[IC] Altered Tundra V.s yoshua171

[AlteredTundra]

The long journey around the world has been enlightening for Nazo. He’s always tried to keep himself away from trouble, but he always did his best to interfere in affairs that would otherwise be harmful to the weak and venerable. That’s probably why Nazo has always found himself being in the same place for longer than he would like to be. Usually, he prefers to be in the same place for no longer than a few weeks, but usually he ends up on being in one place for a few months. It happens cause people sometimes want him to stay as the defender of that village or villa. Nazo doesn’t say it, but sometimes he feels a bit taken advantage of. Though, he uses these experiences to help better himself as a human being.

Through all the places in the shinobi world, Nazo has always been quite fond of the Land of Forests. It’s so tranquil and sometimes makes Nazo miss the same serenity of his home, the Land of Iron. He finds himself in this specific place because he heard wind of a wonderful scenery in a place called Warrior’s Clearing. The legend was that the trees glisten due to the way the sunlight hits them and in the clearing, it’s been said that golden hues sparkle in the center of it all. Nazo doesn’t know much about what causes such things, but one thing he can definitely say is that he loves to see such marvels as they happen.

As he nears the Warrior’s Clearing, he finds himself going through a forest, which is exactly where it is. Walking down a path that would lead to the clearing, Nazo couldn’t help but admire the trees and all of their glory. Something about the green leaves and the brown bark on the trees spoke to him. Nazo never did know that he would be so much of a nature lover, but perhaps being out wandering the world has changed that about him. Within the first ten minutes he started walking, he could notice a clearing and the marvel of the golden hues and the sunlight hitting the trees. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

He steps into the clearing, taking a deep breath in. He lets it out and repeats this for a few more times. The air is so clean and the breeze from the leaves and the air current calm his nerves. Nazo doesn’t say anything. He just soaks it all in.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

His feet carrying him through the wilds of the natural world, Seisui remained ever observant as was his nature, knowing that he now walked to the Warrior's clearing, a place of battle, the place which would soon be stained by blood. This he knew and understood, and while it was violence that he would sow with his opponent, he took it as a deeper meaning, for the ultimate serenity was that, which was achieved in the midst of heated combat, and at the end of one's life.

This was the philosophy of the Mayonaka, the idealogy to which he adhered completely, with few exceptions. So, as the sounds of the forest surrounded him and soothed his soul, Seisui stepped into the clearing to meet his adversary, a man whom he had heard tell of only a month prior. A protector of the weak this man was said to be, something that Seisui considered a noble cause, though not one that he actively pursued himself.

Nodding his head respectfully to the man as he took notice of the beams of light which streamed into the clearing both for their beauty and for the sake of tactical awareness, the swordsman took in several deep breaths, preparing himself for the conflict that he felt would soon ensue. "A short time ago, in the greater scope, you received a letter from a fellow swordsman and believer in the art of such. That was I, Mayonaka, Seisui." His tone respectful, strong, focused, but gentle all at once Seisui gave off the air of a man at peace with himself and the world. "I have heard tell of your skills, Yagami, Nazo, and I wish to test my own against them in mortal combat." Following this statement his hand gently touched the sheath of his blade, though it made no attempt to draw the weapon.

It was not yet time for the blade to reflect light and shed blood on the earth's soil, but soon it would be. Still, Seisui was not an impatient man so he would await the man's response.

[AlteredTundra]

The flavor of honor was among the many things that Nazo could taste in the air. His opponent standing in front of him was indeed the man that Nazo had heard tales about. This man, known as Seisui Mayonaka, is a name known to Samurai all over the world. His reputation might be nowhere the level as Nazo himself or even Samurai who have been fighting all of their lives in mortal combat, but his name is known in a moderately small scale. With that in mind, Nazo wasn’t the least bit surprised that Seisui not only appeared in the way that he did, but also challenged Nazo to battle. An honorable request, one that Nazo accepts graciously.

“I, Nazo, of clan Yagami, accept your challenge.” Nazo said.

Nazo walked to a point in the center of the clearing where the two Samurai were only mere feet away from each other. The beams of light from the sun and the semi-covering from the leaves was shined down upon them. Nazo, with his sword in hand, took his Tenmatsu-suru stance. This stance had the sword pointing the opposite direction that Nazo was facing and his body was turned to a point where his body was taking a half of a 180-degrees turn. He waited for Seisui to take his stance before he would attack. It was the least he could do for a fellow follower of the Samurai Honor Code.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

Nodding his head and taking three steps further into the clearing while Nazo neared the center, the Mayonaka quietly untied the Tōrenai-men to naikō, the ancestral sheath of his clan's even more ancient blade, Chinmoku. However, Chinmoku was different from generation to generation as with each passing inheritor the second portion of its name would change to suit the individual, their lineage, and their style. As such, it was more than an ancestral blade, it was a weapon that with each passing wielder was reforged and revitalized in both name and form, a blade that would never dull, a blade that would never die.

"This is Chinmoku," for a moment he unsheathed the blade before slipping it back into the Tōrenai-men to naikō and inhaling softly to compose himself fully. Shifting his stance, Seisui stood at a slight angle, his left foot first as he shifted his sheathed blade onto his right shoulder where he began to pull the sheath up and off of the blade, eventually shifting it to reverse grip in his left hand even as he switched his blade to his left shoulder. His stance was strong, but essentially unreadable like the rest of his body language. The blade's tip faced diagonally back and upwards and its edge was aimed forwards towards Nazo. Throughout he kept his eyes on the Samurai of the Yagami clan, and Seisui made sure to keep his eyes on the man, knowing of his clan's prestige. "Kita-muki Renge-hen(北向き蓮花片 'North Facing Lotus Petal')," Seisui stated calmly before finishing his breath by exhaling. "Know that my blade is not just Chinmoku, but rather Chinmoku: Yōikō no sharakuna ginren(沉黙: 容易光沢、洒落な銀蓮 'Silence: Simple Match of the Boldest Silver Lotus')," he stated with an almost unearthly calm as he watched his opponent's stance.

He could tell from that stance, and the look in Nazo's eyes, that this was to be an intriguing battle. He looked forwards to testing the man's style against his own skill and the age old Shizukana-ryū-ji no, a style that had existed for hundreds of years, fostered from the very beginning by the Mayonaka clan.

[AlteredTundra]

The stage has been set. Both warriors have taken their fighting stance and both are stern in the eyes and are ready get it done. Nazo was in his famous Tenmatsu-suru stance and Seisui in his Kia-muki Renge-hen stance. They were mere feet across from each other and then it began.

With Nazo’s quickness, Nazo utilizes the first of three techniques he has created using his unique Tenmatsu-suru style. By running towards Seisui, who was just five or six feet directly across from him, Nazo utilizes several acrobatic techniques such as swift turns, spins, and all sorts of things. This would lead into an impalement. Should it be successful, Nazo would be able to end it quickly. Should it not, well Nazo would already have something in store for his opponent. It would be interesting to see how his opponent reacts to this. Not only did Nazo quickly dash out, but within the short amount of feet between the two, he also was able to get closer within two seconds. The speed at which he can move is an astonishing feat on its own. The blade, by the angle it was at, would strike somewhere on the right lung.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

The moment that Nazo's body showed signs that it was about to move, Seisui focused his mind in on the samurai and let his senses spike in their sensitivity. His body would become ready to react at a moment's notice and as the Yagami charged in, attempting to confuse him with high speed movement and several technically unnecessary maneuvers, the man eventually seemed to begin a spin, his blade in reverse grip so as to impale backwards as he attacked.

As Seisui noticed this likely occurrence, he took a step towards the Yagami, moving even as the blade was moments from moving into its impaling maneuver. The movement, which allowed him to enter Nazo's physical space and move nearly out of the way, Seisui moved his blade, letting the butt of the handle nick the flat of Nazo's blade as it slid back towards him to attack. As he did so he applied pressure, pushing the blade off track and slamming his sheath into Nazo's left side just above his hip before retreating back one step and then ducking under Nazo's blade and slashing at the hand that held said katana in a mostly vertical diagonal sweeping slash.

[AlteredTundra]

The offense that Nazo had taken was indeed the first sign that this fight was well under way. The attack itself was always Nazo’s initial attack in any of his fights. In most of them, it would end there, either by death or the other warrior conceding to defeat. On the rare fights that Nazo would be in, that it would go pass the first attack, Nazo would always try to defeat them in the second attack. There has only been one other fight that Nazo has been in that would was prolonged throughout an hour. This fight against Seisui is the second time he sees this happening. He would like to avoid that.

As Nazo went in for his attack, his back was turned, which is an odd way to attack, but that is just how he rolls. In any case, it was blocked like it was nothing. First, Seisui seemed to use the hilt of his Chinmoku to parry Nazo’s sword, and then using his scabbard to hit Nazo on the left side, right above the hip. It hurt, sure, and yeah the parrying of his blade took him by surprise, but Nazo still tried to remain active and focused. It wasn’t until he felt the force of the scabbard into his side. It definitely hurt like hell. It surprised him momentarily, but a moment is all one needs to win, and that is what Seisui seems to be doing as he quickly slashed upward and then downward at Nazo’s hand.

The slash was only an instant, and there was only that inbetween the preperation of the slash and the initial contact. That’s how much time that Nazo had to redirect it with his sword, and that’s what exactly he did. All he had to do was twist his body accordingly to where the slash would only hit Nazo’s own katana. The sound that was the result of the two swords clashing caused the birds in the trees nearby to fly away, releasing cries of surprise of their own. By the time that they all were gone, Nazo was turned face-to-face to Seisui. He had his sword still in reverse grip and it was in a diagonal position. Nazo was trying his best to avoid the sword from cutting into him. That is why he did a dodge roll to the side. It was just in time to cause it would seem Chinmoku would have overpowered Nazo’s own, considering he was in a crouching stance.

“Too close. Need to be careful.” Nazo said as he was on one knee.

Nazo knew he had to be more careful, but he also didn’t want to be on the defensive throughout the entire fight. Nazo also knew that the stance he was in was also not going to work for the time being. Perhaps later on in the fight, he would be able to go back to it, but for now, Nazo felt that taking a more traditional stance would be the best thing to do. In light of that, he switched to an Iaido stance. This stance was vastly different from the Tenmatsu-suru stance. The Iaido is a more traditional one where the user has their sword semi-out from the scabbard and only when an attack is utilized does it come out. It’s a more quick-and-easy type of style. Nazo prefers this one for prolonged battles.

So, as he stood up, Nazo found himself once again face-to-face to Seisui, but this time he stood strait and poised for intensity. He, this time would wait for Seisui to take the offensive. He had to be careful not to rush in again. It was probably the heat of the fight taking over then. Or maybe, that’s’ what he wanted Seisui to think. Maybe he was just getting a good measure of how quick this man can react. Perhaps he was just doing that to scale the man’s skill. Yes, it was definitely that and furthermore, he will use it to further his edge in this fight. Now, the waiting game is where it will decide the outcome of the next series of attacks.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

His blade blocked in the small interval that allowed such, Seisui pursued, giving no time for Nazo to switch stances as he closed the distance in half a second and slashed downwards with his katana, his blade appearing to aim for Nazo's shoulder. However, the sheath was where the key was, for it was ready to move, but had not yet. Seisui was still gauging the style of his opponent, whereas the Yagami seemed to be adapted to him already. There was either another form, or a second style that this man possessed, Seisui's crystal clear, and silent mind surmised with accuracy.

[AlteredTundra]

Time. Yes, time was what was of the essence for Nazo. It was time that wasn’t really present in the half-second that it took for Seisui to not only get to Nazo so quickly, but a slash from Seisui’s sword came at Nazo’s shoulder. It was on the right this time. The switching from sides is indeed a smart thing to do. It will keep the opponent off guard. However, what Seisui intended to do wasn’t going to happen. Nazo had already taken the stance. Not like it was that hard. All he had to do was to get his sword half-sheathed from the scabbard. The attack going at his shoulder and it was coming downward.

As the slash came down, Nazo was ready. He sheathed his sword and parried it upward.. He did this a couple of times as the parry would act like how a deflecting of kunai or something of the like. Nazo, this time, was moving forward as he kept the slashing against Seisui’s sword. This caused a lot of 'CHING CHING' sounds. Metal scraping metal, and even more birds were fleeing the vicinity. Nazo knew he had Seisui on the defensive, and that’s where he ducked just in case Seisui would attack back, and he crouched fast, and his body turned to where he was behind Seisui. That’s where Nazo unleashed an attack that he liked to call Horizontal Beheading. It was utilized by slashing in a horizontal fashion. By the time he did it, Nazo was standing and not crouching. There would only be a second for anything to be done about it. Probably too late for that thought.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

In an attempt at blocking him, Nazo used Iaido to parry, but his maneuver was unsuccessful as Seisui had seen it coming. As such his blade would slide sideways, becoming aligned with Nazo's own slash even as the Mayonaka's sheath came up swiftly and slammed into the blade, deflecting it to the side with greater force even as Seisui's slash went from a vertical attack do a diagonal sweep from right shoulder to left hip. Thus the repetitive strikes would never occur and Nazo would never move to his position to utilized his Horizontal beheading, though Seisui would surely react quickly if he still managed to do so somehow.

Should his strike make contact and follow all the way through, Seisui would spin to his left, moving his sheath and blade outwards forming what amounted to a hurricane-like pattern as he spun to disable any attacks that Nazo might attempt during the maneuver. If that was successful, his actions would continue, though it would entirely depend on Nazo's reaction to his former assault.

[AlteredTundra]

Nazo thought it would work. He could have sworn it had worked, but the god of luck isn’t on his side this time. Nono, whoever this god was definitely abandoned him and was in favor of Seisui cause Nazo’s opponent had already kenw that Iaido was incoming and everything that followed. This guy definitely is a good match for Nazo, maybe even too much of a match for him, but the Yagami will not let that show.

The attack that Nazo had planned was definitely blocked and then some. A lot of things happened with Seisui’s scabbard and it all happened so damn fast Nazo couldn’t believe how fast it all happened. It was like a blur and BOOM! Nazo was on the defensive. Everything leading up to Seuisui’s vertically-diagnoal slash was die or die trying. Okay not the most ideal situation, but Nazo knew how to handle this. The attack from Seisui barely grazed Nazo’s body, but it left a small cut into his clothing. Around the abdomens, there was a visible tear in his clothing. It was luck for Nazo that he reacted in such time that he did. In any case, he had more troubles ahead of him.

It would seem that Seuisui would continue, as Nazo was being pushed back, using dodging movements. Anything he could pull out of his ass to either deflect the slashes, move out of range of them, he did it. After the fifth or sixth, repetitive slash, Nazo had gotten to a point where he was able to flip away, and that’s what he did. He kept flipping away as he would land in a handstand and keep flipping backwards with his sword in hand. He was at a point where he was one of the trees. He knew at this point that he had to refigure out his battle strategy. Perhaps a bit of hiding would suffice for him. At least, until he could figure out a different game plan.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

Allowing Nazo to retreat as he himself slowly sheathed his Chinmoku back into the Tōrenai-men to naikō, holding it in his left hand for a moment and gazing up at Nazo as he rested in a tree at the edge of the clearing. "Your wits are sharp, Nazo Yagami, the world has taught you well," Seisui stated, nodding his head towards his fellow samurai respectfully before his eyes opened once more, narrowing back to that look of deadly focus once more, before he slowly began to close the distance between his location and the tree.

Every movement he made told of immense grace and fluidity. There was no waste in his actions, as if every shift in posture and musculature had been practiced till there was no needless energy put into them. It was impressive, and to the trained eye of a Yagami such as Nazo, it would be just one sign of a great swordsman, or at least one who would become great. It was apparent that much time and effort had been poured into the mastery of his style and while Seisui could not be considered among the legends of his clan, nor could he claim the title of grandmaster, his feats were still aplenty.

As he walked, Seisui's calm voice drifted through the air between them as he queried his adversary, "What do you call the first style you used? I have never seen its like before, it is quick and unique in its execution. I do not ask for you to reveal your secrets, I only wish to put a name to the style." With that the Mayonaka fell silent and continued to cross the clearing to reach the Yagami. However, what he would do when he reached him was questionable, but one thing was to be noted, Seisui now cradled his sheathed blade with the crook of his elbow, his fingers pointing upwards towards the blade's hilt, though his right hand remained at his other side as he walked. He was prepared for an assault, if one should come his way while, or after he spoke. However, Seisui figured that Nazo was not one to interrupt as long as not doing so did not threaten his life.

[AlteredTundra]

As Nazo contemplated his next move, he patiently waited upon the third level of the first tree he could get to. He wasn’t out of breath or anything of the sort. All he really intended to do while in the tree was to merely iron out the next phases of his battle strategy. It is true that Nazo has, in the past, came up battle strategies that didn’t need any second-staged planning. However, Seisui has proven to Nazo that not only is he a very capable opponent, but he seems to know what Nazo was going to do as the Yagami did it. This truly troubled Nazo.

As he thought about his next move, he could hear the sounds of the calm Seisui echo through the trees. His voice of calamity and peace. Nazo could definitely tell that much from hearing. His words were of the question kind. “I call it Tenmatsu-suru(Through the Flashes).” Nazo speaks in a mildly loud tone. It was loud enough for Seisui to hear it, but not loud enough for him. Nazo had to ask, though. “What is the name of the style you use?” Nazo spoke aloud, hoping to get the same answer as well. In this battle between respectful warriors, knowing the name of a style would perhaps add on to the respect these two have for each other as warriors. Nazo also didn’t want to give his location away, not just yet.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

"Intriguing," the swordsman stated, honing in on the location of his enemy through the sound of his voice. He knew he could not be far from him, this was for sure. He was likely preparing some kind of tactic, or sneak attack to catch him off guard. He was not unfamiliar with retreating to regroup and plan, it was an intelligent decision...sometimes. Then Nazo spoke again, obviously trying to echo his voice, but not too load to better conceal his location. However, it was apparent that Nazo was not moving for his voice came from roughly the same direction and so Seisui continued to travel, but now he took a path through the trees, which did not appear to directly head towards Nazo.

This would stop the man from realizing that Seisui, in part, knew where he was hiding. "It is the ancient sword art of my clan, the Mayonaka, known as the Shizukana-ryū-ji no(Style of the Tranquil path). As a member of the Yagami clan, I am sure you have heard of it. Though it is unlikely that you have witnessed it before me, I have no siblings after all." His tone was congenial and sounded almost reminiscent, but in truth it was something of a ruse as it implied that he was more in his own thoughts than he was in the present, which was not at all the case. In fact, that very moment, Seisui was planning his next set of attacks, though not specifically. He had no intention to make his maneuvers rigid and set in stone, for adaptability was one of the great advantages of his style and he intended to use it to its full effectivity

[AlteredTundra]

Away from Seisui has enabled Nazo to evaluate things and he has done that in the quietness of the tree he is in. Granted, him and Seisui seem to be exchanging words, and while Nazo doesn’t mind, he needs to be careful not to give his location away. The slightest mistake can mean the death of him, literally. He knows now that Seisui plays no games, even though currently it’s like a game of cat and mouse, with Nazo being the mouse.

As he prepares to move to another tree, Nazo heard Seisui tell Nazo about the style in which he uses. Nazo had definitely heard of it. Within his clan, Nazo heard great tales of the Shikukana-ryu-ji no style. It is a style well known to Samurai, but only in the legend of it. Up until today, Nazo has never encountered this style. He should consider himself lucky and he does, actually. “Yes, I have heard of it. It is indeed a famous style known within my clan, but only of rumor.” Nazo says as he heads deeper into the forest as he headed in the northwestern direction.

Each tree he passed was like a blur at his speed. The quickness he had was quicker than the initial push off of one tree to another. He went about one-hundred trees until he stopped again. Though, 100 trees in this forest isn’t much ground. It was probably about twenty feet at most. Nazo pulled out his Katana from the silver scabbard, he first weaves the rooster hand sign. Nazo points his sword upwards in a double-handed grip. He shuts his eyes and concentrates. Focusing Chakra at the very tip, Nazo utilizes his Lightning nature throughout the blade until it gets charged so much that the blade is oozing out static electricity of a blue hue. The focus that Nazo had to utilize was immense and as he adjusted his chakra levels to the rank of the jutsu, he stood like a statue. What he was doing was feeling out the wind. He would become silent, hear every leaf that would drop, every stepping sound on every branch within the area. He would feel every vibration. He would do this until he could pinpoint the exact moment that he suspected Seisui would pass below him. After a half of a minute, it happened.

Nazo utilized his chakra control to have his feet planted on the thick branch he was on and with a push of chakra from his feet, he was launched downward. As he came within eyesight of Seisui, who no doubt saw him at this point, he swung his sword and uttered the followed “Tenmatsu-suru: Ryushusuha(Through The Flashes: Discharge Blade)!” As he said that, a giant arc of the concentrated lightning chakra was fired downward at Seisui. Or at the very least, it was fired at his direction. Whether or not he would see it and/or evade/counter it would be if he noticed it in time.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

His every sense attuned to his surroundings as he searched for his opponent, Seisui waited, patiently, his hand laid gently on the hilt of his blade as he continued to silently move through the forest. It was only as he passed under the tree that his adversary was in, not knowing he was there, that something caught his attention. The ever so subtle sound of breathing, human breathing. Eyes narrowing, the Mayonaka's stance widened, his chakra flared, and even as Nazo pushed off and downwards towards him, the bolt of lightning slicing through the air, Seisui's blade flew from its sheath in a tremendously fast Iaido-like quickdraw, the very tip of the blade making contact with the bolt by barely a millimeter. The swing was an upward one, but it did not stop at that point, instead his other hand met it at the apex of the swing, above his head, and switched his grip, continuing the arc till the blade's tip hit the ground, his other hand grasping the sheath even as he dashed forwards to evade the falling Nazo by mere inches of space. As a master swordsman, he did not stop his movement so as to continue his inertia, by spinning the blade from his left hand to his right, and into reverse grip, stepping backwards as he did so, and turning slightly to slash backwards at his opponent, aiming for his heart (the center of Nazo's torso). All in all the maneuver took Seisui an utterly miniscule amount of time, but he likely would have sustained serious damage had he not heard Nazo's breathing when he had. Regardless, he had no intention of letting his opponent catch onto that fact.

[AlteredTundra]

Nazo’s attack was fast, powerful, and it failed. Dammit, it failed and Nazo only had a few seconds in-between the time that his attack was launched, to the initial contact with Seisui’s blade right up until the part that the Mayonaka had launched a counter-attack and boy wasn’t a freaking close call. Nazo didn’t know how he would, but in the motions that followed, he found himself only being able to escape certain death. He would be able to, somehow, twist his body as Seisui’s blade came in at his heart. The god’s of fate were with Nazo this time, but how many lucky breaks can he get? In any case, he was able to just walk away with a mildly threatening cut on his back as he had positioned his body to such that the sharp edge of Seisui’s blade would slide against his back, but that wasn’t a perdiciment that Nazo would prefer to find himself in.

Nazo knew that this battle would start getting super serious just cause of the lengths that these two are going. Nazo actually using one of his chakra-based attacks, and Seisui resorting to whatever he did. “You know, you’re really good, Seisui of clan Mayonaka. It’s too bad that you’re going to lose this fight. I would much rather win and have you alive so I can fight you another day.” Nazo said as he, with his free hand, took off his shirt, leaving his upper-body bare. As seen by anyone with eyes, scars all over his body could be seen. The years he had been fighting have been shown and imprinted into his body. “I think we should take off the kiddy gloves, what say you, Mayonaka, Seisui?” Nazo said as he took his Iaido stance, preparing the ultimate stance for whatever Seisui had to throw at him.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

His attacking leaving a shallow gash in his opponent's flesh, Seisui swiveled his body the rest of the way after his strike had landed, moving into a more suitable stance should Nazo jump right into some form of attack. He did not. Instead the man proceeded to remove his shirt and ready himself, speaking calmly, respectfully, but seriously to him as he did so. As this was a challenge, and not a fight based purely on survival, the swordsman would wait for Nazo to ready himself so as not to win through disgraceful action. Listening intently to his opponent's words, Seisui's stance relaxed and he took one step before moving into a much more relaxed stance, right foot in front of the left, knees bent ever so slightly, sword in his right hand and tilted at a slight diagonal, though it was in a primarily vertical position. His left hand hovered just above the fingers of his right which were clasped about Chinmoku with the same arm slightly raised. The stance seemed, all in all, rather plain in comparison to those Seisui had been using prior, it was strange.

However, there was something to note about this stance, as while it was simple on the surface, Seisui's manner had changed. There was of course still a look of serenity and focus in his eyes, but now it was coupled with ferocity and what Nazo might recognize as complete assurance. Something had shifted. "I would not dampen my skill at any point in conflict, Yagami. This you should know. However, since you insist, I shall show you something that seldom few ever witness." Taking in a deep breath, Seisui focused his chakra, amplifying the speed at which it flowed through his body and allowing it to synchronize with his blade even as he used it to isolate the Tōrenai-men to naikō from its counterpart. "Shinzui no hasu(Core of the lotus)," his chakra writhing through his blade, Seisui unbridled and focused its form, allowing it to rush from Chinmoku, covering its surface with a subtle blue light until what appeared to by a cylinder with a conical point formed. Chinmoku's hilt and grip remained unchanged, but the blade was buried beneath the the man's blue chakra.

Seisui raised his eyes to meet with Nazo's as he finished, "Mabayui mankai(まばゆい満開 'Resplendent Full bloom')." An air of stillness seemed to spread from Seisui, as if he was the aspect of serenity itself, it was a beautiful yet terrifying sensation. For the purest serenity was the one a man only met at the end of their life as fear slipped away and their soul exited their physical body. Yes, serenity in its purest and unadulterated form, was the sensation of the final letting go, of death. "I hope you meant what you said, for while I pulled no blows before, there will be no chance for such now." With these words uttered, his techniques active, Seisui pushed off, dashing towards his opponent who stood a mere 5 meters away to begin the final portion of their battle.

It was life or death now as those who glimpsed the serenity of death were bound to be claimed by it. Only the Mayonaka had been able to harness its power, and only through their mastery of themselves could they resist the urge to succumb to it. Such was the way of the Mayonaka, and thus of Seisui who was their heir.

[AlteredTundra]

Nazo, the Enigma of the Yagami Clan, and Seisui, the Tranquil Lotus of the Mayonaka Clan — they both take a stance; they both ready for the start of the conclusion of the fight they have entered. Nazo is in the classic Iaido Stance. This is a stance that is both traditional as it is deadly. It is among one of the most revered and common stances a samurai can take. In the hands of a novice, it’s nothing, but with a master, it’s better than having unlimited chakra and techniques. For Nazo, it is the stance he uses when he is ready to end fights. It’s been so long since he has used it so many times in one battle. For Seisui, Nazo had noticed a shift in his stance. From what he could gather, the Mayonaka uttered the words Core Lotus. Nazo could decipher that this stance must be the grand-daddy of his style. Which means that Seisui is taking heed to what Nazo said about the kiddie gloves coming off. Nazo smiles at this realization.

With his Iaido stance in full effect, Nazo stands ready for what Seisui had to offer and boy did he offer something good. From in front of him, Nazo saw Seisui dashing towards him. In the seconds that followed, Nazo was already planning a counterattack. It would first be defensive, but eventually the force poured into this attack would be offensive, should it be successful, that is. This attack that Nazo used was one of his favorite defensive techs. ”Sanga Zanshu(Beheading of a Thousand Snakes)” Nazo said as Seisui’s blade came in. The seconds that elapsed from the Mayonaka’s initial dash to the point of contact between his and Nazo’s blade allowed the Yagami to flow his chakra into his blade and as he rushed it out of his scabbard, he slashed in all directions. This included horizontal, vertical, diagonal , and any other kind of direction. The result was multiple chakra sicles being thrown at Seisui’s blade. Eventually, the process would back off Seisui, but who know what Seisui would do in respond to this.

[yoshua171]

Mayonaka, Seisui - The Tranquil Lotus

5 meters, the Yagami was ready; 4 meters, Nazo's body tensed and eyes focused; 3 meters, the man's muscles and blade began to move; 2.5 meters, Seisui's dash was interrupted by a shift in movement. Whilst he had run the tip of his blade had been aimed forwards from with hands near his right hip. However, the blade was at an angle so as to be pointing at Nazo's left side (from Seisui's perspective). This was the same side that Nazo's sheath was located and thus the starting location for any attack that the samurai would begin in reaction to Seisui's rush, which had been utilized for two reasons.

First, Seisui had utilized a rush to quickly close distance and to obscure his actual choice of attack.

Second, he had employed the movement as a strategy to instigate Nazo to attack him, rather than Seisui make the true first move, which might open him up for a counter on Nazo's end.

Thus the dash had served its purpose so as Nazo's first slash began, Seisui's heel pushed forwards and made it look as if he were going to slide to a stop. However, rather than his knee be straight to create more stopping power, he kept it ever so slightly bent. This was totally imperceptible to Nazo due to the clothing that covered Seisui's body. As such Nazo's attacks were more likely to continue as the man had likely planned for them two. At this point already three more slashes had been utilized in differing directions, none of which were relevant to him. An omnidirectional attack...with a blade, utilizing chakra, Seisui's brain thought faster even than Nazo's attacks even as it continued to analyze the movement. Effective against multiple opponents, ineffective against a single individual, he surmised even as the first chakra blade neared him. His knee bent and he stepped forwards propelling his blade in a forwards and slightly upwards thrust, hitting the very center of the slightly arced chakratic blade. The reaction to the precise action, which was followed by a lightning fast, but tiny, downward cut with the blade's tip, resulted in Seisui totally disrupting the flow of chakra in the attack.

In short, the blade of chakra dispersed and as Nazo would begin realizing his error, Seisui's movement continued with smoothness, no slower than his dash, but far more measured and dangerous as he initiated another technique with a tiny flux of chakra. Menimienai jokyo(目に見えない除去 'Unseen removal') thus applying a thin layer of chakra just over the surface of the apparently cylindrical chakra construct that overlaid Chinmoku's surface. This would act as a sheath as Seisui's slight upwards slash --created by the mere flick of his wrist-- would move the blade across his body from his right side to his left. At no point did he stop moving to allow any leeway and thus as his blade moved, so did his body, before the now chakraticly sheathed blade made contact with Nazo's own as he attempted a slash as he had been doing prior.

The blade's momentum would cease entirely as it met with Seisui's being culled by the precision of its master's movements even as it flashed forwards and across in the second technique of the chain.

It would be as if Seisui had preformed an iaido technique, but entirely without a sheath as he executed Menimienai shunji(目に見えない瞬时 'Unseen flash') to slash downwards across Nazo's sword arm, chest, and just above the hip. Movements from there would vary depending on the man's reaction