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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2014 17:29:08 GMT -5
The day was slowly starting to come to a close. The cloudless blue sky was only now starting to shift to a gorgeous fiery orange as the sun started to make it's descent down towards the horizon. The singing birds heard from outside of the Olympus Coliseum was one by one starting to head back to their nests to rest for the evening, their songs being replaced with the soft chirp of crickets. There was no wind within the walls of the Coliseum, for the walls themselves were build high enough to stop people and monsters from climbing the outsides and getting within and to stop the dust being kicked up in the middle of training sessions or serious battles being fought. Even the sounds within the Coliseum walls were slowly starting to quiet down. Fighters and warriors from across the stars and worlds were sheathing their blades, closing their spell books and removing their armour for the evening, getting ready to head into the ancient Greek town nearby for a hearty meal and a warm drink. The only sounds coming from within the Coliseum now were the sweeping of brooms, soft footsteps of Hercules and the brash shouting of Philoctetes.
Whoosh!
There was however, one more person within the Coliseum walls. One other young man who had not yet decided that the day's training was over. Within one of the smaller arenas of the Coliseum was a young man, blonde hair covering his head and dark clothing covering his body. Glowing blue eyes shone with a mysterious power as a massive two handed sword was held within his grip. This was Cloud Strife, a citizen of Gaia and regular visitor to the Coliseum and contender within Philoctetes' Games. Ever since Leon and his party had moved to Radiant Garden though, Strife had found less and less time to come here. Heartless were running amok and it was only thanks to the efforts of Sora and Cid's defensive system that the second home of the Delivery Boy was made safe. Well, safer at least. Sephiroth had also been sighted and there were rumours of other powerful beings returning to life and even brand new strangers seeping out the cracks between worlds and making their presences known. Cloud was worried. No, it was more then that. He was frightened. Not due to there being other people out there who were stronger then him, no. That didn't bother the fake-SOLDIER at all. What did scare him though, was the thought of being powerless to stop someone from harming his family or friends.
Swish!
For the past few days now, the Delivery Boy had been having some haunting dreams. Nightmares even, of having to watch shadowy figures and stranger strike down his family and being utterly helpless to do anything about it. He could hear the cries of Denzel and Marlene, as well as Tifa, Aerith, Yuffie and the others. It was unsettling. It was disturbing. It was frightening. It was something that the Living Legacy never watched to see happen in real life, in his waking hours. While he knew that Tifa and everyone else in AVALANCE and the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee were all capable and powerful people, those dreams were still able to shake his nerve, make him doubt himself. If there was one old habit Cloud had, it was being unable to change his mind, to think different about a situation, to believe in, trust and rely on his friends. Thus here he was, within the walls of Coliseum with Fusion Sword in hand and sweat dripping down his brow as more and more time passed with the young man trying his best to become stronger then what he originally was.
Clang!
The large Fusion Sword was eventually stabbed into the ground, both of Strife's hand gripped tight about the handle as not to fall down and collapse from being exhausted. Now would have been a good time to stop, to give his body chance to rest and relax, but the creaking of leather gloves only meant that the stubborn young man had tightened his grip further upon the solid handle of his weapon. ”Haah... Haah... Haah...” Only now was his heavy breaths reaching his ears, his chocobo-blonde head lowering, mako-blue eyes staring as his feet, only shifting their gaze to watch as small droplets of sweat fell from his nose after running down his brow. The Delivery Boy remained in his position for a while as he caught his breath, watching the ground between his feet and his Fusion Sword becoming more and more soaked with his sweat. Not wanting to give up yet though, the rustling of Cloud's attire came about as he flexed his knees and pushed hard with his hands, forcing himself back up into a standing position. With his head now turned to the sky, he noticed finally that the day was coming to an end. His grip slowly relaxed about the handle of his sword until his hands fell down to his sides.
That was when he thought he heard a sound from nearby, resulting in him turning his head to glance over in it's direction.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2014 21:57:24 GMT -5
At least his glider still worked, he thought to himself.The Lanes Between worlds always made the Earthshaker feel uncomfortable...but after so long in the absence of everything, in the void of all voids, these spaces between were filled with so many things that had not been about the last time he'd been free to his whims. The vastness of space was alluring, powerful, and filled with so much energy from the passing of creatures to and fro, that Terra had to marvel at it. A flurry of brilliant hues and mysterious shapes dotted the landscape around him. Massive comets and meteors flew by him with force that made him careen slightly on his glider. It was truly a wondrous thing to behold...and it made the Keyblade Warrior appreciate every moment he'd had of freedom in his life...and every moment he would have after. This was his new beginning. This was his chance to change the things that he had caused from his weakness....this was his one moment to help his friends, when he couldn't have before."Aqua....Ven...Master Eraqus..." He thought to himself. "What could have happened to you?"A sudden vision came to him--Radiant Garden--he walked casually through the city of light, coming across a woman with short, azure hair, a beautiful face--Aqua--He'd reached out...he'd been struggling...He couldn't bear to see this monster hurt his most cherished friend--They had grown up together--they had shared the same dream--so many memories--so many loves--And yet he had been too weak. He didn't have the strength enough to protect...what mattered to him perhaps the most--he had lost against Xehanort...he had struck Aqua--"Terra's heart has been extinguished."The Keyblade Warrior felt his armor become icy cold with the memory of that voice. If he had eyes, he would have wept."Smothered by the Darkness within him!"How could he have allowed this to happen? How could he have been so blind?! How...could he have been so week, to not fight enough to save the one person who had always believed in him?!Suddenly, the glider's twin jets spluttered and whined with an inanimate cry of pain, and the youth whirled around to see the cause--he had carelessly plowed right into a small chunk of meteor, and the engines were now spewing a thick, black smoke. Gaping at his foolish mistake, Terra lunged against his handlebars, guiding the damaged transport to the closest world he could find...and one that was most familiar indeed.The bright cerulean sky was the same as it had been before. The clouds rolled in quietly, beget with cotton form and as white as the many pillared buildings strewn about the city of mighty Athens. This was the very heart and soul of the world known as Olympus Coliseum...a place he was all too familiar with. Terra relinquished his glider just as it was about to crash, sending himself tumbling headfirst into the cobblestone streets with a less-than-gentle thud. Not entirely used to the sturdiness or awkward bulkiness of his Lingering Will, Terra slowly but surely was able to put himself into a standing position.Glancing around, he could see many people leaving the gates of the famous Coliseum. It seemed a tournament of some sort had just ceased, which made the Keyblade Warrior suddenly interested. It had been so long since he'd had any combat...or for that matter, seen anybody but the ghosts of his past still lingering in his mind. He quietly wondered if there were still any people that he had known from his time as a Warrior around these parts...and those he had been most familiar with were likely at the Coliseum itself. Terra spent no time worrying about his outward appearance frightening the locale--so many warriors came from nearly every world to test their might here in the arena that outsiders had been commonplace even during his years as a youth here. Intimidating as his armor appeared, nobody seemed to pay him any attention. As he'd suspected, he was seen as just another contender.The arena itself was a sight for sore eyes. Terra found comfort in the familiarity of the main entryway, the towering statues of warriors strong standing guard over the Olympian arch, the dusty earth as he walked past flaming braziers, and the bittersweet scent of sweat conjured from a hard day's worth of training. These were things he had so desperately missed...and while it could not entirely ease the pain he had suffered, it was soothing to feel that, at last, he was somewhere where he could be welcomed with kindness of heart.Moving through the abandoned foyer of the arena, the amber-armored male walked into the din of the walkways, entering into the bright, sunlight filled heart of the place...the arena itself. Memories of battling his friend Zack filled his mind...it was he who had proven to him what it took to be a true hero...Terra could only wonder what had happened to him, or the boy Hercules...though it seemed there was nobody around to answer his question.But it seemed that his initial response was not entirely true--there was indeed someone else in the training area at the time...Curiously, Terra peered at the other in his area--he was a muscular young man, clad in little more than workout pants and sweat, his golden locks defying gravity in a way that impressed him, his powerful body moving with the motion of stable breaths, an unusual sword in his hands, clasped together with sweaty, black-gloved fingers. It was apparent this gentleman had been training here for quite some while...and as the Keyblade Warrior approached, he gazed silently behind his ebony visor at his eyes...they were, without a doubt, familiar eyes--not in the sense that he had met this person before, but that they were so similar to his own....warrior's eyes....eyes that held power...eyes that knew pain, and had witnessed it firsthand....a man who held that look in his eyes was one that Terra could immediately respect without saying so much as a word to.And so Terra stopped at the other's feet, peering down at him from his height. A deep bronze and gold were the hues that reflected from the sun's glare, and the helm which he wore donned a glass mask of ebony, with two prongs atop its surface; his crimson cape fluttered in protest against the harsh, hot wind that settled in the heart of this place of combat...a place Terra felt strangely at peace."You okay there?" He questioned, innocently.tag: Cloud and She --- notes: it's short. Sue me. --- |
TEMPLATE BY ELIZA @ Delusional & SP
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2014 20:20:26 GMT -5
Based on her previous visits to this world, the dark keybearer had sworn that this world was pure daylight all hours of the week. To her surprise as she stepped out of the Corridor to Darkness, the skies were dark and glittering with the billions stars that would not have been seen otherwise due to the sunlight or any city lights if this were an industrial world. The climate was thankfully cooler due to the change of setting and it was something that the cloaked woman could appreciate having been born in a world where the climate was much colder.
Although the night hours may have its advantages, it also had its downsides. Due to the shift from day to evening, it was highly possible that there wouldn’t be any night-oriented tournaments or any warrior willing to fight. No, most of them would likely be asleep in their warm beds or at least heading to the nearest village for the latter and a hearty drink. If anything, the only opponents that would be left for the dark keybearer is the Heartless that may still lurk around the premises but she was no night-guard and that notion was among the last of her interests.
Perhaps if I check with Phil, he may allow me to do some training…? I honestly doubt it but it might be worth a shot. muses ‘Artemis’ as she steps toward the closed doors, unhooding herself as she did so the satyr would at least recognize her. The cloaked woman was about to raise her arm so she could knock when the door opens and she steps back so she won’t be accidentally knocked down. “Oh hey Artemis! I’m guessing you’re here to train aren’t you?” She looked up at Hercules and nodded. “Well, as you can see it’s late but there’s one guy still here training. However, Phil told me to not let anyone else in since we’re closing up the Coliseum for the night.”
‘Artemis’ nodded again. “Understandable. I’ll just come back tomorrow.” She had almost turned around to leave when her ears heard a too familiar voice calling out her name. “Oh hey was that Artie?! ” The dark keybearer glances down to greet Philoctetes who was looking up at her and rubbing his goatee in thought. “Herc does have a point but I think we can make an exception for you. HOWEVER, we would like some help in taking out the Heartless for the night rounds since Herc has been doing it alone for the past few weeks and the kiddo needs a break. You have those wolves and they listen to you don’t they? Let us borrow them for the night and you can have your night training. Heck that Cloud who’s probably still lingering around could use a spar partner. How about it Artie?” proposed Philoctetes as the cloaked woman crouched down with a small smile on her face.
“Done.” answered the dark keybearer as she offered him her hand to shake for the agreement which he did so vigorously. “Thanks kiddo! Now I have three words for ya: go train!” She stood up and nodded then summoned both Umbra and Fang. The fiery silver wolf glanced at her seemingly unamused while the other wolf of darkness appeared all too hyper and rolls over as if asking her for a belly rub. ‘Artemis’ chuckled and pets Fang’s side then crouches down to rub Umbra’s stomach. “It’s fine, Fang. You and Umbra will only be helping Hercules and Phil out with the Heartless tonight. If any of them happen to be too strong for either of you; just chase it into the Coliseum arena and I’ll take care of that one for you, alright?” She instructed as she stood up and as Fang and Hercules walked away, Umbra immediately scrambles back up to follow Fang and Hercules for their task. ‘Artemis’ walked in through the doors and to the arena. However, she leaned against the wall to observe “Cloud’s” fighting technique. …Is it even physically possible to wield such a bulky sword? She wondered.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2014 11:55:54 GMT -5
It appeared that the fake-SOLDIER had acquired an observer, watching him train within the arena from a fair distance. A bead of sweat trickled from the young man's shoulder and ran down the length of his arm before soaking into his leather glove. Aside from his chest rising and falling slowly with the spaced breaths he took and his hair shifting within the evening breeze, the young man seemed to stand as solid as a statue, staring over at the stranger whom in turn was watching him. Was he waiting to see what she was going to do? Were he going to stand there and stare at her until she diverted her eyes or moved on her way? No. Instead the glowing eyes of the fake-SOLDIER First Class simply looked the young woman up and down before he turned around and brought his hands back up before him, gloved fingers clenching about the handle of his Fusion Sword once more. If she wanted to stay here and watch him, then fair enough. The Delivery Boy did not put in any special requests to Phil, the owner of the Coliseum, so he had no right to turn the woman away if she had shown up in search of training herself.
A metallic 'thunk' echoed from the chocobo-haired youth he his arms pulled up on his weapon, tugging the large blade free from the arena floor, to which he held out before him in a two-handed grip, much like a samurai would when readying his katana. Instead of proceeding to 'attack the air' or jump and dodge about the arena space, the young man stood still and held his stance, his chest continuing to rise and fall slowly now that he had calmed his beating heart and steadied himself from his earlier burst of training. After what felt like a minute or two of just standing as rock solid as a statue, Cloud slowly closed his glowing mako-infused eyes before he glanced back in the young woman's direction, revealing his glowing orbs to her. ”..... Been there long?” The chocobo-haired youth asked as he continued to watch the young woman from over his shoulder. There was something about her that felt a little... strange. Aside from the familiar aura of Darkness that he got hints of now and then, there was a look within his single audience eyes that told him she held a power far greater then anything he could ever hope to achieve. ”..... Sorry, I'm almost done. You can have this place to yourself then.”
The soft rustle of Cloud's attire came off of him as he broke his gaze from upon his 'admirer' as he resumed looking out ahead of him. He slowly brought his arms up, Fusion Sword along with them, until he held his overly large blade above his head. Taking a step forwards, the Delivery Boy brought the blade down in a slow and controlled swing, his breathing equally slow and controlled and careful as he ran the steps of some of his attacks through his mind, moving his body to rehearse the steps he'd take to execute these techniques and abilities in an actual battle. He did this for a few minutes before he'd turn around and raise his had, noticing that the woman with black hair from earlier was still present. Cloud stood up straight and lowered his Fusion Sword down to his side, holding the blade in one hand now as he looked the woman over once more, wondering why she was still here. It was clear though that he seemed to have no trouble holding the huge blade in one hand. A gust of wind reached down from over the Coliseum walls and blew through the Delivery Boy's hair and attire, rustling it as the fake-SOLDIER kept his eyes on the friend of Philoctetes. ”..... Is there something you need?” He spoke up once more, his tone lacking any real emotion as he asked his question, now remaining still and watching the stranger carefully as he awaited an answer.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2014 2:48:09 GMT -5
It would seem that the dark keybearer was found out before she could truly observe Cloud's abilities. An odd name for an odd warrior. There should be no way that he should be capable of wielding such a clumsy-looking sword. Says the woman wielding a giant key for a blade, I suppose I shouldn't be too critical of these things. mused Artemis as the Ex-SOLDIER glanced over in her direction. Yep, he knew that she had been watching him for some time. "Not too long." She answered calmly and after casting aside her cloak, stepped out into the starlit arena, "No need. The Coliseum was built to hold competition. I'm sure it can fit the two of us. I apologize for disturbing you from your training."
'Artemis' summoned the Heartsickness keyblade to her hand. Her wings remained folded against her back but would ruffle with every step she made. The dark keybearer casually walked to the opposite side of the arena avoiding Cloud so that she did not disturb his training. Although considering that he had already acknowledged her presence, it was highly probable that the winged woman had already done just that. Her attempt at observing was short lived so now 'Artemis' needed to work on some actual training and secretly hoped that Umbra and Fang would actually find a Heartless too tough for them to defeat and chase it down to the arena for her to finish off.
Quietly, she worked on a few practice slashes at an imaginary opponent. The black feathers of her wings ruffled and her wings would briefly relax from their folded position with each slash that was made. Her concentration is broken when the other trainee asked what she had needed. The lack of emotional tone to his voice rang a bell in her memory; but not thinking much of it, 'Artemis' casts the familiarity aside to address the definition of the inquiry. "Not from you. I came here to train." answered the dark keybearer curtly before returning to her own practice slashes.
[Sorry for the short post, Gen. ^^' I needed to kick my muse to drag this post out.]
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2014 6:04:45 GMT -5
The young man simply stood still and watched as the woman with wings walked out into the arena, heading past him and off towards the opposite side, claiming her half of the area for herself to train in. At first, Cloud just continued to watch her silently, listening to her words and watching her with a steady eye, taking in the sight of her wings and her body language. She felt cold and merciless, having travelled alone for a long time and lacking friends or family to rely on due to something possibly happening to her in her past. Maybe. It was an assumption but she didn't half remind the Delivery Boy of himself when he were younger, specifically around the time he first joined AVALANCHE. Slowly the large 'Buster Sword' was lowered down into a more relaxed position as the young chocobo-haired man watched the winged woman summon her own weapon; A Keyblade. It had been a long time since Strife had last laid eyes upon one of these weapons and when he did, it was being wielded within the hands of the Key to Everything, Sora. His Keyblade certainly looked a lot more... 'heroic' then this woman's though. Come to think of it, she didn't have carry a strange aura of Darkness about her this whole time, amplified more so now that she had drawn her own weapon.
”... If you're comfortable with that, I have no issue.” Strife replied to her comment of the arena being big enough to share. True, there was plenty of space, but then that would be truly decided on how either of them went about their training. If she liked to jump about and use as much space as possible, she might accidentally bump into his own training or perhaps something worse. As the young woman went about her own training, Strife couldn't help but watch her for a moment, most noticeable, watching her wings tucked against her back that seemed to flex and relax with each swing she took of her Keyblade. Was that natural or were she doing it deliberately to put more speed and or strength into her swings? Was it like how Tifa used her hips to throw punches? Did this woman use her wings to get extra power into her abilities? Cloud glanced down at his Fusion Sword and tightened his grip about the red handle, his leather gloves creaked as he did so. Technique was an important part of being a fighter. It was useless just swinging a weapon around in hopes of trying to hit something. When your weapon was a large and cumbersome as a Buster Sword, having controlled and timed strikes was both important and very difficult to manage.
Picking up his weapon again, the several blades combined into one clanked and rattle against one another a the sudden movement, but Strife found himself unable to swing the weapon any more, knowing that someone else was in the area. It wasn't that he was afraid of being watched, but perhaps more that he was worried he'd get too close to the winged woman and strike her accidentally. That seemed unlikely as she felt like she were a capable enough warrior and also appeared to be one too, after having watched a few of her practice swings. That didn't help to calm the fake-SOLDIER though who only managed to let out a sigh before lowering his weapon back down and turning his body fully in the young woman's direction. His face had no emotion and if it did, it would come across more so as perhaps dejected or maybe ashamed. A shrug of his shoulders was all that he managed to do for a moment, as only silence came from his lips. Eventually though, he managed to speak up. ”..... You want to spar? It's better to train against someone over practising alone...” A second shrug of the shoulders followed. He wasn't the most keen on his own idea, but it would be better getting in some training where he had direct eyesight on the winged woman over having to worry about her in the back of his mind.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2014 2:41:19 GMT -5
Like the SOLDIER minutes earlier, the dark keybearer had realized that she was being watched a few more swings into her practice but had elected to ignore him for the time being. She was already grateful that the other warrior did not mind with having someone else training in the arena as him and the response to her comment had brought her some relief. As much as she would have wanted Fang or even Umbra with her as her combat opponents, they were too busy chasing Heartless around the Coliseum walls. The keybearer had thought of asking the other warrior to spar with her but decided not to.
'Artemis' had no intention of practicing some of her more dangerous moves or any that required. Instead, she worked on more of the basic abilities in which she should have been toning outside the Coliseum. A disadvantage of battling an imaginary opponent is that she could not find any rhythm in her false opponent's movements thus may appear to be clumsy with her swordsmanship and footwork. The keybearer soon notices this and attempts to imagine a Heartless, a Neoshadow whom she remembers well from fighting them so frequently, in its place. Better, her memory of the Neoshadow allowed her to detect the rhythm usually accompanied by that particular Heartless and improves both.
He was correct about how she was using her wings to put more speed and a bit of power into her swings. However, 'Artemis' was doing this unconsciously. She had developed this habit because her wings are an open target and a weak point that she had tried to cover well. When her Heartless enemies had claws and their own powers, the dark keybearer needed to watch herself and find a way to cover her weak points which include her wings. She needed to do all of the footwork and move quite a bit; she did not have the leisure of being able to look over her shoulder. 'Artemis' had to use her movements as well as gut instinct as a substitute for that weakness.
Her short-lived practice stopped as she hears the warrior turn around. The dark keybearer almost forgot that he was not her opponent and quickly dismisses it as her heel turns to face his direction to prevent herself from unleashing an attack on him. That was too close. mused 'Artemis' irritably as she takes in a deep breath to relax herself from the previous moment's practice. Although he didn't appear to be interested in his own suggestion, the woman rose a brow at his body language as she considered it. A spar with a real opponent still trumps a false, imaginary one. "Sure."
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2014 12:10:33 GMT -5
A real life opponent was considerably better then facing an imaginary one. While you could always memorize the way an opponent moved and attacked in battle, it was always going to be from memory, a past encounter. It didn't compare to real experience. You might have fought one hundred Shadow heartless in the past, but there was always that small chance that number one hundred and one was going to attack differently, move differently, block differently. A memory could only server you so much when it came to battle experience. Cloud knew this. He knew it well, but he wasn't one overly keen on training with other people. He liked to keep himself to himself when it came to combat, as combat usually resulted when either Sephiroth or the Remnants were around, and when it came to those two individuals and combat, the last thing Cloud wanted was to be around other people who may get hurt. The Delivery Boy knew he was strong. He knew he was fast. There was not many people who were able to stand up the force that was Sephiroth and live to tell about it... Not once, but four times. There were even less people who can say that they had killed Sephiroth... not once, but twice. He knew this better then anyone else, yet there was always something making him doubt himself.
Perhaps it was the Darkness lingering within him and how it always seemed to flare up whenever someone with a greater hold over it, came close to him. Hades, Sephiroth, the Remnants, that friend of Sora's called Riku and now even this young woman standing in the Coliseum with him. She had a Darkness within her that was greater then Strife's. Well, she at least seemed to have better control over it then chocobo-head did. It didn't matter. Strife had got this far on his own, with a little help from Sora and Tifa along the way, but by and long, the fake SOLDIER was coping. It didn't hurt to get a little extra practice and training squeezed in along the way though. Phil was more then happy to let the Delivery Boy make sure of his Coliseum, as Cloud had helped clear up some of the Heartless that had either escaped their confines or appeared from out the Underworld or even from thin air. Plus it was also an opportunity for the satyr to make some Munny by allowing some civilians or travellers come watch from a safe distance. Not like this winged woman though, whom was close enough to force Cloud to halt his training. Surprisingly enough, his idea of having them spar together was approved by the winged female as she had turned about to face him.
A genuine look of surprise was revealed on the Delivery Boy's face at he agreement and it took him a second or two to shake it off as he lowered his eyes down onto the handle of his Fusion Sword, which was raised up before him, the tip of the blade upon the ground. His expression was a more serious one as he looked back over towards the winged woman standing before him. ”... My name is Cloud. Who're you?” He asked as knowing the name of the one you were about to face off against, was both useful information and an honourable exchange. With knowing her name, it would be easier to offer either advice, encouragement or perhaps even praised when the day was done. Speaking of such, the night sky was darkening nicely now, with bright stars sparkling away across the whole sky. Not as many as their should be, thanks to the Heartless and the Darkness, but it was still a gorgeous thing to look upon. Not being distracted with the night sky though, Cloud kept his eyes on the young woman before him as he awaited to hear a name in reply to his own. If that was or wasn't shared, it didn't matter. Cloud had to set his mind into the upcoming spar. While he had observed the winged woman in her own practising, he was still unsure how capable a warrior she'd be in actual combat.
A soft metallic clunk came from the ground as the fake-SOLDIER lifted the Fusion Sword up off the floor in one hand, before hauling the heavy blade up onto his shoulder. Here he turned his back upon the winged woman and took a handful of paces away, before turning back around. The large blade was then brought back down off his shoulder and held within two hands, the weapon pointing out before him at an angle. Cloud's eyes seemed to glow a fraction brighter now, almost as if he were in a different frame of mind entirely. The smallest of smiles then crept across his lips as mako-blue eyes fixated onto the eyes of his opponent. One could read a lot of their enemy and sparring partners from looking into their eyes. This lady was calm on the outside but was fighting a battle within her, though about what was unknown. He could see it though. There was certainly something troubling her. ”What say you to a small warm up before we get started?” Cloud asked as leather gloves gently creaked about his hands as his fingers tightened about the handle of his Fusion Sword, his feet shuffling against the dry stone arena floor as he flexed his knees, solidifying his stance. This actually, was going to be a lot more fun then he first thought.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2014 18:19:16 GMT -5
In a true fight especially against any familiar creature, even memory can become fickle or some action may prove it false even after years of observation. Relying on memory of the opponent alone in a battle is a dangerous choice but one does not have the luxury of recalling on that memory when claws needed to be dodged and blades clash. Paying attention to one’s enemy, or lack of, is one of many keys to whether or not one may survive the fight. As for this case, imagination from memory only proved her well for a warm-up.
It was also hazardous to become overconfident against even the simplest of enemies. One may become reckless and as a result, would be caught off-guard if a factor that they may have failed to calculate is used against them or something that could have been preventable comes to light. The same can be said of the other side of the spectrum; be too cautious and one may never find their courage to win or over-calculate themselves to unneeded stress especially if an enemy they studied for so long suddenly becomes unpredictable. A balance of confidence and cautiousness is needed.
Selena already knew of her own strength and does have quite a bit of trouble of holding back against novice opponents in the Coliseum. Despite being this powerful already for one being so young, the dark keybearer knew that she still has quite a bit of room for improvement and Phil must have been aware of it to in order for to allow her to train in his Coliseum this late at night. Of course he only allowed it for the price of allowing him to borrow her wolves to help take care of guarding it against the Heartless which she did out of amusement. Familiar, distant howls reached her ears and the corners of her mouth twitched into a small smirk. So it seems Fang and Umbra have found their new prey. She mused as the SOLDIER appeared to be surprised by her agreement to the spar and asked for her name.
“I’m Artemis.” answered the dark keybearer, noting that the starlight provided adequate lighting for their little spar. The lie came out as easily as it was spoken over a thousand times in as just as many scenarios. The lie had long ingrained into her. Somewhere along the way, it had shifted and become her truth.
Despite years of traveling and hopping from world to world, she had never stopped or relaxed long enough to realize and appreciate the beauty of the light gleaming and glittering like diamonds from each world seen in the black sky. It is unlikely that realization will hit her tonight or any other night in the foreseeable future. ‘
Artemis’ resummoned the Heartsickness keyblade to her right hand and rose a brow at his suggestion for a warm up. One would have believed that all the practice that he had seem to done previously would be enough for a warm up. Did she overestimate the amount of time he had spent here training? However, the dark keybearer would be able to get a first-hand experience with whatever battle technique Cloud is capable of. “Sure. She answered and tightened her grip on her keyblade, preferring to use one hand instead of both. She was ready.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2014 19:26:38 GMT -5
Mako-blue eyes flickered subtly as the power that ran through the Delivery Boy's body fed him with anticipation of what was about to happen. As far back as Cloud could recall, the only Keyblade user he had ever crossed blades with, was Sora, getting a royal ass kicking in both encounters. Sora, while only a kid in appearance, was an adult at heart and it was his heart that gave him his incredible strength and agility, allowing him to stand up to even Sephiroth for a period of time. The only people Cloud knew who could do that, belonged to the ranks of ShinRa and SOLDIER and were either dead, or missing. Was this young woman going to have power as great as Sora, the Key to Everything, or was that Darkness he could feel within her, holding her back? Perhaps she was holding it back? A blue-fire-haired 'god' appeared in Cloud's mind for a second and it caused the young man to frown, which made him look like he was suddenly frowning with disappointment to 'Artemis' before him. Quickly catching on though to what he was doing, the fake-SOLDIER blinked his eyes and shook his head from side to side swiftly, his blonde hair shaking across his eyes as he did so.
It was people like him that drove Cloud on to wanting to better himself. To get stronger, faster, smarter all on his own. Then he could rely on his own power to find those he loved, or to aid the people of the worlds in their needs. Not end up getting 'cursed' with Darkness powers in promise of aid from unreliable sources. He wanted to shudder from the memories, but he was in face of opposition right now and allowing any sign of weakness or hesitation to show would be a crucial mistake. True, this was but a friendly sparring match in a closed Coliseum. No one was recording this or watching from the side lines. It wasn't even an exhibition match. There was nothing to be afraid of here. A piece of gravel under Cloud's boot scraped against the arena floor as he shifted his footing, preparing himself for the first move, whether made by himself or his opponent. There was niggling feeling in the back of the fake-SOLDIER's mind that this 'Artemis' was going to be a quick and nimble opponent and with such a bulky weapon as Fusion Sword, it might be difficult to land a hit.
Best strike first then... fast and hard... Cloud thought to himself upon hearing the acceptance of a warm-up before getting into the thick of things. Truth be told, as 'Artemis' rightfully assumed herself, the solo practising each had done before now was more then adequate of a warm-up. It would be better off getting straight into the main scene. Slowly, Cloud pulled his arms back, bringing Fusion Sword up from before him until he held the blade vertically at his right-hand side. The weapon looked heavy and it was indeed. Perhaps with slow movements like how he swung the sword earlier in training, it might dissuade 'Artemis' into thinking he was a slow, predictable fighter. Playing the part some more, the young blonde-haired man took a slow step forwards and carried the blade close to his body as not to 'topple over' from the weight. But that all changed in the blink of an eye as the fake-SOLDIER flexed his knees down and launched himself directly at the winged woman. Fusion Sword was instantly brought up over Cloud's head and, with the creaking of leather gloves, was swung down from overhead in a fast and hard strike, much faster then you'd expect someone could do wielding such a weapon.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2014 17:04:49 GMT -5
For this spar, ‘Artemis’ had already decided upon not using her darkest abilities, specifically her demons and her wolves, unless the situation called for her to use them. The dark keybearer had intended to work on her swordsmanship so she will. However, she may adjust her initial word by using her more blade-oriented abilities to make things interesting but for a spar, it would be too careless of her to recklessly show all her cards to an opponent she had just met despite the fact that the closed Coliseum should’ve persuaded her to unleash everything she had.
There already only a few people the dark keybearer would willingly go all-out on even during a spar and there was one who dressed in crimson she could not defeat in the past tournaments every time she was matched up with him. Though Selena will not admit it, a rival had certainly helped her to motivate into improving and gaining new abilities because she needed to get stronger. She didn’t know how powerful she needed to be in order to return to her home world. There wasn’t a set bar of or a sign that specifically says that “One needs to be THIS strong in order to be here”. To her, this wasn’t a game but her reality and she’s fighting for her life. Selena did not gain her dark power from unreliable and untrustworthy sources. The majority of the dark keybearer’s powers are a result of her own blood and sweat of hard work from days upon days among the decade of training before she even learned of the Coliseum’s existence.
She had caught the initial frown from the man who is to be her sparring partner and confusion caught hold of her mind for a brief moment. What was that for? ‘Artemis’ didn’t think much of it believing that it was him who was having his own internal battle. The dark keybearer quickly threw it aside and focused on Cloud. Like the imaginary Heartless, she was focused on reading his movements and was almost fooled too. Gut instinct told her that the SOLDIER was faking it and that one would not wield such a hefty blade during a fight or even a spar if he didn’t already know how to wield it. He would’ve switched to a lighter one for their spar if he was still learning to use that blade. It didn’t help that Cloud seemed to be trying too hard to play the part of clumsy, blade-is-too-heavy-for-me wielder. She listened as it had not proven wrong to her before.
With the help of a quick burst from her wings, ‘Artemis’ slid a few feet to the left, casting a cloud of dust into the air. Although it was proven right, she was still dumbstruck at how fast he was able to swing that blade at her as if it had weighed nothing. Cloud had been correct to assume that despite the weight of her wings, she was still an agile, fast opponent by using her disadvantage as an advantage. Again with the help of her wings, she came at Cloud with a three-strike combination with the Heartsickness keyblade. Her blade held a dangerous secret of its own; a poison though temporary still had a pretty strong kick to it if it should contact flesh of one with a Heart which made it a reliable, faithful ally for Selena against the Heartless.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2014 6:57:43 GMT -5
The visible frown upon the face of the blonde-haired man told the story. His plan of ending the spar in a single attack had failed and he looked rather disappointed with himself, as if his own skill and ability as a fighter had let him down. It was actually a good thing though, that his first strike had been avoided. Firstly, this was only a simple spar. There was no malice, no hate or anger present. Today was a day where two warriors would test out their prowess in combat, to see if their own individual training had paid off or not. Secondly, it would have not been fun at all if he were in fact able to fell the winged woman in a single slash. She was a Keyblade wielded after all and they were known for their strength, speed and endurance. Sora could take a beating and deal out an even bigger one. Was this woman going to be the same? First impressions leaned favourably in that direction, with the ease of how she managed to slip away from the crushing strike of the Fusion Sword. But was that her own skill as a swordsman... or a Keyblader, or more that it was a reaction and her wings helped her to escape? Time would tell and Cloud was going to be sure to test out her speed again at the next given opportunity.
Piercing mako-blue eyes shone out through the cloud of dust that had been kicked up from the wings of the winged woman, but the sound of a heavy blade slicing through the air resulted in the cloud of dust being blown away, revealing to 'Artemis' Cloud's position and in return, the Delivery Boy was now able to see his opponent. And see her he did, as she rushed back into close the gap between them both, those wings of her helping her out again for the second time in their spar. What would be the best way of disabling those wings, bar cutting them off her back completely? There wasn't enough time to think about that right now as the Delivery Boy had to drop down into a defensive stance, the Keyblade of the woman before him, as frightful as it looked, was not something you'd want to get hit by. Little did Cloud know of the weapon's hidden secret... but that wasn't the point. Just LOOK at that thing. That Keyblade was more frightening than going up against Masamune. Plus, those Keyblades were very mysterious weapons. He knew from battling Sora that some of them enhanced the user in some way. More magical power or a boost to strength. What could this particular Keyblade be doing to aid it's wielder?
A three strike combo came from the winged woman, but Cloud was prepared. The first blow simply ricocheted off the heavy steel blade with a dull metallic 'thunk' as 'Spiky' brought his weapon up before him, handle first so the weapon was angled down and away from him, much like how a student of Bushido would defend themselves. A strong flex of the knees saw the Delivery Boy ducking down under the second slash from 'Artemis' as it narrowly missed Strife's head. In fact, the teeth of her scary blade snagged some of his hair as it passed overhead. A half second delay and Cloud would have had a Keyblade sticking out the side of his head right now. A look of concern washed over Strife's face at the realisation of how fast and agile his opponent was, and seeing as this was only a sparring match, it was highly unlikely that this was as fast as she could go. From his crouched stance though, his look of concern was probably unseen, but before the last blow of the Keyblade user came flying his way, the Delivery Boy released the energy stored within his legs, launching himself up into the air with a powerful jump. Soaring up into the air and away from 'Artemis', a comfortable 20 feet or so, Cloud looked down at his feathered opponent and couldn't help but be mildly impressed already. One attack and he was already forced up into the air. It was a bad place to be though, due to the woman below having wings on her back. Flight must have been within her arsenal. A battle within the air was going to favour her far greater then it was him.
Keeping that in mind, the Living Legacy decided it would be better to get his feet back upon the ground as fast as possible. He could let gravity take it's course and allow himself to fall back down naturally, but that would give the feathered Keyblade enough time to get into the air herself. No, Cloud needed a faster way down and there was only one way he could really think of. Just befrore reaching the peak of his jump, Cloud took hold of his Fusion Sword within one hand and raised the weapon over his head. Spinning the heavy blade about his fingers as if it were made of paper, a bright, fiery blue aura quickly covered the weapon as Strife poured some of his strength into the blade itself. A second passed and the slap of a leather gloved hand grasping the metal handle of the Fusion Sword echoed from above. Then, as if defying gravity itself, Cloud suddenly plummeted down towards the ground, weapon held overhead. He knew that this attack was going to miss, but that wasn't the point. He needed to get down onto the ground. Just before impact with said ground, Strife flipped himself about in a forward somersault so his feet landed first with his body arching around to follow with his large blade in tow after him, much like how a slinky fell down some stairs. Unlike a slinky falling down some stairs though, Strife's fiery blue Fusion Sword was whipped over his head and smashed down into the ground, unleashing three Blade Beams out in a wide cone before him, each tearing up and scoring the arena floor as they shot out in hopes of catching the winged woman.
-------------------------------------------------- Cool DownsBlade Beam - 3 Post Cool Down -- Type: Physical Description: Holding the Fusion Sword over his shoulder, Cloud gathers some energy into the blade that causes it to gain a fiery blue aura. After a moment, he will swing the sword down and release a blade of energy from the tip that heads in a straight towards his opponent. If Blade Beam hits an enemy and other targets are near by, the energy blade will dissipate and attempt to strike the other opponents. Cloud can also use this move by jumping through the air and completing a forward somersault, where upon landing he smashes the ground with his Fusion Sword and releases three Blade Beams out before him. These won't dissipate if hitting an enemy though. [Cool Down]: 3 Posts. [Damage] Medium.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2014 12:41:49 GMT -5
If the battle should have ended in her own defeat by a single attack, then Selena would have considered herself unworthy of the keyblade that had chosen her when she was so young. A defeat like that would have stricken a low blow to her own pride where ten years of blood, sweat and tears were invested into her own survival and ability to fight. However, this was a only a spar where the two warriors test and probe each other's abilities in combat.
Although it may appear that Cloud was going all-out on the young woman, she was holding back. 'Artemis' wanted to keep certain cards in her hand, such as her faithful Heartsickness' poison, until the time was right. Her wolves were already in play outside the Coliseum. So even if the dark keybearer wanted to bring her wolves in, she couldn't because Phil was borrowing them. It was the satyr who had first told her earlier on that she needed to learn to rein herself in or else things would go downhill fast such as her first battle with Genesis during the tournament. If anything, her keyblade's appearance best served as a warning for Selena is dangerous.
Cloud parried the first blow and their blades collided with a loud sound. He then ducked away from the second and jumped, boy did he jump into the air, away from the woman and her keyblade. She quickly spun around to look up at the SOLDIER currently in the air. The winged keybearer had not planned to finish the match with a single combination of hacks and slashes. She had not caught his expression either, too driven into delivering each of those blows and trying to have them connect though the one close to his head was unintended. Oops.
What goes up is what eventually must come down especially in the case of those who aren't blessed with wings. How they come down is up to their own discretion and Cloud was no exception to this notion. With another flap of her wings, she moved herself backwards, away from the anticipated landing area. Anticipating an attack, ‘Artemis’ raises up her Umbra Vitis Shield to protect herself from the blade beams that took the brunt of the SOLDIER’S blade beams but remained intact before returning to the Earth. She was ready for her counter for as soon as the vines disappeared the dark keybearer had thrown her own keyblade, alight in silver blood flame, at him for a Blood Strike Raid.
~~~ Umbra Vitis Shield: Selena can raise up many large, thorned vines of darkness to wrap around herself and/or her allies to act like a strong shield. It can be used normally and in her Dark Form. It may also be used in battle and outside of battle. [Cooldown: 1 Post]
Blood Strike Raid: The keyblade becomes enflamed in either maroon or silver Heart’s Blood and is thrown straight at the target and back to her hand. [Cooldown: 1 Post]
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2014 17:20:27 GMT -5
Having jumped a good distance up into the air, the Living Legacy was able to see just how alone the pair of them were within the walls of the Arena. He wasn't too sure about the whole Coliseum, since the walls that prevented some of the larger Heartless used in the Games from escaping were too high to see over. The area in which both 'Artemis' and Strife fought though, was completely empty. Not one person sat upon the stone benches that ran the length of each wall. Phil wasn't seen running through the sand that covered the floor around the raised fighting section. It was just the two of them and as odd as it felt not being watched in a place like this, it certainly made a nice change. Only the clash of the pairs weapons broke the sound of the silence, which must have been heard across the entire Coliseum, which only lead Cloud to further believing that the two of them were alone, since no one had come running into the arena to check out what was going on.
After having landed from his attack, the Blade Beam seen crashing into some sort of shield that his winged opponent had summoned, the Delivery Boy had to take a second to regain his balance and shift himself back up from his landed crouch, into an upright stance. In doing such a thing, Cloud's mako-infused eyes caught sight of an object hurtling straight towards him, but it was noticed too late. ”...!!!” All the Delivery Boy could manage to do was widen his eyes before the spinning object smashed into his chest, tearing a hole through his SOLDIER Uniform and scratching a fine cut across his chest that begun to bleed slowly. The impact itself was enough to stagger the young man, forcing him to take a couple backward steps to stop himself from toppling over. After having caught his balance and regaining his composure, Strife first checked to see if his female opponent was sending another attack his way. Only now having been hit did the spiky chocobo-haired youth realize that she had used an attack very similar to that of Sora.
Only when he was sure no more throwing of the Keyblade was occur, Cloud took a second to glance down at his injury. The cut was fine, like it was made with a sharp blade slicing through fresh meat. It stung considerably for only being such a minor wound, well, to him it was minor anyway. Sephiroth had dealt far worse then this to him, but that increasing sting was something he'd not felt before. Strange... Perhaps it was due to him not having been injured in battle for some time now, that he had forgotten what being hurt felt like? A ridiculous thing to think, by any means, but what else could there be to answer this horrid stinging sensation? Shrugging it off for the time being, he'd decide to figure out what it was at a later date. He had a spar to continue with. ”Not bad... Strike Raid, right? I've faced that move before...” With a roll of his left arm, his right holding Fusion Sword on it's own revealing how little effort he needed to hold such a massive weapon, Cloud tried to loosen himself up a little more.
After a couple of seconds, the young man returned both his hands onto the handle of Fusion Sword, before he charged forth towards his opponent, the sting in his chest intensifying as he did so, but he ignored it. Drawing near to the woman who called herself 'Artemis', Strife swung his blade in a hard raising diagonal slash from right to left, aiming a slice across his opponents stomach before a subtle 'click' was hear from behind him. Then the massive blade was swung across his front horizontally, left to right, again aimed at her stomach. If the winged woman was paying close attention, she'd have noticed that the second swing was less controlled, because it was done with one hand. Almost immediately after the one handed swing of Fusion Sword, Strife hopped forwards and swung out his left arm, which was now holding one of the long back blades that made up the Fusion Sword. Swinging with far greater speed due to it's light weight, Cloud aimed a fast raising diagonal slash from left to right across 'Artemis' chest, attempting to return the 'gift' she given him only moments ago.
------------------------------------------------------- Actions1. Combined a three strike attack with Fusion Sword, releasing one of the back blades to duel wield after the first strike. 2. N/A 3. N/A Cool DownsBlade Beam[/b] - 2 Post Cool Down.
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Apr 25, 2024 22:33:44 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2014 17:20:34 GMT -5
'Artemis' had not expected that technique combination to actually work. It had been a spur of the moment idea that had taken to life due to the spar as it was meant for experimenting with new techniques and combinations were they not? The dark keybearer watched her keyblade hit her sparring partner in the chest causing her to shockingly wonder if she had accidentally killed the SOLDIER. But thankfully after the Heartsickness rebounded back to her hand, she could now see that the wound was merely torn fabric and a clean cut across his chest instead of a fatal blow to the Heart. Good news, the combination works. Bad, only use if intend to kill because I don't believe I'll be this lucky again. mused Selena as she watched him cautiously. For now, she is still. The dark keybearer rose a brow when Cloud asked about her technique, stating that it had been used against him before. How...? I haven't fought him before so perhaps another has used a similar technique. Cloud missed an important part though he did get hit. The Heartsickness' poison should be taking effect soon. She wondered before answering, "Not quite, you missed the...'flashier' part." What ''Artemis' referenced was the 'flames' that the keyblade had been covered in when it was thrown and made impact. The poison was a little something that had always been inherent in the weapon that had chosen her. Her grip on the Heartsickness tightened. Although the SOLDIER had taken the hit, he wasn't down. A switch in her mind immediately turned off, all caution thrown to the wind as Cloud charged at her. 'Artemis' followed his movements reacting quickly by sliding backward away from the horizontal slash. The click did not go unnoticed. What was that? The thought briefly crossed her mind and lingered only for a second before the man was at her again. This time the dark keybearer aimed to parry off each of his strikes and now noticed the second blade. She didn't question its existence as she had the same card still in her hand. She raises then to parry the Heartsickness blade with Cloud's second blade to avoid his earlier mishap. Her eyes narrowed at him. Fully aware of the two blades Cloud wielded, the winged keybearer moved forward to enact her counter. She slashed diagonally, aimed at his left shoulder to right side, then slashed horizontally. Her momentum caused her to turn and as 'Artemis' did so, she summoned her second keyblade, the Nostalgic Harvester, to her free hand to continue with a mirror diagonal then horizontal slashes before combining both blades together for an 'x' combined slash at Cloud's chest. It was either Artemis was testing his ability or she had completely forgotten that this fight was merely a spar and not a full-on battle. ~~~ Abilities/Weapons Used/ Cooldown List: Umbra Vitis Shield: Selena can raise up many large, thorned vines of darkness to wrap around herself and/or her allies to act like a strong shield. It can be used normally and in her Dark Form. It may also be used in battle and outside of battle. [Available Now] Blood Strike Raid: The keyblade becomes enflamed in either maroon or silver Heart’s Blood and is thrown straight at the target and back to her hand. [Available Now] Dual-Wield: Selena is now able to passively wield two keyblades instead of one. [Passive] - Nostalgic Harvester
A scythe-like keyblade in which it reeks of the Darkness, it has a long reach and wide range. It excels in dark magick and grants higher damage when using dark magick Also, yes that is supposed to be a human spine.
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