Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Arena!!
May 24, 2017 15:58:59 GMT -6
Post by Kisaragi on May 24, 2017 15:58:59 GMT -6
Yeah, she didn't think she was in Sacae anymore.
Walking from the ready rooms to the interior of the arena itself was like walking directly into the raging ocean; a solid wall of light and sound and motion, countless people roaring with excitement. It was like the air was aflame, or buzzing with electricity, the moment before a lightning strike. She wasn't much of a poet to really describe it, but nonetheless she could feel the excitement of the crowd hanging heavy over the area, flowing through her whether she liked it or not. A fire that burned in her blood. It was, uh, it wasn't exactly what she was used to to say the least, but the moment of worry passed as she felt herself being swept away by the hype, becoming part of the moment rather than standing afar. Well actually she was just walking towards her position on the side of the arena, but hey, she could do poetry too. Kinda.
That said, she'd never fought a wyvern rider before, so rather than let herself get too carried away Kisaragi kept her eye solely on this... Aria person, the wyvern rider, trying to look as serious as she could. Stereotypical Sacaen, sure, whatever, it's not like she was ASHAMED of where she came from, just not as emotionless as most Sacaens set themselves up to be. In all seriousness though. The problem was that this Aria chick had the advantage of range and mobility. Spear was longer than a sword after all, last time she checked anyways, and Kisaragi's sword wasn't exactly one of those comically oversized giant two handed swords that some people used. Perfectly good wakizashi though dammit.
Her hand was already resting on the sheathed blade's hilt, but without having drawn it yet, not quite sure how she wanted to approach the fight. Usually she'd just run in but that seemed, uh, unwise this time around. At least not without a plan. And the announcer guy was still talking sooo that would probably get her disqualified and THAT would be doubleplus ungood. Kisaragi settled initially for drawing her blade, one swift, fluid motion that sent the glinting steel raised one handed above her, an offering to sky and sun, before bringing it down, pointed directly at Aria. About as 'come at me bro' as she could think of. Without knowing jack crap about the wyvern rider she couldn't really mindgame her, but it wasn't like taunting would have any bad effects! Probably.
With the announcer winding down, Kisaragi realized she didn't have the time to mess around and try to do a bunch of fancy crap. Between time limits and her various disadvantages, she was gonna have to work her butt off with this one. Besides, she wasn't much of a talker anyways. Her face still serious, as the announcer officially declared the match, Kisaragi punctuated it with her own voice, as strong and clear as she could manage - which admittedly wasn't super intimidating as a 16 year old teenage girl, but not much she could do about that.
"May Father Sky watch this battle, and let none find us wanting."
...She'd always liked that one. It was one of those bullshit 'honorable' sayings, the kinda thing two stuck up stick-assed Sacaen swordmasters would say to each other just before doing some fancy f**k**g show-off bullshit, but it still sounded cool. And while she wanted to win, real bad in fact - Kisaragi was nothing if not stubborn as hell and a sore loser - she didn't have any reason to hate Aria. Honestly, she kinda liked that she was fighting what looked like a teenage girl, or maybe a young adult it was hard to tell for sure. If they'd met another way they could have been friends. Maybe they still could. But right now, she wanted to WIN.
So rather than waste time waiting for Aria to do something, Kisaragi charged the wyvern rider directly, bringing her sword down and wrapping both hands around the handle as she had learned to fight for better control. Something that was kinda important when the average teenage boy was stronger than you to say nothing of mercenaries and warriors. She wasn't really betting on winning the fight right there, but much like the taunt and the quote, it was her way of testing the other girl to see how she reacted.
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Aria
Wyvern Rider
Chewy's Caretaker
Posts: 190
Bern Fame: 1
Profession: Wyvern Rider
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Aria's Profile
OoC Alias: Twilightfairy
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Arena!!
May 26, 2017 20:47:00 GMT -6
Post by Aria on May 26, 2017 20:47:00 GMT -6
This is it! The sky haired rider thought to herself. She had been geared up and ready to go the moment the arena event had been announced. She loved the arena as a kid. Her brothers would take her to the fights and together they would cheer for their local hero. They would eat, shout, and place bets on who and how they would win. And while her family of brothers went their separate ways over the years, the memories built upon this place remained. But, this was the first time she was actually in the arena as a competitor rather than a spectator. The rider had spent the better portion of yesterday prepping Chewy, her mismatched armor, and her body for this moment. She knew the people of Bern needed this. They needed to see one of their homegrown riders rise to the ranks and boost morale. The war had taken so much out of the Bernese people, she knew that this was one of the few things she could do to mend their spirits.
The wyvern gave a sharp grunt as they approached the center of the arena's pit. The roar of the crowd filled her with a warm fuzzy feeling. She raised her lance up to acknowledge the them. Chewy was pumped too. She let out a slight roar and unfurled her wings then flapped them a bit for some dramatic flare. Aria had a minute to look at who her opponent was going to be. And she was a little shocked as to who it was, a young girl with a sword. Sacean by the guess of it. The brown haired girl's clothes certainly didn't look like they came out of a Bernese boutique.
"Hey! No hard feelings lets just have a nice, clean, du-!" Before she could finish that sentence, the young girl was already running towards her. A quick flip of her wrist and she had her lance backward. The non-pointy metal part forced outwards ready to deflect the blow. Chewy's hide was strong enough to take a hit without being cut. Aria's intention was to deflect the oncoming sword hit, but the wyvern had other plans, it spun around, and swung its tail at the young swordswoman.
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Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Arena!!
May 28, 2017 19:52:35 GMT -6
Post by Kisaragi on May 28, 2017 19:52:35 GMT -6
Well, at least the blue haired girl hadn't pussied out and run away or flied off. She could respect that much at least. Meant this would be more interesting than a quick scuffle anyways. There were no thoughts about Sacaen supremacy or Bernese disappointment to be found crawling about her mind, for better or for worse. Only the self centered desire to win, or better yet learn from this... but also win because Kisaragi was a really shitty loser.
She was not however blind enough to miss that both rider and wyvern were displeased with the idea of taking a sword to the gut, with Aria bringing her spear up to deflect - smart, superior range and probably strength given the armor - right up until the overgrown flying lizard started rotating in place, turning its rider as it moved to bring one of its own natural weapons to bear on the Sacaen swordmaiden. There was a moment - a tiny split second - of thought, almost uncertainty, as Kisaragi tried to gauge if this was some kind of advanced tactic or if these two actually worked together that badly. Not like she had a lot of experience fighting wyvern riders after all.
-But she DID have a fair bit of experience fighting... and avoiding... beasts, especially with that bloody mauthe doog. One of the plus sides of being about the size and weight of the average housefly. Of course, she had had a lot more buildings to use for mobility there, but the real problem was that even if this duo of jokers were as dumb as they acted, they were NOT mindless monsters - she wasn't just going to be able to use the same tricks, slightly altered, over and over to bring them down. But right now, with Aria facing away from her and the lance out of position, and a whole lot of wyvern muscle bringing a murder tail right up in her face, she didn't have the time and patience to think up some complex battle plan. And it wasn't her style, anyways.
So instead, when the tail came for her, Kisaragi was already airborne, not capable of flight by any means but moving fast and sprightly enough to jump, using the tail about two feet off the ground as a stepping stone of sorts to aid in her temporary flight time, bringing her blade up to - NOT kill Aria that would be bad, both in terms of disqualification and also because killing people wasn't a thing she did unless necessary. Besides, it wasn't gonna be that easy anyways, her mediocre reach would make it too hard to behead the wyvern rider even if she did want to. In the span of a heartbeat she had already decided, bringing the scything blade flashing through the air towards Aria's armored back and the crimson cape covering it before she was already past both Aria and Chewie. No fancy multi attacks there, at best just a glancing hit.
Aaaaand now she was airborne, without any ability to actually fly, and the ground coming up to meet her again. So that was - fun. Thinking on her - NOT feet, her feet were in the f**k**g air, but thinking quickly Kisaragi did her best to convert her momentum into angular, not something that went especially well, but she managed to land on the sand without instantly faceplanting and turned that sudden purchase into a rotating slide, a scarlet blur bringing silvered steel down to the ground to help arrest her motion, her left arm outstretched with empty hand to keep her balance as she skidded to a halt amidst the burning sand. Okay, it... it wasn't exactly the totally casual and effortless landing she had aimed for, but she was standing upright, right? So that was better than she had expected. Flushed with NOT being dead or unconscious right now, Kisaragi allowed herself a momentary lapse of judgement as the spun the wakizashi in her hand, bringing it up above her and then slicing through the air in one fluid downward motion to instantly vacate it of sand and debris, feeling like the biggest badass in the world. Or, uh, at least not a complete fuckup.
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Aria
Wyvern Rider
Chewy's Caretaker
Posts: 190
Bern Fame: 1
Profession: Wyvern Rider
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Aria's Profile
OoC Alias: Twilightfairy
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Arena!!
May 29, 2017 12:57:56 GMT -6
Post by Aria on May 29, 2017 12:57:56 GMT -6
Aria had to pull the reigns to get Chewy to behave herself. She was not happy with the fact that wyvern decided to tail swipe just as she had gotten ready to do some non-lethal lance hits.
"Come on you big Ham! Show boating is liable to get you killed." She spoke to her wyvern. There were rules in place that prevented death to the combatants. She doubted that the young sword miss would actually be seriously hurt by a blunt force impact of Chewy's tail. Chewy glance up and let a soft growl. To which Aria looked up and saw little miss sword coming down at her with her blade. Instinctively Aria clicked her heels against Chewy who moved forward a few paces. There was a clang of metal upon metal as the sword grazed the back end of her armor. Her red cape sported an impressive gash upon its center. Aria frowned slightly. That cape was her brothers! She was supposed to take good care of all her hand-me-downs.
With a swift motion, Aria guided Chewy to turn around and the beast did. She turned around curled up for a moment and lunged. The swordswoman was swinging her sword around in an attempt to get the sand off of her body. It was a cool looking move. But, it left her in place. Aria pulled her lance up towards her ready to swing it left, right, or upwards in preparations for the swordswoman's movements. She'd HAVE to move lest she gets rammed by the full force of Chewy's body.
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Kisaragi
Myrmidon
Posts: 66
Affinity: Thunder
Profile: Kisaragi
OoC Alias: Nayru
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Arena!!
May 31, 2017 17:13:12 GMT -6
Post by Kisaragi on May 31, 2017 17:13:12 GMT -6
Kisaragi wasn't exactly happy with herself for having lost the momentum of offense, losing her close-in advantage against the more ponderous spear user was a definite problem, but at the same time she didn't really have anyone or anything to blame for that. The simple fact of the matter was that she had been placed in a difficult situation, faced with both spear and tail, and made the best of it that she could, even landing a glancing hit on the girl's armor... and cape. THAT one the Sacaen actually did feel bad for, determining in that moment that she was going to have to track the girl down later and apologize if she survived this - given her fondness of her own baggy clothing, she definitely felt bad about ruining the blue haired girl's own cape.
Apologies were a thing for later though, much as mood was a thing for cattle and love, not fighting. In this moment, Aria was her foe, and a foe that was smart enough to take advantage of the changing tempo of battle at that, having apparently righted herself fairly quickly and already set herself to charging the Sacaen swordmaiden. Pretty much the opposite of the start of the fight, actually. Kisaragi could respect the decisiveness needed to do that... not LIKE it, but respect it. However, it did leave her with the need to react and from an off footing no less. Unfortunate, but such was life. Might as well go for the big finale, try to make some use of her agility - as little as she liked it, it was clear that the wyvern was physically faster than her in a lunge, she couldn't outrun it, but that speed and momentum would also make major course corrections difficult. Not too difficult to eat her of course, or wyverns wouldn't be scary in the first place, but if she worked it just right she might have a tiny window to do... something.
Ignoring the wyvern rider's former comments to her steed, Kisaragi matched the creature's charge, perhaps not with quite the same uh... strength and speed behind it but a valiant effort nonetheless, her shorter legs pumping at maximum speed as she leaned into the wind, trying to ascertain the best way to win at a game of chicken with something that literally just automatically won if it hit you. Well, that meant the obvious solution was to not get hit, but that was much easier said than done. Unlike the Mauthe Doog, Aria looked to be prepared for another tricksy dodge, spear held level and Kisaragi could only assume that another human being would be smart enough to move it in the direction of the bad guys - though the tournament was supposed to be nonlethal, could she rely on that - probably not wise but she was running out of time - the hell with it, she'd entered this damn tournament ready to risk her life, why rely on someone else's failure?
The distance between the charging forces evaporated in an instant, a face-full of teeth and a steady lance both aimed at the smol Sacaen sword wielder as she steeled her nerves and tried to focus on actually getting through this without being turned into a chew toy. Dammit. The spear was longer and reached her first, and while Kisaragi did manage to bring her sword up in time to deflect it, her initial idea of juking to the side ruined by the preparation, steel striking steel and the heft of the lance running across her blade pushed her to the opposite side nonetheless, enough to miss the wyvern's head but... get hit right in the gut by its wings if she didn't come up with something REALLY fast. Uh. That wasn't actually a huge step up. Winging it (heh) as best she could, she pushed up off the ground again, using Chewie's neck as a momentary purchase to throw herself at Aria directly as she simultaneously brought her sword around so the hilt was aimed at the other girl's chest - not exactly an instant kill technique against armor to say the least, but she didn't want to risk accidentally stabbing the wyvern rider in the face and this was already going to hurt like crap when the larger armored girl smacked into her and most likely won THAT collision, so might as well make everyone miserable in the process!
...Yeah, story of her life.
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Aria
Wyvern Rider
Chewy's Caretaker
Posts: 190
Bern Fame: 1
Profession: Wyvern Rider
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Aria's Profile
OoC Alias: Twilightfairy
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Arena!!
Jun 3, 2017 19:19:17 GMT -6
Post by Aria on Jun 3, 2017 19:19:17 GMT -6
Alright Aria. Don't mess this up. Bern is counting on you to be that hometown hero. She told herself that because she felt like she was losing this fight. Somehow little miss sword over there kept on dodging her attacks with some sort of inhuman speed. Like right now! Somehow she had managed to charge straight towards her wyvern and climb up the only gap in between the wyvern's neck and wings. And kinda sorta avoid Chewy's entire body hitting her in the process. Which would have resulted in little miss sword being flung across the arena by now. That's just the way it was. Wyverns were impressively powerful creatures and there isn't a rider who hasn't felt the brunt end of their wyvern's body hitting them. Getting beaten up by a wyvern was almost like a rite of passage for riders.
Now, Aria chalked up that sort of behavior to one of two things. One, is that this little swordswoman was some sort of wyvern genius, or two, she was really lucky. But, Aria knew luck did not last forever. She knew right when she felt the shaft end of her lance hit the sword to brace herself for the next move. She felt the way the lance moved, the swordswoman deflected it, before jumping in the air. She managed to do that fast enough to not only avoid the massive brick battering ram that was Chew's body, but also avoid the mass of teeth from Chewy's mouth. The wyvern didn't take kindly to ANYTHING climbing up on top of her with either her's or Aria's permission. Especially random arena strangers with metal blades trying to attack her.
Aria quickly pulled the lance back up towards her body and swung the stick towards the young woman in the air. Aria had trained herself in the art of "keeping things off your wyvern" fu. That was the job of the rider. You know, outside of guiding the wyvern to several destinations. A wyvern put his or her trust in the rider to protect them just as much as the wyvern protects the rider. Aria was certain the young swordswoman couldn't dodge this hit. Not while the forces of gravity were forcing her downwards into one direction. And Aria could see that the swordswoman wasn't going to strike at anything vital. The armor ensured her protection for that. The lance was swung in a hard diagonal direction. She had intent to have the stick hit the swordswoman on the body and Chewy would pin her down with one of her legs. It was all non lethal of course. Chewy knew how to press down on things without squashing them. Usually.
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Arena!!
Jun 4, 2017 16:34:19 GMT -6
Post by Plot Device on Jun 4, 2017 16:34:19 GMT -6
The announcer watched the two combatants collide atop the wyvern. It wasn’t the show of grace and finesse that he had expected, but that was more his fault for presuming. After the dust settled, it was hard to tell all that had transpired in those few moments. Sword against armor, lance shaft against the cloth of the soaring swordswoman. He saw the large wyvern shift back, in an attempt to pin the shifty sword maiden. The announcer didn’t think he should let the fight go on any further. He called ahead waving his arms above his head. “Weapons down my friends! That means you too.” The announcer addressed the wyvern directly. He approached the center of the fighting area once more. He was notably careful to keep his distance from the large, dragonlike beast. The man shuddered at the sight of the thing up close. Terrifying.
“Alright. Alright. Alright.” The announcer thought he knew how this next part was going to go. Who could he expect to win a popularity contest that took place in Bern? That said, he did still have to ask the question. Just in case an upset were to occur. “Let’s hear what you think folks… Who wants to see our soaring swordswoman one more time?” The announcer listened closely.
“Hah that Kisagari girl flew higher than the wyvern did huh?”
“Her name was Kisaragi and yes, she was quite agile for a youngster.”
“Shame she had to go up against that wyvern rider. But she was completely fearless. Fantastic.”
The announcer was pleasantly surprised with the comments he heard from the crowd. Perhaps the bias wasn’t as strong as he had assumed. He lifted up another hand to indicate toward the wyvern and it’s rider. “On the other hand, who would like to see our spinning, lunging friend again? Oh and the rider too.”
“The duo may have to work on their chemistry a bit, but I like how close they seem. It’s heartwarming.”
“Lance strikes, lunges, bites, tail whips. It takes a ton of coordination to weave all those components into a combat style.”
“We love our soldiers! For Bern!”
A bit of a Bern chant began to crop up. That sounded about right. He would like to see how this would’ve played out in Sacae, or any unbiased venue. “Congratulations Aria! You and your reptilian friend are advancing to the second round!” Now then. It was finally time for the final round in the first bracket.
The announcer called out to the next combatants. “To end the first round for our young combatants, Sigma versus Mokuba! Let’s see what you can do.” The announcer bowed out of the fighting area.
OOC Edit: It has been brought to my attention that I never actually stated that Bernese soldiers would gain a popularity boost. Seeing as how it would be unfair to judge the competitors on rules that weren’t made clear, I have decided to remove this rule. In doing so, the ruling for this particular fight has been changed.
IC:
It just wasn't sitting right with the announcer as he watched the contestants of the previous fight leave the battlefield. True this was a popularity contest, but it's unfair to the fighters themselves to have to suffer from such a disadvantage. He didn't even think that fighters who benefited from the advantage would even want to benefit from it. Seeing as the next two combatants still hadn't entered the ring, the announcer made a request.
"Now now now, my dear audience. Do we really think the wyvern rider won this past round? Or perhaps you were watching with a shifted perspective. I implore you, replay the battle in your mind, without any biases who actually won it?" The announcer felt like the biggest jerk alive for asking for a recount after announcing a victor, but it couldn't be helped. It would've eaten him up inside otherwise.
"Well I suppose Kisaragi was quite the athlete in that fight. Certainly more mobile than I expected."
"Agreed, watching her dash and jump was quite the show."
"But don't discredit Aria, she showed talent of her own."
The announcer nodded. "Alright then. Ruling change! Kisaragi is the winner!" Some cheers rose from the crowd, but all in all it was a strange scene. "My dear people, you have my apologies for this little snafu. I will have some messengers send for the wyvern rider and the little swordswoman to update them of the change." He would also probably have to send the wyvern rider a consolation prize for being so cool about the change in ruling.
"From here on out, watch these fights for what they are. No Biases! Without further interruption. Sigma and Mokuba!"
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Sigma
Thief
Does anybody care about intelligence work anymore?
Posts: 151
Profession: Spy/Information Broker
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Sigma
OoC Alias: Sigma
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Arena!!
Jun 6, 2017 16:06:03 GMT -6
Post by Sigma on Jun 6, 2017 16:06:03 GMT -6
And so the myrmidon had won the fight after all... Good thing too! Winning because of bias is not really that grand of a victory... But really, whoever won that fight only matters if he actually wins this fight. After all, he knew nothing about his opponent, only that his name was Mokuba. Readjusting the two leather straps that kept his two sheaths in place, he made sure that he had everything... His parrying dagger and his kodachi. Perfect, he was ready.
He definitely felt a bit stressed out by the whole thing. He had never fought in a tournament before. Well, a "regulated" tournament that is, drunken fistfights didn't really count for him (also he wasn't usually the winner so maybe he'd actually be better with his swords.) Despite all that, it didn't stop him from keeping a smile on his face, he still wanted to have fun! Anyways, it's not like he was perticularly aiming for first place, he just wanted to fulfill a childhood dream of beign apart of a Bernese tournament! Winning a match however would obviously make it much more fun... He hadn't walked all the way from Ilia to make a fool out of himself in the pit! If anything, he'd be able to give a good show, his fighting style was not what one would call "traditional" after all, it would probably be entertaining to watch him fight. However it's going to be strange to be unable to aim for vital points... Ugh, I don't usually fight like this.
Walking towards the center of the arena, he stayed relaxed when he saw his opponent: another swordsman from the looks of it, however Sigma guessed that he didn't seem to be a thief like him, so he probably had more focused training under his belt... Better not fight fairly he thought, otherwise he'd be at a disadvantage from the start. Maybe he could overwhelm him since he used two weapons but he needed to be careful, he had no way to gauge his strength or his speed for now.
"Let's have ourselves an interesting match. We wouldn't want to bore the spectators, now would we? he grinned after saying those words as he pulled both his dagger and shortsword. Taking the parrying blade with a reverse grip in his right hand, he kept the longer sword held back around belly height with his right foot in front, ready to fight. However, he reminded himself to keep the blunt end of the sword in front. Now wasn't the time to get thrown into Bernese prison...
Sprinting over to him, he stopped a few meters in front of his opponent, wanting to take a moment to assess the situation before striking. As he eyed over his opponent and the general area he was standing in, he decided to take the first swing. With his left hand holding the longer blade, he decided to go for an overhead strike. Quick and simple. He needed to stay on guard to see what this boy was made of. If he tried to block, Sigma would go in with his left leg by kicking him in the chest to try and push him back.
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Arena!!
Jun 7, 2017 15:59:12 GMT -6
Post by Mokuba on Jun 7, 2017 15:59:12 GMT -6
Blocking the sword strike, Mokuba didn't appear phased or in shock, but came charging at him, focused, blade in hand. With a jump into the air, his goal was to land a large kick on Sigma. If successful, he would have a huge advantage, but if he missed, that would make a huge opportunity for him to be attacked once more. The results would be in the hands of fate.
"I never liked the idea of taking risks," thought he, "But all my training would be for nothing if I lose this match. I know for a fact that to be a winner, you have to throw caution to the wind and make risks that could possibly be fatal in battle. I know for a fact that this would not be worth taking, but I cannot let my opportunities slip up, just like I had used to. I know for a fact that I am not at home, and I barely know Bern inside and out. But I always kept that promise I told myself a long time ago. I will prove that I can become one of the greats by defeating all opponents that try to put me down. But I know, without a doubt... This one chance can be the judge of my future."
This was an all or nothing chance. If he doesn't seize the chance to get the advantage over his opponent, it could scar him for the rest of his life. Would he be successful? There is no telling, but what he did know is that there was no going back now. And that's the way he had liked it.
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Sigma
Thief
Does anybody care about intelligence work anymore?
Posts: 151
Profession: Spy/Information Broker
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Sigma
OoC Alias: Sigma
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Arena!!
Jun 8, 2017 22:56:32 GMT -6
Post by Sigma on Jun 8, 2017 22:56:32 GMT -6
How did that happen? Sigma was sure that the kick should've connected... Eh, this wasn't the time to question things, Mister-Stoic over there seemed to play the silent game... Hmph, he wasn,t going to keep that neutral expression for long if Sigma had anything to do about it! "Quick fellow eh? Alright fine, let's see how well you keep up wh- Sigma had to stop himself when he noticed the young boy starting to run towards him. This. Is. An. Arena. Do you even know what theatrics are? Well, maybe he's going for the whole edgy dark fighter vibe... There IS a demand for them after all. Let's just hope that Bern prefers more extraversion in their gladiators!
Seeing him charge with his sword, Sigma expected for him to start wailing on him with some strong sword swings, but he was quite surprised to see him make a running jump... So, the boy was trying to kick him too? Sadly, even if Sigma was expecting him to attack with his sword, his whole move was way too telegraphed. Even if he hadn't gone for a kick, it was obvious that Sigma had to evade no matter what. Now that he had jumped and dedicated himself to an attack he couldn't stop midway through, Sigma knew he just had to avoid this to get a huge window for a possible counterattack. Not anything too bad of course, he was just a boy after all... Damaging his spine would NOT be fun considering he still seemed to be in his growth spur with how young he looked. And also being too mean to a kid would definitely make him lose some popularity with the crowd.
Thanks to Sigma's tall height, the kick was only aiming for his torso so dodging it would be easier compared to if Mokuba had used one of the large rocks in the arena to give himself a height advantage. Side stepping quickly, the boy flew right by him still rubbing against him, but not enough to actually transfer any kind of kinetic energy strong enough to hurt him. As he landed, Sigma decided to take the opportunity to try and strike. Quickly geting behind him, Sigma flipped his dagger to hold it in a traditional grip, instead of how he usually help it like an icepick. As fast as he could, he brought down both of the sword pommels as to hit Mokuba in the spaces in between his neck and shoulders, hoping to dig in and possibly tamper with his arms for the rest of the fight.
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Arena!!
Jun 11, 2017 2:39:29 GMT -6
Post by Mokuba on Jun 11, 2017 2:39:29 GMT -6
The pommel between his neck and shoulders stunned him for a moment or so. "Agh... Thank you sir, you can give me another sometime. But now you got me motivated." In a flash, he gave Sigma a Pele styled kick to the side of his face, then quickly slipping under his legs, rushing towards one of the rocks that his opposition was behind. Another plan, but it also required some of the pebbles around the fighting pit. Grabbing a handful of them as he rushed by, he jumped on a big rock.
"Knowing he has the height advantage, and of course the smarts, I may not get through the rest of this battle. But, if I calculate this correctly, I can go in for a big attack on him. I won't get another shot at this, so here goes!" This was rushing through the mind of Mokuba, as he then threw the pebbles in his left hand in the direction of Sigma. Then, in a circular, twisting motion, he began coming back down at his opponent.
"If this fails, then I might as well have made a fool of myself in front of Bern, and lose this match. But I still remain confident. So long as these challenges give me the belief in my strength, I will go on with my hopes of soon becoming a great warrior, just as my father and grandfather have done before me. I will make mistakes here and there, but tomorrow will always be another day in my journey and another part of the stories that I will tell my kids. I will give hope to those who dream and dare to be different, for I represent them or anyone similar. To those who believe... I WILL CHALLENGE MY FATE!"
These were his thoughts of encouragement for him to keep on fighting.
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Sigma
Thief
Does anybody care about intelligence work anymore?
Posts: 151
Profession: Spy/Information Broker
Affinity: Anima
Profile: Sigma
OoC Alias: Sigma
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Arena!!
Jun 11, 2017 19:00:05 GMT -6
Post by Sigma on Jun 11, 2017 19:00:05 GMT -6
Eh? What the hell was wrong with this kid? He almost sounded like masochist... Ugh, anyways. He seemed to not be that much damaged from the pommel strikes to his neck. So much so he actually was able to do a backflip, a literal backflip to be able to kick him in the face. At first, he had the relax to back away but was still struck by the tip of his foot, making the blow quite painful but not damaging. The boy also slid in between his legs. Who the hell is this kid, a freaking monkey? Gods, I'm already getting annoyed by him and it's not even been a minute yet.
Seeing him grab some pebbles as he was running off, it didn't take a researcher to realise that he was planning on throwing them at him. Backing off as he went to go jump on a rock, Sigma could only look at him with an unamused look. That's your plan? Wait for me to come over so you can get the high ground?" He then shouted at him: "Ugh, come on kid, people are here for a show, it's no fun for the two of us to wait for the other to give in. Now come over here and fight me! Putting his kodachi foward while crossing his other arm under it as to hold the dagger backwards in a icepick grip and make the tip face forward, almost like to taunt him. It didn't take long for him to throw his pebbles which were easily dodged by jumping backwards. A few landed a hit on him but... Let's just say throwing multiple pebbles in one hand made the attack quite innacurate and rather weak. Simply covering his face with one hand was enough to avoid any damage.
Seeing jump off to try and hit him, Sigma was already far away so it was almost impossible for him to close the distance. Honestly his plan would've needed a bit more thinking. The rock was much too far away to be able to jump from it and hit Sigma. As he fell to the ground, Sigma decided to take the opportunity to land the final blow, or what he hoped would be the final blow. Dashing towards him at the fastest speed he could muster, he held both blades in a natural grip, both sharp ends in front. Instantly trying to reach for his sword in a X pattern to catch the sword in between his, he would then slide the sword up as open his torso. Finally, if all went according to plan, he'd close any distance in between them and reach with both his arm on his shoulder to drag his body down and throw a direct knee strike to his solar plexus.
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Arena!!
Jun 11, 2017 19:56:39 GMT -6
Post by Plot Device on Jun 11, 2017 19:56:39 GMT -6
oc: Mokuba has been disqualified on the grounds of powerplaying. Specifically, forcing an autohit with “ he gave Sigma a Pele styled kick to the side of his face”. Mokuba had been warned not to do so previously, so this round is going to Sigma. IC: From the very start of this fight, the announcer had misgivings about letting it continue. Perhaps he should’ve made qualifying rounds to make sure everyone was trained and combat ready. He decided to allow it to continue, may as well give them a chance right? The announcer’s eyes tracks the motions of the competitors. A lot of jumping up and down and talking. The announcer shook his head. This fight wasn’t exactly going places. He turned his head toward the crowd. The excitement they once had was starting to drain away. The announcer had to keep people in their seats. There was one thing to do. He had to call this fight early and bring on the stronger tier of competitors. The announcer jogged out into the ring with purpose. He wove his hands to interrupt the thief's final motions. “Now, now, now. I think we’ve seen enough. Weapons down friends.” The announcer cleared his throat in order to address the crowd. “It would seem we already know who our winner here is. Sigma! Congratulations you will be advancing to the next round.” The announcer motioned for the competitors to leave the ring, as if he were trying to sweep this round under the rug. Two snafus in a row. The announcer was really going to have to hype us these next contestants if he was going to keep people in their seats. “Now then! Time to really get serious! This next batch of competitors are leagues above our previous ones.” The announcer chuckled lightly as he continued the introduction. “OH ho ho yes folks. In this tier we have heroes from across all of Elibe. Fighters who have battled for years, decades, in order to perfect their craft. Let’s just say these fights are going to be verrry entertaining.” The announcer smiled widely as he began to hear muttering among the crowd. He was winning them back. “Well, you didn’t come here to listen to me talk did you? So without any further ado allow me to welcome the next caliber of fighters, starting with Vincent and Mizuyuki!”
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Arena!!
Jun 11, 2017 20:18:27 GMT -6
Post by Vincent on Jun 11, 2017 20:18:27 GMT -6
Vincent had watched the previous fights from his place in waiting. There were certainly quite a few good fights before now, and a few tricks that he himself had planned on using. A parrying dagger, and an item throw to clear the way for his entry into an attack? In just that last fight he saw two of his tricks in use. He rubbed the back of his neck as he considered how to approach this first fight. In his mind this first bout was going to be the hardest of them to do. In the later fights he could at least study who his opponents were, but here? In this first match? He had nothing to rely on.
'Are you scared boy?'
'Hardly, excited. I think it will be best to go all out from the start, hit the guy fast and hard. Try to end it in the early to mid fight. I don't want to drag it out to a vote as there is no telling the crowd's mood.'
'Not one for showmanship?' The blade asked curiously.
'Not really. I fight to be efficient and counter the enemy.' So that was just what he would need to do here. He fancied himself a jack of all styles and a master of disarming techniques, so he would have to aim for that.
As he entered the arena he felt deafened by the cheers and applause, it was quite something else alright. A farm boy a few years back, and now here he was fighting in the Bernese arena. Alright, Vincent, this is your chance, you have to win here, you have to win here so you can show the world that a hero has appeared.
As he gripped the hilt of Phoenix Heart he breathed once more and drew it. The motion was smooth and well practiced, the golden blade encased by a pale blue light. A soft wave radiated out as it was drawn, the usual response, he could only hope the crowds loved it, and that his opponent would be taken off guard by it. Hit his fast, and hit him hard, he reminded himself.
Pointing the blade in the direction of his opponent he smiled wide and uttered, "Hold nothing save the killing blow back!" Immortal dueling words to him. Let the fight be all out and brutal, healers could sort the damages after the fact.
Vincent did his best to read his opponent from here, but he really did not know the man. Well, here goes. True to his intentions the moment the announcer allowed the fight to commence his starting actions would be to 'End Mizuyki Rightly' A swift motion was all he needed to toss a throwing knife for the man's leg as he rushed in to take him off balance. Should these opening maneuvers fail him he would shift into a defensive posture, keep his arms and blade in close for precise parries and try to get his opponent to overextend a strike. If he did, he could try and catch the blade in his swordbreaker. If not, it would be time to improvise for the mid fight.
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Arena!!
Jun 11, 2017 21:52:10 GMT -6
Post by Mizuyuki on Jun 11, 2017 21:52:10 GMT -6
Silence. He'd never appreciated it more. Eyes shut and poise restricted to folded arms over his chest and head tilted down as if to slip into a quiet standing slumber, Mizuyuki could merely appreciate that hanging absence of screams or noise. Perhaps he'd spent too much time in isolation. He was not used to such...volume. When he turned his thoughts inwards he could feel it however. The taint. The stain of corrosive influence that now seemed to plague every dark corner in his mind. Had this been a bad idea? Perhaps. That, or an invaluable first step towards restrain and discipline. The crowd began to roar once more, and he was forced to snap open his eyes and accept the harsh reality that peace of mind simply would not come to be in such a place.
Even had he not chose to witness a single fight, he would have known the results. The screaming announcer. The roaring crowd. He did not ignore the bouts, even if most did not entirely engage his interest. It would've offended Kisaragi greatly no doubt if he'd chosen not to observe her spectacle. Her form had certainly improved, and considering her opponent and the match-up, Mizuyuki was quite proud for her. He could only imagine how she might've felt. Had she known the true results that is. Beyond Kisaragi, some of the younger contestants showed much promise. Such was not his singular concern though. He was not a spectator. He was a warrior.
With the prior match concluding, it became his own time to step into the ring. The Sacaen took one last moment. Palms clutched at the quiver of arrows wound around his waist. He untied it, and placed it on the ground perched securely against two small rocks. Fingers brushing the avian feathers protruding as he looked on to the last keepsakes of his tribe. He also removed the single braid keeping the hawk feather nestled within his hair, and rested it upon the quiver. A moment later he placed his Yumi next to it. The arrows were reserved for a particular series of targets, and unlike those he'd fight in this tournament, they where meant to die. Which left him with...
His right palm came to rest upon the hilt of Yamigarasu. He could feel the faint pulsing within it from that mere touch. Awakened once more, its voracious hunger was as vast as the seas and twice as destructive when riled. The dark feather dangling from its hilt was a large one, of a Raven. Gripping it, Mizuyuki began to walk into the light, and into the Arena...
Well, people weren't slow to make noise once more. Shocking. Bern was no doubt the single loudest territory to exist in Elibian history. How had they survived the war with dragon kind, shouted them to death? Like some ferocious wild berserk dragon-shouters? Mild irritation aside, he found himself approving of the Arena itself once he'd entered the enlarged dueling ring. As they were introduced proper and his opponent entered from opposing side of the ring, Mizuyuki briefly knelt. His fingers combing through the deceptively soft sand bedding, he lifted his palm to clasp at and feel the mixture of sand and dirt. Crumbling and drifting betwixt pale fingers, it scattered a second later as he clapped what little was left against his open palm. A way of immersing himself in the nature upon which they planned to fight.
His opponent was...different. Excluding the Etrurian forces he'd battled upon the holy nation's first attempted conquest, he'd never seen someone outside of Sacaen garb. Until recent times. This "Vincent" was alien to him. Mizuyuki would merely be forced to observe, and assume. Safest bet? He was superior in every category. Over-estimation often turned into accurate approximation when judging ones combative prowess. Though he did not wish to draw things out, he did realize that tearing his Yukata would simply net him one less clothing. Wordlessly Mizuyuki shrugged his shoulders as he tugged at the sides. Pale torso fully exposed, the article was removed and dropped quietly onto the sand. Laden in scars and ink, Mizuyuki leveled his gaze to vincent as light washed upon the dragon tattoo of his forefathers. A tradition in family alone. The glint of his golden blade as it was pointed towards him prompted a slow shift in poise.
His legs widened slightly. Inches. Then fractions of an inch. Left foot shifted, pivoting ever so slightly and right foot adjusting as his foe spoke of holding nothing back. Was that his wish? Luckily for his foe then, he was forced to oblige. No words were spoken in response. He had none for a foe that he knew not. Mizuyuki leaned forward, left hand gripping the base of his weapons sheath while right hand clutched the hilt. Darkened inky veins began to silently form along his wrist. Masked from view from a brief pivot of his palm so the corruption was shown only to the Sacaen himself. If he recalled the rules, lethality was in-fact prohibited. The swordsman saw his foe reach for a dagger after lowering his blade. From their distance, and the rushed throw, it was easy enough to shift his weight and move to a safe adjustment of simply a foot to the right.
Rushing? Very well.
Eyes instantly locked onto the dual grip of his foe. Mizuyuki shifted into a stance of his style. Form III. Form I, and Form II focused on fatal strikes primarily, and would be almost entirely useless to him. He was always one to time his strikes precisely. That had always been the focus of the Khan's four guards. The best moment to retaliate, was right before the strike. When the body was fully committed. Or so the philosophy of their swordsmanship had been. The Sacaen's pupils were slightly dilated. His pulse quickened as the thrill of combat raced over him. In part from his own enjoyment in a good duel but in part from far more nefarious intent. The blade's hunger polluted every thought. Through iron-clad discipline he could definitively keep it in check. Of this he was certain. He had to be. Mizuyuki's shoulders hunched as right hand gripped at his ancestral weapon. While foe moved in to strike his weight shifted to his right foot while left foot slid a few inches further. Closer to the thrown knife resting in the sandy dirt. Form III's repertoire was entirely known to him, even if he'd only mastered a few of the techniques. The one he excelled at most though...
Crescent Dance - Gibbous, Waning
With the slightest tug at his weapon's hilt even as Vincent approached however, Yamigarasu roused entirely. The darkened blade slick with fell aura, a powerful pressure exuded with enough intensity to create a small gust around Mizu as the wanton excess of dark energy spewed forth. Umber hair rustled through sable winds that danced around the Sacaen's body. Harmless, but merely a prelude. As the blade was swiftly unsheathed the foul magic erupted, coating the darkened metal entirely in an aura that pulsed as if possessed of its own heartbeat. Mizuyuki's body darted forwards as he lunged while foe prepared to bring the blade itself downwards. His blade's weight had never felt lighter. He was able to push his speed and reflexes to their fullest. It came swiftly, a sweeping slash with darkened energy imbued within the strike to cleave at his foes ribs. In that final instant before the strike might've fully executed however he pivoted on his heel and danced further to the right while sweeping out his left leg.
A feint. He ducked downwards while shifting to move as if fluid, the pulsating dark liquid like magic staining the air in a crescent trail as the dark katana left its mark upon the air. He moved to swiftly spin to Vincent's left side and away from the strike while sweeping his blade down to strike at his left calf muscle. His left hand remained firmly gripped to the sheath at his hip. It helped him root his balance and counter weigh himself so he did not slide further than intended by pressing down against the lower portion of his body. The dark energy would erupt a moment later. Intent to further drive home the injury and render the limb useless. Controlling the precise amount of power let out by his blade was one of the most difficult things he had done to date. Such raw exposure made it hard for him to deny the spirit. For such short bouts though, he was positive he could manage it. As for his foe's potential injury? No doubt the act of movement would be far more difficult. At-least in the immediate. He had no doubt healers could tend such if they were staffed for an Arena fight. Had his opponent not asked that they give them some real work?
The true battle had already begun. Within his mind he could feel it. The seething hunger. The desire to stain the ground with crimson streams. Mizuyuki's body primed as he completed the motion to react, reflexes on edge and his entire aspect of sensory nearly on overload.
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