Clash of Legends! [Lu Bu vs. Honda Tadakatsu!]

"Don't pursue Lu Bu."


"Whoever defeats Tadakatsu shall be the Hero of this battle."


​

The following is a battle between Become & Taboo Sho, pitting the characters Lu Bu (Taboo Sho) and Honda Tadakatsu (Become) of Koei’s ‘Warriors’ (Dynasty & Samurai respectively) against each other in a 1-on-1 duel. Being drawn from their in-game selves, they will be featuring their more fantasized feats and abilities, as depicted in the gameplay of said media.​

The Terms of this battle will be as follows:

1. Forum & Roleplaying Rules. All rules of the Forums, Roleplaying Section, and Roleplay Arena will be in effect for this battle.
2. 1-on-1 Battle. This battle is exclusively between the two characters. Barring the use of peon foot soldier fodder to flavor our intro posts, there is to be NO INTERFERENCE FROM OTHER CHARACTERS.
3. Character Versions. The battle will utilize the most recent versions of both characters (Samurai Warriors 4 for Tadakatsu and Dynasty Warriors 8 for Lu Bu).
4. Character Power. For the purpose of our hypothetical battle, we will assume both characters to be on an equivalent combative tier to each other.
5. Hand-to-Hand & Weapons. This battle will be melee oriented. Both characters will engage in the battle on foot.
6. Weapon Use. Both characters will make use of their most prolific in-game weapons. For the purpose of ease of combat (not having to deal with statistics) the weapons will not feature their typical power buffs, save for any elemental alignment that may be exploited.
7. Special Abilities, Musou Attacks, & Rage Modes. Both characters will have access to their Special Abilities, Musou Attacks and Rage Modes. Special Abilities and Musou Attacks may be utilized once every five rounds of posting, starting on the fifth round of posts. We will be permitted one use of our respective character’s Rage Mode.

Battle Scenario​

The battle shall take place within a garrison near the Main Keep of Koshi Castle (as per Warriors Orochi).

In mark of brilliant (or perhaps foolish) strategic maneuvers on the parts of both the Coalition Against Orochi & Orochi’s Armies, these two mighty warriors have been brought into each other’s line of attack. Tadakatsu has lashed out in an effort occupy the infamous Lu Bu while his allies continue to press their assault, capturing a nearby garrison as his calling card; Lu Bu has charged out to meet him, hungry for a battle against the one man he has deemed “worthy of his place on the battlefield” with him.

Needless to say, the winner of this duel will assure their side’s victory.​

@Taboo Sho may take the first IC post.

 

From the cloud of debris that lingered about the air the wake of a devastating assault, the outline of a truly formidable warrior became visible. Appearing at first in silhouette against the veil of dust and by the grace of the luminescent nature of the semi-volcanic earth at his feet, this warrior pace forth until his full visage was in view to the vicious warrior outside of the garrison.

By the simple gesture of placing himself visibly within the frame of the garrison’s open gates, Honda Tadakatsu, vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the “Samurai among Samurai,” made his presence known to his worthy adversary. His face revealing no discernable emotion, he stared down his enemy; concentrated, motivated, and all together prepared for battle, his posture would beckon that the might Lu Bu come forth as well.

But first…

A trembling murmur, confused, forlorn, and fearful, moaned by Honda Tadakatsu’s feet. Not breaking his stare, he reached down, and, with a single hand, plucked the mortified soldier from the ground like a leaf from a tree. With just as casual an effort, he pushed the man behind himself. “Flee this place,” he spoke to the common conscript, while still maintaining focus on the foe at hand. “There is no honor in a needless death; this is not your battle to die for.”

Though he paid no heed to the man’s departure, he knew well and good when he was gone, and then, that the garrison was empty beyond himself, and, soon, the beast he had sought to slay. The end goal of months of searching and tremendous effort to arrange the battlefield of Koshi Castle to this exact end, only graced the samurai with a greater drive to see the battle through to the end.

Within his right hand, he raised his great spear, Tonbo-giri, flourishing it quickly as he asserted himself into a fighting stance. His weapon ready to meet Lu Bu’s, he called out from the garrison. “Come forth warrior! May we determine our destinies here!”

 

((NOTE: Musou Attacks and Special Abilities will be 'charged' for use after the next tow rounds of posts following this one)). ​

The dissonance between the attitudes of the two warriors would have been evident from a glance… were there anyone around to spare one.

Indeed, Tadakatsu could see that his opponent was at least as disciplined and focused in the crafts of combat as he was. Still, the difference their reasons for being where they were, and engaging in the battle that was now unfolding, were transparent enough for the samurai to see. Lu Bu, great a warrior as he was, was a monster, rampant upon the battlefield, thirsting almost entirely for a challenge; the samurai, stone clad in character, felt himself the more purposed in the moment than his opponent.

The mighty foe rushed forth, rapidly closing the gap. Naturally, Honda was already prepared to weather the first impact of the duel. Tonbogiri, already set ahead of him to receive the blow, moved fluidly, with simplicity in the direction from which Lu Bu’s halberd approached. Anchored from the back by his left hand, the great spear held to the strike as two blade clanged and ground against each other.

Within the instant, Tadakatsu was pressing his weapon against Lu Bu’s, fighting hard against a vicious, early deadlock. As he pushed against his foe, each breath brought clarity to his purpose… his goal. That is why I must defeat him. With a roar worthy of the dragon-like armor that clad his person, Tadakatsu gave a mighty heave, intent upon breaking the deadlock. Provided that he would give himself an opening, Tadakatsu would cut the blade of his spear at a downward diagonal, aiming a slash across Lu Bu’s midsection.

~Meanwhile, the gates of the garrison had sealed closed behind Lu Bu's charge, leaving the two warriors undisturbed in their battle.~

((Tagging that last bit at the end to reinforce the already established setting for the battle. Sho will understand; it's pretty much standard Warriors title procedure)).​

 

Expect anything…

The thought rushed through Tadakatsu’s mind as Lu Bu responded in turn to his attempt to release from the locking of the blades. After only pushing back the halberd a few inches at best, the samurai met with a roar as mighty as his own. In the same instant, the tide of deadlock had shifted. Halberd and spear crossed back to the point directly between the two warriors, and soon after, crossed to where Tadakatsu found himself the one being pressed back.

In this first second of a difficult moment, it crossed the samurai’s mind to simply respond in kind, and match his opponent for strength. But that, he knew, would only prolong the deadlock; no battle could be swayed from such fruitless effort. With pressuring forward being off of the list of options, there was, in the end, only one sensible avenue.

Though he braced himself, steadfast from the weapon held before him down to the stance of his feet, Tadakatsu did not attempt to push back. Instead, he allowed himself to be pushed back. Yet, it was not a mere concession to his opponent’s might. Rather than simply being thrown off as a ragged cloth, Tadakatsu moved in tandem with the momentum of Lu Bu’s motion, voluntarily releasing from the deadlock as he was, in the same moment, being pushed out of it.

Coupling this move with some footwork, he set a wider distance between himself and Lu Bu. It wasn’t much, still within a striking distance, were the proper movement applied. But, just then, Lu Bu made for just the wrong move for the situation: a cutting, horizontal swing of his weapon, which passed, glancing a scratch across the front of Tadakatsu’s armor; the impact was impressive for what it was, a testament to Lu Bu’s strength and dexterity.

Nonetheless, Tadakatsu was gifted just as well, and was undaunted, and slowed little by the attack. With Lu Bu in the tail end of the follow through, Tadakatsu took to the offensive. With as much speed as he could muster in time, he resumed with a forward movement, stepping in, closing the gap he had just made. As he did this, Tonbogiri was at the lead of his move, striking forward in a thrust towards Lu Bu’s chest.

((Just as a reference point. Based on Lu Bu’s base costume for DW8, Tadakatsu should be assumed to be aiming for the opening in the armor at just about sternum level. Though I think that would go without saying)).

 

No good.

Tonbogiri, caught so idly? And so close to it foe? Were it nearly any other warrior, Takakatsu might have contemplated Seppuku in an instant from seeing his own might so easily bested; in a duel with one so experience, however, such a thought was discarded as nonsense before it could even be imagined.

Even still, Tadakatsu urged his own nerves to remain in balance. With trivial effort, the samurai maintained composure, undaunted by the initial failure. He'd have been a fool anyways, to believe that he could end this battle so quickly.

What came to follow took an added effort: a forceful push, diverting his blade away from it position. In the process, Tadakatsu found himself reeled in the same direction, exposing him at the side. And then came the sting. A pain that the samurai, until then, had only known as a distant memory, as the opposing halberd streaked upward, slicing against his armor as it passed.

With no time to properly assess the damage, running purely on the feeling that his armor had taken the brunt of the strike, Tadakatsu continued. He quickly re-positioned his hand nearest the Tonbogiri's blade, switching to an overhanded grip, while sliding it slightly down along the pole.

In making his next pass, he proceeded with a turning motion, initially away from Lu Bu, along a path that would lead him, more or less, full circle, moving in towards his fow. In this same motion, he swept his spear downward in an oar-like motion, visibly on a trajectory that would meet with the low half of Lu Bu's leg.

Yet, as this motion reached its apparent endpoint, the spear would veer just slightly off of its course, in avoidance of the anticipated defensive response. And then, hopefully too late, the truer nature of Tadakatsu's movement would reveal itself as a tough, hard elbow set its course to the side of Lu Bu's head.

 

There was a sound of metal clanging and scraping filled their air as the armor upon Tadakatsu’s arms collided with that upon Lu Bu’s shoulder. Thrown off slightly by the sudden movement from his opponent’s end, and the resulting weight of pushing back an ungrounded body, the samurai recoiled. Once he regained posture, he retraced a single step backward. Mirroring his opponent, he, in his own manner, assumed a defensive stance. For the time, he set his spear to block the anticipated retaliation.

No such move came, however, and Tadakatsu would find himself locked in a fierce stare-down. “And your reputation of might stands true through deed,” he spoke in reply to the praise of Lu Bu.

From these brief words came the need for action; battles were not won by trading glares with one’s enemy. Seeing that Lu Bu was not so inclined as to make the next strike, it Tadakatsu would commit himself to initiating a new bout. Still holding his spear in a guarding position, he tracked a step to his opponent’s right. From the distance between, them, now the approximate length of their weapons, he would take a single step forward before making an abrupt turn and dash forward, whilst making a slashing cut with Tonbo-giri.