A New Beginning (Vincent/PM for Entry)

[Ryuzaki]

The Sacaean plains were as they always were – soft, quiet, but talking. The murmur of the wind and the chatter of the grasses accompanied the tired assassin as he wandered through the plains almost aimlessly. He was visiting home again, a long-deceased Sacaean village that was now little more than a few ancient timbers and charred pits that had once held roaring fires. The grasses crinkled under his worn boots, and the early light of dawn almost masked the indigo glow that emanated from the sword the assassin held in his hand.

His hood was off, his unkempt hair flopping around his shoulders as his eyes, narrowed and weary, assessed the blade. It was a strange sword. Shinryu. It had his name, or part of it, in its own name, but it was by no means his… It was forged for a Nabatan warrior long ago. It seemed to be filled with the power of sickness and vileness, and the assassin had lost many nights’ worth of sleep trying to uncover its secrets and harness its powers. He had been largely unsuccessful.

Now Ryuzaki was home, his feet touching the tamped earth as he collapsed on his back into the dirt, plunging the sword point-down beside him and putting his arms behind his head. Sighing, not in contentment, but more in weariness and confusion, the assassin considered his life thus far.

He had grown from a petty thief, forming bonds with Rogus, and Charlotte, and Burgid. He had become an assassin, he had killed a magistrate, and he had ruined a wedding. He had once apprenticed the swordsman Vincent, and also the swordsman Jude. Now he was alone, alone with his thoughts and his blades and the image of a girl who gave him a chocolate kiss as a parting gift flowing through his mind.

Something had to change.

It was as Vivian’s grandfather had said all that time ago. He could not focus so much on the grand goal and lose the immediate necessities. He could not forego what his heart desired for what his mind knew was the final and ultimate result. He needed to figure out to whom and which causes he was loyal, and what he wanted.

The answer he found in his mind surprised him.

He desired to gain power, and knowledge. He wanted to master his sword and his swordplay, he wanted to effect change and destroy the hierarchies and their inbred and ingrained inequities, and, most of all… He wanted to find Mila.

A mage that had slammed through his life like a blast of Volcanon. A mage that seemed to come and go like the wind itself. A mage that somehow captivated him and drew his attention.

So it was decided. He would find Mila, however long it took. He would master his sword. And somehow, he would change the world. Perhaps not as grandly as he had imagined, but change nonetheless.

The assassin arose, looking at the sky. Had he been dreaming, or merely thinking? He could not tell, although he knew at least an hour had passed. Drawing his sword into his hand, he spun it experimentally and then began to practice, the gleaming blade cutting the air as it moved in slashes and stabs and parries.

[Vincent]

The winds blew softly and the travel was easy. Shade pulled the cart full of medicinal goods as Vincent guided the horse. On his side he carried his silver lancereaver, and a small ornate box containing the shards of Phoenix Heart. The sun was at its peak when something most curious happened.

Stopping the cart the young swordsman listened to an odd and rhythmic sound. What was it? He looked about the fields until he noticed a figure. It was a man he knew. Softly he shut his eyes and weighed his options. Should he continue on unnoticed and make his delivery swiftly or engage his old mentor for a spell? To seek out Ryuzaki was to invite death and chaos though, never had he met him where soon it did not accompany him. I have had enough killing and deception he thought to himself.

With a soft sigh he made his decision and altered his course; if nothing else it was bad manners to ignore an acquaintance, or dare he say friend? As he drew closer he noticed the newest weapon in the man's arsenal. With his jaw ever so slightly ajar he grinned ironically. Whoever thought letting him have a blade like that was probably mistaken... or dead.

"Ahoy there!" the lingo of his trip to the far northern oceans surfaced every so often. "It's not that often I get to see such an unsightly mug such as yours, Near." Vincent grinned as he said this, letting go of the reigns and walking over to properly greet his old companion. "It has been a really long time hasn't it? Have you kept well?"

[Ryuzaki]

The minutes passed silently, with only the sound of the blade and the air rushing about him to disturb the peaceful plains. And then there were footsteps, but an odd gait - not human, so horse, perhaps. The assassin decided not to turn around - if they got too close, he'd roll out of the way and fight. Better to simply avoid unnecessary conversation. And then there was a voice.

"Ahoy there! It's not that often I get to see such an unsightly mug such as yours, Near. It has been a really long time hasn't it? Have you kept well?"

The assassin turned, a smile slowly cracking across his weary features as he beheld Vincent. His old apprentice, and a fighter with a unique strategy and an even more unique philosophy. The swordfighter looked well, in fine form and composed. Seems like he was transporting some goods. Well, in his earlier days he might have tried to kill the man and take the goods, but after his thinking/napping/whatever the hell you call that sort of semi-conscious epiphany, he simply didn't have the will. Plus, Vincent was a decent guy.

"Vincent. It has been a long time. You look well, and you sound like a seafaring, axe-toting, full-of-himself sailor. But upon further analysis, you seem to be the same as when I last left you, just... Older. And perhaps wiser.

Me? I have kept decently. I don't really know. I've decided to change my philosophy, my idea, my goal. I sought to change the world, in a rapid and vicious explosion. I sought to destroy the inequities I saw and create a glorious new world. But I feel old, and I suppose I have found that curse that kills pipe dreams and turns adventurers into old married men. But that'll take work too. Hell, I've got a lot cut out for me."

Ryu shook his head, tossing Shinryu to Vincent.

"Careful, if you cut yourself it might make you sick. Never seen anything like it. Supposed to be magic, or cursed, or something. It's one confusing thing. I guess I just don't know what it is or what it does. But it has spit out purplish globs and mist before that made someone sick. So I guess it's got some power."

The assassin shook his head once more, a wry half-smile emerging as he looked at Vincent.

"I once was consumed by the desire to create a world without rank or privilege, a world where all were equal. Now I'm just a confused young man who feels like an old man, an assassin with no target and a hopeless romantic with a mage on the mind.

What gives?"

The assassin pointed at Vincent.

"Oh, and it's Ryuzaki. Near is retired. Or dead. I don't know yet."

[Vincent]

Being called out on his speech made Vincent feel mildly embarrassed. He rubbed the back of his head for a brief moment letting his white hair run between his fingers. Older? It had been a long time. Wiser? He realized almost to his own shame the last they were together he sought nothing but revenge and murder. A revenge that left him feeling neither joy nor sadness, just emptiness.

Ryu spoke of his own ideals and how they were in dissaray. If not for the danger the man presented normally Vincent would laugh at the irony. He had been so very devout to it in the past and he was speaking with long windedness instead of short blunt or snarky comments. The old Ryu was going to be there but it was buried by the man he was becoming Vincent suspected.

Allowed no moment to speak yet he was tossed the glowing blade. Initially surprised Vincent caught the blade but only just. It felt good to the touch. The grip was right and the weight was balanced. Overall it was a deft blade, and more importantly it thrummed with power. So he had a magic blade of his own alright. Vincent gave it a few swings, stepping and taking a fierce form he had practiced endlessly on his trip.

Finally offered a moment to speak he sheathed the blade and offered it back to Ryu. "It is a fine blade you have there." Vincent eyed it approvingly one last time. "I live in Hero City now. My good name with the locals allows me to keep business and make a living... though with Etruria here I may need to raise my blade to the cause."

"Near is gone is he?" Vincent could imagine many meanings that it could take. Missing or dead, would he return to his old ways or find this new path before the end? "Fancy a mage do you? I know that feeling," he mused. "Though I... haven't had much success." Despite his statement he touched his necklace absentmindedly.

"I don't know what all has happened to you but while I cannot pick your path I will help you decide however I may."

[Ryuzaki]

The swordsman had reacted quickly, catching Shinryu, although barely. It looked as if he was still in top form. That was good. To lose one's skills and become rusty would mean certain death in this world. Vincent swung the blade, assuming a stance of readiness that was all too familiar to Ryu.

The assassin chuckled softly, bitterly, as he took the sword back and heard Vincent's tale. It was true. Vincent would be one of the first to fight for Sacae, leaping to its defense with that same damned righteous power he always had. The kid was as bold as ever. One day, it might get him killed, or it might immortalize him as a hero beyond the realm of mortals.

"The City of Heroes, huh. Someone's become important."

Shaking his head, Ryu pulled Shinryu out and twirled it, watching the indigo glow and speaking softly and slowly.

"Don't get yourself killed.



Seriously, though. I have no doubt you're a fine warrior, strong and brave. I can see it in your composure, your stance, your eyes. But you cannot hope to stop Etruria. Not alone, and not with the City of Heroes. Sacae is tired, Vincent. It was tired when Hargus assaulted, and it is even more tired now. It is exhausted. Do not be foolish, and do not engage them. Do not provoke them. Whatever they hope to gain will become apparent, and then, if you truly care for the sea of grass, you can protect it. But don't run to your death like a lamb to the butcher's block. You're too good for that."

Ryuzaki sheathed Shinryu and withdrew Gemini, twisting his wrists and feeling the satisfying click as the blades separated, their serrated edges catching the sun.

"I was Death... Death was Near.

But now what am I? Who am I?

My path is one of strife, one of blood and tears and darkness. You can stand in the light, Vincent, but I will always be in the shadows. That is, perhaps, how it was meant to be. But even from in the darkness, perhaps I can make my mark. Perhaps I can become a beacon. Not of good, or righteousness, or any of that stuffy old rot. But perhaps they will see me for who I am. A revolutionary with no supporters. A prophet, with no religion. A prisoner, with no jailer.

I am bound by my own hopes, my own dreams, my own ambitions. I will forever be tied to them. But when I have faded into the eternal night, I will leave a message behind. A memory, a sign, a glowing torch."

The assassin smiled, sheathing Gemini and then nodding wryly at Vincent.

"Yep, guess I got snared after all. Never thought it would happen. She's a funny one. Mila is her name. I met her with you, remember, a long time ago. There was a burning building involved. And then I saved her, sort of, when she was almost kidnapped. That was rough. Then she showed up at my place, and it was really good to see that she was alive. But then she was gone."

Ryu laughed again, throwing his hands up.

"What gives?"

[Vincent]

Important? Just because he lived in the city? Vincent did not agree with the perspective but he also tried to remain humble. He was once just a farmer boy after all, once. How long gone those days had been. Ryu was asking Vincent not to get killed, to value his life and be careful. It was not a sentiment he held the last they met. In those days they only used one another, but now there was an off sense of kindred spirits.

"Do not worry so much. I did not answer the summons to fight for Sacae, not yet anyway. Sacae is tired, it is true, but so is everyone, everywhere. This land is torn apart by war, greed, and revenge. Fighting breeds more fighting. Hate to hate." Vincent drew his blade and looked it over from tip to forte. "I first commissioned this sword when I was in Illia training alongside a young shaman to be, named Soneillion. I looked at this sword as it was new and I could not wait to spar and have fun trying it out. To see how many I could best with it." Vincent smiled fondly. "I never killed anyone with it for a long time. But, things changed, I changed, the whole blasted world changed."

"This sword, is now cracked and broken in two and reforged but never what it once was. Never will it shine with such luster as it once had. Even more than Phoenix Heart this blade is me. Broken and beaten, forever changed but still whole in the end." He could have stayed on the farm but he chose to live by the sword, he now understood what that meant.

"I think you too are much the same as your blades. They are unique, and dangerous but they lack the ability to make the impact alone, therefore they become two. There is no shame in standing by others Ryu." Vincent then smiled. "I'm told there is a hidden berserker in me. A demon that desires to make war and bloody rage. All of us have a shadow Ryu, and the greater the light, the bigger it becomes."

Vincent put a hand to his forehead and began to laugh uproariously. "M-Mila!? Oh man, you've got to be kidding me! But... I guess I do understand where you are coming from." Vincent found her to be very attractive and fun himself but to see Ryu so smitten with her, either he was strongly infatuated or truly in love. "Actually. I do keep in touch with her."

What gives? "You asked that before, what do you mean by what gives?"

[Ryuzaki]

"Fighting breeds more fighting. Hate to hate."

Ryuzaki slowly nodded. It was a cycle of viciousness, of blood spilling blood and poison tainting poison until all that was left was monsters and death. Vincent continued talking, and Ryu gave a small, wistful smile as he thought back to his own youth, to when all he wanted to do was be the very best, like no one ever was. But then it all changed. Vincent was exactly right... the whole blasted world changed.

The wisdom in Vincent's words was apparent, and it was not lost on Ryu. The assassin silently commended the swordsman for his maturity and for his ability to see so clearly what Ryu had been trying to unveil for a long time. True, they were different, and Vincent would never be able to see exactly what Ryu saw, feel what he felt... But there was a bond between them, between two men bent and broken and reforged, remade and resmelted until they were harder and stronger and firmer than ever before. The cracks would always remind them of what was and what could have been, but it was the new luster and new edge that mattered. Tomorrow was theirs to create.

Apparently Vincent remembered Mila, and the assassin shook his head violently, attempting to say something but just settling for a long sigh, throwing his hands up.

"I don't know how it happened, all I know is that one moment I was just being a gentleman and the next time I saw her she was being carried off by some thugs. Funny how things change. And then she disappears. If you know where she is, I'd be damned obliged if you'd let me know. I've had a hell of a time tracking her down."

Answering Vincent's question, Ryu smiled again, looking at the other man and thinking for a second before responding.

"What gives? I guess it's an expression of disbelief. I can't believe how things turned out, how all of these occurrences happened to add up to create this tapestry of memory and all of these interwoven threads that bind me to others and make me who I am. It's so unlikely that this would happen, and so unlikely that it will ever happen again. I'm amazed, and honestly a bit humbled that I've had the life I have. But it's so incredible that it's hard to believe, so I suppose I'm voicing my amazement and my confusion all in one.

So I guess that's what I've been doing - thinking and chasing a girl. What about you?"

[Vincent]

Vincent hmmm'd softly to himself. A gentleman he says? Vincent imagined Ryu dressed in formal wear and dancing in a great hall. It just looked off to him, like it was a denial of his core being. Was that wrong of him? Perhaps it was but Ryu did not need to know he thought that.

"Carried off by bandits you say? That is... hard to believe, she is rather strong and dangerous in her own right. They must have used some sort of cowards method to capture her." They worked together only briefly but Vincent had a deep respect for Mila and her abilities. "I hope you gave those bandits a bad day, though I'm struggling to imagine Mila needing the help." He grinned.

"You probably couldn't find her because she has been overseas. The new island they discovered a while back was something she just had to research. She's come back but that is where she probably was." Following his explanation he gave Ryu the information about the guild and how they would route his letters to Mila no matter where she is. "I can't say I very well know HOW they find her, only that they do. Every couple weeks after I send a letter off I get one back." Vincent shrugged.

"While you have taken up poetry, I've just been working in town to rebuild and better it. I recently came to know of an expedition coming up to Valor. If I make it in time I intend to enjoy another trip wroth with danger and excitement. I'm just praying there is not a mutinous crew... again. Or a general that betrays us... again." His face looked bored and unamused. "Helping establish a mining colony was hell." He patted the box by his side. "Phoenix Heart broke as you can see. Shattered really."

[Ryuzaki]

Ryu laughed softly, his eyes crinkling as Vincent described his opinion of Mila's strength.

"Coward's methods, you say? Indeed. They punched her in the face and wrapped her in a rug, if I recall correctly. It was some sort of odd situation where she knew the kidnapper. I don't quite get it, I just helped chase those bandits down. And of course I gave them a bad day - I have a habit of giving most everyone who runs across me a bad day. It's one of my many flaws."

The mercenary described how Mila had traveled overseas, and his method of sending her letters. Quite interesting. So the mage had a guild, a monster-fighting and territory-exploring band of fighters. It certainly sounded interesting. It appeared that there was not much the plucky mage couldn't do. What a fireball she was.

Slowly, though, the assassin turned away from the silver-haired young man he had grown to call friend. His fingers idly traveled along the blade of Shinryu, and then with a small sigh he took a step away. There was a lot of expeditions, a lot of fighting, and, as he had begun to learn, a lot of change within and without. He could not find a way to describe his travels and all he had experienced. It was impossible to predict the future, or divine the workings of the world.

"Vincent. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that there is nothing that is certain. Nothing that is given. Nothing to be taken for granted. You must know this, I’m sure, but for me it has personal meaning.

What I mean to say is this… Always be grateful for those people you meet and those experiences you have. All too quickly, it fades away.

But I am being foolish, sentimental, and showing my age. This is not the way I must live my life. I have much more to do yet, much more to see, and a certain mage to find.

Been training much, my old student? You never did fit into my style, so I wonder - have you found your own?"

[Vincent]

Been training much? Oh boy had he. The entire trip north was a training and trying. Climbing icy peaks and fighting men of military caliber. "You could say I did some training." He laughed mostly to himself but aloud. "I fear my assassination techniques have been slipping but my skill with a blade has improved exponentially. I can fight just the same regardless of handedness but I only have one blade for now. My signature style is unavailable you see." He patted the box by his side for emphasis.

"I've been looking for a master swordsmith capable of repairing it but alas I've had no luck. I have however seen quite the number of exotic and beautiful designs. You'd be amazed at what a good smith can do. In fact, I left it back home but I got a new sword the man called an ax-blade. It follows the design of an axe with the weighted and larger top and a thin bladed shaft with it. It's still clumsy for me but I'll get the hang of it eventually." As he spoke he realized just how many weapons he had collected over the years since he left home. First his father's old sword that shattered, then he found Phoenix Heart. Despite the power it held he could not use it and soon had Phoenix Claw made for him. At the battle for hero city he obtained the gargoyle tusk dagger as a thank you from those he pulled off the battlefield. And now the ax-blade; a cumbersome and heavy weapon made far north, that he used to defeat general Rex when he was at his limits. "I don't think I'll ever stop collecting," he admitted. "I want to master all of them. My style is ever in flux. I will never find it for it will ever change. I do think however I could give you a run for your money."

Vincent drew Phoenix Claw and tested its balance toyingly. It really was an unwieldy weapon. He was glad Ryu did not have an axe, else it'd be difficult without Phoenix Heart. "I assume you wish to spar a round correct? I can't offer you my full strength but I can give you everything else."

[Ryuzaki]

His assassination techniques were slipping? Hehehe, the kid never really had very many to speak of. But a worthy opponent was always welcome, and after the unusual fight in Tuscana, the assassin had a persistent hunger to explore the power of his new toy. Now that its allegiance had shifted to him, he was confident that he would be able to utilize its powers. He certainly needed much more work with it in order to figure out how it worked, what made it happy, and how to fight in sync with it, but at least it would not resist him.

"Well, Vincent… Signature style or no, I find you a worthy and formidable opponent. I would be pleased to accept your offer of a spar. But I am amazed that you haven’t settled into a style. Of course, predictability and reliance on one technique is only a step away from defeat, but having so many conflicting methods of combat… I would find that most awkward.

But I trust your judgement. You have grown into a swordsman in your own right, and I do think that you could give me a ‘run for my money’ as you put it. But I don’t believe that you will take a victory…though I question my own ability to secure victory. I find us closely matched, in poise and in skill… For though you have trained much, so have I. And I have grown, grown more powerful and more careful, more swift and more lethal.

We shall meet on the field of combat, and put our best effort forward. Leave nothing behind, and come forth with all your strength. I shall not hold back. Let the blades of two swordsmen cross, and may skill shine through.

Come!"

Ryuzaki stepped backwards, stretching lightly and moving nimbly into a ready stance. In a smooth motion, he flipped his hair back, out of his face, and let his arms slowly rise until they held Gemini in a slanted, defensive guard. His eyes twinkled, and the assassin’s face had split into a broad smile. There was nothing to be enjoyed more than a fight, and Vincent would truly put his skills to the test.

All seemed to hang still in the air as the assassin faced his foe. Ryuzaki was ready, and he would leave the first move to Vincent. This would be a fight of skill, of strength, of speed, and most of all of will. Their resolve would dictate the outcome of this fight.

Eyes blazing with the bright readiness that his years of preparation had brought him, the assassin waited, motionless. Watching. Breathing. Ready.

[Vincent]

Ryu was a man of composure but Vincent could still see a slight twitch or glint of humor in his eye perhaps. He did not think he was ever any good at the skills of an assassin. Well, comparatively no, no he was not. But he still defeated the three Black Feathers who were assassins themselves. Yeah, he had some skill at it, once, but just barely enough.

Vincent was unsure if Ryu's remarks were derisive, praising, or just commentary on his methods of combat, but it did not matter in the slightest for he would show him the fruit of his efforts. He had delved into several methods of combat and styles within said methods and learned the fundamentals. He also however had a style all his own thanks to his father and that would be his trump card if Ryu could push him so far that is.

He will take the victory but he doubts his certainty of it. Vincent laughed, "you're boundless confidence is slipping Ryuzaki! And this will be your loss for it!" Vincent taunted him with what he suspected would not faze the man in any regard, but if he could get into his head he could control the fight. Let skill shine through huh, "Hold nothing save the killing blow back!" Vincent quoted and reiterated Ryu's demands of the duel paying honor to his old friend.

Vincent felt a slight twinge of irritation that he was always forced to make the first move. Duma, Ryu, everyone wanted him to come to them, to step into their domain of control. If that is what he wanted then so be it. He would not let him down, he just hoped he would not get upset when he broke his defensive posture. Vincent grinned wickedly and took a stance. His fists raised at the ready he shifted back just before charging. Vincent would take the ground and set the pace. He refused to let Ryu draw him in.

"Form 1! Unarmed combat!" Vincent announced as he rushed in. He intended to make Ryu work for the honor of seeing his swordplay today, and he suspected he would succeed. Using the defensive playing on his arms he bull rushed into Ryu ensuring the blades would be moved aside and continued to attempt a lariat on his opponent's throat.

[Ryuzaki]

“Your boundless confidence is slipping, Ryuzaki! And this will be your loss for it!”

Boundless…confidence? A smile briefly passed over the assassin’s face. He had no boundless confidence, merely a firmly determined exterior. Inside, he was always recalculating, always evaluating. Never would he assume that a victory was certain. That was, in fact, the most certain way to assure your defeat.

“Hold nothing save the killing blow back!”

Indeed. Ryuzaki nodded. This would be a fight, a true battle. A worthy duel of swordsmen from different paths, thrown together by fate and ripped apart by willpower and destiny. This was a challenge of proportions unheard of, an apocalyptic meeting of powers that had grown immensely since their own humble beginnings.

Vincent charged, with no weapons drawn. Unarmed combat… What a disappointing start. And especially for one so talented. Ryuzaki had high hopes for Vincent, but this was not the way to begin. And what on earth did he hope to achieve by calling out the name of each technique he was about to perform? The assassin could tell that it was unarmed combat. And he did not need an announcer here. It simply choreographed the charge even more.

So he retaliated, bending backwards, with the still un-split Gemini in his left hand. As his fists touched the ground, he kicked his legs up, bringing them in a swift arc and then finishing the maneuver upright once more, a body length back. His kick had barely missed Vincent’s chin – Ryu inwardly chided himself. He had reacted too fast and lost a chipping blow that could have been easily landed. Well, it was something to work on.

Gemini then glittered as Ryu swept it from outside to inside, closing his open stance into a sideways, offensive guard that would leave few openings for the unarmed fighter if he dodged the relatively slow slash. If he blocked it, there would be an avenue for direct strikes towards Ryu’s body, but he would need to close the gap. And if he was hit by it… Well, then Ryu would be disappointed. This should not be a strike his opponent was taken off guard by, but rather a move just forcing them to assume new positions for a second clash.

The assassin had a strong desire to simply split Gemini into its halves and begin to whale on Vincent with his full might, but he restrained the impulse. He gained much by observing, by fighting intelligently, and by being defensive and cautious. Foolish dependence on emotion, or rashness of any kind, often led to injury, defeat, and death.

[Vincent]

Ryu was nimble as ever, as Vincent knocked away the blade his opponent bent back under his assault continuing into a kick. It took a hard and forceful stop to keep from suffering Ryu's follow on kick. Swiftly Ryu had evaded, assaulted, and escaped Vincent. Ryu took a new posture but he retained a single blade. Vincent wanted to switch to his dagger and chain but he wanted to keep the edge by making Ryu adapt first. He needed his opponent to use more of his tricks first and retain the lead.

Ryu returned to a defensive posture and offered a slash, inviting him forward. Vincent knew he was provoking him but he accepted anyway. Lunging forward Vincent cut Ryu's slash short but striking with his forearms against Ryu's own leaving the assassin's side open. Vincent quickly gave him two jabs: one to the gut and another to the kidney area before he moved back to create distance again.

Good, the first real hit was his. He just needed to provoke Ryu for now. If he would not step it up then he could play this game all day. "That attack was far too slow. You need to push me and make me feel threatened if you want to see more!" He taunted Ryu. He wanted to get in his head. Make him irritated. He doubted his success chances since he was so cold and distant but, who knew what may trigger him. Vincent's arm instinctively twitched to grab his knife but not yet, he reminded himself.

[Ryuzaki]

Vincent took the bait, blocking the strike and delivering two swift punches to the assassin’s abdomen. Thankfully, he tensed, absorbing the force with his hardened abdominal muscles and wincing only slightly as his opponent backed off, spacing himself away and creating another void.

Now it would be the assassin’s turn to make the first move. But as he analyzed his foe, Vincent spoke up again. Goading, jabbing, trying to provoke him to excesses and miscalculations. But today Ryuzaki would not be misled. He would not take the bait. His mind almost unconsciously rejected the not-so-subtle attempts at throwing him off of his game, and the assassin felt a bit more relaxed. Vincent was attempting to distract him and weaken him. He was loath to meet him blade for blade… Which suggested that he was doubtful of his ability to triumph. And if his foe doubted, then he had a much easier time. So he would continue to let Vincent attempt to sow doubts, and enjoy the benefits of his opponent’s loud-mouthing.

"I will allow you to dictate the tempo, Vincent. I do not seek to threaten you… In fact, I will allow you to create the threats to yourself. I will only fight in my style. Overextension is a fool’s mistake. Surely you will not fall prey to it, hmm?"

And then, even as he spoke, he struck, his arm bringing Gemini from rest in a blisteringly fast forward lunge, twisting his body sideways and minimizing his profile. His full weight followed the puncturing strike, and his rear hand moved upward and backwards to finish the elegant movement, transmitting an almost graceful picture. This would be a hard stroke to dodge, given the speed of its approach, but it could be blocked. The momentum would turn the assassin, and then the dagger that he held concealed in his rear hand would come into play. Would Vincent be able to evade the strike? Or would he settle for the deflection?