Prelude here: https://brendansversus.wordpress.com/2020/11/17/prelude-hakumen-vs-darth-vader/
Alright, the combatants are set. Let’s end this debate once and for all! It’s time for a Death Battle!
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The Boundary. It was a vast, infinite expanse that existed outside of time. It served as the core of all dimensions, and all timelines intersected within it. The area permeated with seithr, a radioactive element that corrupted anything in its vicinity. If a person were to even look into this dimension, their mind, soul, and body would shatter almost immediately. And yet for some reason, there was one person that continued to exist inside of it, almost as if he was dead-set on defying the laws this world had established.
He wore a hakama and black bodysuit beneath pieces of white armor that covered his head, shoulders, abdomen, upper legs, and feet. A red eye was adorned on each shoulder, with the armor on his hands containing two each and his shin guards displaying four. His face seemed to be obscured by a blank, faceless mask, with two horns jutting off to its side. A ponytail of silver hair draped down to his thighs, its color barely visible in the darkness. In fact, the only illumination in the Boundary seemed to be coming from this man, courtesy of the faint blue aura surrounding him.
This was Hakumen, wielder of the Susano’o Unit and leader of the Six Heroes. Some time ago, he had allowed himself to be thrown into the deepest, darkest part of the Boundary’s depths, and he had stayed there ever since. While his body could still feel time passing in the outside world, he wasn’t sure how long he’d been in there. It could’ve been hundreds of years, or perhaps it had only been a few hours. It didn’t really matter. This realm existed outside of time, and even if he wanted to see the outside world, he wouldn’t be able to. He didn’t have the energy to leave, nor did he have an ability that would let him escape. He couldn’t even move. The only thing he could do was float there, allowing his body to recede further into the Boundary…
Or at least that’s what he expected.
[Stop music]
Suddenly, the silver-haired man began to feel something permeate through the air, an energy far different from the seithr that inhabited the area. What he was sensing felt more… ancient, tinged with feelings of anger and malice. As the eyes of the Susano’o Unit peered into this newfound energy, Hakumen began to feel the darkness that seemed to dwell within it. It seemed that the person who wielded this force had allowed themselves to be fully embraced by it, and in the process they had become a living conduit for its malevolent nature. It drove them, fueled them to keep going, but most of all, it gave them power. And it was the feedback of this power that caused Hakumen to seize up.
The darkness he felt was slowly beginning to extend all around him, threatening to drown his very being. It was only through sheer willpower that he was able to keep himself afloat above this flood, but even that was proving difficult to maintain.
‘The last time I felt something like this…’ Hakumen thought back to a time long ago. He remembered the multi-headed, serpentine beast whose mere presence had eradicated countries. He remembered its deafening roars as he rushed in to face it. He recalled all too well how its influence had spread across the planet, bathing the Earth in a radioactive element that would poison its atmosphere for years to come.
‘This power…’ a new voice muttered within Hakumen’s subconscious, snapping him back to reality. It was deep and baritone, with some sort of filter placed over it. ‘Are you… a Jedi?’
Though Hakumen wished to answer this mysterious voice, in his current state such a thing was impossible. He had to focus all of his mental fortitude on rising above the sea of darkness this new arrival had unleashed, leaving him unable to do little else. Despite this, the voice seemed to sense his confusion at being called a Jedi and continued after a few moments of silence.
‘No matter. Regardless of what you are, I can sense your intentions. If you wish to kill me, then come. I will be waiting.’
[Stop music]
As this mysterious voice faded from his mind, so too did the ominous darkness that was brought with him. However, as the great pressure surrounding Hakumen was suddenly lifted, something odd began happening to him. He watched as an aura of white energy slowly surrounded his body, and with it, he began to flicker.
“This feeling… is this… the Power of Order?” He wondered aloud. Could the Power of Order be guiding him toward the source of this darkness?
This question would soon be answered as his body continued flickering, and with it his surroundings began to morph. The darkness of the Boundary began to shift, its empty void starting to morph into shapes. With each millisecond that passed, these shapes became more solid and detailed, and after several seconds Hakumen took in his new surroundings. It appeared to be some sort of hangar bay, with multiple spaceships parked throughout the room. Standing in the middle was a squad of several men in white body armor, all of whom suddenly pointed their blasters at him in alarm.
“An intruder? But how did you get past our defenses?” One asked before tightening his grip on his blaster. Then, in a more demanding tone, he barked, “Identify yourself, in the name of the Empire!”
‘Empire?’ Hakumen thought to himself in confusion. ‘So this must mean the man I sensed is either their leader or one of its enforcers.’
Though his new surroundings had left him with questions, Hakumen chose to focus on the stormtrooper that had addressed him.
“I am Hakumen.”
“What business do you have with the Empire, Hakumen?” The stormtrooper asked.
“I’m afraid that does not concern you. I have requested a meeting with one of your commanders.”
“Funny. We didn’t receive anything to alert us of your arrival.” Another stormtrooper said, clearly not believing him.
“Then perhaps my contact wished to keep our meeting confidential.” Upon hearing this, the troopers turned to each other, muttering several words that Hakumen couldn’t hear, though he could make out the words “rebel spy,” “bounty hunter,” and “Jedi” being uttered in disgust. After a few seconds, the one who addressed him returned to meet his gaze.
“Follow us. We’ll take you to the commander and see if you’re telling the truth.”
“While I appreciate the offer, I would prefer if I could meet with him alone.”
“That wasn’t a request.” The trooper said as he aimed his blaster at Hakumen’s chest. “Either you can come with us, or we can take you in by force.”
“And I would suggest you back down lest you make a grave mistake.” Hakumen warned. “Attack me, and I will hold nothing back when I retaliate.”
”I think I’ll take my chances.”
“I think I’ll take my chances.” The trooper scoffed as he pulled the trigger, with Hakumen lunging toward him at the same time. The bolt brushed past Hakumen’s body as he rushed forward, moving so quickly that he seemed to teleport behind the trooper. A millisecond later, his attacker cried out as he fell to the ground, now sporting a massive cut across his chest and holding a bifurcated blaster.
“Do any of you wish to repeat his mistake?” Hakumen asked, eyeing the remaining troopers. They remained silent at first, but soon each one had trained their blasters on him. “Very well. Just know that from this moment, only death will await you.”
Rather than give a verbal response, the remaining stormtroopers fired, spraying a barrage of bolts toward the samurai. Tightening his grip on Ookami, Hakumen responded with a battlecry as he charged forward!
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Death Star II, a man stood at attention, watching as several Imperial mechanics began work on the final section of the battlestation. He was clad head to toe in black armor, with a long cloak draped down his back. A black pauldron ran across his shoulders, sporting a distinct pattern of silver lines, and a control panel had been placed over his chest. Wrapped around his waist was a black belt that had three metal boxes along the front, with each one sporting a different series of buttons. But the most striking feature about this man was his helmet, which covered his entire head. It sported a face that looked similar to a skull, though it had a triangular grill in place of a mouth. A pair of optical lenses had been placed on the helmet, giving him the appearance of an emotionless robot, but the man in question was anything but.
Long ago, this man had been Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi Knight famous across the galaxy and heralded as the Hero With No Fear by the public, but those days had long since passed. Now he was known by a new name, and a new reputation: Darth Vader, right hand man and enforcer of Emperor Palpatine.
Currently, Vader had been assigned to oversee the completion of the second Death Star, and while its progress was nearing completion, he could feel a disturbance in the Force, one identical to the being he’d sensed prior.
Vader sat in his meditation chamber just as he had countless times before, his mind filled with hatred and rage toward his current situation. As with these previous sessions, he had but one goal in mind: the restoration of his lungs, the ability to breathe without the need of this metal death trap! Unlike these previous sessions, however, something was different. Vader could sense a disturbance in the Force, one originating several systems away. It appeared to be some sort of rift in the fabric of space, and he could feel the radioactive, corruptive energy permeating within. But none of this intrigued Vader more than the presence he sensed inside of the rift. It seemed that whoever this was, they were trapped, and the power he sensed brought back memories of events he had long suppressed.
Intrigued by this, Vader peered further into the Force, venturing into the rift to contact this mysterious figure. The moment he entered, he could feel the corrosive energy threaten to overpower him. Whatever this energy was, he could feel that it was intent on destroying his very being, but he wasn’t willing to give in so easily! He channeled his rage into the Force, fighting against the opposing energy and slowly pushing it back. In its place, the Force began to thrive, with Vader using it as a conduit to spread his consciousness further… further… until he finally sensed the source of this power. The man had nearly been consumed by the growing influence of the dark side, but it seemed that he was resisting Vader’s efforts through sheer willpower, just as he had with the previous energy in this realm.
‘This power…’ Vader thought. ‘Are you… a Jedi?’
Though the man gave no response, Vader could sense his confusion, and he quickly brushed it aside.
‘No matter. Regardless of what you are, I can sense your intentions. If you wish to kill me, then come. I will be waiting.’
With that, the man once known as Anakin Skywalker severed his connection with the Force, returning him to the reality of his meditation chamber. Though he didn’t know who this was, he could tell that they were an accomplished warrior, and he would need to prepare himself for when they would strike!
A week had passed since then, and ever since that encounter, Vader’s mind had been plagued with visions. Memories of events that hadn’t happened yet. Each one came and went within a few seconds, occurring at random times, and he could vividly recall each one. But it was the latest one that had caught his utmost attention. Closing his eyes, Vader allowed memories of the vision to once again fill his mind.
A man clad in white armor stood before him, his face hidden behind a blank mask. A ponytail draped down to his thighs, its light silver color hinting at his true age, though the man’s stance suggested that he was unaffected by the ravages of time. He stood before Vader, peering down at the Sith Lord and wielding a massive blade of nearly equal height. His clawed feet lay across the floor in opposite positions, and the stance he’d adopted reminded Vader of Vaapad. Vader watched himself throw his lightsaber at the man, who responded by bringing his right arm. Some sort of red barrier appeared in front of him, and the moment the lightsaber struck it, the man lowered his stance. His legs tensed up for a brief moment as Vader used the Force to retrieve his lightsaber. Once it had returned to his grip, the mysterious figure was mere inches away, and the two swung their blades in an outward arc!
[Stop music]
Vader opened his eyes as he snapped back to reality, allowing him to sense an Imperial officer standing behind him.
“Lord Vader,” the man saluted as Vader faced him, “I apologize for disturbing you, but our troops have discovered a breach in security. Our men have reported a possible Resistance member in the docking bay. We aren’t sure where he came from. They said he just seemed to… appear out of nowhere, and started slaughtering our stormtroopers.”
Vader remained silent as he reached into the Force. He could sense the massacre occurring on the other side of the Death Star, and that the one responsible was the man he’d previously discovered. Though the question of how he’d arrived here briefly crossed his mind, Vader pushed it aside and returned his attention to the officer.
“Tell the rest of the stormtroopers to fall back. I shall deal with this intruder myself.” While the officer carried out this command, Vader made his way to the deck, unaware that the intruder was waiting for him.
Back at the docking bay, the final stormtrooper cried out in pain as he was sent flying back. His chestplate was sliced open, and his blaster rifle had been sent sliding across the ground. A low groan emerged from his throat as he slammed into the ground, with his body going limp shortly afterward.
With the final member of the army dealt with, Hakumen prepared to place Ookami back in its sheathe, but he stopped upon feeling a familiar presence. The feelings of rage he had sensed now seemed to be drawing closer, accompanied by raspy, mechanical breaths and the heavy CLUNK of armored boots hitting the ground.
The moment he stepped foot onto the deck, Vader came to a stop. Standing before him was the man he’d seen in his vision, clad in white armor and armed with the enormous blade. He was surrounded by the bodies of stormtroopers, all of them dead and sporting lacerations on their exposed skin, and his back was turned to Anakin. The moment Vader attempted to draw closer, however, the mysterious figure suddenly whirled around, pointing his blade at him.
“So you are the one that called me to this vessel.” The man spoke, his voice containing a metallic rasp. For a moment, Vader stayed silent as he reached out with the Force, attempting to sense the man’s intentions. Peering into it, he was met with feelings of stoicism, a dedication to uphold justice, and the intent to strike him down. Upon sensing these emotions, Vader’s expression darkened from beneath his helmet. It seemed this man shared more in common with the Jedi Council than he’d originally thought.
Aside from that, there was something else Vader could feel in the Force, and it left him somewhat confused. If what he sensed was true, then the man before him was completely hollow, nothing more than a suit of armor being controlled by some sort of spirit. While this revelation briefly astounded him, Anakin proved quick to push it aside, instead choosing to focus on the man’s mission.
“Indeed. I have been expecting you for some time.” Vader said.
“And yet you lack a weapon to defend yourself.” Hakumen noted. “Or perhaps you intend to challenge me with only your fists?”
“If you believe that I would come unprepared, then it would seem your arrogance is matched only by your foolishness.” Vader responded as he raised his hand, causing a cylindrical, silver device to fly from the side of his belt and into his grasp. Pressing a button on its side, a crimson, laser-like blade emerged from its hilt, creating an audible PSHEW! The lightsaber hummed as Vader stared directly into Hakumen’s mask. “Even if I did choose to fight unarmed, it would change nothing. I have slain countless others like you before.”
“You mean the Jedi?” Hakumen asked. Though Vader gave no verbal answer, he could sense that his assumption was correct. “If you believe that I will fall as they have, then you are sorely mistaken. Now that we face each other, you will know what it means,” he paused to bring Ookami in front of himself, “to stand before me!”
Keeping his grip on the ōdachi with his left hand, Hakumen stood upright, his right hand hovering over its blade. Then he began to speak.
“I am the white void.”
Vader felt a sudden tremor beneath his feet.
“I am the cold steel.”
Another tremor appeared, this one being somewhat stronger than before.
“I am the just sword.”
A third tremor shook the bay, scattering the numerous aircraft and corpses that littered the area.
“With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world…”
With each word Hakumen spoke, the tremors grew in intensity, causing the entire docking bay to begin shaking violently. Sensing that they would only continue to grow, Vader used the Force to root himself in place, preventing the tremors from holding any sway on him.
“And cleanse it in the fires of destruction!”
While Hakumen spoke, the tremors picked up even further, spreading and strengthening with each passing second. Soon enough, the entire Death Star was in the throes of a massive earthquake, and it felt as if it could collapse at any moment. Even Vader was beginning to struggle to maintain his position, as it was taking everything he had to remain rooted in place.
“I am Hakumen! The end has come!”
Upon revealing his identity, the tremors ceased, and a ring of white energy briefly appeared around Hakumen’s ankles, blowing his hair back before quickly fading. Spreading his legs out, Hakumen lowered his stance, adopting a horizontal, double-handed grip as his suit’s red eyes seemed to stare into Vader’s own.
“Now, Dark One, come forth so that I may put an end to this facade!” Hakumen demanded.
“Very well. But when you are at my mercy, remember that you chose to die here.” Vader responded as he lowered into his own two-handed stance, holding his lightsaber in front of himself at a diagonal angle.
Brendan’s Versus Battles 
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