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For such a big man, Qwy was far too agile for his own good. Again displaying liquid grace and an astonishing mastery over his center of balance, the druid drops backwards with the blocked right chop. The first counter-punch would graze his chest as he wove back and clockwise in circular motion, a few landing solidly in his stomach and the rest whiffing to the sides.

As the uppercut threatened to blow Qwy's head off, the man would exagerate his roll greatly enough that his entire body with leaned to the left (yusuke's right) of the uppercut, raising his own right arm perpendicular to the ground and wrapping it serpentine around Yusuke's own as he goes. Yusuke's right upper arm and shoulder were now solidly tucked into Qwy's armpit, and when the larger druid bends down the smaller fighter is bent slightly with him. Qwy places the back of his left forearm across Yusuke's thighs and lifts mightly to fling him head over heels through the air behind Qwy.

The whole exchange would take bare moments and used very little power on Qwy's part, instead turning Yusuke's own against him. If the former Spirit Detective was lucky he wouldn't clip a tree until he had lost some momentum.

Ahhh, there is the fighter I have heard about. Please, pay naught attention to my words for now. Later they will return to you in your time of rest. For now, be assured that Life's Web would not be enough to tame your battle lust.

More energy ripples across Qwy. Blue dancing over his brow and sinking into a round tattoo on the Sixth chakra, red leaping and bounding across his arms to dig into his hands. It is from these last that Qwy follows up on his throw, spinning as he speaks and raising his hands palm open to point the jagged tattoos in the general direction of where he flung Yusuke. Massive gouts of flame, pure energy in fact, spit from the Druid's hands. They would roar and splash across the newly grown forest, with whatever did not strike Yusuke (and a good deal of spillage besides) spreading wildly like napalm.

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Infinite Rage: 3
Seeing Winds: 2
Life's Web: 1
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Qwy wasn't waiting around for Yusuke to compensate now that he was on the offensive. The big man wasn't going to give a brawler like Yusuke time to plan. Two more gouts of flame spit from his hands, not nearly as potent as the previous ones but larger in area. They spread out in a large wave that would wash over the greenery and Yusuke alike without even the heat to burn hair. The danger wasn't from the flames however, but what they concealed.

The druid charged, moving with the same liquid grace and cutting out the obstacles in his path by simply passing through the trees at a run instead of going around. As the flames whirled and disappeared, Qwy jumps into a tree close to Yusuke. He wouldn't come back out the other side either, instead opting to disappear...

At least, until he drops silently out of the branches above like a falling stone.

Qwy's legs were extended to slam his heels into Yusuke's skull, but the wasn't the worst of it. More dangerous was the dead black tattoo scribing itself into his gut below the first one. As Qwy fell, the tattoo's affect would become frighteningly clear. Like a wave, the crippling weakness would slam into Yusuke. Qwy's aura, once peaceful and muted, was now cold and draining. Like the very essence of Night was reaching out to plunge its icy grip into Yusuke's chest and wrap its frigid fingers around his heart.

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Life's Web: 3
Infinite Rage: 2
Seeing Winds: 1
Nght's Reach: 4
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What does it look like is happening boy? Use you eyes, because I for one won't be telling!

Really, a flying axe kick isn't something most people see outside of movies. None the less, Qwy leaps across the short distance between the two bringing his left leg up and scything it down pulsing with a red aura. Whether the kick connected with Yusuke or the fighter dodged and Qwy strikes the ground, the impact would be an explosive release of energy.

The axe kick would be followed by a quick one-two punch, fists glowing with the same energy for release on impact. And all the while the tide of that grim aura would crash against Yusuke's spirit energy, eroding what it could not drag away entirely. If Yusuke dodged away this time, Qwy would give chase and continue throwing power-loaded punches. He was a tad more conservative than Yusuke had been, not over-committing himself with big moves and content to let the power unleashed by his attacks chip away at the former spirit detective.

Unseen but for the traces of white energy they scroll across the tops of his shoulders and the sides of his ribs, a fifth and final tattoo in white and black scribes itself into the small of his back. The effect is clear however, as that same white energy rolls back out across Qwy's body in a scintillating pattern.

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Life's Web: 2
Infinite Rage: 5
Seeing Winds: 1
Night's Reach: 4
Cleansing Fire: 3
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The sound of flesh against flesh echoed through the sun-dappled forest. Accompanied in the backround by the dying crackle of flames, two titans clashed amidst the trees. Spectators would be awed, for they bore testament to two completely devoted to the fine art. The man's art.

Qwy was more than happy to trade blows with Yusuke, using his large mass to great effect while in-fighting. Just because the man's reach was long didn't hinder him in the slightest. It was like fighting a whirlwind, he spun like a top and struck like the wind. There was no wasted motion in Qwy's style, each form flowed effortlessly into the next with the skill of a master. Blows to his chest would be met with a large meaty left thigh as he twisted away from Yusuke, only to be returned with a short chopping right that fell from the raised shoulder. Qwy would take a blow to the skull, letting it glance off the side as he fell to the outside of the punch returning a thursting shoulder butt to Yusuke's chest. Every action minimized damage, every reaction used minimal force and balance to repay in kind.

From this distance Qwy couldn't counter properly with his fists, his arms were just too long. But he would blend his own spinning motions with sharp elbow hooks, jabbed knees, low kicks to the joints and tendons, leg sweeps, and savage headbutts. The Druid took every single opportunity afforded to him to hit Yusuke with no regard to "fairness" or "scruples" as they were defined in a fight. Qwy wasn't just fighting dirty, he was down right vicious!

The vine wrappings around Qwy's hands wouldn't seem to contribute much to the battle. The sting of impacted flesh was sharp enough to cover the slight bite of numerous small thorns. Nor was it likely that Yusuke would notice the small, slow bleed from those selfsame thorns. Each blow was like rubbing a cactus (or fiber glass for those fortunate enough to have never committed such a foolish act). It didn't always hurt right away, but it would sting like a b***h and be almost impossible to remove later.

The luminescent white glow that had been rippling around Qwy takes a more active roll now that Yusuke had begun fighting in earnest. Clearly, any patch of skin that the demon prince struck took less damage if it was covered in the white glow. Additionally, after every strike the radiance would move in and begin to reknit flesh and repair damage. The armor and healing weren't enough to completely nullify Yusuke's attacks, but they were keeping Qwy in the game for longer. If left unchecked, it might undone all Yusuke'w work. But the process would be slow and require time.

The dark miasma that had crashed upon Yusuke was unrelenting through-out the encounter. Any weakness it the other man's spirit energy and it would pounce like a starving jaguar only to be fought off and return to nibbling and prowling for openings. Still, it clearly wasn't a conscious or directed affect. Where a guiding intelligence would have rammed home in the same weak spots over and over to attain the desired result, the soul chilling aura was more akin to the tide. If a low spot presented itself, it would rip and shred with greater ferocity until that point had been shorn up. It would then return to the same washing motion it had always possessed, despite the fact that increased attention may destroy the hasty repair once again.

Everything changed dramatically almost a full round into the melee brawl. A chance exchange in which Yusuke strikes Qwy across the jaw hard enough to spray a fountain of blood across the stretch of forest where they fought puts Qwy back far enough to send him off his feet. Instead of simply falling backwards, the druid fires both legs like cannons into Yusuke's lightning fast crossed arm guard and rockets off the former spirit detective. He soars through the air, spiraling and rolling to land on his feet several yards away. It should be noted that the grim pulse that was sapping Yusuke's spirit energy, once felt from almost ten feet away now ended at five. The fighter wouldn't have noticed it while the two were in close, but now that Qwy had put some distance between them it may come as quite the relief.

Qwy breaths hard, eyeing Yusuke warily through one eye as the white fire removes the blood draining into the other. Something in the druid's stance said it was time to take a breather for both fighters, and to reinforce his point the healing glow dies away after clearing Qwy's vision. He wouldn't take advantage of the lapse to repair any of the numerous bruises and cuts he had sustained from exchanging blows with Yusuke. Despite the cleansing flames and his m4d defensive 5k1llz, it was clear that the druid had taken more damage than the veteran brawler.

Well, this was certainly enjoyable while it lasted. Though frankly I'm quite surprised you choose for the rousing bout of in-fighting in the end. Forgot entirely about these didn't you?

He raises his hands and wags them at Yusuke, reminding him of the fanged vines that covered them. They were now right covered in Yusuke's blood from their constant exchange moments ago.

You'll probably be feeling the thorns now, hundreds of splinter sized spines prickling every inch of skin they touched. That can't be pleasant, though I assure you the sensation will fade soon enough. That numbness you may be feeling? That'd be the poison shutting you down. Soon enough it'll be full paralysis, even your spirit energy will have gone dormant. Don't worry though, its not fatal even in the massive doses you've been given.

The druid smiles, letting out the massive breath of a man contemplating a good days work.

I hope you can see this day as I do in the end Yusuke, it has been a pleasure. But I believe we're done now, all I have to do is avoid you until the toxins take full affect. And you won't be catching me with any of your fancy tricks, not in this forest. So how's about we use the rest of our time talking about plants? I'd like your friend Kurama to recieve a sample of this here vine and it'd be grand if you could tell him some of the details too.

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Life's Web: 2
Infinite Rage: 1
Seeing Winds: 5
Night's Reach: 3
Cleansing Fire: 4
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I suppose so.

Qwy sounded... doubtful, almost concerned for Yusuke's safety.

Drawing heavily on your demonic heritage will certainly slow the onset of the poison, but you certainly won't rid yourself of it. It was cultivated in the dark forests of demon world specifically to put down some of the nastiest predators so the trees would stand a chance. Though I am hesitant to call them trees any longer, they're almost half-demon themselves these days. So much blood spilled...

He shrugs, rolling his massive shoulders and standing to a chorus of popping joints and stretching muscles. The white fire returns, working overtime to heal him up. Flashes of it roar over the rippling expanses of finely crafted flesh that made up Qwy's body, wreathing him in glory and radiance.

But that is the way of that world, as I am sure you have come to know. To attempt to change it would be as much a crime against nature as raising the dead here, or nuturing one of those demon plants in living world.

The vines on his hands roll and ripple, the roots and dirt below his feet mirror the motion. Qwy leaps into the air, and seems to drift backwards into the trunk of a nearby tree. His voice continues though, echoing once again from every direction.

You're clearly a better fighter than I Yusuke, Seeing Winds has revealed that to me. No amount of dirty fighting, speed, terrain, or skill could make up for my lack of raw fighting skills. So I think we'll take this to the trees... You'll wear down eventually, of that I am sure.

Yusuke's eyesight was superb, there was no doubting that, but still... When Qwy flickered through the treetops, rapidly putting distance between himself and the Demon Prince, there would still be the lingering suspicious that the Druid was letting Yusuke see him. His movements were too obvious, too open, almost as if he was inviting the titanic blast of the Demon Gun.

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Life's Web: 4
Infinite Rage: 1
Seeing Winds: 3
Night's Reach: 2
Cleansing Fire: 5
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