(We're both in battles, I know...just wanted to stick this up here).

Ruins surrounded the two fate-bound warriors, the remants of what once was a sprawling, prosperous civilization. The parthenon was expansive, white marbe floors extending with perfection for many yards. Pillars marked off every so often, supporting the unusually low ceiling above both men. The white rock was polished smooth: the floor did nearly as good a job as a mirror.

Time had not exempt the place from its ultimate weapon: decay. The building was in disrepair; its pillars cracked and crumbling in many places, their structurally integrity greatly reduced over time. However, despite their weakness, the ceiling seemed quite stable. It was doubtful it would be coming down any time soon. Truly, the great architects of times past had built their own genius into this structure. The walls that enclosed the structure had deep set runs that spread across them in intricate patters: one might have mistaken the cracks for purposeful artwork. But, both men knew they were not here to admire the view.

"You have proved worthy of further consideration," 'The Voice' boomed through the building. "And only one will leave this place to continue. You are above the rest...fight like you are."

(OSO posts first, and then I [LeboyX] will)

Perhaps it was blind luck that had drawn Ein to face one of the more unstable combatants that had entered the King of Darkness Tournament. Amidst the strangely dragging battle, he found that his opponent had mysterious vanished from view... and before too long the mystical voice that had spoken before had once again spoke, this time whisking him into a large, marble temple of sorts.

Strangely, the psionicist would begin by letting his eyes wander upon the expansive structure. Column, upon column, upon column... and eroded stone. Monuments that only true artists could manufacture... and monuments that could never be reproduced again.

It was somewhat sad, to be honest. However unmeaning the builder meant it, the randomly broken pillars reminded Ein quite vividly of death. The stones were meant to last forever, as tribute... but over time, however weak, however powerful... the massive marble totems were destroyed one by one by invisible forces. Perhaps by raiders, perhaps by wind... regardless, what was once thought invincible had succumbed.

Peace, had also been destroyed... and not as subtly as one would imagine.

A faint tingling sensation had made itself aware against Ein's lower back. A sense that was unfamiliar, even to his own powers, came into play. Even beyond his natural sixth sense of psionics... perhaps maybe a seventh, or even an eighth...

"Who's there?" He spoke, unusual calm before the storm in a temper that seemed to flare when someone interrupted his thinking. He was certain that someone was behind him, probably the next competitor from the King of Darkness Tournament.

Afterall, there was most certainly a purpose for his mystical transportation.

"Who's there?"

Two words broke the silence that had been forced into Jaedin's mind. His senses were numb, his body unstable, his equilibrium completely upside down. His vision was blurred, tears slowly streaming from his dialated eyes. His muscles ached for a moment, joints cracking and creaking as his body slowly adjusted to the warping nature of teleporting.

The teleportation had been most difficult this time: being ripped from the white room had been a hectic event. Furthermore, the fact that he was hearing a coherent voice was a new addition. The man he had been previously paired with had been virtually unable to do anymore than drink beer - or whatever it was he had kept in those vials. So drunk was he that he had literally been unable to attack, and Jaedin had counted it another victory, though an easy one.

Quickly, Jaedin took a grip of himself, focusing on that singular voice. He needed something to help bring him back into reality. The god-voice had spoken: he would find a blade in his back if he didn't manage to at least know where he was.

He recognized those words; that voice. Calm. Composed. Aristocratic.

You...

As his vision cleared, Jaedin's initial assumption was confirmed. Standing before him, his back currently facing Jaedin, was the famed mage; the one (:wink:); Ein. Those characteristic blue robes and complimentary hair were unmistakeable. This was indeed him. Of all the people he was to be paired with, it was ironic he would be paired with such a man; such an opposite; such a better. He knew better than to think the mage weak. His frail form

Jaedin opened his mouth to respond, but quickly snapped it shut. If this was indeed the fames psychic, why did he need to talk? Curiosity getting the better of him, Jaedin thought his sentence.

Why don't you look around...

(lol, Stop making it seem like Ein's some famous person! =P He's embarrassed.)

Silence.

Silence had mocked the psionicist's question, his voice resounding off of and between the marble columns. Whatever invading presence that caused the idiosyncratic chill had decided to remain anonymous for the time being.

"The strong, silent type, perhaps...?" In retort, Ein responded, turning on the balls of his heels to greet his taciturn adversary.

However, he would not be prepared for the one he saw.

It was him, cowled in his own typical wardrobe of black. There had been only a few circumstances that Ein had come across his company...

The foremost memory of this ninja came upon when the psionicist entered DI. Jaedin was responsible for training him, ensuring that he was ready and able to take care of himself across the war-torn world.

He had succeeded. Possibly more so than could ever have been anticipated.

To say the least, Ein held a certain respect for Jaedin. His composure, attitude, and demeanor all noted a great warrior, something that was indeed rare within these bounds of reality.

Or perhaps Ein simply respected the power Jaedin wielded. Even from afar, there seemed to be a certain aura of energy manifesting from his form...

Affirming his thoughts, he spoke:

"Shall we begin?"

Hopefully, the well-versed warriors were past formalities.

(This should be an amazing fight. I hope I don't go over the top though... >.<; As you probably noticed, I tend to go all... DBZ with my fights...

Good luck to you, Leboy. May the best man win!)

(Same to you, OSO. Either way, this'll be fun. )

"Shall we begin?"

Jaedin's lip curled slightly as Ein got to the bottom line of why they were both there. Formalities had their merits in certain circumstances, but these weren't those times. Two battle-hardened warriors had been put in the same room with one another. Pleasantries would be pleasant, yes. But, both men would quickly find themselves bored of idle chatter.

With lightning reflexes, Jaedin's leg muscles contracted and launched his form high into the still air of the parthenon. The wind rushed past his face and had an ususual feel to it. It was as if the air had retained its age and had gone years without being inhaled. The feeling of aged air rushing into his lungs was strange and uniquely exhilirating.

Jaedin's sword was already out well before he reached the apex of his jump, its metal glinting dully amid the indirect lightning of the structure. As his arc began to slope downwards, Jaedin tapped the innate powers of his shoes. From the power, his rate of ascent and descent was slowed, allowing him to linger at the apex of his jump much longer than usual. With his added time, Jaedin decided to simply stare the mage down and allow him his own move.

In his right had the ninja held his sword. His left was free and his mind was flicking through every possible action he could fill that second hand with. Tricks and deceptions, strategies and skills; Jaedin was going to have to employ all his tactics if he was to come out on top in this battle.

(Sorry for lateness. Holidays, etc.)

(No worries. Anticipation brings excitement. Plus, it's not like I'd let you simply lose for not being able to post... for the justification of my own existence, *dramatic pointing* I must crush you beneath your own, shattered ego! Prepare yourself, LeboyX!!

That was a bit extreme... sorry.)

With an understood and agreed disposition, the battle had begun.

Two warriors, perhaps fated today to end each other's lives, would fight. Psychic energy would clash against raw power; sword agains staff. A dark gratification would secrete from the mage in the form of a grin as the ninja took to the air. It had been some time since he had faced an opponent of this magnitude. Not even Rayuke, Master of Magic, held the same sheer amounts of energy that Jaedin was giving off.

Whatever hilarity the gods had so sought out, they had most certainly found it here, amongst the ghostly whisperings of architects, worshipers, and priests of the temple.

However, such musings would be left to, and only to, the gods. This battle, if winning was to be awarded, would take full concentration... even the most minor detail missed would most certainly spell demise for the physically inept warrior.

Amid Jaedin's ascent into the centuries-stagnant air, Ein had prepared his staff. The instant transportation after his opponent's mysterious dematerialization (whoa, rhyme.) hadn't allowed him time to put it away, and thus it still hung languidly at his side until now.

Aegis, a powerful relic that had come into the psionicist's possession shortly after the battle at the deserted village, was now pulled into <a href="http://www.nidan.fi/catalog/images/k9.gif">defense</a>, crossing over his body and held by both hands. The silver claw lay pointed at Jaedin.

As seconds passed, the ninja displayed the strange ability to defy gravity (assuming he's... just... hovering there). Such things were rare, but certainly not impossible here... either that, or the seconds passing were merely the effects of adrenline beginning to course within the veins.

[Psibolt; 2x left]

Testing this, a smaller orb of blue energy started to accumulate within the dragon claw's grasp. Ethereal at first, the mass began to substantiate into a darker color. Only minute amounts of energy would course into and manifest within the ball... but it's power would be, at least, be equivilent to a fastball.

It shot out, Ein's form still holding its defensive position. It's aim would be precise enough, the torso of Jaedin was a semi-large target and in the suspended state of 'airborne' it seemed likely the attack would hit. Minor bashing, at best... an effigy to greet the staredown.

(I must say, that link is most...graphic. )

(He more just hangs for a bit longer. He'll have to come down sooner or later. Like now. )

As Jaedin lingered in the air, Ein had taken to a standard defensive stance, wielding an unusually crafted staff in front of him. It was from this staff that the mage would manifest his first supernatural attack, dark energy concentrating in the end of it to be shot out at Jaedin's slowly descending form. Whatever the mass was, Jaedin wasn't sure. However, he would rather not find out.

Intending to increase his rate of descent, Jaedin's reaction came to slow as the dark energy came at him too fast. Seeing the impending impact, Jaedin did what he could. As his arcing path in the air would carry him into the path of the sphere, he anticipated an impact in his upper abdominals. Muscles pulled taut and hardened to prepare for the impact. The ball hit him hard, failing to knock the wind out of him but nevertheless managing to deal a moderate amount of blunt-force pain and damage.

Jaedin impacted the ground hard, his attempt to increase his rate of descent working against him. His angles complained but complied to what his mind tasked them with, his joints adjusting to the added impact force. The throb in his gut, though still present, faded fast, not phasing Jaedin to a significant degree. He had had his share of bruises and blows, and this was no different. (Familiar Territory).

Safely on the ground, Jaedin wasted no time in rushing the mage, covering the small distance that remained between the two warriors. The pain in his gut and ankles was quickly forgotten amid his battle sense and his adrenalin. His sword was down, ready to come up in a diagnol slash across Ein's body. With his intention in mind, Jaedin carried it out, heaving his arm upward and across his body. However, he held something back. His charge was totally direct: far too many weaknesses existed to allow him to not keep himself in reserve. His swipe lacked the speed and overal strength it would have had. Still, it could stick itself in Ein's gut if the mage chose to simply stand there.

(I took a note from one of the last tournament's fighters. S/he used to post links to pictures that helps explain everything. =P I thought it was cool and a pretty good idea to boot. Sadly, this post was a bit different.)

The bolt had struck with the intensity expected. Jaedin's body structure would do more than compromise though, muscles providing protection to the needed areas of impact. Little more than stunned by the blunt-force trauma, the ninja began his counter-attack.

There was a moment in which Ein had regretted not using a more powerful spell, perhaps shooting a beam at Jaedin would have provided some form of advantage, a moment of fault. Instead, the defensive psionicist was rushed by an upward slash.

This method of attack was direct. Nothing special was added and no real threat (other than impending, severed flesh) was given.

With Darkness's Blessing, the blue-haired mage was more than skilled enough to block the swing. The clawed end of Aegis would swoop down, feet anchoring for support in a simple parry that would bring Jaedin's blade upward, around, and ending on the opposite side it started. (PM if you need clarification)

Robes would flutter violently at the movements, cloaks snapping in the unmoving winds while the two warriors TRULY began their battle. This starting exchange would prove nothing, first blood meant little compared to last. Both veterans new this, and both would be seeking that final moment of victory.

The block happened at about the same speed of the attack: mild-- at best. The length of the staff being used as a buffer as to not allow the pointed end too close. There would be no reason for Ein to waste his Mana in retort.

As for now, a jab would work.

The clawed end, though crafted for slashing, would be thrust towards the ninja's chest. It was a quick, incomplete jab made with the incorrect side, mostly for opportunity's sake. The four-pronged talon would be just a few levels above nuisance but less than a dagger-wound (maybe comparable).

(I thought it was kinda' funny )

(I get the block, and I like how you described it. So you swiped my blade and jabbed with the same, clawed end, right?)

A clash of steel rang in Jaedin's ears, resounding throughout the expansive room. A crisp, metalic clang sounded as Jaedin's sword met a parry by Ein's uniquely crafted staff. In a large, arcing motion Ein had redirected Jaedin's sword around himself and safely avoided a deadly carving.

Ein's prowess was greater than Jaedin had anticipated. The seemingly frail mage showed an unnatural strength and ease in his staff-wielding. Jaedin made a mental note to himself (among the many of others that were beginning to fill the recesses of his mind): He would need to remember that.

The psychic was quick on the uptake, parrying Jaedin's blade away and sliding his staff into a quick, jab. Though perhaps not a huge threat in and of itself, the fact that Jaedin had quite a head of steam built up already made contact with Aegis made the attack worrisome.

Not wasting the time or effort to speak, Jaedin's sentence echoed in his head.

Not again, friend. Come up with something better...

The damage Ein's attack would deal would be more considerable that his last: it could easily crack of rib, if it landed right. Jaedin liked his ribs, all fifteen of them. He wasn't about to break one.

Jaedin watched his blade as it was blocked, eyes catching on Ein's staff as it rushed at him. With the buffer Ein had allowed for, along with Jaedin's cautionary action of holding himself in reserve, Jaedin had the precious time he needed to react; to drop his feet out from under him.

He swung his legs to the left as his legs collapsed beneathe him. The ninja hit the ground, though his momentum lessened his impact force. As polished as the marble was, Jaedin slid easily along it, straight at the mage's legs. As it was, his right side would clip Ein's legs out from under him in a most effective manner, considering the force Jaedin was sliding at along with his current proximity. He kept his sword in hand as best he could, though he was unable to aptly wield it amid his compromising position.

It wasn't deadly, true. But Jaedin well knew, along with Ein, that one small action was all that was necessary to tilt the scales of fate in one's favor.

(Bingo, you got it. And sadly, I cannot get those pictures for my girlfriend erased it. *sob, sob*)

From Ein's eyes, it seemed Jaedin's ability to read and react to opponents waddled between the lines of well-honed skill and unnatural augmentations. It took less than a second for the ninja's feet to slip from beneath him and go into a sweep-kick that would have easily made up for the effigy-attack that was taken earlier.

Of course, the psionicist's own ability to read and react to an opponent wasn't to be forgotten either. [Advanced Intelligence]

Jaedin's attack landed as planned, although what would happen wasn't quite as he so intended. Instead of letting his momentum fall to the side, which-case would prove rather unhealthy and inviting to distaster, Ein shoved his falling body forward by using his already extended arms. (From keeping the buffer-zone and the jab)

The blue-haired man's right shoulder would hit, first, his body tucking close in order to let his fall carry him into roll. It was a painful landing, but less severe than one would recieve when, say, falling on one's head. The arm that hit took most of the damage anyway.

The roll would stop with Ein on one knee facing away from his opponent. His hands, still holding Aegis, would be slightly ahead of him propping himself up. It would be simple enough to notice that he was dazed by this. He was a mage, not a warrior... such things took its toll, however well he managed to deal with them. Regardless though, he fought himself to his feet turned back to Jaedin.

No doubt, he was on his feet by now.

(Sorry for delay. Plethora of TB's and school work...not sure which one more so. )

(I'm thinking it might be a good idea to use left-right direcitons. I have a feeling this battle is going to get complex. )

Jaedin's hips hit solidly with Ein's shins, knocking the adept mage to the ground. At least, Jaedin assumed so. He would remain unaware that the mage had actually managed a deft tuck-and-roll technique, allowing Ein to come to his feet while minimizing any injury his body might take on. Instead of noting such facts, Jaedin was busy getting back to his feet: Ein could worry about himself.

Swinging his arms and twisting his hips, Jaedin managed to ram the side of one of his feet into the slicked floor of the temple. The sole of his shoe produced considerably more friction than his body and, thus, with another quick foot and some deft manuevers of his own (Acrobatics), Jaedin righted himself.

Amid the structure that the parthenon was, Jaedin need to utilize some kind of advantage. The bland surroundings of temple made trickery difficult, in favor of head-on attacks. Mind racing with thoughts, an idea struck Jaedin; an alteration of a technique which he was generally loathe to use. This, however, seemed like just what he needed.

Turning his on left heal, Jaedin swept his body to his left to face Ein. As he turned, he did two things. First, three small glass bottles of condensed ink fell into his empty left hand. Second, as he swept his body around, he trust his left arm out, hurling the vials in Ein's direciton.

The vials clashed with each other, prematurely releasing their contents; inky gas quickly diffusing into the air with a soft "whoosh". (Ink Well). Due to their given trajectory, inertia carried the rapidly expanding black cloud away from Jaedin to envelop Ein. The cloud stayed low to the ground, covering more lateral distance as the thick, inky substance expanded. Hardly any light would penetrate the depths of the cloud and Ein would be left to bumble about as best as he could without the ability to see, provided that he was engulfed in the cloud.

Banking on the success of his effort, Jaedin crept as silently as possible to his right. By being outside of the cloud, the ninja hoped to flank Ein without giving away his intentions. By the time the cloud had cleared, Jaedin would be in an advantageous position to attack (provided that Ein fell prey to this first, preemptive attack). If the mage managed to avoid the cloud, Jaedin would be completely exposed, and he would have to conjure up another idea.

(Ink Well: 1x)
(Lasts: 2 posts)

(No prob! You don't need to worry about it. Trust me, I know what it's like being busy.)

(And I agree, I'll stick to left and right.)

Neither would stay down very long. This battle wouldn't be won with such small exchanges. Ein readied himself as Jaedin spun to meet him. Aegis was once again used in <a href="http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/public%20affairs%20info/Images%20Complete/IMAGES/040305-show.jpg">defense</a>, although in a different manner than before. It was held away from the opponent, like a batter would in baseball (with the obvious differences).

The pain jilting his right shoulder was forgotten for now. What adrenaline wouldn't take care of, the mention of impending bloodloss would finish. 'How was this battle to be won?' He thought, plans both forming and fizzling within his head at light-speed.

Before able to put any of these formulas into motion, Jaedin, the faster of the two, acted. His left hand flung forward, releasing, not shuriken as Ein suspected, but vials of compact darkness. A technique that was made familiar with their last battle, it shrouded the area in a thick cloud of impenatrable black. The projectiles collided in the air, leaving little for Ein to do in defense of being consumed.

'Jaedin, you fool...' His thoughts continued, standing within the mass, concentrating his mana. 'My sanity holds a wavering existence... only few in this world have had the chance to see this shell crack. You, my opponent, will now face me as I was in the olden days. I apologize in advance, my friend.'

Something dark stirred from within. Massive amounts of mana now surfaced, long dormant within Ein's past. Like an earthquake, the ground began to rumble and pulses of energy shot outward from the darkness. The clattering of Aegis striking the ground was only faintly heard over the massive hum that was now beginning.

Inside the cloud, a monsterous transformation had occured. Muscles snapped and twisted, bones creaked and moaned, everything that Jaedin once knew about his opponent was wildly changing.

Ein's entire being had changed from a calm, cool, blue-eyed psionicist to an image that could give grown men nightmares. The casual blue locks that made Ein unique had now grown and transformed into a long, monsterous, deep crimson mess of coarse hair. The once blue eyes were now dark, piercing pits of blood-red that only reflected only hatred and destruction. Ein's hands now bore sharpened nails, from once weakened tools now morphing into deadly-sharp weapons. What little sanity had remained, had since fallen to the darkness... only leaving malevolence behind; a hungry animal's senses with the deadly intelligence of a human all perfectly mixed within one being...

Black bolts of energy coursed savagely across Ein's transformed body, dancing and sparkling silently. His new senses were attuning to the darkness and silence of the temple-- each second was another preparation for battle. Aegis remained at his feet. A small crater formed the ground where he still stood, a testamant to the amount of energy that had just surged through his body. Ever faintly, as Ein's eyes began to pierce the darkness surrounding him, his ears and nose picked up on the unique impressions of the building.

[Sync Demonic Symbiosis begins next turn; Beserk move; 0x left]

(Credits go to LMan and DC)

(So that's your g/f?)

(Frick...your berserker skill makes mine look like the earth compared to the universe).

Jaedin had succeeded in the first phase of his idea: blinding Ein. He had begun to circle the shrouded area when something unusual happened, something that made him turn his head to watch.

The ground gave a deep, bass-line rumble as shots of electrical energy shot out from the depths of Jaedin's inky cloud. Jaedin's own steps were brought to a complete stop as a bolt passed by his face, flushing it with heat as the bolt shot by. The ninja wheeled around to face the cloud, intent on not being fried to a crisp. More bolts followed, filling the immediate vicintiy with a blue, spiked aura. To an unaccustomed obserever, it was as if the black cloud was a creature. Now, the creature had grown long, snaking tendrils of blue electricity that sparked and crackled with innate energy.

The ground's rumbling increased, shaking the foundations of the ancient pillars of the parthenon. Pieces of marble gave way from the ceiling, giant chunks smashing against the polished floor below. Jaedin steadied himself on a nearby pillar, watching with wide, curious eyes. This phenomenon was beyond anything he had ever seen or experienced: he had to witness all that was going on.

Accompanying the mild earthquake, a low hum came from the cloud's depths. It was vaguely human, but Jaedin shuddered at the thought. That moan, that growl had possessed in it an inhuman sense of power and evil. The hum grew louder, as if water were being forced through a hole to small, and yet the dam refused to give way to the force of water behind it. With it, the shaking of the temple intensified, forcing the giant stone pillars to sway slightly. They held, tesfitying to their aged strength, but the fact that they had been moved only bolstered the fact that something of great power was being born.

Violent tremblings of power were beating through the temple, emanating directly from within the black cloud. This wasn't what Jaedin had had in mind. This was not his doing, and he doubted the gods had any particular part in this. Ein was in that cloud, somewhere. The mage was crafty, but Jaedin did not believe that Ein could birth something of such evil , carnal intent. Raw, pure, unadulterated destructive power was not the mage's forte: at least, Jaedin thought so. However, the ninja was totally unaware as to what had truly happened to his psychic friend. Instead, he could only deduce that something powerful, beyond the scope and measurement of human strength, was being born within that deap, thick cloud.

Adrenalin quickly shot to Jaedin's bloodstream, inducing his "fight or flight" instinct. For now though, his body remained in a state of shock, deciding which course of action to take. In the meantime, the energy to do either began to build inside him. His body began to perspirate of its own accord. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek, followed quickly by several others. Jaedin's grip on his sword tightened while his left hand reached down and unhitched his hookshot from his belt. Energy cracked expectantly in Jaedin's blade, thirsty to be a part of the power play before it. Yet, Jaedin would not and could not tap that source; yet. His curiosity had to be satisfied. The crazed energy of adrenalin would simply have to continue to build.

A grim smirk crossed Jaedin's determined, now-glistening face. His limbs trembled from a fear of the unknown, an eagerness to fight, and the copious amounts of deadly adrenalin pumping through his body. Whether he wanted to be or not, he was ready for whatever would come out of that cloud.

Come then, Ein. Let's see what you've done...

(Ink Cloud: Will last during your post. Will be gone in my next post)

(Sorry for the wait...I'll be more on top of things).

(Hey, I wanted this to be... quick? =P I REALLY, REALLY tried for this post. It took me several days, I apologize for the wait.)

The pillars still stood, although rattled by the destructive forces that started to dance around them. Cracks etched their way across the ancient temple's floor, snaking up and curving around Jaedin's feet where he stood. The ninja was no doubt aware that something dark and powerful had changed within that cloud... was he questioning himself yet? Did he believe that he was going to survive this encounter? Was fear beginning to play at his nerves for the sight and power he was about to see first-hand?

Fingers tensed and released, electricity swirling around the tips before focusing into the palm and absorbing back into the flesh. Ein's eyes were sharp, crimson dots vaguely making out his opponent's form from the cloud. They were cold and focused, with the look powerful enough to stop most men in their tracks. There was a promise of death, a single focus upon one goal... ... and rage.

Rage enough to blot out the sun.

Every occular blood vessel was screaming, the blood within them boiling with hatred and destructions. His teeth, as well, sent a message; clenched together with a force to shatter mountains and destroy worlds.

There were rarely words to be spoken between the two warriors, and now inside this demonic form, they were imposssible to portray. Ein's arms dangled at his sides, but not in concession. Rather in preparation, for a final exchange between Man and Demon.

It was unlikely that Jaedin would know but this was Ein's all-or-nothing attack. The accumulation of all his available energy had now reached its peak within his body. If the opponent was able to survive for a short period of relentless attacks, the psionicist would be completely defenseless for the remainder. Hopefully, Jaedin would admire the choice. A technique in which one fighter was guaranteed death, the opponent or the user; truly a promise.

Muscles flexed and bulged, Ein's scream seeming to echo across the very cosmos. It boomed forth, as if Ein believed his dreams would be attained by doing so. This, of course, was intimidating but its purpose was to cast a spell.

[Psiwave; 1x left]

'For Sakura...' A fleeting thought of sanity struck like a lightning bolt across his brain.

Ein knew of Jaedin position but amongst his feral rage, decided upon an area attack. The pent up energy was released from its cage, screaming unrelentingly within the cloud. The force was tremendous... All of Ein's rage, hatred, and sorrow... all of his emotions, however hidden... his very SOUL was in this attack at the moment. The ground shook, each shard that lay against his feet (sadly, along with Aegis) shooting outward and unleashing unspeakable amounts of pent-up force. The energy transfered to the ground nearby, ripping open fissures, summong swirling winds, kicking up and tearing asunder the very grounds that the two stood on.

Edit: Oops, forgot to add how many posts were left

Sync Demonic Symbiosis: 4x left

(No problem at all...like you said, I'm in not rush. And I'm certainly not gonna' let you default out of this. )

Jaedin's cloud began to diffuse into the mystic air of the temple, beginning to reveal the form within. What Jaedin expected to be Ein was now a contorted, rageful being. As the black mist dissipated, two blood-red eyes peered through the darkness, boring into Jaedin's own eyes, piercing into his soul. What had been Ein, supposedly, had metamorphsed into a haggard carnation of evil. Bared teeth filed to near-points were clenched in fury as the mage gazed through the thinning darkness.

Amid the supernatural event that he had just witnessed, Jaedin was partially prepared to meet something new, but not like this. The simple potency of Ein's power sparkled and crackled at his fingertips, a raging thuderstorm rolling in his deap, powerful eyes. At Ein's feet, a deep, black crater had been made, flawless marble scorched by the supernatural power coursing through the mage.

Now, amid the god-like menace that faced him, a wall of telekenetic energy was sailing at Jaedin with incredible speed. Its path was made for it, as the wall tore apart all that was in its path. Chunks of marble were thrown effortlessly by the force of the blast. Jaedin counted hiself lucky...partially. The remnats of his inky cloud allowed the psychic manifestation to be more easily seen, thus allowing Jaedin precious moments to consider his course of action.

It was at this moment that his own instinct to survive took over. The nature of "Fight or Flight", mingled with fear, panic, and agression began to beat through Jaedin's veins in an ever-familiar rhythm. Currently, though, it would have to wait. The wall of power bearing down on the ninja was too strong, too great of breadth, and far too fast to be avoided. By moving Jaedin would, at the very least, remove himself from the most prominent danger of the attack. With what little time he had to react, Jaedin crossed his arms across his chest as he threw his body to the right, in the direction of one of the marble pillars of the parthenon.

He never got close.

The wall of telekenetic energy slammed hard into his rib cage, easily knocking the wind out of Jaedin. His body groaned as it was contorted beyond its tolerance threshold: his bones were bent to the limit. But, luckily, no ribs or other bones were shattered by the wall.

It didn't end there, though.

With his leap, Jaedin had put himself between the pillar and Ein's attack. As the energy had squarely hit him, Jaedin was tossed like a rag-doll into the pillar. With a bone-wrenching crunch, Jaedin's body slammed into the stone, further knocking what little wind was in his lungs out. Fluids quickly rushed to swell the large sites of injury, capillarries bursting to create deap internal bruises. With a sickening sliding noise, Jaedin's body floated to the ground, his fall graciously slowed by his advanced shoes. Still, though, he was dazed.

Jaedin's mind raced, flashbacks of his training shooting into his mind. He had to recover: this was not the end. He had bourn blow after blow, gone without food for weeks, suffered in the elements without any protection: he could - he had to - strive on. It was just summoning his body to due his bidding which posed a challenge.

That was where his body came to his aid: mind and body began to conform to one another. The mind was willing, and the body was willing to be able.

The adrenalin began to pump and Jaedin's blood began to thin in comparison to the hormones the were rushing into his veins. Even as he sat, seemingly helpless at the bottom of the pillar (facing Ein, for the record), his body began to repair and protect itself. Fluids were halted in mid-transit, allowing for exponential muscle expansion to ease the injuries Jaedin had sustained. Endorphins rushed through his body, further alleviating pain. Beneathe his supple, black ninja armor, Jaedin's body expanded slowly; strength, speed, and power growing with it. Though part of him faintly cried for the end, the rest of him, coupled with his willpower, forced him to continue the battle. This would not be the end.

With Jaedin's head on his chest, it was probable that Ein could not see the rage that was beginning to fill the ninja's own eyes. His grip on his weapons tightened reflexively as his body readied itself for a clash of beings; not of men, but of gods. Indeed, a temple of the gods had been a place most fitting...

(Inner Fury begins next post.)

(Ink cloud-thing is now fully gone.)

(Like the battle so far? )