Manifest Destiny(Themeless, closed)

The oni had the priviledge of being to gauge this man's speed once before, and the spin of the body only ensured a powered strike coming his way. It had been some time since he had used a blade, something that must have been only practiced before in his mortal life. Even that was vague. With his katana all ready out before him, he brought the blade back and whipped it forward through the air, clashing his metal against the weapon that sought his throat. It was unfortunate that he would have been restricted in not being able to his any of his magical abilities, but he forced himself to gain a greater understanding of the blade.
As his katana clashed into the other with an upward swing it would have knocked his opponent's target off the mark. The oni followed through with his katana's movements through the air, spinning as he would dare turn his back on the human while thrusting the katana behind him through the gap of his side and arm, the tip of the weapon seeking to strike into Adrian's gut.

His katana's thrust had been met with a parry, though its movements were halted as it slapped against his arm as the blade was nestled in the gap between his side and left appendage. Shou went with the motion though, his foot sweeping to the side as his body whirled around, the weapon in his hand shifting to the other's handling as it swung around just in time to clash against the metal that aimed at his chest. It might have been one of the earlier uses of such a weapon, but recollections of his mortal life made him feel far more at ease with this sword of combat than he would have originally thought.
The fight had brought them into close quarters, too close for Shou's take on it. As this swordsman reached out and gripped his arm, the oni had lifted a leg and shot out his foot to strike against the other's chest in an attempt to knock him back. Unknowing, though, a sweep kick caught him on his one supportive leg, sending him off the ground though his original attack hadn't suffered any momentum in its strike.

The oni would never strike the ground as his ability of flight caught him. A blast of flame erupted at his feet as he suddenly whirled in the air, performing a back flip that would have sent his leg high up into the air before coming to kick back down onto the ground. A smirk was in place on the demon's lips as he regained stance, pleased to see that this human could appreciate the thrill of a battle as proof of a grin was on his expression as well. He swiped the katana out in front of him as Adrian took a moment to pause, his own actions were to give him a greater feel of the weapon. Even now he was constantly re-learning skills that he had assumed dead along with what had been his humanity. "Oh?" Shou questioned as Adrian's eyes came open once more, chuckling lightly. "You getting serious now?" He held Mabushiiken outwards in front of him, both hands coming to grip the hilt of the weapon now.

"Hmph." The man seemed to put all of his effort in the charge forward and the following swing and Shou knew better than to try and block. Instead, he simply ducked while taking a step forward. If this human was going to resort to those kind of fatal strikes, as he had aimed for the purpose of decapitation, then this demon would not relent either. His head coming under the swing of the Devil's Teardrop, Mabushiiken would then be thrusted outward, still in the grip of both of his hands. It shot forward with swiftness as he used the movement of his advancing step to his advantage of bringing this battle closer, and drawing the other's evasion space to a minimum. The tip of the katana would seek the human's chest in the motion it was put into.

In a bloody swipe, he would retrieve the katana from the man's shoulder and in the same motion swing it out to parry the oncoming weapon that came for him. Blood flew across the air in the motion, but Shou wasn't the type to admire a successful hit, knowing it best to keep moving, and he matched the other's speed when it came to this type of combat. It was a little unsettling to think that a human could fight on par with him on these equal terms, though, when they were supposed to be an inferior sort in comparison. As soon as he had redirected the other's path, he kicked back away from the area, a dsic of flame erupting under his foot to support his flight backwards. As his feet came back down to land on the ground, he regarded his opponent with a furrowed brow. Being that close to him was apparently a very dangerous spot, this man's knowledge of the blade was obviously higher and more skillful than his own. "I should stop holding back against you." Shou stated out loud, a grin crossing his lips once more. Holding Mabushiiken outwards in front of him, he chuckled darkly. "How'd you like to face someone who really gave you a challenge?" The oni questioned, as flames began to encircle his form.

Shou supposed the man's charge forward was answer enough, a chuckle coming forth once more. "Good." The flames that encircled him then erupted into full force, consuming his entire being. It raged with intensity, as a low piercing growl came forth out of it. It would lift away and wisp into the sky only a moment later, his appearance undergoing a drastic change from his human form. He wasn't a beast but he most certainly didn't resemble the mortals of the planet, having given into the chaotic monster that he was. "Kuhuhu.." The thrust of the other seemed slow in his eyes at this point, the movement much more comprehendible. The re-forming of the blade in Adrian's grasp didn't surprise him, having seen this happen once before, and Mabushiiken swept forward and knocked it off course yet again. The figure wielding the katana was changed, the braid that normally held the back of his hair together had dispersed in the fire and it more resembled a mane that spiked outward into the air around him. His eyes were no longer crimson, but a bright hue of orange that seemed to have dual rings of flames encircling them within the white. From his mouth, his canines had transformed into two giant sabre fangs that loomed down to come even with his chin. "Now I'm ready to fight!" The oni shouted out with his lips spreading out in a wide grin, slashing the katana out forward in front of him in a wide arc.

"Hm?" Shou paused and glanced over his shoulder. That notion seemed rather ambitious, though it interested the demon. Forcing humanity to unite while making himself the enemy? There were all ready enough problems the humans had to worry about with demons rampaging around, though most of them were oblivious to those spirits. "You plan to sacrifice yourself?" Shou questioned, before the other addressed a different issue, one of a spirit within him that was apparently battling for control. "Heheh. Now that is interesting." The oni hadn't known of the other resident within that body, intrigued, though it might have been a plausible explanation to this man's ascent of strength from the average human being. "You know I love a good fight. If that demon decides to come out.." He turned his back to the forest, facing the human, figuring he deserved his full attention on the matter. "I would gladly fight it to the death!" Shou exclaimed, an excited grin in place as he rested the flat edge of his katana against his shoulder. Besides, if it truly came to that, then perhaps he could claim that blade as his own. It certainly appealed to him, knowing there was some dark nature behind it. "But. If you can avoid it, that wouldn't be so bad either." He stated with a dismissive wave of his free hand.

So the human thought of him as a friend? Interesting enough, though the demon didn't often associate with people on those kinds of conditions. He supposed Adrian was respectable enough to call an ally, a worthy fighter that possessed a rare strength found amongst the trash of mortals. "Good luck." Shou would bid the man as he left the temple, before turning his sights back onto the woods. He simply chuckled with anticipation, Mabushiiken at his side as he headed towards the forest.