13:

[savetheliving]

[Apparently, the appearance of thought bubbles over everyone's heads hasn't stopped Ryuuko from taking another trip to the holosuite. She seems to be ignoring them at the moment, though; the thin, red strip of fabric in her own thought bubble goes unnoticed as her eyes sweep the maze of white platforms and staircases that surround her

Comments

[heresthebasics]

[Isshin strafed away from the attack before charging in for an overriding slash.]

[savetheliving]

[Ryuuko turned to the side, allowing the blade to narrowly miss her. She leaped back to put some space between herself and Isshin as she aimed another arrow.]

[heresthebasics]

[Isshin jumped down a narrow set of stairs dragging his sword along for attention. Arriving at two parallel walls he dashed between them and landed on a cliff a few meters behind Ryuuko. It took him fifteen seconds. Sixteenth second, he moved at Ryuuko and attempted to slash across her back.]

[savetheliving]

[She used hirenkyaku to get to another platform, where she began firing a barrage of arrows down at Isshin.]

[heresthebasics]

[Isshin shunpoed out of the way, leaving behind a trail of dust. He climbed up to the bottom of Ryuuko's platform.]

Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens.

63. Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down

[Saying the incantation as fast as he could, two blue lights erupted from Isshin's palm and crashed into the platform's support. He jumped away in order to avoid the falling rubble.]

[savetheliving]

[Upon feeling the platform start to fall Ryuuko retreated to a ledge by the wall of the room. She raised her bow and waited for Isshin to come within view.]

[heresthebasics]

[Isshin edged along the smoking wreck. He watched for Ryuuko, and made sure she was right in range]

Sorry about this. I don't mean to be a one trick pony. But if it works...

63. Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down

[The first ball of fire charged for the base of the ledge while the second aimed for Ryuuko herself]

[savetheliving]

[Moving several metres to the left, Ryuuko fired several arrows in the direction the blasts had come from to drive Isshin out of hiding.]

[heresthebasics]

[Isshin climbed through a forest of stairs before approaching Ryuuko. Coming out from the side he kicked her hands aside and moved to cut her throat.]

[savetheliving]

[Ryuuko, slightly thrown off balance from the kick, ducked to avoid the sword. A second later she had left the ledge and was on a platform taking aim at Isshin with her bow.]

[heresthebasics]

[Isshin sidestepped around her.]

Geki

[A red light surrounded Ryuuko's body and halted her where she stood. He lifted up his sword and carrried it to her neck.]

It was a mistake to let me get so close.

[savetheliving]

[She seemed at least mildly disappointed with losing the spar, judging by the (depressing? Tired?) grey cloud in her thought bubble.]

It was.

[Ryuuko shook off the binding spell and put away her weapon.]

But some work on your kidou is needed.

[heresthebasics]

[Isshin took the sword away, sheathing it. A thought bubble of Isshin holding a trophy above a crowd while they push Ryuuko on the floor appears.]

It's this body. I'm not at full strength yet, whatever that will be. Although, look who's talking. You were holding back more than I was.

[He looks up and sees his own thought bubble.]

I'm not thinking that! [He tries to fluff it out but it bounces through his fingers and reforms around them.]

Ignore that. We need to get out of here; I left my body outside.

[savetheliving]

[Ryuuko looked on, eyebrow raised, as Isshin tried to hide his thought bubble. Otherwise she ignored his antics as requested.]

With an artificial soul, no less.

[Ryuuko stood and waited for Isshin to move first.]

[heresthebasics]

[Isshin shut down the holo-suite and heads to the entrance. He pushed open the door, watches it swing and then walked through it.

Letting a moment pass, he popped his head back through the wall.]

What're you waiting for? Let's go.

[savetheliving]

[Ryuuko wordlessly follows after him, though her thought bubble shows that she's currently considering a smoke.]