Duelist League: Haru vs Kauchemar

Kauchemar has been spending her fair share of time in Carmina Gadelica as of late, since she was technically part of the 'new' kingdom that the Outcasts had become. So it was usually the best place to find her when she wasn't handling matters in Eas. That it not being far from where much of Eas's civilian refugee population had taken shelter in Tolbana, so she was close at hand should either side of Wake's affairs need use of her. At the moment she was just casually chilling in the town square, using a scrap of cloth to buff her Binder-possessed shield. Maintaining the objects they inhabited was the easiest way to ensure their obedience.

Carmina has had a different air about it since it became the realm of Uruk. War skirmishes have been greatly reduced in the last months. Perhaps it is an attempt to get the Yamato folk to do soft or complacent. Never!

"Kau," says edgelord Haru, which is really just normal Haru after getting his booty handed to him by Mia in Dark training. "It is time to take this training to the next level," he declares dramatically, fuil with the emphatic hand whip across his body and fwoosh of the noodly arms. "I challenge you to a Rap battle!" he says with a point that would make Phoenix Wright proud. The point turns into a fist. "However! Since I lack Song, I challenge you to a Duel. Let the citizens of Uruk watch in awe of sick beats, amazing monsters, and more dazzle than you can razzle in a workweek." The hand has gone through evolution in its motions. First it was a point, then a fist. Now its spirit fingers, both hands this time. Razzamatazz. He must have been hanging out with Shenmi too much.

Kauchemar looks up as she hears her nickname, watching Haru's putting on a display of bravado and theatrics. "Well, when you put a proposal like that." The rag is dimissed, the shield is set aside... for all of three seconds before it floats into the air of it's own accord. Spirit posessed after all. Kauchemar gets to her own hooves, picking up her Grindcore Staff as she does. It seems to light up at her touch, though the effect is subdued when it is in standby. Tilts her head to the side. "You've been busy already, I see. Very well." She makes a sweeping motion with the staff, before pointing it's horned skull head towards the other summoner. "I accept! And likely you will get the musical battle if you want it or not."

The other free hand is used to flick open her menu and execute the actual Duel Challenge to ensure they're under the protected system, since Haru seems to have forgotten to that admist all his other theatrics.

Haru rolls up the menu to issue the challenge and sees that there is already inbound duel request flashing at him. "Well played, Kau. But do not think," exaggerated pose one, "you will be one step ahead of me," exaggerated pose two, "the whole time." Final exaggerated pose is hitting the Accept button like it is going to set of fireworks. Even in a fantasy works it doesn't manage such an event. Yet!

The duelist turns around and takes his long stepped ten paces away from Kau, bordering Monty Python levels of extension in the noodle legs. Haru's final steps are marked with four golf ball sized orbs floating out and around him. Like Kau's staff, Haru channels his Wave Artes through these orbs and has made classy modifications since last time to not need to hold it in his hand. The orbs begin to change from a slow orbit to a spinning speed in a circle around him. It becomes so fast that it looks like a solid ring of silver is around the Enchanter. The ring goes to his feet at the tenth footstep, where he stops. Slowly the circle ascends from boot to the top of his head, transforming his navy blue jacket and denim jeans into the custom outfit that was obtained when Adventuring with Gwen. Thick boots of silver and red. Baggy deep blue pants with a red sash hanging low. An open V-neck shirt that comes to the end in the Artificer's hands. Horns in his silvery hair. Finally he turns around and beckons to Kau, "Lets do this," as the orbs settle to his side, two by two, like some mechwarrior missile satellite ready to fire off.

Outfit Reference: https://i.imgur.com/NHCnDCn.jpg

"Of course I won't be... Because I'll be two," Kauchemar replies with a snicker. A little vocal exchange is just part of the experience, folks. Though considering the Nightmare -can- glimps into the future it might not be entirely shameless bragging.

The equinoid were fang snaps her fingers a few times, tapping a hoof and flicking her tail as if it was an upside down metronome. Got to get into sync, find the rhythmn she wants. The other hand grips the shaft of her staff tightly, and what appears to be a rose blossoms at the back of her hand, sending thorned vines coiling across her fingers and partway up the shaft as she does.

"o/~ There's only two types of people in the world
The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe
Well, baby, I'm a put-on-a-show kind of girl
Don't like the back seat, gotta be first (oh-oh) o/~"

And that's when she takes two steps, with the beat, towards Haru, and swings her now prickly rose vine entwined staff at the noodle armed enchanter.

"o/ ~ I'm like the ring leader, I call the shots!
I'm like a firecracker, I make it hot!
When I put on a shoooow

I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break
I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage
Better be ready, hope that you feel the same! o/~"

The rose-imbued attack makes its way towards Haru as he maintains his own stance. During the windup, Haru's body erupts into lines of silvery thread that create a polygon-blocky look to where his actual body is. Panes of glass form that distort the man's features behind it as the stained glass Haru steps to the side. The attack grazes across his arm, causing a series of thin damage lines as those orbs circling around him begin to home in and track. Lining up. And.

One of the four orbs fires out a bolt of concentrated dark energy, the sum of much Dark training as of late into the energy of the arcane. Done in Haru style thats a bolt aiming right for the important bits, like the head.

Kauchemar is already running considerations in her head, based on what she's seen of Haru in action. Though this is the first time they've dueled directly. And it shows. The Nightmare is already on the move, slipping into the fringes of the visual field as she tends to do.... Except it proves to be ineffective as a casting of black light puts her right back on the spot, allowing Haru to score a direct hit with his own magic. Exhales a snort. "I should of seen that coming... so to speak."

But then she strikes the butt of her staff to ground, creating the visual of it cracking open, and undead rising. Except rather than the typical humanoid shamblers its a large half-rotting feline that emerges, charging the other summoner. "Check it out. A leper leopard. Now you're really in a spot!" It's followed by raising a chunk of stone from the ground as she steps back, intercepting the crystal hurtled at her though still pelting her with the deep digging shrapnel.

But the summoner game continues, as several specters are called upon Haru to harass him with their vexing presence, while at the same time Kauchemar conjures up a wave of jellyfish infested water and sends it crashing down upon him as well.

"Haru Nox, master of mentalism, student of the Dark," Haru takes the blindness joke with showmanship flare, "also a student that learns from the best in such tricksy Wave Artes." He slides back, giving a light bow with his eyes towards his opponent as the feline comes a charging. "What would a duel between summoners be without Summons?!" He responds in kind, drawing up a fierce summoning chant that causes the ground around him to rumble. "Terra. Vocare. Terebro. Numerus. Terebrare. Hostis." Cue the music that comes from Terra's drills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIr4C5Ztlcg

The large stone golem erupts from the ground drills first as the large feline gets a scratching pounce in. Its momentium is near tackled upwards by Terra who viciously twirls it on its drill arm as it thump thump thumps towards Kau with an overhead attack from the other. Slow and powerful, the large summon is no match for Nightmare Mobility. It is around this time Haru realizes the damage lines do not heal immediately, the claws poisoned as his health clips during regular intervals. No time to worry about that, the phase jumping Mare is preparing a sonic counterattack. Too hard to track. "Won-qu!" he howls, the ice lion summoning out in a howling chorus to his master as a sheet of raw ice appears. It shatters, causing acidic burns back towards the bard. Another surprise! Alchemical ice!

"Lets heat this dance up," Haru grins, he is really enjoying this. Too much. "Ignis. SPhere. Inimicos." The four stones begin to blink in sequence, charging up after each word in the chant. Which one will it be. Have to focus on each one, each angle, he sets up a gambit with every Wave Arte. Then 'FWOOSH' raw fire in its classical form heading towards Kau.

This is where Kauchemar starts to get tricky with her elemental abilities, drawing on her attunement to both Earth and Water. She conjures a barricade of stone protrusions, and then uses her trademark Tidal Gallop technique to draw on tidal forces and propel herself into running -up- the stone formations to get out of the range of the fireball detonating against the cobblestones. From her perch atop the stones she sends another jellyfish infested cascade down upon Haru!

Unfortunately it puts her in a precarious position when Haru triggers his devious trap card, and the power of his orbs locks down -all- her defense cool downs by some stroke of luck. You can tell when the moment of realization hits when her glowing eyes widen. "Oh shi--" Then censored by a crystal shard shooting by, snapping her head to the side as it gouges her cheek. Then a ball of thorns impacts with her gut! The Were Fang teeters from the blows, totters the other way, but manages to briefly hold her footing. "Okay, fine then." Again she raises her voice.

"o/~ I'm the Bard of the Dread, here to make a stand
Dark overture from the Underworld, played by my horrid hand
I'm the Bard of the Dread, Darkside celeberty
Upward bound from the underground, and you can't take that from me o/~"

Now this time there are plenty of undead swarming onto the field as Kau brings up an old time favorite -- The Zombie Mosh pit! And as they're swarming around Haru she puts aside her own pain, and takes a dramatic leap off the stones into the crowd below! "STAGE DIIIIIIIIVE!"

There are entire zombie genres dedicated to this. A horde. It comes. Haru even does a good impersonation of it all with one hand hand under the other. The other hand? A fingergun of course. Pew. Little arcane bolts. Pew pew. There are too many, Haru. TOO MANY! He is overwhelmed, a hand reaching out of the crowd of the mass summon. What is this, a kind zombie is helping him up. "Thank..." then he looks to the impending moss pit riding Nightmare, "... you." TWACK. Back down into the horde you go. Nom nom nom.

Dark mist gathers around the stage. Is this the Game Over screen? Flames lick out of the center. Fire rises, burning, cleansing, and from this Phoenix inferno rises Haru.

Just in time for Kau to capitalize on Haru's defensive state, the assault continues. Haru kicks backwards, drawing up a sheet of alchemical ice. Broken through like a Juggernaut. Another sheet. This one slows the charge down, enough to be arms length from Haru as he holds out a another shard, this one of glittering quartz, "The Howling Commander sends her regards." Dramatically he lets his hand drop as the point blank is released like a guillotine from above.

That was a rough couple of exchanges but Kauchemar doesn't take long to get back into her groove like a good bard should. Haru got one up on her it's true, but all good things come at a cost and she made sure to extract the price for it. She calls the patient Binder Shield to her, raising a hand to direct into a position over her head as it ignites the ghostly flames to intercept the quart blade trying to make her a headless horsewoman. Somehow she's both frostbitten and on fire at the same time, but you learn not to question how such things are possible when it comes to magic. Instead she focuses on the immeadiate matter, blasting Haru with one of her banshee-like screams to daze him, and then summons... a Binder possessed gauntlet. Which is holding a large plank of wood that it rushes Haru with while swinging!

It isn't really a hard summon to outmaneuver, as Haru can easily outpace the swinging ghost glove and throw a fireball back in the direction of his opponent. Which she promptly shadow dances away from the epicenter of, having used the Binder more as a harrier than an actual assault.

Because it gives her a few moments to get the real pain train coming, retrieving her staff and raising it over her head in a swirling motion as frost and dirt fume from the skull atop it, up into the air into a vagely humanoid form. That's totally jacked, like if Arnie had been made of ice and rock.

"o/~ Can you hear the sound? The ice comes rumbling down. Pounding on the ground o/~" Kauchemar swings down with the staff, and the elemental follows the command by diving it's frost coated bulk down at Haru! "AVALANCHE CRESCENDO!"

Haru can hear the sound. The sound of the ground and the pound. He make ice, a tall mound. When he leaps, he can be found. Atop the ice, that shatters unbound. From ice wall to ice wall he leaps, keeping ahead of the attack. "I'm good at keeping my head during a crisis," he says, a final leap grabbing an ice shard and hurling it at Kau. The attack shatters back at him, the two going toe to toe with situational damage. Being so close he has to draw up the cathedral coating to absorb a transformative primal attack that leaves him with lingering damage lines.

"Time to enchant up some magma. Can yuou smell what the Nox is cooking?!" the Wave Artes caster begins, the four orbs swirling in a gambler's choice. Which one will fire it off? "Ignis. SPhere. Inimicos." That one? No that one. A Magma Orb shoots out with all the intensity of a high calibre round. True to form if Haru actually cooked something, it'd come hot as hot sludge.

It's clear that after what Haru has pulled earlier in the fight Kauchemar is taking no chances with that ball of magma and simply just translocating away from the molten mess with her powers of darkness without trying anything too fancy. When she emerges from the shadows again she's already in mid-cast, sending a bolt of negative energy flying at the artificer from somewhere on his left. It's abrupt enough he barely has time to respond, defending himself with frostburn and flinging more lingering damage inducing shards her way.

The bard twirls around, scraping her staff across the ground to draw up and arc of dirt and throw it defensively into the path of the attack, so one again she only has to deal with the deep digging splinters rather than the attack itself. Then brings the staff to bear once more, unleashing it's disruptive display of bright illusionary color flashes and auditory dissociation to disorient Haru. While the sound and light show from hell conceals the real audiatory threats generated by the Nightmare Bard herself.

The disruptive waves are met with ice wall after ice wall. Although fragile, Haru has adapted to this sonic approach by insulating himself from the attacks and making the acidic shards carry along his attack patterns. It is a salvo, one crystal shard after the other ripple forward with jagged edges.

"Rachel," the Artificer says as a large bird of fire appears behind him in an omninious flap of the wings. "Ignis. Pluma. Ambiente. Ardeat. Nos." The chant continues as he stands there, silver hair whipping about as a torrent of feathers fill Carmina. For the two duelists it raises the heat to a sweltering volcano level, something that burns away the pain for Haru while immolating his bardric duelist. While his trusty fire birb lays down the heat, Haru reaches down from the ground to summon up thick red vines. They burn even as they are summoned, a different kind of fireball: one that is burning vines. There is that whole Sephiroth in the fire look from the villain in half glasses, holding a big ball of plant-fire, hurling it towards Kau like some Disgaea Overlord, sans the cackle.

Kauchemar counters flaming plant matter with water! Well not directly, but she does use her technique's hydroplaning effect to skate out of the immeadiate zone of that mobile bonfire. The mobility boost lets her glide right up to Haru... and snap at him with those viper-like fangs of hers! Of course his orbs wammy her for the close-quarters move, but by this point it's just take what fate they stir and work with it. Not like she can do much else when Haru keeps throwing jagging stones at her. And that firebird. The firebird is getting really annoying.

"Okay, your overgrown self-roasting chicken really needs to go." Kauchemar summons up a swarm of ghastly spirits and sics them on summoner and his summon alike, their very cursed nature enough to at least stall of that phoenix effect. Long enough for her to shift her position away from them and get out one of those flasks of regenerating mist to gulp down while she's got the oppritunity to do so.

Harassing the fire birb? Noooo! Haru sees his summon being harassed so and he dramatically turns to his companion. "That shall be your final mistake," he turns slowly, the fire starting to ripple around him. The Ioun Stones begin to whirl around fast, creating a circle of pure silver. Two of the stones seperate on the axis, creating a sphere that draws in all of the fire in the arena. Big attack incoming. "Burn to ashes," he yells out, with a gleam in his monocle.

Oh no. It... its a stunning effect. Right as he lets that thing rip towards Kau. A regular Meteor spell making plantfall on Alpha Kautori-6.

As it turns out, it was indeed her finale... well, mistake might be harsh. Finale action, definitely.

When it leaves you lying on the ground in a figurative smoking crater, yes, it's your finale move.

Kauchemar manages to hold up one hand, and point vagely in Haru's direction. "Good job," the horse groans, well, hoarsly.

Haru walks on over, reaching out a hand to Kau, helping her up if she needs to. Attempts to if needs to. A stark reminder that Haru has noodle arms. "Thanks! I had a good teacher," he gives credit back to the training he has received to get where he is at. "Plus that was a lot of fun. I think the Adventurers and Landers appreciated the entertainment. At the very least there is a vote of confidence in the strength of Yamato Adventurers in a time of crisis." That's why he wanted it out in the open. Morale. "I hope Fukasa is able to get the Colosseum cleaned up. It'll be a great place to do events like these." Though he hasn't participated in the BIG tournies here, either.

Kauchemar accepts the hand up, though she also uses her staff to support herself because... well, it's Haru. By the time she's back on her hooves the duel system has registered the end of the fight, recorded Haru as the winner, and her health will restore itself with the reset. "I'm here for people to figure out how to beat. If you can overcome me, you can deal with what weird shit is out there in the rest of the Elder Tale. So good job." She may be the Rival of the Duelists but at least she's not an asshole one. World doesn't need any more Gary Oaks.