Matthew decided that, seeing that there was a lot more company than expected, it would be best that Yusuke switched places with him. The ominous mist surrounding the dojo did not seem to have much to do with the newcomer, who was already using some sort of combination of energies to warp reality around him. He was familiar with these sort of abilities and their pitiful conceptions based in the user's belief that they held supreme control over existence. It was time to show him that he was threatening the wrong people.
"Urameshii," said Matthew, "Leave the newcomer to me. In the meanwhile, you should keep your eyes open for that incoming mist and any other presences that have made themselves known here."
Slowly, Matthew walked down the steps towards the winding tendrils emitting from the spherical aura emanating from the newcomer. Matthew's eyes were not decieved at all. He could note the intricate weaving and combinations of ki, psi, and mana around the sphere. By connecting the flow of energies to his thought processes by use of psionic tendrils emanating through the multi-energy barrier, the man within the sphere would be able to alter reality through the combined energies as if it were a cybernetic uplink...depending o the target.
What a dishonorable maneuver. Matthew would have much rathered a sword fight without all of the songs and dances, but it seemed as if simple things wouldn't cut it. Nevertheless, Matthew was not without his own resources.
"Hm...mana...psi...ki...all of them energies of the body and mind to a degree," said Matthew, "And yet the body and mind sadly fall short of spirit. This technique of yours can bend reality to your will, but do you truly believe that existence itself is on your side? Shoushi!"
He slowly unsheathed Muramasa, his strongest blade. But what could he possibly do with what seemed to be a normal Japanese sword. Unlike most swords, the mystical properties of the blade allowed him to use it as a conduit for the energies he himself wielded. He held the blade out in front of himself as he pressed against the blunt edge and ran his hand down the blade, covering the sword in a burning blue aura of spirit energy. However, spirit energy wasn't the only thing able to be sensed from the blade. The spirit energy had with it an incredibly searing feeling of righteousness about it, as if there was an aspect to it that gave it more protection than normal spirit energy. But that wasn't enough, was it?
No...but that was not all. Azrael had taught him in the ways of the reapers and their own abilities concerning planes of existence and dimension. In order to seperate the souls of the dead from their bodies, reapers had to cleave through the dimensional fabric that bound those souls using a specific empyrean energy designed for severing such links. Originally, Matthew was only able to utilize such abilities through Transcendent form. But through enough training, he had learned how to harness this power without needing to be in his transformed state. It was at that moment that the blue spectral flames on his blade began to turn red, and the blade itself shone an incredibly bright red.
Matthew did not want to use this as a fighting maneuver, but merely to show his opponent that using such seemingly infallible maneuvers could prove to put him at a disadvantage compared to a much more straightforward fight.
"It is time I showed you the wrath of He who really controls reality!" he said as he lifted the blade above his head and brought it down on one of the psionic tethers that was rooting itself through the ground so that he'd have a secure target while keeping aware of the other tethers in the area. Rather than sticking to the target to allow his opponent to alter the reality of his sword, the aura surrounding the blade opposed the psionic wavelength, thus protecting it. Furthermore, due to the blade being used as a conduit for this opposing energy, the blade would cut through the dimensional fabric that held the psi together, severing the tendril and causing the psionic energy on the cut off end to disippate. The recoil from the severance would send psionic feedback back to the man within the aura, the backlash causing enough discomfort for alarm, as if he could actually use this technique in some way to inflict pain through some alteration.
His opponent would probably not have expected that Matthew had some means by which he could counter such an apocalypic force. Then again, dealing with apocalyptic forces was within Matthew's line of duty, as was Yusuke's. Perhaps noticing the flaw in his reality alteration technique would spur him to use his powerful energies for direct combat rather than sneaky maneuvers. Strategy was not a game to be played with against Matthew.
Matthew then raised a hand in front of his face in some sort of Buddhist gesture as something began to change in his eyes...mostly along the irises. At the moment it was too far away to truly notice, but if his opponent's eyesight was as perfect as he expected, he would be able to notice that his irises had turned black, his pupils white, and the kanji for the phrase "kongou kengo" or "adamantine". "You hide powerful weapons within your clothing," he said, hinting that he was able to notice the hidden weaponry he had. It must have been because of what he did with his eyes, "Yet you disrespect me by trying to do away with us with an apocalyptic maneuver that will not have the desired effect you've been seeking. Come...show me you have more of a warrior's spirit."
