Nor Ruin or Destruction [Rafaela, Yugiri]

Another weakling cut down, another spray of blood staining the ground. Rafaela had fought her way through countless foes in Africa, and in the course of the fighting had grown only more restless. The death of the force that had commanded her hardly gave her even the faintest pause; after all, why should it? She was boss of this gym.

"Hey, weakstuff! Whichever of you around here has some real mettle to prove, how about you bring it? Unless you wanna just keep running!"

An open challenge, made to anything in the area, but there was little left. When Rafaela came in, she simply hunted down those hollows in her path, and any straggling living souls that might have been unfortunate enough to meet her. It was a bloodbath, one that had lasted weeks on end. But she had enjoyed every minute of it.

Ah, at long last. She must've gone through three quarters of this continent just looking for this squirt but at last the triumphant speedster had arrived. Didn't feel right though which might've been why it took so long in her head, it felt a bit too hollow from a distance but the familiarity of it became noticeable the closer she got. With lightning speed, she appeared leaving a long crater in her wake as she came to a halt a few metres ahead of the young woman.

"Took me long enough to find you..."

She took in the sight of the corrupted woman in front of her. It made her feel a pang of sadness to see her like that. The spunky and good natured woman with all the ferocity of a wild animal that evoked images of her own darkside. It was nauseating to bear witness to and killed the jovial cocksure attitude that she carried herself with.

"It's time to come home but you're not going to come quietly, are you?"

It lacked any kind of enthusiasm to it. It was something she didn't want to do to Rafaela and the question itself was its own kind of assessment to see what the damage was.

"Ha! Well, I didn't expect to see you around here, you know! I've learned plenty out here in this dump. Fought a lot of real wimps, but there's been some good ones, too!"

Raising her sword to point it at the woman she'd so consistently respected before, Rafaela seemed only to relish this moment of violence. After all, how could she not? The wild, unrefined energy of a Hollow still coursed through her, and her mind was far from where it should have been.

"Looks like you're next, Yugiri! Ready for a match that'll shake this whole continent?"

As Rafaela shot suddenly toward Yugiri, it was clear that she'd certainly gotten more physically adept, but her technique was more unrefined than it had ever beem. It was savage, a sorely inferior attempt compared to what she had once been capable of.

"This won't shake anything."

She declared without her usual spunk. If anything it was an angry tone that scolded the young pupil and she responded with the same kind of ferocity by side-stepping with as much grace that made her the infamous hoho practitioner that turned into a swift kick to the woman's stomach. Amplified by her shunpo, Yugiri meant to take the air out of her sails in all senses by winding her. It was making the message very clear to the twisted parasite which turned the woman and her good-spirit into a puppet.

"At least before your passion could catch me where you're body couldn't but in your current state, you're nothing but a wild dog nipping at my shadow."

Rafaela had been ready for Yugiri to strick back, but she hadn't been prepared in the slightest for the speed with which she did so. This wasn't the same as anything she'd fought before, not even slightly, and that thought was wildly antithetical to her otherwise undeniable confidence. As she crumpled from the blow, Rafaela still spoke in something at least resembling her usual bombast, but the strike had undoubtedly taken something out of her.

"What's so wrong...with being wild, huh? There's nothing out here to get in my way! Nothing to keep me from climbing to the top!"

Slowly lifting herself from the ground, clearly still in pain from the blow she'd just taken, Rafaela's eyes didn't move from Yugiri, even as her manic grin seemed to have fallen in spite of the excitement. This wasn't the same as all her other fights.

"I've gotta get there."

"You've just been floundering about in the mud, a poor facsimile of yourself that can't do anything but behave like an animal. So you can come quietly or I can knock you right out. One way or another though, I told Erchanhardt I'm bringing you back and I intend to bring the real you back."

She made it clear that this woman was not the same Rafaela to her. The same way she did not view Yokkatsuen as herself. If this parasite thought that it might get an advantage by occupying that body then it would be sorely mistaken. Even as she let loose on heavy-handed words she was taking note of Rafaela's posture and openings, even if she was faster there was no technique. It was like Malice-O all over again but whatever increase the knight had gained wasn't enough to compensate.

Taking a deep breath, Rafaela centered her stance, eyes never faltering from her former role model and mentor. There was a burning, savage focus in her gaze, like a cornered animal watching for the slightest hint of danger. She knew this fight was one she didn't have much chance of winning, but no one who was intent on being king of the hill could ever just accept defeat.

"Fighting like an animal lets you be king of the jungle, right? Being the strong among the weak! There's nothing wrong with that."

But there was a lack of conviction in her words, at least compared to what had once been there. Whether it was the withering blow she'd received with barely any effort on Yugiri's part, or the bond she shared with this opponent, she didn't seem to be quite as self-assured as she had been.

"There's everything wrong with that and you know it."

She barked and executed another strike, Akishiki - Shin'on [心音, Heartbeat]. In the span of a heartbeat she moved from her position deliver a kick into Rafaela's torso again. It was just applying even more pressure to the damage she had already done. In the conclusion of the heartbeat though the technique concluded by snapping her back to the original position that was meant to make it look like she hadn't moved at all.

Anything Rafaela would have said in response right away was cut off by the kick she took to the midsection, the force making her step back to keep from totally collapsing yet again as her eyes widened and she placed a hand to her chest, attempting to steady her own breathing. This wasn't a fight she could win. That was obvious. But she couldn't run.

She couldn't.

"What's so wrong with being the strongest? With reaching the top!? Isn't that what anyone who fights should aim for?"

All that Rafaela could do was stand and defend, even if that, too, was a meaningless endeavor. She didn't have a chance at actually defending in time against an attack that could come from anywhere, and at a moment's notice.

Every word this "Rafaela" said was perverted and twisted. It was a mockery and it made her scowl at the pitiful imposter with every bit of ferocity as a cat to a mouse. Killing and bullying the weak is getting stronger? Turning the power to protect into slaughter was disgusting and disgraceful. If this fake could act like an animal she might find it less insulting but it tried to justify it and to make the once kind woman say those words was an insult to her character.

"You're standing on an ant hill. You are not strong. You've just preyed on the weak this whole time, if you were really strong you might do more than whimper like a dog trying to lick your wounded pride now that you've encountered someone stronger than you."

Another use of Shin'on and another punch to the woman's chest. Every strike intending to drive home her statements and bore it through the mask. It was just wearing her down in spirit and body but she was doing more than hurting her. Each strike let her get close enough to analyse Rafaela more and look for her real target.

The vizard's own expression turning into a sinister sneer at the corrupted fullbringer like she was taunting her with the disparity of their power since it seemed to care so much about it.