Hit and run (Apollo)

"WATCH OUT!" was all Arawn could shout as the cart sped down the path. People that heard his cry quickly jumped off the road or hugged the wall of the alley. It had a been a literal uphill battle getting the cart through Rukongai, now it had become a downhill massacre. Arawn had stumbled and fell and then physics kicked in. The slope of the hill and the round will decided to work with gravity and thus the current situation. The runaway cart showed no signs of stopping. Oddly enough if it was successful in hitting someone it would definitely stop. Although he loathed to admit it, it wasn't the meanest thought he'd ever had. He shook himself back to reality, it was taking everything he had to run after the cart. Unfortunately, what speed he possessed wasn't enough to catch the cart, merely run a few feet from it. Finally they were coming to a corner.
"That wall should stop it." Arawn mutter to himself, he drops from the run and watches as the cart nears the wall.
But it seems fate is cruel, as he stops Arawn sees a figure round the corner just as the cart reaches it.

Turning the corner in a rush Apollo looked around for the cause of the disturbance that had so rudely interrupted his peaceful walk and was greeted by the sight of a cart speeding directly towards him. Great just what I need a runaway cart, these people really need to learn to use brakes.

At first Apollo’s hand hovered over his sword, but then realizing the foolishness it would take to stop a cart twice as big as himself, he pointed one finger at it. His voice was loud and clear “Hado number 4: White Lightning!” The blast of white light ripped through the space between Apollo and the cart. As soon as the light hit the cart, it erupted into a shower of splinters and other unidentifiable items.

Shaking the splinters of wood off of himself Apollo looked around a scowl on his face, “Whose cart was that?” he asked his anger unconsciously slipping into his words. “WHOSE!? Someone innocent could have been killed and none of you wish to take responsibility.” The crowd on the street had stared and by the looks on their face they were scared of what a student could do. Some people even turned and hurried away that a student might lose his temper.

His mouth hung open in disbelief. The cart was destroyed and it's contents scattered. Papers fluttered in the wind like leaves;leaves that were on fire. Boxes were thrown about the ground if not in tatters, their contents spilled out as well. Other objects were catching aflame from parts of the cart. Glass vials were reduced to shards. And the culprit had the nerve to be angry? Arawn was down right furious. How was he going to explain the damaged cart? What about the materials? They were all destroyed and lost.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Arawn shouted walking closer to the ranting student. "You could have jumped out of the way, but like an idiot you destroyed it! This stuff is worth more than your life!" He bent over to pick up some of the scraps of paper. Indeed nothing was salvageable "And another thing you shouldn't be discharging kido like that in town, what kind of maniac are you?" The more he saw of the young man the less he liked him. Perhaps he was venting his frustrations on him, but it was a valid point.

Apollo’s anger subsided as he looked at the shinigami “Maniac? Who was the one that let a cart go speeding down a hill? How were you planning on stopping it, by letting innocent people die under it? Or maybe you wanted it to crash into the wall, how were the people who live here going to repair it?” Apollo really tried to control his temper, but it was careless people like this that pushed him over the edge.

“As for the kido discharge, I saw the opening and took it…no one was hurt and the object in question was effectively halted with minimal damage to the people. Of course it could have been avoided all together if you chose to pull your cart in the front where you could reach the break.” Apollo stared at the Shinigami as he finished his tirade in a clipped voice, “Now first who are you and what squad do you belong to, that way these people know who is to blame?...” He drew his blade “Second you are coming with me to account for your actions.”

For the second time Arawn's mouth hung open. He eyed the academy student in pure amazement. What planet had this person come from?
"Perhaps I was too kind in calling you a maniac. You're an utter moron!?" Arawn retorted. Today he was garbed in his standard black shinigami robes and as standard white lab coat. If this student failed to recognize that he was in fact a shinigami and belonged to the 12th squad only showed his naïve. His noted the man's hand on his weapon now. Arawn's own blade rested across his back, he reached back to the handle.
"Any bit of civility is wasted on you it seems. You mean to threaten me? It seems they don't teach manners where you're from. Or the academy has truly lowered it's standards. I guess it's up to me to teach my kouhai, I'll show you a thing or two." With a smooth motion he drew the blade free from the scabbard and downward into a slash. They were far enough apart that the blade wouldn't connect. He was merely testing the young man.

His opponents blade called for battle as it was drew from the sheath, Apollo smiled as the situation turned more towards his liking than he would have hoped. He didn’t even bat an eye when the blade was brought down in his face. Apollo smiled as the sensation of excitement rocketed through his body. “I truly hope you intend to use that blade now that you have drawn it, I mean I have heard that the all the 12th squad was good for was cutting people open, but can you cut a moving target?”

It was nothing more than a twitch of excitement, as Apollo rocked back on his heels and leapt forward. Swinging his blade a fraction of an inch from the shinigami’s shoulder, Apollo followed up with a sweep of the legs. “If you are going to waste time testing me, make them challenging.”

"You would probably fail any test I could give. And cutting people open is what a sword does best." Arawn said as the blade missed his shoulder. " Seemed like the student was testing him. Arawn held no illusions, he knew he wasn't the strongest of fighters. But brute strength wasn't all a fighter needed. "And as for hitting a moving target." His blade was still in the ground. He jumped up to avoid the sweep the katana rising with him. He brought the blade back down again this time well within range of cutting the student on his shoulder. "You just have to wait for the target to stop moving or let them come to you."

Apollo only grinned as he felt his opponent’s blade bite into his shoulder, “It’s true that you might be able to cut something open when it’s close, but you need to learn it’s hard to dodge in mid air.” Switching arms Apollo brought his own blade up under his opponents hoping to lever it out of his shoulder and nail his opponent in the ribs, with the same motion.

Jumping backwards Apollo put some distance between himself and the shinigami, the smile still evident on his face as he felt the blood trickle down his shoulder. “I am Apollo Darknight, and the second thing you need to learn is when you strike an opponent; make sure you disable what you hit.” He rolled his injured shoulder showing that he still had a full range of motion. “I really hope you can hit harder, otherwise it’s going to be really embarrassing for you to be taken down by a student.”

The man was correct about the difficulty of dodging in mid air. But he wasn't about to admit it. Being the in air also reduced his swing's power. He had be trying to disable that arm. Instead he had only given a shallow cut. It was only natural he would be swatted from the air by the opponent's counter. The blow to his ribs wasn't too painful, but he knew to be wary of any other strikes.
"Oh now you mind your manners?" Arawn scoffed at the late introduction. "Did my strike knock some sense into you? I'm sorry for not hitting you harder. But if I kill you; how will you learn anything?" Arawn lunged forward with his blade, he stops short and spin making a circular large slash at Apollo.

Apollo grinned at the comment the shinigami made on manners, “No introducing myself has nothing to do with manners, I thought you would like to know the name of the student that was going to make you spend a week in the squad four medical wing.”

Apollo’s blade rang out as his opponent’s blade met the flat of it after its wide circle. “Your fast, though you seemed to be neglecting fighting very often, and if you are in squad 12 you have to be smart, yet your stupidity surprises me. Lesson three when fighting an opponent that is able to use both hands independently avoid close combat at all costs.”

Without hesitation Apollo aimed another punch towards the man’s sternum, using all the control he could muster not to crack the fragile bone. Taking another step back Apollo felt his foot touch the wall, a wicked grin crossed his face as he raised his blade to point at the man, “You know why the khopesh has a curved blade at the end? Some say it’s to decapitate a person, though they are only part right. The curve serves to purposes, one I have already explained and the second is to catch an opponent’s weapon during a block. There were even master’s that could reverse the path of a thrown weapon, or so they say.”

The smack to his sternum jars him. He takes half a step back, but hides any discomfort. Even if it does hurt, showing pain can only strengthen the opponent. The man is quick arrogant to try teaching him combat tactics. Especially when he fell so easily into Arawn's plots. By pressing his attacks Arawn had backed his opponent into the wall limiting his movement options."Even if you were to send me to the medical wing, with a punch like that I won't be there long." He noticed abit too late. His history lesson an attempt to provoke some action or to make him retreat. Well might as well play along. "I guess I could use two hands, but don't complain about it later." With that said Arawn whipped his sheath off his shoulder and swung it at Apollo's head with his left hand like a club. With is right he stabbed forward at his stomach. He gripped the blade on the end of the handle enhancing his reach.

Apollo’s smile never faded as the shinigami charged him with both sword and sheath, “Now you’re getting it, attack with everything you got.” He parried the blade with his own, and even managed to catch the sheath with his free hand jarring his left arm. The pain was distracting, but Apollo only grinned showing no signs of it on his face.

Apollo grunted with the effort of holding his opponent in place as he chimed another lesson “Lesson four, never fight a cornered opponent when you don’t know what they are capable of doing in said corner.” Releasing the his opponents sheath Apollo thrusts his palm right towards the mans chest, just above where his heart should be. “Hado number one: Thrust!”

(OOC: Sorry for the short post…can’t move without considering it an auto hit for the kido so yeah its short deal with it. Lol)

The burst of kido in his chest sent him flying back several feet. He was thankful he hadn't used a spell with actual attack power. But the impact was more than enough to knock the wind from him. Arawn had enough frame of mind to keep hold of his weapons. His forced retreat had now given his opponent ample room to move. And rushing attack would be easily countered now. Well so much for that plan. He took a moment to catch his breath.
"Well you certainly have a grasp of basic kido. Let me show you an advanced one." Arawn grinned as he release his reiatsu, the air became thicker around with the growing pressure. "The pillar of heaven falls, damn thy fate. Crush the wicked! Hado 17: Smite." Hand still holding the sheath he pointed his left hand at Apollo. The large purple column took shape and filled the narrow alley in an instant it barreled at the student. Arawn rushed in behind the column both weapons held ready.

Apollo chuckled a bit as the man charged him with an impromptu battering ram or kido, “Stop the Impelling Shot, from a Prompt arrival: Bakudo number three: Sutoppu!” The kiddo shaft stopped as Apollo jumped atop starting his next lecture as he took two steps and jumped off the end. “Lesson five, never give your opponent the high ground, especially when he is crazy.” Raising his blade Apollo aimed a vertical slice towards the man’s shoulder.

As he landed on the ground Apollo pushed off to the left, getting himself out from between the wall and his opponent. “You never did tell me your name, shinigami, I would appreciate the name of the man I am about to put out of commission.” Apollo tried to hide it, but stress was starting to take its toll on his body. Rule six, when fighting an opponent with magic never fight back with magic; unless you’re absolutely sure that you can overpower them. Scolding himself, Apollo’s smile faltered for a brief instant.

Even with two weapons Arawn favored his right hand. The slice he blocked with his sword rather than his left hand's scabbard/club. While he cursed himself for failing exploit an excellent chance to counter attack, he was satisfied with being unscratched. Well hardly unscratched he still felt those previous strikes the student had landed. "Still such and attitude."Arawn realized his own attitude was lacking, but he wanted to rile up the man. Provoke him. He needed to keep his distance, he couldn't take many more of those hits. His reiatsu still pumping he began his next spell.
"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat! Bakudo #10: Hōrin!" Arawn pointed two fingers of his left hand at his target and a rope of light fired out. But this was only part of his plan. As the rope shot forth from the left he advanced and kicked a piece of the destroyed cart into the air. The piece of broken wood was quite heavy, but just the right size. "Push and pull, forward and advance. Hado #1 Sho!” With his right hand he fired the second spell at the wood chunk. As the invisible force struck it, the wood then rocketed at Apollo from the right. With a flick of his wrist the rope curved and arced like a whip.

Apollo’s eyes went wide as he saw the dual attack, fueled by kido. Relying purely on instinct he raised his right hand towards the shard of kart headed toward him “Hado number one: Sho!” Apollo only poured a small amount of power into the blast causing the wood to falter and sail over his shoulder. “Lesson number six, if forced to fight a stronger kido user, use what you have with efficiency and without waste.”

As the rope of kido cracked through the air, Apollo’s mind raced for a counter measure, thinking of only one his face turned serious, Now the real fun begins. “Demons below limit the one before me in your arts. Bakudo number 2: Hanko-Nensho!”

Hoping it was enough to keep his opponent from binding him, Apollo charged forward his blade raised ready to slice through the opponents arm. “Lesson number seven, hold nothing back, hold no regrets and fight with your entire being.” Apollo’s body was tired but he would not give his opponent the pleasure of seeing it.

Arawn grinned left and right attack failed, and his spells ended. An effective squeeze ploy, and now the student came at him. He didn't move, he knew this would be the final exchange. "You and your proverbs." The opponent would give his all, and so would he. He wouldn't dishonor himself by backing out now. "Come, I will tell you my name." He held his weapons at his side, his body tensed and ready. "And I will show you my most powerful move."

Apollo continued his charge towards the nameless shinigami, his sword danced through a wide arc towards the shinigami’s throat, the last instant before he met his opponent was jam his sword into the ground propelling him left so that now his opponent was now between him and the wall. “Lesson 8, when trapped, always remember there is always a way out; you just haven’t tried hard enough.”

Raising his arm he pointed one finger at his opponent, “I hope you can forgive me for this. Hado number 4: White Lightning!” Apollo poured all the spiritual power he could afford into the spell. He wouldn’t be move for a counter if that came, he’d be lucky to stay conscious. Yelling over the roar of the blast Apollo finished his lessons for combat. “Lesson 9, always end with killer dialogue, this by far is the most important lesson. I hope you enjoyed this life because there is no third stop.”

Although many will deny it; math is everywhere. Numbers apply to so many things; even in the heat of battle. He hadn't seen a weapon like Apollo's before, so it was hard to combat it at first. He had since calculated the range of the weapon. And such he knew when to counterattack basically. So he was ready for the charge, but not for the dodge. Apollo went left. As unexpected as that was, the spell the followed was even more so unexpected. Still it was lucky for him, the opponent fired at Arawn's left. Arawn stood almost in a fencer's stance from that perspective. The blast of energy came he raised his left arm's sheath and met it head on. He screamed in defiance of the attack and in pain. The light faded. The sheath was gone; broken and burned, not that he would notice. The hand was charred, there was no filling in his blackened fingers frozen into a crude claw. His arm barely fared better; what skin that wasn't burnt was bleeding from pieces of shattered scabbard. His whole left side was smoking his robe and lab coat completely destroyed from his left side. He couldn't see that some of his hair had been singed as well. The pain was maddening, but he stayed upright. It was time to counterattack. "Here's a rule for you; Let them cut your flesh, while you break their bones."

Arawn crouched down and then jumped. Well, jump wasn't the proper word. Using the same power he would utilize to jump 12ft, he instead propelled himself horizontally at Apollo. He covered the distance between them in a flash his right arm, his only functional arm, leading with an elbow. The 165lb missile collided with the larger man and carried both to the opposite wall. The impact sent up a small dust cloud.
"My name is Arawn Dan'Shir. I won't say this is my win, since we both learned something today." He took a stumbling step backwards and a new pain ran through his right arm. A strike that heavy was too much for that arm it seemed. "Rules are needed in society, but on the battlefield rules are only guidelines not absolutes." Somehow his right hand still clutched his sword, but the arm was going numb. The fight, for good or ill, was over for him. He looked at the wreckage around them from the cart. A part of him felt angry about materials, another part was angry at himself for fighting so much over something so trivial. He was so late for getting back, he was bound to be in more trouble than before.

Apollo collapsed on the ground staring up into the sky, the hint of a smile still on his face. “Well Arawn Dan’Shir, you have done well…there may be hope for you yet. You might actually have a chance at killing me, though for future references I recommend not throwing yourself at an opponent. If I would have had the strength to dodge you would have been done.” Closing his eyes Apollo blacked out from exhaustion, the smile still plastered on his face. Twice you have fought Apollo and twice you have lost, you must become stronger…

(OOC: The thread is over for me, Arawn if you would like to post once more go ahead I just wanted to put this up because of the comment at the end.)