The Valley of The End {Yami vs Lunar Knights}

[Kodoku Itami]

-Earth Rending Battle-

The Lunar Knights were making their way across the Mons-Montis Mountains, aiming to reach the ocean on the other side and catch a ship out to their next destination. To get there, they had to cross a valley, in which stood two titan statues, massive of stature, said to be a location in which gods had battled in the past. A valley in which a similar battle was about to take place. As they reached the head of one of the statues, two figures suddenly appeared on the head of the opposite, both wore black cloaks with a red cloud design adorning them. One of them clearly had glowing red eyes, onyx black hair with a blue tint, and held a sword in one hand. The other had blue hair and an easy-going smile. They were Yami.

"AMATERASU!"

A line of black fire suddenly blocked the Lunar Knights from going any further, a black line of ever burning fire that wouldn't disperse until Kodoku Itami commanded it. Since recruiting Natas/Alvaro, he'd spent most of his time practicing with the technique, and he was becoming proficient in it, although it still significantly drained his energy levels, as well as damaging his eyesight in his left eye.

"So..." Itami said, pointing the Sword of Kusanagi across at the large group. "I paid heed to your advice, Rin. I've gotten stronger." He smirked, as lightning surged up and down the sword as if in a display of power. "And this time... I won't be going easy on you..." He looked back at Natas, and gave him a nod. "Make sure the others don't interfere." He turned his attention back to the Lunar Knights. "Well, Rin? Shall we end this..?"

[Natas/Alvaro]

Natas nods once to Itami. "Of course, sir. I'll gladly keep them at bay for you." He laughs once, closing his pink eyes. The black cloak was blowing with a light breeze, and he was very much enjoying the feel of it on his skin. "I'll get to it at once." He says, bringing the bandanna over his face and gazing over the Lunar Knights. "Hello, everyone. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Natas."

And his hair quickly blackens and his eyes turn ghost-white. "And the name is Alvaro! Hehehee!" He quickly reaches to his waist and grabs the hilt of two black daggers. "Give me your names, LEGENDARY WARRIORS! LET ME KNOW WHO IT IS THAT I KILL TODAY!"

[Rin Tezuka]

I grin lightly. "Sure thing, Trench Coat. Let's do it. But let's take it away from these guys here... I don't want them getting caught up in this. I've gotten stronger, too." A faint flow begins around my nubs, slowly turning into a pair of mechanical arms, with blades on the elbows. Metal seeps into my right shoulder, spelling out "R1N."

"I got an upgrade, Trenchy. Let's see if you really got stronger, or if you're just bluffing. Because I definitely got stronger..."

[Kurai Horo]

 Kurai's eyes widened at the sight of his former student stood before him. And who was this that he was travelling with... What was his name? Why did he look so... Oh Lunars... He suddenly took a few steps forward, already raising his headband up to reveal his Sharingan, he was pulling no punches here today.

"Itami-kun!" He roared "Natas-san!" He clenched a fist. "What are you doing here, attacking my students?! Did service under the Ariadelventians teach you no sense of honour?!" He looked across at Rin, the scarred eye picking up her high energy levels. "Rin, be careful... They're both assassins, trained to kill... Alvaro is dangerous. I'll take care of him, right now!" 

He started making hand seals. "Traitor!" He yelled.

"Fire style; Pheonix flower jutsu!" 

He exhaled a huge number of fireballs in the direction of the former assassins.

[Kodoku Itami]

Itami sneered at the fireballs sent his way by Kurai-Sensei. Did he honestly hope to beat him with a technique he had taught to him?! He made his own hand seals, admittedly limited to one hand, but it did nothing to affect the furious speed at which he formed out the necessary combination.

"Fire style; Great Fireball Jutsu!"

He exhaled a massive fireball that absorbed the ones heading in his direction. He knew that Alvaro would be able to take care of himself. Looking across at Rin he spoke. "Let's take this away from all these distractions, hmm?" With that, he leaped from the statue, down into the valley below. Landing on the water, he didn't fall through... The water erupted around him, but he floated on top, balanced on his feet. A trick taught to him by Kurai, by channelling energy to his feet, he could stand on almost any surface, defying gravity.

He looked up, waiting for his opponent.

[Rin Tezuka]

"Snazzy little trick," I call down after him. I step off the edge and raise my arms to my chest, forming the hand sign that Blindfold had begun teaching me. I was told to focus my inner energies... to the bottom of my feet. I hit the water , half of my legs submerging in the water, before I had risen to the top. "Hm. Looks like I'm getting it down now..."

I smirk at Trench Coat. "Alright, Trenchy. Get ready to fight new-and-improved Rin Tezuka. Arr-One-En." I tap my metallic thumb to the metal decal on my shoulder. "So really, hit me with your best shot."

[Kodoku Itami]

"So... She's being taking lessons from Kurai-Sensei... She'll know the basics of my fighting style then, things like the Lions Barrage won't work..." He looked down at his sword. He hadn't implemented it into his fighting style until Kurai-Sensei had left for this mission. It was his best bet. Looking up, he smirked. 

"You're not worthy of my best shot, I'm saving that for someone else, Rin." With that, he rushed forwards with barely visible speed, before unleashing a barrage of strikes and slashes at his opponent. He was vibrating the sword with his lightning energy, the blade could in theory, cut through anything.

[Natas/Alvaro]

Unsheathing the blades, Alvaro began a mental chant.
"Powers of Shadow, the Unverse of Him, shield me from harm..."

The fireballs that were aimed at him hit solidified shadows from nearby trees, raised into the air. "Hehe! Ohhhh, now I remember you! That eye! Kurai Horo! That eye is very distinctive!" it couldn't be seen, but underneath his mask, he was flashing his fangs in excitement. "This is going to be fun! Taking down the famous Kurai Horo, and all his tiny Knight companions! Happy day!"
The hair turns green and eyes pink as Natas takes control. "Hehe, please pardon me, Mr. Kuroi. But I'm a bit crazy right now... I just can't wait to take you apart~ Hehe~" Natas holds out one dagger, long and black, at Kuroi, the other held horizontal in front of his chest. "The best of luck to you, Mr. Kurai." And like a black-green blur, he dashed off and struck at his red-eyed opponent.

[Rin Tezuka]

Small metal slabs had appeared to take the blow from each strike. I had expected the lightning. It was what he always did. And each metal slab was cut in half or shattered. "Predictable, Trenchy. Sure you don't wanna use your trump? How about that Chimaury of yours?" I grin, ducking below him, spinning in a full 360 to swipe with the elbow-blades. I sink into the water a bit more, and hold still, focusing the energy back to my feet, and resurfacing. "Trenchy... Blindfold and I both agree that you're on the wrong path... Revenge won't get you anywhere."

Telling him my real intentions would definitely goad him into doing more. And it would get the message across. "You could join us. Kuroi won't admit it, but he misses you."

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

I watched from the background, unsure of what to do. THis seemed personal, between Rin, Kurai, Itami, and whoever the green-haired/black-haired man was. A corrupted, evil aura emanated from him; a corruption of my sister's darkness, to be sure. He wasn't a necromancer, or an undead, so his presence didn't make me sick, but it was disturbing, down to my very bones.

"Rin," I called out to her. I understood personal battles, even if I didn't approve. "Be careful. Ryn's watching over you; you can do this!"

I felt a hot gaze on me, turned slightly to meet SHin's glare.

"Rin," he called out, "why are you doing this?" I watched him run over to her. "You've got nothing to prove. At least... don't do it alone."

[Rin Tezuka]

"Heheh... thanks, Blondie." I wasn't speaking loud enough for them to hear. I didn't want to yell. "I trust in Ryn. We're linked, so it's nothing to worry about. Ryn and I can do it..."

But I chuckle lightly at Shin. This time I spoke loud enough for him to hear. "Keep away, Shin. Think of me as a bear. I'm cute and huggly, but I can hold my own... Especially now from the training from Blindfold. But this bear is gonna turn into a dragon. A big... metal dragon... I'm going to show him that revenge and anger aren't real strength. So I do have something to prove. Stay safe up there!"

[Kodoku Itami]

"You've got it all wrong..." Itami said with a smirk as he continued to slice through the globs of metal that formed to block his strikes, his chokuto sliced through them with absolute ease. "You seem to believe that I plan to grow stronger through following the path of revenge and anger..?" He shook his head, leaping away from Rin, he pointed the Sword of Kusanagi at her, lightning started to jumping up and down the blade, increasing the vibrations even further, the blade started to release a deep heat from it's edge.

"Do I look at all angry to you..? No. The only way for me to grow stronger is through pain, suffering and loss." He suddenly rushed forwards towards Rin again. "I have to sever every bond that I have with my old life! Ariadelvento, Ignis, Kurai-sensei and even you!"

He poked Rin on the forehead, a small smear of blood evidence of the contact. He went to walk past Rin, but stopped right next to her, their shoulders practically touching.

"And now I'm busy." He said aloud, giving a sincere, warm smile. "Thank you, Rin of Chalybs. I owe all of this to you."

He leaped up into the air, his sword burning with electric power as he plummeted down towards the water, and to Rin, his opponent. "We created a bond of friendship, then!" He roared as he came down. "And now I have to sever it!"

He swung.

[Kurai Horo]

"Damn it." Kurai cursed as Natas came at him, reaching to his side he pulled out a kunai knife and disappeared, becoming an equally silver and green blur. They'd both been trained in similar arts of speed and assassination, this wasn't a simple matter of who could strike the hardest or move the fastest, this was just as much a battle of wits as it was a battle of hide-and-seek.

Despite both being nearly invisible, the occasional spark would show the location in which their knives had met, trying to go at one another. Kurai only had the one advantage, his Sharingan, it let him see where Natas was coming from and act accordingly. Making seals with his free hand as their blade clashed again, he suddenly reappeared, backflipping away from his opponent.

"Raiton; Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A second Kurai suddenly appeared in a puff of smoke and took up his assault, whilst the real Kurai backed away for the time being, it was time that he went about making the necessary preparations for his next assault, he needed to be faster if he had any hopes of besting Natas and Alvaro. It was time that he used it again, not that he had since the Lunar Incident...

[Rin Tezuka]

Electricity... runs through water. I knew that. I jump a little off the water, and land on a hovering slab of metal just above where I was standing. "Trench Coat. No matter what you've said so far, you're wrong." I raise my right fist at him, the barrel of the weapon attached aimed right at him. "Friendship makes you stronger, not loss..." Really. Where would I be without Blondie or Blindfold. 'Guo as well... And Dai. Losing him, ten years ago... It wasn't the loss that made me stronger, but the desire to see him again.

"I'll make you see that, Kodoku Itami. I'll turn you away from that path..." I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "...even if... Even if I have to cut off your legs and drag you out myself... I specifically told nobody else to intrude on this." My eyes snap open, the gun barrels on each blade twisting and turning into short-range blades, decorating the knuckles in spikes. "I never washed off that blood stain, either. It's still kind of there. Like paint. But it's more like a memory... It might not be seen right away, but it's there."

I curl the left side of my mouth up into a half-smile and tap my left metal-thumb on my chest. "You're stuck with me, Trench Coat. And as a friend... I'll always make you stronger, and pull you from your darkness. I'll just keep coming back." And with that, I begin running. Each step creates a smooth metal walkway underneath as I charge Itami. It was kind of fun... talking big like that. It felt right, but it was too... out of character.

I leap off the last platform I created and grin, pulling back my fist to strike. "Open your eyes, Trench Coat!" With that, my fist snaps into a full punch.

[Natas/Alvaro]

"Kurai Horo!" Natas had jumped back and held a defensive stance, quickly swapping to Alvaro. "I much respect your skill! Your reputation precedes you, but actually seeing it is incredible! It makes it that much more satisfying when I take your life! I hope you've written your will!" He crouches low, jumping forward into a direct spiral. Blades held in an "X" pattern to match his bandanna, he began to laugh wickedly, the gargled-echo distorting it to the sound of a demon.
((Please note, Alvaro's voice is rather similar to HIchigo))

He launches a strike at Kurai, but it is blocked. Much to his desires. "Now I'm close enough!"
Mother of Shadow, End the light. Make this man know woe, give him flight!
Alvaro's own shadow created a whip that split the clone in two. "And now it's your turn! Fly, old man!" Kurai's own shadow wraps around his ankles, pulling down a bit.