Into darkness (Closed to Void)

The dark streets of the Californian city were not good to inhabit tonight. Shi Ryurou, was working late to discover the source of a strange energy he had been tracking, but somehow always escaping him. The energy as present for only a moment, then vanished without a trace. The sudden power was so quick in fact, that even Shadow-stepping was not fast enough. Tonight was different though, for this night Shi was close when the energy was released. He quickly jumped at the opportunity and Shadow-stepped to it. As he approached he kept to shadow, but what he was about to see was far different than anything he'd seen before...

Void had just finished his evening stroll, a habit that became all to popular for him after whatever made him what he is. He walked silently, gracefully letting his lower robing brush the dirt off the sidewalk as he passed. He finally reached the beach when he allowed himself rest, sitting down in the sand to look at the stars above. As he looked out into the 'Void' of space he quietly reflected upon his own existance. Space was dark, mysterious, cold, and the majority of it was empty. Void was exactly like that. He was dark, mysterious, and he may seem cold to those who don't understand him. Most of all, he was empty. There was a void in himself, for he no longer remembered his life before. He knew no family, he only remembered one person, and voices called out to him. He swore that he was crazy. Tonight, like the night before, a voice eventually crept Iinto his head.
"Where are you?"The haunting voice wailed out to him. He felt the hair on his back stand up, and goosebumps covered his arms and legs. He simply shook his head. "Master...where are you Master?"The voice sobbed. Void could no longer ignore the voice, and departed to find the source.
Void found the source to be yet another spirit. A spirit turned from the gates of heaven and not yet taken to hell. The glowing seafoam orb danced around. But as soon as Void approached it, it ceased it's sobs.
"Spirit, who. Do you seek?Void demanded of tbe spirit.
"I seek you....master." The spirit replied. Void was not surprised. Every spirit he'd seen for the past month had told him the same thing. He already knew what to do, so he held out his hand, and took the very essence into him.
"Another soul....into the void."He smirked.

Shi could not believe what he was seeing. He had just witnessed another being absorbing the soul of the dead! Shi as a human was repulsed by this, while the spirit of Death within him raged that another was attempting to do HIS work. Shi would not be dishonored by this unknown man,so as the man turned to leave he emerged from shadow. "You do dark deeds..." Shi said, his hand menacingly close to his katana. He finally grasped the hilt, and he drew his blade, pointing it to his enemy. "You do that which is not your charge, you whom devours souls.... for you are surly evil in it's truest form.". With that said, Shi shadow stepped behind his opponent and slashed at him. The battle had begun.

Voids eyes widened as the unknown samurai-guy cut through his robe top and blood began to seep out of the cuts. Void had long released his fear of death, right after he watched his friend bleed out so long ago. This cut was not fatal, especially not for him. He backed away and clutched at his chest. "Dark deeds?"Void asked with a heavy sigh. He then let his hand go to his side. "Tell me... do you deny the tiger it's kill simply because it means death? Do you deny the crow it's meal, simply becauze it's meal is dead? I am like the crow....feeding on souls who have been abandoned by God. Taking them and giving them purpose." Void asked as he held up his hand with a seafoam green tinge to it. He stood upright and cracked his neck. "It seems that you will not come to see reason...therefore you must die."
Void held out his hand and unleashed his Blackfire bolt at the samurai, his eyes narrowed like a hawk on its prey.
{OoC:Blackfire cool down 2 posts}

Shi knew that his combat skill was superior, and though he might have been able to evade the ball of fire, he drew his sword and slashed down at the fire, but the second the fire met his blade it divided and hit Shi on both shoulders. The pain wasn't anything special, but it caused a discomfort in his arms. He watched the man. He analysed him for a moment, unsure of what his foe was. "He is no spirit, of that I can sense. But this magic is so...spiritual." Shi thought to himself as he clenched his jaw behind his mask. This foe was not defenseless. "Perhaps getting close to him will turn the battle to my favor?" Shi wondered as he slid his foot and took the stance of Kushalatatsu. He shadow-stepped up to his opponent, and when he drew his blade with one slash at his foe,, while the ensrgy of his spirit left the blade, generating two spirit slashes at the fiend. "This...will end!" Shi exclaimed with a deep disgust in his voice.

'What a troublesom little pest..." Void thought to himself as he stepped back, reciving three new cuts, two more to the torso and one to his shoulder. 'The poor little thing seems to think that ALL magic users are helpless...'
Void wasted no time taking advantage of his enemy's misconception. He drew his magic from his core and chuckled as a twister of voidfire enveloped the area around him. The flames died down, now only rotating as high as his ankles. Void analyzed his opponent expectantly, hoping to find ashes of the samurai, although he highly doubted it.

'This man is either toying with me, or he has never even heard the word 'fight' before!' Shi thought as his three 'blades' made contact. Shi would not let his guard down, oh no. Shi treated every enemy as if they were the very evil he hunted. 'He simply must be toying with me... the thing devours souls he MUST be Ev-!' Shi's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden gust of wind knocking him back, his body had a burning sensation all over. He noticed a large typhoon of black fire with a purple colored inner flame. Shi had lost himself in thought too long, he was digusted with himself for it. The flames died down, and Shi shadow stepped behind the man, charging at his back and slashing again with the Kushalatatsu stance.

Void's ring of fire shot up, enveloping him once more in the tornados of void fire. The incoming energy blades were caught up in the fires, but Void could only wonder what happened to the samurai. 'Perhaps....I need to try a different approach... Void chuckled, loving the thrill of toying with one so much physically stronger than himself. 'Let ME see how you fight what YOU can't!'
Void then called upon his power again, this time rendeing himself invisible before the flames died down.

(OoC:)

Spoiler:

Shi figured that ring of fire would pop up again. The fire went down and... the man was gone.
"What magic is this!?" Shi snarled as he looked around. He scoffed as he sheathed his sword. He felt a lingering rage, as if his opponent were still there. But there was nothing more he could do, so hebegan walking towards the road.

Void snickered as his foe walked away. His back was turned, he was exposed. 'What an....enticing opportunity. Void was satisfied, but he wasn't done, not yet. Before his invisibility broke, he drew forth enough power to use one of his greatest spells. The shadowy tendrils lunged at the samurai's back

The tendrils wrapped around Shi. He was too late to the draw witb his sword. The tendrils wrapped and wrapped, but he would not relent as he began slashing violently at the shadowy slithering things. Eventually the spell had taken it's full effect, and he was furious. He, Shi Ryurou was just taken off guard. Death itself had lost his vigilance. "How could I be so reckless!?" He howled

"Welcome to...THE BOX!" Void hissed as the shadows began to strangle the samurai. The samurai was trapped by tendrils that strangled him as they shot out into eight points and connected as a box. Void had him where he wanted him. His heart skipped a beat, knowing that this supposed "warrior" was helpless and at his mercy. The sadistic part of Void overtook and he decided to make this one suffer. He casted his Blackfire and watched on gleefully.

Shi couldn't move, despite his greatest struggles, he only succeeded in making the tenticle's wrap tighter. Shi couldn't breath, and now he had the wind knocked out of him by a Blackfire bolt. 'Relax Shi, calm....calm....'. He calmed himself as best he could cor a suffocating man. He was suddenly hit by a realization. 'My weapon is of the material world, but the technique Kushalatatsu...' He smiled under his mask, and he channeled his energies into his blade as he swung at a corner of the shadowy box outline. This was his best chance to bring him back into the fight.

"How interesting!"Void marveled as from seemingly nowhere two slashes had been taken out of the shadow-formed shadow-formed tendrils freeing the samurai from the spell. The samurai had broken free, gasping for air, but somehow quickly regained his focus and discipline. Void had seen enough, this samurai wasn't a force to be trifles with. Void commanded his power once more. He placed an open hand out and a purple hole in the ground began glowing warily as the concrete began to shatter and enter the hole. From the hole emerged a 4 foot blade and a 3/4 inch hilt. The blade was as black as sin, and the hilt was like a dragon, breathing out the blade as fire. Runic markings adorned the blade and began glowing a sickly and unholy green, as did the eyes of the Dragon. "Perhaps there is hope for you..." Void said with an unexpected smile. He then readied himself.

"Finally, we can fight like men." Shi said with a content voice. He had already regained control of his breathing from the previous situation. Shi knew his own skills were rivaled only by The Storm Incarnate, so he decided that he would not use Kushalatatsu, instead this would be an honorable fight. Shi charged at this man, and began assaulting him with a flurry of normal strikes.