A Challenge | un: vainglorious (video)

[erschlagen]

Champions of foreign lands and worlds of names I have yet to know–hearken unto me!

[This video starts off with a bang! No, literally. There’s a loud explosion in the background as towering flames suddenly jut out from all corners of the arena forming an orange-red haze around the entire colosseum. For any unfortunate souls here, it’s going to feel hotter than hell but for others just watching from afar; you’re relatively safe for now. Those wild orange flames won’t scorch anyone as long as Rosen has control of them.

Oh, for those of you wondering who’s talking right now–that would be the dapper old bastard with the long flowing hair dressed in bright red and blue tunic standing at the center of the colosseum. Don’t ask how he’s managing to film the entire stunt. He’s just doing what he does best, causing a disturbance. It’s been a little too peaceful here and he’s bloody determined to change all that. If there’s one thing Rosen hates more is peace and quiet.]

Many of you proclaim to be warriors of realms I have yet to explore. Some of you even pretend to be likened to gods all for the sake of vanity and nothing else!

[It’s amazing how this crazed fellow can project his voice. He’s not talking into a microphone or anything. No, he’s literally projecting his voice throughout the entire colosseum over the roar of the fire. That actually takes talent and a lack of shame for being that damn LOUD! Then again, the colosseum has great acoustics.]

Therefore, I challenge you!

[In a flash of brilliant white light, a magical fiery red spear suddenly appears within his right hand. He dramatically points it towards the direction of the camera, making sure that this prized relic is on display for all to see. While it might come into question as of how he’s recording all this, Rosen at least knows how to put on a good show.]

I am called Rosenkrantz, and I formally challenge every capable warrior and legend here to face in armed combat! Only the strong need to apply for those without strength will be turned at the gate!

[He’s not kidding either. If he finds any of you fools lacking, he’ll toss you out of the colosseum on your ass. That is an unspoken rule here.]

With that said, if you seek a worthy challenge–then face me.

[And just like that, the footage goes black.]

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[psychotics]

[ Knives isn't one to really entertain others with this nonsense of fighting each other for sport. But this man had made that ridiculous assumption over the network and was willing to challenge anyone, so he decided to make his way over. ]

So you're the one who claims that those who are gods are 'pretenders' for vanity? [ Just giving this guy a rather disgusted look from behind his hood. ] Yet you challenge them all for your own.

[ He looks ridiculous in his bubblesuit as he speaks those words. ] Who's the vain one, I wonder?

[erschlagen]

[Oh, look at this sweet-faced little angel here! Rosen almost barks out a laugh once he gets a load of this guy's fit. Just what in the fresh hell is wearing?! It's like a balloon or something. A silvery-balloon. It's probably the most ridiculous outfit he has seen yet. The youth around here sure do like their bizarre little fashion, don't they? It’s something he’s noticed as of late.

Nevertheless, Rosen was taking another break from all the fighting by the time Knives comes to visit. He's seated cross-legged in the middle of the arena on a mock throne composed of fire. Yes, that’s no actual chair rather fire he somehow managed to manipulate. It seems Rosen isn’t a one trick pony like some people. He has a vast repertoire of skills at his disposal.

That makes him quite dangerous.]

Me, of course.

[He answers with a playful wink. Say what you will about Rosen but the man is honest to a fault.]

But that’s whole point, my fashionably challenged friend.

[psychotics]

[ Rosen, no. Sweet-faced Knives is definitely not. His expression remains rather stoic as he listens to the other man talk. Big words for someone he finds rather infuriatingly annoying. He cants his head to regard the other almost with some disdain. ]

You're pretentious, annoying, and seem to lack basic survival instincts. [ Knives stop. ] But if you wish to fight then I can entertain the thought.

[ He's still kind of mad from his argument with Vash anyway, so this can only end poorly. ] Are you a human?

[erschlagen]

You dare to call me “pretentious” and yet here you are lecturing me.

[It seems that someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. That's fine. If it's mindless aggression Knives want, then it's mindless aggression he will get. Rosen isn't opposed to playing such a role but he's no one's punching bag. Nevertheless, he wastes no time getting this match started since he's bored of the conversation. He has a hilariously short attention span sometimes. Rosen doesn’t care what motivates this vengeful young man, the only thing he cares about is whether or not this baby-faced fellow can fight. ]

Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, little boy.

[He lets out a yawn as he rises from his fiery throne. It’s annoying how casual he’s being right now. The old bastard even takes a moment to do a few stretches before summoning the flames to him. Those red crackling flames circle all around him, glowing brighter and brighter as they shift from red to gold. The fire grows and grows until it's suddenly crashing down towards his opponent like a fiery tsunami. Rosen doesn’t feel the need to summon his prized relic just yet. He wants to see how fast this little boy can run. However, he is kind enough to answer the youth’s question above the roar of the flames.]

I once was human long, long ago but now I'm something far worse!

[psychotics]

[ Something far worse he says. Knives doesn't seem to react to the comment of 'little boy' but once Rosen's attack starts he just holds up a hand and a jet of fire will erupt from in front of him, like a wall that meshes together with Rosen's own fiery attack. The roar of fire is enough to hide the sounds of those monomolecular knives shifting to life from him and his suit. They'll begin to spin in a clockwise fashion around Knives at speeds that make them all but a silver blur, but also aid in keeping the fire a safe distance from his person. He'll just leap into the flames without a second thought using it more as cover for himself than anything else. Unfortunately for Rosen Knives is of the Summer element and therefore fire won't prove to be too useful on him. While he bids his time in the flames themselves, metal-like tendrils covered with jagged-edges will shoot towards Rosen from beyond the flames with a flurry of speed. It's not just one tendril the man will have to fend off but four and all the while Knives will be free to attack as he pleases. ]

[erschlagen]

[Rosen lets out an annoyed huff once he realizes his flames won’t be able to reach his opponent. This isn’t the first time he battled against a fellow fire user. His earlier battle against Phoenix comes to mind as he summons his flames away from Knives. If fire isn’t going to work, then maybe it’s time to try something a little bit different.

Rosen holds out his right hand as he begins summoning his lance until something metallic catches him from the corner of his eyes. He artfully dodges the first tendril with ease but it’s the second tendril that manages to nick him. The telltale scent of blood hits the air as Rosen’s right arm flops lifelessly on the ground. Any normal person would’ve been screaming out in agony but not Rosen.

The mad man lets out a laugh once he realizes what happened. It seems that his opponent has drawn first blood. How cute. No one else managed to wound him that egregiously except for Saya. He’s a little surprised since he didn’t think the lad had it in him. However, his opponent will soon learn that even the most egregious wounds don't faze him.]

Oh, someone’s mad~

[He teases as he summons forth his lance within his left hand. The fiery blade of Luin is all he needs in order to parry the next two tendrils with ease. If Knives expected him to go down without a fight, then he has another thing coming. Rosen is a tough old bastard, one who’s been blessed or rather cursed with immortality. That’s why he doesn't seem too concerned about losing his right arm momentarily.]

But did you really cut off my arm?

[He asks before glancing down at the gnarly wound. That nasty little tendril tore his arm clean off from the shoulder down leaving a disgusting bloody mess in its wake. Nevertheless, Rosen doesn't seem the least bit concerned. That might be because he’s already rapidly healing. Even from this distance, Knives could probably see how the bone and flesh there are forming together to create a new arm. It’s a little spooky, to be honest. By the time Rosen dashes towards him, his right arm is nearly completed minus a few patches of flesh.]

[psychotics]

Should I cut off the rest? [ He's kind of curious what would happen, actually. Honestly the fact that he says it so deadpan and stoically as he watches the other through the myriad of knives swirling around him like a bladed shield is easy enough to determine that something is not right there.

Knives doesn't seem overly worried that the other is healing, actually. In fact, he looks on with some vicious amusement that is half hidden behind his shimmering and undulating hood. Regeneration like this would make it easier to vent his frustrations. He could chop the man's limbs off as much as he wanted and he wouldn't die? Most others he came across could not say the same thing.

Rosen dashing towards him is pretty stupid though since the tendrils he managed to knock away will turn back around and just lash out again, moving swiftly and calculated this time. If possible one of them might even wrap itself around Rosen's lance, while the other will try to slice at the man's leg. ]

cw: gore & violence

[erschlagen]

[Death is nothing more than a momentary setback for this arkana. Rosen has died many times in the past, many of which were more gruesome than next. However, Rosen is cursed by his own vanity. Every time he dies, he simply comes back meaner and angrier than ever before. It’s an ongoing cycle, one that he has shouldered for centuries. This is his curse. While every miraculous resurrection comes at the cost of his memories, Rosen theoretically can’t die. That also explains why his limbs can regenerate so quickly. He just keeps coming back no matter how badly butchered. It’s a rather nightmarish curse but Rosen likes to pretend he’s not fazed by it.]

I would rather you didn’t!

[He answers while narrowly ducking in between those viscous bladed tendrils. The second Rosen notices one of them trying to entangle itself around his spear, he wills the spear to dematerialize into a plume of fire before attempting to summon it again within his newly forged right hand. Next, Rosen tries to nail one of the tendrils down by stabbing it into the ground with his spear. However, this leaves temporarily open for Knives to strike. One minute he has one the tendrils pinned and the next he’s falling. It seems one of them sliced off his left leg.

Well, isn’t that a bummer?

He manages to stop himself from falling by stabbing his lance into the ground behind him.]

What did I just say!?

[A frustrated snarl escapes Rosen once he sees his now butchered leg rolling away from him. Much like his arm earlier, his severed limb is quickly engulfed by the flames until it’s nothing more than just white ash. As for him, his regenerative ability is kicked into high gear once more as a bright white light replaces where his left leg should be.]

[psychotics]

[ The pinned tendril isn't even spared a second glance as Knives raises his arm into the air, palm up as now even more of those metallic tendrils spawn from behind him, as if from his back, and his suit. His suit will disintegrate, leaving a portion of his torso exposed for Rosen to see. The smirk on Knives' face as he walks toward the other is nothing short of vicious. He could end it right here but he knows that there would consequence for it. Though would anyone even care given that they all just come back alive anyway? Even if he's still seething and angry over the matters from a few days ago he wills himself to not actually execute the man, even if he had been annoyed by him. With his hand still raised he simply gives a short flick of his wrist as he lowers his arm in slow motion to point directly at Rosen's figure. The tendrils halt at attention before they burst forward with inhuman speed toward the other.

Rosen will get the full brunt of those knives and the absolute brutality of Knives himself. He's restraining himself a lot here, as the attack will only shred the man's limbs from his body. He might let out a short laugh, though there's little in terms of mirth behind him.

Once it's settled and the other lays there dismembered Knives will take his leave, turning to exit the arena. ] Seems you're still more human than not.

[erschlagen]

[What? There’s more?! A sound of dismay escapes Rosen once he realizes how much deep shit he’s in right now. He attempts to dodge the tendrils by darting from the left to the right but suddenly, Rosen finds himself surrounded.]

Hey, this isn’t fair–[Whatever was about to say dies on his tongue the second he sees that bare chest.] Oh~! What’s going–AH!?

[Doing a strip tease in the middle of battle isn’t fair, you know?

Rosen didn’t even get a chance to ogle him properly before getting struck down. One second he was about to dash out the way, next minute Rosen is suddenly falling onto the ground in shearing pain. All four of his limbs, arms and legs both, were ripped off all at once. Those razor sharp knives sliced through his flesh like a hot knife through butter leaving him absolutely helpless. A pained groan escapes Rosen as he struggles to regrow his limbs fast enough to strike but by the time he manages to regrow his arms, Knives already left.]

Tch, cheater!

[He yells in frustration while waiting for his poor legs to regrow. While waiting, he gets an epiphany.]

…Thank the Earth-Mother that he didn’t cut off my dick.