Round One | Match Two [QoH vs Keisuke Noroi]

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

.Match Two.
Kimiko Katsumi vs Keisuke Noroi

It was simply excellent to have such glorious weather on the first day of the Moon Country's Tournament. A stunning sun that perched itself high above the sky and released pleasant light through the clouds that drifted leisurely with the summer wind. The sheer energy of the people chanting outside the stadium gave birth to the sound of trumpets that echoed across the entire stadium, signaling the great doors to open and release of flood of viewers into the stands. People from various countries, villages, and of course Moon Country flowed from the entrance in a near endless quantity, all sharing the same desire to witness the spectacular event that was about to take place. Within minutes the stadium was fully occupied with cheering spectators and with another segment of a trumpet resonance the entrance doors closed in a final slam. Members of the tournament's faculty began materializing inside the arena grounds, the proctor himself wearing a black suited attire and a full medical unit wearing their white coated uniform. On the highest tier of the stadium a great bang was heard, and instantly silence was summoned inside the stadium. Lord Yoshiyuki, Moon Countries divine authority and political leader had made entrance into the stadium. His long flowing blue and golden robe and pure diamond accessories stood testament to his high status within the nation he held within his entire hands. His skin was glowing with the steady excitement brewing within his flesh, and his long red hair flowing like the fiery satin that it could easily replicate. Beside him were two robust and stern bodyguards that not only emitted an energy of authority but also had a posture of humbleness and care for their leader. Upon him seeing the faces of his beloved citizens and visitors, Lord Yoshiyuki was glad that he adopted the festivities of the Summer Festival within his own home and welcomed the ninja of Konohgakure and even other nations to participate in his tournament that would rattle the ninja world and will strengthen the alliance between Konoha and Moon Country.

He looked down at the giant arena located within the heart of the stadium and viewed it's contents in pure vanity of his landscaping talent. It was fifty meters in diameter with ten meter stone walls around it's perimeter. The terrain was mostly composed of low cut grass although there were other instruments placed to enhance the setting. Eight large 15ft pillars were located in a octagonal formation around the arena's edges in the grass terrain, each holding a large bowl of burning wood at it's top providing a source of fire. Around the perimeter of the arena was a ring of fresh water that divided the grassy landmass and the walls by a few meters except for the small area where the contestants walk though. Being at a near endless depth, it can provide the competitors with a source of water if they're near the edges of the ring. Overall the stadium was neat, simple, and decorative and would surely be enough to supply the fighters with the tools necessary to display their talents.

Lord Yoshiyuki made his way toward the edge of his balcony, letting his natural luminescence filter through the stadium. His bodyguards mimicked his actions like a pair of drones, standing a few feet at each side of him. By pumping chakra into this throat it allowed him to project his voice loud enough to be heard throughout the entire stadium with clarity. "The second match of the first round begins now!" He announced which exhilarated the crowd. While the crowd stridently applauded to his words he waited for them to calm down before continuing. "This match's competitors will be Kamiko of the Katsumi Clan and Keisuke of the Noroi Clan!" The crowd applauded at in a light frequency which will last until both competitors meet within the field. Lord Yoshiyuki sat down on his giant golden chair and peered at the field with crossed legs. The medical unit disbanded into the stands and the proctor flickered himself in the center of the field where the two competitors will meet. The bell rang and the doors opened on each side of the field. Kimiko entered from the south, and Keisuke from the north, and they approached each other until they were five meters apart in the center. With a quick "Begin!" from the proctor, he instantly flickered out of the arena, and the match had begun.

Quote :: -The first poster will be Queen of Hearts, then Keisuke Noroi.
-This exam is on a three day post requirement, if you fail to post in three days after your opponent you are automatically disqualified.
-You are the only two who are permitted to post here.
-This exam does not have a competition date, as I said, it's a three day post requirement so we expect it done quickly, if it continues due to continuous dodging, I'll proctor it like I'm supposed to and come to a conclusion.
-If you exit the ground floor you will be disqualified, by no means should you harm the audience, you can however use the wall as a weapon or a surface to run on.
-Be elaborate with your jutsu, explain it. Don't confuse your opponent, all jutsu are required to be attached at the bottom of a thread via a quote or a spoiler, it is not to be messy.
-All standard roleplaying rules apply.
-This is the first time you have heard of your opponent, unless you have met them in character before.
-If you are in a death situation and you obviously don't wish to be killed, you can RP a medic coming to your rescue although that will automatically get you disqualified.

Age : 29 Posts : 3640

So... the time had come for Kimiko to be in her first fight. She had already gone through in her mind a list of possible strategies. First; find out the fighting style of her opponent. Second; find their weakness and exploit it. And third; hope for the best. Kimiko wasn't going to be devastated if she lost, but... due to her being very competetive, she would more than likely fight as hard as possible in order to win.

She had never heard of this Keisuke Noroi person, and this would mean all the more discovering on her part. Though she didn't mind. It added to the thrill of the fight. She entered through the designated south entrance, absorbing the arena. Eight big pillars with fire on top of them. A large pool of water. A typical grassy ground. For the first time in probably all her life, Kimiko felt nerves washing over her like a cold shower. She was rather surprise that she was referred to Kimiko of the Katsumi 'clan', and grinned at the very sound of it. However, now was not the time to be grinning like an idiot. She had to be serious. As serious as she could manage, anyway...

No matter what happened, Kimiko knew she would have a height disadvantage. She always did, and she knew this fight would be no exception. Her opponent looked menacing to say the least, and she knew he wasn't from Konoha... a Missing Ninja. Her first fight and she was against a Missing Ninja. Typical. The guy used swords from what she could see. 'Note to self... keep away from them...' She shuddered at the thought at gaining a wound from the sword she could see especially well in a sheath on his side. She needed to give a good clean start to give her an upper hand... hmmmm...

At the word 'begin', Kimiko leapt into action; rather literally. She jumped back a little bit and pulled out a kunai, hastily attaching an exploding tag onto it and launching it at her opponent. She waited until it was close enough, then activated it to act as her cover and (hopefully) a way to damage or surprise him at the least. She jumped up onto the nearest pillar by balancing chakra out in her feet, climbing up to the top. Once there, she knocked down the bowl full of burning logs so it aimed to hit her opponent on the head. So... it had begun.

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Age : 30 Posts : 356

Finally, it was his turn, his chance to show exactly what he could do. Mentally he was prepared, already well aware of the chances of finding another short range fighter. Despite this he held an almost optimistic mindset, ready to plow through anything thrown at him from his still unknown opponent. A sigh emanated from his covered maw, his patience wearing thin after more then an hour of waiting. Suigetsu pulsed, its anticipation for the possible bloodshed only matched by its wielder. Keisuke felt his ears perk, his name being mentioned just beyond the room in which he was waiting by the Lord himself. Amusement graced his covered features,'The Noroi clan? My father must be rolling in his grave...' Silencing his thoughts he began to walk, his pace methodical and calculated as he stepped through the doorway and into the arena.

An instant once over was given to both the field and the opponent,'Grassy field...Water source...Flaming pillars...Everything a ninjutsu user needs to gain the upper hand.' Once again his gaze drifted over to his newest challenger, the noise of the crowd blocked out by his analytical thoughts,'She's small, which means she likely has a slight advantage in speed was well as height...No visible weapons and nothing especially concerning on the outside. Based on that she could very well be a long distance fighter, although I could be wrong...' Suddenly there was a shout,"Begin." Caught of guard he stood motionless for a moment, the other ninja leaping backwards the instant the word was uttered. From his back came Suigetsu, its huge length shimmering in the dull sunlight as he prepared his charge. Unfortunately the konoichi decided to play it safe from a distance, launching a kunai in his general direction. Assuming the worst Keisuke launched forward, knocking the kunai away moments before it exploded behind him. Said explosion actually shocked him, his balance obliterated from the force of the shockwave.

Eyes locked onto his opponent he watched her leap vertically onto the nearest pillar, knocking down one of the burning bowls. Smirking at her arrogance he swung in a wide arc, his zanbato cleaving through the missile with ease. The two sections fell on either side of him even as he leapt upwards, the wind licking at the small burns now covering his hands. Soon he was there, standing on the pillar not ten feet from her, his piercingly cold golden eyes portraying his malice filled soul. It was then he noticed his ear was ringing, the explosion doing more damage then originally anticipated,"So, shall we begin fighting, or will you continue to run about in fright?" He was almost within striking distance, so close he could probably close the gap between them within seconds. This noted he stood in a lazy but firm stance, ready for any sudden movements as he awaited the Leaf Nins' response.

Age : 29 Posts : 3640

Kimiko watched from her vantage point over Keisuke, making sure to take note of his moves and to try working around them. She shuddered almost so it wasn't visable as she saw the bowl of flames being sliced in half by her opponent's sword, gulping a little silently. Yeah, that sword was going to prove a problem. If he carried on showing that skill of blocking attacks with it, she was going to be in some serious trouble. Her eyes followed the young man up to his new position atop a pillar right next to her; his own eyes bearing into what she thought was her soul. Instead of being intimidated, Kimiko's immediate reaction was to grin, something she usually did anyway. In this situation, she was grinning out of an almost nervous realisation.

'Come on, Kimi... stay calm... now think. I still have nearly all my chakra left; only a little used up by activating the exploding tag. That means I have numerous jutsu left up my sleeves... metaphorically of course...' She paused in her thoughts and looked down at her bare arms. 'Anyway, that means I should start fighting for real now. Preserve my chakra to hang in there longer, and use jutsu sparingly. That'll be my strategy.' She finally decided, her stance stiffening as she realised that she had been stood in a slightly slack way. "I think that you'll find... I've been fighting since the beginning. Just getting a little... warmed up." Her grin only widened at what she said last; amused by her own pun. She readied herself, sinking a little bit into her knees and pushing down and backwards with all the force she could muster. Just like she had hoped, the pillar unrooted itself from the ground and started toppling towards where her opponent was stood. While in mid-air, Kimiko twisted a little bit so she could take out a number of shuriken. These would work with her first real jutsu of the fight.

She slipped the shuriken inside the sleeve on her left hand while she made the required handseals, spitting forth five fireballs that she slickly threw the shuriken inside of. "Housenka no Jutsu!" She called out to announce her jutsu; the Mystical Fire Phoenix Technique. The fireballs were on their course towards Keisuke, as well as the toppling pillar. Kimiko hadn't properly anticipated her landing yet, so she was rather relieved to find that she was heading towards another pillar. She kicked the bowl of fire off before landing on it since she didn't want to scorch herself, then planted her feet on top of this pillar. She crouched in a cat-like position to cushion her fall onto such a small surface area, lightly catching her breath from the exhilaration such a move had caused.

'That's right... you're dealing with Katsumi Kimiko now.' She thought to herself with the same grin bright on her face.

Spoiler:

Age : 30 Posts : 356

'She's grinning?' Curiosity consumed him for a moment as the small konoichi not only met his gaze, but then smiled back at him without reserve. Then she spoke, answering his question with a cheeky remark,"I think that you'll find... I've been fighting since the beginning. Just getting a little... warmed up." Then she giggled, seemingly laughing at some sort of unheard joke. To Keisuke it was as good as an admittance, he was now on edge and ready for her to make her move. It was then she shot backwards, her chakra enforced push sending the pillar backwards in his direction while knocking him off balance. Using chakra to stick to the moving surface he watched with a critical eye as she flipped mid-air, seconds later calling out the name of a jutsu. From her mouth flew five fireballs, all of which were headed for his now still form. Cutting the flow from his feet to the falling monument Keisuke shot out of the way at the last possible second, twisting mid-air to launch his own offensive as she prepared to land on an adjacent pillar. Unbeknownst to his the fireballs stuck fast upon impact with the still standing pillar behind him.

Just after she accomplished the cat-like move he attacked, using his momentum from the launch to spin, letting his blade fly moments later. The high quality carbon steel blade cleaved through the air with unsettling ease, on a crash course with the still crouched teen even as it spun like a circular saw. Without waiting to watch the hit he launched into the next phase of his hastily thought up plan, sprinting towards the pillar while drawing his second blade, the fabled Masamune, from its sheath on his side. He stopped halfway, watching from below as the moment of truth presented itself,"Will the blade hit? I have my doubts..." Regardless he began again, watching the still falling bowl of fire with a critical eye. waiting until the opportune time he lined up his shot, using the flat length of his blade like a baseball bat and swung. The result of said action was the bowl flying back from whence it came, namely towards the enemy konoichi. Now the plan was done, Keisuke watching carefully from below as two projectiles closed in on her position much as she had done with him,"I despise running, but I cannot allow her to maintain a long distance like she has. I must close the gap...'

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Age : 29 Posts : 3640

Kimiko watched the two pillars collide after the fireballs with shuriken inside clashed against the one where Keisuke had been stood, and inwardly cursed as she noticed her opponent had got away from the attack. 'Damn... so annoying...' She thought with a slight groan. So, she started to look around the area in order to pin-point Keisuke's location. It was while she was surveying the arena that her eyes locked onto the sword coming her way. Her eyes widened as she watched it, yet she seemed to be a little bit frozen on the spot. She finally came round when she heard a large metalic clang, and saw a bowl of flames come hurtling up at her.

Without really thinking, Kimiko did a back-flip off the pillar she was standing on as far as she could in order to avoid getting hit by the two projectiles coming at her. She found that the ground was now approaching her rather fast, and a large thump was heard as she landed. In order to cushion her fall, she dropped and rolled before springing back up to her feet. Keisuke was trying to move closer to her in order to engage in closer combat; something she did not do well in. So, she had to make sure that she kept him at long range as much as possible. She turned on her heel and began to run towards the far wall of the arena on the east side. Keep distance, keep distance... now that Kimiko inspected her left arm, she spotted small burns where the bowl of fire had narrowly missed hitting her. Sure, the burns weren't painful, but she started to realise how much she had to step up her game.

Kimiko launched a few kunai at Keisuke to preserve her chakra and hopefully keep him at a distance as much as possible. Somehow she felt as if this had turned into a game of cat and mouse; and at this moment in time, she was the mouse.

Age : 30 Posts : 356

Suigetsu stopped abruptly, its razor sharp edge now buried a few feet in the pillar where the konoichi once stood. Keisuke scowled as he watched this, both projectiles, the latter being a flaming bowl, missing entirely as the enemy ninja backflipped off the pillar to the ground below. The moment she began to roll he was off, Masamune drawn and held at the ready as he closed the gap. It was then that his jumpy opponent decided to take off in the opposite direction, matching his speed even as she retreated to the east wall. Irritated at her constant hit and run tactics, Keisuke ground his teeth heavily as he continued on. 'I will catch you, and when I do, we shall see if you can fight as well as you run...' The thought was as pleasing as it was dark. A sudden change in direction revealed kunai being thrown directly into his path. Stopping dead he once again deflected the projectiles with his blade, attempting and failing to reverse their direction," Did you not learn the first time? Such feeble weapons cannot reach me..." This was said with a not so subtle tone of arrogance, something the Lunar Nightmare hoped would inspire some actual retaliation instead of the quasi-insulting mock attacks.

The woman continued to flee, Keisuke using the opportunity to take off towards his second sword with a burst of speed. Leaping upward he ripped Suigetsu from its stone prison mid-flight, landing in a crouch as he sheathed said zanbato.Now eying the female ninja again he did the only thing that would ensure a victory. For the umpteenth time he bolted towards the konoichi, pulling a long length of chain from the depths of his trenchcoat and attaching one end to his claymore, Masamune. After what seemed like ages he came within range, the claymore rapidly rotating above his head via chain. Her back was figuratively against the wall, she had to run by him to get away. 'Perfect.' Target dead in his sights he released the spinning weapon, watching as it approached the now cornered female with a sadistic gleam in his eye.

Age : 29 Posts : 3640

Kimiko was determined not to panic. No matter what happened, she would remain calm and carry on fighting. This was the only way to ensure her victory, if she was to gain one. She stopped at the east wall, now cursing her tactics. She was cornered, and with a deadly weapon heading her way, everything seemed to start happening in slow motion. The bowl of flames that had fallen from the pillar where she had been standing had been knocked off course what with the small contact it made with her arm, and had landed within range of a jutsu... hmmmm... it was simple enough. She waited for the swinging chain and mortar to get almost close enough to hit her, and then brought her hands together into the seal that switched her position with that of the bowl. She dropped lightly onto her feet and then silently began to run at Keisuke's back.

She made a small string of handseals in order to perform another Fire jutsu that she was so good at, spitting forth a long stream of fire like a flamethrower. With all the fire 'off her chest', she brought a hand to her mouth and the stream of fire changed shape into a ball as it started heading for Kimiko's opponent.

'Things are hotting up...'

Spoiler:

Age : 30 Posts : 356

Th strike connected, the vibrations reverberating throughout the chain connected to his blade confirmed that much. No, the question at present was what he had hit, as human flesh didn't sound nor feel like the object on the receiving end of Masamunes' deadly edge. Eyes narrowed he squinted, his vision tunneling as the identification of the object became clear; a now cleaved in half version of the bowl used to hold the flames for the top of the pillars. This caused the furrowing of his brow, his irritation becoming more visible with each passing moment as he realized the trick she had pulled,'Kawarimi no Jutsu.' Yanking on the chain he recalled his weapon, sheathing it as he watched for any signs of his opponent,'Now where could she have gone to?...' The answer came in the form of his sixth sense screaming at him, his response being to whip around in preparation for a counter attack. Golden eyes widened slightly as they took in the sight of the large fireball bearing down upon his form, his survival instincts kicking into gear milliseconds later. He had only seconds and couple feet before the impending ball of flame impacted, his choice of action limited in a severe way as he subconsciously realized dodging at such range was impossible. Opting for the next best thing he unsheathed his zabato Suigetsu, slamming it into the ground before crouching behind it to elicit maximum protection from the wide blade.

Just before the impact one last thought managed to form,'This is gonna hurt like Hell...' Gritting his teeth he braced for impact, the flames crashing over him but a moment later. The force of the fireball crashing into the ground threw up not only debris, but also a thick, copious amount of smoke that blocked out all vision to everyone present. A moment passed, sound absent from the void of anticipation and nerve wracking tension. Then he appeared, bursting from the cloud with something akin to a roar of anger and pain. Gone was his trenchcoat, both it and his bandages having burned away revealing not only a toned physique but also heavily scarred torso. This would like go unnoticed at the moment, as the focus would have been on the steam rising off of his ash streaked body as he full on sprinted towards the female before him. His arms were also covered by subtle burns from defending himself against the fire based attack, though it was obvious from the fury written across his face. Crossing the small distance between them took but a few seconds, his blade trailing behind him as he crossed into optimal range. Consumed by the rage oiling out from deep within him Keisuke swung, screaming out a single command even as he swung the still glowing hot Suigetsu in a tight arc,"Perish!" At such a range dodging would be difficult, especially when the fact that the blade was superheated.

Age : 29 Posts : 3640

A wave of relief washed over Kimiko as she saw that her opponent had no chance to dodge her surprise attack. So she had landed a hit; a good one at that, hopefully. When the smoke cleared, she was surprised to hear a roar of pain and spotted Keisuke. He had hidden behind the large blade of one of his swords, so the damage to him wasn't as great as it should have been from such a high-heat attack. Nonetheless, he was covered in burns and his coat had been singed away. It looked like her attack had angered him, because not only seconds after the smoke had cleared, he was charging at her with the molten blade which had taken the brunt of her last attack.

She swore loudly when it was meant to be under her breath, and her brain started to work in over-time within the next millisecond or so. It was going to be impossible to dodge this attack; she knew that much. He was faster than her, so if she took off he would soon catch her and the attack would be worse from gathered momentum. So instead, Kimiko took a deep breath and planted her feet firmer on the ground. It was to be a stake-out.

As she slowly accepted her fate of being slashed no matter what happened, she made the designated handseals for another fire jutsu. "Not likely!" She shouted in response to Keisuke's battle cry earlier. She took a deep breath and that spat forth a huge fireball. Her chakra was running down fast now, but Kimiko knew her limits. For now, she was within them. With the bullet of flame heading for Keisuke, she hoped that he would dodge the fireball and this would give her chance to run away from the scolding sword. Plus... there wasn't much distance between them at this point. So Keisuke would have to decide on a spilt second if he could get there.

Kimiko braced herself, bringing her arms forward across her body in a cross as if this would stop the force of the blade if it made contact with her.

Spoiler:

Age : 30 Posts : 356

Victory, it was close at hand. So close in fact, that he could taste it. After bursting from the cloud of smog he had managed to cross into close range, the konoichi mere seconds from being cleaved in twine. Or that's what should have happened. Instead the female ninja stood her ground, actually having the audacity to shout back a rather provocative retort towards his person before shooting off another ball of flame. This one was small, something he could usually bat away with Suigetsu without so much as a second glance. Unfortunately this wasn't an option at present. Due to the earlier super-heating it received Suigetsu was already on its last legs, another counter attack with it impossible for fear of destroying said weapon. It was then he realized he had a choice to make; press the attack and take his chances with the flaming projectile or dodge and allow the konoichi to escape once again. Regardless he had seconds to decide, his fury throwing his caution aside as if it never existed as he continued on his path to destruction. His plan well formed despite the milliseconds in which they were made, he mentally apologized to his sentient blade,'Forgive me Suigetsu...' Eyes now leveled on the opponent he swung his near destroyed blade at the incoming ball of flame, its massive length colliding with and redirecting it from its path.

The force generated actually blew the weapon clear out of his hands, the metallic weapon cracking from the impact as it flew from his palms. Now unarmed he continued forward, using his opponents vulnerable state to launch his attack. Considering how close she was and that she had her arms crossed, dodging would be impossible. Just before beginning he muttered one thing to his enemy,"Payback..." Coming from the left he disappeared for a moment, reappearing below her,"Konoha Kage Buyou!" From below he kicked out, his left foot slipping through the gap between her arms and her chest and catching her in the chin, the force great enough to launch her up into the air. The Lunar Nightmare followed not a moment later,"shadowing" his enemy as she floated, weightless in midair. Next he activated the next part of his offensive, throwing a weak punch into the left side of his airborne enemy. This was done purposely, as blocking would leave her open to attack just as much as if she didn't. It was now his turn to be in control as he awaited her rapid response.

Spoiler:

I was told by Ex-Mod DemonDrac that I could execute both attacks at the same instant since it is not clearly written whether or not I was supposed to.

Age : 29 Posts : 3640

It seemed like Kimiko's attack had payed off in one respect because Keisuke was left unarmed; she knew that much. His blade had been flung from him with a loud resounding crack. Yet he kept coming. Now she began to wonder what he would do. It was obvious that he was a close range fighter, what with his massive blades and his speed. Her questions were answered when Keisuke burst out of the smog from her last jutsu. He was going to use Taijutsu. She was caught unaware when he suddenly disappeared and reappeared below her, and of course she had no chance to react to the kick aimed up at her lower jaw. Her head was flung backwards and she heard a slight crack, but no serious damage was sustained.

She could feel the blood well up in her mouth, but she was flung up into the air shortly after this subconscious thought crossed her mind. While recovering and gathering herself, which was a lot harder than expected, she had already been punched lightly on her left. She allowed herself to spin weakly in midair until she was facing her opponent, and without really thinking about the consequences, she spat the blood that had collected in her mouth straight at him to rid herself of the terrible taste. She could feel her body reaching its highest soaring limit, her limbs feeling weightless. 'Oh God... what can I do now?...' Her scrambled thoughts managed to produce this worry. She reached behind her and pulled off the loose vest jacket she was wearing. Not only was it annoying her, but it could be used to buy her some time. She angled it just about right and threw it at Keisuke. A feeble attempt, no doubt, but she hoped it would work all the same.

Age : 30 Posts : 356

From below the konoichi's prone and airborne form, Keisuke watched as the light jab he threw connected, spinning her around to face him. Unfortunately she also unleashed a small amount of blood from her mouth, its crimson color staining his face even as he scowled at her. It was then she shed her vest, tossing it at him as a weak show of defiance, something he respected in a fighter. He noticed the dazed look her soft features portrayed, and for but a moment, felt pity for what he was about to do. Staring eye to eye for a mere second he muttered something only she could here,"Nothing personal..." With that he kicked out, using the momentum to continue his jutsu by rotating back the other way and over his opponents body where his left arm came crashing down. This attack, should it land, would send the female flying downwards before he launched another melee attack. Now kicking out with his left leg he slammed it into the defenseless girl sending her crashing into the ground, the next move being the finisher. Contorting his body sharply he reversed again, his right leg coming down on her midsection just as she rebounded off the ground with all of his might. He showed no prejudice, putting everything he had into the attack with the means to end the match.

Skidding across the ground was the cost of his attack, his mild burns screaming at him as the harsh landscape bit into them. He stopped a number of feet away, panting from both exertion and pain. Glancing to his left he noticed Masamune still resting in its sheath. Grasping the hilt he pulled the whole sword, sheath and all, out of its belt, using it as a makeshift walking stick as he rose to his feet. Walking over to the female he would stop a few feet away, watching her reaction and hoping, for both their sake, that she would stay down.

Age : 29 Posts : 3640

Kimiko gave her opponent a smirk as she noticed his disgust at spitting her blood in his face. 'Tough shit...' She thought bitterly, breathing a deep rattly breath and exhaling again as she awaited her fate. She was no coward, and she wasn't going to keep running anymore. Whether she was able to continue after the combo that was to come was another story. Slowly, her world began to sharpen in focus. Her eyes became more alert to what movements Keisuke made, but it was apparently too late for that. When his eyes locked with hers, she gave him a stern stare in return, yet said nothing in response to what he uttered beforehand. She felt the breath being knocked out of her when she was knocked downwards to where the ground was waiting. The world around her began to spin due to her body spiralling, and then came another hit to smash her into the ground itself.

That definitely hurt, yet Kimiko did not scream or yell out in pain. She gritted her teeth the whole time, close to biting her tongue on a number of occasions. And again he struck her in her abdomen into the ground once more. She exhaled sharply as she was pelted onto the grassy arena floor; most of the greenery being turned into churned chunks of mud by this point. For a while, she simply laid there in amongst the aftermath of Keisuke's attack, watching the dust rise up and obviously hide her body from sight. It was do or die time. Could she continue fighting? She clenched her fists a few times until the feeling came back into her arms, then twirled her feet round in circles to get the feeling back in her legs. She wiped her face with the back of her hand where she found a small cut bleeding, and gingerly pressed on her chest and abdomen to check the damage there. Needless to say, she was in agony whenever the injuries were touched.

Slowly, she got to her feet, determined to at least get in a few more attacks before she called it quits. Who knows; maybe her next jutsu might be the turning point of everything for her. Although the chance was slim, it was still there. Kimiko looked and felt like death was upon her, but her stubborn attitude drove her upwards into the rising dust with laboured breathing. Through the dust it was hazy where her target was, and her vision was rather blurred anyway from the impacts of all the attacks she had just been exposed to.

"Here goes something!" She yelled for all to hear, announcing that she was not down yet. "Just because I can't stand very well, or see straight, or breathe properly, it doesn't mean that I have to give up! The moment I'm finished is when I can no longer stand! Do you understand, Mr High-and-Mighty?!" She shouted as she made a few handseals for her next jutsu. "Kasumi Enbu no Jutsu." She murmured, breathing out the massively flammable gas from her lungs that she had created. She made it reach over to her opponent and well behind. The blast she was about to produce would probably catch her in it too, but not as much as Keisuke if at all. She charged some fire chakra into her fingers and clicked with a great big smirk on her face. The spark was made, and it let a chain reaction of explosions in its wake. A large explosion split through the air, followed by a massive fireball over the area she had breathed the flammable gas. Kimiko was blown backwards with the impact, skidding along on her feet (just about) and finally coming to a stop by hitting a pillar. She shakily straightened up, her vision really becoming hazy now.

Spoiler:

Age : 30 Posts : 356

"Here goes something!" She yelled for all to hear, announcing that she was not down yet. "Just because I can't stand very well, or see straight, or breathe properly, it doesn't mean that I have to give up! The moment I'm finished is when I can no longer stand! Do you understand, Mr High-and-Mighty?!" Keisuke cursed his luck,'Why won't she stay down?...' He was near her prone form, close enough that he could see her place her hands together in a seal. This caused his body to tense, preparing for what could only be a fire-style technique. Mind kicked into overdrive he willed his sore body to move, sliding his mildly burned hands together to form a seal as the konoichi finished her own. Soon after completion his suspicions were confirmed, the female spoke out the name of her technique after standing,"Kasumi Enbu no Jutsu." He couldn't see what she was doing, but he could feel it. Soon he was immersed in the thick feeling yet completely invisible gas she emitted from her mouth. Based on her previous attacks he assumed it was some sort of flame based technique, one that required her to ignite the chakra laced air around her. Just before detonation he looked over to his left, Suigetsu's cracked form sticking out from the ground lewdly as it shined in the bright sunlight.

'I'm sorry old friend...' Waiting until the very last second he activated his jutsu, switching places with the mammoth blade and escaping certain defeat. Now free of the blast radius he watched as the jutsu took its toll on the caster. Said girl was thrown back into a pillar, a sickening crack following as she rose shakily to her feet. Glare cold and relentless he charged, the distance so short he was in her face in mere seconds. Unsheathing Masamune he slammed the blade into the pillar not inches from her face," You say as long as you can stand you will fight? That I am High and Mighty?" With that he leveled his intense glare on her, his gaze so cold and filled with menace most Jounin would flinch,"What, in your perfect little life, have you been through to consider yourself equal to me? I've seen my friends and family slaughtered before my very eyes. High and Mighty? Such a foolish presumption." Pulling the blade backwards until it was mere inches from her neck he continued," surrender now or I shall grant your wish, and completely decimate you until you are a mere smear on my blade..." There was no more pulling punches for the Lunar Nightmare, if the woman continued he would kill her, plain and simple. Battling is one thing, destroying his cloathing, his weapons, and then insulting his honor? Unacceptable. So he awaited once again, wondering if she could even muster a counter-attack in her current state.

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Age : 29 Posts : 3640

"Oh for fuck sake!" Kimiko screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw her opponent coming at her. 'Everything I throw at him is just shrugged off like it's nothing! Am I really that weak? Has all my training been worthless?' She thought, but slowly stopped herself as she realised that she was becoming hysterical. The lump in her throat that had risen was promptly forced back down again. She would never cry in front of an opponent. That much was decided long ago in her mind.

Whereas before she was terrified of the blades of which Keisuke had, she didn't even flinch when it slammed into the pillar beside her face. She quirked an eyebrow at him lazily at the stare he was giving her, making it obvious that she was unaffected. "Are you trying to scare me? Because it really isn't working." She stated in a blunt tone, her chest rising and falling heavily and frequently to catch her breath. "Yeah, I have had a lucky life so far, and I know that! And I'm sorry about your friends and family, but incase you haven't noticed, they're gone. No amount of my apologies can bring them back, nor yours. I can only feel so much pity for you." She said slowly and with purpose. It may well have got her killed if this was on a real battlefield, but she didn't care. Even when the blade drew closer to her neck she ignored it, focusing only on her opponent. "I may have had a wonderful life and all this shit, but despite all that it doesn't make me some kind of spoilt brat like you're thinking I am. Spoilt brats don't have aspirations that burn inside them; a need to be a shinobi haboured by the want to make a difference in the world." She continued, again not caring that this was supposed to be a fight.

"My dream is to become the Hokage. That's why I can't give up until I can no longer fight, because in reality, if my village was in danger and I was the leader, I would fight until my last breath." She paused and straightened up a little bit against the pillar she was leaning on. Her eyes closed peacefully. "And it's because of this dream that I will surrender. I'm not afraid of dying like a lot of stupid people who value their own lives. I need to live on for the lives of people in my village. Mark my works, Keisuke Noroi; I will get stronger, I will get better, I will learn, and I will experience horrors of my own some day. Don't forget that..." She was finished, that much was evident. She opened her eyes once more and waved her hands passively across her body, a sign of her surrender for all to see.

So she was the loser. Keisuke was the winner. But this wasn't the last of Kimiko. It was true what they say; losing really does make you stronger.

Age : 31 Posts : 1118

Queen of Hearts has been defeated and Keisuke Noroi is our winner.

Congratulations, you will move do the second round.