- Kisaki Mao -
- Tartarus, Spider's Den -
The warrior sat in one of the many hive chambers, silently meditating with crossed legs. He would soon return to the city to sleep, as he had completed the task given to him. Although the child he had sought to rescue was dead, he had avenged his death manyfold on the spider population, and had retrieved evidence of the child's passing. At the very least he hoped to provide some measure of consolation to the parents. He would love to refuse the meager monetary reward he had been offered, but even a great warrior needed to eat, and he doubted these creatures were in any way edible. Although, then again, maybe if cooked right....
This catastrophic train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a stone, moved slightly. A normal person might have missed the slight sound, but Kisaki had spent his entire life honing his senses. Someone was moving through the tunnels, and from the sound (or rather, lack thereof), they were doing so with some measure of skill. There was no reason for one of the locals to approach this place. It held no riches, and was the home of the spider-like creatures that preyed on the inhabitants of this world. Based on this person's stealthy approach, they were skilled. This meant one of two things. This stranger had arrived either to help him, or to kill him. And Kisaki had no intention of waiting to find out which of the two it was.
With all the grace and litheness of a snake, he uncoiled himself, before softly pushing off against the ground. He softly floated up to the ceiling, absorbing and redirecting the force of gravity to assist him in his semi-flight. This was Air Dance, a technique he had developed to increase his mobility in combat. And it served him well as he waited on the ceiling, much like a spider himself. He placed himself directly over the entrance to the chamber, even as he heard the occasional sound of movement to herald the approach of this mysterious stranger. He waited there for almost 2 minutes, patient and silent.
A slight shifting in the earth was the only herald of the incoming attack. The ground under his hands rippled as the earth itself pulled him in, hard stone clamping around his hands as he was unexpectedly held in place. Hunter became the hunted as a his opponent revealed himself, a cloaked humanoid figure whom's face was obscured by the hood of their robe. Two glowing dots showed where the eyes would have been, some kind of vision-enhancing spell that had allowed this mage to spot him through the stone that had separated them. He had barely made this realization when the mage gestured upwards, a gout of flame erupting from their outstretched hand.
Forced into a corner, Kisaki unleashed a powerful burst of kinetic energy from his hands. The stone holding him in place shattered with a loud crack even as the force launched him backwards and away from the magical flamethrower. He moved through the air like a glider, Air Dance carrying him over the sudden wafts of hot air as he moved to the other side of the dark area. The flames died out and once more the darkness pressed down on the combatants. All he could see of his opponent was two glowing dots, and yet he already knew that his every move was clear as day to this mage. He shot forward, Dragon Form augmenting his speed as he dashed blindly. His body and mind had been trained for combat in all environments, and his feet automatically placed themselves on the uneven rock even as his stance automatically adjusted. But even with that he was at a disadvantage in the darkness.
A second burst of flame came to meet his advances, the sudden brightness blinding his eyes. But he had many other senses to rely on, and he knew that if he were to dodge to the side, the flames would simply follow him. If he were to move back, he would be kept at a distance continuously, unable to get into melee. Normally that was an excellent tactic, as mages would often run out of steam long before his more energy-efficient power ran out of energy. After all, he recharged just by existing, constantly siphoning energy from the force of gravity. But this was a rather cramped space, and the only exit was behind his attacker. The more ground he gave, the less room he would have to manoeuvre, and the less he would be able to dodge. His only shot was a direct attack.
As he met with the wall of flames his right arm shot out, punching the air in front of him. He focused the energy of his entire body, putting the power of his entire body behind it. He then projected that force, placing it beyond his fist and into the air, pushing at it and manipulating it with the power of his body. An invisible vortex shot forth from the tip of his fist, a vacuum forged from the parting of the air directly. The flames were torn in half, a pathway becoming visible for just a moment as the mage took a step backwards. The Hollow Fist, the ability to project a vacuum to counter flames both magical and mundane. It granted him a moment, which was all he needed. After all, even the most powerful mage would be surprised for a moment after their spell failed.
Kisaki filled his body with kinetic energy, launching it forward at superhuman speeds as he closed the remaining distance in less than a second. The mage was already raising another hand, preparing a spell of some kind, as Kisaki's fist moved in. He struck the mage in the forehead, a calculated blow as he regulated the energy of the impact. He absorbed part of the force back into himself, and applied the rest to the Mage's forehead. They rocked back under the force, their brain being slammed into the back of their skull. It was a force that would knock out a normal person, and yet this mage was merely stunned for a moment, as they found their footing again. Their body had been reinforced by magic, increasing their damage tolerance. Kisaki performed a quick second punch, applying a bit more force. This time the mage went down, sprawling on the floor as the light from their eyes faded away. The two consecutive punches had happened in the blink of an eye.
Kisaki took a moment to calm down, gathering his wits about him as he listened for any secondary attackers. There were none. This stranger had attempted to assassinate him on their own. That had been a bad call on their part. Kisaki reached down, picking up the mage and flinging them over his shoulder. It would be a while before they woke up, and Kisaki needed answers. If there was somebody out for his life, he would need to know their name and location. It seemed he wouldn't be staying in Tartarus after all.
