[Episode] Disciplinary Action

episode:

The atmosphere in the tavern was rather somber. Normally groups of students would be here, having a good time after successful drills, or enjoying a good meal. But now, the place was almost empty. An old man, the teacher of one of Karate Island's many dojos, sat at the bar, flanked by a pair of his students.

"Master!" one of the youths spoke up, "If we can just form a group and go out there..."

"Certainly not." the master replied, "Out there, all those places for them to hide. You would be wide open. I will not send my students on a suicide mission like that!"

"We can't just do nothing!" The second student protested, "Every night they come, attacking people, vandalizing the dojos! We can't just let them get away with this!"

"And they won't, but you need to keep a cool head. Running off and getting yourselves killed won't help anyone!"

"But master!"

"Where are these vandals?"

The voice was quiet, yet it cut the conversation dead. All three of them stopped and looked down the bar. Sitting some distance away was a man dressed in purple. Eating...porridge? A bit of an unusual choice. The man wasn't even looking at them as he spoke. "These men are causing you trouble, correct? Where do they hide?"

One of the students grunted in frustration. "If we knew that, we would deal with them! They come in the night, cause damage, and then run off to the outskirts of town!"

"At night you say?" The man rose to his feet, setting some beli on the counter. He turned to look at the three. One eye was covered by an eye patch, the other, glassy eye looking right at them. "It seems I will be staying up late tonight."

As he turned and made his way to the door, the other student quickly approached, grabbing his arm. "Look, I don't know who you are, but this doesn't concern you."

"Let him go."

The students looked back at their master in surprise, who in turn was looking at the stranger. "Master?" one of them questioned. The master never took his eyes off of the man for a second. "Look at him. Do you think this is just an ordinary man?"

The two students stopped and looked. Indeed, there was something about him. Something...off. His stance, the stoic expression on his face, the look in his eyes. Both students found themselves taking a step back. "I believe," the master continued, "he may just be the solution to our problem."

The man didn't speak. He only gave a small nod, before silently walking out of the building. The others watched him leave. "Are you sure about this master?"

The master kept staring at the now empty doorway. "We can only hope."


Post Word Count: 466
Total Word Count: 466

Nightfall came soon enough, not that day and night mattered to much to Amadeus. The purple clad man had his hands in his pockets, quietly walking down the middle of the empty street, his one eye silently scanning the area. The problem that came with finding people like this, was you weren't entirely certain just where they were going to strike. Amadeus hoped that the sight of a lone man walking around would be a good piece of bait for them.

The man paused as something piqued his hearing. Something coming from nearby. The sounds of a struggle. So much for him being bait.

A couple of streets down, Toshiba Yamida let out a pained groan as he was slammed against the wall. His eye swollen shut from building, his broken nose bleeding, his legs gave out as he sagged to the floor.

Three thugs stood before him, grinning smuggly. They were all dressed in black leather, their greasy dark hair slicked back. One of them gave a cruel sneer. "I think the Miyuga dojo's running low on students if this is all they have left." Toshiro glared up at him before spitting on his shoe, spattering it with blood. The thug's face turned into a snarl as he grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet. "And a slow learner to boot."

Toshiro winced in pain. "Go...to helll." he groaned. The thug growled and drew his fist back to strike.

And stopped when someone grabbed his elbow.

"Rather confident when it's three on one, aren't you?"

The three men jumped back in surprise as Toshiro slumped back down to the floor. They hadn't even heard him approach! He was just...there. One managed to regain his composure before the others. "Hey! This is none of your business, alright?"

"Now see, that's where you're wrong," Amadeus replied calmly, cracking his neck, "Because dealing with smug punks like yourself is EXACTLY my business."

The 'lead thug' stepped up to Amadeus, a smug look returning to his face. "Oh? And what exactly do you think you're going to d-"

He didn't get a chance to finish. Before he could even react, Amadeus drove his fist right into the man's sternum, driving the air from his lungs and causing him to double over. This, of course, put his head at the perfect height for a kick to the face, sending him flying head first into the wall. His skull bounced off the brick before he collapsed to the floor.

The remaining two men were stunned. They didn't expect him to come out swinging like that, or to take down one of their own so efficiently! They quickly snapped out of it before they both rushed him. The first swing a leg out for a kick, only for his leg to be caught by Amadeus. The second shot to the other side, swinging a fist to catch his other side. The blow connected, but it barely earned a grunt from the purple man, as he brought his free elbow down on the thug's leg, earning a loud crack as his knee bent awkwardly.

The thug gave out a cry, but was immediately cut off as Amadeus yanked him forward, gripping him by the throat and slamming him down to the floor, the back of his head hitting the pavement.

The final thug swung a fist, catching Amadeus in the jaw. The man's head snapped back, but didn't seem to be in any pain as he turned to glare at him. The thug stepped back, panic starting to set in as his eyes darted between his owned comrades. He didn't get much time though, before Amadeus closed the distance and delivered a punch square to the face. As he stumbled back, Amadeus caught the thug by the collar and spun him around, slamming him against the wall.

Holding him in place, Amadeus learned in. "Now then," despite the glare, his voice was completely monotone, "Where are the rest of you?"

The thug stammered. He could see his two buddies were coming to their senses, and were taking the opportunity to make a run for it. A fist striking the wall just by his head drew his attention back to the matter at hand. "Now."

The man's cold, unnatural eye glaring at him finally caused the punk's resolve to break. "W-We stick to outside of town! We keep moving! That's all I know!" he blubbered. "Thank you," Amadeus replied before delivering a sharp headbutt. The thug slumped to the floor like a rag doll.

Not the most helpful information, but it was a start. Amadeus dusted himself off and was about to leave when...

"Wait!"

He paused and looked back, seeing Toshiro pulling himself to his feet. "That...that was amazing!" Amadeus shrugged. "It was nothing." He looked over the young man. He had clearly taken a beating before he came along. He couldn't just leave him like that.

Amadeus sighed. "Where are you staying?" Toshiro blinked. "I'm currently living at the Miyuga Dojo. Why d-" He paused when he realized the implication, "No, it's ok. I can get back mysel-"

He was cut off when Amadeus approached him, slinging the young man's arm over his shoulder to help support him. "Tell me where to go," his voice, though flat, brokered no argument.

All Toshiro could do was dumbly point the way.


Post Word Count: 897
Total Word Count: 1363

It took the pair fifteen minutes to reach the Dojo, though it would have taken less if Amadeus wasn't supporting the young Toshiro. As they came to the building, they were greeted by a small crowd, gathered at the entrance. A few were carrying torches, and the atmosphere was tense. A worried look crossed Toshiro's face as they approached.

"Hey! What's going on?" He called out. The chattering died as everyone stopped to look at them. Amongst the crowd, Toshiro recognized the wizened visage of his master.

Another, older man looked over, his eyes locking onto Amadeus. His worried face twisted into a snarl. "You!" He made a beeline straight for him, seizing him by the collar, the sudden movement causing him to drop Toshiro. "This is all your fault!"

Todhiro grunted as he hit the floor, but bit back any pain. "Mr Toriu, what are you talking about?" "Cheiro!" Mr Toriu growled, not taking his eyes off of Amadeus for a second, "Those bastards took my daughter Cheiro! And it's all his fault!" Toshiro's eyes widened in horror. Cheiro was a childhood friend of his, and a fellow student. "What!? It can't be!" "Oh it is! They even left a damn note!"

Master Miyuga approached the pair, note in hand. Amadeus carefully pried himself from Mr Toriu's grip, with surprising calm,, taking it and reading it.


"Master!" Toshiro protested to his master, "This man saved me from those goons! We can't get just hand him over like that!" "Yeah, and they kidnapped my daughter in retribution!" Mr Toriu growled in response.

"Hardly."

"What did you say!?"

Amadeus looked up from the note. "My fight with those men occured only a short time ago. Far too little time to concoct a revenge kidnapping. My best guess is that they were planning to take your daughter from the beginning. They just added the note at the last minute. They were probably hoping you would simply hand me over to them, in the hopes of getting her back."

Master Miyuga nodded. "That would make the most sense, yes." "Then let's just hand him over! Get Chiero back!" Mr Toriu exclaimed. Master Miyugq gave him a sharp look. "And you expect them to honor that arrangement?

Mr Toriu paused. He made a good point. "Then, then let's go out there ourselves! We know where they are!" "Also a bad idea," Amadeus replied, "The northern outskirts are highly rocky. Plenty of places to ambush a search party. No doubt they would expect that option."

Mr Toriu looked around, the desperation clear on his face. "Th-Then what are we going to do!? Just sit here and do nothing!?"

"I'll go."

There were some looks of surprise at Anadeus' volunteering. The man continued like it was nothing. "I'm more than a match for these miscreants, and thry won't be expecting one man to come alone."

Toshiro pulled himself to his feet. "I'll come with you!" "No," Amadeus replied, "You're in no condition to fight anyone. I'll go alone." "But you're walking into a trap!" Toshiro protested. Amadeus looked the young man in the eyes. "The thing about traps, they only really work on the prey they're designed for." He turned to start walking away.

"Wait!"

Amadeus paused and looked back. A lot of people were telling him to wait lately. The anger had melted from Mr Toriu's face, leaving only the fear and desperation of a concerned father. "Please...save my daughter."

Amadeus nodded. "I promise." And then he walked away into the night.


Post Word Count: 596
Total Word Count: 1959

It was dark put in the northern outskirts of town, made even darker by the shadows created by the various rocky crags. It made the perfect hiding spot as Tenju sat behind the rocks with his buddy Kakato, looking down at the one clear path below.

The plan was relatively simple. Wait for them to come, and then jump them. But they had been waiting here for some time no and there was no sign of anyone. No torches or anything. "You'd think they'd be rushing here to try and save her," Tenju spoke. Kakato simply shrugged. "Hey, maybe they're chasing after that purple guy the others mentioned. Tenju laughed. "Oh man, you think they'd actually do that? Well, a win for us I suppose."

Kakato looked out across the way. "Think the others see anything?" Tenju shrugged and pulled out a lantern. "Let's see." He pointed it across the way and flashed it three times. They sat quietly, but all they saw was dark. Tenju frowned I annoyance and flashed again.

No response.

"Are those guys even paying attention?" Tenju muttered. Kakato grumbled and stood up. "I'll go check." Tenju watched as Kakato walked off into the darkness. He sat there, waiting for a few minutes before flashing his lantern three times.

There was a flash. Good, Kakato was there.

A second flash.

And then darkness. 

Tenju waited. There was supposed to be three. He flashed the lantern again. No response. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He knew Kakato was there. Why wasn't he responding?

As a growing dread built inside of him, Tenju decided to throw caution to the wind. "Kakato!" he called out, "Kabo! Where are you?"

Then a voice spoke behind him, sending a chill down his spine. "Your friends were much quieter."

Tenju didn't even get a chance to scream before something grabbed him.


Further north, where they had made their encampment, Yakagura Sasuke sat on a chair, stolen, that he basically treated like a throne. He lounged on it, face resting on one hand as a sword sat propped against the chair next to him.

Yakagura Sasuke:

Beside him, a young woman with dark hair was tied up, the girl trembling in fear. Off to the side, two thugs, the same ones Amadeus beat earlier, we're nursing their injuries.

Sasuke looked quite bored. He had expected something to happen by now. "Man, those clowns in town really aren't in a hurry to save you, aren't they?" he chuckled lightly to himself, glancing at the frightened Chiero. He looked towards the edge of their little camp. "Anything going on out there?"

One of Sasuke's goons stepped forward. "Well, erm, we've been trying to signal them, but we're getting no response." Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "What? Are those damn idiots slacking off again?"

"Considering how easily they went down, I'd say yes."

All eyes snapped in the direction of the voice as Amadeus stepped out of the shadows. The two goons by Sasuke backed up in fright. "That's him!" "The purple guy!"

Sasuke rose to his feet. "So, you're the one who beat these two up huh? And I was starting to think these idiots got their asses beat and just made you up." Amadeus cast a glance towards the frightened Chiero beside him. "I've come for the girl."

Sasuke smirked. "Then come and take her, if you can." He reached down to pick up the sword. "You know, I'm glad you turned out to be real. I haven't had a good fight in a while." With a click he drew the sheath back, revealing the blade underneath.


Post Word Count: 599
Total Word Count: 2558

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Amadeus Rhodes uses:
Bayonet Rush (LT) against Yakagura Sasuke
Palm Shot (LT) against Yakagura Sasuke
Bang Punch (LT) against Yakagura Sasuke
UT against Yakagura Sasuke

Yakagura Sasuke uses:
LT against Amadeus Rhodes
LT against Amadeus Rhodes
UT against Amadeus Rhodes

The member 'Amadeus Rhodes' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 20, 2, 9, 1

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 19, 6, 18, 14

The air was still with tension as the two men faced off. Amadeus' glare never wavered while Sasuke's smirk remained fixed on his face. The blade of the hooligan's sword gleamed in the dim light. Both were just waiting to make the first move.

In the end, it was both.

Both men charged at eachother at the same time, Sasuke with his blade at the ready, Amadeus with fists ready to strike. As the two men closed in, Amadeus screeched to a halt, swinging out a punch in the hopes clocking Sasuke when he came in close, trying to take advantage of the thug's momentum. Sasuke grinned and suddenly twisted his body to the side, causing Amadeus' punch to hit nothing but air. Mid spin, Sasuke quickly positioned himself behind Amadeus, raising up his blade before delivering a painful downward slash to the purple man's back.

[Amadeus' UT, miss] [Sasuke's LT, hit]

Chiero gasped as she watched the strike, as Sasuke's face split into a grin. The damn fool! Didn't he know when it came down to fighting, the one that was armed always wins? It was how he kept control over his gang for so long. That being said, he expected there to be more blood. Maybe he didn't cut deep enough.

His eyes widened when he heard the familiar 'shing' of a blade being drawn. Amadeus spun around and Sasuke cried out as a blade raked across his chest, leaving a shallow gash.

[Bayonet Rush - LT, hit]

Sasuke stumbled back, clutching his chest as he finally got a chance to see what hit. It seemed the man had a blade...coming out of his wrist? No, it must have been coming out of his sleeve. A hidden blade. He didn't get much time to analyze that as Amadeus rushed towards him, arm drawn back to deliver an open palm strike. Sasuke readied his blade to deliver a counter blow.

Then something flashed in his vision. A barrel? A hidden gun! His quickly changed his movements, aiming to knock the arm aside rather than strike.  He managed to swat Amadeus' arm aside, just as the loud crack of a gun firing rang out in the air. Damn that was way too close!

[Palm Shot - LT, miss] [Sasuke's LT, miss]

His ears were ringing from the gun shot, but Sasuke forced himself to recover. He couldn't let the shock that he was almost SHOT stall him in any way. This certainly wasn't your normal opponent. Without thinking, he swung his free hand out in a punch, aiming for Amadeus' face. The sharp punch caused Amadeus's head to jerk back. Sasuke didn't see the fist draw back until it was too late.

There was a flash and Amadeus' arm shot forward like a bullet, driving his fist into Sasuke's sternum. The gang leader wheezed as the air was violently driven from his lungs. He stumbled back, clutching his stomach. What was that? Some sort of advanced martial arts technique? Imagine if he had done that with his blade drawn. Sasuke would have been skewered!

[Sasuke's UT, hit] [Bang Punch - LT, hit]

Sasuke took a couple of gulps of air to regain himself. His eyes locked onto his opponent. He swore he could see some whisps of smoke coming from the man's elbow. Must be his imagination. "I can see now, how you were able to beat those guys so easily." Sasuke wasn't feeling as confident as he felt earlier.

Amadeus meanwhile said nothing. He only glared, slipping back into a fighting stance.


Post Word Count: 590
Total Word Count: 3148

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Amadeus Rhodes uses:
Bomber Knee - MT at Yakagura Rhodes
Change Gears - LT on self
UT at Yakagura Rhodes


Yakagura Sasuke uses:
LT at Amadeus Rhodes
LT at Amadeus Rhodes
UT at Amadeus Rhodes

The member 'Amadeus Rhodes' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 1, 13, 15

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 2, 13, 16

Amadeus kept the gang leader firmly in his sights as they stared eachother down. He had managed to knock away some of that arrogance of his, but that meant now, more than ever that he had to keep his focus. Now that Sasuke knew he didn't have as major an advantage he thought he had, he would really start fighting seriously. Amadeus also tried to keep in mind that gash along his back from the sword strike. Thanks to his body, there was no pain to distract him. But he couldn't forget about it either. Damage could pile up if he wasn't careful.

Amadeus braced himself as Sasuke charged, sword ready to strike. Instead of meeting him head on, Amadeus waited for him to get close as something within him shifted, giving him a new burst of energy.

[Change Gears - LT, active]

Sasuke closed in, swinging the blade in a horizontal arc, aiming to try and slash Amadeus across the waste, maybe even cut the man in half. However, the blade bit nothing but air as Amadeus jumped back, the blade barely missing his mid section. Landing, Amadeus quickly kicked himself forward, lunging at Sasuke, ready to drive his knee right into his stomach. However, Sasuke was quick on the recovery, expecting a counter attack. He shifted his body to the side, the knee strike missing. Sasuke wasn't certain, but he swore he heard a soft 'thoom' sound as the attack missed him.

Then, a few feet behind him, there was an explosion.

[Sasuke LT, miss] [Bomber Knee - MT, miss]

Sasuke looked back behind him, clearly surprised. "What the hell!?" He didn't get long to think on it, as Amadeus took the man's momentary distraction to deliver a hard punch to his face. Sasuke cried out in surprise, letting out a snarl before bringing his sword up sharply. This time, he had the satisfaction of feeling his blade connect, as he delivered a painful upward slash across Amadeus' torso. Ah yes, there was the splatter of blood he had been looking for.

[Amadeus' UT, hit] [Sasuke's LT, hit]

However, Sasuke wasn't going to stop there. He had an advantage going and he was going to capitalize. He quickly brought his foot up, delivering a kick squarely to Amadeus' freshly wounded sternum. However, there was no cry of pain. Just a grunt as Amadeus slid backward. What was with this man?

[Sasuke's UT, hit]

Sasuke quickly jumped back, putting some distance between himself and the purple man. He had seen enough surprises from him to not push his luck. "You lot!" He barked to the stunned goons nearby, "See what that explosion was! Now!" The thugs in question snapped to attention. "Y-Yes Boss!" they yelled, before running off to check.

Sasuke gripped his blade as he focused back on his opponent. Despite the good couple of hits, a feeling of dread was welling up inside him. Those hidden weapons, that explosion. And despite having two painful wounds on his body, the man seemed to show no pain at all, or even fatigue as he slipped back into a fighting stance.

There was something wrong with this man. Very wrong.


Post Word Count: 528
Total Word Count: 3670

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Amadeus Rhodes uses:
Bracing (toggle)
Unrelenting Machine (HT) on self
Palm Shot (LT) at Yakagura Sasuke
UT at Yakagura Sasuke


Yakagura Sasuke uses:
LT at Amadeus Rhodes
LT at Amadeus Rhodes
UT at Amadeus Rhodes

The member 'Amadeus Rhodes' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 20, 4, 20

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 15, 7, 18

Sasuke could almost hear his heart pounding in his ears as he stared at the man before him, his blade ready. He had already dealt two painful blows to him, and while the gash along his chest stung, he was still doing very well.

So why did he feel this sense of dread building?

Maybe it was because the man showed no pain. Were those injuries even affecting him? Even now, the man was slipping into another stance.

[Bracing - toggle, active]

No, he had to remember that he was controlling this fight! He had to keep on the offensive! Sasuke shot forward, sword at the ready. As he aimed a downward strike, Amadeus moved to the side, the blade narrowly missing him.

[Sasuke LT, miss]

But he wasn't going to stop there. With the momentum of his swing, Sasuke spun around, kicking out backwards with his foot. He caught Amadeus in the shin, causing his leg to slip out from under him, causing him to stumble. Before Amadeus has a chance to recover, Sasuke spun back to face him, thrusting his blade out at him.

On the sidelines, Chieri screamed as the blade speared Amadeus in the stomach, the blade coming out his back.

[Sasuke's UT, hit] [Sasuke's LT, hit]

Sasuke grinned. This was it! The deciding blow! Now way that man could ignore this.

A hand suddenly gripped his shoulder. Sasuke looked, what he saw causing his face to go pale.

[Unreleting Machine - HT, active]

Amadeus was staring right at him. In the darkness Sasuke swore his one eye was glowing! He even thought he saw something behind the bandage covering his other eye. Something red. In his shocked state, Sasuke failed to notice the fist until it crashed into her wounded torso with incredible force. The cried out, almost coughing up blood as he accidently released his sword.

[Amadeus' UT, hit (critical)]

As he stumbled back, Sasuke watched in horror as Amadeus, with barely any reaction, pulled the blade out of his stomach, dropping the red and black coated blade on the ground. His other arms extended out towards him, his hand spread open. That's when Sasuke saw it. The hidden gun! But it wasn't hidden up his sleeve. The barrel was coming out of his very palm!

Sasuke let out a scream as the bullet tore through his shoulder.

[Palm Shot - LT, hit]

He Painfully gripped his shoulder, breathing heavily as he stared wide eyed at the thing in front of him. All that confidence Sasuke had was now replaced with terror. "Wha....What are you!?"

Amadeus didn't even raise his voice. But beneath that monotone was now something else. Something inhuman.

"A monster."


Post Word Count: 446
Total Word Count: 4116

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Amadeus Rhodes uses:
Pirate Breaker - HT at Yakagura Sasuke
Bayonet Rush - LT at Yakagura Sasuke
UT at Yakagura Sasuke

Yakagura Sasuke uses:
LT at Amadeus Rhodes
LT at Amadeus Rhodes
UT at Amadeus Rhodes

The member 'Amadeus Rhodes' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 4, 19, 7

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 12, 15, 8

This couldn't be real. This had to be some sort of nightmare. When thry kidnapped Chiero, he never expected to be fighting some inhuman monster. Black and red oozed out of the wound Sasuke had inflicted on him. A normal man should be dead from that!

Sasuke's panicked thoughts screeched to a halt as Amadeus suddenly charged. It was like watching a lion diving for its prey. It was only by sheer survival instinct that Sasuke managed to dive out of the way, the fist roaring past him, bellowing like a dragon.

[Pirate Breaker - HT, miss]

Sasuke scrambled desperately towards his blade, grabbing it and turning just in time to see Amadeus closing in on him. In a panicked frenzy, Sasuke started swinging, blood and black flying as his sword connected. But Sasuke wasn't going to stop with that. He swung at Amadeus again and again. He was going to keep slashing at this monster until he finally died. "Die! Die! DIE! DIE!" He shrieked madly.

[Sasuke's LTs, hit]

With a low, mechanical growl, Amadeus shifted to the side, as Sasuke's latest slash grazed him across his cheek. There was a 'shing' of steel, and the purple man swung out with one of his blades. In Sasuke's frenzy, he was in no position to dodge as the blade painfully slashed upwards across his torso. The gang leader barely got time to scream before a sharp kick caught him in the chest, sending the frightened man stumbling back, falling to one knee.

[Sasuke's UT, hit (graze)] [Bayonet Rush - LT, hit] [Amadeus' UT, hit]

Amadeus let out a frustrated growl. His clothes were stained back and red, and the occasional sparking caused his body to twitch. He didn't need to feel pain to know he took far too much damage from that exchange. He needed to end this fight, and quickly.

All the while, a glowing light was approaching. The townspeople were finally coming to help.

Post Word Count: 324
Total Word Count: 4,440

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Amadeus Rhodes uses:
Bomber Knee - MT at Yakagura Sasuke
Bang Punch - LT at Yakagura Sasuke
UT at Yakagura Sasuke


Yakagura Sasuke uses:
HT at Amadeus Rhodes
UT at Amadeus Rhodes

The member 'Amadeus Rhodes' has done the following action : Dice Roll

---

#1 'Reflex Check' : 10, 9, 13

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 17, 14

As much as he would have liked to leave the situation in the stranger's hands, Mr Toriu simply couldn't sit back while his daughter was in danger. So, he managed to round up whatever folks he could and they were heading into the northern outskirts. They were surprised to find those thugs unconscious, and the sounds of explosions and gunfire pushed thrm on even further. But nothing prepared thrm for the sight they were about to find.

On one end was Yakagura Sasuke, beaten, bloodied and terrified. But that was nothing compared to the purple strange. Stained in black and red, his sparking body twitched and jerked, standing there like a marionette.

Sasuke looked back, noticing the rescue party. He didn't seem bother by their presence. Almost relieved really. "H-He's some kind of monster!" He yelled out. With how Amadeus looked, Mr Toriu could believe it. But right now, he had bigger things to worry about. Spying his tied up daughter, he ran along the outside of their 'battlefield' to get to her.

At the same time, Amadeus struck. Lurching forward on unstable legs, he closed in on his opponent, bringing up a fist as a burst of flame jutted from his elbow. Like a bullet, Amadeus' fist drove itself in Sasuke's stomach, painfully driving the air from his lungs.

[Bang Punch - LT, hit]

Sasuke wheezed, before quickly steeling himself. He couldn't let himself fall here. Not to this monster, not with these people watching. Clenching his teeth, he brought his blade high over his head, both hands gripping the blade. With a loud cry, he brought the blade down hard. Amadeus couldn't will his body to move in time, before blood and black oil splattered on the ground.

[Sasuke's HT, hit]

Amadeus grit his teeth. That was devastating blow. He couldn't go on after a hit like that. But he had a job to do! With a surge of strength, his hands grabbed hold of Sasuke's bloody clothes, bringing his knee up sharply. The following explosion sent the gang leader flying back, bouncing across the ground before he slid to a halt. Grit and guts could only carry someone so far, as the young man laid there unconscious.
[
Bomber Knee - MT, hit]

Amadeus stood there, swaying weakly as the strength slowly left his body. Jerkily, he looked over, seeing that Mr. Toriu had untied to his daughter. The young woman was now hiding behind her father, while Mr Toriu seemed ready to defend his daughter from the monster in front of him.
Not that it was needed. Without a word, like a puppet with its strings cut, Amadeus crumpled to the floor.


Post Word Count: 443
Total Word Count: 4,883

COMBAT TRACKERS:

The sky was still dark when Amadeus' eyes slowly opened. Just how long he had been laying there, he wasn't certain. His body felt stiff, difficult to move as he tested his various joints and limbs. The damage had been quite extensive, but he could at least move again.

"I figured you were still alive."

Amadeus slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. The camp was deserted, except for the older gentleman he recognized as Master Miyuga and his student, Toshiro.

"The others believed you were dead," he continued, "But some of them wanted to make sure. We volunteered to wait here just in case."

Amadeus gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "And now what are you going to do? Finish off the monster?" Master Miyuga shook his head. "No. The others were no doubt frightened, but that doesn't change that you did a great service for us this night. No demon would have put themselves on the line so willingly for no compensation like that."

He looked up at the early morning sky. "I know outside this island, there are all sorts of strange and unusual people. Many whom folks here would consider demons. But it's their actions, not what they are, that I feel defines them. You may not be human, but you are not a monster."

Amadeus slowly pulled himself to his feet. It was clear he had difficulty moving, but it was enough, for now. "That being said, I should make my leave." Master Miyuga nodded. "That would be best. I'm sorry."

"At least let us take care of your wounds!" Toshiro cut in, before being cut off by a gesture from Master Miyuga. Amadeus shook his head. "I have what I need back on my boat. Besides, I doubt any doctor would want to see me. But I appreciate the offer all the same."

Without another word, Amadeus turned and limped away into the darkness. Master and student watched him walk away. "Toshiro," Master Miyuga finally spoke up, "I want you to remember what happened here tonight, and to learn from it. Strength and skill, but a man's most important asset is the will and strength of character to use it."

Toshiro could only nod quietly as in the distance, the sun began to rise.

[End]


Post Word Count: 380
Total Word Count: 5,263


[Due to being K.Oed, Amadeus' Iron Framework is broken]