From the Badlands to Godsfall [Dual Contract Search]

[Mikaboshi]

Slamming the surface of his forehead into Surudoi's was like head-butting a block of solid steel. Pain blossomed across his face as he landed back on his feet and Surudoi staggered back, first one step and then a second step. In any normal competition of power, a simple stagger in his opponent would have been meaningless but for a human being to have laid a hand on a creature as vastly powerful as Surudoi and given him pause for even a heartbeat was a feat of enormous size. Glaring back at the Shark Overlord with eyes that were full of fury, Katsuo was certain that even though there was no reasonable way that they could overcome the beast that stood before them he had made sure that Surudoi would not soon forget the golden king that had stood before him and defied him. Blood poured down his face from the self-inflicted wound he'd given himself by bashing his head into the rough exterior of the shark's head but despite that Katsuo never took his eyes off of his opponent for even a moment.

"More where that came from big guy. Pool's open." Katsuo taunted, unblinking. He was determined to go to his death bowed by this monster that had murdered a child for fun. Spiders of golden lightning arced down Katsuo's shoulders and chest, springing off of his body and into the ground near where he stood in a crouched stance leaving small gouges of searing heat where they touched the stone beneath him. "Water's fine."

Surudoi bounced back from the surprised irritation plain on his face and returned a toothy smirk back to his face as he rubbed the tiny curl of blood from his face off with a churlish teeth sucking noise.

"If you really dare... Why not take the test?"

The shark creature then threw two of his enlarged teeth down to the ground in front of them and challenged them to throw their blood into the whirl of sea water behind him. To her credit, Michi was having none of it. She refused any part in the creature's game and continued to stand defiant in the face of his taunting demand but for Katsuo's part the offer stood out to him. There was no way they could overcome Surudoi as they were, not even if they fought together. This wasn't a scenario where their faith in each other and the power of friendship would help them overcome their adversary. He was simply too far beyond them to walk away from this fight was against everything Katsuo believed in. He was faced with a choice that one way or another forced him to betray one of his principles. Did he join forces with MIchi here in a defiant stand against evil knowing that they would almost certainly die and leave the state of Sunagakure to fend for itself in the war? What of the promise he'd made to Naganisa and to all of the others about fighting for a better tomorrow?

Or did he walk away and let Surudoi simply get away with his crimes?

My king-- !

Caliburn's mental warning came almost a moment too late as Surudoi's stepped forward and brought his tremendous fist bearing down on Katsuo in retaliation for the blow that the Kazekage had landed on him earlier. His partner's warning snapping him back into the moment, Katsuo raised his arms and in that moment a gilded dome of crackling energy sprang into life just in time to catch Surudoi's fist before it could strike home. With Katsuo and Caliburn's will together behind the barrier, it seemed almost for a moment like they might put off the great beast's attack entirely but the progress of the attack was halted only briefly as Surudoi's knuckles bit through the barrier and slammed into Katsuo's raised forearms, sending him skidding backwards several paces and only a little bit past MIchi. Lightning played across the bloody patch where he'd caught Surudoi's attack, skin and exposed muscle oozing blood that dripped to the stone floor as the arcs of electricity lined the edges of the wound and began to knit it back together through Caliburn's influence.

"I'll do it." Katsuo announced, in contrary to Michi's initial rejection of the offer. "On one condition. I want the right to come back here and challenge you. Any time, any where. No rain checks, no chickening out."

There was no avoiding the simple truth that he could not hold Surudoi accountable for his actions in this moment. He simply lacked the power to make that possible. But there could potentially be a time in the future, some distant day far down his path as a sage, that Katsuo possessed enough power to make that thought into a reality.

But he needed to be clear that Surudoi would accept his challenge first.

 

[Sazuki Nao]

A hit... A direct hit on himself which was something he had never experienced before, something he couldn't brace for with his scales. "What in the huntings name?!" He shouted at it surprised as he had tried to hit the other in full attack. Yet it seemed something like him had turned against him, hurt him in a way he didn't yet understand. Yet it seemed, after trying to move a little, it didn't attack him back unless he attacked. So he figured something out, don't attack and go on the offensive what they had done, yet his aggressive side didn't really let that blossom through. As his glance finally went towards the other human... He was turning amused, he honestly was amused at the fact how they were and the fact he wounded the other. Yet not lethally which was most of the time. "You are really something... You both are..." The mutters were, sadly for the shark lord, out loud. Yet one of them seemed to be opposing him, a grin was given at the small figure (for him).
"On one condition. I want the right to come back here and challenge you. Any time, anywhere. No rain checks, no chickening out."Were the words of the person that had headbutted him, taunted him. "If a rematch you want, a rematch you can get. That is... if you make it." He said, yet as he was aggressive, he was one from honor. If they to undertake the 'test' to be partners from him. A contract by them. He wouldn't mind to take up a fight with them on more... fair... terms.

"If you wish to sign a contract with me, fight me once more... drop your blood in the whirl behind me, let the sharks judge your worth... I won't hurt you in the meanwhile, and we get a rematch. One on fair terms this time. As I am a shark of my words on that." His eyes, it seemed to have this kind of gleam to them as he spoke. "Cut yourself with my tooth, let the blood in the whirl... If you are accepted, there is no attack." The last part was bluf... but they didn't need to know, yet the gigantic shark would step to the side, cross his arms and watch them both. He kept watching at the female... "What have you done to me exactly... Because you made a perfect copy of myself which hurts..." He quietly asked.

[Contract offered]

OOC note: Small post ánd late, sorry on that as my notification had somehow turned off...
About the search. I had not seen this coming and have to say. Even though I dislike this contract, this search has shown me differently. I want to thank you both very much for giving me the opportunity ánd the joy of being your contract mod!

 

[Michi]

"I'll do it."

Katsuo announced, Michi shot him a look as if to say what? Are you mad?

"On one condition. I want the right to come back here and challenge you. Any time, any where. No rain checks, no chickening out."

Katsuo made an audacious proposal -- fight me again. She looked at him, he was a madman but she was not going to correct him. If he wanted to engage in a round of fisticuffs against the shark at a later date, who was she to stop him. The fact that she considered the shirtless village leader mad was nothing she needed to state.

"If a rematch you want, a rematch you can get. That is... if you make it."

What did he mean by the later? She did not trust him.

"If you wish to sign a contract with me, fight me once more... drop your blood in the whirl behind me, let the sharks judge your worth... I won't hurt you in the meanwhile, and we get a rematch. One on fair terms this time. As I am a shark of my words on that."

Again with the blood in the water. To what ends, to drive the swarm into a feeding frenzy? At least that was her presumption. A bit repetitive if that was his end goal, but she did not take the shark as a particularly clever creature. It did not matter, she had what she needed from the shark if that was his end goal. She already knew what she would have to do. She had already contemplated the steps, this would require that she broke her black blockade and that they would submit themselves to the will or the whim of the swarm. In exchange for a what? A contract? She understood contracts and deals, those were simply a part of her nature but unlike her he was not bound to his word. She had no reason to trust a murderer that sucker-punched the Kazekage. But he had no reason to trust her either, she might be small but she was wily. She would release the barrier and she would take the tooth. Letter of the contract, but not the spirit thereof.

"What have you done to me exactly... Because you made a perfect copy of myself which hurts..."

"It is no copy, I just made your shadow tangible," Michi replied. It was him, the shadow merely an extension. "It would be a shame if I was attacked and the viscous hoard sought the wrong target," she commented. She was not going to slice her hand, that would make using handseals more difficult, potentially slower or sloppier. Still blood from her hand. She looked down at the dorsum of her hand, there were plenty of veins there. A minor prick would allow for enough blood to color the water but it would clot within seconds with or without pressure. The superficial wound would be on her hand as agreed and released into the whirl and she would simply wait, the one thing she did not release was the Shark's exposed shadow.

If they attacked, she would make sure that there was a one in three, if not less of a chance that those attacks would hit her. The odds would not be as favorable for the shark.