False White Knight [Legendary Challenge #1]

The thread itself is fairly basic-- in Erek's eyes, Hollow are the enemy soldiers. They are, therefore-- to be killed, period. If the Shinigami intervene then similarly, they will be considered assisting the enemy-- and also be killed. This is the simple setup for the thread, Erek-- already injured due to a previous battle, stumbles upon a Hollow surrounded by beasts, hovering over a plus. In his mind, this has already entered a serious issue-- he is fatigued, and injured, his regeneration slowed due to his lack of focus.

However, despite this, Erek's goal has never changed-- kill the enemy, protect the weak. Driven by this, even in his damaged state, he attacks while he has the initiative-- a battle of will, and a show of his character, and unquestioning, almost robotic way of filing situations to handle them. Enemy soldier over a civilian-- the enemy soldier will die, in his head, it's that simple-- and so even the cry for a halt does nothing.

The battle begins.

The beginning of this battle already initiates a clear difference-- Erek is wounded, and yet still, he is determined to fight. Instantly the difference in their skill levels become apparent, through the usage of his blut, and superior combat abilities, Erek begins to blast through the beasts that rise up to challenge him as the Hollow flee's to a safe spot. Initially, this goes well, as Erek crushes the beasts one after another-- until the fatigue truly begins.

Here is where the true shine of the fight begins-- Erek is damaged, and his wounds from his previous fight are hit again, his weak points barraged, he's beaten down and drug against a wall-- and he is faced with a choice: retreat, surrender, or fight. He chooses the latter-- and at the cost of an arm, goes on an all-out offensive, tearing through the beasts once more, until he's lost the usage of his other arm, and finally, it would appear that the battle was won by the Hollow's clever usage of its pawns.

Then-- the true point of this thread shines. The always calm, collected, disciplined soldier-- forces himself forward on adrenaline and the flickers of excitement deep inside his soul. Without usage of his arms, he uses his teeth to rip the beast's throat out-- and is victorious. For the first time in years, Erek feels the rush of competition, of a true victory against a deadly opponent.

Before he is faced with despair-- and within that despair, he feels the tinges of something he has not felt in many, many years: Fear for his life.

Here, in this single instance-- Erek reaches a moment of clarity, and the chains that have locked away his emotions, begin to unravel-- and the fear is replaced by a sensation of longing. A desire to keep fighting, to defeat such an incredible for that they had instilled terror in his heart. Feeding off this feeling, he pushes past the pain, he pushes past all his barriers-- and the battle truly begins, both sides ravaging the other as Erek pulls out all the stops. Forcing himself to incredible new heights in order to defeat his opponents.

The climax of the battle being, quite simply-- the final exchange of blows-- without reishi to fuel his powers, without the stamina to fight beyond a basic reiryoku coating over his blade, Erek defeats his opponents pets through raw human skill and superior combat experience. Until the very end, where finally, his willpower and body both collapse in a final attack-- suffering serious damage, in order to deal a lethal blow to the Hollow. The battle, finally, ends in a tie.