Out on the streets. [T|P]

[Deleted]

{{OOC: .... D: }}

❖ 78 || 80 ❖

Then I turned around to face the bewildered semi-circle. “Come on you bastards, if you think you can get me then why don’t you do so?!” I said, arms spread out to address them.

In their moment of bewilderment, I began to realize that my right arm – the one I’d predominately used to smash their faces in – was a little sore. It had been so rigorously hammered with use that it was feeling seriously strained. I looked down at it for a moment, a little irritated at myself that I had grown so weak in such a short period of time. With my opposite hand I clutched at my forearm, twisting the skin there around, massaging the soreness from my system and almost meditating on the experience I’d had at the same time.

There was a good deal of ache in my shoulder as well, so with a grunt I rolled it back to in a motion very reminiscent of winding up a punch. I gritted my teeth as for a second I really felt the pain before I managed to work it out of my system, the last of the practice being loosened from my knitted muscles and working their way into my mind. I held the last stretch up a little longer, placing my opposite hand against my right’s knuckles and rolling my entire upper body back in one last long motion before dropping the arm back down to my side.

Then my pain look grew smug as I reached over my shoulder and, for the first time in actual combat, drew my shield out from it’s place on my back.

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[Water Adept]

Learned

[Deleted]

CONSIDER THIS LAST HURRAH
THE COUP DE GRÂCE!
◆◆◆◆

[/center] Bear Claw Stance
Rank: E
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: The user will know how to stand in the primary manner of the bear style
Special: None
Drawback: None
Description: With the shield hooked onto their dominate arm, the user will stand with their feet shoulder length apart, and squared to the enemy. They will then bend their arm at the elbow, to put the shield in between them and the opponent. With their body squared up like this, they are in the perfect position for defensive movements
Limit: Kumotate Style only

❖ 0 || 5 ❖

Then my pain look grew smug as I reached over my shoulder and, for the first time in actual combat, drew my shield out from its place on my back. The heavy steel felt somewhat reassuring in my already iron-gloved hand, but it was still quite an effort to heave it over my shoulder, and as a result when I did heft it from its position it dropped and had its lower point slammed into the concrete with a crash. I looked up with a massive grin on my face at the onlookers, all supposed to be tearing me to shreds but too terrified of the feats I had displayed to immediately do so.

I lifted it off the ground and, examining the leather straps across its rear, slid my forearm through them like I seemed to remember having seen someone do before. It was weighty, there was no denying that; but I felt reasonably confident I could swing it around with enough celerity to out-manoeuvre these ungainly brutes. Now I just had to establish a proper stance to block in, right?

The whole thing was kind of instinctual. I raised the shield in front of me, making sure I could see over it, amused at the slightly scared grins of my remaining enemies: They seemed content to just stand there for the moment. Next I would move my left foot backward – for my aegis was slung onto my right arm – and so crown it my back foot, where a good deal of my weight would have to be transferred to in times of a heavy hit. I bent both my feet at the knee, and noted with surprise – without looking down – that they both felt roughly shoulder-length apart. That seemed right, and my stance felt strong.

All I had to do then was make sure that my arm was curved at a right angle, which I did have to glance down to ascertain, bending the arm inward a little at the elbow. A right angle was the most reinforced slant, right? I couldn’t think of a better position for it to be in. Overall I thought I had done a pretty good job of establishing a stance. It felt strangely proper.

“Oho, so you finally decided to use that.” Observed my friend the Gang Leader from above. He seemed genuinely interested as I looked up at him, scowling, and he actually put a finger to his chin as he considered me.

“Attack her.” He ordered his subordinates, never taking his eyes off of me. I had the strangest feeling I was being evaluated for something.

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[N A T S U M I]

Hmmm..... +4 +5; Learned.

[Deleted]

CONSIDER THIS LAST HURRAH
THE COUP DE GRÂCE!
◆◆◆◆

[/center]Bear Claw Block
Rank: D, C, B, A, S
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: Blocks certain levels and types of attacks with the users shield.
Special: None
Drawback: Your shield will break if the attack is one rank higher than your skill in this technique. It is very good against TaiJutsu, but has some difficult with certain NinJutsu.
Description: With this training, the user becomes proficient in blocking TaiJutsu, and some NinJutsu attacks. They have learned how to position the shield to where it will act almost like a wedge, splitting the attacks and rendering many of them useless. It can only block those techniques that the shield can be put in front of, meaning techniques that affect a large area of effect, such as tidal waves are generally too large to block. You essentially turn yourself into a mini wall.
Limit: Bear Claw Stance

❖ 0 || 10 ❖

“Attack her.” He ordered his subordinates, never taking his eyes off of me. I had the strangest feeling I was being evaluated for something. I narrowed my eyes at the surrounding henchmen, scanning their ranks – I’d halved their number, dropping them from twelve to six (I grinned as I realized this – and trying to ascertain which one would attack first. After only a moment a big, burly one from my right gave a grunt and began stomping forward, closing the gap between him and I in only a few steps. I spun to face him, holding my shield in a defensive position, read to align myself and block the inevitably attack.

The thump of my adversary’s footfalls rose in crescendo as he clomped forward heavily, driving menace into every step. On the fourth and final stomp he first pounded himself down into the pavement, and then raised both of his fists above his head, one clutched in the palm of the other, preparing a massive guillotine drop down onto me. He was considerably taller than I was, a monster of a man, but I was fairly confident I could nullify the strike with my aegis. With an almighty roar the brobdingnagian man would drop his hands, swinging his whole body over in a massive effort. Shit, what was he trying to do, break my steel shield? He was big mentally, but not physically, it seemed.

Still he could do considerable damage to my arms if I didn’t block properly. I raised my shield in correspondence with the oncoming blow, making sure my arm was still bent at a right angle and that my stance was a solid buffer that would not give no matter how much weight was thrown upon me. With my opposite and up until that point empty hand I would clutch the clenched fist of my shield-bearer, adding that too as reinforcement. I winced as the impact came ever closer, accompanied by the man’s massive roar, which seemed to be standard for these dudes while attacking, but in that anxious moment it actually did frighten me a little; I’d never used a shield before, and at the last second I glanced away.

That would turn out to be a mistake, as it misdirected some of the forward mass that I had been using to build up as a defence. Despite this my pose was still solid, just not quite as so. As the attack hit my protector, clanging heavily on the steel, I felt the impact transfer through the shield and rock my entire body, crushing me under it’s immensity, almost snapping my arm in the process and likewise nearly buckling my knees. But fortunately the strike lacked some conviction and bounced off my aegis, which prevented the exertion from lasting too long, and though I gasped under the pressure the man recoiled, growling, as I took a moment to wince in pain and right myself.

I gazed over the top of the shield at my opponent, but he was not done. Shaking his hand momentarily, he growled another time and moved forward to strike at me again.

Bugger, this was turning out to be a whole lot harder than I had pictured.

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[j]

~Great, +10.

[Deleted]

CONSIDER THIS LAST HURRAH
THE COUP DE GRÂCE!
◆◆◆◆

[/center]Bear Claw Bump
Rank: C
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: After blocking a TaiJutsu attack, the user counters quickly, usually knocking the opponent back
Special: Must have blocked an attack with the Bear Claw Block
Drawback: Doesn’t work on anything but TaiJutsu attacks
Description: After blocking a close range TaiJutsu attack, the user is able to give a slight bump with their shield, causing some damage and knocking the opponent back 10 meters, giving them room for further defensive measures.
Limit: Must have at least D rank of Bear Claw Block

❖ 0 || 30 ❖

I gazed over the top of the shield at my opponent, but he was not done. Shaking his hand momentarily, he growled another time and moved forward to strike at me again. Bugger, this was turning out to be a whole lot harder than I had pictured. He looked me straight in the eyes with a ferocious intensity and took a few long, heaving steps forward towards me before raising yet another arm to strike me with. A very burly arm, that quite a fair share of power could be put behind, as I’d learned.

Instead of coming from directly above me as he had previously, this was a much simpler forward punch. He swung back a little ways, obviously not believing a full-on swing was necessary, and threw a massive fist at my body. As it came soaring forward I was easily able to push down in my stance and level the shield so it would parry his attack. But that was when a thought occurred to me.

Just because I was using a shield, it didn’t mean I had to be fully defensive. That is, just because I was blocking an attack, it didn’t mean I couldn’t put in a counter move. As my opponent came swinging forward with his punch I twisted my back foot slightly so that it pointed forward and lifted my heel ever so slightly off the ground, coiling my own personal spring so that when the attack came, I would be able to deal some form of retribution.

The fist clanged heavily against the metal shield, rocking my whole body and especially my arm, but this time I forced myself not to be staggered as the strike pushed deeper forward into my defence, trying to shove me backward. I would not yield, anchoring my foot heavily to the ground and gritting my teeth as he tried to push me back. As all the force was absorbed into my unbreakable pose, my stubborn back foot would serve the second of it’s two purposes. I would lean down ever so slightly, creating a proper angle, placing my empty left hand against the inside of my aegis, and then launch off my foot, shoving the shield forward to batter my foe away before he had the chance to follow up.

It was not a very powerful counter, but there was sufficient strength behind it – coupled with the fact that it took my opponent by surprise – to send the thug’s fist away and lurching his entire form back a few paces, giving me a bit of breathing room. I had extended my arms a little as I bumped him, and I would quickly be sure to readjust its position so I held it once more at a right angle.

“Come on big fella, you can do better than that.” I taunted, unable to resist.

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[N A T S U M I]

+10.

[Deleted]

❖ 10 || 30 ❖

“Come on big fella, you can do better than that.” I taunted, unable to resist. I was sure the wide smirk on my face was infuriating to the extreme. I was a living blockade with my shield properly secured in place, my stance rigid and powerful. I was confident nothing could pierce my defence, at least nothing these dudes had to offer. But that wasn’t really the point of my current exercise – it was more the act of shunting the persistent buggers away.

It wasn’t a complicated idea, simply pulse a shove motion directly after being hit, sending the target sprawling away. The problem was getting sufficient power behind the attack… and there was another specific that, in the interlude after I’d practiced on my massive foe, I realized. The first time, I had simply taken the attack, and then pushed the dude back after his attack had already exerted its full power. But perhaps it would be more effective to actually intercept the attack, destroying the brunt of its force and utilizing the commitment of the enemy to amplify the shock of the shove.

That was all very technical, but it could basically be abbreviated to bash that fucker early. And so that’s what I’d do. My adversary was fully riled now, so instead of lumbering forward in a failed attempt at looking menacing, he would just full-on take a few massive steps at an almost jogging pace and hook a punch around at my midsection. As I observed this moment, I tensed my arm, locking all the muscles in place, gritted my teeth, lowered my weight to stop any breakthrough, and for the final step, twisted my back heel so it was facing forward and bent the same leg at the knee.

As the attack hit, instead of taking all the momentum, I pushed in kind, straightening my leg and pushing up and out in a motion that drove the full force of my stance and strength forward through my shield, knocking brutally against my adversary’s blow, sharply jolting my entire body but equally destroying the force of my enemy’s attack and using the brief moment where his pose hadn’t been solidified, ricocheting his entire body a good few steps back from me.

My counter wasn’t quick, and it left me exposed for a moment till I protectively drew my shield back to me, but it had saved me from extensively taking the brunt of the attack and – I reckon – had inflicted a good deal of damage to my opponent’s arm. This new mode of defence was coming along nicely, but this was just a little bit too easy.

“Go two at a time.” Came a voice from above, where the ringleader of this little gang sat, obviously thinking along the same lines. How stupid did these guys have to be to not have figured that out on their own? Gosh, it was almost insulting having to fight them. I glanced back and forth between the remaining six, wondering if they would get that advice through their thick skulls.

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[Deleted]

❖ ? || 30 ❖

“Go two at a time.” Came a voice from above, where the ringleader of this little gang sat, obviously thinking along the same lines. I glanced back and forth between the remaining six, wondering if they would get that advice through their thick skulls. It did look as though, judging by the quick glances toward one another and silent nods, that yes, they would be attacking together, at least in pairs. Evidently this would be a test of speed; spring and recoil, I suppose. This time it would be less about how much force I could put behind my bashes and more about how swiftly I could perform them while maintaining said power.

I clenched and unclenched my shield-arm’s hand for a moment, shiftily switching my gaze between my opponents as they silently argued between themselves. But there on the right! I saw a decisive nod as a third of my remaining foes sprang forward, splitting apart so as to attack from multiple directions. They were slightly smaller than the rest, perhaps, but judging by the way that I – for just a second lost track of them they were faster than the rest, or at least the rest that I’d already faced. But as they came into sharper focus, arcing around at me from slightly different directions, I recognized them – they were two of the first three of the black guy’s goons that I had fought. It seemed, like me, that they were improving in their combat ability, though my increase was likely much more noticeable.

The one coming from the right hand slightly less distance to cover, so I would slightly adjust my footing to face him first. Once again lowering my stance and prepping myself like a loaded spring, I’d shift my weight onto my back foot and duck even further behind my shield, ensuring that my opponent could not sneak an attack over me. Still my eyeline was just above the brim of my aegis, and as I watched him close in, I gritted my teeth for the impact of our two opposing forces colliding.

Grinning perhaps just a little less stupidly than last time, the first crony would come at me with a swift, hard punch aimed directly at my shield, but one that seemed to have all intent of driving through and behind my direct protection to rattle me on the inside. It would be foiled, however, by my answering push as he wound up his attack and swung forward, as I would shove my entire body forward and extend my arm forward and out slightly to beat away at the attack. It succeeded more or less, the two objects – his fist and my metal barricade – colliding but leaving his fingers almost broken and leaving me slightly rattled.

Still, as my victim staggered back, the twin thug would come at me from my left side. I would quickly draw my shield in thin, but this time there was no room for advanced loading as I had to counter the incoming attack. I would swivel sharply on my front foot and dug my rubber-shoed heel into the concrete floor, quickly coiling my leg downward as his punch raced in toward me. There was but a hairs breadth of time between my successful priming and his fist’s hit; a hairs breadth, but enough. Though quite rushed and messily prepared, my shove was still sufficient to destroy the power of my opponent’s attack and I sent his sprawling back, clutching his fist and roaring in pain.

…I had a strange sense of déjà vu.

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[Water Adept]

Learned

[Deleted]

CONSIDER THIS LAST HURRAH
THE COUP DE GRÂCE!
◆◆◆◆

[/center]Bear Claw Swipe
Rank: C
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: Using the shield for added weight and effect, the user will strike the opponent
Special: None
Drawback: None
Description: The user becomes able to utilize the extra weight added to his arm by the shield, to further damage opponents when delivering arm based attacks. Swinging his arm at various angles, the user may damage the opponent with blunt and edged strikes from his shield.
Limit: Bear Claw Stance

❖ 0 || 30 ❖

Though quite rushed and messily prepared, my shove was still sufficient to destroy the power of my opponent’s attack and I sent his sprawling back, clutching his fist and roaring in pain… I had a strange sense of déjà vu. In fact in the space of time I’d had my shield drawn I’d managed to damage quite a few fists and jolt a whole load of arms, but one thing that had been strangely absent from the past few minutes was the amount of moron’s I’d actually knocked down. Staring around the crowd of jostled thugs, I rose from my stance and let my shield-hand drop to my side.

Another thing that was getting tiring was being the one getting rushed at, instead of doing the rushing myself. Seriously, all this defensive, timed, precise, calculation-based crap was getting seriously boring. I hefted my shield up so my arm was turned at a right angle over my shoulder, and, grinning briefly in joy at the freedom I knew I was about to enjoy, gave a massive roar and charged head-on at the goon whose attack I had just battered away.

My arms pumped, steel shield glinting in the sun as I took a good rush at the guy, who began to back off a few steps and looked more and more afraid as I closed in. On my final step he raised a single arm in front of his face, but that did bugger all. I kicked off my foot as it connected with the ground, launching me a couple of meters skyward. I lifted my shield high above my head, throwing my whole weight back on it, and heaved it down till it metallically bashed my enemy over the head with massive force, crumpling him to the ground and probably breaking his skull. The impact of my shield was intense, and I landed on my feet with the satisfaction that came with a recently inflicted strike.

Just as I’d had time to relish in the moment and was about to stand back up, I heard a second threat zoning in at me from behind: The sound of quick footfalls. I instantly knew that the second of the duo was attempting to attack me while my back was turned. I wouldn’t stand for that. I turned my head so I could just see him running full-pelt at me, and I levelled my shield till I held it horizontally aloft. I shifted all my weight to my left foot and weighted for just the right time to launch.

As soon as the fifth of his steps hit, I whirled around on my heel, spinning the massive slate of metal around in an almost 240º spin. I actually heard the sound of the shield slicing through the air before its blunt edge, an extension of my arm, slammed heavily into the dude’s temple. I would have been surprised if he got up in the next ten minutes. The follow through from my attack had me rotating a little further than I would have liked but I quickly regained my balance and stood back up, holding my shield at my side.

I rolled my neck, letting out a few sharp cracks before I refocused and narrowed my eyes at my next target.

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[N A T S U M I]

+10; LOVE IT!

[Deleted]

❖ 10 || 30 ❖

I rolled my neck, letting out a few sharp cracks before I refocused and narrowed my eyes at my next target. He stood before me of average height for the crowd he ran with, but still taller than your average joe. There was a brief flare of recognition in his eye as he realized he was my next target, and I grinned almost sadistically as I bent down and kicked off my back foot, and sped directly toward him.

My eyes remained completely focused on my target the entire time, eyes ablaze with killer intent – or at least knockout intent – as I zoned in, shield arm held aloft and held horizontally out to my side. It took a good deal of muscle power to heft such a construct, and my arm was straining quite evidently under the pressure. However I wouldn’t let a little muscle strain prevent me from kicking ass. With gritted teeth I ran forward the last couple of steps, shield jostling heavily on my arm, till it was time to strike.

My foot thudded into the ground, anchoring me to the floor. With a groan I twisted my whole body around at my opponent, who for some reason didn’t seem to be blocking, only leaning slightly down. It was odd behaviour indeed, as with most of these brutes their instantaneous response was simply to hold up a block that I inevitably broke and smashed their faces in regardless. But something seemed different about this one. As I heaved my whole body around in an arc, sourcing momentum from my hips; my torso; shoulders; arms - every upper muscle in my body really – I realized it was still taking me a considerable while to swing the shield around, and that perhaps I hadn’t chose my attack stance very well.

As it turned out, my opponent was actually aiming to dodge, a behaviour that I hadn’t seen in these thugs since ever. He had bunched himself down on his haunches and pushed off the ground backwards, retreating with a leap as my heavy shield swung in a merciless curve and missed by an agonizingly minute margin. The heavy object continued arcing, bringing me with it and inevitably crashing to the ground at my feet. This sent a massive shock through my body, but at least it allowed me to reassert myself and stand.

As I did so I caught sight of one of the other dudes from behind me actually swinging a full-on punch my way. Anger darkened my face as I heard the telltale roar, and with a mighty, no-nonsense manoeuvre and absolutely tossed my weight right around, feeling the strain on my arm as the shield flew through the air as I pivoted. In the end I got the brutal impact I had desired, for the edge of my shield bit deep into my enemy’s gut as it spun around and it may have even crushed one or two organs. Gasping for breath my opponent was sent staggering away; he would not collapse immediately, but instead opted to slump to the floor and then lie down, clutching at his side.

I was still ticked off that I had been evaded. My features still blazing with fury I turned to the slightly more agile of the cronies and raised my shield once again in a gesture that could only be described as threatening.

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[Deleted]

❖ ? || 30 ❖

I was still ticked off that I had been evaded. My features still blazing with fury I turned to the slightly more agile of the cronies and raised my shield once again in a gesture that could only be described as threatening. There was a menace in my eye that projected to this survivor, one of only three, would soon be eliminated.No-one evaded me twice.

I bunched down on my legs, loading up my forward charge. The weight of my shield would affect my run speed, but I held it at my side just the same. After a moment, I kicked off, sprinting as hard as I could toward my opponent. My arms pumped a couple of times, the steel item indeed slowing me down but not so much that it would prevent me beating the crap out of this guy – or so I judged. I fully extended my strides, trying to tear through the shield’s weight with sheer physical strength. If ever I was to use it as a weapon, I could not afford to have my aegis bog me down at all. I had to endure - and furthermore push through the strain – to destroy my enemies with it. To win with it.

Judging by the way my target similarly grinned and lowered himself in his stance, he would be attempting to dodge a second time. But tricks weren’t nearly as effective the second time around. As my arm came forward in sync with my running, I would use the forward propulsion from its upward arc to literally leap off the ground, spearing briefly in a diagonal move toward the sky, lifting my shield up, above and over my head and reaching up to clutch at my shield-arm’s wrist with my empty hand. I threw my entire weight back, till it all surged up and centred on the point of my weapon, building up an incredible amount of power there.

Momentarily dumbfounded, my opponent forgot his dodging move altogether and simply gazed at me in shock and horror. Enjoying the moment in its hilarity, I briefly smiled with joy, a smile that quickly turned savage as I pulled my upward arms back just a little more and then swung them forward in a huge, arcing move the dropped like a sideways guillotine, only less sharp. The mighty heave crashed down onto my enemy’s head, causing him to be smashed heavily into the ground as I dropped back to earth. The pavement even cracked a little where his head hit the ground. The shock even jostled the ground a little.

As I stood there, my feet mere inches in front of his head, I chuckled and lifted my shield off of his skull, swinging it up and over my shoulder as I turned to the last two thugs.

“Alright. Who’s next?”

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[fang123]

+20

[Deleted]

[/justify]

[Exit]