there is no god in heaven; you need to run for cover

[respired]

CHARACTERS: Koltira + a lot of you I am very sorry
DATE: Oct 10 - onwards
WARNINGS: violence; blood; gore; general depraved thoughts i can't believe y'all are threading this with me
SUMMARY: FRENZY.



[ CLOSED STARTERS BELOW.

QUICK NOTES FOR ALL THREADS (EXCEPT AFTERMATH, WHERE ONLY THE FIRST THING IS TRUE):

KOLTIRA IS: COVERED IN CHAINS AND INJURIES

LARGELY INCOHERENT

DEFINITELY GOING TO FIGHT YOU ]

Comments

[daimeinashi]

[It'll be disappointing for the ghouls, perhaps. The moment a first mortal blow is inflicted upon it, it implodes into a shower of ink.

Sai himself is not so skilled than he can disguise his natural breathing, of course, but what he has learned already is that the ground is danger. So he remains atop his ink bird, hidden away at a distance.

One distraction did not buy him enough time; he'll need several, to see this task through. Three lions charge at Koltira at the moment in which the sound of his brush meeting scroll reaches the death knight's ears, and then two birds carrying explosive tags, which detonate around Koltira, kicking up sand and dust as a cover as the bird carrying Sai comes in close, so he can make his second attempt at collecting a sample.]

[respired]

[ The ghouls themselves are ephemeral constructs; after they've finished with the clone, most of them collapse into a pile of half-rotted limbs.

Koltira lifts a hand to shield his eyes as the sand blinds him; simultaneously he brandishes Byfrost to deflect the oncoming lions. More rime-coated chains explode from the crust of the earth as the lions approach, seeking to grab them mid-air and drag them down to earth. Koltira stands ready, regardless, his teeth bared; his eyes both unfocused and yet absolutely keen. He sees Sai darting in for another strike, and at the moment of contact, Koltira reaches out--ridiculously fast--to snatch at the boy's wrist. ]

[daimeinashi]

[He was able to see him? This person's sense, their reflexes...they're incredible. This is the sort of thing he might expect from a sharingan owner.

But where Koltira's senses are exceptional, Sai too has excellent training. And now there's a point of contact between them; he can use his disadvantage to his advantage here, as the death knight can't escape as easily as before. Without missing a beat, Sai throws out a kick at Koltira's shin before twisting his arm so he faces his fist, pulling it in to expose the flesh side of Koltira's palm, then uses his free hand to pry Koltira's hand free.

His own grip on Koltira's arm now, he tries to take advantage of the opportunity to drive the kunai into the inside of Koltira's forearm.]

[respired]

[ Koltira's a difficult man to knock down even when he isn't in berserker rage. Sai's kunai finds its mark, but Koltira barely reacts to either the fresh pain of the wound or the kick to his shin. He just snarls, feral and fierce, as the blue runes inscribed into Byfrost swell with power. The gathering frost releases with a crackling hiss, and ice crystals rapidly form on Koltira's body, hardening his skin and forming a glistening, translucent shell. Ice travels over the earth at his feet, coating it with a glassy, frozen sheen that impedes movement when touched.

Best grab that sample before you're stuck in it or to him, Sai. ]

lmk if i am assuming anything incorrectly!

[daimeinashi]

[The bird is too close to Koltira. Made of ink as it is, as those ice crystals spread, the bird begins to freeze over, leaving Sai with only a perch that threatens to freeze him in place, and a wound hardening too rapidly around his kunai to pull that sample from. If only he could knock that sword out of his hands, and force Koltira to remain in place for a few moments...

But ice should be weak to fire, shouldn't it? Before the ice spreads to his feet, he releases the kunai lodged in Koltira's forearm and leaps up, performing the appropriate hand-signs before inhaling deeply and exhaling a stream of fire. It's both offensive maneuver and cover for the second and third kunai he throws at Koltira's wrist and foot.]

[respired]

[ As Sai surmises, the fire is very effective--initially. The creeping ice melts upon contact, but when it reaches Koltira proper, something green and shimmering surrounds him. The shield absorbs Sai's fire, as though consuming it directly.

But the kunai find their marks: one right through Koltira's wrist, the other impaling his bare foot.

For just a few seconds, he's held in place, wounds oozing, teeth bared and snarling. ]

[daimeinashi]

[Sai is momentarily surprised by that green shimmer, but he doesn't allow it to distract him; he pulls out another of the vials Sieglinde gave him and dashes in--managing to capture several drops of blood in the vial and stopper it.

But whether he'll escape unscathed may yet depend on how quickly Koltira reacts. That moment of stoppering the vial does leave him within grabbing distance, after all.]

[respired]

[ Koltira swipes at Sai as the boy darts in and out, but it's not a particularly focused grab--he's more concerned by the kunai in his foot, pinning him down. With a howl--and a terrible noise of ripping flesh, crunching bone--he tears himself free. He lurches forward, his grip on Byfrost tightening, and the runes start to shift again.

Now is definitely the moment to escape. ]

[daimeinashi]

[The death knight frees himself as Sai is already on the retreat, but he realizes this man may yet be able to outrun him despite his injured foot, and he's seen before that the ground itself is dangerous in this fight. Yet, he can tell he does not have the time to make himself a new bird to escape on, and instead--focuses his chakra so as to perform the body flicker jutsu, enhancing his own body's abilities so he can run much faster.

He'll likely be more cautious about returning to the desert until Koltira's affliction of sorts has passed.]