"I'm amazed, shadow warrior. It seems we have little to contribute to your already spurring growth" Karin said as soon as Durma returned.
"Ehhh? No, no, no" he protested as soon as he saw the smile on her face.
"My opponent wasn't a wielder this time, so... I still need all the guidance, please" he said, smiling nervously.
"It seems this 'school' has done well in increasing your adaptability. You are much more capable than we expected" Sensei praised him as well.
"Please, can you call me Durma from now? You're kinda making me anxious"
"Hmm. Nevertheless, congratulations on your victory"
Soon, it was night in Yaimin. Durma had completed his mental exercise for the day and so he sat outside, staring into the courtyard.
There he wondered if he had always been so strong basing simply on his skills. He could tell how much easier it has been in this turn, compared to the last two turns, to beat Sadeen through the first rounds without shadow energy.
"Ha!" he grinned, folding his fists and staring at it.
'I guess I'll be going at it again' he thought. While it was true that fighting wielders without shadow energy was mostly impossible, it was a different thing for the first few rounds. The shadow energy they wielded in those rounds was usually minimal.
And he could predict just who the next handful of opponents where. They typically wielded amounts that weren't so difficult for him to handle bare-skinned in his first encounters with them. Perhaps, a few more rounds before he begins to gear up.
"Yoshi! Lets see then" he said to himself eagerly.
Two days later, Durma was up for his next fight. He hadn't prepped much nor did he gear up. All he did was train in the dojo. This time, just like he did in his last turn, he simply moved out in normal clothing amidst pressure from Karin to take, at least a weapon.
In order to exit the Yaimin, there was a particular place just at the center of the courtyard called the Seimon. It had been sectioned round about with white bricks. And a sculpture of the same deity sitting on the panthers tongue as Gorr depicted was kept there on an elevated platform a meter and quarter in height. From there, some kind of stable energy that could be felt within the courtyard emanated. That stable energy was was the center of Yaimin and Gorr's interface as that was also where they all conversed with it. In order to leave the Yaimin, one would have to address Gorr, with a marked destination in mind. A map depicting the marked destinations which Gorr could appear at was carved on the platform roundabout where the deity sat, such as the tournament grounds as it would be seen from above; a moderate hill, on which a garrison was built. One could even see the buildings there from the map.
And just as he was leaving, Karin kept pestering him with concerns and advices over his choice of outfit that day. He really was intent on fighting without, not just an armor, but also a weapon.
"You risk your life Durma!"
"Relaaaaax" Durma tried to calm her coolly.
"I got this"
"This is no play thing, Shadow warrior" Sensei also adviced, but Durma knew what he was going to do. He tried it before and succeeded, though he had sustained a serious injury during one of his tries in a previous turn, but he learnt his lessons and won eventually, however he did. But then, now was different. He felt different. Like he was hoping for something thrilling. He wasn't so excited about it though. In certain aspects, he had grown greatly in combat prowess from his last few turns. It was as if the outcome had already been fixed.
"I'll just win again, so sit tight old man" he said to both Sensei and Karin as he walked coolly to the center of the courtyard, hands in the pocket of his black breeches, coupled with a black leather jacket sewn with black stripes about it. It was an outfit that matched his likes.
"Gorr" he called out on reaching the Seimon and then the deity enveloped itself with a colourful aura, answering him. Sensei and Karin stood at the staircase watching him.
"Let's go again"
"To where?"
"You know how do ruin a grand departure, don't you?"
Maybe he shouldn't have told them he was likely to battle a wielder and that he was going bare.
"I'll be okay"
Soon after, he appeared once again in the same manner as before and in the same place, not far from the tournament grounds.
He walked uphill and soon enough, he arrived. Although, he he wasn't greeted at the entrance by the same individuals the other day. These ones here now, he payed absolutely no attention.
In as much as life and activities here we usually rampant chaotic, the drafters did a relatively better work at organising the fights. The garrison itself was infested with thousands of these people, some who also roamed around this area as well.
"Well well, you eventually returned..."
"The name's Durma" he said as Guipin snarled at him on sight, somewhat pleased with Durma's attire. Their feelings were mutual. Durma hated Guipin around him as much as Guipin wanted to wipe that grin from his face.
"You do not wear a flashy clothing like the rest, Duurma" he said.
"You might not survive. And so will that bratty smile of yours"
Just like he expected, he had been drafted to main events this time, since he beat the champion of the lower echelon. Normally, he doesn't really know his opponent would be until they both arrive at the arena. That was how it would be for now, until he enters the ranks of the wielders fully, where they held duels and contests. Howbeit, Durma did know who his opponent today was. She was known as South, one of the most ruthless fighters here.
Durma stepped into the arena and so did South from the opposite wing. The crowd cheered fiercely as they did the other day, most making the same mistake by supporting his opposition. They were going to see in time. Durma squared up to her, analysing her outfit. She came with a blue sleeveless leather robe tunic with a v-shaped vest over it from her shoulders, meeting at her chest just directly below her neck. The robe tunic flowed down to her knees with a sash tied to her waist. She also wore black breeches, all these, typical of the attires worn by the first few fighters and. He also had something similar in his noguchi.
And as usual, she wore no helm to their first encounter being overconfident in her skills. And with the sun setting behind her, not much of her face could be seen clearly, but she had this precarious bearing, one he couldn't be careless around.
She studied him as she approached as well. He wore a black dress that looked more like training wears to her. And with that, she could somehow tell that her opponent here had no shadow energy on his skin.
"Hmph, what is this?" She scoffed.
Then the starting drum sounded.
This time, Durma took his fight seriously. He attacked first, closing the distance and landing his right fist on her face before she could react. She took several steps back from the impact and then reached for her daggers. But before she could withdraw her them, Durma, in quick successions, landed his right elbow on her chest, a right kick on her footing, and then his left elbow up her chin. And that barrage was enough to offset her, as she fell backwards.
'It's working pretty well' he thought. With his Ki, could feel her shadow energy deplete. Although, sensing depleting energy with his Ki wasn't something Karin had taught him in this turn yet.
He waited for her to get up by giving her distance. She then withdrew her daggers, taking her stance. She was already annoyed.
"You're dead" she hissed then launched at him this time, crouching low and aiming for an upward strike to his face. But he already knew this move and since he really wasn't ready to carry scars on his hands or face as he wore no armor, he leapt backwards, evading it. But then, she followed, swinging her daggers at him in quick succession but he kept evading them narrowly. It was quite difficult keeping up with this amount of shadow energy.
Then she swung at his face, but he slipped the strike and then closed in on the opening, landed a knee strike to her belly and followed immediately with a powerful uppercut to her face. She gasped as she fell back. Every hit to her face came with an increased damage and Daiki depletion compared to the rest of her body.
And surely, his strikes were much powerful than any bare fighter she had encountered. Having trained his body so well within this short period (not like he had to since Sensei had urged him to take it easy) and scaling through his training with Karin faster than anyone could anticipate, he had strengthened his entire physique greatly.
"Ohhh, interesting" Jakaa lauded from where he spectated. From the top floor the three storey building with Xieshan rooftops, one of the few buildings overlooking the arena. This space was his personal turf. Not every one was allowed there.
"Perhaps we underestimated him a little" Heiva said with a calm smile, watching the fight closely.
South got up off her back immediately, taking her stance again. Durma did the same. He could feel her anger and confusion from where he stood.
"Tch" she grumbled annoyedly and launched at him again. Durma moved to evade, but then, she stopped abruptly, all in a bid to unsettle him. Durma recognised it instantly. Just as he would be gaining back his stance after evading her feint launch, she'd then dash straight, much faster this time, fast enough to land a strike before her he could regain complete balance and evade again. She was meant to be faster and stronger, given her advantage of shadow energy, but somehow, Durma here kept up with her, but then, not this time. She put all her strength into it, catching Durma off guard for the first time in their match.
'Damn', he thought. She then slashed his arm. Durma could see the blood trail in the air. She succeeded in cutting his left arm which he used to guard against a potentially fatal aim to his neck. From there, she intended to end it all. She handled her daggers skillfully and quickly swung her left arm to strike Durma from atop his head where he couldn't guard against. Durma knew that particular move. It was one of the most powerful moves in Gukang, the martial art associated with the use of shadow energy. If it landed on his bare head, he might not recover for a long time. At that point, he instinctively removed both his legs from the earth, falling hard to the ground with back and barely avoiding that strike. He then he used both his legs from his ground lying position to hit and push South away. Then, executing a backward roll, he got on to a crouching position, with his left knee on the ground.
But as he expected from her, naturally she wouldn't relent nor give him any time to recuperate completely, given her ruthless and continuous violent demeanor. She had launched at him again, crouching low again with her hands crossed just before her face and both daggers pointing away from each other. She was going to attempt a double slash. As she dashed at him, he could see the deathly glow in her eyes. But then, this wasn't the first time she had used these series of moves against him, was it?
During his first turn, she had won him three times straight in their first fight. And at that time, he had dared not gear up, following Sensei and Karin's instructions closely, but he had still lost to her thrice much due to differences in experience and skills. And in his third turn, having won against Sadeen without shadow energy, he fought her as well without it and she won him once again, injuring him deeply, using these same moves. It was then that he devised a counter to it;
Whilst she called it the 'south wind', Durma called his the 'northern shock'.
There, in that instant when she unfurled her double slash at him, her course abruptly diverted upwards, head first, with a powerful impact from below her jaw. That was from his right knee. He had leaned back, still in his crouching position, evading her slashes before slamming his left knee upwards at her jaw instantaneously, with so much vigor and force. It was a quick and powerful automatic counter. Powerful enough that it hurtled her head and body upwards. And in that moment of brief shock, Durma rushed forward and grabbed her neck in-between the inner bend of his elbow before sending her to the ground with a heavy thud where she remained motionless. There was silence for a few seconds before another outcry from the crowd. And that was the end of his second match