the matter that he was mid-air when the strike landed- it sent the young Chūnin flying across the stadium floor and colliding with the opposing wall. 'Ack!' With spit forcing itself out of his mouth he came falling to the ground.
Falling to a knee, he took a moment to regain his senses- and breath. Afore bringing himself to an upright position and launching himself into a sprint; whipping the hiraishin kunai towards the robot to re-close the distances. In a blink of an eye he had zipped to the marked kunai and unleashed a flow of scoring slashes across the body of the robot, attributing his knowledge of component parts and joints to direct his strikes- although they seemed a bit futile; he still figured it had to have done something.
Although, moments after the attacks he let onto the robot were met with swift and brutal retaliation. With the flurry of burning shards of mirrors; Shieo was cut up and ignited, getting thrown to the earth hard; during his tumble to recover himself; all with the added sound-effects of grunts, agony and trying to tear off the flak jacket that caught the most of the fire.
It all seemed like a blur from there, during the time he was rag-dolling across the arena the robot had not only continued its attacks. But redirected itself towards something else; Shieo was a bit concerned with being caught on fire. Granting him time mid-ragdoll to release the flak jacket from his persons and simply be burnt a bit. It hurt-- A lot, this was certainly shown by the excruciating pain expressed on his face. With his appearance shown something out of a shounen fight scene, tears in his clothes, scuffs, scorch marks and some bruises he certainly looked like he had seen better days.

Only to get worse.

“Shieo-sensei!" A shrill screech from a familiar voice crashed into his ears. Despite his aversion to going against his nature; he couldn't help but feel his spine crawl. The world went cold and his alacrity spiked... Crap... His eyes drew to the child that was about to get crushed by the massive piece of steel- and the many others that were about to be riddled by smaller shrapnel chunks. 'Tch' He knew what he had to do; and he knew his body and mind were not going to be pleased. Letting out a drawn breath, he instinctively reached into his pocket and drew out a capsule labelled 'Game Time', throwing it into his mouth and biting down. The flow of liquid coursed down his esophagus; it was only milliseconds afore his conditioned system reacted both in good and bad ways. The world seemed to pulsate like a heart-beat 'Ba'dum-Ba'dum-Ba'dum.... Ba'dum... -- Ba' ... Dum..', while his perception of time appeared to have slowed incredibly. With each breath, he felt everything nearly draw itself to a stop; a heavy focus emphasized onto his last realized breath, as he pursed his lips to exhale; he felt, heard and lived that slow 'phooo....' ...Game-time; body hold in there.

With a twirl of his kunai he watched as the massive steel part came falling towards the Student, in slow-motion; it gave the young Chūnin time to close the distance with a quick throw of the Hiraishin kunai and warping in-front of the child. Looking up he watched as the metallic part nearly collided, with quick motions he wrapped his arm around the child's waist and lunged out of the way. Placing him into a safer position away from the raining metal.
However, this was only the beginning. As he was in position; he saw the metallic rain come towards the rest of the classed students. "Crap." Inhaling deeply; he reached back into his shinobi pouch and grabbed a handful of kunai. Whipping one to a safe point; and launching a flurry of others near each of the kids. And it begun, a weight of stress and strain on both his eyes that grew darker bags underneath every passing second; and his muscles straining from the excess of movement and chakra. Faster Shieo.. Faster. A blurring image of himself started to scratch away as he aimed at each marking; firing himself off in a blinding motion to catch, grab and bring each student to safety.

Upon coming to the last child; he couldn't quite make it in time to move himself and the child to the safe kunai. And looked up to the falling piece- with only fractions of seconds left, he whipped his arm in the way of the falling scrap; while it wasn't massive. It lodged into his forearm drawing a river of blood to course down his shinobi slacks; "Ff--.." Catching himself, he almost buckled underneath his knees; looking back to the child he shouted. "Move! Towards the other kids!" Reaching up, he grabbed the metal and ripped it out. Tossing it to the side; he took a moment to rip off parts of his slacks to bandage the wound.

Chaos had ensued and he had hoped the other two had ample time to deal with the terrorists. Cause he certainly felt out of sorts... I... Am going to take a long time to recover from this.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Only Kaji Okada knew the truth behind the effort he put into this otherwise trivial pursuit. At a detriment to the viewers, Kaji was unleashing attacks at every thinkable angle with clinical precision, all while managing to avoid both the golem’s sensors and many untrained eyes. But for all of his careful strikes delivered in collaboration with his allies, this opponent remained upright and stalwart. “Even his structural weak points aren’t giving way in the slightest” Kaji determined, wondering just how far they were expected to go in this battle. It was truly more than a test of mettle; of that much, the seasoned shinobi remained sure. “I can’t floor this thing without bringing the entire Torre Celeste down with it… but I have to try.” And then he paused his surge of attacks as if time stood still. Kaji’s eyes clamped shut despite the signs of a small war roiling around him of jutsu clashing, and flesh melting steam roasting the soil on a path for him. “I will go as deep as I must… for them.”

Kaji leaped skyward with chakra propelling him swiftly, so fast that even his cloak of concealing chakra failed to disguise him. The vapor missed him by a long shot, but that didn’t matter. No, Kaji’s eyes opened into a wide glare as his ascent slowed, revealing pitch black sclera and the pailing of his skin. On came thick black bands which moved down his cheeks, jaw, neckline, and oppositely up his temples. His muscle-fibers tensed from the strain, nearly tearing as unfettered power coursed through every cell of his being. His chakra was changing as was his expression, turning cold and bleak, draped in the dark veil. This didn’t dim a sudden radiance shining from his blade at all though, which was angled overhead and sailing down with him, glowing like the sun condensed and tinted perfectly emeraldine. An eruption at the point of impact: an explosion pressed into a single direction, arcing over the B.B. 90-01. It was the best Kaji could manage in this scenario, pinpointing such a force without potentially damaging Eelspine or worse, endangering his allies or the spectators. Not even releasing the Seal of Duality could bring him to the point of violating that strict moral code. Harming the innocent, even accidentally, in the name of his personal goals would have meant corrupting the very love and honor for which he fought.

Yet still, glowing hot red and lit with flames, the cloud’s golem fought on. Seeing this figure still rise meant the futility of unleashing his seal. Kaji realized that he stooped to defiling his good name with the revelation of his hidden darkness— all for nothing. With his warrior’s spirit still blazing he pressed forward, at least putting in a good effort with more psionic energy burst through the edge of Eelspine. For all he knew, this was biding time until the golem’s energy ran low or the audience had their fill: whatever came first.

But then came a sudden shift in the atmosphere, perhaps something unplanned as gasps lined the crowd. The battling on the field was quickly overshadowed by something happening in the stands, and the spilled blood of a faceless guard. Somehow, the golem caught this first, moving quickly for the first time all night as if their match was just a rehearsal for the real show. The B.B. 90-01 spun about at the waist and plunged its fist into the stadium rafters. The forceful blow sent waves rolling through the stands yet the golem missed its target again— however, this would be a final time. Even the B.B. 90-01 recognized its shortcoming as someone revealed their trump card, aiming to carelessly obliterate civilians by detonating the otherwise unstoppable golem. The explosion was stopped short by the stadium's barrier, but the force caused a shortage taking the defensive measure down completely.

It all seemed too good to be true, but there was no time to question the proceedings as madness broke out in the Torre Celeste. Kaji knew the security of the Torre Celeste was better than this, in fact, there was no way something of this magnitude was planned without it reaching the Sileo’s Central Command. “Never doubt the Hidden Cloud” he thought, overly discouraged but not slowing in the slightest. The first assailant grasped the child with azure strands like a human shield and raised a blade, calling out his decree, but in truth, only his own demise was soon to come. In fact, he suddenly lost the grip on his jagged-edged blade, as Kaji took the arm with a clean slice from Eelspine. The image of the shrouded Okada hardly came into view with his stealth so perfect. He spun, bringing the blade around for a second cut while the dismembered assassin began to lose the child and fixate on his missing limb. The second cut was even more merciless, taking the head off of his shoulders and completing the force of chakra racing into the body. The assailant was suddenly and thoroughly vaporized by a rush of caustic chakra as black as night, and so precise that the little girl fell free, into the reaching grasp of Kaji. “I have you,” he said coolly, “and I will protect you, forever and always” symbolically comforting the victim. The azure child could see his corded hand first, which was pail and blackened at their fingers with monstrous claws— yet held her so gently. He then moved away, becoming a smoky wind before she could look up to see him eye to eye, only catching a glimpse of a horn pointing forward over her shoulder.

Around the stadium it became a repeat performance of high-speed thwarting; a black shadow killing more efficiently than he ever hoped to again in one lifetime. Wherever the opposition sprang up, he raced into them, cutting so fiercely with a trail of green light and black smoke streaking in his wake. He lost track of the carnage. The Kaji Okada from several minutes past was stepping into a pool of black tar within the recesses of his mind; one which took years to crawl out from before. On his exterior, there was only the fine red line between friend and foes, steadily widening as a river of blood.

“Bring more enemies.”

 

[Cloud Seer]

Through the smoke and the flame, blood stained the battle torn arena, and an life-ending grunts filled the silence of the almost empty room. An equal color of red dripped from Kaji’s blade as it did Shieo’s arm. In the chaos, even Kazumi dispatched a good many of the the masked assailants, but he’d since been rendered low to his knees by something he saw in the stands. The smoke blocked the others to whatever it was the puppet master saw, but the time in which they could have to learn what happened to him disappeared just as quickly as the chaos had arrived.

The children huddled around Shieo like chicks to a mother hen. Most were roughed up, stunned by the sudden chaos, but all accounted for, and more importantly alive.

“Ikuttu-nii?”

A small girl closest to Shieo was the first to recover from her shock. Unconsciously grabbing at the front of her shirt, she looked among the group around her, waiting for her older brother to call out. When her ears only met with silence, the panic in her voice rose. “Ikuttu-nii!?” she cried out again, this time breaking away from the flock and to the stands near the burning rubble that was left of BB. With great struggle, the small girl heaved herself up and over the four-foot wall. Exhaustion and battle fatigue plaguing Shieo’s body, she slipped away before he could stop her. What she saw on the other side, could only be guessed as gruesome by her blood-curdling scream.

…Shieo missed one….


Meanwhile, on the other side of the ring, Kaji’s blade sliced through the last of the opponents who dared to attempt to escape through the stands. “Bring more enemies.” His demand for blood echoed through the chamber, loud and clear. The response he received was a stuttered inhale and a blubbery response from behind him. “There are no more enemies, Papa…”

The voice of the girl he saved echoed from behind him. Blood dripped from her sleeve as the tears poured down her face. “Either laid low by peace, or slain by your hand… there are no more enemies.”

She wiped her cerulean eyes with her good arm. Her jet-black hair shifted slightly as she tried to rein in her sobbing. Her body still shook by the near death he saved her from. “But alliances are always a two-way street. One side must be willing to give and take, just as much as another. More enemies will rise who will most certainly prey on centuries of bad blood.”

The young girl cautiously approached him as he spoke, almost hyper-aware of the volatile state he was in now. Slowly, oh so slowly, she took hold of the corner of his lapels. The soft pull almost a gentle reminder of why he was there in the first place. Moving her hand away, an almost innocent, and vacant look replaced the fear that was there minutes before. “What if you fail to stop them? What if the time comes, and you are forced to choose… will you still protect me? And mama? And the only home I’ll know? ‘For forever and always’?”

…Shieo missed one….

…a wave of sadness could be felt from every child around Shieo. One of the older boys eventually chased after the little blonde-headed girl, pulling her down from the stands and into his arms, away from the scene of her un-savable sibling. The Academy teacher would further hear her sobs of anguish, muffled through the lapels of the boy’s jacket, coupled with further cries of her older brother’s name.

“Why didn’t you grab him, Sensei?” came a quiet, child-like accusation from behind him. Another girl, about the same age as the sobbing student in the distance, stared at him with tears streaming down her eyes. “He was sitting right next to me, he forced her to trade places so he could see you fight better. Why didn’t you see him?”

”Did you just not care!?” This voice came from outside his peripheral vision. He would see the girl who stood by the stands only a few moments ago. The older student still trying to hold onto her. Angrily she stared up at him. “You are always so distant with us. Never smiling, never seeming to care, almost as if we are a problem that you are forced to fix.” Tears welled up again as her face turned a cherry red in the grief. “My brother died because he wanted to see his teacher be amazing. I bet you never even cared about this stupid tournament, did you?”

[This will be the final round, and not included in the review. We're deliberating votes now, all posts after this are to properly close the story. Have fun, and a great holiday season guys!]