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This article, A Test from the Past, is property of Leengard Ustan. |
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This article, A Test from the Past, is property of The Parius. |
Tamashi Kui a man of a constantly serious demeanor, was standing at the edge of a cliff staring out at the sea. The wind was blowing around him, whipping his coat in every direction as the air continuously changed direction. The salt in the air was stinging his eyes as the spray from the waves crashing into the base of the cliff came drifting up on the wind. Grass rippled in the wind across the ground behind him like the water ahead of him. Something had drawn him to the location, and he was nagging at the back of his head as to why he had felt an overwhelming urge to come to stand atop the cliff over looking the sea.
"Since the beginning of history, people have fought in the name of God. Bending to the invented demands of their fickle deity, and screaming for righteousness, they wantonly spill the blood of their enemies as well as their own. The purpose behind this bloodshed, however, goes beyond simple explanations of religion or notions of justice. The truth is buried deep within those who wage the wars. Since the birth of this planet, a memory has become deeply engraved onto the genes of all things. A memory of aggression as a means of survival. A memory of fighting. Humans seek to defend their actions in the name of truth. The act of fighting is itself a true act. Without this truth the fighter will perish. To learn the way, ask your own flesh and blood. Because one's flesh is the door to the truth. To master the way, ask your own fist. Complete knowledge of one's flesh, blood and fist creates one's Tekken. And Tekken is the key to life." he said, turning his back on the ever changing water, and facing the constantly shifting grass to see a lone man.
"Long time no see," Tamashi said to the man. "Master."
The wind was strong, as Parius's hat flew off, but he payed no attention to it. Parius stared at his old student, a smile playing on his face. "Perhaps for some...." He said, scratching the back of his head. "Then again, I never really thought that we would never see each other again. It was always a possibility." Parius kept his gaze locked on Tamashi. "I wonder if you have grown stronger, since I last saw you. You might have surpassed me. then again, it might be hard to do that. The Seals being my invention, and all." Parius was, of course, talking of The Seals of Heaven and Hell. He had created them, years ago. Even longer than most people would realize. "So, what do you say, about a good old fight? I'll try and keep him under check......Don't wanna actually hurt you." Parius summoned his blade, Juuchi Yosamu, while he asked this.
Tamashi tossed his coat aside, his gauntlets already on his arms, and got into his fighting stance. Electricity crackled around his arms and heat waves were seen rising from his legs.
"Try not to hold back too much, Master." Tamashi replied. "It's always dangerous to under estimate your opponent."
With that Tamashi took a single step then lept high into the air.
"Fire Sword Kick!" Tamashi yelled over the wind as he came back towards the ground. He swung his leg down in a violent, flared arc at Parius' head or shoulders. He hit the ground, and without waiting to see if his first attack had made contact, used the remaining momentum from his fall spun, throwing his other leg into the spin and covering it with electricity called out the second attack. "Reverse Lightning Kick!"
Continueing his barrage, and to try to keep the momentum of the battle on his side, threw Crushing Thunder Fist and Incinerating Fist at the other man in quick succession. Tamashi then saw a flash of light and lept backwards to avoid the black blade, Juuchi Yosamu.
Parius smiled, as he had dodged the two attacks. "You havn't changed much. Always rushing in. Like I said, Be careful. This isn't a wooden sword." Parius ran his hand down the blade. It charged with energy. "Crescent Cut." Parius said, unleashing one of his signature attacks. As the attack came at Tamashi, Parius side-stepped, then came at the man. Aiming a kick at his head.
Tamashi dodged the Crescent Cut and barely got his arm up to block the kick to his head. The force behind the blow still sent him flipping through the air and across the waving field. Skidding to a stop he looked back at Parius.
"Your kicks have more power than I remember them having." he said, cringing silently at the throbbing pain in his arm.
'I've got to get Juuchi Yosamu out of his hands if I want to get close without releasing a Seal yet.' Tamashi thought. He then stood up, ignoring the pain in his arm and shot forward once again.
"Flipping Fire Sword!" Tamashi said, flipping over a few feet from Parius. His left leg was extended and enveloped in flames, the heel was aimed at the other man's head and swiftly followed the kick up with Rising Lightning Strike. However, instead of aiming the uppercut at his Master's chin, it was aimed at the Oricalchum sword, Juuchi Yosamu.
Parius, dodging the first strike, smiled a bit wider. However, it was lost when Tamashi kicked his blade out of his hands. Parius flipped back, landing lightly on his feet. "You seem to think that'll help a bit. You forget who I am." Parius extended his arm, and a Seal glowed on it. "Let the first seal break, and cut off the Chains of the Demon." The first Seal broke, and a torrent of energy blasted around Parius.
When it stopped, Parius looked different. His right arm becomes demonic, and black, gaining claws. His coat disappears, instead having a cape like attachment to his waist. The cape is tattered. His hair grows longer, reaching the small of his back. "You remember this form, don't you?" Parius said, as Juuchi Yosamu appeared in his hand. "My preffered battle method. My Seal."
Tamashi grinned, but the smile never reached his eyes.
"How could I forget?" he replied, the Seal Mark on his arm began to burn and glow a little. The electricity began sparking more and heat waves began to distort the view of anything behind Tamashi. "Though, for now at least, I'm going to try and refrain from my Fall from Grace just yet."
'This just got a lot my difficult...' he thought, grimacing as he charged towards Parius again.
"Double Punch - Crushing Thunder Incinerating Fist!" Tamashi said, his right fist covered in lightning and aimed at Parius' head, his left fist covered in fire and aimed at Parius' gut.
Parius grabbed his student's arm, and let the other hit his gut. He grimaced, but looked into Tamashi's eyes. Parius's eyes commanded his attention. "No Seal from you? Too bad..." He said, throwing his student back. "I will not treat you like a child here, anymore. Get serious. Now." Parius said, raising his arm. "Destroy..." He said, unleashing a torrent of black energy at his student. He didn't want to bcome like this, but it would seem Tamashi had forgotton just how hard Parius had pushed him before......
Tamashi flashed back to when he was still travelling with Parius as his student, back to when Parius was teaching him how to activate and control the Seals. Tamashi remembered feeling like he was on the edge of death from the beating Parius had given him, he remembered feeling hopelessly overpowered and most of all he remembered the, almost evil, primal urge and desire to survive no matter what. That desperation welled up inside of him again and the Seal mark on his arm burned, all but demanding to be released. All of this happened as Parius launched his attack.
"Begin Descent." Tamashi said, the black energy beam inches from his chest. There was a flash, and the explosion caused by the attack, and Tamashi was standing there. He now had black wings, horns, claws, a chain wrapped around his waiste and there were more markings on his torso. "Here you go, Master. My Seal is released."
Parius smiled. "Finally gotten to this point, eh? Ok, now I don't have to worry. Though...." He said, swiping his blade. "I believe we will finally have some fun." Parius was starting to get a little serious though.A s Tamashi had three seals, he got more powerful in his first form, than Parius was in his, as Parius had more seals, sealing more of his power.
Parius raised his hand, as black energy crackled at his fingertips. Death Magic. Parius sliced down with it, making it a crescent shaped wave of energy, launching straight towards Tamashi. Tamashi never knew Parius could use Death Magic, and Parius was watching to see his students reaction.
Tamashi's instincts were screaming for him to dodge the attack at any costs and, without really thinking about it, he spread his wings and took off into the air and avoided the attack.
"Death Magic..." Tamashi said, several hundred feet about Parius' head. "The closest I have to something like that would be Laser Cannon!"
He shouted the last two words, charging pure magic energy between his horns. The orb reached a critical mass and fired off as a beam at the cliff. The attack easily sliced through the rock like a hot knife through butter. Tamashi shot down as the cliff face fell away, his fist covered in fire and entered the dust cloud to attack while Parius was blinded.
"Devil Fire Fist!"
Parius cursed, as Tamashi had used good sense against him. However, he heard Tamashi yell his attack. Parius mearly sidestepped, as his student went wizzing past him. "You gotta learn not to scream your attacks." Parius said, scratching the back of his head. "Time to see again!" He said, swinging his blade, blowing the dust away. He noticed they were falling.....Wait, FALLING?! "CRAP!!" Parius yelled, before leaping back up to the edge of the cliff.
He straightened himself out, before moving back a bit, as his student had made it out of the falling cliff. "Well, it's been fun, grasshopper. But, I have to end this." Parius plunged Juuchi Yosamu into the ground, before saying a phrase he hadn't, in a while. "Third seal is broken. The Combined might of Darkness and Light is mine."
Parius's appearance changed again. His hair gained white streaks, and his cape was no longer tattered, instead being black, until the ends, which looked like white flames going along the bottem. His eyes were now black, with a white, serpentine slit. He looked at his student, as a pure white katana appeared in his hand. He grabbed Juuchi Yosamu, and smiled.
Tamashi was hovering about halfway down the cliff, his wings catching the updraft of air caused by the sea, and looked up as Parius activated his third seal.
"Damn..." Tamashi growled. He decided to fire another Laser Cannon punching a hole in the cliff where Parius was standing. After Tamashi came level with what was left of the cliff he saw that Parius had easily dodged the attack. He covered his arms in electricity and prepared to attack with Devil Thunder Fist, but again his instincts kicked in telling him that if he were to recklessly charge Parius right now he'd not live long enough to regret it.
Parius stood there, looking curiously at Tamashi, before smiling, and extending his arm. Energy gathered there, in a swirling mass of darkness. "Sorry, Tamashi.....But I thought I sensed him.....I have to go now." Parius said, mostly to himself. The energy started to go out of control in his hand. "Tyrant King's Blaze Murdering Black Dragon Wave." Parius said, as the blast fired.
A black dragon, made of black energy came straight at Tamashi. It changed halfway there, though, and became a beam. Parius wondered what Tamashi would do. However, he already had a plan, for many scenarios, though he hoped for one conclusion to become real, as he had something for Tamashi.
Tamashi shot over the beam and flew over it towards Parius, still prepared to use Devil Thunder Fist, his arms pulled back ready to begin a flury of punches.
'If it keeps up like this, I'll have to release my second seal soon.' Tamashi thought as he got within striking distance. He began throwing punches as soon as he saw Parius and began alternating between Devil Thunder Fist and Devil Fire Fist.
Parius dodged three of his punches, before catching Tamashi's fist. "I told you. I can no longer fight you." the hand that had caught Tamashi's fist, surged with black energy. "Tyrant King's Blaze Murdering Black Dragon Wave....."
"Shit..." Tamashi groaned, he knew he was too close to dodge and there was no way to release his next Seal in time either. The attack engulfed Tamashi for several seconds. When the attack ended Tamashi collapsed to the ground, back in his normal form.
"Looks like you win again," he said. "Master."
"Of course, you foolish child." He said, releasing the seals, and returning to his normal form, as well. "Howeverm your still awake, which is more than I expected. I have a task for you, if you are able enough to do it." Parius crossed his arms. "If not, then I will have to do it myself, which goes against my own plans, but it would not be helped. Sometimes, you have to break oplans, in order to make them work." He smiled at his student. "you'll learn that, at some point, of course."
"What is the task, Master?" Tamashi asked as he got back on his feet. It was a little surprising to him that Parius was asking him to do something. The last time Parius asked Tamashi to do something for him...actually Tamashi couldn't remember Parius ever asking him to do something for him, but that might be due to the beating he'd just recieved.
"There is a young man traveling currently across the countryside. I need you, to deliver this letter, if you ever see him. Do not actively seek him out." He pulled out a piece of paper, sealed by a piece of wax, in the shape of a japanese dragon. "You must promise me this, before I give you his name."
"I promise, Master." Tamashi replied, he was curious as to who this man that Parius wanted a letter delivered to, but the condition was an easy one to follow. Tamashi's never actively sought out anyone, he never even tried to find Parius when they separated. "I will not actively seek out this man."
Parius smiled. "The young man you are to deliver this to....is named Atama Chitose." He handed the letter to Tamashi, turned, and started walking. All the while, a smile played on Parius's lips.
"Atama Chitose..." Tamashi repeated as he tucked the letter into his jacket. "A relative of your's, Master?"
He didn't expect an answer as Parius walked away, but Tamashi with all of his traveling knew that there was only the one Chitose Family and it was unlikely that Atama wasn't related.
"An interesting task you've given me, Master." Tamashi said, a smirk on his face as he headed in the opposite direction. There was no telling when, where or if Tamashi would run into Atama, just like there was no telling when, where or if Tamashi would run into Parius again, and that was fine with them both.