Johnny vs. Jack van Burace is Episode 6 of Koboldy’s Death Battles. It features Johnny from the Guilty Gear series of fighting games, and Jack van Burace from the Wild Arms series of role-playing games.
| Johnny vs. Jack van Burace | |
|---|---|
| |
| Season | 1 |
| Season Episode | 6 |
| Air date | 10/26/2021 |
| Written by | Koboldy |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Mettaton vs. 1010 |
Next Jill Valentine vs Aya Brea |
Description[]
Guilty Gear vs. Wild Arms! Iaido practitioners crossing blades to put their skills to the test, but which one will draw their blade first?
Interlude[]
Wiz: Iaido. A style of swordsmanship found and perfected in Japan; the art of drawing and sheathing your blade in a single swift motion.
Boomstick: But hey, not all those who practice it are found in Japan. Sometimes it’s those who seek to live wild and free lives.
Wiz: Johnny, the captain of the Jellyfish Pirates.
Boomstick: And Jack van Burace, the ruins exploring drifter.
Wiz: And it’s our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills, to find out who would win…a Death Battle.
Johnny[]
(Guilty Gear Xrd - Original Bet)
Wiz: Back during the Crusades, the hundred-year war between humankind and the deadly Gears, a young child’s father was killed. This child was already closed off to others, and the death of his father shut him off even further. However, it was then he studied the art of iaido under the teacher Hirofumi Unchou.
Boomstick: This child, of course, being the man known only by the name of “Johnny”. Johnny Sfondi if you, uh, go by some outdated misinformation.
Wiz: However, Johnny came to a realization after completing his training. As an orphan, not everyone could fend for themselves like he did. And so he decided to repay his father’s compassion, and become someone who took in orphans under his wing. One of his most notable saves being rescuing May from the middle of a battlefield.
Boomstick: And thus the Jellyfish Pirates were born! An all-female group of sky pirates that steal from the rich and give to the poor; Robin Hood style! If Robin Hood was a dude in sick shades and cowboy hat with a long ass katana!
Wiz: Johnny himself puts on a very adventurous and flirtatious personality, though deep down he does care for his crew, viewing himself as their father and keeping a strong, familial bond. Though Johnny does keep his secrets, and rarely divulges his intentions to other people. With one ironclad rule: he refuses to rely on others unless he is truly at his wit’s end.
Boomstick: Considering the kind of wild shit that happens in Guilty Gear, I have to assume that happens a lot.
Wiz: Well, in actuality, though he doesn’t seem like much beyond a normal swordsman at first glance…technically you’d be right. While in the world of Guilty Gear, you have stuff like electricity powers, fire powers, vampires, flat out magic…
Boomstick: Johnny is just a regular dude who’s REALLY good at swinging his sword around! The closest thing to supernatural he does is that weird mist he makes. Even the single fire attack he has just involves him slicing a bottle of alcohol so fast that it ignites!
Wiz: And yet, despite that, Johnny is one of the most formidable opponents in the Guilty Gear universe. Being capable of going toe-to-toe with, admittedly, a mechanical copy of Justice created by Crow. Though it was apparently set to optimal combat settings, Johnny still managed to destroy it.
Boomstick: Not to mention the non-robo-copy people Johnny has managed to go up against! Like Bedman, a permanently sleeping dude who managed to hold his own against Slayer. An immortal vampire who shows maybe a single digit percentage of his true power in any given fight!
Wiz: Though the battle ended with Bedman’s retreat and not his death, Johnny provided an invaluable help against one of Bedman’s nastier tricks: his ability to teleport. By slashing the air, he can displace it, essentially surrounding the opponent in sword slashes. Which is what prevented Bedman from teleporting without causing damage to his bedframe.
Boomstick: In fact, said attack did crack Bedman’s bed frame, the only thing that allows him to put up a fight in the first place. And his bed frame is only something that the likes of President Gabriel, a rival to Slayer, has been shown to damage before.
Wiz: Plus, in terms of just pure stats, Johnny can keep up with some of the more powerful characters in Guilty Gear like Leo, Sin Kiske, etc. Jack-O, who can launch into space and come back down within seconds, being a prime example. Not to mention characters that have been shown to be able to move and survive in the Backyard, a place that is outside time and reality itself.
Boomstick: Damn, wish my backyard was like that. I just have to mow it and shit.
Wiz: Of course, Johnny himself boasts an impressive number of unique attacks, owing to his skills in iaido. Aside from the aforementioned, “slashing the air” maneuver Johnny pulled out against Bedman, Johnny’s main arsenal revolves around his signature attack: Mist Finer. A massive iaido strike that can slash through most defenses, especially when combined with his Bacchus Sigh. The aforementioned “weird mist” that Johnny can emit from his blade
Boomstick: Whodathunk being able to draw and sheathe your sword in the blink of an eye would have its advantages? Especially when everything is wacky woohoo bullshit around you!
Wiz: Though it goes further than just the blink of an eye. Zato very plainly notes that Johnny swings his sword at the speed of light itself. Even being able to impress Slayer with his swordsmanship.
Boomstick: Though our cool-hatted friend does have a few problems. He’s a horndog by nature and would likely prefer to flirt than fight. In fact, Johnny himself rarely seems to show off just how powerful he really is!
Wiz: We said Johnny likes keeping secrets, and that includes the full extent of just how powerful he is. Typically, he prefers to back down before showing off just what he’s capable of. Which, of course, wouldn’t be applicable in a Death Battle. But a moment of letting his guard down against a similarly powerful opponent could spell the end for him if they’re quick enough.
Boomstick: BUT, that certainly won’t stop him from slicing an opponent to ribbons if they underestimate him! Like we said, he impressed Slayer for a reason after all.
Wiz: Indeed. Don’t blink, otherwise you might very well miss the strike that lost you your head.
Jack van Burace[]
(Seeking Truth - Wild Arms: Alter Code F)
Wiz: On a planet not too unlike our own, the world was populated by drifters and knights, resembling a wild west version of our own medieval times.
Boomstick: Of course, placing a specific time period on the planet of Filgaia is like trying to figure out the Zelda timeline by yourself with no assistance.
Wiz: One of the many orders of knights on the planet of Filgaia was the “Fenril Knights” of Arctica, who a few of their members ended up becoming quite important in Filgaia’s history. These two individuals being Elmina and Garret Stampede.
Boomstick: Huh, wonder if there’s any relation to a noted “Vash, The”.
Wiz: However, their castle suddenly became under siege by demons who wandered from a different dimension. Laying waste to the castle in its entirety, leading to the deaths of several important figures in the knights of Fenril: except for one. Garret Stampede managed to escape with his life thanks to the sacrifice of his fellow knight and his own love, Elmina.
Boomstick: Survivor’s guilt is a bitch though, and faced with the reality that he could not prevent his friends and comrade’s deaths with his current strength, he decided to discard the name “Garret Stampede” and take up a new mantle, becoming a drifter instead of a knight in the process as well.
Wiz: Garret’s new name was “Jack Van Burace”, or “Jack Vambrace” depending on who you talk to.
Boomstick: Huh. What are the odds that we have two katana wielding cowboys with last names that got a bit scrambled.
Wiz: Along the way he picked up a small wind mouse companion, Hanpan, and together they became a pair of treasure hunters. With Garret, or Jack, seeking “Absolute Power” in order to become strong enough to defend those who need it.
Boomstick: Granted, Jack is already pretty dang powerful all things considered. Brandishing a katana, which is a bit weird for both a knight and a cowboy but who am I to judge, Jack is proficient is the skill of “Fast Draw”. Or, well, y’know. Iaido. Allowing him to draw and sheathe his weapon in one swift, fast motion.
Wiz: Notably, Jack never even draws his sword without using Fast Draw. And he has a number of tricks up his sleeve with what he can do with his sword; one of his more powerful Fast Draw techniques being “Laser Silhouette”, a flurry of strikes that his target cannot even see, ending in a full tornado.
Boomstick: As one might expect, Jack is f***ing fast! Not only are his reaction speeds noted to be incredible, having shown it when dodging lasers shot from the hole in the sky that the demon Zeikfried ripped open!
Wiz: Speaking of Siegf- *ahem*, “Zeikfried”, he and his demon companions, the Quarter Knights, provide a very good means of comparison for Jack. Having been able to stop an instantaneous teleport with a single strike of his spear, sending Jack and his companions to another destination entirely.
Boomstick: Yeah, and that’s not even going into the person that Zeikfried and the rest of the Quarter Knights were working for. “Mother” as she is known as, was a being that has said to destroy multiple planets, including the one that the demons like Zeikfried originally lived in! Reducing them to nothing but “dust and dirt”. Funny how she wasn’t even the final boss.
Wiz: Indeed, and through the power of the “Darkness Tear”, the Quarter Knights managed to become even more powerful than Mother herself after her death. And of course, while Jack had help through his companions Rudy and Cecilia, being able to defeat Mother and the Quarter Knights shows that he is at least comparable to them if not a little bit stronger.
Boomstick: To such an extent that it was noteworthy when Lady Harken actually managed to react to Jack’s attack in time. Not to mention that Zeikfried also survived being sucked into a black hole and came out unscathed!
Wiz: In general, despite being an unassuming looking treasure hunter, Jack packs a hard hitting strike behind that katana of his. And that’s not even touching exactly what all of his Fast Draw techniques do, or the fact that he can make himself move even faster using his Accelerator skill.
Boomstick: Jack also has a few tools that, while maybe they aren’t the most useful in dealing straight damage to an opponent, can still allow him to outmaneuver an opponent. Like Hanpan! Jack’s funny little mouse buddy can fly into people’s pockets and steal s*** from them!
Wiz: Or Jack’s grappling hook, which can allow him to turn a battlefield into a more vertical affair.
Boomstick: Though the guy still has a bit of PTSD towards his failings to protect his friends, and any time he’s faced with that sort of confrontation of his own lack of strength can put the guy in a bit of a spiral.
Wiz: Even still, Jack Van Burace is not a man to be trifled with. With a multitude of techniques, high speeds, and incredible power, any battle with him could end before he even sheathes his blade.
DEATH BATTLE![]
(Wild Arms 3 - Long Days of Rest)
“Jeez…with all the stuff they threw at me, you’d think they were guarding a golem that can destroy the planet or somethin’…”
A man in a brown duster and light blonde hair dusted himself off as he walked into the chamber of the ruins he had been wandering for some time now. Life threatening traps and other such dangers posed quite the problem for him.
“Where did you even hear about this place, anyhow, Jack?” A small, blue mouse appeared out of Jack van Burace’s pocket, speaking to the drifter. The wind mouse named Hanpan making his annoyance of the trek they just endured.
“Eh. You hear things when you wander the world.” Jack merely shrugged at the mouse’s annoyance, gathering as much information as he could from the room he found himself in. He was looking for a specific thing, a specific treasure that he was told about. One that would grant him the Absolute Power that he sought.
And then, he spotted it. Or, more accurately, he was drawn to it. Going to a completely unsuspecting corner of room, he pulled out a small tome. Covered in dust and dirt, Jack dusted the cover off revealing a gear on the front of the book. A whistle leaving Jack’s mouth as he stared in awe of the book in his hands, a certain amount of power practically radiating from the book itself.
“So…is this what you were looking for, Jack?” Hanpan asked, similarly staring at the book.
“No clue.” Jack responded with a smile. “But whatever this thing is, I get the feeling it can help me get even closer to Absolute Power.”
“Now, I would recommend you drop that book and take your leave, friend.” A voice rang out in the otherwise empty chamber, as both Jack and Hanpan whipped their heads around to seek the source of the voice. Standing in the door, illuminated only by the light of the torches in the ruins chamber. A well-built man in a brown duster and cowboy hat, flipping a coin in his hands as he leaned up against the entrance. His eyes covered by the dark sunglasses that he wore.
“And to who do I owe the pleasure?” Jack responded as he stood up, dusting himself off while making sure to keep the tome he had just acquired tight in his hands. “Rare to see another drifter around these parts.”
The man cracked a small smile as he caught the coin one last time before beginning to walk towards the only other human in the room. Whatever emotions the man was currently exhibiting hidden almost perfectly by his sunglasses.
“Name’s Johnny. What I do isn’t much of your business, but what is my business is that book you’re trying to hide.” Johnny pointed at the book that Jack was, as Johnny had said, trying to hide behind his back. “So, I will repeat myself and ask politely for the book if you don’t mind.”
“Psst! Jack!” Hanpan scurried up to Jack’s ear as he began to whisper to the blonde-haired drifter. “I’m getting some bad vibes from this guy! He might be out of your league! You should give him back the book!”
Jack glanced at Hanpan, then back at the book. Closing his eyes in thought before opening them with a steeled resolve.
“Sorry, Hanpan. But this book is the first lead I’ve gotten towards Absolute Power in a long time.” Jack turned his gaze back towards Johnny, preparing to have to fight his way out. Knowing all too well that if another drifter wanted something he had, there would absolutely be a fight. “’Ey there! Johnny, was it? Haven’t you ever heard of ‘finder’s keepers’?”
“Heh. Ah well. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, champ.” Johnny shrugged his shoulders as his hands went to the lower end of his coat, moving it to the side to reveal a sheathe that held what appeared to be a katana. Jack too put the book in his satchel, placing his hand on the hilt of his blade. Both men crouching down with their heads pointed forward; both men ready to end this fight with a single swing of their swords.
FIGHT!
(Metal Gear Rising - The Only Thing I Know For Real)
*SCHWING!* *CLANG*
Both men drew their swords in a blink of an eye, their blades clashing into each other in a manner of nanoseconds. Sparks flying off the steel as both katanas contended with each other for a mere second before both Jack and Johnny backed off, sheathing their weapons almost as quickly as they drew them.
“Someone as fast as Jack!? This could be bad…” Hanpan thought to himself as he watched both men stare each other down, though Johnny had a much broader on his face compared to the more serious looking Jack.
“Well, well!” Johnny whistled in surprise at the fact that someone had actually managed to clash blades with how fast he drew his sword. “Ain’t this an interesting turn of events? Don’t meet many folks that are as quick on the draw as I am.”
“Heh.” Jack chuckled as his hand reached for the hilt yet again, his eyes not wavering from his opponent’s. “Could say the same to you. But I’m sure the both of us have a few more tricks up our sleeves, isn’t that right, Hanpan?”
Johnny cocked an eyebrow at the name; he had to assume that “Hanpan” was the name of the mouse that Jack had seemingly had conversations with prior. But…now the mouse was nowhere to be seen.
And then he felt something scurrying up his leg as well. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what it was.
The wind mouse, per Jack’s instructions, had just nearly made it to Johnny’s katana. Planning on swiping the sheathe and sword together before the man could recognize it. Unfortunately, however, a sky pirate is not so easily tricked. As soon as Hanpan got his mouse mitts onto the scabbard, Johnny drew his blade in such a way that it managed to shake the normally composed mouse off of Johnny. And just to really make sure Jack and Hanpan wouldn’t try another trick like that…
*SCHWING*
Fire suddenly appeared where Hanpan had landed after being shaken off of Johnny, the wind mouse swiftly scampering back to his friend lest he become roasted. While Hanpan couldn’t have seen what had just occurred, for Jack it was quite obvious, but still quite impressive. Within the blink of an eye, Johnny had thrown a bottle of alcohol and swung his sword almost in the exact same instant. The spark of his steel cutting open the bottle and setting it alight at the same time.
Of course, Hanpan didn’t need to be told twice about not trying to steal from someone who capable of something like. Scurrying back into Jack’s hands as quickly as possible.
“Well, guess that won’t be the way we win here, huh?” Jack mused to himself as Hanpan hid in his sleeves.
“This guy is nutso, Jack! Who knows what kind of tricks he’s got up his sleeves!” Hanpan responded, clearly scared out of his wits from what Johnny just did.
“I’d take the little fella’s warnings into consideration, bud.” Johnny smirked as he tipped his hat towards his dual opponents. “I’m not exactly looking for a fight, I’m not opposed to giving one.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Jack muttered under his breath, a sheepish smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “But hey, I’m not exactly without my own bag of tricks.”
Placing his hand on the hilt of his katana, Jack drew his blade yet again. Charging forward towards Johnny, eager to draw at any moment.
*SCHWING*
Much like before, both men drew their blades quicker than any normal mortal could possibly see. However, rather than the clash of steel, only the swing of the blade was heard. Johnny’s blade had not struck steel nor flesh, as his hand stayed on the hilt of the blade he had just swung. Indeed, much to Johnny’s confusion, though Jack had drawn his sword and sheathed it in the same swift motion that any Iaido practitioner would, Jack merely continued running past Johnny rather than engage him.
“Gh! The hell…?” It didn’t take long for Johnny to realize he couldn’t move; his body tensed up and near paralyzed from whatever it was that Jack had done. Though upon giving it a second of thought, Johnny realized that he was not Jack’s target in that slash. Jack had struck Johnny’s own shadow in such a way that it temporarily paralyzed him. A smile crept to his face as the seconds passed, more of his motor functions coming back to him. “Damn shame that we’re enemies like this. I’m kinda curious as to who trained him.”
Such a simple trick was impressive, but it certainly wouldn’t keep Johnny trapped for very long.
“Well, hopefully that slowed him down a tick.” Jack thought to himself as he began running through the halls and chambers of the ruins, trying to find his way back to the entrance. If he didn’t have to fight, he certainly wasn’t going to. Especially since he knew he that this Johnny fellow was one hell of an opponent.
“Not too shabby! Haven’t seen someone strike something incorporeal like that in a bit!” Unfortunately for Jack, however, said opponent was hot on his tail. The both of them moving through the ruins so quickly that it was as if lightning itself was bursting through the halls of the decrepit, abandoned domain.
But, Jack was not someone who came to a battle unprepared. As he purposely led Johnny to one specific spot: a place he had traversed over during his time exploring the ruins. Though, he definitely was cutting things close: Johnny was clearly faster than he was at least in terms of running speed. And just before Johnny was close enough for slashing distance…
“Hanpan, now!” Jack yelled, as the sound of a mechanism was heard throughout the ruins. The structure shuddered as Hanpan flipped the switch, sounds of machinery filling the immediate area location they were in.
As the floor dropped beneath Johnny’s feet. Revealing nothing but a bottomless chasm beneath, which Johnny swiftly began to fall into. Johnny’s expression unknown to Jack as he fell to the darkness beneath him.
“Whew…glad I managed to memorize this place when I came through here the first time…” Jack wiped the sweat off his brow as Hanpan scurried back to his pockets. Seemingly having rid himself of the cowboy hat wearing menace.
But Johnny was not a man who would be defeated by a simple trap within ancient ruins. As Jack’s guard immediately came back up as he heard the sound of grunting; the sound of Johnny climbing his way back up the chasm by virtue of jumping back and forth against the walls. The sunglasses wearing man soaring back up into the air with a smile on his face and his hand on his sheathe. Jack reaching for his blade in the same manner…
*SCHWING*
The two crossed blades yet again, neither giving an inch to each other when it came to wounding the other opponent. Their steel weapons clashing for but a feeble moment before retreating back into their scabbards.
*SCHWING*
Over.
*SCHWING*
And over.
*SCHWING*
And over again. Each release from their sheathes were only met with the striking sound of steel on steel. Mere seconds passed as blade clashed with blade countless times. Each man feeling sweat trickle down their neck as their swordsmanship continued to match each others.
“Well…” Jack let out a heavy sigh, all while making sure that Johnny would not take his head. “Considering all my other options have failed, looks like I’m gonna have to play this a bit more seriously.”
(Wild Arms Alter Code: F = The Power to Fight)
Johnny could only cock a single eyebrow at such a statement. He had more abilities to show off? Though he shouldn’t be too surprised; he seemed like he had stumbled upon quite the interesting opponent. Crouching down, Jack prepared for his next strike. His blade charging with a dark energy, his eyes closed as he prepared for his next strike. Mere milliseconds passed before his eyes opened once again, his hand on his hilt as he swiftly drew his blade. Johnny returning in kind as he planned to counter whatever strike that Jack had planned.
“Burst Breaker!” Jack shouted as he swung his blade, as Johnny raised his own in defense, expecting Jack’s blade to aim for him and him alone. Which wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Though Jack had swung in his direction, his blade did not even attempt to find its way onto Johnny’s flesh. Merely sheathing it after he had swung, his eyes closed.
Though Johnny noticed that the dark energy that had swirled his katana had disappeared by the time he swung it, it had been too late.
*KABOOM!*
An explosion occurred where Johnny stood, as the blonde-haired man was blown backwards by the force of the explosion. Not even giving him the chance to brace for such an attack, though he mostly stayed intact outside of some burn marks on his duster and hat.
But that wasn’t the extent of Jack’s assault.
Leaping through the smoke of the explosion, hands on his hilt, Jack appeared ready to strike yet again.
“Speed Fang!” Jack raised his blade in an overhead fashion, unsheathing his katana and bringing it down upon Johnny’s body. The gambler only barely managing to dodge out of the way before he became bisected, though not without earning a new scar across the right side of his body. Blood dripping from the wound as whatever blood coated Jack’s sword was now wiped away by him sheathing his blade. Though Jack did not stop there; he knew all too well such a simple wound would not stop an opponent like him. Pressing his advantage, Jack continued his attacks, striking Johnny with his sheathed blade. Even raising his leg to deliver a kick to Johnny’s face, though as his shoe aimed towards the man’s head, his foot only collided with the sheathe of Johnny’s own blade.
“Not bad, friend. Honestly, I’m curious to know who trained you, but, I think that we’re past any sort of friendliness like that.” Johnny spoke as he looked at Jack’s shocked face through his sunglasses; the man had so effortlessly drawn his weapon that Jack didn’t even realize it was happening. “As for me, it’s far too early to fold.”
Reaching into his coat pocket, Johnny flipped a golden coin right towards Jack’s face. The drifter couldn’t tell if it was due to the torch lighting in the ruins, or some supernatural manner, but as soon as that coin crossed his eyes he was blinded by white.
“Let’s see if you can keep up!” Jack heard Johnny shout as the man’s blade struck body, a gasp of pain leaving Jack’s lips as he recoiled back. His sight returning to him as he saw Johnny sheathing his blade, and bits of blood dripping from the wound that he had just suffered. With Jack still reeling from the attack, Johnny swiftly dashed forward, raising his leg straight up in the air and kicking Jack up into the air. Earning himself a few crack ribs and a bit of blood spitting out of his mouth, as one would expect after being launched into the air via foot.
Johnny, planning on ending this here and now, followed after the launch. Preparing on delivering another kick: this one launching Jack directly into the pit that he had so confidently opened up as a way to defeat Johnny in the first place.
“Zweihander!” Were the words Jack heard as Johnny’s foot slammed into his chest; another two or three cracked ribs for the road. As he was launched downwards towards the gaping abyss, Jack disappearing from view as Johnny landed back down on the ground. Dusting himself off and realigning his duster.
“Looks like you came up a few cards short.” Johnny stated as he began to walk away from the pit. While he couldn’t personally have gotten his hands on the Tome of Origin himself, at the very least, it found its way towards the bottom of a pit who knows how deep.
“H…HANPAN!” However, a voice called from the seemingly bottomless pit. As Jack had dug his now bloody nails into the stone, keeping himself from falling. Calling out Hanpan’s name, as the sound of whirring machinery once again filled the stone chamber. As a wall of flame burst forth where Johnny was about to walk, stopping him in his tracks.
“Heh…” Jack coughed up blood as he climbed himself out of the same pit that he had attempted to toss Johnny down. “Seems like I need that Absolute Power even more than I thought I did…”
Jack closed his eyes as he grabbed the hilt of his blade with his right hand, Johnny cocking an eyebrow at the man’s sheer determination. It certainly made him curious why he was looking for something like the Tome of Origin in the first place.
Jack opened his eyes; stalwart and determined.
“I am…the Vambrace.” Jack said to himself, his breathing heavy and labored. But even labored breathing was better than none.
“Accelerator!” In the blink of an eye, Jack had vanished. Though it didn’t take long to figure where he had reappeared.
*SCHWING*
Johnny met Jack’s blade with his scabbard, blocking his strike. Though as soon as he reappeared, he disappeared once again.
*SCHWING*
“He got faster somehow?” Johnny thought to himself as he continued parry strike after strike, though after a few seconds, it began to become too much. His movements were tantamount to teleportation at this point, and Johnny began to find himself with slash wounds covering his body. His duster becoming badly damaged as well as it was sliced and coated in blood.
“Alright, that’s enough of this!” Johnny through another coin up into the air. The light once again blinding Jack as he returned to Johnny’s side, hand at the hilt of his blade now raised to cover his eyes. Johnny, meanwhile, drew his blade. Though it wasn’t to strike directly at Jack this time…
“Ghhrk!” Jack moved to dodge out of the way of Johnny’s swing, but in doing so, he had actually fallen into another “swing” of sorts. His body slashed apart by the air itself; Johnny having sliced in such a way that the air surrounding him became disjoined and displaced. Becoming blades of air, even in a still air environment.
“Couldn’t exactly have you striking at my blind spots, y’know.” Johnny smiled as he watched Jack dash through the bladed air to a safe location, his body bloody and haggard as red began to stain the stone below him. Though, despite his body being near broken…Jack cracked a smile.
And Johnny’s faded, as he realized that Jack’s blade had disappeared. And he could not move his body; Jack’s sword had slashed his shadow once more.
“Let’s try this again.” Jack thought to himself as the displaced air subsided alongside Johnny’s body failing to move. Dashing forward, he grabbed the blade, preparing to strike once again. “MAXIMUM RISK!”
Johnny suddenly found himself encased in pure white, seemingly nothing but a blinding void surrounding him. Preparing to draw his blade, for once, Johnny was unsure of where the attack was coming from. As such, he could not anticipate the blade piercing through his back. A flash of blue and white exiting and coursing throughout his entire body.
Reality returned to Johnny’s eyes as he stumbled back, a gaping wound in his chest where Jack’s blade had struck. The man behind him sheathing his blade; it now being Johnny’s blood that was staining the stone.
“Sorry. I don’t really enjoy fighting spats like this, but…” Jack began to take his leave out of the chamber as he spoke. “…for what it’s worth, I’ll remem- hm?”
(Guilty Gear X2 - Liquor Bar & Drunkard)
*TING…*
Jack whipped around, but for now the third time, he became blinded by the flash of Johnny’s gold coin. As Johnny turned around, tipping his hat to the man.
“You got some aces up your sleeve. But…” Johnny readied his blade, his facial expression during serious even despite the blood dripping down it. Though he did not draw it, at least not all the way. He merely opened it slightly, as a mist began to pour out of his scabbard. Covering Jack in such a way that Johnny could only make out his opponent’s shadow. “I’ve got a royal flush.”
Jack’s vision came back to him as he found himself coated within the mist. Such a deep and heavy fog, even despite the area it was coating being very small. He couldn’t even see his hands in front of his body, let alone the opponent standing across from them. How was he going to be able to…
“MIST FINER!”
Were the words Jack heard as the clear sound of Johnny’s blade being drawn and swung, though even as the words reached Jack’s ears, it was too late. Jack did not even have a chance to draw his own blade to defend, as the blade had already struck a gaping wound across his chest. His eyes wide; no sounds coming from his mouth as he staggered backward. Only the slight gurgling and splashing of blood.
Though even still, as the fog dissipated, Johnny was not greeted by the corpse of the man he had just met. Rather, the sight he saw was a man so determined to become stronger, that his body refused to fall. Still gripping onto the hilt of his blade, ready to cross swords one last time. A smile coming across Johnny’s face as he met Jack’s challenge, his hand reaching for his hilt as well.
“Laser…
“Mist…”
“SILLOUTTE!”
“FINER!”
*SCHWING*
The two men crossed blades for the final time. This time, there were no defenses. One last draw. Both men had their blood gaping from many wounds, dripping onto the ground behind them. But only one could claim victory here. As such, the victor raised his hand. New wounds having etched their way into his body, as that single strike had actually contained multiple. His hand brushed past his face…
…and tipped his hat. His back turned towards the man he had just killed.
“Gh…sorry…Harken…”
*SPLAT*
Jack’s body disassembled into pieces across the ground, nothing more than chunks of meat. As Johnny sighed, turning back towards the foe he had just slain as he reluctantly searched through the blood and gore. Picking the Tome of Origin out of the pool.
“Sorry. Really wish I could’ve had a drink with you, but, you should’ve known when to fold ‘em.”
Once again, Johnny began to take his leave. This time, there would be no interruptions.
Conclusion[]
(Guilty Gear Xrd - Original Bet)
Boomstick: Man, how tragic…you think this means Hanpan is up for adoption now?
Wiz: While at first glance, this seems like an easy win for Johnny, the result is actually much closer than one might initially expect. Even if Johnny did end up with a victory.
Boomstick: Jack had a waaaaaaaaaay more varied arsenal to use against Johnny, and being able to use Hanpan to do some tricky bulls*** while Johnny isn’t looking. Not to mention that he arguably has more experience due to being a knight, and his experience as a drifter might allow him to use more of his surroundings than Johnny would.
Wiz: Unfortunately, however, there were just a few areas that Jack could not catch up to Johnny in.
Boomstick: Jack had a pretty impressive feat in dodging lasers aimed at him via the hole that Ziekfried opened up. Not to mention the fact that he managed to fight toe to toe with Ziekfried, eventually defeating him, who could both survive a black hole AND was able to stop an instant teleportation with a strike of his spear.
Wiz: Ironically, however, the devil in the details become the people who they have fought. Yes, what was just described was impressive, but Johnny has managed to fight and nearly defeat Bedman. Someone who can think faster than most people can move; not to mention that Johnny can rub elbows with people who can withstand the Backyard. An area of frozen time that contains the full laws of reality itself.
Boomstick: There are certainly some scenarios in where Jack might have managed to eek out a win. Using Hanpan to simply swipe his weapon off of him, and of course if this wasn’t DEATH BATTLE, Jack probably could’ve just paralyzed him and ran away.
Wiz: But even with Jack’s arsenal of Fast Draw skills, the Guilty Gear world has many crazy techniques in it.
Boomstick: Like the dude that’s possessed by like four different ghosts!
Wiz: While it could be argued that Jack’s vast arsenal of attacks could keep Johnny on his toes, Johnny has seen much weirder attacks in his lifetime. Jack is a very skilled swordsman to be sure, but outside of a few notable Fast Draw techniques, he didn’t have much in the way of weirdness like the Guilty Gear universe is known for.
Boomstick: And of course, Johnny was no slouch in the experience department either. While he wasn’t specifically trained to be a soldier for a country like Jack was, he was still trained by a powerful swordsman since he was a small child.
Wiz: And the bow on all of this, unfortunately for Jack, is we don’t even know the extent of Johnny’s true abilities. He’s very comparable to Slayer, who even said that he’s interested in Johnny’s full power. Jack was a very powerful swordsman to be sure, and he is undoubtedly one of the most notable swordsmen in the Wild Arms universe.
Boomstick: Looks like Jack just wasn’t geared enough to take Johnny down. Johnny truly was a cut above the rest.
Wiz: The winner is Johnny.
Trivia[]
- The connection between the two fighters is that they are both Iaido practitioners in a Western setting, both of them having lost someone close to them that caused them to seek out ways to better themselves and become better people.
- A track for this battle would be called "Fast Draw", referencing both their respective fighting styles and the name of Jack's fighting style.
- In the original PS1 game, Jack had a skill called "Void", which involved him creating black holes with his sword to drop his enemies into. However, as this skill was removed in the most recent PS2 remake, it was not taken into consideration. Likely, it would not have changed the course of the fight either way.