To Shine Alone [Awakening - Summer Osuna]

Posts : 3780 Join date : 2012-05-06

The Black Dome. It truly was a foreboding place wasn't it? A solitary pink eye scanned up over the shadowy facade that sat before it, watching the reflection of itself as it stared into the endless depths. How had this place came about, Summer wondered, what had created a place of such monumental power, such monumental evil, or at least that is what it felt like. A place like this shouldn't exist. Summer knew deep down that this was wrong but she could feel something within it calling to her, she could feel a power howling at her, wanting her to come forwards, to prove herself to whatever watched over this world. It almost challenged her, it asked her if she thought she was strong enough to protect her friends, to prove herself worthy. Summer clenched her jaw and let her emotions subside for now, trying to fight when she was worked up wasn't going to work. She looked at her arms, the gauntlets there and then at the five swords that sat at her hips; three on the right, two on the left. Did she believe she was strong enough?

She thought back over the things that had happened in her life, the many events that had given her the drive and the will that she had now. She remembered meeting Cherish, a drunk girl with a vision to prove something to her family. She was different but that was what made her special, sure she had flaws but who didn't? Summer loved her for what she was, not despite of those flaws, but because of them. They made her unique, they made her who she was. They had sparred that day and it had ended with Cherish almost taking Summer's first kiss. She hadn't thankfully and that memory still brought her giggles every time she remembered Cherish passing out on top of her. That hadn't been so bad. She'd had worse experiences in her life... The Chunin Exams were one of them.

She remembered the rage she'd had in those exams. Another kill to her tally, blade cleaving through a body, knee punching through a sternum. The scent of blood and acid hit her nose, a phantom memory but it felt so real. She closed her eye and stared at the floor for a few moments. A talk with Ada, a boy who thought he was greater than all but couldn't do anything to prove it. Summer held nothing against him, she'd never seen him before or hence but he didn't seem like the nicest of people. Then her fight against Fang, a swordsman to the end, honourable, gracious. She was upset she'd had to end the fight so abruptly and roughly without a proper test of skill against one another but that was how it was and she understood that. They had met again after all but that was another memory, one that she didn't like going into.

Then Jazz. She was a friend now but that first meeting, that first fight in the chunin exams. That hadn't went well in the slightest. Her shoulder still burned with the memory of her own friend's acid blood being used against her, her back filled with senbon. She remembered how worried Cherish and Omito had been. That brought her to Omito, her thoughts latching into him even as she reached up and put her hand against the dome.

Was she starting to fall for him? Was she finally getting to the point where her emotions were letting her see love, to end up feeling romantically attached to someone? He was wonderful though, he was always calm, he had always been there for them, even when he was wounded that didn't seem to matter to him. He was the perfect member to compliment their team and he was highly skilled in what he done. Chewing on her lip for a moment she gave a quiet laugh, knowing that her strange feelings, that her worry and anxiety would be spread through her pack link to Cherish and Omito. She wondered how they were feeling and she attuned to them for a moment, letting her own feelings of ease spread to help keep them calm.

That left her with Reiver, King and Polaris. People she was close to but distant in a sense. They weren't family like Omito and Cherish but they meant the world to her as well and one of them was gone. Killed by an Arikiko Yaju. She would bring about his death if she had to, there was no doubting that. The pulse of her wanting to bring death resonated with the Dome and she found that she could step through. Before her at a massive temple, doors yawning open, darkness beckoning her. She lost her pack link but she knew that would happen, instinctively knew it. She was doing this alone... And it was time to meet the beast that howled for her...

The swordswoman stepped forwards and entered the darkness.

Word Counts:

Subject: Re: To Shine Alone [Awakening - Summer Osuna] 5th July 2016, 2:07 pm

As she entered the darkness, in the distance a beacon of light could be seen and if she were drawn to it she would see a statue in her image albeit older with an earring with a scythe ornament hanging from it on the scarred side of her face. She was wearing a flak jacket just like Summer albeit one customized with multiple sections for sheathes each of them being filled with swords. Her face had her forehead protector tilted down and was pressed into a firm line as even the statue was deadly serious, as if it knew why Summer was arriving and what had happened prior. If she got closer it would come to life the stone fading away and it would look exactly like her and the lone eye on the unblemished side of her body would blink once before nodding to Summer. It wouldn't say anything but it would slide into the seal of confrontation with it's bracer clad hand, no doubt waiting for Summer to do the same, even though it knew that like the original typically they didn't respect the shinobi way instead preferring to launch surprise attacks. But this time maybe just maybe Summer would have proper etiquette and make the seal out of respect for the challenge before both of them would attack at the same time. Once Summer did though the former statue would mouth words, on 3, so as to let her know when the fight was to begin.

Posts : 3780 Join date : 2012-05-06

The light before her drew her onwards, her single pink eye staring at it until she was close enough to realise what it was. It was herself, a statue of who she was, clad in what she would likely be wearing in the future. Was this what she was to become? She scanned her eyes down over herself before she smiled and stepped forwards still. She wasn't surprised when the statue came to life, her surprise was being replaced with focus, with determination. She could recognise that same force of personality within her other self. Upon the statue stepping up and performing the seal of confrontation, Summer looked down over them before nodding. She was beautiful, even with the scars. Summer wasn't cocky but she wasn't down on herself and she knew that if the worst came to the worst, she would be able to end this other version of herself.

Taking a deep breath she followed the other's lead and stepped slightly closer, leaving them within fifteen feet of one another, one foot outside of one another's batto-ranges. She slammed her fists together and then gave the other version of herself a bow before rising up and performing the seal of confrontation. She read the lips and then performed the countdown alongside the other. She didn't say a word, she didn't break the silence that seemed so sacred around them, she simply let herself relax and let herself focus on the opponent before her. Her hands didn't twitch towards her swords, she wasn't going to use them until she had to. Hopefully her other self would recognise the need for a closer range bout before they moved onto swords. This was going to be the first serious fight she had done... Truly alone.

Subject: Re: To Shine Alone [Awakening - Summer Osuna] 18th July 2016, 6:59 pm

The former statue nodded and gave herself a small smile, as if she thought that this would be an enjoyable experience. She stood still for a fraction of a second as she dropped the Seal of Confrontation. This meager amount of time would seem as if it stretched on for eternity in this place of still silence. Then, out of nowhere, she exploded into movement. The copy of Summer launched from the platform she had been standing on at C-Rank speeds, doing a small spin and whipping her foot out in order to aim a kick at the other's face. Summer would probably recognize this attack, as it was one of her own. On the surface, it was a simple Heel Kick, but it was also backed by her Shattering Defense as well as her Dancing Impact Kata. Once the kick landed, the other would need a goo amount of strength in order to withstand it. The strength requirement would be increased even more, because whether Summer was struck by the kick or blocked it, her copy would push off with a tremendous amount of force, sending her backwards six feet.

The copy would land gingerly on her toes six feet away after delivering the kick. She would then drop into her Lupine Fist stance before Pressing forward once again at C-Rank Speeds, getting up close and personal with herself. She slipped her leg in between her counterpart's own before bringing her fist up with A-Rank speed, aiming to slam it straight into her younger self's stomach with a powerful Strike. She needed to see if she was worthy of this. The power one gained when awakening was no joke, if her younger counterpart could take this assault, then she could honestly say she was prepared enough for this. But she had to know for sure.

Spoiler:

Posts : 3780 Join date : 2012-05-06

A breath left Summer as she thought over what she had been through in her life. All of the pain she had endured and what she would still have to do in order to keep her friends safe, to bring about peace for the ASN. She would become Kage, she knew that much and she knew that her friends would back her up, along with the new ones she would make. All she had to do to firmly put herself on that path would be to kill herself. She knew what this figure was; they were a manifestation of Summer's doubts, of the things she would have to overcome. It was a figure of power, of the power she could have. She wasn't going to lose to it. She narrowed her eye and then slid her foot back into her Vanguard Fist stance as the Reaper leaped at her.

Summer shifted her body and lashed out with a punch at Bullet Release speeds, the strike would drive into the other Summer's chest and would disrupt the attack that she attempted, making her stumble if she didn't forcibly stop herself in order to avoid the strike. It wouldn't deal any damage on its own, only the C-Rank piercing damage that came from her innate defensive abilities. This was accomplished with her left hand and would require a C-Rank balancing technique to prevent from stumbling. Summer then pushed off of her back foot, the other Summer had tried to get too close, perhaps within 2 feet and Summer leaped, throwing her body forwards, her right hand arcing upwards in a massive uppercut to drive her fist into the Reaper's chin at B-Rank speeds to try and prevent her from retaliating.

Spoiler:

Subject: Re: To Shine Alone [Awakening - Summer Osuna] 1st August 2016, 5:34 pm

Speed and grand reaction. She couldn't expect anything less from herself. Rather than taking the first hit, however Reaper Summer tilted to the side at Bullet Release speeds, allowing her to brush past the attack, sustaining none of the initial damage and only half of the piercing damage. She touched the ground lightly before turning towards herself. She slammed her right foot down to stabilize herself and slid her left foot back in order to create a good center of balance. She then shot her arm out at A-Rank speed in order to intercept the other's Uppercut. She followed the attack's trajectory, angling it of to the left side of her face. As she had moved the blow safely away from her, she was open to attack her younger self. She drew her right arm back, her left hand gripping her counterpart's arm like a vice, she brought her fist forward at S-Rank speed in order to slam it into the other's stomach. If her blow landed, it would surely be crippling for the other to deal with.

Spoiler:

Posts : 3780 Join date : 2012-05-06

Now all of that would have been just fine if Reaper!Summer hadn't forgotten about something. Vanguard Fist had a special effect, taken from the knockback of Lupine Fist and the redirection of Intercepting Fist. Every strike used while in Vanguard Fist would put people off balance. Strength or defense mattered not when a strike in the right way or place would knock you over. So what would happen is that Reaper!Summer attempted to roll the Skirmish but they would still take the pain and then get knocked off balance, stumbling as they attempted to move, negating their further strikes. This meant that the Uppercut slammed into their stomach as they would be unable to dodge it. This would launch them into the air as their strength wasn't enough to root them in place and would likely leave a rather nasty wound due to the piercing damage.

Summer wasn't done there however, unless this Summer wanted to draw blades to use a midair movement technique and start the second phase, she wouldn't be able to do anything about the Raid that swung in. Summer stepped in and threw both fists forwards aiming for Reaper!Summer's solar plexus. The A-Rank speed strike would be brutal, dealing an SS-Rank of physical damage and an SS-Rank of piercing damage due to the doubled strike. Due to being in the air they'd end up getting knocked back fifty feet to roll along the ground. Summer brought her hands back afterwards, smirking, taking a deep breath through her nose. It felt good being able to let loose like this.

Spoiler:

Subject: Re: To Shine Alone [Awakening - Summer Osuna] 2nd August 2016, 2:41 pm

The Reaper cursed as she was knocked off balance. This broke the silence, but as her voice faded every other sound came into much clearer focus. She could hear her own breath as well as the breath of her opponent, even the movement of the other's fist through the air as it came directly for her face. She heard the blow connect as well as her own gasp. She thought she could feel her organs caving under the force of the blow. There was a rather large gash wound where the fist had landed, blood leaking from it freely. The two fists coming at her almost moved in slow motion. She knew her other half was ready, at least partly. She had made mistakes in her own attacks, so that may have made it easier, but she possessed a great amount of strength. When the blow connected she coughed up a massive amount of blood as shattered bones pierced her lungs and heart. She died nearly instantaneously, a smirk upon her lips.

Posts : 3780 Join date : 2012-05-06

Her blow had struck? She had hoped but she had never actually expected it to land like it had. She barely registered the blood fountaining around her hands, spilling onto the floor as the body was tossed away at a ridiculous speed, driving into the floor and rolling a few times. She dropped her hands down to her sides, drips falling from her fingers to the floor, a gentle patter to break the new silence that had formed. Summer bowed her head and put her fists together before pulling out a rag and wiping the blood from her hands. Her eye hazed over and she stumbled, moving away from the blood and dropping to her hands and knees on the ground. Her fingers dug into the stone, rending through the hard material and her body shuddered, a deep groan leaving her. Summer gave a cough and fell onto her side, watching as the body turned to ash and fluttered away. Darkness took her and it was calming.

She woke later, although she wasn't sure how she knew that and she got up. Blue lanterns flicked on around the room and bathed her in light. Her body seemed different, her chakra seemed different, something had changed. It would appear that in killing the construct she had been found worthy. She snapped her head around and something shifted in her ear. Questing fingers found the earring in the shape of a scythe hanging there and she could feel the resonance that burgeoned within it, the energy that it spread through her. It was crackling, almost numbing in the way it moved. Lightning. She nodded and left the building, appearing outside with a blink of darkness, outside of the dome even, looking up with the sun setting behind her and that's when she noticed the last, odd thing... Her shadow had changed. No more was it black, it was a soft blue and had a crystalline facet to it, like a gem, like diamond for that matter. Summer nodded and then turned for home...

[Awakening Complete - Reaper Status Achieved]

» Chunin Exam Finals [Summer "Death Touch" Osuna Vs Jazz D. "Peerless Prodigy" Kukinorite]
» Armenezra's Summer Time Training Day: Armen vs Summer
» To Shine as One [Dual Training]
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