Sheepeater Cliff BLADE ARTS II

@Grackle square up, also keeping vague but assume he's following akashingo from a distance

their scent lay strongest here, the strangers of the red sands. but night hung over the flatlands, so the samurai decides to stop here too. best to not lose their trail.

but he gets the feeling that something follows him.
show yourself.

The adder prowled through the cover of night, weaving through the territories in search of the strongest warriors.

Tonight, she had found one.

Grackle hadn't snuck up on him deliberately—sneaking was for cowards, and she was anything but. Her step was naturally quiet despite her large frame, and now she emerged from the tall grasses with a confident chuff.

Hey! You! she barked, her voice sharp and challenging, raising an accusatory paw. Fight me! The command was sharp, almost absurd in its directness.

She sauntered closer, muscles rippling under the sleek, oil-slick coat. I’m out of shape and I’ve got a dumbass I need to beat. You look like you could give me a challenge.

his suspicions confirmed, he listens to the woman's order.

funnily enough, they share the same goal.
understood. he stands, straightening his shoulders. dull yellow eyes glow amber even underneath the cold light of the moon.

i accept.

though he makes no move of his own, the oni cloaked in ink stands guarded as he scrutinizes every move his challenger makes.

Great! Grackle's lips twisted into a wicked smile. Just a spar, nothing long-lasting. Does that sound reasonable to you?

She waited for his acceptance, cracking her neck with a satisfying pop and stretching her long legs. The anticipation thrummed through her veins, a familiar and exhilarating rush.

Alright! Let's go, man, She grinned, her voice a low, eager growl.

of course. he nods. spar or fight to the death, both were the same.

breeze hits his back, the crickets sing in anticipation, moonlight outlines his challenger's otherwise invisible figure, and he could feel the blood rushing from his hesrt through his veins.

though he did not share the same energy, bitter excitement made masa's legs twitch.

the musha lunges first.

roll for injury?

Rolled 12 for injury! Hit, regular injury
If injury powerplay isn't alright just let me know!

Grackle rolled a 6- you can decide if that hits or not :)

The man aimed a heavy blow to her shoulder, and it connected with frightening ease, her skin splitting like butter beneath the force.

Grackle inhaled sharply, the sting of pain only widening her devilish grin. She could feel the blood trickling down, but it only fueled her excitement. Alright! Time to give it her best shot!

Rolling low, she moved with the fluid grace of a serpent, aiming to take his legs out from under him.

hit from grackle lands, a minor injury. lmk if its wrong!!! also idm the attack pp!

masa rolled 20 out of 20 for his counter attack, im sorry grackle. feel free to decide how severe it is lol

this fight would not last. masa made sure of it.

her counterattack tears into his side that forces a hiss through sharp yellowed teeth. though the injury was not deep to kill, it was enough to stain the blades of grass they trample a crimson color, joining his combatant in painting the field red. but the samurai insists on making sure its more of her blood than his own.

so he unleashes his teeth again onto her — this time for the upper of her neck.

6 to escape Masa's grasp! Poor girl is rolling terribly lool
Since that was a pretty big hit, I'll give her one more before officially losing if that's okay! You can decide if she gets out or not <3

Pearly teeth clamped onto her throat like a vice, and the dark woman spluttered, choking on the sudden pain and pressure. Grackle’s mind raced, her body instinctively reacting. She twisted, trying to pull her arms around him, muscles straining beneath the obsidian coat. Her back legs kicked and pummeled, focusing on delivering a flurry of attacks rather than forceful ones.

Nice grip, she wheezed out with a half-laugh, a glint of admiration in her jade eyes despite the pain. She twisted again, using her legs to create space between them.

he holds. she struggles, but his iron grip is little match when he's pinned her. even as the dust that each struggle against his bite kicks up tickles his nose, the man only relents when he decides to. 

he chuffs after her comment, and finally lets her go. this was only a spar, afterall. he had to remind himself, so only after does the samurai increase the distance between himself and his challenger. his eyes are curious, though, to see if she would still even bother to go at him again.

fine by me!!

Woo! Good job Masa!! Here's to better rolls next time loool

The battle ended almost as quickly as it had begun. Grackle found herself panting on the ground, gasping for the air that had been squeezed from her lungs.

It wasn’t long before she was back on her paws, her jade eyes boring into the man with a fierce intensity. Hey! she barked, voice a mix of weariness and exhilaration. You're amazing! Where'd you learn to fight like that? There was a spark of wildfire in her eyes, an invigorated blend of curiosity and respect. The spar had left her aching, but vivified.

when she collapses, masa takes it as defeat and finally sits down. if she took cheapshots now, it would just make her a worse warrior for it.

he gave a passing glance to his wound, gave it a lick to clean up but returns to her excited admiration after she barks at him. masa glowers, there was nothing to be proud of.

i am not. i simply have been trained for most of my life. and whoever sired him had similarly been a demon — one of great strength and capacity to commit atrocities.

Sorry I let this drop sob

Grackle's eyes narrowed slightly at the man's retort, an amused grin playing on her lips. The rush of adrenaline still hummed under her skin, and she shook out her coat, trying to disperse some of the energy that made it feel static and prickling, like tiny lightning bolts under her fur.

Oh, please, Grackle scoffed, her voice tinged with playful sarcasm. I don't see how the two are mutually exclusive. I've trained plenty too, granted, not recently, but that doesn't mean a thing.

She flexed her claws against the ground, carving shallow furrows in the dirt, Who knows, maybe you just got lucky this time. Her tail swished behind her, the tip carving erratic patterns in the upturned dust.