Calhoun: I will gladly take you on man to man anytime, Sash. *Grins*

Sash: hmph...you? take me on...? The most you'd be able to accomplish is maybe another nick on my blade....

Calhoun: Never underestimate me.

Sash: ...same to you Dark Phoenix....or need I remind you what happened last time you challenged a Son of Kleetra...? *click*

Calhoun: *staff appears in hand* I know better this time. You think me and idiot, but I DO learn. It's only because of that I even exist.

Sash: ...I'll believe it when I see it....if you're going to attack...then do so before I cleave your head clean from your neck....

Calhoun: Hey, that any way to treat a partner? * Stances himself*

Sash: Partner...? Unlikely...the only reason I sided with you is to accomplish my goals....you've only served to hinder me lately.......

Calhoun: And help you find a girlfriend.

*is silent, drawing his sword a little* .....

Calhoun: *Watches him carefully, waiting*

Sash: *takes one step and throws some shuriken, then is gone*

Calhoun: *Whirls his staff in front of himself, deflecting the shrunken, and, thanks to his keen eyes, he saw where Sash was heading and whirled around just in time to stop his sword with his mystic staff, then lunged forward, jabbing his elbow towards Sash's face*

Sash: *weaves his head quickly to the side* too slow...*a sharp pain hits Calhouns back as Sash had nailed him with a hidden wrist blade (much like Altair's in Assassins Creed)* ...My newest addition..."Diezmar..."

Calhoun: Sneaky as ever... But so can I be! *swoops his staff around, catching Miramasa in the loop and, wit a flick of the wrist, disarmed Sash, then he came at him with a flurry of swings, also throwing flames to the side, preventing Sash from flanking him again*

Sash: *takes a few hits and weaves around the rest, then retracts his hidden blade and summons forth his Falcon Talons, countering each blow and retaliating with deadly critical strikes*

However, the reach of Calhoun's staff made it difficult for him to get close enough, especially since Calhoun was fighting differently now, no longer being an all-out assault type, but his attacks were skillful, precise, and deadly, his spinning motions made it difficult for Sash to determine the direction of the dark Phoenixes' attacks*

*Sash narrowed his eyes and performed a jump kick to distract him, then he spun over him and weaved a few signs as he landed, thrusting his paws forward* ...Kyuryu...*A massive torrential wave of water rushes quickly to Calhoun*

Calhoun: *Jumps high into the air, avoiding the water* If I did not know better I'd think you were actually trying to kill me! *he hurls several small fireballs towards Calhoun*

Towards Sash*

Sash: *quickly raises his paw and Muramasa speeds toward it. He grasps it and deflects each fireball, staying quiet all the while*

*Calhoun had vanished; concealed by the smoke from his flames the dark phoenix had darted out of sight*

*Sash's ears perked as he silently scanned all around him calmly for his adversary* ...You cannot hide from me...

Calhoun: Why on Earth would I hide? *Sash saw Calhoun approaching from the shadows nearby, no longer holding his staff, now drawing twin swords* I'm have such fun...

Sash: ...switching up your tactics I see...I guess you're smarter than you let on....though nowhere NEAR your lighter counterpart....*he twirled his blade once and sheathed it, getting into a stance, ready to draw*

Calhoun: Well that's insulting to both of us, considering he and I are equal in every aspect. Speed, strength, IQ and tactical ability. I confess I'm no genius... *stances himself* but I am far from weak or unintelligent.

Sash: say that after you defeat me....

Calhoun: Fine then. Here I come! *He swung both swords, launching flames from them, sending a trail of fire around Sash, keeping him contained in a ring of flames while Calhoun came at him, blades ready.*

Sash:...am I supposed to be intimidated....? *he weaved more signs and spread his arms out as Calhoun close in* ...Inazuma! *he was surrounded by an orb of lightning that spewed out lightning bolts all around and quickly expanded*

Calhoun: *The lightning slowed him, but he didn't stop, and scissoring his swords toward Sash* Did you forget?! I have ALL of Volcan's strengths, including his high tolerance to electricity due to being part Lightning Hawk!

Sash: *he brought his sword in between the scissoring blades and halted them* ...I haven't forgotten anything at all....YOU on the other hand...*he raised his paw and the air around him got colder* ...Mo Fubuki...*then large ice shards began forming around sash in a circular motion, striking Calhoun in the process*

Calhoun: whoa! * retreats, avoiding and blocking as many shards as possible, but some struck him* Grr... Pyro Glare! *His eyes glowed, and two rays of concentrated head burst from his eyes and went at Sash, too fast to dodge*

Sash: *he took the hit and recoiled, though while recovering he dropped a smoke bomb and he was encompassed by it*

Calhoun: *Triggered infrared vision, and scanned for Sash, but the heat from the smoke pellet messed with his sight. But, remembering how fast Sash was, he looked in other directions for him. Left, right, above, and behind...*

Sash: you're too slow....*a voice came from below him. Then there came a rising slash from Muramasa, then sash grabbed calhouns beak and forced him to the ground. Sash then swung his free arm toward his opponent and 6 Spiral Swords pinned calhouns arms, legs, and wings, sash then quickly pointed his swords tip at his jugular.* ...don't get up...

Calhoun: Damn... That blows...

Sash: hmph...it's as I've told you before...you cannot measure up to a son of Kleetra...be it Myself or the Dog....*sheathes his sword and the spiral swords shatter, freeing Calhoun* And that wasn't even half of what I can do...I spare your life this time Dark Phoenix... but the next time you dare challenge me again....be ready to die...

Calhoun: I haven't shown all of my power either. All I wanted was a friendly sparring match yet despite how I let you stay in my fortress you treat me like an enemy. What did I do to earn you distrust, 'Son of Kleetra'? What did the Spawn of Lucarinai do to make you despise him so much?

Sash: you were never my "friend" to begin with...only an accomplice to my goals...despite the one merit I received from joining your ranks...our interests vastly differ...you only seek utter destruction and carnage...I seek a much bigger goal...

Calhoun: Seems you do not fully understand me, anymore than I do you. It is not just destruction I seek... It's completion...

Sash:....completion...?

Calhoun: You said it yourself. I am merely a imitation, a copy, of another person, the way I am now. Volcan Skilerain and I, born simultaneously, in the same body, but it was he who dominated the bodies' actions. Over the years, I evolved. I was always just as powerful as him. I never surpassed or fell behind him; always, equally stronger, whether it was him in control or me, there was barely a difference between us. At the height of my evolution, I finally tried to take the body for myself, and I was succeeding! I was close... But then that Paladin and scholarly brother of Kumori, they tried to eradicate me. But I was lucky... Instead of being destroyed, I burst out of Volcan's body, and formed into a physical being in seconds. *He looked at his hand* but there is an emptiness... I do not feel complete, I feel like I am divided in two. I feel as if that as long as Volcan lives, he and I are more like each other's shadow... And it enraged me... So, that is why I seek his demise, so that I can feel like I am not merely a clone of him, or his equal. I desire completion that can only be gained by his termination, and become my own legacy, not merely an infants curse... *He looks at Sash.* Does that make sense?

Sash:....it does actually...

Calhoun: So now you know what drives me. I am more than a mindless monster; that is all I wish to clarify.

Sash:...Perhaps I have misjudged you...while you maybe incompetent, at least you know of your purpose...perhaps a mutual agreement is in order...

Calhoun: Perhaps so. And perhaps I can learnt understand you better as well. I know I am not exactly a... Brilliant person. But I can be a fierce ally to have.

Sash: *smirks and chuckles* ...for now I'll accept those words....

Calhoun: You laugh. I was beginning to think you weren't capable of laughing. A welcome surprise. *Chuckles as well*

Sash: I suppose Assimink has passed on a few traits of her own to me....*he closed his eyes and thought back once more to his childhood*

Can I be your opponent? :D