KoV VIII: Round 1- Goliath vs Mach

King of the Vine, the time has come to crown a new champion and for that there must be a series of battles. Asia, specifically the Gobi Desert, located between China and Mongolia, is where one of those fights will be taking place. The Gobi Desert is well known for its extreme fluctuating temperatures and 85 mph (137 km/h) winds. Today though, it would be known only to two. For one, as the place where a victor left behind; the other, as the place for which they had lost a chance at glory.

Though known for its fluctuating temperatures, today the sun was at its strongest, unforgiving to anyone who dared to travel across the arid landscape for the day. The natives around the Gobi desert knew that only a fool could have the courage to travel to the desert and expect to live. "I think this is the right spot..." Dr. Zander Frost held the map closely to his face as he wandered in between the monstrous sand dunes. "Yeah, this is right." The speedster crumpled the map and tossed it aside. He looked up toward the ocean blue sky and saw only a few clouds, moving slowly around the sun.

"Ugh..." the physicist moaned, "Why did it have to be the Gobi Desert? Why not Japan?" Dr. Frost proceeded to take off his mask. Beads of sweat had formed and began dripping down his face. "I'm sweating in places where sweat shouldn't be..." A small breeze hit Zander in the face, drying the thin streams of sweat the beads left behind. Dr. Frost closed his eyes, enjoying the brief seconds of relief the breeze had given him, only to suddenly have a large gust blow sand in his face. "I hate the desert." Spatting whatever sand entered his mouth, the physicist walked toward the top of the nearest dune; perhaps another breeze would come if he were at a higher altitude and hopefully no more sand would smack his face. The speedster known as Mach brushed off whatever sand was on his face and sat atop the dune hoping for a breeze to come in and cool him off from the extreme heat. The breeze was what he desired, but his main purpose was to await his foe. Using the high dune's altitude, Mach observed his surroundings, hoping to see his foe and plan a surprise attack.

@mach_: The Gobi Desert lay a deathly silent as only the wind whistled through the silence. The Titan was promised a wish, something he could not grant with his own powers. The sand dunes reached to the skies above that's could provide adequate cover, though not for his default form. His scales became gold and his single head expanded into a trio.

One other opponent was sent to fight against Goliath for a chance to wish; resistance against the Universe Child was futile from his cosmic rule.

The crimson opponent stood on the horizon sticking out with his ruby-like color. Hopefully the camouflage had worked as the Golden Dragon stuffed his heads into the sand dune ahead and let out a roar that unsettled every thousand year old grain in the silent desert.

The sand below the caravan's feet was too shaken by the cry, no doubt they would come to investigate the source of the cry. The very force of the roar sent the dune into the air breezing around in the wind to create a temporary sandstorm as the dinosaur fired three star beams from his mouths towards the crimson figure on the horizon.

Small breezes sporadically came through the Gobi desert, refreshing the sweaty face of the speedster known as Mach. He looked out to the horizon, the heat gave a distorted image of the distance and Dr. Frost squinted in an attempt to find his opponent. He didn't want to run, he needed his energy and strength; but every second that passed meant every moment sitting within the ray of the sun.

Dr. Frost put his hand to his face, using his fingers to wipe the sweat off his forehead. "I need some more wind..." His mouth was beginning to get dry. The speedster looked down at the arid ground and noticed a few grains shifting around. Seconds later, a strong force of wind had come. "Too much wind!" Sand had lifted up from beneath the speedster and entered the growing storm. The shifting sand under Mach prevented him to get a firm step to run. The mighty winds lifted him in the air and tossed him around the desert. Sand irritated his eyes and every time he hit the ground, it was only seconds before the wind would pick him up again and toss him around once more. Every toss would allow Dr. Frost to navigate the direction of the wind.

Counterclockwise: that was the movement. After getting his face buried in sand once more, the wind would lift the speedster up, only for him to spin rapidly clockwise. The opposing directions cancelled each other out and provided a small pocket of windless space. The opportune moment provided Mach to run in a clockwise direction, cancelling the storm in its entirety.

"That's the last time I'll ask for wind..." Out of the corner of his eye a large figure stood in the distance, "Is that-?!"

There was no time to finish the reaction as suddenly, a trio of beams were shot from the large figure toward the Red Runner. "Holy-" Immediately, Mach ran to evade the beams. The diameter of one beam was massive itself. The Speedster had just evaded the attack, but the very beam was extremely hot; every grain the beam touched had burnt and the residual heat smacked Dr. Frost in the face.

"Ok, let's do this."

The Red Runner sped through the desert toward the origin of the blast. With every second the image of his attacker grew and grew until the size of the gargantuan beast was evident. Dr. Frost immediately stopped, his feet slid across the arid ground, leaving behind a streak of glass from the friction. "But of course Godzilla is the first boss..."

Dr. Frost quickly examined the colossal beast. He marveled at its golden scales but shuddered at the sight of its three heads. With quick thinking he began to run. Being a man who studied physics, Dr. Frost was grateful for what he could do with his suit. His objective was to run around the beast at immense speeds, forming a tornado of sand. The tornado would be used as a distraction; a red blur can be easily seen, but sand provides a good cover. The moment the tornado formed, Mach would run out of the rotation and up the tail of the beast. His hand would vibrate at an immense rate and lower itself onto the scales of the beast. The friction would slice through the scales and into the flesh like a knife; at least that was the intention. This "Running Knife" technique would continue from the tail toward the head with the intention of ripping through the flesh of the colossus. Dr. Frost aimed to continue toward the heads of the beast, not to rip the flesh, but rather blind the eyes of the beast.

The Cosmic Conqueror's storm had worked. The red opponent flew through the storm slamming the ground like a doll. The sight was amusing to see him shout as the grains dug into his eyes. Yet before he could even stop watching him, the vigilante had reversed the entire course of the storm. And had made it to the top of the dune in seconds apart. He was undoubtedly the fastest speedster The Great Devoured had ever saw, a worthy foe. Yet his victory was impossible against the might of Goliath.

The human stood observing the imposing titan wondering how he could possibly handle it. Yet even as he had shown up on the hill, the sand was still falling from the atmosphere around them. The sand was everywhere in the environment, the entire area was composed of it. And it had traces of metal in every grain.

In his moment of thought the speedster had created a forming storm around Goliath, it's purpose unknown. His eyes darted around to keep track of the red dash buzzing through the storm like he was one of the grains themselves. Whoever this was, he was sure to put out a fight in the tournament. However with a red costume, camouflage would be out of question for him to do successfully. Even while he moved at godlike speeds, his red dash showed where he was at during times.

He felt razors drag across his scales in moments after the tornado became larger. The pain felt like he was tearing strips of skin from his skin, yet the dragging pain would be far worse in his average form. But the speedster was coming for his faces, meaning he would have to hit all three, giving him a short time to react. Once the speedster had begun climbing one of his necks his fins burned into suns. Essentially kickstarting a sun only feet away from him.

As soon as the suns were on for a few moments they cooled down once again. The Dinosaur cared not if he was still on or not. Goliath reared his heads back activating magnetism all over his scales, sending trillions of grains to coat his body. With a leap in the air he dove headfirst in the sand, his magnetism plowing the sand out of the way. The sand would close down on top of him, leaving him below the dunes. Depending on where the speedster was would change the course of the attack completely.

If the speedster had been knocked off, Goliath swam through the underground sands creating a massive sinkhole below the human's feet. He would drop in and be sucked to the very core of the hole. After he fell, so would the impending dunes, and all the sand making them. The dunes would trap him under tons of sand hopefully forbidding him from moving. And if he didn't move the dunes would. And hey would smother him.

If he had somehow held onto the tarragon's scales, he would be thrown off his scales while he swam, and left to have the sand collapse onto him. Yet no matter what happened. The sand would lean to the titan's advantage, allowing him to manipulate the desert itself. Just like he would soon manipulate the humans. The victory of the KOV would aid in his campaign against humanity. Earth's greatest heroes had entered the most intense tournament in the universe, if they didn't survive, they would die, shortening the numbers of resistance on Earth.

The "Running Knife" was working; Mach's hand had pierced through the tough skin of the beast and had begun to rip open. Up the tail and onto the back, each step the Speedster was getting close to the first of the three heads. This was perfect, the plan was perfect; at least it seemed to be.

The moment Dr. Frost had reached the Goliath's neck, the skin began to radiate heat. Mach jerked his hand out of the flesh of the beast and soon the heat would rise from the scales and enter his nostrils. The sun of the Gobi was a Piña Colada compared to this. A reaction was vital; immediately the speedster jumped off the neck of the Colossus. Mach stretched his arms out toward the ground, and began circling them at a high velocity. Whirlwinds would form and hit the ground and so it would ensure the physicist that a crash landing would not happen.

The tornado he had created around the beast subsided and with the Red Runner vulnerable it was now the time for the giant to return the favor. Sand slowly rose from the arid ground and suddenly rushed past the descending speedster. Dr. Frost glimpsed behind for a moment, trying to see if there was an incoming attack. At the slight glance he saw the sand coating the Goliath like an armor, slowly engulfing it until the scales were invisible.

As if time had slowed, the beast leapt into the air and stayed there for a brief second. Mach's eyes widened as he looked to the ground, it grew closer as he descended, and immediately he looked back at the creature. "Crap."

Time had resumed. The Goliath plunged to the ground, sending a deafening boom that rippled throughout the desert. Waves of sand rose from the arid floor. Mach was falling to his death. The moment he touched ground his body was being sucked into the sinkhole created. Dr. Frost tried to get firm ground to try and run out, but sand was pulling him in every direction. Immediately he vibrated his body, trying to shake the surrounding sand around him and create a pocket for him to run. It worked. A pocket formed and he began to run. But the skies appeared to have darkened. The man known as Mach looked up and realized how the Egyptians felt at the Red Sea. The walls of sand crashed upon the Red Runner and the dunes fell afterward, burying him deep into the Gobi Desert.

Or so it seemed.

The moment before the wave crashed, the speedster began to spin, using the friction and wind produced by the speed he was able to create a sort of temporary shield around his body and have the sand land around him. The dunes had indeed buried him, but he maintained the constant rate of acceleration. Within minutes, a body pierced through the arid grounds of the Gobi Desert.

The physicist stopped and fell to his knees. He began to catch his breath, maintaining that constant rate for minutes had taken its toll. Mach's body felt rattled and his head even worse; everything was spinning. Within seconds he began to vomit. "I'm never spinning that long- hmmmph- again..."

The beast was intelligent, he used the terrain to his advantage; but now it was the Doctor's turn. Time was crucial for the speedster; he had already lost electrolytes from the heat and more so from vomiting. Every moment from here on out needed to count.

Dr. Frost began to stand up, his knees began to buckle a bit; his will to win kept him going. With that he did what he always does: run. Mach ran all over the site of the battle. Dr. Frost assumed that the Beast would rise up from the sand if he sensed the speedster's presence. With that assumption he continued to run at his highest possible velocity around the area. The friction of his feet would produce the necessary force and heat needed to turn the sand into hot glass. The glass provided the sole purpose of providing a land advantage to the speedster. If the Beast had broken through the glass, then Dr. Frost would use the shards as a weapon. If not, then it would be easier to run on something solid rather than sand.

The speedster's plan to maintain his speed. Wherever the beast emerged, Mach would run toward the Goliath with or without the shard at hand and would begin his "Running Knife" technique once more, only this time his entire body would vibrate. The objective was to vibrate through the beast's feet and rupture the muscles from the inside. Once one leg was ruptured, he would move out and into the next leg. If everything went according to plan, Mach would move up to each body part and shred any muscle he could touch. The internal damage would be great and to put the plan in four words: make the beast fall.

The god buried him in the desert, he had fallen into the pit and was beginning to sink into the depths of the sand. He would stay there until his oxygen cut out. But instead he had cut out of the sand and attempted to run up a sliding slope, sending him back to where he started. The speedster was trapped like a rat. Naively thinking Goliath was simply an enlarged lizard.

With the speedster trapped the dunes began to collapse onto him, they flattened the surface. At last the titan had won. His foe lay in the sand crying muffled screams from the depths with his final breaths. This victory was expected by the being, the human expected so little yet received a beating beyond repair leading to death. The kill was expected, yet the bolt driving through the sand like a bullet was not.

Through the layer of sand between them he heard a faint sound of human desperation, the heat was a punishment he had no relief for. Yet as soon as Goliath spawned into the Gobi his scales thinned down to give a relief of the heat, if he was to slow the speedster he would need to increase the heat. There were few ways of attempting this as leaving the desert could be frowned upon. But there was the plot of using the sand to his advantage. By possibly moving the desert's sand at high speeds he could attempt to trip him and swallow him into the desert again.

The hydra smashed through the sand's surface shocked by it's new texture. Glass shards flew in every direction. Yet investigation would wait for later. At once the former razor marks on his back would seal, and he fire three supernova beams into the glass around him making it red-hot. Yet as his sequence concluded a hole gaped in his leg. Small yet stinging, Goliath roared into the air sending highly corrosive acid spewing. The space that he stood in was a death zone. As the already scorching acid had hit even hotter glass, a touch on the space could burn a limb in seconds. That would be useful.

The Gargantuan God slammed into the glass sending shards all around, he opened an eye, seeing the red dash scurry away, and at such high speeds it's hard to see what's ahead. Goliath lifted himself on his side and twisted his head in various directions as he took flight above the desert. With a single yet long roar ice sheeted the glass creating a skating rink on sand, yet left the acid pit untouched.

The speedster was moving at speed that made lightning seem slow. He could slide for miles if he made an abrupt stop. When he would slide it would be a simple game of hockey from there. Send thundering roars at him and knock him onto his stomach. Then send him across the ice to the pit using the same tactic.

The speedster would hit the acid, and melt like wax. From the modern ice age that struck the Gobi all life had been exterminated leaving the human and the beast. The sub-zero temperatures would then negate the need for abusing heat, and instead apply the same factor with cold.

Victory was near once again, and this time it would not be subdued.

The monstrous beast had shattered the glass from underground, just as the Speedster had expected. Immediately Mach grabbed a shard as he went toward the leg of the Titan. Vibrating through the flesh, he was able to shred the muscles of the beast. A bellowing roar echoed throughout the desert; the plan was working. Now for the other leg.

Dr. Frost sped out to go toward the other side, but suddenly ran in a zig zag pattern. Acid seemed to be raining upon the desert. The roar was a way of spewing the corrosive liquid onto the field. This was going change things. The Goliath smashed the ground once more, sending a strong seismic vibration throughout the hard surface and in turn, sent the glass in every direction. Mach turned around and began to run backwards. With his speed, everything seemed to be slow to him. Every glass shard headed in his direction seemed as if time had warped to his liking. Pulling a 'wax on, wax off', Dr. Frost was able to knock away the projectiles.

The moment the Colossus smashed the floor, it flew to the skies and roared once more, but a beam of ice had shot out of its mouth; instantly covering the arid grounds. Dr. Frost was essentially skating on ice. He slipped backwards, sliding around on his back. There was no sense of direction for him and that was dangerous. Another roar was heard and instantly his direction changed. Another roar, another direction. A third, now he was on his belly. Mach looked up to see where he was going. Immediately the physicist's eyes widened: the acid pit.

Dr. Frost had to be swift. Putting his arms to the side, he vibrated his fingers. Easing into the ice, the vibrating fingers caused friction. The action caused the ice to crack and left ten finger sized streaks across the icy grounds; similar to nails on a chalkboard. In the end it had worked, he wasn't dead.

The physicist attempted to get up, but his legs could not hold him. It wasn't the ice, it was the overall climate change and physical limit. Falling to the grounds, Mach laid there motionless. The loss of electrolytes had affected his health as well as the sudden temperature change on the ground. The titan was tactical in its approach to the battle, something Dr. Frost commended it for.

Before his eyes closed, a word quietly escaped from his mouth, "Crap..."