/Pride was ready this time. He was ready for Lionheart's speed. He began to block and parry as many of the attacks as he could, though several strikes did get in, finally followed by a kick to the stomach. Pride managed to recover and land back on his feet. He was bleeding from several places, again you notice that both blue and red blood came out from his body./ "You're fast, I'll give you that. It's been awhile since I've had someone keep up with me. So much so that..." /He paused, ripping off the top half of his outfit, revealing six weird artifacts on his arms. They didn't seem to hinder his arm speed, and they glowed with weird symbols./ "...I'm forced to show my hand." /The bottom two artifacts glowed white, before disintegrating. You feel a rush of power coming from Pride as he's clearly getting stronger...those artifacts were Limiters./ "I do believe it's time for me to pay you back." /He raised up his hand, extruding two fingers. He murmurs some kind of chant, you prepare for him to cast a spell...when your back explodes in pain. The wound you had regenerated suddenly ripped back open./ "Did I forget to mention? Every time I use my Mana in an attack, a good portion of it remains inside my opponents...where I can make it do whatever I want, depending on the amount. I can shock you, paralyze you...or my personal favorite, make it explode." /He rushes, not using the teleport this time, though it was clear he was very fast without it. In mere seconds he's up close, bringing his sword down on you./
"Limiters.... well, at least im not the only one" Crimson said just before he was attacked by Pride /Crimson and Pride fought toe to toe again, dodging and attacking whenever needed. While he did enjoy Pride's new power, he had not activated his trump card yet. His exploding back however was going to be a problem. When Pride was going to do an upwards strike, Crimson's magic made a explosive wave around him and then activated as a regen dome. The mana that Pride had placed on him simply disappeared. "What. You never think i havent fought someone who uses mana before?" Crimson said as the dome and mana disappeared. /Crimson then raised his hand and a symbol grew bright light. "I also have limiters as well. But i guess releasing it just for you would make your day..."
/Pride jumped back as the burst of magic exploded from Lionheart, feeling what was left of his mana fading away, though after the explosion the remaining amounts were useless to him anyways. Then Lionheart mentioned that he also had limiters, and the alarms flared within Pride's head, he was not about to let Lionheart, who was already fighting him to a standstill, to get stronger. He quickly reached into his pouch, pulling out a sphere of some sort. Pride pressed down on a button and threw it at Lionheart. It was a grenade./ /You expect it to explode, and prepare accordingly...however as it gets close enough, a bright blinding light emerges out from the grenade for several seconds, blinding you. Pride takes the opportunity and rushes in, and hits Lionheart with a slash. And then another...and another. Lightning fast slashes rain down on Lionheart, finally, after what felt like an infinite number of strikes, Pride placed his sword back into his sheathe. Three words escaped his lips, the name of the technique. "Red Rose Dancer"./
/Crimson's head was stuck looking up towards the sky due to the sheer force used in the attacks. When Pride moved back, Crimson began to laugh uncontrollably as his neck cracked to look at Pride again. While the technique did managed to hurt him, Crimson's pretended like it never happened. /Crimson then raised his hands to show Pride the permanent seal on his gloves and hands. The seal itself was a pentacle decorated with occult symbols and several mottoes, many of them in different languages but a unmistakeable one in English reading "Against All Tyrants." Crimson had six release forms and states, each of them increasing his power enormously.Crimson seal began to glow white now and he closed his eyes. Releasing Control Art Restriction Systems three...two...one, approval of Situation A recognized. Commencing the Lionheart invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent or defeated As Pride watched, he noticed that one of the six seals had simply vanished. Crimson's appearance didn't change much with the exception of his eyes changing from brown to blood red. Crimson's power was now powerful enough to take on any enemy in the arena or maybe all at once and still defeat them. Crimson raised his sword and pointed it at Pride. "You can stop now if you want to" Crimson said to Pride who was beginning to freak out. "There's nothing worse then fighting a battle you cant win."
/Even if it was for a second, Pride was overwhelmed by the boost of power coming from Lionheart, but he quickly steeled himself, the power was indeed impressive but Pride still had two limiters, and against Lionheart's remaining five, he had to pace himself, which would prove difficult, but not impossible. He still had a good number of tricks left up his sleeve, not to mention his secret ace, in case his full power still wasn't enough./ /Pride raised his fingers, pressing down on...something behind his ear. Pride mutters something, speaking to no one. Suddenly, a hole opens in the sky, and a metal capsule crashes into the ground next to him. With a hiss of steam the capsule opens, it's contents unknown to you as it opens from Pride's side, He reaches inside and pulls out another sword. A very evil, dark, terrifying, and very, very unholy black sword. Pride charges his mana into it, and everyone in the entire arena can begin hearing a noise eminating from the blade...thousands upon thousands of voices screaming in disturbing unison./ "I do believe I have already told you...do not think you can defeat me so easily."
/While he admired Pride's strength as an opponent, Crimson was loving every second of this battle. It had been a very long time since somebody could face him in even combat,yet alone manage to hurt him. The sword that Pride was holding and it's unsettling noise didn't manage to phase Crimson into thinking that his defeat was soon. It would take much more than a new sword and some power restrictions to keep him down. "Even with all that power, i can tell you have some...backup once they are all used?" Crimson questioned. Crimson then smiled at such a thought, while he was no blood knight he still had effects of his transformation take effect on him. Crimson, even on his 1st release transformation was beginning to lose control, it gets worse when he advances through transformations. "Now....MAKE ME FEEL ALIVE!" Crimson yelled before he launched himself much faster then he was before. He slashed Pride hard across his body and sent him into the air. Once he was up there, Crimson then unleashed a volley of slashes close to the speed of light and then punched Pride so hard that it managed to create a sonic boom. Once Pride hit the ground and created a decent sized crater, Crimson's katana began to form electricity. He didn't only want to beat Pride, he wanted him to reach him to reach power. " I must admire your ability to stand up after that."
/It took a few seconds, but Pride jumped out of the crater, charging at you. He notices the electricity in your blade and smiles. He sheathes his original blade as he charges, and as he gets close enough for you to attack him, he extends his free hand, as you attempt to swing down, your blade stops, almost freezing in mid-swing. You are caught off guard by this long enough for Pride to get a hit in. A violent upwards kick sending you into the air. Pride immediately charges the black blade with lightning mana./ "Lightning Dance!" /Pride glows, and begins using that pseudo-teleport, this time much slower than it's original nigh-light speed one that he had used on previous occasions, but still very fast nonetheless, Dozens of electric charged hits rain down on you as he teleports around and slashes you with the black blade, each hit somehow worse than the next. Finally, Pride slams down on you with one final slash, crashing you into the ground below. He then jumps away, two fingers in the air./ "Discharge!" /Before you had a chance to attempt to dispel the mana inside, Pride causes it to explode, the explosion is quite larger than the small reopening of a wound from last time, and the resulting explosion left you in a crater of your own. Pride lands on his feet, a mocking laugh escaping his lips./ "Using the element of lightning against me...are you a fool?!"
/Crimson gets up after being hit by such an attack. He liked the idea of having such an opponent to fight against, someone that might be considered currently on par with him. Crimson then looks at his blade and then at Striders demonic one, noticing the siularities of each one. "Lightning is a common element, a tool for which life can be created and destoryed." Crimson began to speak. "You obviously know that, lightning and mana seem to be your ideas of warfare." Crimson's katana's symbols then began to glow bright blue as he then looks at Pride. /Pride then decided to cut Crimson off while he was talking. Just as he expected him to do. Just before Pride swung down his sword, Crimson used one of his spells that no other living person has ever achieved. The ability to stop time itself and to use it to his advantage. The spell created a green dome where everything became negative in colour for a short period of time. While Pride was stuck in motion, Crimson attacked Pride at around near the Speed of Light and began to demolish his opponent. When the spell was about to wear off, Crimson rushed outside the circle to watch the most satisfying moment of the spell. "Negative Zone, Release!" Crimson said as the zone began to disappear. /Once the zone had completely disappeared and Pride was about to move in motion again, he felt a burning feeling in his body as blood literally exploded from the amount of damage Crimson had done. While Crimson made sure the spell and attack wasnt lethal, he watched as Pride collapsed onto the ground very heavily damaged. Crimson laughed like a maniac as he struggled to get up, one of the negative aspects of under going a release transformation.
/In one second, his world went black. He was charging Lionheart, then all of a sudden, his entire body flashed with intense pain. Pride fell, managing to keep himself to one knee...albeit just barely. This wasn't good, he could feel his body refusing to cooperate. Cracked ribs, broken bones, internal bleeding...he was hurt and hurt badly. Still, he smiled a genuine smile./ "I haven't had...such an invigorating fight...in a very long time." /The mixture of blood dripped from his chin, soaking into the floor below, Pride grips the handle of the dark blade, closing his eyes and beginning to chant. The blade glows a dark purple, as the screams grow in intensity, screaming, begging for mercy. Suddenly, the dark energy begins pulsing into Pride, flowing through him. Visible cuts and bruises slowly began healing, he felt ribs and organs mending from the dark energy. Finally, after some time, the energy faded back into the blade, the screams while still loud and still numerous, had grown just slightly quieter. Pride stood up, seemingly back at 100 percent./ "Let me tell you a secret about this sword. This is a blade of a Kaxrah (Ka-Sh-Rah), a Grim Reaper. They are strong specters, but not immortal. Most of them are former humans that have given their souls to the darkness for power, some for vengeance, others for justice, sometimes all three. This is their weapon, an indestructible, yet dull blade. Kaxrah's fuse their magic into this blade, giving it a sharp edge...but that's not the best part of it." "This sword absorbs things. Though you should already know what these screams are, they're the souls of the dead. This blade can transform the souls locked inside into any kind of energy, both destructive and healing. Another plus is that Kaxrah's gain the memories and powers of those souls for a short time, should they have any. Unfortunately for me, I'm not a Kaxrah...but unfortunately for you..." /The second set of runes began glowing, Pride's power slowly beginning to increase./ "...I'm worse. Limiter two, release!" /Pride closed his eyes as the seals disappeared, immense power exploding outwards. As Pride reopened his eyes, they were now orange./
/Crimson watched as Pride began to transform. Just as he expected, he was beginning to show the his true colors of his power as he noticed the eye colour change. If he was defeated by him, then he relished the idea of having fought him at full power. But to make it more interesting, he was going to hold him until he reached such a state. "Round two has been reached.Excellent work, i have never fought somebody like you before." Crimson then drew out another Spell-Sword seemingly out of thin air as he got into stance as to Duel-Wield, something he was very very good at. /Strider was going to have much more trouble this time in defeating him until he reached Release Two transformation. Where his current power would be increased 100 fold.
/Pride closed his eyes, going over thoughts in his head, while mumbling to himself, you hear small bits and pieces of some weird conversation. "No...no, that's not what I need." After a few more seconds, he smiles. "Yes, that should be perfect." He re-opens his eyes, glowing with orange. He withdrew his second sword./ "Now then, let me show you a fancy new trick, these new eyes aren't just for show." /You blink. Big mistake. The moment your eyes close, even just for a fraction of a second, Pride slams his knee right into your face. Then, a kick to the stomach. Finally...he disappeared. No...he was teleporting around you, his teleport had transformed into afterimages, each image slashing away at you, all charged with electricity. In the immense pain you realized something...this was YOUR technique. The afterimage attack you used on Pride in the early goings of your fight...and he was using it, almost flawlessly. As it finished, Pride slammed his boot into your jaw, knocking you up into the air, dozens upon countless dozens of slashes from the two swords rained down on you, until one final strike sent you crashing down into the ground./ "In this second form, I gain a nice little trick. The ability to mimic my opponents. Remember how I said that Kaxrah's can absorb the knowledge and powers of the souls they capture? Now normally, me being a flesh and blood human I can't use that power...but through the technological advances of The Dark Haven, we have found a way around that through cybernetic implants. These eyes are not my eyes, but rather small devices that are linked up to a bigger device, one that takes foreign energy and converts it into data. Data that I can use. This is why I am worse than a Grim Reaper. I am the only human to master the powers of a God. You're probably still wondering how I was able to perform one of your techniques...as I mentioned before, this sword absorbs souls. In fact, just listen." /You listen, and its faint. Very, very faint but among the many cries coming from the sword...you hear your own as well./
/Crimson felt very annoyed that his opponent is using a move copying technique. Even through he had various techniques around Pride's newest technique and ways to completely counteract them to either render them useless or destroy itself, Crimson just remained their listening. He was completely prepared for an attack by Pride, and his grip on his sword tightened. "You claim to be the only human to ever master Godlike power. This is not the case, for you don't really know who and exactly what your opponent really is. I seem to enjoy your "tricks" however, but what will be the point if you faced me at full power. Humans have mastered this power before, several times during the last ten thousand years. But none of them face the sheer magnitude of yours, you are something completely different entirely, not to mention you have mastered it at such a young age. And with power like that, would you even call yourself Human anymore when you have lost everything that made you such?" Crimson's black and red eyes began to glow as he was scanning Pride. "I used to be human like you once. I was born in what used to be the Roman Empire as a slave over two thousand years ago. I was there when Caesar died, stabbed to death by my blade. I watched countless tyrants take control and fall during the course of my much extended lifespan. I seen the downfall of Genghis Khan and myself personally killed Adolf Hitler inside his bunker. Where my attack sounded like a gunshot from everybody else who heard it." Crimson said "I changed human history by myself, bending it so that humanity can reach it's full potential." Crimson then looked Pride directly into the eyes. "In the words of Winston Churchill. History will be kind to me for I intend to write it...”
/Pride closed his eyes, listening to Lionheart. After he finished, he simply smiled and sheathed his sword./ "I must say, such an impressive history. I have lived quite long myself, despite my looks...but nothing close to how long you've lived. An impressive story indeed, but all stories come to an end eventually." /Pride performs another Pseudo-Teleport, but with the second of his limiters released, the teleport had become faster than ever. In a single second, Pride was already up to you. Pride slams a magically powered punch right into your jaw, followed by several more well-placed strikes, each charged with lightning. Finally, Pride hits you with a punch that not just lifts you off the ground, but sends you flying back. Just as you begin to recover, Pride hits you again with a dropkick, coming in at supersonic speeds, once again sending you flying all the way into the walls of the arena./ /But the assault doesn't stop there. Pride catches up to you in record timing and again unleashes a barrage of vicious punches. Finally he raises an opened hand, pointed directly at you. A ring of condensed energy appears on his forearm and slowly moves up to his hand, before finally.../ "Pulse Cannon!" /The energy explodes outwards as the force of a massive explosion going off at point-blank range crashes into you, creating a massive crater within the walls of the arena. Pride jumps back, withdrawing his sword and going back into a stance./
/Crimson simply got straight back up from the crater and looked directly at Pride's eye. Pride assumed that this was a harmless move until Crimson said... "Eye of Cerberus" /Within a few moments, Pride could not move at all and was stuck in his position. The move seemed harmless until Pride began to feel extreme pain that would kill any normal human. Crimson's black and red eyes began to glow brighter as Pride collapsed onto his knees screaming. Crimson then began to walk up slowly to enjoy this moment, watching his opponent suffer. Pride tried to look at Crimson who was right in front of him, having extreme difficulty doing so. /Crimson then placed his hand onto his head which then made Pride scream in absolute terror. He literally felt knowledge of some moves being stripped away from him, some of them more valuable then others. Crimson began to focus as his eye glowed brighter as Pride kept screaming. Once his eye stopped glowing, Crimson picked up Pride's body and threw it across the arena. "I only took some of your most valuable assets in the battle against me, such as completely losing the ability to copy your opponents techniques like you did before with my afterimage technique and your most powerful moves. They will be lost to you until you learn them again once this battle is over, considering the learn time allocated with each technique. I'm afraid your little tricks no longer work on me...."
(Might as well make it another forum game. I'll just start it soon in the forum games or we may make it a One on One if nobody is interested.)
