Whatever vs. Falko

[Hades]

Well, how does a Death God top a spectacular preliminary round of his own tournament? By making the rest of the rounds even better, of course. The stands and arena was empty currently, everyone avoiding the repair process. Hades stood in front of his throne, assessing the damage. He chuckled at the sight of the ruined stadium. The mayhem was amazing! He clapped his hands and a blast of white light enveloped the stadium. When it subsided, the stands and the battlefield were fully restored, with added bonuses. The battlefield now included several platforms of varying heights and sizes. Most of them were suspended in mid-air, but a few near the bottom were attached to posts secured in the ground.

A gong sounded and two gates opened up, signaling the combatants forward. The stands quickly filled as the warriors took their spots. Hades shouted across the stadium, "Welcome to Round Two! You'll see a few differences in the arena this time. I've added multiple platforms to enhance the battles. I know many of you like to hop around like rabbits on caffene, so here's your chance! I'm sure you'll also be glad to know that I've created barriers around the stands, so the spectators will not be injured. Feel free to cut loose in this round!" A shout of joy came from the spectators as they were glad they wouldn't be burnt, blown away, frozen, pelted by rocks, or anything else.

Hades, however, was not finished yet. He spoke again, "In the North Corner, we have -Whatever-!" More cheers roared from the stands and then fell quickly. "In the South Corner, we have -Falko-!" Another round of cheers rose and fell. Hades then finished with, "But what kind of Hades Cup would this be without some stipulations, huh? In this round, I'm gonna take away... Summons and Transformation abilities! And to make sure you follow this rule, I'm going to do this!" Another ball of energy left his hands and created an invisibile field around the arena. "This will ensure that you follow my rules. Now, fight!"




-OOC: Okay, now for rules. You can't use Summons or Transformations at all. That includes drive forms, trance, metamorphosis, or anything else that follows these lines. You cannot use Summons of any type, including GFs, Materia Summons, or any other types under your Summon sections. All of you should know what I'm getting at here. Attempting this will not only make your favorite deadman angry, but result in immediate disqualification. There is a 72 hour post limit and a 2 week limit on the round. So have fun, post frequently, and kick some butt. I look forward to seeing how this round goes. Don't disappoint me, now!-

[Whatever]

After having asked the other Heartless in this tournament on how the brackets were worked out, especially since he couldn't read, he wondered about the second round. His first round was against the guy in red that had suggested to fight with magic back in the preliminaries, so a magician for first opponent, he figured. He was in the very last bracket with 'Sora' and 'Naminé' above it. The Heartless woman was 'kind' enough to tell that the girl could transform into a dragon, so he definitely didn't like the idea of fighting her right now. The other name... was more of interest. The name I heard a few times as if the guy's a legendary Keybearer, but from his age, I'm not sure what to think of him, he perhaps was curious on how that kind of match would work out.

Regardless of all this on the next round, he was still in a round before that where he had the defeat the magician. At least, there won't be anyone in my way this time, so I can use anything I like to fight just like usual. Teamwork is definitely not my fort, especially not against a large monster of molten stone and heat, he gave out a sigh as he still sat on the bench, waiting for the next round to start. He had looked over his wounds and healed whatever needed healing. Some rest and all that before this next round started, while doing all this, he had been wondering on his abilities.

So far I have two guns and a chain for 'items', for 'spells' I have the stone thing, the berserking annoyance, and some floating spell, he counted them, next I have my own physical skills and the ability to summon portals. He figured that was all he had when he heard a voice calling for someone called 'whatever' before the creature behind the voice came to him and pushed him towards the arena, wha..?

Once nearby, he looked out over the arena, this place is b.. suddenly the arena he had been looking at was gone and replaced with something completely new. Okay... He looked over at Hades, please don't tell me he's the final challenge, he wishfully thought to himself. Anything that could shift and change this big was a big problem, wait, those titans were also his, he felt bothered now by the idea there were probably a lot of these fighters here.

The Heartless shrugged it all off and walked to the nearest platform, which he quickly climbed up while looking over at the floating platforms. Perhaps the chain could be useful here, he thought to himself with a light smirk, already planning his tactics here,[/i] he heard the God introduce him and his opponent, whatever...

Since there were barriers around the stands, it would help him with some extra things, he figured. Then getting told that summon and transformations weren't allowed, the Heartless' smirk became much, much brighter. I don't use either, maybe to summon the portals, so I can't use the Corridors, I guess... but I can't transform into dragons nor summon things like titans, he felt like laughing at this, but wondered if his opponent was now limitted somewhat. However, he had not seen the guy use anything of such other than spells, maybe I should learn how to summon Heartless for once.

Whichever the case, the tournament round just started, so the Heartless didn't feel for waiting for the opponent to act. The Heartless rushed forward and jump against the side of one of the heightened platforms to get closer to the mage. The Heartless rushed forward as he wanted to start with normal physical skills. If he was able to reach Falko without getting attacked by anything ranged first or Falko moving away, then the Heartless unleased a Flurry Combo where he linked up three punches aimed once at the head and twice at the chest, then a kick at the legs to attempt tripping him and finally another underhanded punch towards the stomach in the hopes to launch the guy upwards.

---

Raw Fighting Style
Flurry Combo: One post cooldown.

Skill Description
Flurry Combo: 'Whatever' pulls out multiple punches and kicks quickly after each other, able to link up five attacks while unarmed. He cannot use this while wielding a weapon.

Summary
I thought with how Hades made many platforms, that me and Falko start on different platforms, so me in the north and Falko in the south. My idea was to rush towards him and use the platforms to get close and start off with some hand-to-hand combat if I'm possible to do such. If Falko moves away and stays out of reach, 'Whatever''s attack didn't happen. If Falko is attacking him with ranged attacks and not allowing 'Whatever' to get anywhere near him, then the attack wouldn't be possible to have happened either, I guess. Since he wouldn't have reached Falko in neither case.

[Falko, Red Mage of Light]

Falko could not decide whether the hard part was behind him or still to come.

The Titan had proven to be, without a doubt, a terrifying foe. Even now he found himself rolling his shoulders or tensing his muscles to take liberty of his restored flesh. The searing burns that once covered his person had now vanished entirely. Not even scar tissue remained. The perks of an event sponsored by a god, he supposed. Certainly much to be grateful for. He was fairly positive that he had been the most injured of his group by the end of that bout. His inability to take to the sky or stand unmolested amid the burning tides had left him most vulnerable, and it had taken its toll. It was not a battle he could have fought on his own.

And yet, this brief window into the talents of his opposition had not been favorable either. Where he had been locked out of the conflict by the nature of the Titan, they instead demonstrated fantastic arcane mastery. Falko was hardly a magic specialist, despite his title of Mage, but he had never expected to be so thoroughly outclassed. And these were only those he had been present to witness. Surely others of similar talent would be found among the remaining divisions. But raw power was hardly his style. Rather, it was in versatility that the Red Mage excelled, and no matter the hurdle that still remained true. That champion Genesis had displayed unrivaled power, but even he would find a tenacious opponent, should they cross swords.

He listened nonchalantly as Hades mate yet another opening speech; likely not the last, either. He seemed to be a showy guy. Falko could relate to that. This time the lord sovereign of the hereafter had decidedly less to say this time around, doing little more than commenting on the unorthodox nature of the battlefield. Indeed, Falko would be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued by this setup. He wasn’t much for leaping around, but at the same time this unlevel terrain was very much to his liking. If he had one strength, it was his ability to fly by the seat of his pants in a fight, and this jumble of platforms went a long way toward rendering linear thinking null. This entire round could be won simply by tactical use of the varying elevations. Yes, he was most pleased by this setup.

And then the god named his stipulation. Such feats as summoning beasts and transmuting one’s shape were hardly part of his repertoire, and in fact he doubted even the full magicians back home were capable of such enchantments. Just this once, he stood only to gain from the round’s terms. Brushing several strands of arctic hair over his shoulder, Falko momentarily eyed his foe across the arena, looking to see how he reacted to this ban. What his gaze settled upon was an absolutely sinister grin. He could vaguely recall this scruffy looking fellow using an assortment of strange abilities in the preliminary, but apparently conjuration was not among them. That was good, then. Neither of them would become hindered by this prohibition and were ultimately free to compete at their full strengths. The thought brought a small grin to his own countenance, though markedly less malevolent than that of his opposition.

Before Falko knew it, the battle had begun. He had hardly moved when Whatever came down upon him, spoiling to make the first move. The Red Mage’s eyes flared briefly with surprise as he dipped back and away from the first oncoming fist, which narrowly flew by his face and succeeded only in skimming a few stray lengths of hair from his shoulder. He tried to come up with a plan, but the vagrant’s fists of fury rained on nonstop. He took a step back and allowed his foot to slide as he deflected the next punch with his raised forearm, redirecting the blow and sending it wide. By the time he saw the third blow it was too late to avoid, so he instead tried to step back and move with its forward motion, hoping to minimize the force if he could increase the length of collision. His focus on the straight only meant the low kick took him completely by surprise though, and before he knew it he was falling as Whatever’s final attack rocketed up into him.

The mage audibly wheezed as the almost offhanded uppercut stole the ground from his feet and sent him skyward. Hair and cape swished around with the upward motion, and for a moment his body went slack. It didn’t take long for him to achieve the peak of his ascent, and that moment where he simply hung between rise and fall was upon him. It was in this instant, as his body seemed to drift without gravity’s force upon it, that Falko regained his composure. Finding his breath after having it forcefully ejected from his lungs, he brought one hand to his head so that his treasured hat might not flutter away amid his impending downward motion. “You are quite good,” he said, though due to his casual tone it was unlikely to be heard from his present position. Static crackled in his hand as he began to finally descend. Presently he was a sitting duck to his enemy, waiting to either be hit with one of the many ranged weapons Whatever had displayed in the preliminary or else to be attacked again upon falling to a suitable level. It was hardly in his nature to allow such easy strikes upon his person.

So, as he came down, he extended a hand and loosed a single bolt of Thunder from his palm with a crack. Whatever’s choices were to take the hit or else dodge and allow Falko an easier landing, provided he didn’t have some means by which to simply block the attack. He did not think magic to be his forté however.

- - - -

Thunder - Two post cooldown

[Whatever]

He was used to many kinds of fights. He had made use of many different weapons and trained to deal with many situations over the many years he served as a slave. After he was thrown into the life of a Heartless, it didn't mean he had forgotten anything. He maintained all his skills, and the life of a Heartless had done him only good in making those very skills even better than before. The only thing he had done little was to deal with others.

His skills so far known as he was now were; first the creation of weapons through the Cries of an Item. He didn't summon them, but created them from Darkness. Second the use of several magical abilities through the Cries of a Spell, whether offensive, defensive, or supportive spells. So far he had no summons nor transformations amongst them. Third he had his hand-to-hand combat, in the cases he either required it or wanted to make use of it. He preferred using it before anything else if he could keep the fact he actually had weapons hidden. Fourth and, so far, final skill at this moment was the ability to open Corridors. Which could perhaps seen as summoning a portal to the Corridors to Darkness, if it was seen as the latter, he could not use it. Otherwise, it might be simply opening a hole in the air. The Heartless had no idea how the rules would affect this.

So far in the last round, he had seen several powerful magic casters and the Heartless had seen this very person there as well. From his knowledge, he guessed that Falko knew of his gun and spiked chain, but otherwise he possibly knew nothing. From what the Heartless had seen, the guy himself could cast spells and possibly used the sword for melee combat.

When the former slave rushed at Falko and started the fight, the mage didn't seem to have done much on his spot. Perhaps he had thought of strategy or something else, but the Heartless didn't know that and wondered what the use of such a thing before a fight was. At least, the Heartless wasn't planning to give Falko a chance.

His attacks were well-received with some defense from the red mage, but while his second attack was well deflected, his attacks afterward came in correct as he finally was able to launch the mage. As the mage was now into the air, it appeared to the Heartless that the mage said something, but he wasn't able to hear it well as he tried to follow his attacks with a next attack. So long as he could keep him busy, he figured.

However, when a crackling sound reached his ears and he saw the mage use a spell, quickly he slided to the side. Breaking his line, he jumped in a roll to the left and held up a hand to take out a weapon. In his hand shifted the shadows into a handgun. Seeing this, he immediately raised his hand while aiming at Falko and released three bullets quickly. While shooting two more bullets, he started to move towards Falko again for even more attacks.

---

Raw Fighting Style
Flurry Combo: Free to use again.

The Cries of an Item
1d4 ~ 2: Handgun: Four posts active.

[Falko, Red Mage of Light]

This man, Whatever, continued to be fast on his feet. Falko’s spell kissed only the platform below him, scarring its surface slightly while the intended target moved to safety. Well, so long as he wouldn’t just get hit again upon landing it was still a success. He had to be careful though. While formidable enough at close range, he had seen his opponent’s use of projectile and mid-range weaponry in the preliminary battle. Even now that he was out of hand’s reach, he had not necessarily left the range of attack. And so, even as he presently fell back to earth, he observed his foe closely and looked for some sign that he would bring out one of his more far-reaching tools.

As anticipated, one of the numerous weapons from before was indeed brought to bear. Wisps of shadow joined to form the strange one-handed weapon that struck the Titan almost instantaneously. Even after observing it in action Falko hardly understood the thing. He did, however, have one theory concerning its function. It seemed before that the surface of the magma would rupture at whatever the point the elongated section was directed toward. Assuming that my eyes did not betray me, it would be only logical to deduce that whatever striking force it emits travels in a straight line from that section. Whatever raised the gun toward his plummeting form, and in response the mage summoned the Sun Blade in a dazzling bar of light. Thus...! The gun flared. Falko swung.

The sharp note of metal-on-metal blasted from his sword. Something sparked across its gleaming flat and, before he could shield his eyes from the sudden flare of light, he felt an unseen object tear across his cheek. For what seemed like forever - but in truth being about half a second of stunned silence - Falko seemed to just float there, stupefied. What had just happened? Did I....deflect it? The weapon flashed again, and just as before he swung in defense. He felt the impact, heard the noise, and found that no harm came to him this time. Within that span of time he had already worked it out though. I see now. The device produces some quantity of force which then propels a solid projectile. What a fascinating invention! It was a feat he could technically duplicate with his magic, but to think that an entire weapon had been designed around it. These other worlds were truly fascinating.

Raising his sword so as to bar a third bullet with its flat, the Red Mage finally touched back down upon the platform. That wasn’t the end of it though. Not only was Whatever refusing to let up on the shooting, but he was also closing in. Soon he would be back within striking range, and while he now knew what to expect it would be unwise to grant him that dangerous proximity without a fight. And so, with about a split second to think, Falko made a gut decision and moved in to close the distance as well.

He sprang as the next shot was fired, bodily dodging the bullet in its entirety. A slight jerk could be felt at his back as it passed through his cape, but Falko paid it no mind. The two grew closer still. Another shot, and he cleaved this shot yet again. They were so near that the tip of his blade nearly clipped Whatever’s weapon, shy by no more than a few hairs. He contemplated bringing the sword back around for a follow-up swing, but the risks were too high. Should his attack be avoided he would be vulnerable again. So instead he stepped into the man’s range, extended his hand as though to grab his chest, and cast Dark magic at point-blank. Should this strike true it would bring no harm on its own, but his opponent would find his vision partially obscured. The resulting near-blindness would greatly decrease the rate at which his attacks struck home, though any magic he had would fly as true as always.

- - - -


Dark - Three post cooldown, two post duration (if successful)

Thunder - One post cooldown

[Whatever]

A sword appeared in some sort of flash of light, the Heartless wasn't too sure what to think of that, but he already knew the guy had a sword. He didn't know if he could actually summon more weapons. Well, time will tell? He was always expecting the worst, there was even a chance that this flaming hair guy just moved a platform above them and dropped it to see how they would deal with it. It was his tournament and his entertainment in a sense.

The Heartless wasn't too sure what to make of the opponent's expression as the guy blocked his first two bullets. The bullets came out much like the gun itself, made of Darkness. Though, due to the speed it traveled, even the Heartless himself had never really seen what kind of things came out of the guns. However, it was rather... remarkable if this man just learned about the projectiles and was able to block them as well.

Well, he's possibly used to fast magical assault and such, so the bullets was just another thing that was similar? He didn't know, but it didn't mean much either. After the first two that seemed to have come more of a surprise to the opponent, he seemed now more confident on deflecting to shots. Time to change strategy, he figured as he rushed forward.

As he moved, the opponent had started to move towards him as well. Physical fights are more my fort, he thought to himself with a grin. His last two shots were dodged and cleaved to ensure it wouldn't be a problem to the opponent, so when they got near, the Heartless used his weaponry skill again in the hopes to gain either his other gun to block the incoming sword or something more for melee.

Luck was on his side as the gun started to shift, the shadows and darkness started to spread greatly out and the Heartless had to grab the hilt with both hands as he now held a Two-handed Greatsword in his hands. The entire blade he moved to his side as he moved with one arm up to hold his arm flat against the blade to stop the incoming sword. This gave some extra strength for defense, so the sword wouldn't push him back and instead, he was capable of pushing the opponent back instead. One hand on the hilt, one arm against the flat blade, he held his sword upward as he continued to move.

The mage had stepped in with an extended hand and suddenly his eyes seemed to become blurred out and he lost his vision. Oh, great, magic blindness? Instead of caring for a moment, he still knew where the man was and it seemed he wasn't completely blind yet. Also, since the opponent's sword had hit his, he just kept pushing on in a charge forward.

Then he suddenly swung his sword forward as if to throw the mage off him and held it down against the ground with one hand while pointing with his free arm forward to where he last felt the mage and he also could still see somewhat. He then used more his magical ability, from the extended arm a swirl of Darkness appeared as the spell Stonera started. A large block of darkened 'stone' shot forward in an attempt to hit the mage and send him hurling off the platform.

---

The Cries of an Item
Handgun: Two post cooldown.
1d6 ~ 6: Two-Handed Greatsword: Four post active.

The Cries of a Spell
1d4 ~ 1: Stonera: One post cooldown.

[Hades]

-Okay, time's up! Round Two will be judged and the winners will be posted in another thread with an updated Tournament bracket. Stay Tuned for Round Three!-