Weapons... are not Medicine (Stein and Salzem)

Salzem faced the training dummy he had set up in the forest. He had asked a favor from one of his old academy teachers. A last request, if you will. This teacher had been one of the few who had treated him nicely, and Salzem acted in kind, grading some of the Academy tests much earlier in his ninja courier. Salzem picked up the dummy from the training grounds and placed it in the forest. He faced it, clearing his mind and lungs to the best of his ability. Lately, his breath had declined from slow and deep to quick and shallow. His breath now constantly stank of the blood that seemed to pool in his lungs. Each time he tried to breath deep now was met with a coughing fit that usually ended with a blood splattering the tile floor of his bathroom. Disregarding his declining condition, Salzem continued his training out of pure defiance of his inevitable demise. His life was coming to an end, and he had accepted that, but he wasn't going to let it end on the bitter note of depression. Salzem lowered his breathing mask, drawing his katana from it's holster on his back. He had learned the basics of this style of sword play during his time as an academy student, but never gave the time nessisary to master it. Salzem took the blade and put it sideways in between his teeth so that the blade was turned horizontally. He then drew his other two swords, His key-blades and faced the dummy. He was going to devote time and effort to this style of fighting. This unorthodox style of Sword-play.

Stein would be taking a stroll in the woods when he noticed the chakra signature of the kid he met that had the coughing fits, so he would head in that direction, his chakra being suppressed as he did not like to be followed, this was after his time in the cave with that weird kid, Stein would shake his head loose of those thoughts, then he would watch the kid with the coughing fits, he watched him practice the odd style of swordplay, So Stein would tilt his head and leaned against a tree as he watched, he still had to learn that one technique to help that kid, but he had been busy at the time, but he made a vow to learn it soon.

After sometime of this kid practicing, and probably a coughing fit or Two, if he went unnoticed Stein would make a throat clearing sound to get the kids attention, as he came up off the tree and walked forward, to make it look like he had only just arrived, Stein would then address the kid "Hey Been a bit, I see your practicing a unique style of fighting it appears, by the Katana in your mouth, don't think many people if anyone fights like that, Im rather impressed, mind helping me understand weapons a bit easier?" Stein asked as he had a interest in weapons, specifically a Scythe, but any where is a nice start, He would wait to hear the kids remark althought he doubted the kid would refuse him.

Salzem slashed at the dummy with his mouth, sword, using his neck almost as an extra arm. The blade cut into the wooden dummy, creating a large gash across it. Following up the cut, Salzem crossed his arms in front of him. He paused for a moment before uncrossing his arms quickly, creating an 'X' slash. As the swords approached the target, Salzem craned his neck so that his mouth-katana was placed in a vertical position behind the 'X' crossed swords. As steel met wood, Salzem felt a cough build up in his chest. The swords cut through the wood like a knife through fresh butter. Cleanly, and swiftly. The dummy fell apart, nothing more than a pile of logs now. Salzem lost his grip on the two swords he held in his hands as a crushing pain built up in his chest. He tried to force down the temptation to cough the annoying itch in the chest that forced up nothing but Salzem's life juices, the sanguine blood of life. Blood poured out of his mout, but he never lost his grip on the sword he kept in between his teeth. Blood poured over his teeth and onto the blade, dripping over onto the dirt ground below. Salzem clutched at his chest, the pain indescribable. As the pain dulled and his senses returned, Salzem saw how much blood had been lost. A small pool at his feet. There wasn't much time now... Salzem saw movement in the corner of his eye. Had someone followed him? Salzem quickly snatched up his two blades, and whirled around to face the stalker. Salzem lowered his weapons was he saw it was only Stein. Salzem took the Katana from his mouth, blood staining the handle. He stared at it before addressing Stein with a nod 'hello'.

"It hasn't been..." Salzem paused before spitting out the remaining blood that had pooled in his mouth. "...that long has it...?" Salzem asked. No... it couldn't have been that long. Was his memory fading as well? Stein commented on the sword style Salzem was attempting to master. Salzem looked at the katana than back to Stein and shrugged.

"Its a sword style called Satoryu, three sword style. Go figure. I figured it would be something to learn in my... final moments..." Salzem felt slightly weaker as he said that. Knowing your death is near was one thing. Saying it out loud was openly acknowledging it. "As for weapons, I can teach only what I know." Salzem would hold out a sword to Stein, his own One Winged Angel. A gesture Salzem wouldn't make to just anyone. Salzem would then raise his mask to his face before sheathing his katana and holding up Olympia.

"The only way to know a blade is to wield a blade, to shed blood with a blade, to strike a blade." Salzem quoted from one of his former training instructors.

Stein would watch the training and x slashing, and sure enough the coughing fit that came up, and after their little chat, he heard the explanation of the technique, and the next thing Stein knew was the sword being offered to him, as not to be rude Stein would accept the blade and began to twirl it around a bit as he looked for the balance in the blade, it took him a moment, but he did not ignore the words Salzem was saying.

While Stein now waited for Salzem to start, He would tell Salzem "I might be able to prolong you life at this moment, and later I will most certainly be able to heal you fully, if your interested at all" Stein was sure the kid would be interested, and while he talked he would spin the one winged angel blade in between his two hands, treating it more like a staff or scythe at the moment then a sword, then he would take the handle in one hand and began to spin the sword around his hand, switching hands from time to time, waiting still for Salzem to either start this off, or for him to respond to the earlier comment.

Salzem shook his head, declining Stein's offer to extend his life.

"I have been dying for years, Stein. I've come to accept it. Prolonging my life will only have me tortured again by the approach of my imminent death. " With those words, Salzem lunged forward, bringing his sword down in a slash aimed at Stein's shoulder (Speed 70 Strength 50, Sharpness 50). Should Stein block or parry, Salzem would roll backwards, raising his blade in a defensive stance. Should Stein dodge, Salzem would back up, letting stein go on the offensive.

Stein would parry the blow as Salzem seemed to swing full force, what was wrong with this kid, he only was offering to remove the pain until Stein could fix the problem, , Stein knew as soon as the blades collided that he was not going to be able to hold the blade away from him, so he pushed it to the right, as Salzem was aiming for his right shoulder, at the same time Stein would step left, then he watched Salzem roll backwards for some reason and he would pursue, fighting more like as if he had a foil then a normal longsword, he would thrust forward at thirty strength and eighty five Speed, if Parried he would take a stance ready with the sword handed to him from Salzem, if Dodged Stein would continue to step towards Salzem thrusting over and over, Stein was acting purely on instinct, but he could quickly deduce this was a much faster sword style and required less power.

Salzem would Let stein's thrust move within one inch of it's taget before Salzem side-stepped, attacking the sword with his own, pushing it down with the flat of his own blade. Then, while Stein would be trying to raise his blade again, Salzem would Salzem would bring up his own, slashing upwards in a crescentt arc (Speed 60 Strength 40). The purpose of this attack was to gain some distance between Stein and himself. The doctor was much faster than he lets on. Salzem needed some room to think, to plan. He hopped back wards, about 2 meters before raising his blade in a defensive stance. Defense was always the way Salzem played, trying to wear down his opponents by damaging their confidence and energy rather than their physical forms.

Stein would watch Salzem Side step, and would watch as Salzem pushed down on his sword, Stein would begin to Pull on the blade to get it free, then shortly after, before Salzem swung at him, Stein's Stiches would begin to glow, and suddenly Stein would begin to slowly lift the blade up from under the kids blade, Stein's Strength was now at fifty five, so it would take a little time, then the kid swung the sword and his becoming free from the other sword Stein would parry and lock the blades in a cross formation, with much more equal strength, neither would budge they would just sit there for a moment, before Stein would push the blades up and away, which was about the time Salzem would jump back, Stein as well would jump back, Stein did not want to show off his ace so early but he had to do what he had to do, now with the playing field fully equal Stein would take a defensive stance to watch what Salzem might do.

Salzem struggled with Stein, their blades crossed in an 'X' position. He had taken note that Stein's stitches had glowed, as if granting Stein new power. He was sure he wasn't this strong before. Salzem disapproved slightly. this was a test of both of their abilities, not to be interfered by outside resources be it armor or otherwise. Salzem rolled his eyes as he leaped back, accepting Stein's decision to boost his strength. Salzem noted that Stein mirrored his stance, a defensive stance in holding the blade in front of the person almost like a shield. Neither Stein nor Salzem made a move. it seemed that Stein was learning through mimicry. Almost the same way he learned how to use a blade. Salzem looked Stein up and down. Salzem figured he needed to take the fight to Stein, deciding that he couldn't taunt him into breaking the stalemate. Salzem charged toward Stein, a seemingly foolish maneuver that would almost certainly end up with Salzem on the business end of his own weapon. Salzem suddenly ducked left at 1 meter from Stein, Bringing his sword around in an arc aimed at Stein's left arm. (Speed 50 Strength 40)

Stein would note the leap backwards and that he was taking the same stance as Salzem, and seemed they both decided the same thing at the same time, charging for the other at the same time, classic anime style fighting scene, two swordsmen using same styles mimicking the other, most likely having their sword clash once again into each other, Stein would note the fancy ducking arc that was aimed for his left side, Stein would spin his arm over his head towards his left, with the sword pointed downwards, so to knock the other away, meanwhile he stepped back, more so twirled, as to keep his moment for just a moment longer, becoming more fancy with his swordplay, him and Salzem were merely playing around, he knew nothing serious was about this, other then Stein's learning of this way of fighting.

Stein would hope to catch Salzem off guard by tossing him back the sword after clearing space between them, and the moment the sword left his hand he formed the handseals as fast as he could to summon him a staff made of rock from the ground, which he would take from the ground and begin to twirl around him, till the staff rested across his back and in his right hand, his left hand in front of him but his palm pointed towards his right hand, his glasses slide part way down his nose, thankfully they were only for decoration then anything else, his stance had him crouched low now, and he waited to see what the kid would do now.