by Harlon Banks
"Jonath, right?" Kelgard spoke in a baritone noticeably lazier and deeper than Jonath's. The amnesic matching Kelgard's indifferent staring with his own as he responded in a lighter more nonchalant tone.
"Yeah..." He said keeping eye contact. The two pale complexioned young men staring each other down now sizing up any sort of weakness. Jonath couldn't find any hint of hesitation or even concern about the upcoming spar from Kelgard; it was unsure if Kelgard felt the same way. Judging by what happened next though, Jonath had a good idea of how Kelgard saw him.
Kelgard snorted very vaguely as if he were amused, the briefest smile crossing his features before he just turned and walked away from Jonath without looking at him anymore. Jonath keeping up his calm demeanor as he watched the black-haired man pass him with nothing else said. Sucking his teeth now vaguely annoyed, Jonath shook his head and walked to catch up with the group. Just his luck he were put against a guy like that...
Sometime later, the group of Nightborn were led to another clearing across the wide open field away from the stage. There was a large circular concrete section surrounded by a sea of green grass and beyond that the multiple low-lying structures of the facility. The arriving Nightborn standing a safe distance away from the concrete as Dast stood in the middle of the circle looking around at the recruits with lean arms crossed over his chest.
"Here is where we will begin the spars. You fight in this circle, it's big enough to give you plenty of room to dodge, dance, whatever you want to do so ring outs shouldn't be a problem. If you do somehow get knocked out of this big ass circle though it's an automatic loss." The older man eye-rolled at the thought of someone getting pushed out the ring. His golden hues looking over the thirty recruits one by one as he continued.
"Don't worry about friendly fire, there's mystic runes embedded within the ring that will keep stray attacks from flying outside the circumference of this circle. Feel free to blast away as much as you want. Do note however your finesse will be graded just as well as your power output, so try to be classy with your powers if you want a higher rating." He sighed, eyeing Delaren in particular but doing nothing else. Jonath standing at the among the group lined up around the edge of the circle, looking over at Kelgard again. The red-eyed man simply having his eyes closed and arms behind his head like a pillow barely paying attention to what was said. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Jonath steeled himself as he opened them again and focused on Dast when the man lowered his arms and spoke.
"Alright first ones up, Delaren versus Orath." Dast called out the first match! The red-haired pyromaniac snorting like a bull as he stepped forwards simultaneously with the long white-haired woman a couple of people down from him and moved to the field. Orath looking so calm, quiet and lonely in her mysterious features and fuchsia gaze compared to Delaren's bravado and loudness.
"Nice..." Melissa sneered. "Get to see one of the twins in action right off the bat."
Jonath said nothing, his eyes merely looking over the two contestants. Orath dressed in a long sleeved black sweater and Capri pants with combat boots and gloves, looked rather petite compared to the likes of Kayde or Melissa. The clumps of bangs that halfway covered her profound fuchsia hued left eye swaying in the breeze with her waist length porcelain white hair. She was pretty... really pretty... Jonath noticing Nightborn being attractive was quite common now. Did it come with the title? Probable.
"Ready?" Dast asked looking at both as he stepped backwards till he were out of the ring. Both combatants nodded as the air began to distort from the heat emitted from Delaren as he smiled sinisterly. Taking a deep breath, Jonath concentrate on what was about to happen.
Time to see what everyone had to bring to the table...
Delaren versus Orath! Gun Dancing Goddess!
A/N - Drew a much better picture of the MC Jonath, as always you have to add the tiny url part in.
/ydxc6flx
The Challenger Chapter Twenty-Nine: Delaren vs Orath! Gun Dancing Goddess!
"Here we go..." Jonath focused on the battle only seconds from starting; everyone going silent as another breeze wafted over the assembly. Dast stepping out of the circle on the opposite side of him, a soft exhale as he looked between Delaren and Orath one last time. Orath's pale fingers twitching at her sides as fuchsia eyes stared into space, porcelain white energy slowly frothing off her fingers in a shimmering haze and long, white hair blowing gently in the wind. Delaren having fiery red essence igniting slowly betwixt his fingers like fireworks as the air continued to bend and distort from the growing heat around his person. His dominating amber hued eyes itching to get this over with so he could destroy Wrain.
Tensions escalated, the silence palpable, the audience baited, Dast a bit impressed by how Delaren was able to hold off attacking this long without so much as barking for Dast to hurry up and say go; the kid must have had more control over his anger issues than he gave credit. A simple snort, and Dast finally gave everyone the command they'd been dying to hear. His voice a calm, fluent baritone as he lightly nodded his head wearing a blank expression.
"Begin!" Dast gave the green light.
"Gun Dance." Orath said in a soft voice as two handguns, both ethereal white and exquisitely detailed in appearance, frothing white energies appeared; raising both pistols crossed over one another as the barrels pointed at Delaren and her fuchsia eyes locked on to pull the trigger! Seemed she planned on taking the offensive first!
Delaren simply growled, already beating her to the punch.
"Too fucking slow!" Delaren barked out in a furiously confident cry! His arms raised as a dense inferno of flames ignited between his hands when they raised over his red-haired head; a ring of fire surrounding him that lit up the vicinity in bright orange light. Crashing his arms down to the ground as he barked "NOW BURN!" towards Orath, a sea of brilliant crimson-orange fires sprayed forward in a large wave towards the white-haired young woman. Jonath wincing a bit from the brightness of Delaren's flames viewed up close so suddenly, hand raised to block out the light. Melissa whistling at the display quietly amused and impressed. It wasn't all that surprising that Delaren was the kind of person to just attack with overwhelming power, given his attitude. This however, seemed a bit much to Jonath though...
The sea of flames roared forward with the heat of a burning furnace, its crashing orange flames crackling and writhing as they lurched forward swallowing up the distance and towering nigh ten feet high. The inferno a testament to how much raw energy Delaren didn't mind tossing around on a whim. Orath however never faltered, her demeanor remaining ever calm as she kept her aim steady with both pistols towards the flames and pulled the triggers simultaneously as her voice could only be heard by the most acute ears under the screaming inferno mere seconds from roasting her alive.
"Disperse." She breathed out..
Twin gunshots echoed intertwined with one another as both pistols sparked at the barrel a powerful white that lasted less than a second. What followed the release of the triggers was a concussive shockwave that parted the flames through sheer force which allowed Orath to, in one simple movement, leap forward in an acrobatic spin through the flames unharmed and land safely on the other side of the wave. The fires slamming into the edge of the circle soon after and being dispelled by a sudden, barely visible ward conjured by briefly glowing runes spanning the entirety of the circle. Jonath pulling his head back in quiet amazement along with various reactions from the rest of the Nightborn watching.
"Not bad..." Wrain commented with real genuine praise. Melissa nodding in agreement, her left hand moving to the curve of her hip to rest there. All eyes on Delaren now as he didn't look fazed at all by Orath's effortless counter; in fact if anything it only made him more excited! His hands igniting again in vibrant shades of orange and red that shimmered across his light toned flesh, he was ready for more! His bright red shirt singing from the heat so close to them as the bottoms of his boots steamed with high temperatures. Orath raising up from her crouched
landing with a quiet gaze and acute features, pistols clicking as she spoke again in a soft voice.
"Reload." She breathed..
Orath's 9mm pistols glitch out for a moment, before solidifying their ethereal appearance once more, and she took aim again. Delaren enveloping himself in a dense cloak of superheated aura as he raised his arms to guard his vulnerable head and neck and rushed forward! This fight was already starting to get intense... Delaren was just throwing power everywhere.
"GET BETTER!" Delaren grinned maliciously as he rushed forward like a living, humanoid fireball towards his opposition. A brilliant streak of orange and crimson trailing after him as his supernatural physical speed and strength allowed him to close the distance quite quickly. When he got close, Orath with enhanced attributes of her own, leaped clear over him without a word; the quiet, petite figured adversary spinning in a way that she were completely upside down at the zenith of her high jump when directly above Delaren. Both pistols aimed directly down at him as the fiery man hitched a breath in his throat and looked briefly caught off guard when amber hues clashed with fuchsia gaze.
"Heavy Rain." Orath said softly as she pulled the triggers. The barrels flaring with Astral essence!
An automatic, rapid fire of energy bullets that sparked from the barrel way faster than any amount of trigger pulls could permit in the same time, rained down on Delaren with high intensity. Delaren just barely managing to raise his hands up above his head to defend. A dense sphere of tangible, swirling orange and crimson enveloping him as a sea of bullets crashed down exploding like grenades on impact with his heat barrier splashing the ground with fire as Orath finished her jump, landing at his back in another crouch with pistols at her side. The barrels of her phantom pistols fuming with smoke as she simply stayed crouched looking solemnly at the ground. The dome of fire being dispersed in a powerful flush of rage from Delaren as he dissipated it all in once swift swing of his arms. The both of them seemingly taking a few seconds to stand-off.
"Cool down." Orath said calmly, her pistols rapidly dispersing steam from their entire bodies as the fumes vanished shortly afterwards and a clicking noise followed. "Reload." She spoke softly.
"She's amazing..." Kayde said in quiet awe at Orath. Wrain focusing on Delaren momentarily, eyeing his body language and posture for any sign of fatigue already or weakness. Throwing power around like that must've been taxing, right? Yet...
"That's the Advent Twins for you." Melissa nodded impressed in her own right. "I'm kind of jealous, to be able to fight with just guns like that is kind of badass. If her brother is anything like this with swords I kind of worry for you Kayde." She sneered looking over at the woman. Kayde returning her gaze with an annoyed scowl but nothing further. Jonath nodding, Orath was indeed impressive, far more so than he initially thought she would be. Still, turning to Delaren as well, the pyromaniac turning to face his adversary and still looking fresh as ever, smiling darkly ecstatic at Orath. This was hype, this got his blood rushing!
"Delaren doesn't look tired at all; he's been throwing around large amounts of aura and he's not even so much as breathing hard." Wrain noted, causing the others to look over at the disheveled red-haired punk. "Everyone's impressed by how graceful and fluid that woman's fighting style that they're failing to acknowledge she hasn't been able to hurt Delaren yet. Pay attention to everything in a fight, not just your favorite. She can't go on the offensive long enough to do anything serious." Wrain scoffed shaking his head a bit disappointed at the others, his icy blue eyes acknowledging Delaren's stamina.
Wrain did have a point; only focusing on parts of a fight that easily distinguish themselves to oneself could be a fatal flaw in the long run. Jonath's pale hues looking between the two combatants again as the sidelines went mute. Briefly glancing down the line to Kelgard, whom stood there ever silent and observed every detail of what the battle showed him. Jonath should be more focused about how he'd use his own powers over watching others use theirs, in all honesty. That would be the game changer against Kelgard, deciding if Jonath would get horribly beaten or at least be able to hold his own, if maybe even win.
A fireball flying through the air caught his attention, the battle starting again! All eyes on the two combatants as Delaren found blast after blast of flames in both streams, fireballs, and eruption pillars towards Orath whom skillfully danced, countered with her own bullets, and dodged all projectiles thrown her way. This going on for almost a minute, neither gaining ground on one another as they waged a long ranged war on one another from opposite sides of the field.
Energy bullets exploding on contact with dense fireballs spraying the ground in flames and Astral essence. Orath's footwork agile and acrobatic as she dodged the ground setting ablaze beneath her feet and spiraling into pillars of raging inferno; countering with rapid fire trigger pulls, sometimes even mid-air during her supernatural spins and jumps towards Delaren, whom tanked them all with tightly compressed shields of raw power coursing around him. This truly was a visually astonishing fight; the precision, agility, and finesse of Orath's Gun Dance versus the aggression, overwhelming strength, and area of effect of Delaren's Hellfire.
"That's it! That's it! Come at me like you want to win I'll crush you!" Delaren donned a happy slasher smile as he tossed one more fireball like a grenade towards Orath, dashing forward in a blazing rage as he darted towards the girl. "Let's see how good you are up close and personal huh?!" He laughed in wild anticipation! Orath shooting two bullets into the projectile of heat, the two opposing forces exploding and splashing down embers around them across a sea of dying flames that spanned the entire circle. Delaren's right hand blazing in superheated aura as fingers flexed open and crimson streams trailed after his low-slung, ground grazing palm rushing towards Orath. The white-haired dual wielder crossing her handguns over one another in a crouch on one knee to directly counter Delaren rushing her. She wasn't planning to dodge? How bold!
"A head on collision with that amount of heat!? Is she crazy!?" Kayde held out her hand to Orath as if she wanted to stop her! Jonath narrowing his eyes in silence and Melissa grinning widely at how badass Orath was!
"Go get em girl hell yeah!" Melissa smirked unable to contain the adrenaline high she got off watching the bout. The rest of the Nightborn cheering now Orath or Delaren's name in a betting fashion save for a select few like Kelgard, Wrain or Jonath. The two combatants moments from colliding, Delaren not giving a damn about the guns aimed at his head as he lurched his fire enthralled arm forward to finish this fight! Orath waiting until he were a foot or so in front of her guns before the barrels glowed white and she tugged on the triggers!
There was a loud whooshing sound, the runes spanning the ground flashing a plethora of colors as all powers suddenly dispelled in an instant. The dying flames born from Delaren's earlier attacks, the residue from Orath's bullets that permeated the air, to even the flames that cloaked Delaren and the guns held in Orath's grasp. All of it vanished instantly, Delaren crashing into the ground with a grunt as Orath blinked quietly confused initially. Jonath and the others on the sidelines looking suddenly dumbfounded as well, Dast stepping back into the ring with hands in pockets and nonchalant movements coupled with a calm, impressed snort.
"Time's up." He revealed, an audible groan coming from the onlookers!
"Of fucking course." Melissa eye-rolled with a bull snort. "Of fucking course times up right when the fight reached the most intense part. Like that doesn't always happen!" She now seemed to be pouting, crinkling her nose in annoyance as Jonath turned his gaze back to Orath and Delaren. The latter as expected, wasn't pleased with the verdict.
"Are you fucking kidding me!? I was just about to win!" He growled standing back to his feet with charred clothing; the fact it wasn't completely burned off implied it had some resistance to fire via enchantment, but it wasn't strong enough to resist everything. Dast glancing down at the young man reaching slightly over his own shoulder in height with a sneer.
"I don't kno
w about that, Orath looked as if she were about to take you out in one easy trigger pull." He knowingly taunted Delaren with that statement as he turned to the quiet woman. Orath vaguely shooting him a look of acknowledgement and turning to walk out of the circle. Delaren growling to himself as hands reached up to grasp at his red hair in frustration, easy to note he still wasn't exhausted in the slightest. It was kind of frightening how much power this guy could dish out without so much as a single hard breath, no wonder he was seen as a danger to society. Sucking his teeth, Delaren just walked to the other side of the circle with a snort. Nobody saying anything else as Dast began to call out the next few rounds being between some random Nightborn duos Jonath quite frankly didn't care about.
"I'll admit that was impressive." Wrain spoke to Delaren in a calm tone, the fiery tempered man glancing at him with a snort and looking away to the fights happening. Wrain shrugging, not bothered at all at the man's abrasiveness; regardless of his own opinion, Wrain gave credit when credit were due. Fifteen minutes passed, Dast repeating the process of stopping fights when either a win/loss happened or time ran out. Jonath and the immediate group watching quietly as they did. Melissa most noticeably didn't look anywhere near as hyped with these as the first battle, quite frankly Jonath was in the same boat.