((OOC: Wow, looks like i'm matched up against quite some opponent. I looked at some of your RPBs, and from what I've seen you're really good, which is why i'm psyched. As the first to post, i'm selecting the arena. This is going to be fun ^_^))

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Dusk settled nicely among the forest trees, shades of orange dancing upon the shadows. Crickets were already chirping away its silence. Rain from the previous night had dampened the moss and overgrowth below his Tatami sandals. Still they clankered with each step.

Kieto worn a silk snow colored kimono that was loosely fit with the exception of around the waist, where it was tied by a neat hakami sash. He wanted to look good for his first match, and although he would stand out clearly in the greenery around him, he felt comfortable asking his opponent to meet him here. A cold wooden sheath was held to the waist by the hakami sash as well, sheathing a beautiful katana that reflected the remaining light, fading away behind the horizon. Soon the sun would be no more, and night would fall. Kieto revealed his hand from within his giant sleeve, and placed his palm among the trunk of an oak, its bark damp from the rain as well. He smiled, for it felt good to slide his hand among its soft bark.

The most peculiar possession of Kieto's, however, was the ancient chinese sword held in the carved wooden sheath, which was unable to hold the magnifscent glow of its blade. The moon was out, and still shining bright. He happily awaited the moon tonight, it would be none other than his own advantage. With a soft smile, he knelt down and honored the beatiful land he now stood upon.

It was gorgeous indeed, life brimming on every surface, every fern, every bush. Trees were full of nests for the birds, who were only just now falling to the bounds of dreams. To fully capture is beauty, however, Kieto drew his blade meticulously so that the last glint of the falling sun could be his. Taking one last look at the arena behind him, he walked deeper into the forest to begin his Mushin.

Alas, the sun had set, and the sky turned a violet purple, only a small portion of red where the sun had left them. It wouldn't be long before the moon would be their only source of light. Not yet however.

Kieto tightened his grip on the hilt of the katana and closed his eyes, summoning the powers of the wind to guide him and let him truly feel this environment. He was one with the earth, the movements of the wind telling him everything, the past, the present, and the future of this land. This was the art of the Mushin in full, finally mastered after seven years of training and eight more years of experience in the world beyond.

Long ago, a young warrior lost his gift of sight in battle, and was forced to use his other senses to determine the ways of whatever opponent he should come upon. Soon enough though, with all the time in the world now that he was dismissed from his royal position, he discovered that the ways of the wind could determine the movements of everything around him. After time, he could even use this Mushin without wind, and just with the energy of the air. Apparently, when something moved, a small void would temporarily exist, and the air around it would thus have to fill it, making everything equal again. Now he could actually "see" everything around him, and he didn't even need his time. What he didn't know however, and didn't learn until years and years of practice with this art, was that the energy of the wind told the stories of time yet a step ahead, meaning he could actually 'predict" what his opponent would do before it ever happened.

Of course, over time the ways of the art had dwindled, since most of his students were never dedicated enough to actually blind themselves. Instead Kieto learned a varied version of the art of Mushin, and used it to still determine where his opponents were, whether visible or out of sight completely. True warriors can move beyond the boundaries of the human eye, which meant that he soon came to rely on his Mushin.

The sky, calm and cloudless, became transparent, so that the universe beyond could be seen. Even the lights of the arena didn't destroy the beauty of the stars. There wasn't too much civilization around them, and without any clouds, Kieto could see everything. the moonlight glided over the forest, and rested upon the broad of Kieto's shoulders, so that he could absorb its luminiscent power. Slowly the trees began to sway in the awakening wind, in which Kieto had called upon. Its gallant sway took note of the environment, and Kieto could now see everything, despite the darkness of the shadows below the leaves of the trees. Without purpose at this point, he sheathed his katana and revealed the moonblade into the light of the moon above!! Holy energies of the luminiscent moon beamed from the flat edge of the straight blade, enchanting the forest around him. The gleaming radience of the sword's dull edge was apparent, and its power thus filled the forest with mystery, enchanting it to a world beyond their own.

The legendary Moonblade told a story, the only weapon that could conceal the dark wind. However he was much better doing battle with his katana, seeing as it was a vital part of his training. The chinese moonblade was straight and flat, and required a totally different style of swordplay. Still, it took the guidance of the moon and protected his spirit. He would keep it with him as long as he could.

At this point its power had grown so much that his glow illuminated the entire area around him, bright as the moon itself. It was then that he felt the presence of another behind him. Turning around, he smiled. He's here... good...

The sun sinks lower in the sky with each passing minute as a young man treks across an endless sea of flat grassland. It seems as if the plains would go on forever, but no more than an hour later a small forest is visible with a large colluseum stretching toward the clouds. Thousands of people are gathered outside the structure, waiting in a jumbled line. A series of crude tents stretch even farther, reaching into the small forest. This tournament has obviously attracted much attention, bringing both competitors and audiences from across the world.

He pauses for a moment before drawing any closer to the battlefield, brushing his brown hair back as his green eyes squint, trying to see if there is any other choice terrain surrounding the colluseum. Disappointed with what he sees, Garath sighs before approaching his destination.

As the final rays of light reach out to luminate the area, Garath finally reaches the front gate. The horde of people gathered outside raise violent objections to Garath's straightforward approach, but when he begins to draw his massive sword, the Breath of Fire, people suddenly act polite. He reaches the man at the gate, who rudely asks for his ticket. Garath, slightly angered by this man's insolent behavior, draws his sword and thrusts the tip of the blade at the man. Wide-eyed and frightened by this unorthodox display of rage, the man opens the gate to let Garath through without any further objections.

Inside Garath notices a fine, polished interior. Massive stone pillars line the path to either side and a complex maze of passages and doorways gives the arena a complex interior. Wanting to find his way to his quarters, Garath stops the nearest person, who happens to be a very young maiden. She blushes a bit before pointing to the left. Garath tries to get a specific location, but the girl just giggles and blushes even more, saying it would not be proper for a lady to know where such a fine warrior is quartered. Frustrated by the girlish innocence, Garath wanders down the left hall. He quickly notices that every door here is made of the finest oak and has a brass nameplate in the center, each with a different name. Realizing that one of these must have his name, Garath moves farther down the line and finds his door is the seventh one on the left.

He enters to find a sheet of parchment rolled on a small desk to the right. Thinking that this must be his introductory note, Garath turns his attention to the rest of the room, noting a small bed on the left portion of the room and a small bathroom between his bed and the desk. A small room resides next to his bed where several various folded tunics and uniforms are tucked into small shelves. Garath removes his weapons, Breath of Fire and Wind Dancer, and sets them on the desk next to the parchment. He then removes his chain mail armor, piece by piece, and begins to polish it to a shiny gleam. Nearly an hour later Garath has finished polishing his weapons and armor and finally decides to read his welcome letter. He unrolls the parchment and begins to read:

Master Swordsman, Garath,

We hope this letter finds you in good health, for your battle is scheduled to take place this very night in the forest outside of the colluseum, as chosen by your opponent. He is known as Kieto, and shall be the first foe you shall face. Best of luck to you in your battle, and may the good spirits be with you both.

~The Colluseum Staff and Judges

Enraged by this news, Garath takes Breath of Fire and cleaves his desk in two, the fiery blade sending shards of flaming splinters across the entire room. Before long, everything is ablaze and Garath retrieves his armor and Wind Dancer before heading outside the colluseum.

Realizing he would be foolish to enter the forest carrying his armor, he pauses for a moment to slip on the assorted pieces of chain mail onto his body, and sheaths Breath of Fire across his back. With Wind Dancer in hand, Garath enters the forest and soon finds his foe, who was awaiting his arrival with the greatest patience. Still filled with rage, Garath charges at Kieto and thrusts Wind Dancer forward with immense velocity, hoping to end this battle swiftly by piercing the man's heart.

((OOC: Your chosen weapon is the "wind dancer"?! If it possess power over the element, this could be an interesting battle ^_^))

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Garath charged at Kieto with fury, who noticed the rapier immediately.

Hmmm, he may be able to move faster than me, so i'll have to make my choices carefully.

They were now officially in the black of night, the sun long below the horizon and the sky dark as a shadow. Things were at this point a lot harder to see, which gave Kieto an undying advantage. Lest their battle last till morn, he would surely have the upper hand against this naturally inferior opponent.

Swiftly he sheathed the moonblade behind his back, and drew out his katana as fast as he could, sparking the side of the wooden sheath. Planning his move carefully, Kieto took a step forward upon a small rock that rose from the ground. The light of the moonblade's reflection had lost its magnificence, and was nothing but a soft glow. Still the spirits of life cleansed the trees and animals around them, an enchanted terrain.

His opponent drew nearer with the rapier, and Kieto quickly took action. Lunging forward with all of his might, he slashed and tore his rapier to the upper right, flying past him by the left and rolling to the bended knee! Slowly he began to power up the Mushin and suck the depths of the wind into his sword. The katana glowed a bright white, his reflection diminishing in its opaqueness. Of course, with Rapier in hand, Kieto doubted Garath to stall at all, meaning he would have to make a quick follow up to his attack!

"Your speed is nothing without skill, fool!" lectured Shen, Kieto's master in training. It had been a rough day for both of them, Kieto being scolded every minute. With a hard slap, he whacked the boy to the ground, who clutched his burning cheek. Nothing stung like one of Shen's slaps. There was no way he would give in to another one, and in turn, he fought back, continuing his training.

"Use the Mushin!!" the old man ordered.

Kieto tried to pay heed to his master's advice, but his Mushin was nothing to his master's, and every strike he made turned in vain when Master Shen blocked it with ease. The ways of the Mushin were new and confusing to him then, and he could not reach its heart without meditating for hours first. He first had to make full contact with the heart of the Mushin, and then in turn become one with it.

Kieto smiled. Back then nothing made sense, although now he could summon the powers of the Mushin within the fraction of a second, and use it to his full potential! Still though he would have to use it wisely and determine how each move should be set.

The moon revelealed itself from behind a cloud, and shed its luminosity on the forest. The tips of the tree were glowing white, in essence of the moon itself. Kieto watched it carefully, now they could see each other pretty easily. The Mushin had powered up to a maximum, and the sword started to glow, the famous Katsujinken technique. Twisting his wrist, he used the extra momentum to slash against the air and unleash the wind's crescent, which took the path of the slash and flew towards Garath! This was one of his more powerful attacks, and it was extremely useful as well since it didn't require too much energy to wield and was sharp enough to cut through the trunk of a tree from afar!! It moved at a blinding speed, which meant that as long as Garath couldn't dodge it, he would be forced so some how block it. Could he really block something so powerful, maybe more powerful than the slash of the sword itself?!

Kieto quickly returned to a ready stance with crouching knees. He wasn't entirely sure how Garath would retaliate, so he let himself follow the Mushin.

As Garath had already anticipated, Kieto easily dodged the first thrust that opened the battle. No matter, Garath tells himself, if this fool wants to die by my blade, than I shall be happy to oblige him. Wasting no time, Garath prepares to ward off any oncoming blows, but to his surprise, Kieto is not attacking. Seeing an opportunity to resume his offensive, Garath readjusts his grip on Wind Dancer and begins to charge forward. What he did not expect was for Kieto to use a powerful attack so soon, so when Garath's foe unleashes the wind slash, Garath misses a step in his charge.

The blade of air cuts across the forest, demolishing everything in its path. Splinters from various trees fly into the air as the attack blasts through the trunks and limbs. Realizing he must act immediately, Garath drops Wind Dancer onto the ground and leaps into the air, grabbing the branch of the nearest tree. He swings up onto the branch, steadying himself before leaping across to the next tree to his right. Like a monkey in a jungle, Garath travels from tree to tree, effectively avoiding the danger. He pauses after a few minutes, looking back to see a massive path cut through the middle of the forest. Bare stumps decorate the ground, marking where the massive trees once stood.

Knowing that Kieto is bound to be following him, Garath hops to the ground and begins running toward the outskirts of the forest. As he runs, Garath gets an idea and draws Breath of Fire, swinging the massive blade as he runs. Trees catch fire almost immediately and the blaze quickly spreads, engulfing the abundant timber. Soon it becomes a race against the tendrils of flame, since the fire is spreading in all directions. Trees begin to give way and fall into Garath's path. Cursing his poor judgement, Garath hurtles the first fallen tree and forces himself into a full sprint. Blazing branches fall and thick black smoke fills the air, obstructing Garath's vision and causing him to cough violently. One large branch falls and hits Garath on his left arm, catching his tunic on fire beneath his chain mail.

Garath immediately drops his sword and struggles to remove his armor. The fire quickly spreads, and by the time he gets his tunic off, his skin is covered with severe burns. Grabbing his sword, Garath resumes his mad dash, knowing that every delay brings him closer to his death. He finally sees the end of the forest and picks up his pace even more, anxious to be free from the burning forest. A final tree falls straight into Garath's path and he dives over the fallen trunk, rolling on the ground. Looking back at the chaotic inferno he unleashed, Garath curses to himself as he catches his breath. Thousands of people have gathered around the forest, each of them anxious to see if Kieto will survive this hazard...

Alright, after reviewing both of the posts, both Spike and I have agreed that psiko wins this one by a margin. Both of you had absoloute wonderful entrees, RSC, I admit you suprised both of us in your posts, we were very well impressed, but psiko had a bit more fluidity and organization, that helped clinch it for him

congrats to both