The 1st Night

[Donovan Siroaki]

Donovan could see that Zeke was rather exhausted and decided to interject.

"Alright bud, I think you've done enough for now. How bout I take over and you rest," he said placing a hand on Zeke shoulder and giving him a friendly smile.

Zeke was ingenuitive and artistic, and those were his greatest assets in Donovan's opinion. In combination with his quick wits, it made Zeke a strong contender in a fight. The only thing that made him weak was his soft heart and childish attitude. These are things that he would later inform Zeke of, but possibly with a little more tact.

Looking Kouji's way, a smirk crept across his face. "Are you ready to go another round, kid? I'll inform you now that I'm not going to go as easy as Zeke here. To train you gotta push your limits, and you look like you've still got some pushing to do."

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

Kouji smirked. "I wouldn't ask for it any other way, 'old man'."

He disliked people referrign to him as 'kid'. He took a fighting stance and didn't say another word.

[Donovan Siroaki]

This battle would be interesting for Donovan. He was used to performing killing blows and nothing more against the noise and reapers, but this battle would have to be played a little differently. He wouldn't have to focus on the sharpness of his blades, nor making them dense enough to break bones. Instead, he would have an opportunity to experiment more with his telekinesis, and work on strengthening the more creative aspects of his fighting style.

"Lets get things started then, shall we?"

Pulling three of his deck out of their holsters, he proceeded to shift two decks worth into the shape of a large claymore, which floated at his side rotating slightly, while the other deck stayed in his hands in case Kouji got to close for the sword to strike him. Ready to commence the battle, Donovan started by having the blade take a large sweeping, horizontal slash at Kouji. Playing defensively, Donovan waited in place, and watched Kouji's movements waiting for an opportunity to follow up with another attack.

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

*Kouji blocked the attack with his staff and stepped back, still on his guard. This time, instead of taking an offensive style like he did against Zeke, he went otn the defensive - he hoped to draw Donovan out and provoke him into making a mistake as he circled the card-wielder.

[Donovan Siroaki]

So he wants to play the range game, eh? Guess he doesn't realize that staff of his only covers several feet and that my cards cover a much larger radius.

Pulling his sword close, he places it on his back, where it seems to stick via some unseen force, allowing Donovan to bring it out again for later use. Reaching to his belt, he pulls another deck out of its holster and shapes the cards into a bevy of non-bladed chakrams. Throwing them in a shotgun fashion, several of them careened towards Kouji head on while the others made wider arcs, aiming to strike him in his sides and back.

Hoping Kouji would be smart enough to dodge the attack by charging forward and blocking the chakrams, Donovan readied the sword on his back to thrust forward, hopefully catching Kouji off guard.

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

Kouji, however, didn't think conventionally. Noticing the attacks coming from all directions, he did what he would've done 'back then' - he ducked the fast-moving charkrams and then leaped backwards from a crouching position, jumping over the side-arcing ones. He held out his staff in front of him.

"What, you think I've never done this before? Please. Come up here and show me a real fight."

His words were sharp - he was still trying to provoake his opponent, a time-honored way of luring them into doign something stupid.

[Donovan Siroaki]

The boys words were sharp, but Donovan wasn't stupid. Kouji was playing the luring game and playing it well, but Donovan would not be so easily provoked.

"Nice, but I don't think you've ever dealt with this before!"

Donovan had never thrown chakrams before, so most would be confused by his ability to aim them so well. In all reality, he was using the control he had over his cards as a means of directing the projectiles, and that meant that they weren't going to travel the path that most thought they would. As the chakrams missed Kouji, they suddenly swept around and, once again, careened towards him, this time as an omni-directional barrage rather than a 3-layered attack.

Donovan was hoping that he could send something more Kouji's way but the complex control of the chakrams required his full concentration. I'm gonna have to switch tactics soon, controlling these is difficult enough as it is without having to worry about their sharpness and the density and weight needed to actually cut upon landing. I'll have to switch to something simple so I can rest up for another, more complex attack.

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

Crap, Kouji thought, realizing that the charkram were coming back around. He's got psychic control over those things, and I'd better not forget that again.

He tried to block some of them, but couldn't manage to block all of tham, and took a few hits because of it. It probably would've been better for him to close to hand-to-hand, he realized, but it was too late by then.

Still, he wasn't going to give up. Even after taking the hits, he got back to his feet.

"Nice tactic," he complimented.

[Donovan Siroaki]

Donovan smiled. It was nice to know his tactics had some effect on thinking, Human opponents, as opposed to the noise he had spent most of his time fighting.

"You're pretty good, kid, I'll give ya that, but you gotta think about you opponent and what they can do. Trying to play the luring game only works on an opponent that realizes they can't fight well from a distance. I was confident that you didn't have a range game, and placed myself accordingly, but hey, that's why this is training."

With that said, Donovan quickly pulled the chakrams back, split them up into their individual cards and placed the deck back into its holster.

"You good to keep going, or you wanna rest for a bit before we continue?" inquired Donovan, realizing the Kouji had been fighting for the longest out of both of them and that he could probably use a rest. Donovan may have been a misanthrope, but he still acknowledged hard work and and believed that people deserved what they earned.

"You can sit out for a bit if you want and Zeke and I'll go a round. Sound cool?"

[Kouji - Hikari no Shiro Okami]

He shrugged. "I'm not too tired, but why don't you and Zeke go a round, since I was rightfully beaten, fair and square."

He wasn't lying when he said he wasn't really all that tired - he was trained in martial arts and had high endurance - but that didn't mean he didn't welcome a break.

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke agreed and stood up, though hesitantly. He knew this was coming but a lump in his stomach told him he had hoped that both Donovan and Kouji would have tired each other out past the point where he'd have to spar with his pact partner.

"Okay Don, are you ready? Don't think I'll go easy on you just because we've had to fight together for one week." Zeke said, unsure of the validity of his last statement. The brush came out, poised to act against Don. He hoped that the older man would have the conviction he didn't to start this, and maybe then Zeke could feel better about the whole thing.

[Donovan Siroaki]

"I wouldn't want it any other way, partner," said Donovan as he adjusted his sunglasses.
Okay, with Zeke i've got to get in close. That brush offers to much variability from this distance and if a can get close, I'll just have to keep my peripherals on where his brush is and I should be alright. But I've gotta move fast, and I think i've got just the thing.

Slapping a couple cards to the bottom of his shoes, Donovan gets into a pre-running stance and looks at Zeke.

"Ready or not buddy, here I come!" With that, Donovan hovers off the ground slightly and come barreling towards Zeke, using his cards to glide towards Zeke faster then he could run. Getting closer by the second, Donovan makes a simple five-card long blade (dull, of course) and poises to swing at Zeke, if he can get close enough before Zeke halts his movement though.

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke stepped back startled a little at Donovan's quick start. He had to smile to himself just a little. Figures you wouldn't hold back there Don. Thanks. Seeing the card-wielder gaining ground with each moment, Zeke's brush fired out in front and sloshed out an volley of corked arrows to try and keep Donovan at bay.

As the volley lauched forth towards his mock foe, his brush stayed in close to Zeke, counting on the fact that Donovan would break through his first attack. It twirled around right behind Zeke, letting only a few random lines extrude from beyond Zeke's frame. He grinned at Don with an air of mischief about him. Come on buddy, I've got a surprise for you.

[Donovan Siroaki]

Donovan had witnessed Zeke corked arrows and the way he had used them to move Kouji around as he wanted in their mock skirmish. Don was guessing that Zeke was doing the same against him, but the problem was where did Zeke want to him to be positioned? Donovan needed to get close, but he had already lost the advantage from his initial attempt and decided that he would have to try and manuver closer slowly and cautiously, rather then bull-charging straight at Zeke.

Dropping to the ground, Donovan rallied his cards together to form a Spartian style shield and spear. Having seen the effectiveness of this combination in books and historical documentaries, Donovan thought it would provide to right means to get close to Zeke. Deflecting the arrows with the large shield, Donovan slowly shifted his way towards Zeke keeping the majority of his body behind the shield and his spear at the ready.

Donovan's biggest worry at the moment was his inability to clearly see what Zeke's brush was doing as it twirled and danced behind him, creating some manner of hidden assault, but this simply fueled Donovan's creative juices as he started to create his own hidden attack from behind his shield.

[Zeke Omoihake]

Zeke looked on with awe at Donovan's handiwork. He'd never seen it done at all, save for today, and thought how cool it was that the simple cards were effortlessly deflecting his projectiles, while the spear stared at him menacingly. However, the large shield gave Zeke an idea. He charged forward, his brush right in tow as it flashed towards Don's spear, hoping to disarm it. In the brief moment that his spear moved away from facing Zeke, he leapt in the air aiming a diving two-legged kick in the direct center of the shield.