Information
Time: 4:44PM
Location: Wisconsin
Date August, 29th.
Weather: Slightly humid and clear skies
Temperature: 70°F[/align]

Posting format:
After both fighters have posted, the initial poster will be allowed to make the first strike in their second post.

Format of the fight:
A battle shall end only when one or both fighters lives have expired; however, if their fight last longer than need be their bout will continue whilst everyone else progresses to round two. This way both fighters may play out their feud without seriously inhibiting the tournament’s progression.

Rules:

• Players must be at either side of the road.
• There's no field limit.
• Everything can be manipulated and/or destructible.
• You can not attack in your initial post
• Layout is here
• You are disallowed to edit your post without permission from Mobius and authorized personnel. Once your opponent has posted, the previous post YOU make shall remain untouched unless authorized. I will immediately disqualify you if you edit post after your opponent post (with some exceptions)

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Flavor Text[/SIZE]

Enter a farm: broken and abandoned, it teetered upon the edge of Wisconsin in rusted red coating. An unassuming fixture forever frozen in a tableau of glistening chartreuse, and infinite expanse rich with naught beyond the scenery offered by wheat fields and green pastures. Picturesque if not for a loose aggregate of dilapidated machinery crumbling beneath the weight of age and rainfall, once proud tools of economic progress they have since then been relegated to a sideshow existence. Added to this graveyard of motionless machinery on the west, a barn, while traditional in its dimensions and appearance, elemental influence has reduced its lustrous red coat to a dull hue. Barn doors no longer stood as protectors of the overgrown shed, but as remnants of savage vandalism, leaving them torn and divorced from their charge exposing its hay filled insides. A farmhouse was the final attraction, complete with broken windows and worn surface, an echo of the decay that surrounded it.

It was a simplistic arena, but more than adequate for a wise fighter who knew how to exploit his/her environment. Humble terrain provided each warrior with a plethora of tactics to be implemented at leisure. Whether it was to simply charge recklessly into battle without fear of compromised equilibrium, thanks to dry terrain, or to hide behind one of many rotting tractors in preparation for an ambush. To each his own appeared to be a major focus of this bland battlefield as the opportunities it offered suggested. Malleability to situational variables was another key essence it gave to both fighters.

Poised at the forefront of a dirt road ambiguous in its length, they stood as one of few markers for a site that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. An unlucky victim of poor location attracting only monthly visits from whatever greyhound bus happen to be passing by or even rarer, a drifter. Even then it was a rarity for anyone outside of those few spectators who knew where to look to even acknowledge its presence. Though an unwise place to live, it was ideal for a fated battle set to take place shortly. Two contestants entered, but only one would emerge whilst the other found them self cast into the maw of oblivion.

Choice of transportation was optional, be it by boat, plane, or some metaphysical form of travel, conceived through supernatural means. Drawn by bravery, valor, or something else entirely, it was here they flocked for a prize to be announced only at the tournament’s end. Until such a time came blood sport was the central premise of this game as implied by its purpose and overall scheme. Of course why anyone would want to take up this challenge and traverse the globe simply to fight was another story. The reward for survival this round, however; would be little more than satisfaction one received from tearing asunder their unworthy foe. They would manifest their courage on an elongated path tar from one horizon to the next, cutting a black scar between the barn and limitless wheat. ~Credit to Doll Maker - 2007 Tournament preliminaries

-

An hour earlier...

THEME: youtube.com/watch?v=jSAjNWypykQ

Flying over the pleasant countryside was some sort of black chopper, casting a shadow on the farmland below. The noise from its propeller blades kicked up a flurry of birds into the sky from trees dotting the landscape as it passed overhead. It didn't appear to be with the military and lacked any national identifiers. All except for what appeared to be a logo branded on either side of the cab; TZDL.

"Fancy ride. Guess these guys spare no expense" Dias thought to himself out loud. The man was kicking back on the cushioned lounge seat made of fine leather, admiring the pristine interior. On the wall ahead of him was a solid gold plate showing an engraving which read 'Property of Mobius'. The name sounded familiar to him but he couldn't quite place it. Whoever he was, this Mobius person must be seriously loaded to afford arranging something like this. TheZones Duel League had been around for quite sometime, growing larger over the years along with its infamous reputation. Talent from all across the omniverse attended which was no small feat to pull off.

Of course, that wasn't really the reason for signing up this time. Dias had been going through some personal issues as of late, taking leave from the SOF to spend some time getting his head back on straight. During his vacation traipsing around the various worlds within the empire, he had crossed paths with an old friend from his past, Mitsu Mazono. Catching up at a local tavern, Mitsu told him about the tournament that was coming up, figuring that getting to cut loose might do blue boy some good.

And now here he was.
"We'll be approaching the LZ soon, Mr. Blade" a woman's voice could be heard from the built in surround sound system. The music started back up afterwards. It was tempting to help himself to a glass of wine, a rather spiffy assortment of expensive choices lining the door for plenty of options. But that would just be irresponsible of him, right? Maybe save that for later. The helicopter eventually reached the designated battleground marker, hovering just above the wheat field on the other side of the road opposite of the rundown barn. The door automatically popped out and slid open as the man stood up and glanced around before leaping down.

So this was the place, huh? How very...dull. The chopper closed back up and then took off into the distance, leaving him to wait. He had arrived an hour ahead of the scheduled time so that much was to be expected. No real telling how the other guy was going to be getting there. He didn't know much about him outside of his misguided views on scythes being the worst weapons ever apparently. That gave Dias a pretty good idea of the kind of fighter this Shin fella was gonna turn out to be like.

For the sake of having some fun with him, Dias took hold of the SoulLink resting in the holster hanging along his left hip. Leaving the weapon sheathed, those crystal blue eyes of his suddenly shifted, turning ruby red as a mass of light manifested in his open right hand. Taking hold of it, the energy stretched out to form an eight foot long pole which took the shape of a cross at first. His grip tightening, a long blade was forged coming from one of the arms to create a rather menacing looking scythe. The light dissipated, revealing the black metal which had been carefully crafted with great care and precision.

"This should work well enough. Guess I should get moving..."

With that, Dias set about heading towards that barnyard, nonchalantly making his way through the wheat field. The scythe itself was a stark contrast to his own appearance, wearing a white, long sleeve shirt and black jeans with a pair of matching steel toe boots. He kept a firm grip on the weapon with his brand new black leather gloves to replace the old ones that were all torn up. Not to mention the most bizarre trait about him being his long blue hair which was literally illuminated, giving off a pleasant glow as tiny specks of light came off of every strand. He usually wore a device to cover that up but decided not to bother with it this time, seeing as it was casual Tuesday.

Despite the ride in, the drop off point was still quite a ways off from his actual starting place. His opponent would likely arrive on scene first but that wasn't much of a problem. He preferred it that way.

And with that...

By the time Shin had finished arguing with himself over his odd blood fetish there was an abrupt change in the atmosphere. Any fighter worth their salt could have felt the presence looming around them, surrounding the strange armored Human creature thing. It gave off a calm yet daunting sense of danger, a warning sign to any smart enough to heed it. Coming into view was the lone figure of the swordsman who had finally shown up to the party, still quite some distance away from the road itself which acted as a divide for their intended arena. The scythe was already down at his side with the blade end positioned back behind him, holding it near the middle of the shaft.

Paying close attention to every subtle detail and motion, maintaining full control over his own body. His adversary was definitely not your typical Human. Left hand still laced around the hilt of his sword, the blade of the scythe suddenly turned red hot, becoming super heated just as a precaution. It would make slicing through armor as easy as cutting butter. He had a feeling this fight could very easily end up being decided with a single strike.

Guess we'll find out...

-

THEME: youtube.com/watch?v=bFMZ3mrmQtkggg

What a shitty week this had turned into. Just seemed like one thing after another. Now here he was facing off against some sort of monster. Or maybe that was just his writer projecting, probably a bit of both. The negativity and just overall bad juju vibes it was exuding were as if the thing was at odds with itself. Even at that distance, Dias could sense every subtle action and impulse, how the surrounding environment reeled from Shin's presence. The instant the creature began its murderous rampage charge towards him, he had likewise picked up his own speed, right foot first to start off into a quick jog.

He was detached and focused, apathetic as he became like a still pond and silent. His body moved in precise order, the calculated control of every movement revealing the experience of a long time veteran of the battlefield. Those ruby eyes lit up once more, giving him a different perspective of his opponent. Staying close to the ground with both hands gripping the weapon, the blade still poised, positioned behind him but held out a bit further for a longer reach. In the same instant they both started closing the gap between one another, Dias had been secretly bending the energy within his own body, reinforcing muscle tissue, joints and bones. Enhancing his physical attributes without telegraphing it, careful not to reveal anything. Deception was a key principle in war...

He maintained a steady pace, more allowing his opponent to come to him instead. Observing the man-beast-thing closely, watching for that one moment. Patiently. Then, at the exact instant Shin came to his abrupt stop and anchored himself to the ground, the opening finally presented itself.

20 feet out. That second pair of arms appeared. The sight of it didn't phase Dias in the least, having encountered similar in the past. Its motion was an iconic quickdraw he was likewise all too familiar with. He knew immediately what sort of dirty game it was looking to play here. By the time it was already committed to the act, however, he dashed forward and dropped down to get within striking range with the scythe while simultaneously dodging Shin's own attack. The lethal timing of the execution, holding back until the very last moment to avoid a sudden change in trajectory.

The spray of bullets would miss entirely, going above him as he came in from below, skidding across the ground with his knee digging in. But a torn up pant leg didn't really matter, he was exactly where he wanted to be. Why it didn't bother to aim lower made very little sense, having given Dias plenty of clearance to duck the shots. Shin was defended on either side with its other set of arms on top alright, but there was one fatal opening... That red hot blade turned upward and before Shin could even be given the chance to holster the pistol it came straight up, aimed right at his groin and threatening to cleave his manhood asunder and onward, looking to sear clean through the creature's pelvis, guts and ribcage.

At that same time, however, the weapon also began to pulsate strangely from Dias' touch as those eyes of his continued to burn with the atmosphere around his body reacting...

The Narrian merely flashed a grin.

-

This farce is over, time to shake loose the rust...

THEME: youtube.com/watch?v=15q22JJv9fo&t

Shin had made a series of fatal mistakes, his pride and all too obvious superiority complex serving as his greatest downfall. Just another example of someone having grown too big for their britches. This entire time he had been played for a fool, the battle decided the very moment he had decided to charge forward at an opponent he had no knowledge about in the least.

From start to finish, Dias had been manipulating the entire situation in his favor. Like any other game of Chess. Did his opponent really not stop to consider the possibility that he wanted to be where he was or register that age old notion of "this all seems a little TOO easy"? It was rare for anyone to willingly allow the Narrian to get this close to them, outside of being suicidal.

But even then, all those tactical oversights alone. The spine bit that had been ejected from Shin's right forearm to use as a silly anchor in the ground to stop himself, something he had seemingly neglected to bother retracting this entire time? The clumsy handling of his sword, used as a tail guard like some sort of amateur who didn't actually know the first thing about legitimate swordsmanship? The fact he was actually planning to strike at someone who was using an 8 foot long scythe with the blade already bearing down on the nethers, with a friggen AXE no less that didn't even have the ability to reach its target without Shin himself having to move even closer?

THIS is what passed for competition in a tournament these days? Really must be getting old... Still, this worked to get the fire stoked again, at least.

Now it was time to illustrate just what Shin was actually up against here.

The feeble attempt to hook his Straight Sword between the Scythe's blade and the shaft itself failed utterly, the red hot blade cleaving through the creature's crotch like a hot knife through butter. The pelvis would be torn apart, left with a gaping cauterized hole with muscles and tendons seared and traumatized. It would be a wonder if his lower lumbar was even still properly held together at that point. Dias had just bestowed upon him the gift of knowing what women have to go through during child birth, though in this case it was more like the cheapest abortion you would ever see with the least gentle touch imaginable.

It persisted further, getting up into his intestines and carving out the colon to travel upwards. Of course, that wasn't all. The weapon itself ignited, responding to its master's will as the entrenched blade instantly flared up and erupted with a crimson radiance. The chain reaction would see the blade turn critical, mounting in an explosion like some suicide bomber gone horribly wrong.

No doubt by now at least one of those voices in his head would have realized just how boned he was, especially upon realizing that Dias was already gone like the wind. Literally. A tremendous release of force had ignited in the air to his side, launching the Narrian to the far right safely out of Shin's striking range before the poor guy could even be given the opportunity at some sort of kneejerk reaction payback.

Step One. Get in close.
Step Two. Force your opponent's action.
Step Three. Counter while pulling back.
Step Four. Don't forget to smile.

And with Dias being shot sideways like he was, thinking two steps ahead, the Narrian was planning to just release his grip on the weapon in the event of it being snagged at all by anything, the fatal blow having already been delivered at that point.

Not like it would have mattered much, after an attack like that the scythe would just end up shattering regardless and turning into sparkling dust dissipating into nothingness, having burned the ether in it now. Only the SoulLink which Dias still carried sheathed at his hip could handle the power of an Azure Child, while any other weapon was fated to break afterwards.

Ether Burn was a unique ability that harnessed the true potential of humanity's creative mind, capable of unleashing destruction with a mere idea. Combined with all his mental training and focus, this made Dias a dangerous threat to anyone as his unpredictable nature had become an actual weapon, honed and sharpened over the years by his talent for brutally picking apart and dissecting every single flaw in an adversary, personal or otherwise.

Even then, however, he remained attentive to his opponent. Had that actually worked? You never know with these hogpog sorts. Dias had already thought up twenty additional moves to come right back at this guy if he was miraculously still standing after all that. It wouldn't be the first time his opponent required being damn near vaporized in order to actually be killed... Yeesh...

Moral of the story; DON'T UNDERESTIMATE HUMANS.

Class is dismissed.

Ruling

• The metal composition of Dias' scythe is unspecified.
• We did determine an average temperature for the superheated scythe described as being "red" which is at the same color saturation as Cherry(1) being at 581c to 745c at best. Within this range it's believed that the average is 663c.
• Leeroy's character shin had not accounted for his own "spine" or spike he unleashed into the ground which would have hindered his movements.
• Shin was stopped by his own "spine" immediately with exception of his right foot having faced at an angle to meet Dias. This stop would be referenced again in Leeroy's next attack by planting his left foot on the ground going back from his previous action (moving forward to block the blade). The only possible way he would go forward is on his right foot, but that stood on the ground according to his axe swing action as it never left. That means this spine hindered Shin's ability to move forward with his left foot and anticipate the scythe. He would not be able to move forward to meet it.
• This very spine projected from the right fore-arm of Shin which is the same arm his axe. This spine stopped all his movements except the right foot. The spine, coming from the same arm as his swing, may also disable his ability to retaliate. At any direction from his right arm (pulling against or pushing against) the spine, acting as an anchoring, also inhabits the very arm of Shin from decapitating his opponent.
• With the spine hindering Shin's ability to move forward also disallows his ability to block and retaliation. Since Dias has already posted his attack carries through from the original attack he made.
• Dias would NOT activate his Scythe Growth ability and attack because it required the initiation of Shin's block. Since Shin is unable to move forward and use his sword to block the scythe then Dias must proceed with his previous attack uninterrupted.
• The actual properties of the scythe cannot be determined though we have a number for the heat. This is important for the damage Shin may be taking.
• The swing Dias utilized was an up-to-down swing uppercut aimed for the groin of Leeroy. This is important for the damage may take.
• Dias buffed his physical abilities or "reinforce" them to possibly increase the potency of his movements including his previous evasion and attack.
• We do not know where the plates are located in the armor of Shin.
• The threads serve as a form of defense comparable to plate armor.

Verdict This took some intense amount of arguing but we boil down the damage Shin WILL be taking. The armor itself only specifies the overall durability of the character as double of what he could withstand, but we do not know where the plates are located. The pins inside his bones may also play a small rule in hindering the course of Dias' scythe. The armor, being able to weaken blows and disperse them, does not state a threshold but does lend credence to an ambiguous amount of damage potential it cannot ignore. We do not know the exact strength of "reinforced" physical attributes but we can only determine, because on shin's defenses, that the scythe penetrates through the groin and ends at the mid point to his stomach. It will not go any further because the armor, despite being split by the scythe, may have plates around the stomach region or abdomen which is coated in a hardness like steel. This does not kill Shin as he is only durable but tough enough to survive mortal wounds. We do not know when he'll succumb to shock or pain.

Due to the nature of this fight: The scythe attack connects. Leeroy it is your turn to attack; however, because Dias will be rollback a turn which rendered his actions invalid (due to the update of this fight). We will grant him an Edit On Demand to adjust for the information given. When he is finish editing his last post then it is your turn to post and continue the fight. Dias please highlight the text with any indicator of what has changed in your post so your opponent and ourselves can see it.

This match continues. Leeroy, you may reply.

-

Ruling

• The explosion Dias described and comparable to a botched suicide bomber attempt. This is much more significant in damage potential to how Leeroy elaborated.
• The scythe ended mid-way of the stomach of Shin. This plays a significant role later.
• Dias is roughly 8' away from his own explosion.
• The attack that penetrated Shin was permitted because we do not know where the plates are. This plays a role later
• The explosion being inside of Shin's body plays a role alongside the armor's defenses and his own bodily defenses.
• Shin is capable of operating in grievous situations.
• Dias maneuvered out with a burst of ether to jet away after his explosion.

Verdict This match continues. Due to the explosion output simile described by Dias: Shin would take much more significant damage than what his post addresses. The resulting explosion can be argued for varying effects, but the scale of a failed suicide bomb is dangerous enough to obliterate his lower body. The scythe blade stopping at his stomach suggest that the explosion itself is confined between the thighs, pelvic region, and up to the ribs of Shin's torso; however, because of his body's tough exterior along with his armor constricts the combustion. This is lethal such as having an explosion inside a body would result in the concussive wave having much less open space to disperse. The armor of Shin, and its steel plating for this matter, might protect Dias from receiving critical shrapnel damage, though being in proximity of his own detonation; although, since portion of the scythe is outside of Dias' opponent and being within clear range of his explosion means he will also take damage. We cannot determine if he is immune to his own explosion as a result of abilities. Shin is not dead, but his lower body is severed from the resounding explosion. Dias will receive concussive damage and shrapnel from his own scythe despite his evasion because explosions are a fast phenomenon and his speed was not specified.

The match resumes with severe damage dealt to Shin. Leeroy, I am issuing you an EOD in light of this so your post is not a waste. Adjust for the changes and highlight them in your post. You may also attack in your EOD as well.

I concede the match.

Verdict Leeroy concedes. Dias advances to the quarterfinals.