Acradius vs. Joker pt 5

As expected The Vampire’s opponent answered back with a vicious attack. Having blown through the fallen pillar, Acradius showed Joker that he was still every bit as determined to win as he was. Unfortunately for the Vampire he was still too dazed from the succession of head butts to react in time to move away from the speeding Acradius. In a series of fluid motions a lower rib was wrenched from its place as he was tossed head first into a pillar himself. He could hear several spinal bones in the back of his neck pop under the intense application of pressure from the collision of stone and flesh. Blood flooded the Vampire Lords vision as he slumped to the floor heaving in heavy breathes and feeling nothing but pain radiating from nearly every pore in his body. The beating of his heart echoed in his ears as he struggled with the pain that coursed through out his entire body. He could sparcley speak and had lost all feeling in his right leg and arm. A nerve must have been damaged when his spine was nearly crushed against the stone pillar.

Joker struggled for control finally winning out against the pain and then re-focused his mind back on the battle at hand. He knew that his body was far to decimated to launch any kind of physical attack so the Vampire summoned forth his powerful telekinesis. As Acradius approached with in a safe distance of the unmoving Vampire the broken bits of rock that lay scattered on the floor from the falling stalactite and toppled pillars raised from the ground and began to float ominously in the air. As the pieces of fallen rock floated in the air a strange glow began to cover their outer appearance. Soon the broken fragments themselves were glowing with an awesome yellow color. Joker who while lifting the bits of rock in the air with his mind was also chanting a spell silently to infuse them with volatile telekinetic energy. Acradius looked around at a seemingly endless army of floating, glowing pieces of rock. Each one was charged with enough energy to detonate with the same force of two hand grenades, and since more and more of the pieces of broken rock lifted from the ground he knew he hadn’t much time before they set off. Acradius took a single step forward when the first of the floating rocks exploded behind him knocking him forward as a swarm of more glowing rocks came rushing at him like homing missiles. Still the agile warrior Acradius jumped to the ground at the last moment as the oncoming swarm of rocks slammed into another group that was floating in place. One by one individual pieces began to break loose from their stationary position in the air and charged after him. The Time Warrior did his best to dodge as many as he could but found that the rocks were simply too numerous for him. A wrong step here and a slowed reaction there allowed for some of the detonating rocks to explode in his face or near his side. His armor for the most part shielded him from the shards of shrapnel but the explosion of energy also released with each blast seemed to almost bypass both the metal of the armor and flesh of the warrior attacking the soul itself.

Acradius was knocked in between explosions like the ball in a pinball machine, until the last floating piece of rock detonated leaving only smoke to cloud the area. Joker could hear sluggish movement occurring beyond the veil of smoke and began to see if he was able to lift his body to standing position by simply levitating off the ground in an upright fashion. If his opponent was ready to attack, then he would be ready to defend. Slowly The Vampire Lord raised from the floor like so many of his exploding rocks and charged himself with his vampiric energy.
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Amidst the dust, one Time Warrior drew one Quantum, and used it to hoist himself up onto what most closely resembled his legs at the moment. Satisfied that he only needed the two, he held the blade at the ready. No... Not just yet. But I must keep it in mind. What he needed was not yet another suicide offensive, but a reposite. A chance to at the very least catch his breath and figure out what bones were safe to use. Reaching beneath his breastplate, he pulled out a small crystal shard attached to a chain around his neck. This small fragment of the Encron Crystal was quite potent. For some reason, it bestowed some very basic magics to whomever posessed it. He gripped loosely it with his left hand, while his right slowly, achingly curled into a fist yet again.

Now upright and hovering, Joker peered through the curtain of floating earth to search for his opponent. He didn't have to look for long. A pale blue light revealed the location quite easily, and the existance of Acradius was confirmed by the chanting he heard. The tounge was ancient, but so was the vampire. He understood it even as it reached its second verse. A healing spell. He floated at the blue light, intent on catching Acradius off guard while he consentrated on the spell. As he approached, however, he found the Time Warrior in no such state. A blue bolt of energy whizzed by his head. He was certain that it would have killed him were it not for the dust. More came in rapid succession, forcing him to dodge around. The smoke was almoste clear now, and Joker had found his opening.

Acradius stood there. One hand holding his shard of crystal, the other wielding the Elue ring. Bones were still broken. Muscles were still torn to shreds. Blood was still cauterizing. And it all still was going to give him hell in the morning. Acradius had never been good with magic, but at least he could use his limbs now. Without warning, the Time Warrior took a largish boot to the skull on the left side, and was sent skidding across the ground. In place of his left ear, was half of one, and plenty of blood. He fought to stay concious as the pale warrior drifted forward...
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The fractured portions along his spine had finished fusing themselves back to a point where they could with stand the pressure of his full weight. So the Vampire Lord lowered himself to the ground resting his feet upon the sediment once more. Pain still ached from his backside but at least now he no longer needed the use of his telekinesis to keep him standing. His sword was held ready in his hand as his eyes charged up with that familiar glow of power and energy. Acradius had drawn his Quantum and was only waiting for the Dark Lord to make his next strike. With out hesitation Joker swept in swinging his blade through the air ionizing the particles around it so that it left a trail of fire behind its destructive path. Acradius raised the blade of his Quantum to intercept Joker’s swing as the two swords smashed together sending vibrating shock waves rippling through their handles and into their master’s hands. The clang and clash of steel against steel began to echo with in the great hall of the dwarfs as the two swung and blocked each others strikes. The two warriors were extraordinary swordsmen and proved that their injuries thus far had left them at about the same level of energy and strength.

Acradius narrowly blocked Joker’s strike as he twisted around bringing his blade behind him in an uppercut sword slash that bounced off the shaft of the Quantum. Moving with the force of the blocked attack Joker shifted his weight and placed a well-aimed elbow into the face of the surprised warrior. Acradius’s head flew back from the hit leaving an window of opportunity for the Vampire to spin the handle of this Vengeance blade in the palm of his hand as he brought it down with gruesome fury. Acradius immediately howled in pain as he staggered away from the heavily breathing Vampire lord while bringing his left arm close to his chest. Joker had in one clean swipe lopped off the left hand that held the shard of Encron Crystal that his opponent possessed. Now the severed limb was on the floor admits the rubble of the broken battlefield while its owner leaned against the rock wall with tears of pain running down his cheek and gobs of warm blood flowing from his severed wrist. Joker was to exhausted to carry on the attack and could only lean on the handle of his sword as he stuck its blade into the ground for support. Each of his breaths were labored and fast paced but the burning desire in his eyes seemed as strong as ever as he watched his opponent from a safe distance.