Despite the fact that his opponent had changed their appearance, Shin recognized the equipment well enough to not care about the difference of gender. Though it was a surprise that he had suddenly become a she unannounced. Without knowledge of this ability, Shin was perplexed by what utility an ability like that would have. Behind his mask he actually grimaced a bit at the potential degenerate use of that ability. The expression caused a tinge of pain to run up his right cheek as he flexed the muscles around his mouth where he had no lips. Though he wasn't certain she would hear it, Shin muttered a single word.
"Degenerate."Was it Corban, or was it Corbina? Shin hadn't actually heard the name Crystal thus far, so he thought only of the name Corban. They had questioned him of his place, turning his own question back on it. Though in a totally asinine and pointless way, it may have seemed meaningful to Corban, but to Shin it was just dodging a question. He deemed it worthy of a response, morbid as it may be. "My place is as the last living man, standing on the corpses of all. Including yours."
It was a beautiful day.
The birds were singing.
The flowers were blooming.
A leaf blew across the battlefield though the walls had closed around them, a breeze still passed between the pair. It was nice, made for an excellent setting. The perfect killing field.
Shin extended his right hand and opened his fingers slightly, from the center of his palm extended a staff to a total of eight feet. Strands of wire wrapped around his fingers and up into his sleeve. Though Corban would never see it, the wire wrapped itself around his arms, legs and torso beneath his clothes. After preparations had been made, Shin dropped his staff arm low and shifted his posture. His left leg before his right and leading with his left hand. He swung his right arm behind himself and leveled the staff with the ground. The left hand was extended totally forward with his hand open, leaving his fingers extended but loose. Shin's body was pointed off and to the right, leaving his vital organs away from the potential first swing.
He began moving towards Corban, now wordlessly. They did in fact have an audience to satisfy, a very powerful one at that. Very rarely had he ever let his god down, today would not be another failure. It was a brisk pace that he walked at, maintaining his posture as he stepped forward. Leading his feet sideways at a slight angle, the angle pointing towards but not directly at Corban, this was a good footing for allowing himself to leap forward or away depending on necessity.
But we've been focusing too much on Shin's posture, because Shin's eye is the most important tool in his arsenal. It zoned in on Corban, whose stance was sloppy. Little thought had gone into the placement of her feet or arms. The singular pupil contracted and expanded as it looked in and out of Corban's entirety. Relaxed but prepared, though obviously not prepared enough. That outfit could repel bladed weaponry, so his staff's blunt nature would be more than enough to deal with it. Shin himself never wore armor, didn't need too anymore. Had once considered it, perhaps wear hefty armor to protect against any weapon. Those times had long since passed though, since he was skilled enough to ignore most weapons.
She too was leading with her left, that was probably indicative of left-handedness. Shin was ambidextrious to a degree, but so too was he naturally left handed. However he was leading with his hand, not his weapon. A polearm was a good weapon for distancing, countering it would be difficult but it would be nothing he'd never dealt with before. Recollection showed him that she had more than just the one weapon, though no other significant weapon was on her. Maybe a hidden dagger. Her weapon could change as well, though in a different degree than his own. It wasn't quite so intimate as the relationship he had with his weapon it seemed, the weapon wasn't an extension of her.
A short distance was between them, only around nine or ten feet. Shin did not make the first move, he rarely did. Though as the distance closed, he rotated his left wrist and forearm slightly so his fingers pointed to the right. Corban's left. A subtle preparation for an oncoming attack.
Iron Eyes,
Rickrigas,
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odium,
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