Reopening the Arena - [Open RoD - Councilor claim]

(Base PL: 116,657. Half-Elemi: +x1/x0. Practical PL: 233,314/116,657)

Jie Shan sat in the hall opposite of where his foe was now standing. His heart was beating like mad, though the excitement did not show on his face. Discipline, he told himself. He had to have discipline. He could feel the other captain’s presence. And it made him even more excited. The two of them were just about equal in power. Good, he told himself, that would mean the fight would be more fun. The blood was rushing through his veins now, that sanguine cocktail of Saiyan and Elemi genes. It was his battle senses kicking in, that steady crawl of adrenaline prepping him for the coming battle. It was almost time. He just needed to make a few more preperations…

Jie Shan was not wearing his weighted armor today. No, he needed all the power he could get. Handicaps would not work in his favor. He needed all his strength, all his speed… It would be good to fight unhindered again. It had been awhile. Not even in his brawls with the Overseer had he used his full power. But the Overseer’s brother would not get the same easy fight. Jie Shan was going to fight seriously. And it was almost time…

Suddenly, Jie Shan was aware of three approaching ki signatures. A small, sincere smile came to his face. So, he thought, his family was coming to wish him luck. It was only a second longer before the trio stepped around the corner, Jie Shan turning to face them just as they rounded it. It was his old squad, here to see him off to one more battle.

“Guys,” he said, his voice as steady as he could make it, “What’s all this?”

“Well, Captain,” said Cornel, his voice gruff and familiar, “We thought that we’d come and give you our support. Once a squadmate, always a squadmate, in my opinion. And besides, I feel almost personally invested in seeing you off.”
Carota and Potana each nodded in turn. “Yeah,” exclaimed Carota, “You’re my buddy, Jie Shan! A drinking buddy, Hell, you’re a real friend! I couldn’t not come and see you! Now, can I ask you something? You’re treating us to drinks after this, right?”

Jie Shan smirked. Carota was assuming he’d survive his brawl with the Overseer’s brother, Captain Komatsu.

“What Carota is trying to say,” interjected Potana is, “We believe in you, Jie Shan. That Captain Komatsu… He might be the son of the old Overseer and the brother of the the new one, but you’re just as good as he is. I know you’re going to do great out there!”

“It’s true, Jie Shan,” added Cornel, “You’re strength is impressive. I can say without a doubt that you are one of the strongest people I have ever met. Not bad for a halfblood.”

Cornel snickered and reached out to slap Jie Shan on the shoulder. Even now, his old commander was still teasing him. Jie Shan playfully pushed his hand away and looked at each of his friends in-turn. “Guys,” he mumbled, “This means a lot. It really does.”

No one had ever done anything like this for him before. Such support… The young halfblood was unused to it. Maybe they really were his family after all.

“No problem, Jie Shan,” said Potana softly, “I’m sure you’d do the same for any of us.”

“Yeah!” Exclaimed Carota, “Though I don’t think I’d ever be fighting Captain Komatsu. You and him… Like, shit! You guys are on a way different level than me. If it were me out there, I’d tap out. Don’t get me wrong, I like a fight and all, but I’m not stupid.”

“Well,” sighed Cornel, “That’s debatable, Carota. Sometimes I think you’re pretty damn stupid. But you do have a point. Captain Komatsu is young, but incredibly powerful. I’d go as to far to say that he’s one of the handful of people on this planet who can fight Jie Shan. And the rest of the people in the handful are Super Saiyans.”

Super Saiyans, thought Jie Shan. How he wished to have that golden aura… It would certainly make this fight a lot more interesting. It was what he had been working towards, it was what all his training had been for. Not for this, no. This was just a happy accident for him. How lucky for him that he had happened to be around the same strength as his fellow captain for this fight.

“Man, Super Saiyans are something else,” muttered Potana, “Good thing you’re not fighting one of those.”

“Hey,” exclaimed Jie Shan, “I’ve already fought one of those! The Overseer certainly let me know how strong they were.”

“Heh,” chuckled Cornel, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. There’s always someone better.”

Jie Shan nodded. He knew that much. Humility was a lesson he had learned, and one that he had learned through pain. He was not going into this fight with a swelled head, though he was going to hold onto his pride. It was an integral part of his being.

“Yeah,” Jie Shan admitted, “You’re right, Cornel. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good,” said his friend with a grin, “Now, I think we have company.”

And suddenly Jie Shan was aware of two more familiar ki signatures. And one of them turned his face sour. It was, as he soon saw, his father, Gai Lan Dian, and Rudieri.

“Father,” he said stiffly, before turning his gaze back on Rudieri, his voice turning soft, “Rudieri.”

“Son,” said his father, his voice deep. His father turned his gaze on Cornel. “Cornel,” his father added.

“Gai,” said Cornel with a curt nod, “What brings you here?”

“Why, I’ve come to see my son, of course,” explained Gai Lan Dian, “It is a big day for us- I mean, him-, after all.”

“Ah, your son. Well, I suppose he is of your blood, yes,” sighed Cornel.

“What is that supposed to mean, Cornel?” Asked his father, his eyes narrowing.
“Nothing at all. Forget I said anything,” groaned Cornel.

“Very well. Why don’t you and your squad leave us? I wish to speak with my son. In private,” he growled.

“Ah, I see. I suppose this should come as no surprise. It would not be the first time you butted into our squad’s business,” shot Cornel.

“Cornel,” growled his father, “Might I remind you that I outrank you.”

“Rank isn’t everything,” said Cornel flatly.

“Fine,” said his father, “Remember that time I saved your life? On Earth. Or is a life debt not good enough for you now?”

Jie Shan’s eyes widened. That was news to him. How had he never heard of this before? Especially given how many war stories his father told.

“Still bringing that up?” Demanded Cornel, “Fine. We’ll leave. Potana, Carota. We’re leaving. Jie Shan, good luck. We’ll be watching from the stands, friend.”

Cornel slapped him on the shoulder again, Carota shot him a thumb’s up, and Potana gave him a quick hug. Rudieri stared harshly at his friends, as if waiting for them to leave, willing them to leave. And finally, they did.

“Well,” said his father with a sigh, “Now that that’s taken care of, let’s talk, son.”

“Talk then,” said Jie Shan simply.

“Right to the point. Just like your mother,” said his father with a forlorn sigh, “But I just wanted to say how proud of you I am, son. You’re so… strong. Among the strongest people on this world. And maybe the world’s beyond. A fitting beginning to out legacy, though I’d prefer you were a Super Saiyan. But I’ve good news on that front. So, without further ado, Rudieri, would you please?”

Rudieri cleared her throat. “Well,” she began to explain, “I’ve been doing some research, crunching some numbers, and I’m pleased to say… I think you’re on the brink of becoming a Super Saiyan, Jie Shan. Like, really close. A hair’s breadth away really. You could push through at any time. Just… Gather all of your power and do it! Rage, humiliation, desperation! Anything! So… Make me proud! Make my work all worth it!”

Jie Shan grinned. Rudieri was so excited… It was infectious. It would be a better moment if his father were not here. Jie Shan managed a small thumb’s up. “You got it, Rudieri. Wish me luck, and keep an eye on what goes on out there.”

She smiled, and his father simply watched impatiently. “Well,” barked Gai Lan Dian, “What are you waiting for? Get going!”

And with that, Jie Shan nodded. He’d wasted enough time. He rushed down the hall, striding for the gates, his blade bouncing against his back. He was light on his feet, brisk even. Moving without his armor felt good. It was not long at all before he exited the hall and was now in the arena. He looked about him. The crowd, the lights… It was almost overwhelming. Were… Were people cheering for him? Jie Shan swallowed. Was he popular? He did not know.

Jie Shan looked across the way and saw a barechested young man. That, he realized, must be Captain Komatsu. The power was obvious. It had to be him. Why was he not wearing a shirt? Even Jie Shan was wearing a simple red gi.

“Captain Komatsu,” he shouted across the way, “I wish you good luck. I’ve been looking forward to this fight!”

Jie Shan bowed deeply, trying to convey respect. His heart was still pounding. Endurance, discipline, humility… Remember, he told himself, remember! His training had prepared him for this moment. It was time to prove that a halfblood could be just as fierce as one of fullblood.

WC: 907

Total WC: 1,409

"I've been looking forward to this as well, Captain," intoned Jie Shan, letting a small smile appear on his face. His blood... It was turning over wildly, like a sea in the midst of the storm. This was it. The moment he'd been waiting for. Still, he thought, it was surprising to meet Captain Komatsu for the first time. He'd expected the younger son of Natto and Tomoroko to be a smaller version of Nasu, both in appearance and personality. Well, he told himself, he'd still need to see about the attitude of his foe, but at least he seemed cordial, for first impressions. Hell, the young captain had even bowed. That was more than Jie Shan had expected.

The announcer called out and another wave of cheers sprang from the crowd. The energy that ran through them... It was like electricity, a defibrillator placed to Jie Shan's heart. They'd been anticipating this battle as much as he had been. No surprises there, he thought. They were Saiyans, just like him. Well, he reminded himself, half of him. In the spur of the moment, Jie Shan lifted his hand and gave the crowd a quick thumb's up before slipping into a fighting stance, just as Komatsu had done.

Briefly, Jie Shan's mind shot out, scanning the area for ki. His mind caught several familiar signatures. Nasu, Miso, and even... the Hero? Jie Shan smirked. So the Earthling had come to watch. Well, he told himself, he was going to give him a good show. Him and everybody else in the crowd.

A dance of light and ki burst from Komatsu. Impressive, thought Jie Shan, for a kid. And just as Jie Shan began to think that the boy was all bark and no bite, he dashed at Jie Shan in a familiar motion. The Rebellion Spear, realized Jie Shan. So the Overseer really had been training his brother. And it seemed the young captain was a quick learner. If he'd mastered the Rebellion Spear, Komatsu was at least on par with Jie Shan himself. The halfblood's hand twitched. He wanted to draw his sword and make the boy pay for rushing him in such a manner. But the Rebellion Spear... It was a powerful, forceful technique.

Well, thought Jie Shan, he could do it too. In fact, he was going to do it. Best to fight fire with fire, he told himself. Jie Shan jumped backwards to put some space between him and his foe. He squatted his body and began to channel his energy. A gray-blue aura began to form around him as his body prepped itself for the Rebellion Spear. And he wasn't going to go rush into it. No, he was going to let Komatsu close the distance. And Jie Shan would make use of the time, as small as it was: he was going to charge the power of his own Rebellion Spear, and let his raw, innate ki power do the talking for him. Just a little closer, thought Jie Shan, his body ready to spring forward at any moment.

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Using and charging [IN][OT-2] Rebellion Spear! Currently at 116,657! Will be at 233,314 next post!

WC: 409

Total WC: 1,818

Komatsu's ki went crashing into Jie Shan's own with extreme force. At first it seemed as if the energies would struggle against one another, but that moment quickly passed as Jie Shan's own Rebellion Spear broke through his own and slammed into him. Jie Shan's energy cut deeply into his chest, causing a sudden gush of blood as the young saiyan was knocked backwards with extreme force.

The young saiyan grit his teeth tightly as he was thrown back, focusing his energy into his hands and feet as they visibly glowed red. He forced himself back down onto the ground, where even then he continued to skid backwards, only slowing down as he neared the arena wall. Blood dripped from his open chest wound as Komatsu brought his hand up to it, finally pushing himself up straight as he glared back towards Jie Shan. He knew that the guy had more power available to him... but that had been ridiculous! He needed enough power to overcome his Rebellion Spear, and even then he had enough power left over to hit him this hard... That was one hell of a test of strength. If he didn't do it soon... he was going to lose.

His glare towards Jie died down as he removed his hand from his wound, a smirk crossing Komatsu's face. He watched as Jie Shan withdrew his sword and rolled his eyes.

"This is my family's fighting style,is it really such a surprise? But a sword... you really think you're going to beat me with that thing? You better not hold back, or I'll kill you."
He warned Jie Shan as he took in a deep breath. He had an estimate of Jie Shan's power now, and knew what plan he needed to enact... he just needed it to happen sooner rather than later.

'I can't lose this... I forbid myself to lose this. I wasn't strong enough to do anything at the lookout, I couldn't beat that blue haired asshole but worst of all I couldn't protect Athren... I wasn't strong enough... I can't lose this time...'
Komatsu kept repeating to himself as his eyes were trained on Jie Shan, his dark eyes seemed to dilate as he stared at him, almost as if he was a predator watching his prey. He slipped back into his Soy School fighting stance, though would carefully take a few steps to the left, circling Jie Shan.

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WC: 419
Total WC: 1,958
Stamina: 2/3

Jie Shan smirked. "Really? You don't think I can do anything with this sword?" Asked Jie Shan, feigning shock, "Let me tell you something. This sword? It has defeated plenty of men. The Soy School might be your family's pride and joy, but the sword is my heritage. Well, at least half of it."

Jie Shan held the blade warily between them as the young captain's eyes narrowed and his foe began to circle him. Almost as if acting on raw instinct, Jie Shan began his own counter circle, slipping back into his own stance. It was the Soy School stance, but with enough of Jie Shan's own spin on it to accommodate the fact that he was now holding his jian.

And now that he held the blade, a whole world of options had opened up to him. As Jie Shan had quickly learned as a child, the jian was quite the varied weapon. The double edged blade had no single purposes or means of attack. Instead, it could slash, stab, and cut as well as anything. In the hands of an experience user, it was quite deadly. And while Jie Shan might not have developed it to the point of it being its own martial art, he was still an expert in swordplay.

Though he wasn't sure how much of an edge that might give him here. Though the boy seemed to have no qualms about killing Jie Shan, the halfblood certainly took issue with killing, or even maiming the boy. He'd have to be careful with his blade, lest he cause permanent damage. He'd hate to take a hand from the boy, and he was sure that it would do if no favors with the Overseer if he cut the tail of his brother from his backside.

Jie Shan was unsure of what to do next. If he wanted, he could end this fight in a moment. That power of his... If he reached for it, Komatsu would likely be overwhelmed. Jie Shan was almost half tempted... But no, he was going to be honorable about this. ONly if things got out of hand would he reach for that power. And, even then, he'd much prefer to hit the mark of Super Saiyan... Rudieri had said it was possible, but he just had to figure out how to push on through. Rage, he thought, would be nice right about now. A shame he could not work himself into the rage as needed.

"Well, Captain," said Jie Shan as he circled, watching the boy like a wolf, "I've got to say, you're certainly much more cautious than your older brother. By now, he might have thrown himself at me three or four times."

Jie Shan gave the boy a small grin and chuckled lightly, despite the tense air of the arena. "Though caution is a good thing. My mother once told me something along the lines of 'there are old people and there are bold people'. Though I suppose if I listened, we wouldn't be here right now."

Finally, Jie Shan made his move. Twisting his blade so that he was swinging with the flat of it, he jumped at Komatsu, aiming to bring the flat of the blade down on his head.

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Stamina: 2/3