Open Battle; vs Shenorai Eterna

[Shenorai]

The city of Crysta sits between a pair of vast forests and overlooks a meadow leading on towards the mountains. There is a very fine blend of modern development, middle-class living, and poverty just touching about the edges of the city. Like most days, Crysta is just ripe with the hustling and bustling of its inhabitants. Commoners of just about any social/monetary status can be found in the market district or going in and out of the various restaurants planted here and there. Though they are normally ignored, the people here usually pass the larger-than-life statues of several great warriors from the many local guilds.

Speaking of local guilds, there are a pair of districts solely for the city's many guilds ranging from a rogues' guild to a bounty hunters'/mercenaries' guild to a warriors' guild. As for the many wizards and magicians in the city, they have their own district just east of the district for normal guilds. Here, practitioners of healing magic and black magic and all in between can be found in quite elaborate buildings that almost appear to be vividly colored tents. (However, the practitioners of the darker arts tend to lean towards equally darker colors of their buildings.)

In a rather small area between the two, no larger than a city block, sits a small clinic that is equally busy and bustling with the various guild members going in and out of the building. This is where the warriors who are distrustful of magic come for aid. (Either that, or the guild for healing magic practitioners is jam-packed at the moment.) However, today seems busier than usual. Why is that? Well, just take a look at the fliers that have been placed around town!

-Attention All Guild Members and Passing Warriors!-
There is a new event taking place between the Guild
District and the Magic Guild District. Now, any fighter
specializing in any combat skill can spar together in
front of the clinic. Restrictions apply to practitioners
of the dark arts. If you have any questions, or you
cannot read this flier, please inquire within the clinic.
​

That sounds like fun, doesn't it? Even for those who are not competing, this should prove as a good show. Who wouldn't want to see how an archer goes up against a necromancer or how a rogue can outwit a warrior?

However, no warrior is safe from a challenge here...

Shenorai Eterna merely walked about the incredibly packed area to see what all of the fuss and fliers and whatnot were about. So far, all she has experienced here was being pushed by the crowd, getting her toes stepped on, and almost getting her money purse snatched.

They should have picked a bigger spot, Shen thought to herself as she managed to push herself towards the clinic. She figured that if she was to somehow be injured before she gets a chance to fight, she should at least be as close to the clinic as she can.

A deafening roar from that portion of the crowd made Shen cup her hands over her ears to muffle the sound. Apparently, someone had just lost. One of the crowd members pushed his way out into the makeshift ring and helped the bloodied, exhausted fighter into the clinic. Shen caught a glimpse of him under his shaggy, snow-white hair. She recognized him from the pub. If her memory served her correctly, he was one of the mercenaries residing in the other half of the guild she was a part of.

Suddenly, she heard a clear voice from the 'ring' calling out over the crowd.

"All right, then! Let's have another pair of contenders, shall we?" The crowd cheered in agreement and the voice was heard once more. "Oy, you! No, not you, muscles...the one with the red coat! Someone get that girl in here!"

Before she realized the voice was referring to her, Shen was pretty much picked up and shoved into the ring. She stumbled and managed to regain her balance before turning to glare at the ripped idiots who forced her in here. How rude of these people...apparently, there was no particular order here. The pompous-looking official seemed to be the referee and seemed to be calling the shots.

Wolf whistles, cat calls, and snickers seemed to echo throughout the male portion of the crowd. How rude of them. They were here to watch a fight, not to pester whatever female fighters there happened to be. The referee's arm swooped towards the crowd on the opposite side.

"Let's have one more here, shall we? How about...you there! Yes you, get over here!"

Just as Shen was forced into the ring, so was this next contender. Seeing how she didn't have much of a say in the matter, Shen held her right hand out in front of her. A lavender light erupted from her palm and circled around her hand in spirals. She grasped the light, which was actually surprisingly solid. Instantly, the light flew back into her palm and grew as it took shape.

After a moment's wait, she pulled down her conjured longsword and eagerly awaited the cue from the ref. The energy and adrenaline surging from the crowd must've been contagious, for she is trying to hide her slight excitement behind a solemn expression. She wasn't trying hard enough, apparently, for a smirk of one just itching to fight broke through.

===================================

Rules:
​

1. First come, first serve. I will only fight one person.
2. If you know English, please use it properly. I refuse to battle someone who has no concept of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax.
3. Think of your enviroment. You are in a small clearing in the center of a crowd. Keep that in mind when choosing what attacks you want to execute. For example, I will not use my shotgun here, since the spread of the shot would injure more than just my opponent.
4. Although an RPB approved character is preferable, I'll accept a role-player in training. Why? So I can help give an idea of how a battle works.
5. Three sentences minimum, please. Not only do you have attacks, but you also have your surroundings, the crowd, your character's emotions...you have plenty to work with here. I do not want to see one-liners.
6. Keep the RPB rules in mind. I cannot dodge every attack and not all of my attacks land. Also, I will not control your character's movements during this battle. I expect you to be fairly realistic and keep those same things in mind.

That being said, who wants to battle Shenorai? If you're going to post your bio, I prefer a URL.

 

[Dean Winchester]

From within the large crowd a young, nearly 6 feet tall warrior entered the arena. He knew that Lady Eterna was a renowned and skilled warrior in the way of the sword as well as magical arts. Unfortunately, due to the large amount of people surrounding them, Julius knew that casting powerful magic or even using his handgun would be the best thing to do since he could injure someone.

With a confident smile and a indomitable will of pure iron, Julius didn't cared how strong Shenorai was, he only wished to have an excelent battle. After entering the scene, Julius quickly unsheathed his sword with his right hand and aimed it at Shenorai. Quite impatient and not willing to take a no for an answer, Julius challanged Shenorai to a one on one battle.

"Shenorai Eterna, I, Julius Argexis, challnege you to a duel. Will you accept?"

The crowd and everything surrounding Julius and Shenorai became silent, waiting for Shenorai's answer.

 

[Shenorai]

Shenorai's smirk grew into a full-blown grin. Not only did her opponent already know of her, but it seems that he was more than willing to exchange blows with this bounty hunter. With her right hand extended out to her side, still grasping the handle of her sword, Shen gave a respectful bow.

"Of course, Julius," she accepted, "I'd be more than happy to battle you."

The roar of the crowd drowned out her last word, but that didn't matter.
She stood upright and slid her right leg behind her, bending her knees and shifting her position into a defensive stance. Her right hand was kept low as it held her longsword diagonally in front of her, resting the flat of the blade's tip against her left palm.

Her lips moved, but it was difficult to hear her under the crowd's approval. Although, it looked suspiciously like she said, "Your move."

 

[Dean Winchester]

"My Move?"

Julius smiled since he knew far too well that it wasn't inteligent to underestimate Shenorai's skills. His hand still holding the hilt of the sword, Julius decided to take this battle seriously.

He swing his sword fiercely from left to right lifting a cloud of dust; a small air current was sent towards Shenorai. Quickly he took an offensive stance, placing the sword before him and aiming it at Shenorai. Before taking any action, Julius closed his eyes and remained standing there silently.

"Very well Lady Eterna, show me what you are made of."

Julius quickly dashed forward swinging his sword towards Shenorai's torso from above in a downward movement. The attack was swift yet elegant though Julius didn't used much strength to strike her down, for Julius this was just a warning attack.

 

[Shenorai]

The bounty hunter's dark locks and scarlet coat billowed a bit at the warrior's show of swiftness and power. A chuckle escaped from her throat, already knowing that this would be a battle to enjoy.

Shen only needed to pull her sword upward a bit to hear the clang of the blades clashing together. Her elbows and knees bent as though to help absorb the power of the attack by moving along with it. Only hesitating to allow the forward movement of Julius' sword cease, Shen mustered her strength to push the tall warrior away from her. If anything, the push was only strong enough to force one to stumble back a few feet.

Shenorai allowed the momentum of the push to help her begin her own attack. As she closed in, she pulled her sword horizontally in a wide sweep which was aimed at her opponent's midsection. Already, Shen figured that this man was not foolish enough to let her disembowel him at the beginning of the duel.

 

[Dean Winchester]

Julius was pushed backward by Shenorai's strong attack yet he was able to retain his balance. His feet were quickly set on the ground in order to absorb any possible momentum caused by Shenorai's attack. His eyes were set straightly on Shenorai's eyes as if he were trying to see deep within her soul and predict her intentions and her attacks.

Wierd though, trying to look within Shenorai's mind was like opening Pandora's Box, no one knew what could be found within here thoughts.

After being pushed backward, Julius quickly noticed Shenorai's attempt to strike his abdomen and instead of doding it with a swift jump he parried Shenorai's sword with an upward slash from below his left arm.

The powerful clash of the swords had enough power to push both warriors away from each other. Quickly regaining his fighting stance, Julius lowered himself and dashed forward.


"Ok Lady, here I come!!"

Surprisingly enough he placed his cape before him using it as some sort of shield to distract Shenorai and performed a sudden 360 degree spin, swinging his sword fiercely vertically towards Shenorai. The attack was aimed at her left arm coming from below following an upward movement.

 

[Shenorai]

The crowd erupted with cheers and jeers as the first blood was spilled. Shen regained her balance too late and now recoiled with the pain. It wasn't anything too serious; Shen just sported a gash at the base of her left forearm which was slowly oozing and soaking into her coat.

Need to guard yourself better than that, Shen, a voice noted in her mind.
"Then you fight him," Shen hissed under her breath, even though the crowd already overpowered her own voice.
Maybe later. This is your duel, not mine.

Shen scowled up at Julius, though more annoyed at the voice than anything at the moment. Her expression was broken by a smirk. Was she actually satisfied at this? In her mind, this injury just proved that Julius would be a challenge.

Both her hands grasped the handle of her sword, the tip of the blade barely touching the ground. Shen sprang towards her opponent, dragging her sword up in a wide arc. Whether the attack succeeded or not, it still left the rest of her wide open for attack.

 

[Dean Winchester]

Julius was surprised to have succeded with his attack, though he knew that this wasn't enough to take her down. While still staring at Shenorai who had endured a direct hit, he somehow questioned if this battle should continue seeing how the blood soaked half of Shenorai's left arm.

However, seeing how Shenorai quickly recovered from that attack was quite surprising which proved Julius that Shenorai was not known as an skilled fighter for nothing.

A deep sound echoed through Julius mind, the sounds of his heart beating wildly with excitement while both warriors dashed against towards each other to a new inevitable deadly encounter. Shenorai's sword came from below catching Julius off guard. Nearly escaping this attack with a side step dodge however, Julius notices that his left arm was wounded.

Even though this could be considered as a mere scratch, the fact of seeing his own blood for the first time in a long time ever since that battle in the cave was shocking. This however had no effect on Julius, on the contrary, Julius considered this attack as a prove of Shenorai's abilities.

He stepped back soon after he was able to nearly escape her attack and Julius while closing his eyes. Julius soon opened his eyes setting his sight fixed on Shenorai.

"My, my, such a hasty woman that holds quite some power. I was surprised to see my own blood after quite some time. This however served as a warning that I should not take your skills lightly and underestimate you."

Julius swung his blade from left to right sending once again a small air current towards Shenorai as a warning. A deep silence took over the whole area, and the crowd was anxious not being able to determine the outcome of this battle.

Julius lowered his weapon for a moment and placed his left hand on his forehead. Soon he reached his pockets and pulled a single beautiful red rose. He placed the rose before his face still staring at Shenorai. He then tenderly kissed the flower and tossed it into the air.

He sighed and gently smiled as if he could remember a certain "someone". With the rose still falling, Julius dashed towards Shenorai, quickly passing next to the rose. As soon as he was at close range, Julius unleashed a barrage of swift yet accurate attacks against Shenorai though he was expecting her to parry them with her sword.

While still swinging his sword wildly, with the swords clashing countless times against each other from all sides, Julius began to speak still concentrating on the ferocious battle.

"Still holding back eh Lady Eterna? If you wish we could move on to a more desolate place. How about the old cathedral?!"

After the last question, Julius stepped back, sheathed his sword and then quickly unsheathed it in a diagonal movement from below aiming towards Shenorai's torso.

The Cathedral, a long since abandoned place that once beloned to the Royal Knighthood of the Silverwing Family. It was constructed near the XV centry by the best architechs of their time. The structure of the Cathedral is gothic, the main chamber is as big as the main hall of Castle Silverwing, containing beatiful statues of angels.

The cathedral earned his fame due to its main tower, a place in which the clouds gather expecting a fateful encounter of warriors that select this place as the excelent battle field. There is a rumor that Gaaramaster fought Sir Riku long ago during a stormy weather which ended with Sir Riku's disappearance, presumed dead. After that, no one knew Gaaramaster's whereabouts.....

 

[Shenorai]

Who the devil keeps a rose in their pockets? the voice inquired as Shenorai was busy with the flurry of swipes. If he hadn't hesitated, Shen would not have any time to bring her sword down and use it as a shield. Of all attacks to come from her enemy, she didn't expect one with such speed. Shen paid no heed to the voice's question, for she was trying not to lose a finger or her head or anything else as her blade clashed with his.

She received a few nicks on her hands as a result of her opponent's swift attacks. During the entire attack, Shen had been walking backwards as though Julius was pushing her towards the crowd. As they moved, the crowd seemed to open up for them and collapse into the giant mass behind them, much like pushing a rock through sand.

She wasn't given a chance to answer Julius' offer immediately, for his sword flew out at the bounty hunter as soon as the sentence ended. A parry to such an attack was foolish, though Shen pushed herself off towards the right to avoid the blade. Her sword was still held out in front of her as she made her reply. She wasn't stupid enough to disarm herself in front of her opponent.

"You tell me when, Julius, and I'll be glad to battle you there."

The crowd highly disapproved at this and were cursing at the fighters for taking away from their entertainment. However, most of this disappointment was shared between the gamblers who had already placed bets on either fighters. Very few tried to keep the spectators back. The referee's voice shouted reason towards the people, but could only calm down those who were within earshot.

After a quick look around, Shen's violet eyes stared at Julius, as though warning him to make this arrangement in haste before they become rushed by an angry crowd.

 

[Dean Winchester]

Julius sheathed his blade and bowed respectfully to Shenorai while keeping an eye on the now furious crowd that could attack them at any moment. Julius then walked towards the rose lying on the ground that he previously tossed into the air a few moments ago. Julius then extended his right hand to pick the rose and place it on a small pocket on the left side of his chest. The rose was left as a mere decoration, a simple keen desire of a man who refused to leave his past behind. The roses where a reminder, through their beauty Julius could remember Dayanne's face and soul and how much love he felt towards her.

Julius: "Aye Lady Eterna, though I suggest we make haste and get the hell out of here. I guess that the crowd won't be so happy with our actions now....so....shall we go?" After that he gave a message to all those interested on watching the battle: "All of you are invited to come though at your own risk....if any of you wishes to witness this battle then a little risk must be taken.....farewell to all of those wise enough to stay..."

Julius turned around and left, his eyes were fixed on the marvelous cathedral that was going to serve as their new battlefield.

 

[Shenorai]

With a nod, Shenorai slipped into the less hostile portion of the crowd. Even so, the throng of people was still difficult to navigate through. To keep from accidentally impaling anyone, Shen allowed her sword to shatter into harmless shards of nothingness. As for the referee, he stood there rather stunned at the decision of these two warriors.

"W-well then...why don't we get someone else in here?" he said hesitantly.

As the next battle was being decided, Shenorai finally made it out of the crowd and into a less populated area. The cathedral wasn't a long walk from where she was, thankfully. Since she wasn't doing much but walking from here to there, Shen rolled up the sleeve of her coat to see what the damage was.

The blood made it seem more serious than it actually was. The cut was actually fairly small compared to what she had experienced before. It bled a little more each time the arm was bent. Nothing a simple bandage couldn't fix up, though that could be saved for later.

As Shen approached the cathedral, she pulled her sleeve back down again, gazing up at the tower it had. In all honesty, she had never been inside the cathedral before. The handles creaked when they were turned and the doors give a low groan as they were pushed open. Obviously, it's been too long since these doors were last opened.

As Shen walked inside and stared in awe at the chamber within. Even with all the dust that had settled here, it still retained a sense of majestic glory. The stained glass windows made her a little nervous as she passed by them, though, for beside her own reflection was a faint shadow that followed her every step. If Julius saw the shadow, would he have second thoughts about battling her? Nevertheless, she stood before the altar of the cathedral, staring up at the figure which still overlooked the chamber.

 

[Dean Winchester]

Julius was standing before the giant statute of his father that was behind the altar. The statue seemed quite old, pointing its mighty sword to the entrance of the cathedral. The statue was of an old man wearing full plate body armor and a long cape that was covering his left arm.

For Julius, this was just like meeting his late father once again after he left Castle Silverwing and joined the King Joshua's army. A small air current lifted Julius cape gently as he kept staring at the statue. His eyes were fixed on the statue's face, admiring his expression, the courage of his late father.

Without turning around to see if the person who entered the cathedral was Shenorai or not, Julius began to speak, his voice was low and seemed sad.

"For the first time here I stand against my own reflection. I have achieved more than my father could ever have. Strange, when I was a young child there the only thing I wanted was to become like my father, and like my father I became. The head of the Silverwing Family and the Captain of the Royal Guards....still I feel empty....."


Julius sighed and lowered his sight, his hair fell before his forehead covering his eyes. A single crystal clear tear flowed from his left eye and fell on the ground. He then reached the left pocked of his long coat and pulled the rose he always keeps with him. His expression was sad, filled with sorrow yet to any person who looked straight at his eyes would believe that Julius was expressionless and that the only evidence of his sorrow were his tears.

"All went well, a mighty captain I became. Yet there was something I lacked, something that every human being needs....love....Sure I was important but; what was the use of having so much glory without feeling love?"

Julius tenderly kissed the rose and resumed his speach....

"And then I met her. Her eyes caught my own in a beautiful embrace of love. Some may call it "love at first sight", I call it the day I trully felt alive."

Julius expressions suddenly changes, and a smile can be seen on his face yet his tearts keep flowing slowly from his eyes.

"And so I spent part of my life with her. She changed so many things about me and I was happy. But like every love story, this one had to end. I should have known, love doesn't last forever. She left and I was devastated, my soul was weak and there was not a single drop of joy inside my heart. The only bitter yet pleasant memory of her are the rose that I keep with me, always. Now I fear I'll die alone.....for I can't allow myself to be weakend like thisonce more....I can't bear to resist this pain again. Ahh but what am I doing telling you this? How foolish of me to bother others with my sorrow."

Julius then pulled a white handkerchief that was decorated with roses and the letters "To my love, Dayanne" and wiped his tears. Suddenly, Julius unsheathed his blade, the sounds of his blade echoed ferociously through the chambers of the cathedral.

"Very well, shall we begin?"

Julius then noticed the mysterious shadow following Shenorai, but didn't actually payed much attention to it. Instead he aimed his sword at Shenorai and remained there waiting for her to make her move.

 

[Shenorai]

How sad, the voice echoed in her head, feeling sympathy for the tortured warrior before her.
Shenorai closed her eyes and responded with thought, It seems that we all bear a depressing story, Leondra. But that is not what we're here for.

During this moment of verbal silence, Shen turned both of her hands upward, appearing much like one of the broken figures in one of the windows. Though unlike the figure, tendrils of light flowed out of her palms simultaneously. Much like with her longsword before, Shen grasped the light and the tendrils solidified into short swords. She confiscated strength for speed, which she felt was needed for this battle.

Her eyes opened, though it was hard to read. It was like half of her showed sympathy, but the other half wanted to get down to business. "It seems that having haunting memories is something we both have in common. But that is a story for another day. Perhaps I'll tell you about it some time."

With that, Shen took the opportunity to make the first move. Her legs pushed her into a dash which brought their bearer to Julius' left side. The bounty hunter's arms were tucked in and crossed together until her opponent was in range. She lashed out, the swift horizontal movement of her blades threatening to cleave the tall fighter in half.

 

[Dean Winchester]

Julius was expressionless; his opponent was getting closer and closer and a devastating blow was close at hand. Julius remained silent, waiting for his opponent to become close enough for him to strike swiftly with his blade. Suddenly he noticed one of Shenorai's swords heading towards his head while the other was aimed to his torso. Knowing that with one sword he wouldn't be able to parry both swords, Julius bent down dodging the first incoming blade that passed quickly above his head and parried the other with his own sword. The sound of both swords clashing filled the air and the sparks flashing continuesly due to the constant clash of the swords illuminated the dark scenario.

The barrage of attacks that both warriors unleashed on each other was ferocious, with swords clashing and attacks being dodged from all sides, sure this was an astonishing battle. One of Shenorai's blades passed close enough Julius face, slashing his left cheek leaving a light scratch.

He didn't mind his new injury though, he was aware that Shenorai was spending strength and exchanging it for speed. As the constant clash of battles continued, Julius thought that it would be best to avoid any similar mistakes from happening again.

After seeing one of Shenorai's attacks coming from above, Julius took this opportunity to perform a side step dodge thus avoiding Shenorai's attack. Julius stood far behind Shenorai and smiled after aiming his sword once again to Shenorai.

"Your skills will never end to surprise me Lady Eterna.....such a coincidence that we are fighting inside the very same place were Lord Riku was last seen alive. Very well, let us continue."

Julius bent his kness to gain some momentum and quickly dashed towards Shenorai. While running he grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands tightly and jumped. His legs pushed him high into the air and he raised his sword high above his head. Then Julius came rushing down, his sword was brought ferociously in a downward movement attempting to shatter Shenorai's blades with this crushing blow.

 

[Shenorai]

Shen brought the sword in her right hand up in a defensive stance as she turned, expecting to parry another blow. However, she did not expect a slash from above. The bounty hunter didn't think to use her other sword as only one was brought up to try and deflect the attack.

Of all things in this duel, Shenorai never expected that Julius could throw out an attack that could shatter her sword. The force of the blow sent Shenorai stumbling backwards, but not before she heard and felt his sword's sharp tip slice cleanly down her face (from her right temple down past her right cheek) and through her coat, striking the breastplate hidden beneath it. The deadly pieces of glowing metal flew out in all directions, even giving Shenorai a few scratches across her exposed fingers and face before they struck the ground and disappeared along with the handle.

Shen regained her balance several feet away. With her now-free hand, she quickly checked her new wound for blood by pressing her gloved hand against it. Her face stung and, sure enough, there was blood upon her fingers.

"Nice one," she praised, switching hands with her sword.

Without much warning, Shenorai ran forth towards her opponent and thrust her blade forward, her left palm pushing the pommel of her sword forth in a stabbing motion. If aimed correctly, the attack would plunge just below Julius' ribcage.

 

[Dean Winchester]

OOC: After this I guess our characters will spend months in the Infirmary XD. I took the opportunity of selecting a Theme Song for this battle if you don't mind.

IOC:
Theme Song: The Chase of the Highway-Advent Children/FFF Jukebox
<o></o>
Julius saw Shenorai’s new wounds and was worried for a second; something about her and this battle reminded him of a past accident that happened four years ago for which he blamed himself ever since. He swung his blade in a spinning motion and then stroke the ground fiercely, the sounds of the metal slicing the floor echoed through the cathedral. He was breathing heavily, the battle has extended for a long time and it seemed that anyone could fall of exhaustion at any moment; still both Shenorai and Julius have a great physical endurance so this is most likely not to happen.
<o></o>
While in battle, Julius could be heard speaking freely:
“Such a magnificent battle, one that I fear won’t be repeated again against another warrior. If we are meant to meet in this fated encounter then let’s fight not for glory, but for honor!!! Shenorai Eterna!! I am pleased to have met someone with such magnificent and astonishing skills in battle!! Let us continue!!!!”
<o></o>
Petals of roses fell all around them twisting and spinning fiercely like a furious tornado. The only thing that could be heard from afar were the constant clashes of their swords.
<o></o>
Concentrating once again on the battle, Julius placed his sword before him and ran towards Shenorai who thrust her blade towards Julius’ ribcage. Julius knew that this would surely give him a near fatal blow so he bent his knees lightly and jumped to the left, nearly avoiding the attack. The attack however, was too close and slashed the right side of Julius’ torso, tearing part of his cloth shirt apart and ripping part of his armor. The pieces of shattered metal flew to the sides all around them. As Shenorai passed next to Julius, he took this chance to attempt a weak yet swift strike. Julius raised his sword and aimed the hilt of his blade to Shenorai’s right shoulder. If the strike is successful, the blow would make Shenorai lose some of her balance lightly push her away from Julius.

 

[Shenorai]

((Oy...I swear, if I catch any one else spamming up this thread, I'm pinning infractions. It's bad enough that people fail to read the first damn post, but it's even worse if people continue to post in a thread while they are being completely oblivious to the rules posted in the first post.

In conclusion, as a lesson for anyone else who's reading this...read the first goddamn post before you piss off anyone else! *Deletes posts*

...oh, and Julius? If you fall towards the left and the blow misses, it would have struck at your right side. ))



Shenorai gave a smirk in satisfaction as her attack struck Julius. It may not have landed where she meant to hit, but she had broken a part of his armor in the process. To Shen, this meant another vital spot for her to aim for.

However, her satisfied smirk soon disappeared as she felt blunt metal strike against her shoulder. The blow sent Shen stumbling for two or three feet before she regained her balance. At least it the attack was with the hilt of the sword rather than its blade. She would be left with a bruised shoulder rather than a sliced one. As she straightened herself up, she cast a sidelong glance at her opponent.

"Fated? Perhaps...but you shouldn't be impressed just yet. She's yet to show herself."

Was she hinting towards other tricks up her sleeve? Perhaps...but that depends on what the bounty hunter meant by 'she'. Shenorai wasn't referring to herself, was she? If so, that statement made no sense.

Either way, Shen made her way towards Julius again. With a short running start, the woman leaped at her opponent with her short sword over her head, threatening to bring it down upon his head.

 

[Dean Winchester]

((Fixed XD))

Julius smirked after hearing Shenorai's replies. She, what did she mean by "she"? Obviously Shenorai wasn't referring to herself and her words exposed an unexpected yet unsurprising revelation; the fact that they weren't alone. Julius suddenly remembered the strange shadowy figure that was seen following Shenorai and assumed that Shenorai was referring to that "person". Whether if this was correct or not, he could never know until this mysterious person exposes her identity.

"Yes, though I admire your courage and your determination to continue. Many who had faced me have fled shortly even before the battle truly began. They came saying that they were going to end my days though they were forced to leave in shame. And this so called "she"? Is this person going to help you against me? That would be a pity, interrupting a wonderful battle in such a shameful manner."

Julius fixed her eyes on Shenorai who seemed to try to strike him from above his head. Julius then trying to use all the momentum he could gather, bent his knees and then jumped towards Shenorai while placing his sword before his face without limiting his own sight. Both blades crashed against each other once again and Julius could be seen smiling gently even after blocking an attack that was meant to strike him down instantly. The constant friction of the clashing swords heated their blades and sparks could be seen all around them. Julius then summoned part of his inner strength to attempt pushing Shenorai away from him, though he didn't knew if that move was powerful enough to push her back.

 

[Shenorai]

Shenorai was sent backwards, stumbling at least two meters away from him before catching herself. Her expression was strange. Instead of frustration and exhaustion, there was a grin upon the bounty hunter's face. There was even a bit of a laugh that escaped from her lips. Amusement or enjoyment? Sounded like a blend of both.

"...person? Not exactly, my friend," Shen replied once she regained her breath from her laughter. "Although, she is likely to enjoy fighting with you as well. It's already been a pleasure for her to watch."
Shenorai, do you have any clue what you're doing? the voice asked.
Shen glanced over towards the wall and said, "Of course I do, Leondra. That felt like he was using some power, so why can't I do the same?"
The voice sighed and replied quietly, If he was using some power, it must have been only a fraction of what he's capable of. We'd better be careful; I just don't want to get you killed.
"Nonsense, you'll do just fine as long as you play fair," Shen said rather confidently.
Fine, the voice sighed, but I can't guarantee anything.

What was going on here? Was Shen talking to someone outside? Her hearing can't be any better than Julius', so he would have heard this 'Leondra' as well. In the nearest reflection, the shadow was lingering in Shenorai's eyesight. It appeared humanoid with a pair of large masses resting upon its back. A demon perhaps? Or was it just a trick of the light? This bounty hunter could be just schizophrenic. Why else would she be able to hear someone talking when Julius cannot?

Shenorai's gaze drifted back to Julius. The woman still retained her grin as her violet eyes were now fixed on the warrior before her. Her pose became relaxed and a little carefree.

"I doubt that using my own abilities would put me to shame," Shen began again, her eyes falling shut as she gave a shrug. "I already know how it is to be mortified for even bearing this ghost. The fear of others have already seen to that."

With a sigh of bitter reminisce, her eyes opened once again. Though something seemed amiss. Her eyes no longer bore rounded pupils as every other normal person would. Instead, they were elliptical slits, quite similar to that of a feline. The faintest aura of translucent wings appeared upon her back, bearing a lavender glow much dimmer than a candle's light. Her free hand reached for her opposite hip, conjuring another short sword as though unsheathing it from an unseen scabbard.

Shenorai's new eyes danced across Julius, as though studying a new opponent. Her smile had disappeared and her relaxed pose seemed a little straighter than usual, as though bearing an air of regal dignity. She gave a slight nod in respect, though her eyes were fixed upon the warrior in front of her.

"However," she spoke, her soft voice sounding younger, "that memory is not a story for this time. Perhaps when Shenorai is more comfortable, you can ask her about it at another time. For now, let's enjoy this bout, shall we?"

'Shen' bent her knees and crouched down, prepared to spring once Julius comes near. Her arms were out at either side and the quiet sound of metal against stone is heard as the tips of her glowing blades touched upon the floor. If it wasn't for the gloves she wore, her palms would have been too sweaty to keep a decent grip upon her swords. She just waited patiently, scarcely breathing as she waited for the moment to strike up at him.

 

[Dean Winchester]

Julius was thoughtful, though he heard the other voice echoing through the air, the identity of this other entity was unknown to him and that made him feel a childish curiosity. He witnessed how quickly Shenorai boosted her powers and did not felt intimidated, it could be assumed that he was expecting this to happen. His eyes were coldly staring at the running Shenorai who kept coming closer and closer with each step. The battle seemed to slow down, as if seconds lasted longer than they normally do. Seconds felt like minutes as both hearts pounding heavily and their heavy breathing could be heard echoing through the hall.

Julius held the hilt of his sword tightly, the tip of his blade was resting on the ground, as if he were waiting for the right moment to strike not willing to waste energies trying to counter attack it so quickly.

He closed his eyes while a faint wind blew slightly lifting his hair and moving the hair that was covering the left side of his face from left to right. His face was filled with a satisfied expression, his smiled nearly reached his ears.

"Perhaps you should listen to her..."

Julius too, had something to hide, something darker than Shenorai's shadow. He was once meant to become the dark lord but was saved from his terrible fate by his long lost brother, Lucius. Though he never did became the dark lord, Julius inherited much of the powers of darkness that he was meant to possess.

The sounds of Shenorai's footsteps getting closer echoed through Julius mind. With each step she took, Julius knew that death was going with her her, a death meant for him that would never be delivered for now.

As soon as Julius opened his eyes, his body began to emanate a powerful dark aura, though it wasn't evil. The iris of his eyes soon glowed fierce red following the sudden flames that surrounded the 3 feet long blade of the sword, leaving the handle untouched by fearsome inferno.

"Come closer....let us dance once more my beautiful lady. Oh and Leondra, too, may join us as well. Let us enjoy this beautiful and honorable battle."

Julius then pulled a rose from his pocked with his left hand and held it before him, aiming Shenorai with it. he then tossed the rose into the air and remained waiting for the inevitable encounter.