Spatial 4

Taiga limps outside his house.

And he smells it. Some distant stench in the air that he can't quite pin. Not blood, no, as he was so greatly attuned for - but something else entirely. It leads him, grabbing him right by the nostrils and stringing him along. Taiga looked like an idiot, frankly. His head tilted up in the air, sniffing rapidly like some dog on a hunt. Trying to piece together where the scent got stronger or weaker, slowly advancing through the forest. Something... hiding out on his property? No.

Someone.

Taiga stands at the basin where the waterfall fed into, glancing around at thin air. So sure that he had sensed something... but he couldn't tell exactly where. Or what. His system was on fire, that fifth sense of his tingling over and over again, screaming at him to wake up to the truth. To hunt. Could it be... Sors? Hidden with an invisibility potion, breathing down his neck right now? No. Isaac? No. Dirtier than that. More corrupted. -As if such a thing was even possible.

His back facing the unknown threat, Aku might figure himself to have completely fooled Taiga. To have escaped him entirely, able to get the drop on him.

That's when the beast turns a full 180, locking eyes right with the hidden foe. It's an overwhelming flood of light that bursts out from his iris, a blood red in a shade not too unfamiliar with Aku at this point. Piercing through the forest, it overpowers even the suns warm rays.

"I can hear your heartbeat. Come out."

That's what had given it away. The preadtors senses finely attuned to the tremors of his prey. Aku was no different. Hide as he may, there was no stilling his heart.
(Taiga Rowan)

Aku fell prey to Taiga's extraordinary senses, or so it may seem at first. With red eyes piercing through branches and leaves as they locked onto him the young man stepped out, slipping from his hideout and meeting the Dhampir head-on. Grey eyes looked right back towards the ruby ones before a wide, crazed grin spread out on his lips.

"Being prepared won't help you any."

Where the white-haired one may have thought he was hunting, he'd be wrong. A blaze of cosmic might appeared around the redhead as he dashed towards the man at top speed, fist aimed to burrow itself right into Taiga's abdomen - to deliver a punch strong enough to wind him out with little warning.

"I'm glad someone came to play, though."
(Aku)

Tahl had grown bored of sitting there in front of the school. Something happened earlier that made it so she wants to look around.. search for someone. Sima has given her a description of the man who punched Sima, and Tahl was going to find them.

The only clues she has to go on, were he was somewhere north of the academy, had some sort of suit like outfit, possibly a fancy shirt, and has red hair.

As she began to wander through the woods searching, she saw a familiar face off in the distance.. well, familiar back of their head anyway. The long hair, the cloak, it has to be Mister Taiga. As she hears his voice call out she knows it's him.

A smile forms on her face as she walks over towards them, she remains a short distance behind and begins to look over the other person. Red hair.. fancy shirt.. north of the academy... Her smile begins to fall away as she points to him. "Mister Taiga.. be careful.. if this is the same guy.. that man punched Sima.. told him to deliver a message to Headmaster Thera saying that she doesn't get to decide freedom.. T-then he might try and punch you too or hurt you." she says, her voice loud enough so it could carry over the distance between everyone.

Tahl really hopes that this man isn't the one that punched Sima, because it's her firm belief that the man is from Dawn and came to hurt Sima for his relation to the people who killed the belial cult leader...

Could this man possibly be from the cult that Knos' father started? The one that Eniel twisted into the service of what might be a corrupt monster? Knos had said that his father brought a new 'tenant' into the church that they were a part of, to pursue freedom.. and yet mentioned Eniel in that very same sentence.

She could voice that this man may possibly have some involvement with the Belial group, but she's no proof of such anaccusation. A fancy shirt, red hair, and possibly punching someone was no grounds to accuse someone of being part of a cult.

Her words may not even come out in time since the man quickly lashed out to punch at Taiga. Now it is time for Tahl to get involved too. Golden sparks quickly shoot out and swirl around her form as she lurches forward to help Taiga. Unless he doesn't need her help that is.
(Tahldrig)

Seriously?

If there was one thing Taiga actually didn't anticipate, it was someone willing to just fight. There was no greater monologue. No impressive display of magical talent trying to scare him off. No declaration of intent. No grandiose proposition -- Aku was absolutely fearless. He wanted to fight. He was going to get it one way or another, and simply didn't have the time to deal with anything otherwise.

What's worse than that, Tahldrig had entered the scene as well. Completely throwing him off, his focus cut between the fist racing towards him, and the student by his side. Aku's punch lands right in his gut, blowing Taiga back! It was enough to wake him up, that was for sure. He flies backwards, spiraling through the air before landing gracefully a few feet away, feet kicking up sand as he skids against the beach. A hand moves down to break, Taiga refocusing his efforts.

"HSSSS!" His maw opens, fangs revealing themselves as Taiga hisses loud! Obviously not pleased at all at this.

He glances over to Tahldrig. "Run! I can handle this!" he insists, trying his best to avoid drawing in any innocent bystanders to his fights. Taiga stands, recovering quickly from the blow. It'd take a hell of a lot more to put him down, and Taiga wasn't interested in giving Aku any more ground.

"If this is what you want..." A hand moves down to his side, cloak parting to reveal a katana by his waist! "Then so be it. My honest recommendation, young man..." He begins to approach! "Is that you turn tail while you still can. I've never taken kindly to wild animals such as yourself." Ironic words, considering the set of teeth he has.
(Taiga Rowan)

Tahldrig quickly gets out of the way trusting Taiga to handle this, but she does stay close enough to keep an eye and make sure Taiga doesn't die!
(Tahldrig)

** You spot
 Tahldrig nearby! [Click to pursue] **
Aku's staff was twirled into his grasp as Taiga gave his warning, showing off some impressive flair with his cape and his blade - the kind that would get most people to reconsider their actions. The redhead, instead, only dove more into that feeling. A shadow was cast from overhead in a wide, wide area. Actually— it was closer to a dozen shadows. All of them growing smaller as what cast them was heading down towards the ground.

Destruction. Smoke, dirt, and flames rose up into the air as a mass of celestial bodies collided with the area, razing down part of the forest and threatening the rest all in one massive move. This was the price Taiga would pay for his advice - the price of his ego.

"I'd rather not bind myself to another and follow every order like a dog." Aku retorted. The battle... was on.
(Aku)

Tahldrig is now observing Taiga Rowan

SCORE 2-1

Aku has sustained an injury in battle...

Aku has rolled 1 or under: they may be captured!

Taiga's movements are incredibly swift, ferocious, matching Aku at each and every moment as the battle rages through the forest. The cosmic magic that wells up from the young man is matched with phantasmal bladework, Taiga's katana flying from its sheath again and again to deflect the literal stars thrown his way. Each one is sliced in twain, the core of magic cut through and causing massive explosions to wash over the forest. Trees split, the cacophonous roar of magic echoing all around them, the deafening thunder making the battle almost impossible to follow. Through that overwhelming light come spears of darkness, shadow manipulated and given life chasing after Aku. Like the tentacles of a beast, extending outward and cracking through the fallen and scorched branches of the felled trees - bursting through to try and snatch him away.

With the falling stars dealt with, Taiga flies overhead, the source of those shadows made clear as Taiga spreads wings - thousands of feathers of falling shade morphing into thin lines of pure black, descending onto the battlefield one after another.

He dives like a bird of prey, hurtling towards his target.

CLASH! His blade shatters on impact, a beam of pure cosmic radiance clashing with his weapon. Shards of heated metal fly, Taiga and Aku blown away by the impact. But neither fighter finds themselves waiting for the other to recover, digging into the earth and racing back towards one another. Taiga's ferocity is unmatched, the beast within him demanding blood.

Fist and claw meet, an exchange too fast for the eye to catch -- Aku blasted backwards by a kick. He'd be sent hurtling through the trees, snapping a good three or more against his back, the momentum carrying him right through. The natural beauty of the woodlands were being disgraced with their violence, a force too unstable to be contained, consuming everything in their wake.

Taiga is quick to rearm himself, a second blade emerging now. A massive weapon - but to Aku it would appear as nothing but a blur of red metal as Taiga pursues, trying to match the speed with which he was sent flying back. Aku would be given one last chance, a final hope of throwing Taiga off. So close to being able to at least flee, the meteoric attack charged in his hands would be enough to blast Taiga back - giving him the precious moments he needed to run.

It hurtles forward, like a bowling ball of the cosmos, a supernova barreling towards Taiga. Too close to dodge, too large to deflect. What tools did Taiga have? What else could he do? He could always find a way out of situations like this. --Ah. That was the answer.

Taiga skids to a halt, his sword sheathed. The parameters were difficult, surely, but nothing was out of his reach. This was, by all means, the boldest way to go about things - needlessly complicated for a simple result. Yet, these moments were what drove Taiga. To surpass Ren Shi, he had to use this art in ways that had never been tried before. To prove that he was greatest.

A precise formula, developed right here and now, all the ingenuity Taiga had learned through his days as a Samurai turned against him, weaponized. Instead of defending an important target - he was throwing them directly into the line of danger. With one hand, his sword is thrown forward. Completely leaving his hands and flying into the meteor, enhanced by Taiga's magic, it pierces through the magic, splitting it in twain, but leaving Taiga with no follow-up. No way of catching his prey now.

That's what it hits Aku. A sword, directly in his back, flying forward from a portal.

It runs him through, burning with the heat of his own attack. His ribs are crushed,the massive chunk of metal stabbing him right in the gut and out the other side, carrying him forward through the air. He flies over the nearby pond, crashing into the rock and being pinned there by the weight of the blade. He was hung up, stuck between a sword and a hard place.

The only luxury Aku would receive is a few moments of pure, blissful silence as the battle finally comes to an end. To reflect on his actions and accustom himself to the uncomfortable feeling of his life gushing out from his stomach.
(Taiga Rowan)

If an expert had to judge Taiga and Aku's encounter they may qualify it to be a very aggressive, sacrificial, and destructive back and forth. Smoke had no time to billow with the wind as metal and spells alike were being destroyed by their users. A fiery blade carrying the same heat it seemed to had made its way to the biggest, baddest of all meteors Aku could produce.

A grin sat upon the blooded, bruised and damaged young man as hands came together to gather some more of his cosmic might. Invigorated by the heat his opponent was bringing forth the redhead's aura grew brighter - hotter. It would be as if the red ichor that tainted his skin was fusing with the radiance around himself for a moment as energy was gathered in both Aku's hands to finish it off - to show this beast that something else could bare its fangs upon it.

"You're the one who should've r—"

Cold, yet burning. The sound of muscles tearing, of bones breaking, and of his feet dragging against the ground.

Aku couldn't understand what was happening at all. All that he felt was pain. How could his defenseless opponent strike him from so far away without lifting a finger?

Eyes drifted down towards the source of the pain, only for him to notice the blade that had been sent flying piercing through, breaking apart the dirty, woody, grassy mess that caked his back from the intense back and forth.

The teenager was sent hurling forward, his body coming in contact with a tree, forced to be held against it despite his will. Bound to the last remaining bit of nature on the battlefield. The impact alone was intense - Aku's forehead banged against the bark directly, leaving a mark upon it - burning the sealed god's third eye onto it from the overwhelming amount of cosmic energies coursing through his circuits right now.

Like an animal that had been pinned Aku squirmed, struggled and fought back. Grunting now and then from the intense pain, yet he went on. Being hurt was nothing compared to being bound.
(Aku)