802 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
17 Years
Female
"Steelheart"
Student-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tetsuko Shindou on Feb 24, 2020 9:49:07 GMT -4
Breathe in. Breathe out. Four Seasons. Four Kata. Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Acceleration. Quickness. Deceleration. Steadiness. See them all as one; visualise the circle that links them. Four Seasons as one; Four Kata as one. Tetsuko repeated those principles in her head, reiterating them until it echoed in her mind. The aspects of the Four Seasons were integral to the four advanced orthodox kata of Jikishinkage-ryū. They would be vital in her upcoming battles, their importance to her performance could not be stated… At the same time, they were also a key part of her other ‘goal’ in this tournament. Breathe in. Breathe out. Of the four kata, Tetsuko only knew three fully. The kata associated with Spring, Summer and Autumn. The last one had eluded her, the most difficult one to achieve; Winter, which would complete the circular and holistic nature of her martial art. It was natural girl for anyone practicing this style of swordsmanship, to reach the final kata; to see the truth of the Marobashi Kata. Yet, one could argue a tournament was not quite the place to do so… Therein lies the difficulty. Tetsuko’s goals were interwoven. Breathe in. Breathe out. Before she knew it, it was time. Time to go and face off against her first opponent. With her resolve steeled, Tetsuko strode forth, into the arena that they’d be fighting in. A charming recreation of Stonehenge, it seemed. Interesting. As Tetsuko entered, walking slowly and calmly, the announcer talked her up. They imitated the same introduction she’d given in last year’s tournament. They told of how she was Tetsuko Shindou, also known as Steelheart. U.A.’s #1 Student. Granddaughter of the Iron Will of Kashima, and Daughter of its Silver Hand. If these titles meant much to her, she did not show it, as Tetsuko actively avoided thinking too much about them. A year ago, she would have held her head up with pride, and looked to her family’s honor. But she now knew that family wasn’t so honorable. Her Grandfather, the Iron Will of Kashima, had hidden his past of bigotry, and in doing so, unwittingly created villains that threatened her family. Her Mother, who Tetsuko loved dearly, was crippled and broken, and the Shindou girl knew not what her own victory meant to her… Her position as the #1 was something she could at least hold pride in. Yet, these days… Tetsuko doubted she was worthy of such a position. In short, due to family drama, everything was one big fucking mess. Tetsuko had been scarcely able to sort it out, leaving her will… O faded rather, her reason to fight dreadfully uncertain. Tetsu hadn’t even confronted her family on what she’d learned about them yet, and was terrified to do so. She feared losing this pillar of her motivation that was her pride in her family. In turn, her ‘reason to fight’ was uncertain. In turn, she sought to use this tournament to try and find some sort of inner guidance. In turn, she had decided to use her martial art and the thrill of combat to do so… It was all a terribly complicated affair. Walking across the grassy plains, Tetsuko would walk through one of the stony pieces of Stonehenge, and come to a halt, as she heard her opponent being announced in. Fortunately, even though Tetsuko’s reason to fight was uncertain, her will to fight remained. Why this was so was something else she wanted to find the answer to. For her first round of this tournament, Tetsuko’s first opponent was Haruuhi Hajimari. An old friend, one might say, as they’d both been part of the ‘original’ Disciplinary Committee. That was a long time ago, however, and Haruuhi had long since left due to her own… Personal problems. Tetsuko may have judged her back when she first heard about it, but with all the bullshit she’d been put through herself, the swordswoman better understand the temptation for such vices as alcohol… Their history aside, Haruuhi was actually a pretty tricky opponent for Tetsuko to face. Although the Shindou girl was fairly confident she had Haruuhi outmatched in raw combat ability, the other girl had something that Tetsuko was somewhat lacking. Technological intellect. Although Tetsuko had a honed mind for combat, when it came to Maths, Science and Technology, she was sorely lacking. As such, her normal innate ability to build her own tactics around the fighting styles of her opponents, to act with the best move at the best time… Might be jeopardised by how utterly unpredictable her opponent’s technology could be to someone like Tetsuko. The swordswoman wouldn’t be able to discern what anything’s purpose was at a glance, nor what features it held. Haruuhi had the ability and tools to pull out all kinds of tricks; Tetsuko didn’t exactly have the tech-smarts to see them coming. Her thoughts embedding her deeply in the combat mindset, Tetsuko took another deep breath. If she was to find her own inner guidance, she would need to look to her art, to use each kata to complete the Four Seasons. So, it was quite fortunate, that what Tetsuko thought might be the most useful form was also the first in the sequence. The Shindou girl held out her hands and iron flowed out freely, forming a rather large blade that she held two-handed. A long katana, a greatsword of sorts. An ōdachi. Holding it in a high stance next to her head, Tetsuko would walk further into the outer ring of Stonehenge, her steps methodical and prepared, her large blade ready and waiting. This was a fairly conservative form, and highly effective in difficult terrain like the rocky hedge around them. Spring Form | Tō Kata Keeping her guard high and ready, Tetsuko would look about for Haruuhi. If the girl had decided also to meet her in Stonehenge itself, and wasn’t hiding or anything, the Shindou girl would address her, bowing her head respectively. ”Haruuhi-san. I’m glad to have you as my opponent. I want you to know… There isn’t anything I hold against you for what happened with the Disciplinary Committee. So, let’s have a good fight, hm?”She wasn’t sure what compelled her to mention that. Perhaps, with the lies she’d been exposed to… Tetsuko simply wanted to lay the truth bare, and let this fight speak honestly. Honesty, after all, was the only way she’d achieve her goals. "Four Seasons... All as one... First is Spring. So let this fight bloom!"
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577 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
16 Years
Female
"Radio Tower"
Student-Rank Quirk:
U.A Third Year
Played by:
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Post by Haruuhi Hajimari on Feb 24, 2020 21:45:20 GMT -4
Today was the day, the first matches of the tournament was going to start, and of all friggen people to be paired up against she had to be up against Tetsuko! Not only was she the number 1 student at school, but she had been her senpai in the disciplinary committe. She was sure she had let Spymaster down, and in turn let Tetsuko down as well. She’d honestly done a good job avoiding her since she was forced to leave/wanted to leave the committee.
‘Oh my god, Oh my god, Oh my god, whyyyyy do I have to be paired up against Tetsuko!! I can’t win this! How is this fair like at all! Why not pick someone like… like Darren or I dunno, Rowan up against her! They’ve got a lot more fight! I jsut wanted to show off my cool tech and get noticed…. UUUUUUGGGGGG I CANT. WHY WHY WHY’
She thought to herself in an absolute panic as she walked out into the replicated arena. Thanks to her helmet, you really couldn’t see the massive freakout of expression on her face at all. Outwardly, she looked pretty calm and collected as she walked up.
Haruuhi showed up to the stonehenge arena like she was sort of friggen terminator. A cute, kitty eared, terminator. With a dog. They had been allowed to wear their hero gear this year, and as such haruuhi had pulled out all the stops. Her outfit was simple enough, a black tightly fit jacket and pants, along with a yellow biking helmet with cat ears perched on top. The ears had visible speakers inside, and you could faintly hear the hum of music coming from them if you passed the girl by closely enough. Around her waist and thighs you could see various pouches and pockets with god knows what kinds of gadgets hidden inside.
Meanwhile,. At her heel was a rather large, blue and tan robotic dog. On all fours, he reached Haruuhi’s waist. He was a very well crafted machine, truly looking like a hound except for the lack of fur. Had he been wearing a pelt, the only giveaway would have been his glowing red eyes.
As she came to a stop, she placed her hands on her hips with as much sass as she could possibly muster in this situation.
‘Calm down master, if your waves are all over the place like this, I can’t properly follow your orders’
His voice went unheard to everyone around them, being projected through the radio frequency the two shared. She looked down at the dog, gently placing her hand on top of his head, still internally screaming at her shitty luck.
‘Don’t worry boy, I know I’m going to get my ass beat here… but let’s make this flashy as fuck. Besides, it’s not like they can see my face or know who I am right -?’
She caused in her silent communication with the pup when the announcer introduced Haruuhi for the very first time. Unlike the elaborate introduction that Tetsuko was given, her’s was much more… undesired. At least in her opinion. She was introduced of course as a tecchy, the one who created this robot dog and blah blah blah, but then they mentioned him. The girl who escaped Thundershock and lived. Her blood ran cold, but out of sheer panic and instinct she pointed a finger at the announcer, the speakers in her ears suddenly blaring out not only her voice, but music along with it.
“You’re damn right I did, and I’m only going to keep getting stronger and stronger until I become number one and take him down!”
She announced quite grandly as she grew her finger in then made a thumbs down.
‘OMG WHAT DID I JUST SAY AM I CRAZY!? NUMBER ONE!? NONONONONO’
She internally screamed at herself, just audibly laughing as if she was full of confidence.
She then turned her helmet to face Tetsuko, music still blaring out of her ears.
“I wasn’t looking for forgiveness senpai. Every time I fall only gives me one more reason to stand again. Now get ready! Because I plan to win!”
‘Robodog. Run straight at her then feint away from her sword hand and start right off with the flamethrower.’
She told Robodog silently through their link. Haruuhi extended her right hand forward as if she was about to do something in relation to her quirk, but just then Robodog sprang forward with a mechanical howl, running straight at Tetsuko to do the feint Haruuhi ordered him to.
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802 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
17 Years
Female
"Steelheart"
Student-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tetsuko Shindou on Feb 28, 2020 0:13:55 GMT -4
Tetsuko took note of Haruuhi's attire and equipment as she entered. As expected, the tech specialist had entered with an outfit that prioritized storage ability. There was no way of knowing what was in all those pocket until she pulled them out, so Tetsuko had to be ready to react at a moment's notice... Fortunately, her reflexes were honed, and she was used to reacting to an attack after it had already begun. The principle behind her counters, go no sen, was the principle of 'post-initiative'. That is to say, 'moving second, striking first'. With how utterly unpredictable Haruuhi's technology was, such a principle would be pushed to its limit... To say nothing of the menacing robot dog she had at her side. This would be a dangerous 2-on-1 if Tetsuko wasn't careful, or didn't move quick enough. Keeping her keen blue eyes fixed on the other girl, the Shindou girl would hear her own announcement. Haruuhi had more than a few achievements to her name, mostly regarding technological feats. Though, the mention of her ordeal with Thunder Shock did seem to be a bit much... Yet, it did prompt a rather enthusiastic claim from Haruuhi. Tetsuko's raise her eyebrows in surprise, those words shocking her with how vigorously Haruuhi proclaimed her intention to become number one, to get stronger and stronger... 'So that's what she's fighting for... What am I even fighting for? What did I fight for..."/color]For a moment, an almost sorrowful smile colored Tetsuko's face. An inexplicable sense of guilt came over her, but she quickly shook her head, pushing it aside. Whether or not she had her reason didn't matter; for Tetsuko, despite the deep conflict, confusion and anxiety she felt over her own reason to fight... Still wanted to fight. So she would. Tetsuko Shindou would fight to find out why she'd fought all this time. Haruuhi confirmed there were no hard feelings over everything that had happened with the Committee, and Tetsuko nodded and smiled at her, feeling lightly relieved. "Then I'll give you my all." Tetsuko had made her own promise now; to unleash the full force of the Tō Kata upon Haruuhi Hajimari! Gripping her blade with both hands in a center-line guard, Tetsuko was ready for the other girl to make the first move. The robot dog came her way, and Tetsuko stepped forward, ready to try and block it and hopefully cut down the hound - only for it to suddenly unleash a sudden blast of flame, prompting Tetsuko to dash back and have iron flow out to armor the shoulder it would've hit! The fire wasn't all that hot, more for show than anything... It looked like Haruuhi was giving her a hint of what was to come. Tetsuko patted down any lingering flames, holding her blade in a low guard as she narrowed her eyes on the dog... And Haruuhi past it. 'It's too much of a gamble to go straight for her... Against her tricks, I need to be hyper-practical. That means handling the dog first...'The Shindou girl gave another deep breath, bent her knees in stance and felt iron flow through her body. With her own will, she took 'hold' of that iron, some veins coming more pronounced and taking on a metallic hue. Spring was the season of blooming, of bursting forth with speed!
Unpo : Suisei
運法 : 水星
Motion Method : Quicksilver
Tetsuko sprung off her feet, rushing forward towards the RoboDog. With efficient but rapid steps, she approached the mechanical beast, reading her long blade to the side. When she'd closed the gap, Tetsuko would swing her long ōdachi in a wide movement as she dashed toward and to the side of the dog. This was an ideal approach technique for such a beast of a weapon, using its size to try and cut an arc right through it!
Tō Kata : Matsukaze
韜之形 : 松風
Spring Form : Whistling Wind
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577 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
16 Years
Female
"Radio Tower"
Student-Rank Quirk:
U.A Third Year
Played by:
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Post by Haruuhi Hajimari on Feb 28, 2020 21:23:58 GMT -4
The music just continued to blast from the speakers in her ears, probably drowning out the sounds of their voices to the crowd watching them above. Probably for the best, as she didn’t really want the crows to hear anything sappy she or Tetsuko had to say. The only time her voice would be heard over the music, was when Haruuhi purposely lowered it to let them hear her, like when she announced that she was going to become the new number 1. Of course she didn’t specify number one in what field…
She didn’t dwell long on it as Robodog charged forth, sliding off to the side before unleashing a torrent of unexpected flames on Tetsuko. Naturally, the flamethrower was nothing to the girl who quickly got out of it’s area of effect and brushed the flames off as nothing more than a nuisance. Haruuhi clicked her tongue, slightly annoyed that the fire itself didn’t do more… like burn her clothes, or singe her hair, or something to show the crowd it had been effective. Instead it just looked like a dud.
‘Bummer, well there’s more where that came from! Get ready robodog!’
Haruuhi spoke to the beat through their link. Robodog would seem to dig his heels into the stadium below, bracing itself as he bared his fangs at Tetsuko once the flamethrower was hidden within his jaw once more.
'Isn't about time you started using my name, master?'
That’s when Tetsuko stared them down, moments before sprinting towards the robotic K9 with her sword at the ready by her side. Haruuhi just smirked behind the safety of her helmet, promptly reached two of her pouches then launched a circular ball in the air. She then opened both hands, and used her radioblast to project the ball towards Robodog. It promptly exploded in the air in front of the creature just as Tetsuko arrived to cut him to ribbons. Heavy smoke immediately filled the area around both robodog and Tetsuko, obscuring both parties from one another.
There was no hesitation in Robodog’s movements as he leaped up high into air, leaping straight out of the cloud of smoke before diving right back in, aiming to use his heavy body to land where Tetsuko once stood and knock her over. Meanwhile, haruuhi had ended up launching a handful of microchips into the air as well. Those were pretty small, so would be harder for anyone to see, whether it be Tetsuko or the crowd. These did nothing yet but litter the arena around herself and robodog.
WC: 427
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802 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
17 Years
Female
"Steelheart"
Student-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tetsuko Shindou on Mar 1, 2020 22:23:02 GMT -4
The Tō Kata was the kata associated with the Season of Spring. Like all kata in her style of swordsmanship, this Season was in turn tied to a specific 'tempo'. For Spring, for the Tō Kata, that tempo was 'Acceleration'. As such, every movement in the kata was designed to pick up speed, to burst forth and strike with force. Just like the explosive growth brought about Spring, Tetsuko would let her power and speed bloom as a deadly blossom! That was the power of this kata! As such, the swordswoman burst forth with her Whistling Wind, a gap-closing technique that aimed to be an ideal opener to any engagement, one that let the wielder set the terms with a wide slashing arc to either put the opponent on the backfoot or cut them down right away. However, this would prove more difficult against a non-human opponent! Swordsmanship wasn't designed to deal with beasts, after all. Neither was it designed to handle machinery... And this RobotDog was both! Of course, the interference from Haruuhi didn't help either. As smoke clouded her vision, Tetsuko's slash missed, and vision of the area immediately around her was obscured. A tricky tactic to be sure. However, the Shindou girl quickly readied for a second attack, following the momentum of her attack through and twisting her waist back, coiling herself and ready to strike... The RoboDog wasn't in her vision, having evidently leaped up and over her blade, which meant... Just as Tetsuko realized what the dog's plan was, its shape came down on her from within the smoke. The swordswoman had barely a moment to react, stepping back and raising her blade to block as the RoboDog's weight began to bear down on her. Buckling her knees, she staggered back, her balance broken by the metal monster. However, before she could fall to the ground by its weight, Tetsuko used her blade to unleash her counter attack! Even though her balance was broken, she was in a fine position to swing. This was, after all, what the Tō Kata was made for! Powering a slash with her hips and coiled waist, Tetsuko swung her blade in another powerful arc, trying to slash the RoboDog or at least get it off of her before she fell. Even though she had little grounding, using the power in her waist muscles let this core-driven strike have plenty of acceleration and power! Tō Kata : Teppa
韜之形 : 鉄破
Spring Form : Iron Breaking
If successful in fending off the dog, Tetsuko would drop to a knee, unable to regain her balance in stance, before standing up again. An unbalanced stance, poor visibility, terrible footing... With a waist-powered cut, none of that really mattered. The Tō Kata had been molded by the history of swordsmanship, eventually coming to be designed as the kata taught by many Headmasters to soldiers in the feudal era. It was a kata designed for use on the battlefield; direct and practical, to be used where nothing was certain and every stroke mattered. It was the ideal form to use against the uncertainties that Haruuhi's trickery created. |
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577 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
16 Years
Female
"Radio Tower"
Student-Rank Quirk:
U.A Third Year
Played by:
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Post by Haruuhi Hajimari on Mar 1, 2020 22:52:51 GMT -4
Haruuhi smirked as she watched the ongoing battle, Robodog appearing above the cloud of smoke just as she had ordered. While Tetsuko was busy dealing with her companion that was now crashing down against her, Haruuhi took the opportunity to litter the arena further with her gadgets. She launched a flashbang, along with a few more microchips around the arena while staying in her spot. No need to make Tetsuko suspicious of her traps by moving from her current location~
Meanwhile, Robodog came crashing down onto Tetsuko, fangs bared as the animal took a horrifying snap at her face. It was illegal to truly harm your opponent though, and so Robodog had aimed more for a scare tactic on that one. Instead, his front claws aimed to dig into her flesh, while his hind legs sought something to stand on.
There wasn’t any time to get a good footing however, as Tetsuko swung her sword once more in an attempt to get him off. With no good foothold, and the fact that Tetsuko hadn’t toppled over, the swing did it’s job, slamming into Robodogs side and sending him flying out of the cloud of smoke once more. You could see some damage to robodog’s frame from the impact, a few pieces of his frame were cracked and dented. His claws skid across the ground, screeching loudly until he could come to a full stop.
He didn’t give Tetsuko the time to recover however, immediately running right back into the dissipating cloud of smoke, charging for Tetsuko once more. This time however, he was aiming to bite down on her sword arm to get her to let go of that blade.
‘Okay okay okay… she’s so focused… it’s like nothing bothers her… her moves are so precise, she’s obviously practiced a lot with that sword… there’s no way robodog is going to get past it… and it’s damn expensive to fix him too… what do I… oh yeah!’
She tried to strategize to keep her panic at bay, though her heart was racing a million miles an hour. She’d never been in a serious fight like this, and while she was horrified, it was like her mind was leagues ahead of her, looking for potential outcomes and strategies as things happened in front of her.
Using her quirk, Haruuhi searched through her phone for one sound in particular she knew could distract anyone. Even just thinking about it made her skin crawl. As soon as she found it though, the music in head speakers started dying down and was instead replaced by the sound of screaming metal at a decibel that would no drive anyone insane. All in an attempt to distract Tetsuko. She could already see the croud screech and cover their ears to protect themselves from the accursed sound.
WC: 470
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802 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
17 Years
Female
"Steelheart"
Student-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tetsuko Shindou on Mar 4, 2020 22:24:17 GMT -4
It was an interesting experience, fighting this RoboDog. Tetsuko wasn't exactly used fighting robots or animals, and here she had the chance to do both. It required some tweaks to her fighting style, but fortunately, the hyper-practical Tō Kata was straightforward enough to be applied easily to non-human opponents. Furthermore, thanks to the strength of her blade, she was more than capable of damaging this mechanical beast. Her iron breaking managed to smash the RoboDog away, damaging it and leaving her at an advantageous position, where she could prepare for another counterattack. Having armored parts of her body where the dog's claws had tried to dig into, Tetsuko was relatively alright herself, this dog not being quite as deadly as its appearance implied... Before she could think on it much more, the RoboDog charged in for another bite, and Tetsuko was immediately preparing her counter, lowering her two-handed sword into a low guard, leaning her weight slightly forward to prepare to try and finish off this roadblock. 'Dragon Tail should be the right move here... If I hit it well, I'll pierce right through.'The Shindou girl gripped her blade tightly, almost achieving the perfect timing on her movement... Only for an infernal screech to ring out, throwing off her focus for just a moment long enough for the RoboDog to lunge at her with a bite, inside her range! It was more the surprise of the noise than anything, which had cost her a key opportunity... Cursing internally, Tetsuko released one hand from her sword, shoving her forearm into the dog's face as iron flowed out, covering it in a thick metal armor. It was akin to the dog-training armor that police used, only made of her pure iron. As the dog's teeth latched onto her armor, Tetsuko would also try to block out that infernal sound, a powdered iron flowing from around her ears and hardening over them in makeshift earplugs. Hoping to still have the dog's teeth in her arm's iron armor, Tetsuko would quickly shift her other hand upwards on her sword, gripping it around the tsuba of the long hilt. Although she couldn't get a full swing at this range and with just one hand, she was still able to put body weight behind a short swing with her sword, she would sharpen the blade and draw it back as she impacted against the metal dog, aiming to tear it apart with a powerful draw cut! Tō Kata : Kyoko-Shaku
韜之形 : 曲尺
Spring Form : Carpenter's Square
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577 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
16 Years
Female
"Radio Tower"
Student-Rank Quirk:
U.A Third Year
Played by:
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Post by Haruuhi Hajimari on Mar 5, 2020 22:30:39 GMT -4
Success! Robodog bit down onto Tetsuko’s arm, though didn’t draw the blood he had been hoping to get. Instead his teeth bit down onto what could only be compared to a metal tube surrounding Tetsuko’s arm. The iron that protected her being more than strong enough to stop the mechanical beasts fangs from finding their target. However that didn’t mean Robodog let go. Quite the contrary, the beast would just bite down harder, using the grip he managed to get to tug on Tetsuko, shaking his head left and right in a true police dog way of trying to bring down an attacker. He was trying to drag her off balance, and hopefully get her down onto the ground.
‘Gadian!’
Haruuhi called out to the dog as Tetsuko still seemed quite capable of swinging her sword with the sloppy grip she still had on it. The red haired girl braced herself, extending both hands forward and aiming a powerful, invisible blast of radiowaves aimed to smack directly into Tetsuko. Maybe if she caught her by surprise, she could knock her right out of the ring!
Even with Haruuhi attacking Tetsuko however, the blade was too close to Robodog for her attack to stop it. The blade easily collided into the side of the mechanical animal, piercing through the outer armor of it’s frame, and even cutting through quite a few internal components. Thankfully it wasn’t enough to cut him cleanly in half, but it was enough to cause the animal to yelp loudly, releasing it’s grip as it stumbled backwards. With the cut as deep as it was, and positioned towards it’s hind quarters, it was near impossible for robodog to stand up at that point. As he fell backwards in a heap, what looked like oil began to pool underneath the animal, staining his frame as he scrambled to get back up onto his feet.
Robodog did manage to stand again… or at least, half stand. His hind legs rendered useless and dragging behind him, but his front paws were both on the ground and holding him up. The sound that escaped robodog was a mix between a snarl and a whimper… a sound that made Haruuhi gasp as she took a single step forward, though stopped abruptly so she didn’t disturb the trab she had set. She instead chose to push the intensity of her blast, hoping now to just distract Tetsuko from Robodog. The last thing she wanted was for him to be destroyed… if his black box was destroyed… sure she had a backup but losing him again? She wasn’t sure she could take that just yet...
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802 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
17 Years
Female
"Steelheart"
Student-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tetsuko Shindou on Mar 8, 2020 22:37:56 GMT -4
This really was the ideal form to be using for this complicated opponent. The Tō Kata had, over time, been adapted to be the primary basic form that many military instructors from Jikishinkage-ryu had taught to soldiers seeking combat training. As such, it was designed to be straightforward and hyper-practical, something that any wielder of the nodachi could use to great effect. On a proper battlefield, you didn't have the luxury of sure footing, of always being able to take a firm stance, of being able to unleash a clean swing. In that chaos, you needed the ability to generate power and lethality from any position. That was one of the underlying principles of the Tō Kata, the Spring Form of Tetsuko's style of swordsmanship!
Kyoko-Shaku was a technique designed for combat in very close quarters, when it wasn't always ideal to have a two-handed grip, lest you be swarmed in close range. Sometimes, battle was just a struggle for dominance, and sometimes all you needed to do was kill your opponent in that struggle, pressing the weight of your body against a powerful drawing cut... Having armored her arm against the dog's bite, Tetsuko still felt some of the pressure, but her thick iron wasn't going to yield any time soon. Even as the dog struggled with her, Tetsuko used that close-quarters technique to show her own fangs, her own ability to fight for dominance and survival. However, as she unleashed her attack, Tetsuko noticed Haruuhi extending hands towards her, and felt a strange and powerful force smack into her as she sliced the RoboDog! Tetsuko quickly anchored her feet to the ground, metal spurs keeping her feet in place even as she was knocked back a decent amount, shaken from the force. Her sturdy body, full of iron, meant she could bear the brunt of it, but she wasn't about to take a hit like that again without putting up some resistance. As the dog slipped back, Tetsuko felt the power of the waves still pushing against her, gritting her teeth as her feet began to slide back, even as she raised her sword to block damage to her body. It was time she upped her defense... Tetsuko raised one of her arms to the onslaught of radio waves, iron flowing out and forming a simple but sturdy round shield to block them, absorbing a lot of the damage even as Tetsuko grit her teeth to bear the force! Fortunately, with this defense, she could still step forward, and as she held her blade in one hand at her side, began to march readily towards Haruuhi... As Tetsuko did so, however, she noticed that the RoboDog wasn't making its move, and looked somewhat damaged... As the intensity increased, a thought did cross Tetsuko's mind... "I won't damage your robot any more if you withdraw him! If you wish to preserve him, I will respect that choice!"
This odd wave of confusion and uncertainty washed over Tetsuko for a moment, her march briefly stopping. Haruuhi clearly cared for this creation, and was willing to fight so fiercely beside it... Tetsuko fought with uncertainty deep in her heart, yet still had done damage to her opponent... Was fighting without grasping one's reason... No, now was not the time for such doubts. Doubts would only cause further disrespect to her opponent... Resolving to take her focus off of the RoboDog, Tetsuko turned once again to Haruuhi. Charging in was a possibility... However, it seemed unwise. Instead, Tetsuko was going to try and make herself an opening... There was one other 'hyper-practical' tool a samurai had, after all. Tetsuko's nodachi quickly began to change shape, the iron twisting and forming something unmistakably different. It formed a simple metal bow, complete with a string! It was different to typical Japanese design, instead seeming more like a traditional recurve bow. Tetsuko made sure she had marched into range, and as she formed an arrow in her other hand, angled herself to block the powerful waves while also pulling back and unleashing a blunt arrow straight at Haruuhi! Heki-Ryū Kyūjutsu: Hanare
韜之形弓術 : 離れ
Heki Style Archery : Release
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577 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
16 Years
Female
"Radio Tower"
Student-Rank Quirk:
U.A Third Year
Played by:
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Post by Haruuhi Hajimari on Mar 11, 2020 20:40:04 GMT -4
This was bad… really bad. She couldn’t get close to him or reveal all of her traps… she had to just keep Tetsuko’s focus on her, but when she managed to summon up that iron shield to protect herself… Haruuhi’s confidence in herself dropped. How could she do this without Gadian..? How could she do this alone?! She hadn’t had to fight on her own yet… she always had people to support, to do the fighting for her… she just guided them…
Her heart started to pound heavily in her chest as she stopped blasting Tetsuko with the radiowaves. She couldn’t do it… she couldn’t win without! Even if Tetsuko swore not to hurt Gadian, SHE would still get hurt, and she didn’t know how well she tolerated pain since then...
‘Haruuhi, keep going. I have enough power left to sustain myself for some time. You said you were going to make it to number one, to show you aren’t that little girl anymore. You promised you would show them all you had grown. Go! Even if you lose, make it spectacular! This is a show, this isn’t him!! Do it!’
Robodog barked loudly all of a sudden, his voice however only being transmitted into Haruuhi’s helmet and mind. To the outside, it would look like Robodog decided to start just incessantly barking at Tetsuko as the girl shifted her attention from the mechanical beast to the girl.
Haruuhi straightened up as if snapping out of a trance. There were tears starting to well up in her eyes as the anxiety attack began to creep over her. But thanks to Robodogs words, and the mental nudge the beast gave her to move forward, Haruuhi’s legs suddenly did just that. Her left knee suddenly bent, her arms coming up with open palms as a reflex. Haruuhi bent down, shifted herself a bit to the right and brought her hand up into a high block, all while manipulating the radio waves around her. The semi circle motion of her hand had the radio waves promptly circle around the arrow, pushing it away from Haruuhi and causing it to pierce into the stadium floor to her left.
Not that the motion got her out free of harm though, the arrow had started to hit it’s mark. There was a long gash in Haruuhi’s right forearm that tore through her glove and suit, causing blood to start pouring from the wound. However, the alternative was a piercing arrow into her body.
Okay… this was serious, Tetsuko wasn’t pulling any punches! Haruuhi reached into her belt as she stood back up straight, promptly grabbing a flashbang and tossing it out between herself and Tetsuko! Her visor would make it so that the light was tolerable for her, but blinding for Tetsuko! She reached into another pocket, then tossed the smokescreen immediately behind the flash bang so that it would further irritate Tetsuko’s eyes, even if she managed to clear them from the blinding light!
Under the cover of both light and smoke, Haruuhi used her empowered leg bracers to leap up high and far to close the gap between herself and her opponent. She wasn’t a close range fighter, but at a distance there was nothing she could really do against a bow…
Haruuhi wound up above Tetsuko and the smoke, bringing both hands and feet down in front of her, using all four limbs to release a massive burst of waves towards Tetsuko from above!!
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802 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
17 Years
Female
"Steelheart"
Student-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tetsuko Shindou on Mar 16, 2020 9:37:43 GMT -4
Were those tears, that Tetsuko saw? Her eyes only caught them for a moment, and guilt flowed through the Shindou girl once more. Someone such resolve in spite of her limitations... Someone like that deserved an equally resolute opponent. They deserved someone who could stand proud for what they fought for. The 'Haruuhi' that the swordswoman faced did not deserve did not deserve the conflicted and uncertain 'Tetsuko' of today. The Shindou lass faltered in her intent, but kept moving. For as shrouded as her own mind felt, Tetsuko felt her own determination. The determination that didn't come with a reason to fight; but with the resolve to fight until she found that reason. It was all she knew how to do, after all. Tetsuko had started pulling out one of her newer tricks, her use of unconventional archery, to loose an arrow Haruuhi's way. The blunted arrowhead wouldn't quite meet its mark, however, as Haruuhi had managed to divert it with those invisible waves, though hadn't spared herself a bruise on the arm. Nonetheless, a skillful deflection. The ironblooded girl was ready for a counterattack, and Haruuhi delivered, throwing out a familiar looking grenade between Tetsuko and herself. Taking the safe option, Tetsuko raised her shield up, blocking her face. The flash of light irritated the corners of her eyes, but didn't blind her too much, fortunately. Her vision would still end up being impaired, however, thanks to the smokescreen that quickly followed! Tetsuko stepped back, keeping her shield high and shaping her iron bow to return to the shape of two-handed sword... Under the cover of smoke, however, Tetsuko would only catch Haruuhi's shape at the last moment, raising her shield up to take some of the force as she dashed backwards. However, with such a strong force from overhead, even Tetsuko couldn't maintain her balance. The force slammed into her, her sturdy shield taking some of the force, and her well-built body taking the rest. Even then, it was like being hit by a vehicle, the swordswoman falling backwards and sliding on her back until she rolled into kneeling position. A few bruises on her body, Tetsuko looked up at Haruuhi. The other girl was really giving it her all.. It would be wrong of the Shindou girl not do the same, and yet... For a moment, Tetsuko hesitated. Right now, she greatly respected all that Haruuhi was doing, yet still questioned her own resolve. Really... Tetsuko couldn't stand her own thoughts right now. So she'd let her blade find the words. 'If it's out of respect... I can still give you my strongest.'It was time to push the limits of the Tō Kata. It was time to accelerate. Iron flowed through her veins, giving them a metallic shade once more.
Unpo : Suisei
運法 : 水星
Motion Method : Quicksilver
Her bow had forced Haruuhi to close the distance or risk an assault of arrows, but now Tetsuko was in prime position to make the most of her specialty. The swordswoman would rush towards Haruuhi, brandishing her blade in a low stance until she got close, before unleashing a powerful thrust right for Haruuhi's bruised arm with her blunted sword. Her hands twisted as she unleashed the thrust, giving it some extra force!
Tō Kata : Ryubi
韜之形 : 龍尾
Spring Form : Dragon Tail
However, her combination attack didn't stop there. If Tetsuko wanted to keep up her acceleration, to pit her all against Haruuhi, she'd need to keep going! Pivoting from her thrust, whether it was successful or not, the Shindou girl would rapidly spin on the spot, bringing up her blade and swinging it down at Haruuhi's collarbone with a powerful spinning strike!
Tō Kata : Enren
韜之形 : 圓連
Spring Form : Successive Circle
'Even if I can't answer it anymore... The question of what I'm fighting for... I can still fight. It's all I know how to do, it's the only path to learning I know. It's the only way I over learned how to show 'gratitude', too... So I will fight, Haruuhi-san... Out of respect for you, as a strong opponent, who might show me the way down this path!'
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577 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
16 Years
Female
"Radio Tower"
Student-Rank Quirk:
U.A Third Year
Played by:
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Post by Haruuhi Hajimari on Mar 17, 2020 19:58:53 GMT -4
(must be played together)
With her heart beating so quickly and the adrenaline causing her mind and body to move on it’s own, haruuhi began showing more martial prowess than she ever had in the past. Every step that she took was as if her past was nipping at her heels, urging her to charge forward and prove that it would always be behind her, driving her forward. Her tall leap showed just how much strength the girl had come to possess at U.A. The leap she had taken for a better future not just for her… the power behind her downward strike filled with her resolve to win. To prove herself to everyone watching, to her family and most importantly to prove to herself that she wasn’t that weak little girl anymore!
Her strike connected with Tetsuko with a ferocious intensity, knocking the girl down and launching her backwards across the arena. Not wanting to give her an inch, haruuhi ran after her, huffing heavily from behind her helmet, trying not to show an inch of the exhaustion she felt. With a wave of her hands, she set off a multitude of the small bombs she had scattered about the arena. She detonated the ones nearby Tetsuko and hoped to use them as another guise to get in close… however tetsuko came charging towards her as if the bombs had been nothing at all! The look in her eyes different than they were this entire fight.
Haruuhi had to quickly skid to a stop, bringing her arms up in front of her in a defensive stance, pushing her injured arm out to try and block the brunt sword, but a stifled scream escaped Haruuhi’s lips, muffled by the helmet. The pain that coursed through her arm caused Haruuhi to freeze, unable to move as her mind was overcome with the ghost pains of that night. The pain to her arm inflicted by Tetsuko was very, very real… and it scared her.
She stumbled backwards, holding her arm tightly to her chest as she started to take short and sharp breaths as another whimper escaped her lips.
‘Haruuhi, stay calm!’
She could hear Gadian’s words clear as day, but they did nothing to help calm her… the tears flowed from her eyes as she panicked. Thankfully, her panic was short lived as Tetsuko continued on the offensive and suddenly struck Haruuhi square in the collarbone as she had intended. Another cry escaped Haruuhi’s lips as the girl crumpled from the impact, hitting the ground hard at such an awkward angle. The corner of her visor cracked and shattered pieces of the dark tinted glass lay strewn on the arena.
Haruuhi did not move to get up after that, her eyes now over flowing with the tears of the fear and anxiety that had haunted her for well over a year… she couldn’t do it after-all… she hadn’t grown at all since then… she was still that weak little girl that would never amount to anything, that no one would ever be proud of…
The sound of a snarl suddenly snapped the girl out of her own thoughts for just a moment, looking up above her…
As Haruuhi’s fear and anxiety truly started to take over, Gadian had managed to shakily get himself back up to all fours. It wasn’t by any means pretty, oil leaking everywhere, his legs hardly straight as the metallic beast ran for Haruuhi. Whent he girl hit the ground, Gadian stepped over her while facing Tetsuko. The beast snarled menacingly, barking once at Tetsuko as he kept Haruuhi firmly protected beneath him, indicating that the fight was done. He would make sure Haruuhi stayed down… his master was exhausted both physically and mentally, he could feel that much… If she tried to keep going any further, she would only embarrass herself. At least this way she had managed to show off as she wanted… she had managed to put up quite the tricky and interesting fight.
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802 Posts
1 EP
EXP
Total
17 Years
Female
"Steelheart"
Student-Rank Quirk:
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Post by Tetsuko Shindou on Mar 21, 2020 8:17:38 GMT -4
Tetsuko's whole self seemed to be protesting as she set forward, charging directly towards Haruuhi. Why was she doing this, when Haruuhi may well have deserved to win over her? Why was she yet fighting, with such uncertainty in her heart. Tetsuko felt guilt and pain, but suppressed them both. It didn't matter why. It didn't matter if she felt doubt and unease. All that the Shindou girl could do was embrace the essence of the form she used. The To Kata, the Spring Form, was all about acceleration. So Tetsuko did just that; she accelerated. Forward.
Always forward.
All she needed was a bit of fuel. The realization of her own gratitude towards the people who had set her mind on the future, and always moving forward, was that fuel. The gratitude towards a strong opponent, who Tetsuko hoped to learn from, was a spark in and of itself. It ignited her, and Tetsuko shot forward with Quicksilver once more. This mighty charge of hers was a great supplement to the swordplay of this kata, and was an excellent way to lead into her devastating combination.
Even as the bombs exploded around her, Tetsuko charged forward. Even as her heart sunk with conflict, she accelerated. If there is uncertainty, then move forward. That was what those she who she was most grateful to had taught her. So Tetsuko continued to accelerate. To bloom.
Dragon's Tail was a powerful thrusting technique, great at dealing damage to an opponent's limbs. It was also effective against vital points, but that was harder to pull off. Furthermore, targeting the limbs also allowed it to be chained into the most powerful technique of the Tō Kata: Successive Circle. This was a technique that was designed to both feed off of the speed of a previous technique, and generate more momentum. It was the essence of acceleration.
With it, a rush came over Tetsuko. Something clicked within, as her acceleration reached its peak. Her hit landed, and Haruuhi was felled, with the swordswoman remaining still for a few moments after. Frozen, entrapped by a void of silence.
Her mind was snapped back to reality with the barking of the robodog in front of her... Tetsuko looked to him in confusion, and glanced to Haruuhi. A mistake, really. For as Tetsuko saw those tearful eyes through the cracked helmet, that guilt washed over her once more.
Tetsuko immediately realized the meaninglessness of this victory.
In a silent gesture, Tetsuko would stand up straight and bow her head, before stabbing her sword into the ground. The girl halfheartedly raised her hand, as though to signify the fight was over, before looking to Haruuhi.
"...I'm sorry, Haruuhi-san... You shouldn't have lost this fight."
Empty words, Tetsuko recognized. But if she did not say this, they would tear her apart from within. "You did not win because you lacked resolve... Yours was greater than mine. You knew precisely what you fought for, and you fought well... You are strong, Haruuhi."
The Shindou girl glanced into the crowds above. Somewhere in there was her Grandfather, her Father and her Mother.
"I will keep fighting to become someone who deserves the strength I have."
With that, Tetsuko would release the grip on her sword. Unarmed, she stepped forward towards Haruuhi, hands up to indicate she wasn't a threat anymore to Gadian. If he didn't intervene, Tetsuko would help Haruuhi up, and help her out of the arena. A show of good faith, she hoped. Tetsuko took another glance up at the stands, thoughts swimming in her head.
'I won not because of 'resolve', but because of the strength you gave me... Now, I need to find a reason to have that strength... Because our 'pride' isn't enough anymore. Not when I know what it's wrought...'
The 'pride' Tetsuko had fought for, that her Grandfather had instilled in her... Was the same one that got her Mother's head cracked open. The Shindou girl was aware more than ever that she needed to move forward, to find a reason she had this strength... To find a purpose beyond 'pride', beyond 'gratitude'.
This fight had accelerated her onward, now... She just had to maintain that momentum.
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1,835 Posts
0 EP
EXP
Total
26 Years
Female
"Miss-Many-Thread"
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Post by Rosey on Mar 31, 2020 9:35:44 GMT -4
Tetsuko has 612 exp and gained 44(x2) = 88 exp
Haruuhi has 273 exp and gained 30(x2) = 60 exp
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