[Battle] Graduation Test

Celestial fish palace is a divine locality that houses martial artists who desire to further their studies on world, and self knowledge. It is unknown what region C.F.P it is stationed because it is allied with Magical Fish Dojo, which has only been referenced in tall tales due to the prodigious students it nurtures.     

This arcane world.. far from the troubles of the real world.. where mystical fighters from ages past, present and future gather to battle among themselves and to train under the tutelage of the greatest teachers time itself has to offer. Here the world remains blissful and peaceful, outside the training grounds and temple the lands is unburden by the infection of man or the virus of industry. Where trees reach into the heavens, water clearer than mirrors which sparkle with the intensity of a thousand stars. Here the world's waters all flow to and from the same area, an area designated the Celestial Fish Palace. Where there resides only a handful of beings and only a single teacher. An ancient man, who long since left earthly burdens behind, whose history is as rich and thick as the fattest of kings. More than human, but less than divinity, a man hailed as the avatar of war; an agent of death; and the fiercest of demons. Once known by many names.. each carrying its own burden they now all lost their meaning and purpose, for now he simple is himself and no other, titles were naught, but letters on a page and wasted breath of spoken words. For he simple was a teacher... neigh.. a master of the art of battle. During his time among the populace none were more feared or renown for their ability to slaughter and destroy.. yet life was cruel for the curse of the strongest plagued the teacher. For true strength is boredom.. for who can stand against the strongest? The strong only seek to get stronger and when they become the strongest to where none can challenge? They begin to wither and die.. spirits break and purpose to live turn to dust. Yet new purpose can be found for soon the battle turns away from the outside and turns inward, where a battle of wills and understanding where the next step is to obtain enlightenment and when this enlightenment is found then only then can the strongest, become even stronger, to understand one's self is to conquer all there is to fear.

For this is why this is a day of celebration of sorts, but now we are jumping too far ahead, for we must first past the test to obtain celebration.. for on this day the teacher and student will come together one final time with their current relationship. Today the final exam will be given.. an exam to determine if the pupil's studies and travel have freed him form the confines of the teacher's shadow and evolved him unto his own being. Where his journey to become the strongest and then enlightenment can truly begin! Here at the Celestial Fish Palace the master awaited.

The palace itself was a thing of beauty.. for it was flawless. Perfection down to the first stone laid for its foundations for through this alternate world where time is nothing, and space is only limited to one's imagination this building has stood for eons.. or only seconds born from the beginning. Yet trying to understand this place was unnecessary and only good for causing headaches. The palace was lined with marble as blue as the sky tinted with the softest of whites and accented by an assortment of silvers and patterns. Throughout the palace pillars lined the halls, decorated by scenery of battles that have, currently and will take place along with these images statues stood tall as reminders of those who stood in these very places and put their souls to the test. Each statue varied to the next, some short.. some tall.. some fat and some skinny. Yet the one consistent was that each and everyone of them were that they ere warriors of the highest caliber whose legends were spoken of wide and far in their respective worlds. The outside of the palace resembled a more traditional palace, yet its form was relative to those who came seeking the Teacher, yet more rabble for those who wish to ponder the more.. intricate nature of the realm. For in the depths of the Palace lied the treasure all those who came before and after sought.. the Magical Fish Dojo. A rather.. humors name for such a place to give rise to powerful warriors a small reflection of the one who lives within. For the Dojo itself was malleable just as the palace itself, fitting the needs of the one who occupies the role of Teacher. To explain the Dojo, one must first enter it through the sliding doors that have always guarded the inner sanctum for stepping through them one stepped through a barrier that transported the individual to the Dojo, for the Dojo itself was located within the palace, but the space it occupied was its own little "realm" in an expansive outside landscape. Perfectly green shaded grass, expansive hills and mountains dotted and soaked the landscape in color and personality, waterfalls flowed freely and covered the land in perfect clear blue waters. Massive large city sized boulders floated over head, from their sides waterfalls the size of rivers cascaded downwards to the island-esc floor below.

At the very center of this "Dojo" was an expansive circle with the markings of battles that it bore like scars. with a sense of pride any warrior would have for their wounds received in battle. From the four corners waterfalls cascaded to the world beneath them  covering the land in their life giving essense, the "arena" itself another floating boulder. The middle of this battle arena a massive carved image of two fish was present. Shaped in the symbol of Yin and Yang, their foreheads decorated with the Sun and the Moon. The carving itself was flawless and seemed to breath life into the architecture as though if you were to look away for one second they would swim away, yet at the very center, in between the two fish was a single massive kanji that simply read: 闘 Fight, War. Just above this Kanji floated none other than the Teacher himself.  



The teacher was clad in attire resembling a stereotypical monk. Loose fitting robes that when the arms were held to his sides the arms and hands were concealed, yet with tightly wrapped pant cuffs to allow for unhindered movement. A deep wine purple colored full body sash was wrapped around the robe, perhaps a symbol of authority or rank, but its padding was obvious and look very comfortable. Around his chest and back a layer of armor covered him from shoulder to hip, to his shins. Yet unlike most modern armor, or ancient, it was made with maneuverability in mind  and protection second. While still more than capable of deflecting the likes of steel and the like.. it seemed more decorative and symbolic. Around the waist was a string of metallic tomoe, each one glistening in the sunlight when caught just right. Prayer beads made their presence blunt as they wrapped around the Teacher's neck and left hand, the ones around his neck large and bold while his hands grasped ones more... graceful. A shoulder piece, made to resemble the head of a dragon, he bore with some pride, perhaps a hint to a past yet unspoken. A colorful dark and tan sash rested gently against his side as it fluttered with the breeze as the man remained hovering above the kanji, lost in a world of meditation. Abyss black hair graced his head and face, an aged appearance only rightful of a man of his experience and wisdom. Standing infront of the Teacher was a rather large staff, equal to his own height and decorated in golden trim.. yet it seemed to be worn and bore hints of previous usage in rather.. excessive amount.

Here in a meditative state, deaf to the deafening roars of the waterfalls and ignorant to the luscious breeze and sea air, the teacher awaited his student. One who has gave him great pride and enjoyment to mentor and know. Here they would decide if it was time for their relationship as teacher and student to end, and for the young fish to finally leave the pond and truly venture out on his own.

With the arrival of his student, Izanagi, his presence was the acceptance to the challenge that awaited him with his final exam. What feels like a lifetime of events from both their lives flowed to this single moment, a moment predetermined by the strings of fate and one of the few events set in stone, no matter the time or space, this reality or the next. Just like countless before them and after them, a master and a student came to this spot to clash one final time under such titles. Here is where warriors.. demons.. kings were born, where fate itself can be shaped by a single missed punch or kick. Where a single misstep can decide the fate of an entire time line. With his presence came the sound of his voice.. a voice he remembered well.. a voice that brought thoughts of happiness and even pride. For who thought that oh so long ago they would be here today.. a boy.. no.. today he is a man, a man that reminded him of himself that lifetime ago. When there was no challenge to great and no mystery to puzzling to be conquered when everyday was another step forward in getting stronger.

A sly smile ran across the teacher's lips as a mass of air was taken in by his nostrils and released through pressed lips. Slowly the man's feet pressed onto stone earth as his meditation for the day was brought to an end, a light sound of metal digging into stone as the staff he carried implanted itself into the arena, the staff itself shimmered with a foreign metal base, the golden trim it bore seemed worn and aged, the gentle dinging of the loops bouncing off the staff and each other signaled his movement as the teacher turned to face his student the sly smile replaced by a face of stoned determination. Abyssal black eyes took in the form of the boy that has now became a man.. a man ready to control his own fate and his own destiny. With boundless potential and the determination to make reality bend to his whim. These thoughts teased the corner of his lips to smile, but he would save that smile for when his student passed the final test, for it wasn't a matter of doubting his ability to do so.. he knew his student would exceed his expectations and succeed here this day. For a few moments his thoughts wandered back to the first day the image of that bright eye boy standing before him, all smiles and dream... slowly it faded from that boy to a pupil... from a pupil to an acolyte.. to now the being standing before him, a man who could now claim the right of being a warrior. Tightening his grip on the staff he lifted it into the air only to bring it slamming back into the stone platform, the stone giving away to massive cracks that shot out throughout the arena as the world itself twisted and morphed to fit the master of the realm. The sunny sky grew even brighter as the clouds parted, the sounds of the waterfalls seemed more vivid and the world brighter still, the world was filled to the brim with a tangible excitement as cluster of rocks formed around the arena. Chunks of the arena broke away shorting it to a meager 10 yards, the edge of the arena ending at the very end of the "dojo", just a few feet away from where Izanagi stood. Yet around them the amount of "arenas" grew to nearly six in total of the same, if not larger size.  It seemed a test was already formed in the mind of the Master on how to proceed with this examination.

Now with their battle arena forcing them both into a close quarters scenario the teacher released the staff from his grasp as he inhaled again as his eyes, born again with excitement and determination stared down his student, a visible wave of energy exploded off of the man as bathed the whole arena in his presence, this wave of energy, chi, chakra, power.. whatever term that most easily fit the beings who may or may not be watching this destined collision. Was filled to the brim with pure power, a glimpse into his master's position and why he was deemed a God of War once before. Yet this wave of energy dissipated as quickly as it formed as the Teacher raised his left hand to parallel his body, hovering in front of his chest and his right arm laid by his side a brief moment was given to thought, or prayer, who would know as his lips finally parted and graced his student with one last words of... encouragement.

"The Wheels of Fate are turning, Izanagi. Come, and grasp your destiny in your hands! Show this world and the next what you plan to do with it! Either follow the path your teacher once took and become a living demon, or ascend and become the embodiment of hope! Or decline either fate and become a King, Conqueror, or Savior. I taught you how to fight! I did not teach you how to live, for your fate is your own! Now come! Take your fate from my hands and show this world... EVERY WORLD, THE POWER THAT IS YOUR OWN! Be filled with DETERMINATION and FIGHT!"

Another surge of energy left the form that was his sensei.. yet in this time and place, he may have the title of Teacher, but this was no longer a fight between student and teacher. It was now a fight between warriors, so now.. this fight was between Izanagi and Ryūjin. His teacher, was consider the avatar of the dragon water god himself, his power reflecting this in every shape and form. Within a blink of an eye Ryūjin closed the gap between the two warriors his body surging with visible energy. Only a brief second of peace passed between the two as suddenly a massive blast of wind surged from the movement he made, his body the epicenter of the blast. So strong this blast of wind was, that everything in front of his Teacher was uprooted and blasted away, being torn apart from the force of the winds. Yet something as simple as a strong breeze would do no harm to his student, but the blast itself wasn't meant for him, it was a simple set up. The ground torn asunder would leave Izanagi without something to brace himself on, for if he did not prepare himself correctly, his body would be forced to follow the wind on its journey without an anchor to resist it, and left defenseless in the air he'd be completely open. While this was all transpiring Ryūjin had shifted himself into an offensive manner, his right arm outstretched and hand clenched in a fashion resembling the Tiger Stance, yet with a twisting of his hand his arm yanked back as the blast of wind that was set upon uprooting his anchored opponent was violently brought back towards Ryūjin himself, collecting around that same right hand in a visible storm of high torrent wind. If all transpired in the manner it was meant to, Izanagi would have been blasted into the air, only to be sucked back in, into the awaiting attack of his teacher. Helpless and immobile his right arm shot out like the bullet from a gun, only to find itself buried into the gut of Izanagi, the swirling wind erupting in a powerful blast of energy that exploded from this palm of his hand in a massive shock wave, that  would appear to shoot out from his very  back, tracing through the air the path his body would be launched, directly into the side of one of the many multitude of floating arenas, forcing his body to crash into one of the multitude of objects initially launched by the shock wave of wind, leaving a rather impressive hole with Izanagi at the center. A rather simple technique at its core, but amplified by the power of the wind, Grand Eruption - Wind Variation was a favorite of Ryūjin's to start off any fight.

He had seen people release their fury before, seen people give up everything for that last push of power, has even seen fall into depravity to allow their inner darkness to consume them to allow for the "ultimate" power. Yet happening before him was something... different. This wasn't falling into darkness, it wasn't a last attempt at a final shot. This... was a man releasing his hopes and dreams and letting that feeling surge throughout his being in a true essence of power, it surged through him and the realm itself responded to its call. Ryujin could only smirk as the ground gave away to the explosion meant to stall interrupt his movements, normally an explosion of this calibur would have quite the impact on lesser opponents, but this was nothing, for Izzy's teacher would simply stand in the empty space that was the ground moments prior, floating in air as with wild eyes he watched his student submerge himself in the power he acquired on his own. Yes... this was the truth to his training method, the way he thought it best. For if a fish cannot swim, if a bird cannot fly, if a predator could not stand, then their fate was sealed to die at birth. Nature itself has surpassed humanity in ways it will never understand, so what better way to teach his own "young-lings" than with nature itself! It was either sink or swim! And here we see the efforts of that teaching style, the boy he taught how to fight and then sent him to battle, to grow, to adapt here he was surging with the power he has gained from the very first day.

That notorious smirk that spread across his face gave way to teeth that seemed to warp into sharpened daggers as that grin became twisted and corrupted as it seemed to engulf his face, as his eyes seemed to grow and expand in size the excitement within bursting forth in streams of uncontrolled mantra. His grip tightened on the staff that was clenched in his right hand as his body began to surge in the same energy as his student's. Izzy seemed ready to go all out from the very start, and it would be rude.. no.. it was be looking down on him as to deny him such a privilege of testing his new found strength to their limits. From his very core his body exploded in a black and blue mantra that surged outwards taking the form of a multi-eyed demon, fangs from its lower jaw protruded upwards to pierce the very heavens as its upper torso was revealed to be a multi-armed giant of strength and destruction. The truest form of an Oni and just like a true Oni his presence gave off the truest feeling of dread and corruption. From this outpouring of mantra his own physical capabilities heightened to surpass all those who came before him or dared to challenge him. Before this release of energy it could easily be said that in such a boosted form Izanagi had equaled.. no.. he surpassed the ground they stood on, but now the role of teacher and student was once again etched into stone! Yet strength was nothing without skill and here, where they both have reached their pinnacle of strength it boiled down to skill and technique, who would make the first mistake, and who would land the deciding blow! And it all started here.. from the very beginning they would go all out! Let the Wheel of Fate turn once more and fate be decided!

Behind his back a light shown so brightly it seemed to eclipse the light from the sun, and from this light appeared a perfectly circled object, akin to a halo. Floating just a few inches behind his back this ringed object pulsated with the same power that oozed from Ryujin, perhaps a symbol of his power, gained from some unknown test or perhaps even taken as a symbol of status as the teacher of the Celestial Palace. Who could say, and who would know, for suddenly the air itself began to warp and twist, collapsing in on itself. Four tears in space seemed to converge in unison around Izanagi's teacher, one for each shoulder and for each knee these collapsing of space soon grew in detail as the mass of an object began to take shape. These four spheres became apparent as the bigger they became the easier it was to identify, now growing to the size of basketballs, it was water. Water from the atmosphere was sucked together to form the four orbs, in such a rate in such quantity that it could put the Great Blue Hole to shame. The density of the water in these four spheres so great that they almost appeared to be black in color not even allowing light to pass through with any ease. In the matter of seconds it took all of this to transpire Ryujin's left hand hung out in front of him as his body continued to float in space and a single word passed from his lips.

"Come.."