Tournament: Mikage vs Miho

There is a lull between matches as the tournament sands are prepared. People wander amongst the seats, getting food or heading to greet the previous combatants. However, there is a tone played which gives everyone a warning that the next match is soon to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats! Our next contest is about to start!" The announcer's voice is amplified, followed by a bit of music which lingers for a minute or two.

"In the East corner, please welcome the first of our fighters. Mikage Yurei, a Were Fang from the Eastal Free League. A wandering Ranger who fought with our brave warriors against the recent Sandworm attack! Let's hear it folks!"

Mikage, shaking off her current set of nerves, steps out onto the battlefield, lowering her hood and raising a hand in a wave that looks almost practiced. Like someone who has had to do something like this before. The Were Fang remains in her human form, which is unusual to say the least, as most prefer to fight as their monster selves.

Cyrus, returning from his own match, has managed to get some Yakitori - 'meat on a stick', and is settling into his seat. He's still looking a bit singed from the battle against Jurou just a little earlier, and has been treating himself with some healing potions to top off his health properly. His next match won't be for a little while. And he's wondering if fate will try to put him into a position where he will have to challenge Mikage.

He hopes not. She's a rather fierce combattant after all. But at the same time, he hopes she'll get far and do well. Two rather conflicting feelings.

As Mikage comes out into the arena, the youth stands up with the rest and lets out a nice loud shout for Mikage!

Miho had more entered this tournament to get a better feel for the world in which she now lived, also to test out the gear she had made for here as of later. No better way than to truly test something than against another adventurer after all. Soon it's her turn to be announced.

"In the Western Corner is Miho Mithrilscale a Salamander Juggernaut from the Ninetails Dominion!"

She steps clad in an open jacket or robe it's a bit hard to tell, Katana at her hip, quiver and bow on her back. Her tail swishing lightly as she goes, she's got open-toed boots on one goes up to her knee the other goes father up her thigh as she grins looking Mikage over for a moment.

"So a were fang, huh?."

She's even got a bit of Grass hanging from her moth where did she get that, at this time of year? Maybe a cosmetic who knows. Either way, it vanished into her robe in short order.

"Well, let's see how your steel fairs against what I have forged."

One ear quirks slightly in the direction of a familiar voice, but it is soon drown out by the other voices in the arena. There is a moment where Mikage stands perfectly still, as if she were trying to find some way of centering herself. Nerves quicken her pulse and threaten to overwhelm her, but as soon as her hand settles onto her sword, it seems to focus her mind.

There is a sound as the weapon is drawn, though not quite the dramatic scraping sound that people hear in the movies. The Were Fang grits her teeth, waiting for the count down. "Mmm." It's a sound of confirmation as she nods her head to Miho. "Though I'll be facing you as my human form." She offers no explanation as to why, simply leaving it at that.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1... FIGHT!"

Keyed in to the moment that the duel officially starts, Mikage is quick on her feet. She doesn't carry a shield like some other melee combatants, though the sword suggests she may be the sort to get up close and personal. That seems to be proved true as she charges forward. That blade of hers is quick, the first blow trying to look for any weakness in Miho's defense, followed by a more firm thrust of the blade, trying to seize the first strike.

Miho says "Heaven or hell, let's rock."

She looms Mikage over with a grin and she pauses s Mikage choose to fight in her human form? That's fine with her, her hand rests on the hilt of her Katana as she watches her foe. She looks at that blade and she'll find them coming in she's able to parry the initial assault, she rapidly parries it but the second one does not go as well for Miho as a hit is scored, however, as this occurs she sees an opening and counters with a powerful slash.

The first blow may not be the most damaging, but it is enough to help Mikage settle into the feeling of the fight. It dismisses some of those nerves, allowing her to focus, eyes fierce behind the pale fringe of her white hair.

The retaliation is something that Mikage seems to expect, keeping light on her feet as her blade is parried off to the side and the sword comes sweeping her way. She is quick to dodge, Miho's weapon only clipping the back of her calf as she slides in the sand, lightning flickering at her feet. There is a crackle of energy around her, as if she were summoning up power from somewhere.

Mikage remains at a distance this time, not continuing the charge. Instead, she runs her hand along the flat of her blade, as if using it as a focus. Lines etched into the sword come to light, glowing a faint blue. So that when Mikage sweeps the weapon through the air, where the sword had slashed, discs of water form, shooting out from her position and slicing across the arena towards Miho.

Miho is doing a fairly good job of fending off most of Mikage's assault however, she's laying it on more than the Smith might expect one to be able to.

"Wizards..."

In such a tone that a certain Barbarian might approve of it. Miho is caught by some of the attack, even with her defence. She does seem put off by the distance, she'll sheath her Katana, draw her bow and fire off several rapid shots at Mikage as she attempts to maneuver some more. It seems she has a plan forming at the moment, as to what? Who can say.

Though she might seem like a melee fighter at first, it becomes clear that the Were Fang's title as Ranger likely isn't because of some hidden skill with a bow. In fact, she doesn't even seem to carry one. However, she does seem to have an ability to utilize magic at range, meaning she is a double threat both in melee and at a distance.

As the arrows come her way, Mikage continues to move quickly around the battlefield, taking advantage of gaps between the shots to avoid most of the damage.

It almost looks like electricity sparks across Mikage's fingers, the wind in the arena picking up as she channels magic. "Rama, show her the power of our bite!" A moment later, a white streak shows across the arena. A small lynx, snapping jaws at Miho's legs. Where had he even come from? Maybe he had been somewhere in the stands? It's hard to tell, but as soon as the attack is done, the lynx withdraws back behind Mikage, protected by her presence.

Then, as if all of this had simply been a distraction, Mikage stabs her sword down into the ground, weaving her hands into the air. Where her fingers pass, wind and water seem to gather out of the air, forming into discs that seem familiar to that last attack. However, instead, these crackle with electricity. So, when she mimes the motion of slashing the air, a series of storm blades slash across the Arena, weaving back and forth as they seem to follow the motion of her hands, trying to cut into Miho as they pass.

Miho seems to get an idea something is big is coming as Mikage keeps muttering spells at her. She'll find the creature coming forth and Miho is surprisingly quick to not only defend herself from the majority of the assault as her Katana start ot glow a faint bright green as she does so. Almost like something related to Anchor Howl if one is paying attention. She's also counter-attacking some of the attacks as she goes. The little Salamander is proving to be quite the whirlwind of blades right now. She'll also manage to deal with most of the lighting attacks. Still, some get through but not very much to do any real harm to Miho.

"So you don't like to actually use your sword that much? Pitty."

Mikage's teeth grit at the bite of pain as the Salamander counter-attacks, but her lip quirks, showing a flash of fangs. "I use a little of both, actually. Right now, it seems you're having more trouble dealing with this, though."

In a move that might seem questionable to the audience and perhaps to Miho, the Were Fang leaves her weapon firmly planted in the sands. Instead, she reaches back as if she were about to pull something else. She extends her arm in front of her, magic forming into a bow. Her other hand reaches back, pulling an invisible arrow from a quiver that isn't there.

So... maybe she is a real Ranger afterall?

As the arrow is nocked, Mikage keeps herself in motion, making sure that she can keep an eye on Miho. Then, at the last moment, rather than firing directly, she aims at the sky. The arrow is loosed, and in that instant, it breaks apart into many shards. They seem to absorb more water from the air, forming into pinpoints of ice which fall in a rain towards where Miho is standing, covering the battlefield in a layer of sharp, glass-like points.

Miho is caught in a very bad situation there's nowhere to dodge and no real way to parry all of that. She's forced to draw her bow charge up several arrows letting them fly. Before she too is caught in a storm of ice and magic. She's caught in a hail of glass-like points and she ends up pinned into the ground from the storm. There are red wire splotches all over her body as the Salamander struggles to get back on her feet.

She'll then daw her bow again and fire off a second salvo at Mikage before she tries to get on the move. There are telltale signs her aim is wavering her arms seem to be sharking a bit.

If nothing else, Mikage is not expecting Miho to simply not put up any sort of defense against that powerful area attack. In fact, it nearly distracts her long enough that it leaves her more open for the counter-attack of arrows that comes sailing her way.

Throwing up her hand, the Were Fang seems to brace herself against the attack in a way that is almost instinctual. There is no deeper battle plan, only a need for survival. The air flickers as projectiles impact into a shield, one seemingly made out of what little water remains in the air around them. With all the use of magic, she's quickly exhausting that moisture, meaning that it doesn't hold against the full force of what is coming.

A few arrows from the second volley strike home, hitting her once in the shoulder and a second time in the thigh. A growl forms in the base of her throat, eyes briefly flashing. It's a sign that the pain is enough to put her on the edge of a shift. Yet, just as she had promised, the Were Fang pushes down the urge and reaches for her sword, pushing herself up using the weapon for assistance.

Breathing heavily, she reaches to her belt, pulling a vial from there. "Let's see if this works, Cyrus." She murmurs to herself. The contents of the vial seem to sink into the metal, and then Mikage levels her eyes towards Miho. Then, she charges, giving a roar of challenge as her blade sweeps outwards, the poison-laced blade sweeping towards her.

Things have just not gone well for Miho but it looks like it's near the end. Her HP bar has just about bottomed out and she doesn't have much she can do she attempts to fend off the latest attack and to the stunned onlookers? She does pull that off as the sound of her blade slicing the air parries or in some cases cuts the arrows in two, one she even splits down the middle. There's calm for a moment, it looks like she's about to counter-attack. She then pauses clutches her side and falls over crumpling to the arena floor.

There's a bit of dust kicked up by the Salamander's fall but it's clear this match is now over.

The appearance of a visible << WINNER >> appears over Mikage's head, officially ending the duel. There are roars from the crowd, cheering on both fighters. Breathing heavily, Mikage sheaths her sword, then reaches out a hand towards Miho. "That last shot came out of nowhere. Surprised the hell out of me." Her smile is a bit shy and uncertain, but it's clear that for Mikage, there is no real anger brought into the fight.

"Sorry I couldn't be a better test of your blade. I fight with a mix of ranged and melee, like yourself." She explains, "I have a friend who can get you a few healing potions once we're off the field, should have you feeling better pretty quickly."

Though she raises a hand to wave at the crowd, Miki seems all too glad to have a reason to escape the field. "Come on?" She offers, kindly.

Miho accepts the hand up and a somewhat tiny woman, by some standards. She'll take a moment to dust herself off and bow for the crowd.

"I'll take you up on that offer." She will hobble off the field for a moment.

"Both weapons are traditional Samurai weapons. While my family were not? We did supply them during the warring states era."

She notes with no small measure of pride in her voice as she heads off the field with Mikage.