Back on the feet (P, NK)

Hmm. Haru found himself knocked over in a moment of pure braindeadedness. He lay there on the ground for a moment, without turning his head, and it seemed youta would not attack him from the back. Her mistake. He would attempt to sweep her legs out from under her with his own, using the momentum from the spinning motion he used to accomplish this to bring himself back up to his feet. He would not be knocked over again. If he was successful in tripping the girl, he would strafe backwards, making sure he didn’t make the same mistake she did. He waited for her to get up, mostly because he would look like an asshole if he finished that leg sweep with a curb stop to the head, as he would have normally.

And in but a moment she would have been reminded of her position. The mistake was on her part, she should not have stayed so close to Haru, even when he was on the ground. But since she did not increase her distance, the attack could not have been so easily avoided, probably because it was quite unexpected. As her feet were swept from under her, the girl found herself falling and in a moment on her bottom, on the ground. Her look at the time would spell surprise and some degree of confusion, then fixed into a smile. Yes, her mistake. It seemed Haru was not into attacking a downed opponent, or maybe he was just holding back, which was more likely. Picking the blade from the ground, Youta would stand up. Unless interrupted she would take his chance to attack. As she stood up, in the same motion she would lean forward and bring the blade up. The weapon being held in her right hand would come at an angle from her left, placing the slash from Haru's right hip to his left shoulder. As the attack was being executed, the her chakra would flow into the ninjato, surrounding and concealing the weapon. At least its exact parameters.

A smirk would cross Haru’s face as his tripping motion was succeful, knocking Youta to the ground. Still, he would feel and look like a dick if he attacked her on the ground, though he didn’t care much for any kind of honor system. Haru would wait for youta to recover enough to make another attack. As she neared him he noted as she began her slash, aimed from his right hip to his left shoulder, which would not feel all that good. In response to this, he would bring his left, armored hand downwards, attempting to catch the blade, stopping the motion before her cut was successful in hitting him. He would then push the blade aside, to his left, forcing her guard open, save for one hand. With his right hand, he would attempt an uppercut punch, which would connect with the bottom of her jaw if not stopped, and although he was holding back strength wise, a punch in the face never felt good. Still, this girl had to have some kind of pain tolerance, judging by her injuries from last time they met.

That armored hand though... It was a bother, clearly being able to endure her slash, it was used to grab her blade, preventing the slash. Haru would then take the blade to her right, pretty much leaving her defenseless, more or less. Of course the girl would try to pull the blade out, but her strength was clearly not good enough. She would then realize his counter coming. Shifting her weight to the left she would start moving in that direction, trying to pull the blade with her one last time. If it did not work, she would let go of it. As she was doing this, her left hand would rise up and come horizontally in front of her, the pay of Haru's hit. She did not expect to stop it, which is why she moved her body, but at least it could redirect the attack a bit, giving her a chance to move away from it. Finishing the move she would let her weightless right leg do a swift kick to his right knee. If successful she would also use it to push away from him, jumping and landing two meters away.

3527 w.

Haru’s hand was redirected, and his grip on Youta’s sword was challenged. He would release his grip on the sword, deciding he didn’t want to risk taking a hit. He began to release chakra from his hands, waving them quickly, and creating a dome of chakra, blasting Youta away. He would stand there for a moment after finishing the motion, trying to catch his breath. This time, he would take the initiative. He would pound a his right fist into his left hand, as two lions heads began to form from chakra on his hands. He made the motion one would make as if they were cracking their knuckles in reverse, pulling bones from his knuckles to essentially use as brass knuckles with his unarmored right hand, on top of the lion’s fist. When he was finished covering his hand, he would begin a dash at Youta, assuming she had already stood back up. An uppercut with his right hand was aimed at her stomach, his left hand held back in order to block the sword that would soon be incoming.

Before her intended actions could be finished, Haru would release a blast of chakra, which would send Youta flying back a few meters. The landing was not the softest, the girl touching down on her left shoulder and rolling about a meter, then stopping in a small cloud of dust. The hit itself might not have been all that strong, but the landing... Barely getting on her knees Youta would see Haru prepare for another attack. She could see the chakra gather at his hands, forming into what appeared as lion heads at each hand. The following she did not sure what to make of, it seemed like bones came out of Haru's right hand. He did not look in pain, or surprised though. Maybe it was an illusion or something he was used to. Maybe it was some sort of ability. Whatever it was, she obviously could not get hit by it.

So when Haru began his dash, she would use whatever strength left to infuse the ninjato with wind chakra and throw it at him, aimed at his throat. Clapping her hands together she would use a wind technique the slow him down a bit as well as accelerate the blade in its flight. Having traveled half the way the wind chakra infused in the weapon would expand in form of extended wind blades. As soon as she clapped her hands to cause the wind, she would start making hand seals before he reached her. She needed five of them. Then she would activate the substitution technique, appearing to be hit only to be replaced with a large stone, which lay on another side of the garden. If she did not make it... then oh well, she would try to duck, or rather fall to the ground completely, to avoid the spiky punch.

3831 w.

Haru saw Youta throwing the blade, clicking his tongue quietly as he ran towards her. Why did everyone throw his swords? Every time he gave one to someone, it seemed this happened…. He wouldn’t stop running, he would simply sidestep the blade as Youta threw it at him, bringing his right foor forward and to his right, and pivoting his left foot behind that foot, spinning out of the blade’s range, and not losing his momentum. Still, Youta was lucky, she managed to preform a substitution in time, replacing herself with a rock. As Haru saw this happen, he would increase the force of his punch, so that when it connected with the rock, the thing was broken to tiny pieces. The Lions still on his hands, he decided to make Youta make the attack this time, taking up a defensive stance, and waiting for her to advance. This was his first time using the twin lions fist in a fight, and even though he was mostly doing this for the intimidation factor, he still found he was liking the technique more and more as he used it.

It would seem her idea worked, she managed to use the technique in time. She was also in luck that Haru did not decide to deflect the weapon she threw, but rather dodged it, allowing it to go on its course and land on the other side of the garden. Which just to happened to be a couple meters from the stone, that Youta just replaced. But man, her dog was tired. With a dull look observing as the chakra slowly faded from the weapon, Youta would be on her four, breathing heavily. A short glance confirmed that Haru was not attacking, but rather waiting. Maybe giving her a chance to take a breather? After maybe a minute spent in this position she would crawl to the weapon, pull it out of the ground and then lean back, falling on her back. Nah, she should take a longer respite, this time with a weapon in hand though.

3988 w.

The girl heard Haru's question, but was too busy breathing to answer. And lazy, kind of. Well, you know that feeling when it seems like all strength has left your body and moving but a finger is above you. Youta would hold the silence for about ten second then respond "Yeah, you exhausted me, I'm not used to firing technique in such rapid succession. Give me a moment here." If the boy did not object, she would lay there for another couple minutes. Slowly her breathing returned to normal. And when she felt she regained sufficient strength to go another round, the girl leaned forward and slowly stood up, while holding the weapon in her right hand. She would leave the far side of the garden and come closer to Haru, up to about five meter distance between them. "Okay, I'm ready if you want to go again" with that she would assume her stance again, just like when they started the fight.

4151 w.