Sailerya and the Spirit: Sparring (Closed to Shi Ryurou and Sailerya)

Shi sat alone in the training room, the lights were off and no one was home. This was the only time that someone wasn’t using it, which meant that Shi would now use it as a meditation chamber, until someone else needed it. Shi could feel the presence of Rain. It relentlessly assaulted the headquarters, almost as if trying to find a means to enter. Thunder roared, and the winds forced the waves of the ocean itself to crash on the lands. If Shi had not known better, he would have said that Rai had found him and was denied entry. Which would in fact prove rather…unfortunate for the complex as a whole. Rai would never hurt an innocent, but if the matter were dire enough, perhaps he would force his entry in. Rai would not attack the operatives, or any members, so long as they left him be, however OCEAN operatives weren’t the type to sit still while their home was invaded. Unfortunately, Shi is responsible for the protection of the Storm Spirit, and so any OCEAN operative, who so much as thought to harm Rai, was harming Shi himself, and Shi would not allow this to happen.
Thankfully, Shi was not required to submit to such an ultimatum. For Rai was not here, but the storm outside made it quite clear that Death was not the only spirit. He felt his soul tugging from his body, restless for the first time in ages. So much had happened to Shi recently, and it was taking a mental toll. Dr.0, Madame, The King of Fools, Him and Rai’s encounter with the Bionic goddess and her god-blades all of it was beginning to make the Spirit of Death regret his life. He was once part of the Evil that controlled this world, and now that he’s attempting to redeem himself, he finds himself on the losing side. Would his work ever be done? Could he ever truly rest in peace? Would he ever truly be redeemed?
It tore him apart inside the very walls of his soul despite keeping the exterior that made him seem as a peaceful samurai in meditation. He could feel Rain calling out to him, trying to get through the base to him, calling out to him. He could feel thunder menacing over the headquarters, threatening to break down the walls that divided Rain and Death. Rain had forgiven Shi so long ago, but Shi could never forgive himself. He began to contemplate if that were in fact his problem. Would Shi ever be able to appease himself, would he ever truly redeem himself to look in the mirror again? No, his face was repulsive, the dragon within roared in mourning of its wrongs, and the rain began to beat upon the headquarters even harder. The thunder and lightning flashed out, trying to snap Shi from his meditations. His old friends were trying to reach him, to tell him something, but he remained inside, secluded from everyone both spirit and mortal. Death was as it should be, miserable and alone. What was this madness, was it planted by the King of Fools, or maybe the red-headed woman? This feeling was unbearable, it made his heart heavy, and it made him shake. His breathing was unsettled. He lost all control, something he had never done before.
His memory came back in a blazing fire. The fire of his home, the one that was consumed by Evil, the one where he was forced to kill the only family he had at that point. Then he was forced to watch as his father figure sacrifice himself to save the worthless incarnate. Then he was forced to remember the faith that Kage had in him. It was all misplaced, how would Kage react to know Death’s futile efforts in this world that his sacrifice meant nothing.  What was happening to him? HE couldn’t control his body, he didn’t even feel attached to this world anymore. He heard the dragon spirit inside him roar, but he could do nothing. What was all this talk of rebuilding his clan, what steps had he taken to do such? Was he not Death, the spirit they had once worshiped and revered? But he failed them, he could not protect them. He was not the warrior he should be, he was not defending as he should be, and he was a failure for that. He was weak; he had no power to protect others, and barely a means to protect himself. He had no business calling himself a warrior of Death, let alone Death himself.
He was hit by a sudden chill, a comforting chill. The chill which was so similar to the chill of Death himself but held a complete different spiritual texture and aura. How could one describe the difference of in a spiritual texture? Imagine being surrounded in the arctic, bare and unclothed. The imagine all at once being covered by a warm blanket that had just been removed from a drying machine. Imagine that you were covered by a denim blanket, you would be comfy because it is warm, and it protects you. Now imagine being covered in a warm silky-soft blanket. The silky soft is a much different texture, and it may be one that is preferred, but to one who his clinging on for survival, the texture is not the concern normally. It is this concept that Shi had believed that mortals always seemed to search for God’s and spirits to guide them. For alone a mortal spirit is a barren, frozen and bitter thing. For it is a spirit, be it a mortal spirit or otherwise, that warms it. The mortals are alone, frozen and cold. Spirits are warm and shelter them. For this texture he felt now was a lucid one, it was sublime to the feel, it was like being submerged in jell-o with the ability to breath.
He found himself shaken back to reality form his memories. His eyes were soar, and he himself was drenched as the rain poured down on him. Shi removed his mask and looked up to the skies. He felt himself produce his own rain, and he touched the water. He took a deep, shaken breath and looked to the sky, the rain itself hitting his eyes.
“What’s become of me?” Shi asked. There was no wind to answer, and the thunder subsided. The rain continued, and picked up even harder. At this rate the entire ocean may flood… an exaggeration of course. He had no answer, this was a feeling like he’d never felt before. The rain began to subside.“Don’t leave me like this…please.” he begged, the rain was like a mist now, only a ghost of the spirit that had once been there.
“You are being human.” A voice echoes in his head, like the chorus of a thousand crystal water classes sounding off. Shi’s hair stood on end, and his blood began to boil. He was being human? Unacceptable, just because he was born to a human body did not excuse his behavior. “It does not make you weak Shi. It makes you strong. It makes you wise. You are experiencing something that only the Storm Spirit has had the pleasure of. You can be as human, and have the power of the Spirit. Shi, you are experiencing grief and regret for what you have done. The tears are a symbol of mercy, as I cried and purged the Evil from you, they humans may cry and purge the evil and regret from themselves. When one cries, they expel the dark emotions, the guilt, and the sorrow. Crying was MY gift to them, so that they did not need to live with such feelings. Perhaps being human will allow you to expel the ill emotions you harbor for yourself, hm?” The crystalline voice sang.
“Spirits don’t cry…it is a sign of weakness.” Shi protested, his voice firm and his body no longer trembling in the chill of the rain. Shi could feel the spirit of Rain saddened by his statement. There was silence as the mist stopped.
“I am weak because I cared for something other than myself. I am weak because I cared for you, and did not wish you to perish. If caring for another is weakness…then the cost of power, could never be worth it.” The voice of Rain whispered as it faded away. Shi was ashamed of himself. He was a fool not only as a human, but as a Spirit. He roared as the turned around and walked back inside to the training room, quickly snatching his straw hat from the floor and his mask from the table. For the first time since his 'rencarnation' Shi had felt the urge to kill, to activly reap a life. Before he could don either, the light was turned on, and he wasn't the least surprised by who he saw.

Shi had no clue what was going on, she grazed his skin and there was a glowing plsama blade. She had zigg-zaged all over the place, making it harder to follow her. Shi glared at her, but still wasn't sure how he should be recieving this 'message'. Was he no longer welcome in O.C.E.A.N's halls? Did he offend her and now she was seeking retribution? Regardless, Shi didn't believe it was with the intent to kill. Perhaps this was just for practice. The woman really had no fear, it was obvious the way she openly invited Death onto the 'dance floor'.
Shi scoffed and drew his own blade to meet her own. As he did so, his spirit was brought forth from the blade and two spirit blades flew out to gash Sailerya's throat. The gashes would only cause alarm, and he didn't channel enough of his spirit to make them deep enough to do any lethal damage, they would only scratch the first to layers of skin, not even draw blood. Shi anticipated her jumping back so he shadowstepped three feet behind her blade pointed, ready to defend himself again. He smirked, knowing that while he himself would not be able to overpower Sailerya, he would be able to out mover her, quite easily. It was a matter of strength and intelligence against speed and spirit.
Shi was ready for this, he was determined to prove that his reincarnation wasn't as mistake, that the other spirits made the right choice. If it meant he had to knock down Sailerya, then so be it. He had a purpose in life, to redeem hmself, and so far he was not doing it. Bu defeating Sailerya he could finally call himself a warrior again, and perhaps even start to work on the rebuilding of his clan. But Sailerya wasn't a foe to multi-task thoughts with. She commanded respect on and off the battlefield, and she demanded attention fgrom her foes. Failure to comply resulted in a swift death.

So Sai wished to Spar. Shi could managed that. She was smart and saw right through his shadow step. This was mistake one for Shi, it ended with a knee to the stomach and the blade slashing up against his mask, and cutting a good chunk from it. Shi drew his own blade, and as he did, his blade moved to lock with her own. This time his Spirit Blades were full force, one swiftly in-bount to both of Sailerya's shoulders. Shi pushed off an sprawled back never taking his blood red eyes from the magenta ones before him. He was quick to examine the area around to look for anything he could use as an advantage. He just didn't seem to find anything right off the bat, the only thing he noticed was a second, mundane, sword. With a smirk he observed Sailerya, eagerly anticipating her next move.
Shi was too busy being a shield for Rai that he had forgotten what it mewans to be a sword. He was anxious for this, he wanted this. He wanted the chance to prove what he was made of. This was a no-hold brawl, and if he were defeated it would not be from a lack of trying. Shi with a new resolve charged her and struck at each shoulder, with each sword strike the same additional spirit blades to follow.

Sailerya gashed his chest, and since he wasn't wearing his armor he was a little more prone to injury. She knew how to use her reflexes to her advantage. It was good to know that she wasn't going to take it easy on him, he was just waiting for her to use her big brain to try and get the upper hand. Shi had a strong despising of the 'Technology-users' due to his little 'encounter' on the island off the coast of Africa. He was constantly training now, he knew no rest. What happened there motivated him to become better, stronger. His lack of physical strength was ultimately his weakness, something the woman there had taught him. It was a world where the weak died so that the strong would thrive. The events there vchanged his perspective on things, and not for the better. He was stil the same old Shi, the same resolve, but he no longer felt any emotion for those he fought. Thinking about the events distracted him, just enough for her to land a cut. Under idfferent circumstances it may have cut him in half, if she were truly tring to kill him. He bounced back from his thoughts and slashed at her with his blade, he anticipated her on making the same pivots as before and this time with a little focus he managed to off set his spirit blades enough to hit where she would be moving too. Shi shoved off her and glared at her. Shi was struggling to remember that this was just sparring. Shi was only hoping that Sai did not realize that he was distracted. More importantly he hoped she didn't ask why. Shi ran at her, but as she went to block him he shadow stepped behind her and then shadow-stepped again to take her by surprise. Shi was almost certain that she had never seen him shadow-step twice and so he was sure he had at least a cut this time. If she could dodge two normal blades and four spirit blades the woman was practically a spirit.
Shi sheathed his sword and took a new fighting stance, Rai's stance. While he would not be able to call upon the same powers as Rai, he would be able to use Kushalatatsu with it, and it would allow him to strike in new ways that Sai had not seen him use before.

The blade sunk into him. He entered a moment of total rememberance, tiem around him stopped as he recalled the feeling of helplessness and dispair. Saierya was calculating everythign he was doing. His movements, his actions. The blade was in him an inch and from what he could tell his Kushalatatsu was being ignored. This woman he swore an oath to just out right attacker her, and starts throwing technology aroung. Just like that Vexus thing did. Was it technology that prompted Sailerya to attack him? Maybe it was technology that made people evil. Shi's hear stopped as the blade positioned itself right into a fresh wound.. Normally yhr blade wouldn't have sunk in, but where it would only have barely gon in, it slid right through ignoring his hardened body. With four inches of the blade inside him he groaned, showing an obvious sign of weakness. His knees buckled and his abdomen began to convulse. How could this be happening to him? His Kushalatatsu was worthless against Sai, just like that damndable left arm of the red headed woman. His body was being easily peirced by blades like with the redheaded woamn.
"Enough!" Shi said, but the voice that came out was the Spirit of Death itself. It ripped off the mask and using his superior fighting skill attempted to drive a swift palm into Sailerya's nose. With the speed of his reflexes and his human strength he should have been able to at least shove her off. Shi ripped off his mask and slowlty ripped Kage's cerimonial dagger down his eye , blood gushing everywhere. His spirit bled out of him, and soon the same techy-looking magic lines formed the outline of a feirce dragon-humanoid. He tore off his straw had and grabbed his katana oin one hand and the cerimonal dagger in the other. He was ready for an all out war.

Saileyra struggled to try and reson with Shi. What did she expect would happen, Shi had no nowledge of her customs, she may very well have said that she wan't angry and didn't mean to harm him but would you expect someone who wants you dead to just say that? She put her blade away, asking him what was wrong. He had a four inch deep hole in him, and he was bleeding profusely from it. He decided he wouldn't give her the satisfaction, no. Just because he trusted her, just because she was someone he was actually willing to call a friend. None of that mattered now, four inches was unexplainable other than to expect that the attempt wa sto kill him. He was still recovering, but He knew that if it wa sneeded he could finish this now.
"You're all the same. He thought you different. But you're all the same. You get your hands on technology and try to put an end to Death. But I'm sorely upset to inform you that the red-headed whore had more oomph to her! Draw your blade, you want to see which of us is the better, so we will see as such." The spirit roared through Shi's mouth.
Shi shadow stepped in front of her, then behind her, then to the side of her. Soon he was moving so fast that there were four solid images of him, but no way to tell where he was in between the images. Shi would finally strike with both blades, two spirit blades releasing from each blade. "You souldn't have come to the ballroom if you didn't want to dance!" The Spirit said. Sai would need to avoid not only the two blades, but four spirit blades as well. Shi struck form her side first, back-handing the dagger towards her shoulder and then following it through with a katana diagonal upper-cut.

Saileyra really wanted to rub the Bridge of her fucking nose. She hated when people assumed the worst and this kid just did. Even if it was a spirit, he didn't ask her questioned, assumed her use of technology was to end death when she only used Xetakka's edge to bring it. She was quite confused in all the aspects, but she calculated moved. Her right foot went back placid, while Shi may have been the slightly better fighter than herself and more durable she was faster and stronger. Without Xetakka in the way she can focus on her body and Xeno perception. Adrenaline running, she'd notice four of him all around her. He was speaking, something about a red headed woman? She was trying to connect the pieces mentally configure the danger someone who had put Shi through.

She'd jump when all for was around her the spirit blades avoided in her jump, being faster, she hopefully would avoid along with him lunging as she'd twist in the air landing on her hands her form flipping backwards from hand to foot springing as she'd land on her feet straight. Apparently, she was using her speed now to her advantage. "You do know I did not aim to kill Shi? If I did I would had let my sword go straight through that wound he's bleeding from and shot it the barrels right into his innards." She said, her voice flat, "He has seen me kill. He should realize my fight and my 'oomph' to bring death to the door step." She said, her voice harsh, rather straight to the point.

Bringing her hands in front of her, elbows tucked, hands high balls on her feet light she would wait. Her eyes staring, magenta eyes glaring, "My kind fight in greeting it is a sign of kinship. If you take me for a fool that would use my technology from my time to hurt others intentionally I might as well seppuku myself and light myself in hells fucking flame." She said, flatly, angered. She hated when people assumed her character and shit. It was stupid and childish, if anything, this 'technology is evil' bit was farfetched to her, but if he was going to assume she was like everyone else? That's where he made a dire mistake.

Drawing her blade, she had it in hand, the edge screaming as she grasped it; fingers holding the blade. "I would not have sheathed my Xetaken. In our world, this is the extension of or life. We die by the sword, Shi. I'm sure you can understand that, even if my sword is technology based it still holds the same value." She said, her form moving sword pointing to the left, and it was shot. The bullet spared through the air, but not at him actually in the opposite direction hitting the wall. Mercury exploded, interstellar plasma consumed the wall, breaking through the material of the establishment. "That's what I fucking would have done to your stomach if I aimed to kill you. You would have nothing left but the shit in your pants and the fear of the screams of my blade." She said flat; monotone. Without a doubt, she left him; she would walk away or attempt to her form guarded and the blade in her hand leaving him with her information of her life, home world, and the pet peeve of being judged.

She was leaving. Everything was as it needed to be wasn't it? Death had no time for friends, or family. He only needed to do his duty to O.C.E.A.N, becasue it was in alignment with his cause. There was a void in his mind, a lapse of thought. He needed to calm himself down, he could not jsut allow his spirit to take ahold of the situations like this. Before Saileyra could walk away entirerly Shi forced his own voice through.
  "Sa-il-er-ya." he said broken. His growling calemd and his breathing stablized. He was acting like a monster, he was being exactly what he didn't want to be. What good would ridding the world of the Evil be if it cost him his own soul in the process. "I'm sorry. I-I've just had some very bad encounters recvently thsat have...well...skewed my views. I had never thought that your blade would mean to you what mine does to me. I've just become unnerved, and uncertain to whom I can trust anymore. I must also say that I've never heard of people bonding over fighting, and in fighting you also managed to...stab where I was still mending a wound, so I assumed you...knew and were trying to finish the job." Shi confessed to her. He cleared his throat and lowered his head."I willl leave. O.C.E.A.N cannot work with such dysfunction within it's walls, and I am ashamed to say that this time I am the cause of it...again." He said, angry with himself regarding Void. This was the second time he screwed up, and this couldn't keep fucking happening. What ever happened to the times he was called ot listen to the sob stories of the deceased, and called to judge their deeds? He never cared, but now all of a sudden things were stirring in him. "Fuck, I'm turning human." He cursed under his breath, unsure if Saileyra could hear him or not. She shouldn't have, but she tended to just know things. He was a spirit, he shouldn't have cried earlier, he shouldn't be acting out in rage. Emotions themselves should be hardly this relative to him, andf yet here he is. Maybe O.C.E.A.N would be better off without him, but that wasn't for him to say. He was sworn to Saileyra, and he'd make good on that oath. But he wouldn't stay if it meant her endangerment or the endangerment of O.C.E.A.N, of his 'Family'. The thought twisted his stomach with a new feeling. Guilt maybe? Who knows, all that was certain is that Shi was becoming human.

Shi was still furious. Not at Saileyra, but at himself. Why did this shit keep happening to him? He needed a way out of this. Not out of O.C.E.A.N, but out of his emotions. He needed a way to keep himself if check. Sai was one of the two people Shi respected without question, and that perhaps was why his shock and rage were able to take control. The thought of trusting and respecting someone and having that just randomly happen was quite a shock for him. It brought back memories of him training with his clan mates. They would assault him without need, harden him to the point he was cold and callous both in body and in heart. Sai seemed to acknowledge that there was some underlying issue with him at the moment, and as such she was compassionate. She listened, and she once again tried to calm him and promised that her technologies were not meant to harm him. She was being rather upbeat and humerous about it, and Shi smiled a little, only to be polite. In truth he still mentally desolated himself for letting his emotions get the better of him.
   "Shi, your not leaving OCEAN.I need you and at least not on terms like this, we all have points in ourselves that aren't pretty. I have programming called Exodus, if I don't battle, I need it. It drives me. XETA are programmed for war, survival, and destruction; not that all of us are into that type of thing, but without a frequent fight we can go berserk like you did." She said to him
   It started to make sense. The reason she went to attack him was her releasing some vent up drive because of this ‘Exodus’ program. So in a sense, to her this was natural, and beneficial to both members of her kind. The everything that caused her to attack was the very thing that caused Shi to RE-act. His reaction was appropriate in his eyes, and he still deemed her randomly striking at him to be confusing, but this was his friend, part of his new family. He would learn to deal with it. Perhaps is fighting can calm the dfeelings that cal her to battle, it can calm his emotions that drive him as well. Shi touched his shoulder, flinching. She really must not have any idea how badly of shape he was really in. She could have killed him, even holding back. Shi had simply forgotten that she didn’t know.  
    It was rather interesting that Sailerya had a weakness for being judged. Shi never wanted harm or insult from his mouth to any ears. It was also a great relief to learn that she thought that he was a capable warrior, and that he was worth keeping around. She even addressed the Void issue, which actually only made him feel worse, considering the dark thoughts he had been having recently. He knew he’d have to face the music.  
   ”Great move Saileyra, so if he manages to kill me then at least I know that you’ll avenge me.”Shi thought to himself, humored by the concept. If Shi died, then it was his time to. Vengeance was not necessary. Then again somehow it made him comforted, and it justified his feeling the same way for his new family.
     ”I misjudged…how many other mistakes have I made?” the spirit wailed inside him. Thankfully Sai couldn’t hear THAT one or it would have been pathetic. Shi took the straw had in his hand and smiled a little.
    ”Saileyra…I know now that sparring is something that you do, and I’m sorry for mistaking your intentions. The only way I’ve known anyone to bond was through something trivial, such as crafting, talking or dancing…like normal people.” Shi said. He wanted to lead Sai into thinking he was judging her a little. It’s true that he knew she despised it, but he hoped to make a very important point. “But being normal is overrated, I like being a freak…we get stuff done.” He said with a tip of the straw hat. ”But I guess with all of this behind us and this misunderstanding cleared up I have one last question, and I know it might not be the best time, but...” Shi began he stepped a little bit farther away and he smiled with a lifted eyebrow. If this is how her people bond, then he needed to at least try, he owed that to her. ”May I have this dance?” the word dance meaning he wanted to try this sparring thing again, with the whole random attacking out of the way.
  If Shi was destined to defeat, it damn well better be to Rai, or Sai.