Duelist League: Souji vs Daiyu

Day: May 11th, 402
Time: I dunno, between 10 and 2?
Weather: Nice

"Location," says one of the junior adventurers that is watching ANOTHER junior adventurer record the specifics for the Duelist Leage.

"Right!" she enthuses, adding in 'Location: Root City, Carmina'
Participants: Daiyu, Sword Saint Soujiro Seta the Dreamiest Creature that walked the face of the earth oh my god he just touched my hand.

Soujiro is enjoying a cup of tea while leaning over to look at the report. "Thank you for the honorifics, but just Souji is fine," he says as he puts a hand on the scribe's writing hand. Instant red. Smoke. "Plus," he smiles off towards the open arena in Carmina, "it is important to me to treat my training partners with respect. They are special to me." He gives the scribe the big blues that say 'and you are special to me for writing this down'. A lot of wordless, no-actions-wasted simplicity from the samurai.

In the mind of the fangirl, she is taken down by a single katana slash of emotion, falling over. The pen, ink, and paper fly into the air and another adventurer girl grabs it. Yush! A roaring applause of cluck clucks (chickens) adds to the commotion.

Soujiro Seta stands, tea finished. Member of the Aincrad Liberation Front. A Knight of Blood. Known before the expansion for elite content tackling with the Tea Party members. And, well, the small group of followers that seem to always be around. He stands there, all bish and stuff, as a warm spring breeze makes his kimono and blue hair a-flutter.

"I see you brought your own support section." It's hard to tell exactly when Daiyu walked in. She has a knack for stealth even when not entirely being sneaky intentionally. But here she is now, tails flicking and flitting behind her as she steps up, and makes an graceful bow towards the samurai. "I am honoered you are willing to duel with me, Soujiro. Both for the League and so I can better understand the style and tactics utilized by this region." She rises back up, one finger extended to give her spectacles a nudge back into place. "Makes my work as a strategist that much easier when I am aware of what my allies are capable of."

And it's training. We all know how much Soujiro loves his training.

Akikoji is amongst the crowd of Souji fans cheering four Souji. His ribbons wave in the air and form a heart shape because *magic*

"GO SOUJIIII!" he cheered, jumping up and down with glee. He'd never seen Souji fight before and it was an honour! "I'll be right here if you get hurt!" he blushed, still of course continuing to bounce up and down with glee.

Akikoji did, however, realise that it was rude to support one side so energetically. "Daiyu, you can do it too!" under his breath he whispered "I mean don't hurt Souji" before returning to his audible yell "But fight to win!"

The Uncrowned.

The Ones who Got Away.

Adventurers who, through either luck or guile (but most often by a combination of the two) managed to escape the blood-chilling fate of becoming a murder-puppet in the hands of some cruel regent.

Each Kingdom had theirs; the one in Kallamore, in particular, were effectively banned from training properly, much unlike the Crowned, who got to fight in the local Arena, -the- dueling place where all the cool kids fought, and become among the most fearsome combatants in the Area. The Palace Lander nobles that have forced the Crown on their Adventurers may have had thier invasion force driven out of Yamato, but they still have a firm grip on the local population back in the kingdoms they rule over -- and anyone who respawns there, is at risk of being forcibly crowned.

This had put a limit on what an Uncrowned who fled to Yamato could do to improve their prowess. But still, improvement was had.

Shenmi, in particular, is here today to hopefully learn something from the duel.

"Hey, do not sell yourself short, Daiyu," calls out Shenmi from the audience, revealing himself all of a sudden. "See? you have an entourage as well!"

Case in point, he doffs his hat, and out pops Bao, his trained bun-bun, somehow holding a sign with a chibi style caricature of Daiyu.

Ok, it's likely that the little sign has been tied to his paw, given how he has no opposable thumbs. Maybe. It's not like we're giving away the secret to Shenmi's tricks, are we?

Ayame didn't cheer. The Secretarial Sylph didn't, somehow, seem the type to jump up and down and cry in encouragement. But she had turned up, at the announced duel, with a notebook and a pen and a polite smile, stood off to the side among the crowd. She gave a small smile to those she knew, nodded to those she didn't, but otherwise, she was there to observe.

Maybe take notes and award points. But not prizes. After all, the points don't matter.

Miho is here she somehow has a sign which read sin Kanji something along the lines of Go Soujiro! Wait it's metal she forged the darn thing for this and she's waving it. She also has some sort of pennant tied on her tail.

Soujiro Seta is courteous and warm. He has the smile that says he is happy with himself and the world around him. He has eyes that say that when you talk he is listening, making space in his heart and his life for you. If Winnie the Pooh was a samurai, you'd get yourself a Souji. Just add bish hotness. He looks to his swooning fans. Aki specifically get eye contact and one of those Souji smiles. He turns back to Daiyu after giving his supporters their due thanks, "The honor is shared, Daiyu. I am excited to see what you can do." Strategist. Palace Lander. Tea affectionato. There are a lot of labels that could contribute, but there is only one Soujiro choses: 'you'. Daiyu herself. She has a story to tell and combat is such an honest representation of this.

A dueling request goes out to her, prompting a nice big numeric countdown for those assembled. The Duelist League does like to make a show out of these things. Make the world know how strong the Adventurers are.

Daiyu lifts one nimble hand to accept the request. Gives a nod of affirmation. She's just glad she can against due this kind of battle without certain accursed objects trying to compel her to pummel someone into subjegation. A faint smirk is briefly visible in response to Shenmi, but just as quickly fades back into her composed stoic expression as she takes a few steps back.

A flaring snap of one arm, warfan spreading open admist her fingers as she does so. Soon followed by the match of the pair. It's not super flashy but it is a nice reminder that she was a stage performer as well as combatant. The foxwoman settles into her ready stance, one fan held ready down in front of her, balanced by the other held to the back of her slightly angled stance. "Keep that tea warm. We will likely both need the soothing afterwards."

5
4

Soujiro is standing there, katanas still in their sayas, undrawn. Stance squared, balanced. Eyes clear blue that seem to be able to see ahead. Track the cracks in the world to predict attacks.

3
2
Souji is still not in his combat stance. Is he taking it easy on Daiyu? The look that he has towards her is nothing of the sort. Those kind eyes of his have never belittled an opponent. Whatever he is going to do, it is going to not going to be pulled. It is something a stategist can use in the future. Something that witnesses first hand brings the trust and confidence to deploy in future strategems. Just like Shiroe did before.

1

The token hankie is tossed. It floats like a leaf downwards.

Don't blink, you'll miss it. Soujiro Seta's form is barely a motion blur as he vaults forward, the next frame that connects to the eyes of most is him on the other side of Daiyu with one of his blades fully drawn and extended. When did the attack happen? Is he vulnerable now? No. His other blade is drawn at the same time he strikes, an iai style technique, to turn him around 180 and face Daiyu. Both weapons at the ready with an opener that puts to measure even the steadfast of Adventurers.

When Ayame turns towards him, Shenmi responds with a wink. He'd probably hat-tip, but he's busy holding Bao there.

"I have happened to train with both," Shenmi mentions to Akikoji. "Different styles. Both formidable opponents," he remarks. "Whatever the outcome, we're going to witness quite the show today."

He quirks an eyebrow at Miho. "Did you -actually- forge... that?", he asks, hand gesticulating towards the sign, in amazed surprise. There certainly is not one hint of mockery. It wouldn't be polite, and besides, he doesn't get to act smug, being the one who likely tied a sign to a bun-bun's paw...

And there it is. The insta-opener. Good thing Shenmi didn't blink.

As expected the samurai is off like a bolt as soon as the fight begins. Daiyu stands her ground, though, even as there's a ripple of watery effect in her vicinity. Even if her opponent is difficult to see she seems to have some manner of timing in mind, as it's at a precise moment that she steps forward and then spins around. Was that a dodge? Hard to tell as at the same time her fans come up in the arcing motion, one igniting in flames while the other has a frosty sheen. There's the sound of weapons colliding. And striking back at the Samurai in the split seconds he's near her.

Then Soujiro stands on the opposite side. Daiyu takes another step back and plants her rearward foot, bringing the weapons back up at ready. The red 'streak' of being hit is visible across an upper arm, but it's the only one of his combo to actually hit. "Impressive mobility. Typically such a fighter is slower to land single heavier hits."

Ayame's eyebrow raises and she looks over the top of her glasses at the examples of some of the work on display. She makes a few notes - switching to another pen as Red Ink is deployed onto her paperwork, and then something is circled.

And then circled again.

Not a third time, though. That would be excessive.

It is impressive that any arte at all can be fired off in the moments of the instant Sword Arte of the Iai flashrend. Souji learns of a thing. Preparation prior to the duel starting in a root town? A similar instant cast? Combat is so fun! There is a big grin on his face during his followup attack. "Most fighters can't get off a defensive move prior to my Iai strikes, let alone a counter attack." The Samurai didn't put anything into his defensive style during the assault. Yet. There is something else going on there. The indominable spirit of a samurai. Souji's dauntless personality as a sword saint.

"When Shiroe and I were climbing the Tower before the expansion hit," Souji shifts his stance, "Nao and I would often have to switch between offensive, off tanking, and main tanking responsibilities." The Tea party was a /small/ group that took on raids of larger ones. "You'll find their memories etched into every step and strike, those of my dear friends old and new." A look at the floof with 'new' being said.

One of Soujiro's katana is the holy blade Kogarasumaru. It radiates a white light as both it and its metallic brethren cross slash towards the fox. A single, powerful combo that wastes little movement. It is enough to throw a gust of divine, west wind towards the crowds.

"You have seen how high level and powerful the Monsters in the Palace Lands are, yes?" Daiyu responds to the comment on her quickness, as much to the crowd in general watching as Soujiro specifically. "Quickness is paramount. There is no space for hesitation. Or one is respawning in a Church before they even get a chance to respond." The explaination of how he's worked together with others and it's now reflected in his technique gets a soft hmm of consideration, but filed away for later. As is her nature.

Flames spark amongst her tails as Soujira assaults her again, leaving trails of hot embers in her wake as she also draws the power of wind to her, using it to propel herself. She darts in quickly, opting to take a smack in the side from his arm rather than the blade itself, the wake of embers followering as she flips herself over him after the blow. Even while spiraling in the air the fox is in control, one arm deftly grabbing from her inventory and flicking a small vial back at the Samurai. It bursts about the same time as she lands from her maneuvers.

The resulting flames do not do tremendous harm initially... but it's quick to see that the alchemical concoction fueling them makes it much harder than normal to extinguish them.

This duel is so fast-paced that Shenmi has to hold his eyes open with thumb and forefinger.

"I SHAN'T BLINK!", he exclaims, perhaps a bit too overdramatic, while Bao the bun-bun peeks out from behind the rim of the top hat now back on his head. Still holding the sign in his mouth, of course.

"Ah, yes. Opposing elements. A classic. Contrast, Conflict, a Chiaroscuro of Concoctions, Clashing yet Compensating," he nods. "Really appreciate Soujiro's economy in delivery, but as a showman at heart-" (and he -does- place a hand on his chest) "-Daiyu just manages to strike all the right chords with me."

There is the look of 'I have' in relation to the situation in the Palace Lands. It is not that different than the Tower and the Blood Knight's regular clashes with high end content. "Your moves speak the story gracefully," he says as he prepares for the vial to come his way. Standing there, not wasting energy.

A buff 'Vengeance' shows up on Soujiro as the vial sails. He backhands it, arm made ablaze as the shattered shards return in a counter back to the foxy elementalist. Nothing from the assault makes its way past his defenses save that burning fire.

The white steel draws the fire towards it, pulling the debuff off and causing the samurai's blade to radiate alchemy and Light. Such is the sword saint's determination, to grab fire itself. Things he couldn't do when Elder Tales was a game. But now? Now that they are IN Elder Tales? So much is possible! The flames come crashing back down at Daiyu to return the burn as the melee re-engages in tireless pursuit.

Miho looks to Ayame for a momenr sizing woman up for a moment.

"This is going to be a good fight!"

She's stioll waving her sign as she watches the fight go on she's not started to shout thing just /yet/ but it's clear she's having fun watching this show of skill.

Daiyu is frankly caught off-guard by the speed and precision that Soujiro knocks aside the vial's contents, getting splashed in some of the mix herself. Most people would probably be frustrated by that, but she can appreciate the level of skill it takes to do such a thing, and do it fast enough she couldn't respond. "Your manner is as much style as it is tenacity. Very different from the power hitters I fought in the Arena."

Though this time when Soujiro comes after her with the sword Daiyu's reflexes are quick enough to accomidate, as a graceful sidehand with one warfan slaps the sword aside while she steps and turns to the opposite direction to clear it's path. The fire of the reflected alchemy is the only thing to have touched her this round.

Winds can be heard whistling through the streets as Daiyu brings them to bare, using the elemental force to sweep her arm forward and fling her warfans spinning like buzzsaw sthrough the air at Soujiro, arcing on the galeforce propultion to come flying at him from opposite sides at once.

Soujiro settles into a calm L position, one foot slightly ahead of the other. His posture is befitting of an Edo period samurai. Conducting with honor and grace in combat is as important as with a tea party at Elly's wedding! His katanas shift their position so that they line in front of him like two clean lines parallel to each other.

"I am the blade that cuts the way open," Soujiro responds to Daiyu. The words hold conviction to them. Not boastful or proud. A statement. A samurai's challenge to those that would stand in the way of those he calls friends.

Actions, not words. The wind whips around the sword saint, causing his kimono to billow as if fighting in the gales of a hurricane at sea. War fans like saws at his sides. A backstep would be the correct evade.

No. Soujiro is here to fight. The two katanas extend to either side, catching the fans in a contest of strength as they strike. The grinning 'kamehameha' showdown with their faces so close he could kiss Daiyu. Dont think about it, Daiyu, its an Akbar! The Vengance buff flicks on his status briefly as the exchange breaks, pushing the fox back with a force of reprisal and giving no quarter for the followup token samurai attack: Headsplitter.

Ayame gives Miho a small smile, as she pushes her glasses back up with the end of her pen after they fell down. She studies the salamander briefly, and makes a tiny question mark on her sheet before returning to annotating the duel, the attacks and defences and the strengths of the strikes

Daiyu's brow furrows, though its in anything but anger. It's in focused consideration, and appreciation. This was a very different fighting style than she was accustomed too, and that's precisely what she's here for. The new experiences, to better hone her own skills from as well as prepare for combat alongside these new allies.

That aspect of training being important, the two can certainly agree on.

The Hulijing's tails flare out, and a swell of dark vapors manifests to swirl up around her, obscuring the spot as Soujiro plunges in with his follow-up technique. There's a flash beneath the first, the glimmer of movement.

And the fog starts to fade, revealing that in a few seconds Daiyu had numbly stowed away one of her fans, while the other as simply been snapped shut... to catch Soujiro's Headsplitter between the pronged tips a scant distance from her head. Though the technique has clearly strained her stamina still. Sometimes you take a little to avoid a lot worse of a hit.

She twists one way to evade the sword's edge while deterring it the other direction. Her other hand is as quick as before, pulling several small spheres out and flicking them into the air.

Then gracefully turns and swings her arm and she snaps the warfan back open, and uses it flatside like a ping pong paddle to smack the spheres at Soujiro, to make it harder to determine which ones are simply projectiles... And which one is one of her alchemical gas bombs....

"See, -this- is why this duel is going to be interesting," Shenmi explains to the person next to him. "This is not cavemen hitting each other with clubs. It's katanas versus warfans. Elegant weapons, for a more civilized age."

He gestures towards Soujiro. "Take that stance. Hadn's seen anything like that since the Edo period. And the taunts. They aren't demolishing each other. They are -building-. Both themselves and each other."

"Observe that dance, where attacks, defenses, and counterattck are not a rabid flurry of mutual destruction, but seamlessly follow, they weave into each other a seamless dance that produces -art-!"

"Oh no..." pales the spectator Shenmi is talking to. "...I've ended into one of those fighting anime where someone has to drop a voiceover explaining what the people on screen are doing..."

"What?", asks Shenmi.

"Oh, nothing..."

There is a moment where Souji loses track of where Daiyu is, visually. The rumor of Souji are that he has divine eyes. He can see into the future, be it moments or seconds. His body is trained to be able to respond to these moments. Is it true? Even if it isnt, his instincts look so sharp its indistinguishable.

Blades come out, sparks of a parry. Explosions. Gas. More sparks into the thick noxious fog. Alchemical gas mixes into the arena so that only the damage is heard. Things are still. Is this the end of the sword saint?

Wait! He isn't dead!
Souji surprise!
With swords in his hands
And death in his eyes!

Walking out of the gas and not missing the chance to make a cool re-entrance, is the blue haired bish. Such footsteps look as if they could withstand gales, blizard, sandstorms, and yes-- even toxic fumes. With a sharp 'let me get the blood off of my katana' swipe (there is none, red light protection), the fumes fade. Wouldn't want the crowd getting sick (they can't, protection). The radiant wind is cast towards Daiyu to disperse that tricky defense, aiming to settle the arena once more.

The swordsman looks tireless, as if he could do this all day. Such is the power. Of. TRAINING!

Such tenacity. Such unflappable composure. No wonder he has his own entourage.

The illusionary mists are dispersed, but that is far from the only trick that Daiyu has. She's quick and agile as one would expect a fox to be, dashing towards the Samurai intent on giving him as little time to refocus as possible. She darts and bounds, leaping into that spinning move of flame and frost once more.

This time with a twist, as the initial spin sends a cascade of frosty spikes whipped free of her tails, in an attempt to pin the Samurai in a spot before she comes in to strike with the elementally enchanted fans!

Standing in the toxic fumes is not good for your health. Souji has one of those 'Drowning' debuffs on his nameplate and shallow breathing. Yet debuffs do not stay long on the saint, with a deep and cleansing breath that removes it. His katana glows curiously, a combat companion looking out for him not unlike his fans and cluck clucks. Even one odd mallard.

This gives Daiyu plenty of time to get distance. To bounce around the battlefield. But there is no intent on giving Souji the time to recover when the assault occurs. A rain of ice shards come in, the warrior holding fast in his position as the icy missiles are deflected in flight by his katanas. Then the dash in with those fans.

Vengeance flicks on his plate like a strobe light, the double-bladed shielding of the elemental assault taking the wind out of it and leaving him with but a scratch. There is a momentary pause, the eye of the storm. (Somewhere out there, a Shiruba is sneezing). Souji's sanctified blade cuts low along the ground, sharply snapping upwards in an arc that leaves a trail of white behind it. Chrono would be proud.

That 'Vengeance' effect is a notible issue to her standard tactics. Every little bit of her own attacks he can redirect back at her is a little less damage he has to do directly.

Rebounding from the final strike of fans against sword Daiyu's paws hit the ground and skid to a stop. A flick of the wrists... closes the fans, another flick tucks them away in a quick slight-of-the-hands.

Shenmi probably is the only one that realizes where this is going. When Daiyu actually puts her fans away...

One hand reachs over her shoulder to grab the parasol collapsed on her back. But it's not to retrieve it.

It's to draw the jian sword concealed within it's shaft. The blade gleams as it slides free, but it's not with the glimmer of light like the Samurai's katana's. It is a sheen of darkness. The black of the Black Jade Fox.

And then Daiyu moves. Shoujiro cuts along the ground to bring his sword in a blinding divine blow ... but by the time he moves to strike, the vixen has already moved.

Moved so fast she's impossible to see. A shadow flitting around the battlefield.

Unseen save for the streaks of blackness that abruptly cut through the air to slash at her opponent.

Miho :looks hback to the fighter after Ayame smiles at her she's waving that sign and shouting in favour of Shouji winning. "SOUJI!!!!" God help you all she's having a fan girl moment right now.

An attack shrouded in mystery. This is the sort of stuff that gets Souji excited. What will you show me, Daiyu? What truths laid bare in the heat of combat. To grab and to take. To discard. To elevate. To exploit. To protect. To care for. Elder Tales, a world of combat. A narrative told through sword and magic. All Souji can do is look for it. See it for what it is, not what it might be. He is no masochist but he wants to see this attack so badly. Like tears in the rain or a confession atop of a building. What will it be?

Then it comes. Now it is Souji's turn to return the favor from the opening with defenses. It is not magic that protects him, but his own martial prowess. The sparks of parries as the dark blade meets divine steel, again and again. A final flicker of that dreaded 'Vengeance' that breaks the final blow back, and deadly serious eyes to Daiyu as the moments are captured between heartbeats.

Don't blink.
You'll miss it.

Fwoosh! The iai strike is the response to the dance of darkness. DBZ fights had less motion blur than this exchange.

... How does he do that? How did he know where she was going to strike from, repeatedly, no less where she'd stop that he could strike?! ...

Yes Divination is a thing but Soujiro is on a whole different level of capacity. It's that he seems to either being predicting her moves or some manner of swift situational adaptation that is throwing off her own strategy. She's going to have to make greater tactical acclimation for people with 'sixth sense' type precognative ability, because she certainly isn't telegraphing anything that obvious.

But the fox adapts. Fire, Wind and Frost all come together. A hot spiral erupts around her as she twists, buffeting agaist the Samurai's incoming attack. Hot against flesh and armor.

Maybe even more impressive than her previous use of the technique, as instead of seperate weapons she charges both flame and frost into -the same sword-. The visual effect is extremely hard to describe as opposing elements are combined, controlled, the spiral propeling the momentum of the spin to bring her own infused sword in a rapid arc to both drive back the katana and slice at her opponent.

Souji lacks Shenmi's Man-Of-Mystery mysteriousness. His techniques are out in the open, but they can be just as frustrating! Knowing where to be when he needs to be. Reacting as he does. The timing. Is he hacking?! Scandal.

A deep breath as the wind surrounds Soujiro. It is crisp, saintly, making that kimono blow and long blue ponytail flip about with it. Hero pose! Bish smile. Sharp blades. The indominable fighting spirit of the one they call Soujiro Seta that sustains his endurance. The reserves often spent training(tm). The ones that send him moving out of the way in lightning fast dodges that would be glancing blows if he was off by more then a handful of centimeters. It is even more impressive when it is not just the /weapon/ but frost and flame he is avoiding.

Not every strike is one of exceptional grandeur. The simple Headsplitter is a technique Samurai's learn at early levels. Yet combined with the timing? It has a humble grace to it. At the end of the exchange, the basic strike comes down. A lightningstep and a helmsplitter, something most martial adventurers can learn, can use. It highlights the benefit of the Duelist League for observers. To make these feats look achieveable if one commits. If one... TRAINS!

Ayame makes a further note. Her eyes narrow at Daiyu, as she tugs her glasses off, watching the woman move sleekly and quickly, studying her, before she sets them back on with a little huff. Which is noticable on her.

There is one downside to such a easily learned and efficient technique. Being so well-known. That such a single yet powerful blow does have one easy counter.

The fact that Daiyu just doesn't stay still.

A flicker of nimble motion and the only thing the Headsplitter splits is the ground where the fox woman had just been standing a moment prior. It's not the blinding shadow of movement she had just used, but it's enough to avoid. Briefly get out of his line of sight.

And then blindside Soujiro from the opposite direction, swiping the narrow claw-like nails that adorn her fingers at his neck and face. Swift and sudden, but hardly the most damaging strike.

Until one realizes that those Were Fang nails are sharp enough to leave a small damage-over-time effect, countering his dauntless vitalization and stamina.

A reduction of momentium is observed by those crisp eyes of his. Those beautiful blue eyes. Soujiro shifts his position, letting a katana drop so that he can catch Daiyu's claw-like hand with just enough that the nails rake against his pretty face.

Daiyu is holding hand with Souji?
AND she scratched him?

Souji fans riot.

Though they do get to share a nice, longing gaze, it is of the 'I long to stab you' kind of gaze. He moves towards the offensive.It is made more clear with the blip of minor Vengeance showing up and the return of damage back towards the fox.

Feet push into the ground as he vaults further forward. The divine Kogarasumaru spiraling upwards in a diagonal slice. A kick of his foot on the flat of the katana as it falls to grab it and spin. It gives way to the centrifugal force for a follow up 'Beheading' style headsplitter.

It seems if Daiyu wants to dance, then the fox shall get a wolf to dance with. Ya ta ta!

Miho is rioting with the rest of the fans, though she does catch the look on souji's face oh this is going to be pretty crazy now isn't it?

The technique counter deployed, Daiyu is quick to get back out of Soujiro's closest quarters where his combat is going to excel the most. Watery mist trails in her wake, her movements as fluid as the ripples of a river's flow.

She's still using the sword rather than her warfans. It's intentional. The jian is a dueling sword. It's better suited for fighting against the samurai's katana. A bit of mist even flicks from the blade as she uses her movements to parry the strikes, and creating cutting arcs of her own strikes, like waves pounding against the shore.

The Vengeance Style is uncommon amongst Samurais. The more traditional method doesn't use counterstrikes, but requires far less window of timing. Whatever Souji has been doing all these years, it has honed that timing to the razor's edge of the blades he wields.

There it goes again, flicking on before a parry. It becomes not unlike grabbing a coal to burn the enemy. Repeated assaults cause death by a series of singes. Souji's place as a vanguard is well founded by his strong defense, but the information Daiyu is getting about how best to use the samurai is becoming honed like the blade. Like the timing. Like the dance. Ya ta ta.

Both of Souji's blades come down, bathed in white light, aiming to push Daiyu back and give a bit of room. This is training. Learning. Taking the moment to let the mind process and the body respond. This is one of those moments. How long will it last?

Not long. The raging battle has been enough time to gather the fighting spirit akin to a Final Fantasy Limit break. The wind howls around Soujiro. His blade, it shines. Behind him a fox-like spirit appears. Long, flowing kimono. Kitsune mask. Blades appear where hands might be out from the sleeves. There are no Chuuni 'words', just the look of a man who is issuing the Samurai's Challenge to Daiyu. 'Don't look away'. He lowers his stance. 'Give it all you've got'. And with that he vaults forward. It is an assault of light and metal, coupled by a second fighter that strikes every bit as hard as a floor boss alongside Souji. Such is the power of the Relic: Kogarasumaru, the divine blade.

To give Daiyu credit where due, she kept fighting long after it became apparent she wasn't going to make some manner of spectacular comeback. She made him work, because that's the only way it would be proper training. She could at least make him have to continue deal with her tricks and status effects.

But in the end, while they are both experienced combatants, Soujiro has the experience that matters. More specifically a diversity in it, while Daiyu has mostly fought monsters, mooks and Arena combatants more interested in predictably spamming their strongest attacks before the War of the Dragons.

But that, too, is why she was here. To get some of that diverse experience.

The appearance of the vulpine spirit does briefly take her aback. Not at what it is, she knows more than enough of both Chinese and Japanese folklore to catch onto the supernatural presence.

It's seeing it with a Samurai that somewhat throws her.

And in that moment is when Soujiro makes his final gambit. A strike she cannot stop, and barely even phases him when she throws a blinding flash of fire right for his face.

The fox woman drops, HP down to the sliver that disengages the Duel system before grevious harm is done. The jian sword, knocked from her hands with the final blow, lands point down in the ground a good meteor or so behind where she hits the ground.

A soft groan follows. "A solid reminder of why such variety in training is what I need...."

"I learned many of those techniques while training with other Adventurers," Souji says, duel system declaring the battle an end. He offers a hand to the fox if she wants it to hoist back up. "And I learned much from sparring with you, Daiyu. You more than held your own. The elemental mix with your blade is stronger than any of my Solo Dash and Rush moves. You will really show me how to pull that one off." Fire sword. Water sword. Holy sword. Omnislash!

Wrong game.

More to the point of the strategist, "And now when you need me to do something in a raid, we both know exactly how to rely on each other. Those big brain moves are for smart folks like yourself and Shiroe-sama. I put all those points into being a vanguard."

Daiyu accepts the helping hand up, her tails twitching to re-establish her balance once she's back on her feet. "Refining how to combine the elements through enchanting and alchemy is what I developed to accomidate the otherwise limited scope of my magic abilities." She gives her glasses a nudge into place, and tugs a glove-sleeve to get it smoothed out again. "Most mages and sorcerers use more than one element... but not by intricately unifying them."

The fox woman pauses a moment to walk back and retrieve said sword, pulling it from the ground. "And as you saw, I do not draw the jian until it is oppritune to use it, or I need it's greater cutting potential." The other hand withdraws the collapsed parasol from her back so she can sheath the sword back within. "Unknown, and thus unanticipated."

Then she opens the parasol as normal, to rest at her shoulder. "It all has a part to play in the greater scope of things... Yamatoan adventurers prove to be quite resourceful and versatile... My former allies severely underestimated that."

Soujiro watches Daiyu walk. Evaluate. Think. Assess. What the samurai does is closer to 'instinct' and he flexes that muscle by constantly training to adapt to the present threats. Whatever his senses tell him, that Adventurer body needs to be ready to act on the impulses. "That is a good thing, that your former allies underestimate the resourcefulness and versatility we have," he tells Daiyu. "When an opponent wears pride too thickly, it says a thing worth listening to. A tiger hides its claws." Something his father once said. Crouching Tiger. Hidden Dragon.

"Want to get some tea," the man asks, "and tell me more about what you've seen." Serve up a side of that foxy brain.

"And while they will not be so short sighted in the future, their overconfidence remains.... and a pitfall we must not fall into ourselves with our successes." Daiyu stares off into the distance for a moment. Somewhere out there was her home. The Statue was only a start. One day all of her people would be free.

But for now, other things to do. "Some tea to relax after an intensive training session sounds like a fine idea."