Only Human (Masaru)

[Gabriel Seran]

Speed training, fierce wills, brutality, and mortality. All the things an oath made years ago had made him out to what he was now, Gabriel was becoming far different a creature than he was when born into this brutal world. Pain had taken everything from him and left him a broken man. Abandoned and left here with nothing he could call family, nothing he'd call home. Empty.

And yet from the ashes he'd risen a Phoenix, and in his mind something more than human. His eyes shuddered at the moment of focus. Trying to perceive of a world beyond this one. Walls were painted white. Pale and empty though it had a dimension to it deeper than the eye could see. it required a sense of depth. Focus. Back to the basics.

Emerald hues rippled against the white canvas. Blades empty needed to be sheathed. Two sabers wielded in each limb dangled loosely by his grip. A weapon he was becoming, Reaping what those who undid his family. He was the grim reaper if only for a few moments.

Charging at a swift pace he hammered around the daggers at fighting foes, invisible against the back drop yet with each slash crimson drenched the layers behind. Blades no longer empty, they coated themselves with crimson death. With life rebirthed into a new form.

***

Gabriel exited his training quarters in a lavish suit earlier that morning he'd invited Masaru to join him to a fine meal and some tea. There was purpose behind this, he'd been to lax with his allies and needed reformation to be spread about. To show them what great deeds accomplished.

[Masaru]

Masaru sat on a bench across the street from the House of Seran. He would need to prepare himself before stepping foot into this place. He could sense corruption in the air, and needed to clean his mind of any of this. The last time he saw Gabriel, in a Warehouse, things didn't go as he had expected, and he learned something about the people he was around that he didn't think he would want to know had he been the young Masaru who came here a year or so ago.

That Masaru died in the blood soaked Correctional Facility. That Masaru has been exterminated. This Masaru has distanced himself from the world, and would need a lot of quality time with good people to find himself again. That wasn't likely to happen any time soon, so the cold Masaru waited at the bench, emptying his mind.

It was time. Masaru walked up to the door, and knocked three times. A finely dressed butler opened the front door.

"Lord Seran is expecting you"

He was then escourted through a large hallway with a lot of paintings, probably by a popular artist, Masaru paid no mind to any of this though, for there could be many ways to interpret someone by their homes, but it would be best to not prejudge someone and wait till they open up to you personally.

After passing through a large archway, Masaru saw what he supposed to be the resting room. Gabriel was sitting down on a couch. He supposed he should give this man respect, for it seems he had the upper hand, for now. It would be best to please those in higher ground till you met up with them. Masaru Stood in the opening to the resting room, and nodded to Gabriel.

This is going to be interesting.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel's eyes shot up upon the youth's entry. With a welcoming grin he stood extending his arms in welcome.

"Welcome to my homestead, Masaru, I figured you'd enjoy some rest upon your arrival here so I set out some tea if that is what you enjoy." An earnest smile it was non comital to anything at this point, Gabriel made about himself to become the best courtier possible, a host always waited on his guests.

"Please have a seat." The emerald eyed man gestured to a small mahogany table set out along with equally ornate chairs depicting ancient chinese art. They scrolled out the ancient Wu empire's conquests against Chu and the long struggles through the art of war something Gabriel sought to be quite similar to their own situation.

[Masaru]

"Welcome to my homestead, Masaru, I figured you'd enjoy some rest upon your arrival here so I set out some tea if that is what you enjoy."

Gabriel seemed, a different man from who he was in the warehouse. It was true one should not show weakness to those he thinks are his enemies. Perhaps he viewed Masaru as one who isn't an enemy, which is why he had taken off his mask of leadership. Being a good host was one way to open one's heart to him. Masaru gave a light smile.

"Please have a seat."

Masaru walked over to the table. A fine collection of scrolls were laid out against the table. Masaru, trying to hide his eagerness at battle charts, slowly walked to the table.

"A fine collection you have here."

A light Japanese accent brushed along his sentences.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel saw the quickness to the battle charts and he was pleased with the reaction, though it was his conversion to it that impressed Gabriel further. Gabriel ran a light hand over the parchment smoothly with acuteness to its detail.

"Yes, I have to admit I'm a bit attached to Sun Tsu." Gabriel released tentatively with a faint grin.

He grasped one of the scrolls tenderly handing it over to Masaru for closer inspection. Urging him on with a genuine smile he would leave it in the boy's care. If he took it Gabriel would look on now with a certain excitement.

"Tea?" Gabriel would say softly taking his seat while a server approached with silver kettle and two cups.

[Masaru]

"Yes, I have to admit I'm a bit attached to Sun Tsu."

Gabriel's words drifted at the edge of Masaru's mind, but it was barely audible. The millions of scenarios the charts represented came alive im Masaru's mind. He could see each battle live, all the statistics, chances of victory, failure, ties. This was where he belonged.

Gabriel slowly edged a scroll to Masaru, He quickly grasped it. Quickly, but carefully and tenderly, like a mother grasping her child that was just born. Jealously snatching it from the doctor, but careful not to hurt it.

"Tea?"

Masaru mumbled an affirmation to this, too caught up in the charts to really pay attention.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel's grin turned very amused. If only more soldiers were like this one, though he couldn't shake the feeling his trust wasn't fully attained her. Nothing would ever be written in stone. Not over tea, true men met at the tip of a blade. He laughed lightly taking a sip of the newly delivered tea.

"Do you fancy yourself a good soldier Masaru?" He chirped pleasantly at the youth studying the charts laboriously, "How would you fair in a bout against me I wonder?" A joking smile spilled out across his features.

[Masaru]

"Do you fancy yourself a good soldier Masaru?"

Masaru mumbled yet another affirmation to Gabriel. This was the first time in many ages he had contact with any scrolls of such value, and he was too caught up to actually pay attention to this man.

"How would you fair in a bout against me I wonder?"

At this, the scrolls dropped from Masaru's hands. His fingers working in unison to form fists and slowly unclenching. He then stared at Gabriel. He saw a joking smile on his face. He untensed, and looked at the situation logically. The man was close enough for Masaru to see the many after/before images of him. With his reading abilities, Masaru easily sized the man up. A few moments of silence and Masaru spoke, his Japanese accent slightly more tuned toward English.

"I would have to say, you seem to have the physical advantage. I, however am more finely tuned for long and strategic fights. If I use my wit and mind, I would perhaps be able to drag on the fight long enough to tire you out. Perhaps I wouldn't have to, if I find a weakness and use it to my advantage. This is highly theoretical though, for I would have to say you seem to have changed since the last I saw you fight at PHS 259."

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel pulled tautly at the glove on his right had. Just as he expected, he was indeed a strategist. Much a man after his own strengths. He wanted to see the boy play out things in action, perhaps the pressure would a lot to through him off or perhaps unite their collective thought and bring the pair to work as one.

"You up to put it to the test?" A wry grin slanted on Gabriel's face as the serfs about the table handed off two blades.

Each were katanas, there blades much thinner than a realistic one though it proved to play better to speed attributes as opposed to a brute force tactic. The whole duel would require much more skill. Gabriel stood gasping one loosely by the handle.

"Way I see it is, you never truly know a man till you've seen how he moves under pressure, you don't get the same effects with a wooden blade... see?"

He ran the blade over his left thumb letting a small slash of blood across it. No whimper, no fear. His mouth opened and he licked the wound clean. "Begin?"

[Masaru]

Masaru's mind emptied instantly as the situation turned toward where he had rather hoped it would not go. This dual was going to happen whether he liked it or not. This showed Masaru the kind of man Gabriel was.

Nothing showed on Masaru's face but resolve. It was inevitable, and this man was going to probably be an enemy in the future, so it may be best to go along with this and see how it works out.

Masaru took a two handed defencive stance with the Katana that was handed to him.

"Begin?"

Masaru wasted no time with words. The battle has begun. He probably wouldn't last long, given his eyesight problems, but he was going to give it his all. Masaru dashed toward Gabriel, and started a quick flurry of attacks toward different parts of the body, Arms, legs, then chest.

He wouldn't attack the head, since that may prove fatal, but he did aim toward incapacitating his opponent, perhaps cut off his fake arm, anything to stop this fight before he would be incapacitated by his own mind.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel backed on the defensive, though it wasn't his general strategy he was no stranger to it. He stuck with the box maneuver. Gabriel focused on his foot work relying on the small shifts as to not loose anything important already dealt with that once before. Though he didn't wait long to take the reigns. Within a moment's notice Gabriel down blocked Masaru's blade and pressed his shoulder forward on his right hand side, attempting to bash the boy's shoulder. The offensive game was where Gabriel enjoyed it all things relied in his court.

"You see I need some foresight on my end... I remember quite well you with Unfettered long ago," Gabriel started now backing off and circling slowly, "I want to follow up his end goal, to find peace through the least amount of blood loss, I'm sure you would see things the very same way." Gabriel smiled again

"It's not the force of the army but the wisdom of one, you win by outsmarting your foe not outnumbering them."

[Masaru]

The clash continued for moments. As Gabriel came closer and pushed Masaru's blade aside, Masaru went with his blade instead of going against it, for he would probably have hurt himself in an attempt to match Gabriel's strength. As he fell backward to the right, he noticed Gabriel's body was going with him too. It seems it was a good choice. Although Gabriel's shoulder bash landed, since Masaru went along with the first attack, it was rendered powerless due to Masaru's leather trench coat and vest.

Nonetheless, it did phase him. Gabriel's image blurred in a motion around Masaru, and he quickly slashed his blade to where he believed Gabriel to be. A miss, it seemed Gabriel was no longer near him, but the images mixed and made him look in more than one places. One Gabriel was next to him, the one with no substance slowly starting to dissipate from Masaru's view. Several other Gabriel's began to circle around Masaru.

"You see I need some foresight on my end... I remember quite well you with Unfettered long ago, I want to follow up his end goal, to find peace through the least amount of blood loss, I'm sure you would see things the very same way."

Masaru nodded at Gabriel. Now was not the time for words but that didn't seem to matter to Gabriel. He was playing the political game, and Masaru was too in the zone to react as he normally would have. All he was focused on was finding which Gabriel was the real one.

"It's not the force of the army but the wisdom of one, you win by outsmarting your foe not outnumbering them."

Masaru guessed he could go along with this game, if Gabriel wished to continue with this.

"It seems you are familiar with the works of many strategists. Then you may be familiar with the 48 laws of power? Law 4: Always Say Less than Necessary. If you believe me to have a rather eccentric liking to strategiems and such, then you would know that I would not listen to my opponent while we are fighting."

Masaru assumed a defencive position, waiting for one of the Gabriels to attack.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel laughed lightly, "Alright than, but who is to say it isn't a trap to lure you off guard, Rule # 35," Gabriel said quickly before bouncing off on his step.

Blood shed was avoidable and he sought not to use the blade on the offense merely a front where he'd lure Masaru's attention. It would come down to the left striking at his shoulder, if going unblocked it would sever the nerve endings. While in the same motion forward Gabriel threw a right fist into his face.
A double edged sword served many purposes his was not victory but examination of skills.

"Master the art of timing"

[Masaru]

"Alright than, but who is to say it isn't a trap to lure you off guard, Rule # 35,"

Masaru anticipated now was the time for Gabriel to attack. From all sides, the Gabriels attacked. He had no other choice than to wildly swing and hope it would hit. Masaru's blade hit Gabriel's right arm while his blade hit the back of Masaru's handle.

The force redirected Gabriel's arm to go just barely to the right of his face whereas both swords shattered on impact. Masaru now knew which Gabriel was the real one, but now the shapes came in upon eachother and began the whole process of spreading out once more.

[Gabriel Seran]

Gabriel flinched as the deadly weapon hit his hand. The blades shattered between one another. The leather casing his palm was torn and revealed the layer of prosthetic limb beneath. Flexing it he made a cheery grin. looking it over. Removing the covering he showed the gauntlet now with a sense of honor about it.

"You know how I got this Masaru?" He asked moving closer in a compassionate sense, "A gift from our local hierarchy, much like the one from #259, they ordered a hit on me for standing up and they took my arm." He chuckled lightly with dismay.

"I have brought you here to honor your service to Unfettered, to see his goal completed, to bring a bout peace." Gabriel said in an authoritarian voice as if he was the one who honored the deal prior.

"Not in vengeance but in what is right, can't you see that?" Gabriel believed in a strong sense of change, he could see it on the horizon and wouldn't stop without the needed support behind his sails.