[Closed] Carpe Diem

[Ańbu Juniør]

​

✦ Rei's Rules and Regulations
✦ Free Form Taijutsu and Kenjutsu
✦ Free interactive environment
✦ Terrain: Bridge leading into Ladylake
✦ Range: Short

A sullen expression hung on his face as the rain fell heavily from the thick grey clouds above. Behind him the hazy skyline of Ladylake could be seen, a place that held a special meaning for them both...Or did. Zero had changed in the time he'd been away, but then again, so had his friend. Standin atop the single bridge that led into the city, he couldn't help but wonder what had went wrong. Was it his fault for leaving his friend alone for so long? Or was it someone elses?

He couldn't be sure, but even if he knew the reson it would still be too late. He wore black pants, an indigo undershirt, and a black jacket over it, all of which were already soaked by the unrelentless rain. Izanagi's blades rested on both sides of his hips, and his silky silver hair was tied back into a ponytail. Today.....Would be the last time that they faced each other, and as the countless trials the two went through together played back in his mind, a lone figure appeared through the haze.

"....Keotsu"

 

[KeotsuEclipse]

Plains stretched before him, draped in thick gray curtains that hung in the air. The large bridge stretched forth over the water, connecting the Aquapolis to the mainland. The city behind him had long been a sanctuary of sorts for him...but things had rapidly changed in the last few years. Any true haven was short lived and hard fought for.

Keotsu walked forth under the pouring rains, already drenched from the torrents. He wore brown pants with a dark blue tunic shirt, over which he wore a billowing white cloak. Against his right hip sat his companion through countless trials, his legendary blade Mythos. His long brown hair flowed behind him, though it sat close due to the water.

Through the colorless fog, Keotsu saw a lone figure waiting on the bridge; he was not surprised. Only one person would be out in this weather, and when they called for him, it confirmed his suspicions. He wondered how the years had changed him, and if it was as much as they had changed himself.

"....Keotsu"

"...it has been some time, Zero."

 

[Ańbu Juniør]

There he was. The White Rose Swordsman in all his glory. The billowing white cloak he wore signified his position as the Shepherd, and also represented everything Zero despised. Perhaps this was the reason why he had put off their meeting for so long, because he knew that the next time they met would be the last.

"I know"

He slowly unsheathed his left blade with his right hand as he moved forward. He wondered if Keotsu knew that Michael, his predecessor, had cursed him, that he'd been corrupted by the malevolence. Now the only thing he only sought was destruction, and as such they were destined to be enemies. Zero stopped a short distance away and pointed Izanagi forwards, holding it parallel to the ground.

"Tell me, even now, how do you manage to remain so pure?"

 

[KeotsuEclipse]

"Pure...? Zero, you know my philosophies better than anyone else. It's not an absence of flaws that I have. I simply have overcome and mastered them. The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow you cast. I know the depths of my shadow, of my darkness. But, what is it I always asked you, Zero? Can you see the light? All it takes is trueness to one's self. "

Keotsu placed his hand on Mythos and drew the blade from its scabbard, the longsword held strongly in his right hand, pointing towards Zero as he pointed Izanagi towards Keotsu.

"You cannot say that you are not "pure" in the same way as I am. Do you forget the connection our souls share? Does your blade not still shine with silver?"

 

[Ańbu Juniør]

At the mention of shadows Zero thought back. Back to a time when it was only the three of them. Back to the titles that they'd both inherited. The Black and White swordsmen. Intricately intertwined, yet separate entities still. To him, Keotsu had always been the light, shining brightly wherever he went, and he was the shadow. He could see that light, but even back then, he already swore that he'd become the demon that needed to be relinquished.

"My blade hasn't shone silver....In a very long time"

And it was true. The Silver gleam that had once enveloped his blade had been replaced by the dark purplish aura of malevolence, yet their souls remained connected. Even now, after all he'd done, he could feel it. Beckoning him back towards the light, but the light would not allow him to reach his full potential.

"Our story...Ends here"

It was only for a moment, but as soon as the words passed his lips the expression on his face changed. It became one of of desperation and regret, but vanished almost as soon as it appeared. Zero snapped his right hand backwards and rushed forward to close the short distance between the two, his sword trailing freely behind him. Just before reaching striking distance he stops sharply, placing his left foot in front of him in order to quickly decelerate as he slides forwards slightly. The sliding of his feet caused the water on the surface of the bridge to splash up into Keotsu's eyes and face, in an attempt to hinder his vision.

And as the water rose so did he. Zero jumped into the air and brought Izanagi up over his head as grasped it with his free hand, and with his momentum bringing him forward he performs a powerful two handed downward strike aimed towards Keotsu's head. He knew that Keotsu prided himself in his defensive capabilities, but with his momentum and the force of gravity aiding his strike, he was confident that even if he tried to block it, Mythos would be forced back down.

 

[KeotsuEclipse]

At the mention of shadows Zero thought back. Back to a time when it was only the three of them. Back to the titles that they'd both inherited. The Black and White swordsmen. Intricately intertwined, yet separate entities still. To him, Keotsu had always been the light, shining brightly wherever he went, and he was the shadow. He could see that light, but even back then, he already swore that he'd become the demon that needed to be relinquished.

"My blade hasn't shone silver....In a very long time"

And it was true. The Silver gleam that had once enveloped his blade had been replaced by the dark purplish aura of malevolence, yet their souls remained connected. Even now, after all he'd done, he could feel it. Beckoning him back towards the light, but the light would not allow him to reach his full potential.

"Our story...Ends here"

It was only for a moment, but as soon as the words passed his lips the expression on his face changed. It became one of of desperation and regret, but vanished almost as soon as it appeared. Zero snapped his right hand backwards and rushed forward to close the short distance between the two, his sword trailing freely behind him. Just before reaching striking distance he stops sharply, placing his left foot in front of him in order to quickly decelerate as he slides forwards slightly. The sliding of his feet caused the water on the surface of the bridge to splash up into Keotsu's eyes and face, in an attempt to hinder his vision.

And as the water rose so did he. Zero jumped into the air and brought Izanagi up over his head as grasped it with his free hand, and with his momentum bringing him forward he performs a powerful two handed downward strike aimed towards Keotsu's head. He knew that Keotsu prided himself in his defensive capabilities, but with his momentum and the force of gravity aiding his strike, he was confident that even if he tried to block it, Mythos would be forced back down.

Zero rushed forward, signifying the true beginning of their bout - and Keotsu placed his hands on Mythos's hilt and scabbard in anticipation as his friend rushed him manically. The maneuver evoked fond memories from Keotsu, in their days under his sensei when they would endlessly spar against each other. This move, too, was an opening that had been done before.

The water kicked up with each step Zero took, and suddenly he came skidding to stop, forcing water upwards with his momentum - flashbacks of Zero preforming the same techniques in their battles in the desert came to mind; Keotsu quickly used his footwork to stepbackwards, creating distance between himself and Zero as he came to a stop, only to see Zero leap skyward as the water splashed up against Keotsu's pants. Seeing Zero raise his blade up, Keotsu quickly took a quarter step to his right as he stepped back, and turned his body, allowing Zero's blade to come down were Keotsu was once standing, but no longer was - and then Keotsu rapidly drew his blade, slashing his blade upwards above Zero's own, and aiming for his friend's throat.

"You know our dual nature. Our intertwined fates. A light cannot exists without casting a shadow. And likewise there can be no shadow without light. Our story is eternal."

 

[Ańbu Juniør]

Wew can't believe I let this die when it had such a great story for the two of us. *Does CPR*. And we're back.

---

Keotsu dodged it easily, as he always did. After all, this was the way he usually opened their bouts. It a was a ceremony. A dance. An unspoken ritual carried out by the two. As Zeo's blade came down were Keotsu once stood, the memories of their previous battles would come rushing back, regardless of how hard he tried to submerge them. As Mythos came up towards his throat Zero snapped his head back and threw his body backward so that he'd go into a roll. As his feet made contact with the ground after coming out of the roll he drew his second blade, signaling the true start of their final battle.

"No! It ends today, by my hand. Keotsu! I'm taking back my fate!"

Be would he? Could he? The two had been together for such a long time, it was hard to believe that one could exist without the other. But he had to. He needed to. For his own sake. The malevolence screamed for his death, and Zero complied. He pushed off towards Keotsu once again, but this time he was only inches above the ground. Zero swung the blade in his left hand from his right side to the left in a horizontal manner, aiming for his friend's chest, and held his right blade pointed forward, ready to be thrust outwards in case he ducked or brought Mythos down to knock his first blade away.

 

[KeotsuEclipse]

Live, dammit, LIVE!

---

Keotsu watched as Zero avoided his strike, not that he really anticipated it connecting. There battles were never so simple; the gap between them, if it existed at all, was simply too small. When Zero drew his second blade, Keotsu's left hand instinctively went to the scabbard of Mythos, though he did hesitate. Did he call upon Mythos's power and turn the scabbard into a shield, as he had done in previous fights? Or did he stick it out with only Mythos in its longsword form? Clenching his fist, he decided against it for now, as Zero spoke.

"No! It ends today, by my hand. Keotsu! I'm taking back my fate!"

Keotsu adjusted his stance, holding Mythos with both hands in what others would know as the Hasso kendo stance. As a longsword, Keotsu would have a slight advantage in his reach, and he would need to play on that factor. To underestimate Zero when using his dual blades would be a foolish mistake.

Zero's deluge began rapidly, as he quickly closed the distance between the two of them; his blade first came from Keotsu's left, aimed at his chest; Zero's low stance to the ground, however, would make a parry difficult, especially with that second blade to worry about - and so, Keotsu would once more fall upon his foot work to make up for what his swordplay could not accomplish.

As Zero rushed forward, Keotsu first forcefully skid his left foot forward some, splashing some of the water up off the cobblestone in an attempt to momentarily disrupt Zero's vision; quickly stepping to his left, towards the outer portion of the bridge, while also inverting Mythos so its tip pointed towards the ground, pushing outwards so that he could deflect Zero's blade as Keotsu stepped past him and tried to move behind him. Moving to this side also allowed Keotsu to put himself on the opposite side of Zero's second blade, which would buy him some time to respond, depending on how he reacted to Keotsu's own maneuver.