May Your Feet Serve You Well

May Your Feet Serve You Well

He entered the chamber with no reservations about the task at hand. Since his last training session, he had been harboring suspicions that he'd have to do battle with Commander Cobb again; however, to his surprise, he was not to battle Cobb today. Instead, he was supposed to engage in the art of combat with another Saiyan, a fellow named Gohan. According to the intel he'd been given, the man was around the same strength as Turles, though he had a very different skill set. All Turles knew of him was his general strength level and a list of recent achievements.

For him, a man who chose to utilize strategy and forethought above all else, this was an unusual occurrence. Generally, he researched his comrades and opponents before even slightly involving himself with them. It wasn't that he was cautious, it was just a general rule of his. Was it really caution, if one favored life over death? While he wasn't sure whether or not this battle was to be to the death, he wasn't often one to take the chance. However, if he neglected to accept this battle, it was obvious that Cobb himself would have come after Turles.

He would much rather fight some no-name than a Commander in the Saiyan War Machine. According to the intel he'd been given, this Gohan was a Second Class Warrior; he outranked Turles. But then again, so had Letaus. Still, Letaus was completely fucking incompetent. This man seemed like he held a semblance of intelligence; he had been to Trexia, he had done enough to earn him recognition from Commander Cobb. That made him lethal enough in his own right. Still, Turles felt no fear for the task at hand. He would either win or lose; that gave him a fifty-fifty chance. He wasn't the biggest gambler, but he knew those to be pretty good odds.

As he strode out to his starting position, he sized up the man in front of him. He didn't look too impressive. He wore a variation of the Saiyan flex weave, signifying his place as a cog; he was but a part of a larger unit. In other words, he was just another ant for Turles to crush beneath his gray and blue boot. His fingertips slid down to his wrist guards, pulling them tightly up his arm as he appraised Gohan. Though he didn't look too impressive, he was not one to judge a book by it's cover. He himself did not look very threatening, aside from his personalized battle suit.

”So... You're my opponent? Here I thought Cobb had something better to offer me.” his tongue was like a knife, stabbing repeatedly toward his opponent's morale. He didn't know how easily this man was goaded into attacking, but he was very sure that he didn't want to make the first move. The Laws of Combat stated that the defender was always at a natural advantage; all they had to do was out last the assault. The attacker had to overwhelm and kill his defender, something that was by no means, an easy feat. Turles was never one to roll over in combat.

Silently, tendrils of black light began to swirl into existence around his fingertips, gently congealing to form a lengthy blade. Turles could see his opponent was armed, and while he himself was not, this did not bother him in the slightest. The energy that now gathered around his hands was lethal in the highest regard, and more than enough to handle a general threat like this. He didn't normally start out on the offensive, but he felt that, if this didn't provoke his enemy into attacking, nothing would. As his energy massed together in his hand, his expression changed from indifference to bemusement.

Suddenly, he stepped forward, his arm slicing through the air from his hip to his shoulder. Immediately, a wave of hundreds of smaller, miniature-esque balls of light congealed together to form one lengthy, explosive arc of power. While the first wave crackled and slid through the air, Turles' body twirled, releasing a second, equally fatal barrage of energy in the same manner. He then watched, body dropping into his battle stance as if he were being forced to move in slow motion, while his energy ripped and tore it's way through the air, blasting forward toward the Saiyan before him with a voracity unparallelled.

He had not, as of late, gotten to test his abilities in combat against a foe he could consider legitimate. He'd defeated Letaus, for the most part; he'd beaten that poor sap in the bar fight, and he'd managed to, for a little while, go toe to toe with Cobb. Now he was expected to do battle with this man he had never met in his life, for the sake of his people and his progress. The former he could have cared less about, but this was a battle to test his true stature. It was for that reason that he could not allow himself the luxury of loss; he would not taste defeat. He could not taste defeat.

WC: 861

Actions:
1.) Death Razor (4 AR; -8 VP, -45 FP) (10,098 Ki)
2.) Rest (-10 FP)
3.) Wait
Total FP: -35 FP
Damage: 8 VP

Turles' Battle Tracker:

It was through Lieutenant General Kraut that Gohan stood where he was right now; a large dome with walls of grey and scuffed up white floor tiles. It was a standard training chamber used by most military regimens and it did have the appearance of being used frequently. Gohan had just recently learned to control his Oozaru form and wished greatly to use it, but the room he stood in now was far too small to transform into something so massive.

Kraut had decided for him, like he always did, that Gohan could use some significant combat training. Up until now, the Lieutenant General had just been sending Gohan on missions to various planets and aboard starships, but not this time. Kraut had, for the first time, pitted Gohan against an opponent of equal strength. Since his arrival from the future, Gohan had felt his power slowly grow, but he was never able to find out just how much it had, at least not until now.

Kraut had told Gohan little about his opponent. All the warrior knew was that the man’s name was Turles and he was a third class soldier in the Saiyan army. Though he also knew that Turles was somehow connected with Kraut and it was that fact that made him wary of his new foe. The Lieutenant General had been manipulating the half breed since the day the met. It wasn’t that Gohan was unaware of this fact, it was just that there was nothing to be done about it; Kraut had promised him a way back to Earth and until then Gohan was his puppet.

At the moment of his appearance, Gohan couldn’t help but stare at Turles as he walked through the door. He looked just like his father, almost an identical twin. It couldn’t have been his father as he had just recently spared with him in the astral realm. It was there that Gohan was informed of Goku’s death. No, this man may have looked the same, but he could tell just by watching how he held himself, he was much more ruthless than his father ever could have been.

”So... You're my opponent? Here I thought Cobb had something better to offer me.” Those were the first words from the Saiyan’s mouth. They were harsh words, words of judgment, words meant to belittle Gohan and strike at his confidence, but alas it held little effect.

Gohan had been called many things during his training with Piccolo. Terms such as runt, pipsqueak, wimp and nerd, they all made him what he is today. He is not the same as he was back then and he will not be so easily intimidated either. He was not going to be thrown off his calm so early in the game.

The half breed watched curiously as a black blade of energy formed around Turles’ hands. He had never seen black ki before, but as intriguing as it was he could sense the power within it. It was a formidable power, one he hadn’t felt in a long time. Gohan gritted his teeth, just waiting to see what kind of technique was waiting him.

With a slash of his arm, Turles sent out thousands of ki balls flying in his direction. They were quick and they were many, Gohan didn’t have much time and he knew it. There were far too many to block properly and they were far too quick to dodge completely. He only had once choice in the matter. Gohan crossed his arms on his chest and then, as if pulling the energy from within his body, threw his arms in forward creating a yellow domed barrier made up of intense energy. The defensive properties of the technique were astounding; Gohan could hear and see the explosions surrounding him, but anything that came into contact with the barrier fizzled before it could even penetrate the inner circle.

It was clear that Turles wasn’t messing around. To use such a powerful opening attack, he meant business. Gohan knew he had to time his attacks precisely to avoid being caught in such a technique again. At the moment the last explosion occurred, Gohan dropped his barrier and went on the offensive.

The half Saiyan kicked off the ground and took flight; his foot crushed the tile that was beneath it. The gap between the two warriors was closed quickly. Gohan shifted his weight dramatically to the left and used the momentum of his flight to spin around and deliver a simultaneous kick to the abdomen and punch to the head, but he knew he could not let up quite yet.

Before he could see the effects of his maneuver, he gathered up as much strength in his legs as possible and in a burst of speed, dashed behind his opponent. Once there, he started to throw several punches, two with his left, three with his right, then two more with his left and finished it up with a hard right punch all of which were aimed for the man’s spinal cord. The combination was much more reserved than that of Turle’s first attack, but when you fight against androids your entire life, you tend to make every attack count.

(WC: 875)

Actions:
1.) Barrier @ Death Razor (+14 FP)
2.) Flight + Strike + Strike (Speedy Strikes)(AR 2, +2FP)(2 VP)
3.) Speed Burst + Machine Gun Fist (AR 3, +32 FP)(4 VP)(7,996 Strength)
Total FP: 48 FP

Battle Tracker:

Waves of heat and smoke billowed forth from the golden barrier as light and sound filled the room; the other man was proving resilient so far. The sensation washed over him while wind buffeted his face, each blast colliding with the other warrior's barrier, producing a series of mild explosions that quickly escalated into a single massive cloud of smoke, each single blast detonating against the man's defense. As it seemed, he was the stalwart type. To Turles, that signified a strong will; he was ready to defend and he was ready to survive. However, survival was not always the best option for a warrior under duress.

This Gohan would soon wish his opponent would grant him the mercy of death. Unfortunately for him, Turles was not the kindest of people. He would brutalize this fighter until he was told to stop, and he would do so without remorse. They could, technically, stop at any time. However, a Saiyan did not often relent in combat. The battle was supposed to go until neither warrior could properly walk, or in the case of a mismatch, until only one of them remained standing. To Turles, nothing was better than a definitive victory over your perceived equal.

Conflict spawned progress, progress was advancement. Now, as Gohan's boot sprang from the ground, kicking up shards of broken tile like shrapnel as he leaped forward. The attack was, by all means, voracious. His opponent rushed toward him with a determination unlike any he had seen before, but a speed that was sub par at best. While his physical strength was enough to augment his muscles, he was the exact opposite of Turles. Gohan was built like a brick shit house with wings, but Turles was built like a fighter jet.

He had spent years evading the law and evading his opponents, prizing his survivability above all else. Now, as his opponent's body entered a snappy spin, both eyes latched onto the oncoming assault. If the attack could connect, it was feasibly, enough to knock out a regular low class warrior. Yet, Turles was not one to simply let an attack hit him. He already knew what he was going to do for this battle, and he had known for quite a while. His battle plan was always the same, never changing; get in, get out, get their life.

That creed held in mind, Turles' body pushed off to the side as Gohan's simultaneous attack, a vicious hook and and solid roundhouse-esque kick cut through the air toward him. Eyes narrowing as the strikes neared his body, the Saiyan suddenly kicked into maximum over drive. His senses peaked, time seemed to slow; he was entering his prime. The brief burst forward from his opponent mere seconds ago coupled with this paired strike had been enough to grant him insight to his opponent's fighting style. He was a warrior parallel to Turles himself.

Where the ex-pirate favored agility and condition, Gohan favored a lasting endurance and housed a destructive physical power. However, all of the punches in the world were not enough to overcome the difference between them. Something about the man's form seemed off, as if he'd honed it himself, as opposed to in combat against a myriad of foreign species. Perhaps he'd only ever had one subject pool. He looked young enough to have gotten back from his first assignment, despite what his dossier had said. Either way, his strikes were not sharp enough to grant him victory.

Turles' fist shot out like a bolt of lighting, striking hard toward the boy's exposed face as his strike hit nothing but air. Whether or not it was successful, he quickly sprang backward. He'd seen his enemy's speed before, and it hadn't been all too impressive. However, just as Turles' boot tips touched the ground, Gohan sprang forth once more. He couldn't tell if his previous strike had been successful, but the man was ferocious regardless of pain. He was naturally determined, something that, normally, would have been admirable.

”Watch yourself!”

Unfortunately, that was only going to get him a larger beating today. Gohan's body shot past Turles' recoiling figure, his fists cocked and ready to strike. He looked hungry, like a wolf starving for his prey's flesh. If Gohan was here for blood, Turles would give him blood. Scowling as his motion came to a halt and his hair was whipped back into place, the bed headed warrior sent his body into a graceful swerve. Gohan had, apparently, failed to suppress his energy before attacking, granting the pirate a perfect mental view of their position and a perception of their distance.

The first strikes were issued by the boy's left hand, but they slid by his armor without so much as grazing him. The second series of strikes were issued by his right, each one packed with destructive power. He was starting off with his A-Game, something that would usually have earned him an early victory. As it happened though, Turles had not gotten as far as he had by underestimating his enemies. For yes, that was what this boy was; though they were technically comrades in arms, they were now combatants. They had been pitted together to compete in a bitter, tooth and nail struggle for supremacy.

Now, as Gohan's blows cut through air all around the dancing warrior, who had now swiveled to face his enemy so that he might earn himself an opportunity, Turles set about to finding a way to display that supremacy. His eyes were shining, alight with the fire inside of his body, which was naturally burning at the prospect of fighting a hunter like Gohan. It was only natural that he'd think of it that way, for that was how it was. Their game had been set from the get go; Gohan had but to catch Turles, Turles had but to evade Gohan.

It was not a hard pattern to follow, as the pirate now dodged a brief volley of lefts. As if afflicted by some form of preternatural sense, his eyes locked on to the boy's cocking fist like a pair of iron sights. This was packed with more power than the rest, backed by a heavier burden; perhaps it was suffering, he couldn't tell. He had seen many men who had been ravaged by the ghosts of grief and past, scarred by the betrayal of their once countrymen and often, once allies. Not every Saiyan had completed his mission with the same enthusiasm as he, who had taken to murder like a child to candy. While Gohan's fist shot forward like a ball from a cannon, Turles' shot forth like a bullet from a barrel.

His fist needed no cocking; it merely whipped forward as if predetermined, his body dancing away from the other man's strike with an equal grace. His body continued backward across shattered tile after shattered tile, which had been displaced by his original attack, while another black mass of energy conglomerated at his hip. He thrust it forward, watching as black power struck forward through the air, leaving a wake of sparks and light behind it as it raced toward the man opposite him. Once his attacking motion was completed, Turles let his body come to a rest, several feet away, near the area he had originally started at.

His attack was not very special nor was it very powerful, but he was more testing the water than going fishing.

”Not the talking type, huh?”

WC: 1,231
TWC: 2,092

Sub Actions:
1.) Activate Grace (+15% Agility)
Actions:
1.) Counter Strike @ Action 2 - (+10 FP) (-1 VP) (1/6) (7,331 Agility)
2.) Counter Strike @ Action 3 - (+10 FP) (-1 VP) (2/6) (7,331 Agility)
3.) Ki Ball @ Future Gohan - (+15 FP) (-2 VP) (3/6) (8,210 Ki)
Total FP Gain: +35
Total Damage: 4 VP

Turles' Battle Tracker:

Gohan watched in awe as Turles gracefully dodged his blows one after another. He weaved in and out of each strike as if it were child’s play. Gohan could only feel the air at the end of his fists and new he was being completely shown up. Suddenly, a fist hit him in the shoulder. It wasn’t a hard punch, but it was enough to make him step back a couple feet leaving Turles open to jump away.

Suddenly a pain rushed through Gohan’s head. His right cheek was on fire. He reached up and rubbed the area, it was sore and a little swollen. It seemed that when Turles dodged his double strike combo, he had managed to land a solid punch on Gohan’s face. The half Saiyan had thought it strange that he hadn’t noticed it until now, but he simply dismissed it to adrenaline numbing the pain.

His opponent was quick, but his punches lacked strength. With speed like his, Gohan normally wouldn’t have much of an advantage in an actual combat situation, but this was a closed room with little more than a five hundred meter diameter with the highest point only reaching three hundred meters. That isn’t much room to navigate in such a heated battle.

Gohan watched Turles land near the main entrance, where he had first started. With an explosion of light and electricity, the speedy Saiyan shot a ki ball in Gohan’s direction. The ball whizzed through the air, coloring the room in a dark purple glow as sparks flew from the end; it was a regular light show.

Gohan brought his right hand in front of him and caught the ki ball. Gohan squeezed tightly and in an burst of dark energy the ball exploded, leaving nothing but scorch marks on Gohan’s hand.

”Not the talking type, huh?”

“Is there any reason to?” Gohan responded with a smirk on his face. The break from battle was allowing him to forcefully suppress any pain he was feeling. “Though, if you want to talk about the weather and what to wear tomorrow, you could always go get your pedicure.” He attempted to do that in which Turles had just done to him. He mocked the Saiyan in hopes that he would waste his energy in anger, but he didn’t rely too heavily on it.

Gohan reached down and grabbed the bottom of his O.S.F. armor. He placed his finger inside the armor to rest on a button that was installed there. It was a small button that was hooked up to several wires leading up through the chest and up to the shoulder pads. Attached to the wires was a mechanism that would inject fluid directly into the neck of whoever was wearing the armor. Gohan then pressed the button.

Suddenly his eyes shot open as a blast of heat rushed through his veins. He roared in pain as his muscles began to enlarge. One by one each of his core muscles strengthened and grew, popping as they did so. His body morphed into a burlier warrior, one that looked far more threating than that of before. Gohan would do anything to achieve victory, no matter the cost to himself or to others. It just so happened that his body was just one such way to do that.

“Let’s see you talk with a broken jaw.” Gohan snarled, his attitude totally different than it had been only moments before. The stim pack increased his aggressiveness tenfold and in turn made him that more lethal.

Gohan rushed at his opponent with malice in his eyes. He jumped high into the air, coming down upon his Saiyan opponent. At the last possible second, Gohan vanished only to reappear crouching in front of Turles with his fist cocked. Gohan launched himself into the air, striking at Turles’ jaw, but he didn’t stop there. Once he cleared the man’s head, he twisted around to deliver one more punch to the back of his skull.

(WC: 667)
(TWC: 1542)

Actions:
- Take Action 1 (-1VP)(+2 Rage)
- Take Action 2 (-1VP)(+2 Rage)
1.) Block @ Ki Ball (+8FP)(+3 Rage)
2.) Rest + Combat Stim (-15 FP and +2VP)(+15% Strength and +10 Rage)
3.) Strike + Strike (Speedy Strikes)(AR 2, +2FP, -2VP)
Total FP: -5 FP

Battle Tracker:

“Let's see you talk with a broken jaw,” the man's face suddenly contorted with ferocity, or perhaps just general displeasure. That was what Turles had been waiting for; the stress reaction, the provocation's reward. The boy was obviously bothered, something that was easily discernible by the fire in his eyes and the energy welling up within him. With that power, he now shot over Turles in pure power, but he was still far below him in terms of skill and stratagem. After all, there was no way he could repeat a transformation like that a second time.

Unbeknownst to Gohan, Turles was not yet done for. Gohan's body entered a high jump, his fist cocked deeply while in mid air. Was he so foolish as to attack that directly? The ex-pirate's eyes narrowed as his opponent fell through the training chamber, face still twisted with rage and eyes filled to the brim with a mysterious malevolence. For a moment, the Saiyan truly thought that was the attack destined to head his way. Yet, something had not felt correct, something simply didn't feel right about it. Why would he attack so directly? This didn't fit with the data Gohan would have collected, and his sudden change in attitude.

As the man vanished before his eyes, Turles' head jerked downward to the only possible spot Gohan could have come out at. Obviously, he was skilled enough in flight to use some type of speed burst; that was something he should have expected. While he was still faster than the other man by a fair margin, this was not something he'd seen coming, though it was something he should have seen coming. He felt his eyes widen without any conscious effort as the fist came flying directly up toward his chin, his own left hand flying out to meet it at top speed. If he could knock the blow off course, he'd be safe. That was all he needed to be safe.

Safer, anyway. His wrist fell limp for a fraction of a second as Gohan's blow sailed unblocked into his jaw. His head jolted back as his body straightened, blasted by the sheer recoil from such a punch. Had he been a weaker man, of lower build and personal endurance, he would have been knocked out flat. Yet, as lights seemed to swim in front of his eyes, Turles wondered if he was ready to give in from a single strike. He knew that this boy was strong; that was evidently the reason they had been sent into combat against each other.

Turles was of a lean, mean and sleek build. Gohan, as it seemed, was built more like a tank to Turles' jet fighter. He had enough firepower to plow straight through most armor, backed by a modest speed. However, Turles held enough power within him to combat any threat, and enough speed to get him out of there when he couldn't. As his eyes slid back in to focus, they latched on to the other man's spinning form. Apparently, he was not to be satisfied with just one blow. The world seemed to slow, as Turles' body kicked backward against the wall.

While it was true that he was cornering himself, it would allow him a far easier defense. Gohan's fist came flying down from above, directly toward the area where the back of his skull would have usually been. Now snarling in return, the pirate thrust both hands up above his head, letting the blow slam against his elbows with fatal force. It was possible that the blow would have been enough to take him down to the ground from the positioning and the boy's momentum. Still, something within Turles told him that this boy lacked the sufficient skill to take him down.

A dull thud echoed through the air as Turles let the boy's striking motion complete, before pushing himself off along the side of the wall. Dust and debris was kicked up in his wake as his boots slid along the ground and his epaulettes grazed the wall at his left, his right hand quickly extending from the defensive position they had just been in. It was about time to be rid of this Gohan fellow, and prove his dominance. While the next attack he had planned would not be the finishing blow, it would most certainly set off a chained sequence which, if it all went as planned, would prove Turles as the victorious warrior.

”Heheh... Broken jaw, huh? Yeah, it really hurts, let me tell you,” while it was true that a small trickling of blood was now dashing down his lip, he seemed to disregard it. The pain had been dull, ephemeral. The boy had failed to create any lasting damage, which was perfectly fine with him. He didn't like feeling the sting of combat for very long anyway. While it was true that the more he got his ass beat, the stronger he'd become, he had never been one to enjoy the thrill created by the body when suffering physical harm.

As his hand fully extended, a gust of wind sent him back to the side of the chamber, his back now pressing against the wall on the other side of the room from Gohan. For a moment, the grin on his features looked as though it wasn't to be deserved. However, should the boy prove attentive, he'd notice the emergence of an invisible thread, quickly rocketing through the air toward him. Even if he moved to the side immediately, the explosion was going to be massive. If he failed to react, it would likely be an earlier undoing than Turles had actually planned for. Either chain of events was fine with him.

WC: 959
TWC: 3051

Actions:
1.) Block @ Action 3 (+1 FP) (4/6 Grace)
2.) Rest (-10 FP) + Balanced Stance (+10% Agility) (5/6 Grace)
3.) Final Impact @ FG (-8 VP, +48 FP) (6/6 Grace, 1/4 Balanced Stance) (7,013 Agility)
Total FP Cost: 39 FP
Total VP Damage: 8 VP

Turles' Battle Tracker:

”Heheh... Broken jaw, huh? Yeah, it really hurts, let me tell you,” Turles said with a small amount of blood seeping from his mouth.

Gohan’s fist stung from the punch to his opponent’s jaw and elbow. The rage gained from the battle stim was beginning to subside and with every passing moment his mind became clearer. Normally a regular warrior would succumb to the effects of the stim and lose all rational thought, but thanks to his intense Oozaru training the anger he felt with the battle stim was easily controlled. Since such intense emotions can’t just be forgotten he was able store his rage and later release it, when it proved to be an asset rather than a liability.

Gohan watched as Turles’s flew back into the furthest wall, maximizing the distance between them. The man stood in a familiar pose readying for an attack. The man raised his hand up and smiled. Gohan watched the man’s hand carefully, waiting for an attack. He hadn’t noticed anything, but by looking at the way Turles grinned, he knew something must be up. That’s when he saw it, a shimmering object flying his way now only a few meters from him. Not knowing exactly what trick the man was trying to pull, Gohan jumped to the side, evading whatever it was.

Then it happened. The object exploded in a massive amount of energy, catching the half Saiyan off guard. He threw his arms up in a feeble attempt to block the attack, but it was too late. The blast surrounded him an sphere of flaming energy, the intensity overwhelming all sensations. At first, Gohan felt cold, but once the initial shock wore off, he felt an incredible burning sensation unlike anything he had felt before. The heat chipped away at his armor and singed the skin on his arms and face. He could smell the hairs singe on his arms and taste the char in his mouth. It was the most unpleasant sensations he had ever felt.

Once the blast subsided, Gohan lay on the newly blackened floor, unmoving. The tiles all around him were charred from the blast, creating a dark circle that filled nearly half the room at one side. Gohan slowly opened his eyes to see Turles standing at the other side of the room, with the grin still decorating his face.

The young Saiyan warrior slowly made his way back to his feet. The edge of his armor was chipped and jagged with most of it covered in black soot. His skin was red and irritated with patches of blackened skin, mostly on his arms. Trickles of blood ran down his cheek from the corner of his mouth. It was lucky for him that the muscle mass he gained from the stim was able to provide a sort of meaty armor around his vital organs and if he could handle the pain, he should have little problem continuing the fight.

Gohan knew that his opponent was going all out in order to end the battle quickly and if he could just survive long enough, he would be able to outlast his opponent and deal the final blows when he is tired. It is after all, how he had always fought.

“Nice trick you have there,” Gohan said as he reached over his shoulder and grabbed the hilt of his blade. He kept a straight face even though he was constantly fighting through the pain running through his body. He shifted his stance to mimic his opponent. He was going to win, he wouldn’t let there be any other outcome. “But I won’t die so easily.”

Like a bell that started a race, the ring of steel that sounded when he unsheathed his sword set him in motion. His stance allowed him to use the abnormal weight of his sword to his advantage as it shifted a great deal of mass wherever he needed it to be. Gohan weaved back and forth, serpentine-like, in order to keep his next attack hidden.

Gohan lifted his sword up as he neared Turles, trying to ignore the pain place by such a heavy object on his sore muscles. He drove the sword deep into the floor, carving a path of dust and broken tile as he neared Turles. When he was within lunging distance, Gohan brought his sword up, tossing dust and debris into the air and in Turles’ direction.

Using the makeshift smokescreen to his advantage, Gohan vanished, leaving a bit of ki behind. The ki formed as an image of himself running through the dust. Gohan appeared behind his opponent and struck from behind with a downward swipe of his sword, aimed for the shoulder, just shy of his armor.

When the sword cleared Turles’ body, Gohan used the momentum of the swing and spun his body to bring the sword across the back of the man’s legs in hopes it would cause enough damage to slow him down for further assault.

(WC: 833)
(TWC: 2375)

Actions:
- Take Action 3 (-8 VP)(+5 Rage)
1.) Rest + Balanced Stance (-15 FP and +2VP)(+10% Agility)
2.) Sword Strike (AR 2, +1FP, -2VP)(1/4)
3.) Sword Strike (AR 2, +1FP, -2VP)(2/4)
Total FP: -13 FP

Battle Tracker:

“But, I don't die so easily...”, the words flew from Gohan's mouth with such reckless abandon, a wasted phrase in a battle where every second seemed to be pushing Turles closer to Victory. No one ever claimed to die easily; no one ever liked to think they failed to offer him sport. However, as it stood, there was little this man could to do reverse the tides of battle. Having taken the explosion in stride, Gohan was clearly suffering from a bit of damage.

At the very least, the flooring around him was ripped to shreds. Smoke hung heavily in the air around them like a grim veil, obscuring the boy from his line of sight. Unfortunately for the warrior in the smog before him, Turles had long since learned to sense ki energy. Now, as it mattered most, he tuned his senses to lock onto the boy's position. Then, just as it began to seem like the boy was rooted to the spot, a familiar noise rose above the ring of silence. He had heard it many times before, on the field of battle and even in his personal quarters. Oftentimes, a warrior needed a bit of a boost to win a battle.

Other times, they needed weapons. The sound of a blade being unsheathed forced the hair on the back of his neck to rise up in dread worry, as the battle wore on. Gohan's body surged forward unto the breach once more, his blade trailing along the ground threateningly. He could tell where this motion was going; he'd thrown sand into the eyes of more than a few warriors, during his travels. Narrowing both of his own, Turles watched as his enemy came directly at him, thoughts on the destination the other Saiyan had in mind for the weapon.

As the wave of smoke and debris came sliding up toward him, Turles' body slid casually to the side, evading the sting of dirt and concrete and marble; if Gohan were smart, he'd take advantage of the momentary distraction to strike him down. As it so happened, the ki signature suddenly expanded and split into two different locations, one directly before him and the other sliding around him to his rear. There would be no reason to feint a rear strike; doing so was too complex a plan to possibly work, and a waste of energy.

As Gohan's blade came swinging down like an executioners axe, Turles forced himself to the left, a flicker-like image hanging in the air where his body had been a mere instant prior. It was an admirable effort on the boy's part, he would admit that. However, it had not been enough to separate Turles from his arm. Once the swinging motion was complete, both men began moving once more. Turles found himself spinning to face Gohan, his leg extending in a powerful and full round house kick, which was now soaring through the air just above his enemy's blade.

Whether or not he found satisfaction from dull impact, the warrior then kicked backward through the air. Energy once more amassed in his hands, black threads of power congealing to form a single ball, which hung directly in front of his palm. Grinning grimly as he continued to back away, Turles couldn't help but mock his opponent, who had performed somewhat admirably so far. Gohan's tenacity was fitting of a warrior of his station, but his instincts were nothing compared to Turles' own. Turles' instinct and natural prowess had been enough to overcome the gap in their power, so far anyway.

”Define easily!”, as always, Turles' words cut more sharply than any blade.

The boy had proven himself durable, and he'd proven himself powerful. But exactly how much could he take before he'd break? Turles had seen his limits tested, he had broken more powerful fighters than the boy before him; he had torn down the walls of flesh and armor to peer into a man's soul. It was one of the most satisfying things in the world, to break a man's soul. That was exactly what this blast was prepared to do; rip the walls down from another man's body.

Suddenly, the blast amassing in his hands shot forward like a bullet through snow, leaving a trail in it's wake as it plowed through the air toward Gohan's chest.

WC: 727
TWC: 3,778

Actions:
1.) Dodge @ Action 2 (+1 FP)(2/4)
2.) Counter @ Action 3 (+10 FP, -1 VP)(3/4)
3.) Maximum Buster Rank III (+32 FP, -4 VP)(4/4) (9,277 Ki)
Total FP Gains: +44
Total VP Damage: 5 VP

Turles' battle Tracker:

Gohan felt the hard sole of the Saiyan Boot come across his face. The kick wasn’t strong enough to deal any lasting damage, but it was hard enough to cause the half-breed to flinch for a moment allowing Turles to gain the distance he needed.

The training room was a disaster. With swords ripping away the flooring and ki burning away the tiles, the room was far worse than it had ever been before. Gohan stood at the center of the room while his opponent at one of the far ends that have been relatively untouched during their short, but intense battle.

“Define easily,” Turles mocked the half breed, but it fell on deaf ears.

Gohan was so engrossed in his own thoughts that even though he heard Turles, his brain didn’t even process the words as a mockery. Gohan knew this guy was going to be tough to beat. Turles was quick and agile; he constantly evaded and even used Gohan’s own attacks against him. He knew that he had to strike hard and fast if he wanted to win this battle.

A blast of dark energy soared through the air toward Gohan. He couldn’t let Turles get another hit on him; his body was just barely starting to recover from the last head on attack he took. Gohan let out a roar as a pulse of translucent energy radiated from him. When the two energies met, the black orb fizzled away before it neared the half Saiyan.

Gohan gripped his sword even tighter now and brought the blade up to his face. He took his left hand and placed it on the side of the blade facing away from him. Slowly, Gohan slid his hand across the blade, giving the metal a golden aura as he imbued it with his ki.

“Let me show you what I am truly capable of,” Gohan was much calmer than he had been before. He had finally regained his composure after the intense effects of the stim pack, which his body was now accustomed to.

Gohan lowered himself to the floor, his hands and feet on the ground in a position used by runners. With a powerful thrust of his legs, he kicked off the ground, sending himself, as well as chunks of tile, flying into the air. Gohan positioned the glowing sword in front of him and like an arrow, he went flying straight for his opponent. There wasn’t much distance between the two and it would take a lot to evade such an attack, but if it hit, it would certainly cause quite a bit of damage.

(WC: 437)
(TWC: 2812)

Actions:
- Take Action 2 (-1 VP)(+2 Rage)
1.) Kiai Shield @ Action 3 (+10 FP)(3/4)
2.) Activate Sword Sage (+2 FP)(4/4)(+25% Strength)
3.) Dragon Rush III (AR 4, +29 FP)(+2 FP)(-8 VP)(11,843 Strength)
Total FP: +43 FP

Battle Tracker:

Gohan's body came flying toward him through the air, a powerful lance in the face of danger. It was easily apparent that he was hoping for some kind of death blow, something to finish Turles off before the battle could truly resume; was he so foolish as to assume that Turles would just stand still? Grinning a toothy grin as the other man lowered himself to the floor, the ex-pirate merely crossed his arms, his scouter gently ticking away as Gohan's combat strength began to rise. Whereas so far the boy had been hovering only a little bit above his opponent, he was now reaching greater heights. It was almost enough to make him question the man's true potential; though he doubted it was high enough to stop him today.

The man shot forward like a bullet from a barrel, his body closing in on Turles' own with shocking force. He would not have enough time to commit to an evasion, and there was no way that he'd be able to take the impact without some serious pain; at least, not without some special means. He knew that there were very few ways to avoid getting out of this situation without taking any significant damage; he also knew that a myriad of those methods lay within his arsenal somewhere. He had learned a wide variety of techniques during his travels, most of them more defensive than anything else. What was the point in learning a thousand different attacks if you couldn't even take one yourself?

Now, as the boy rushed toward him, Turles thrust both hands forward. Immediately, a thin wall of liquid-looking energy flickered into existence in front of him; if his makeshift trap failed, the boy would soar straight through and embed a blade in his side. Still, he doubted that the boy possessed the power to shatter such a strong showing. The boy did however, make a massive effort; his blade met the makeshift defense in a shower of sparks and light, releasing a haze of heat in every direction around them, illuminating the chamber once more.

For a moment, the tension in the air hung thicker than ever before, as a single bead of sweat dropped down Turles' brow. In as quickly as the moment had come, it passed; a small explosion sent the cold-blooded warrior backwards across the tiling, which was already cracked and shattered, even without the discharge that Gohan had forced. Smoke filtered from the area of Gohan's impact, flowing freely through the room as if invited in by the clashing warriors. He had never before utilized that technique on the fly, and he had to admit, the result was a little stunning.

At the very least, he didn't think it was supposed to send him backward. His breathing coming in tight, slightly ragged gasps, Turles eyed the warrior before him. The man hadn't so much upped the temp as he had upped the stakes. Had his attack managed to breach the defense, he would have easily buried his blade inside the pirate. Yet, he had still walked directly in to the trap. That itself was enough to please Turles. The energy from Gohan's blade now trickled into existence around Turles' palms, rising in thin, filament like tendrils from his fingertips.

They were a dark, ashen black, contrasting with the bright black and white of his usual aura. Was it because this energy had been stolen? Was it because he had leeched it from an unwilling host? Or had he merely duplicated it? Gohan certainly didn't look any worse for the wear, so it was likely the latter most; which was perfectly fine with him. Grinning darkly as he reached down to tighten his gloves, the Saiyan straightened. Something about the warrior before him was bringing out an interesting side of him in this battle; it wasn't that he was performing very well, or even that he felt overly confident (which he, of course, did).

It was that he was genuinely enjoying this. The boy was providing him with enough sport to make things interesting. The Saiyan stepped, almost tentatively to the side, striding along an ovular path. He would not directly approach the enemy, who now stood there with a glowing blade in hand. That was more or less suicide, despite the fact that this was supposed to be a friendly little bout. Something about their battle seemed bitter; something about it seemed professional. There was a bit of it for all viewpoints; and he liked that.

”So, Gohan, was it? How'd you get those scars on your face? Did you... slip up? I hope it's not something you make a habit of, boy.”

The words left his mouth, accompanied by a second discharge of energy, which now surrounded his body in a flash of black light.

WC: 805
TWC: 4,583

Actions:
Transmutation (+18 FP) (+1 FP Free Power Up)
Rest (-10 FP) (+1 VP)
Rest (-10 FP)

Turles' Battle Tracker: