Tournament: Kotono vs. Wisteria

The first round of the tournament kicks off with Kotono going up against Wisteria!

Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

It's a fine day for a tournament battle.

The arena looks active and there's excitement in the air everywhere.

Especially for one of the competitors, the young woman known as Kotono, who is entering the arena and waving with a cheerful smile on her face. It's her first time ever taking part in a tournament like this, so hopefully it should be exciting. As she waits for her opponent, Kotono proceeds to do some stretching to loosen herself up for the fight. After all, she wouldn't want to pull any muscles, now, would she? "Gotta stay flexible in more ways than one!"
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria is in her human form, the tall albino girl with her katana at her hip. When she walks out into the arena her hand lifts in a wave that is both practiced and comes with a natural flare that says she is use to crowds and competition. She rests her hand on the hilt of her sword, her kimono and hakama neat and she only feels a little naked without her helmet and do.

    When she reaches her starting point she smiles over at Yuuki, a lopsided, toothy smile that she has used to intimidate other fighters for as far back as she can remember. She bows, deep an proper while keeping her eyes tipped up so that she never looses zanshin, never looses focus on her opponent.
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "Ahem. Hello, hello? Oh wow, that's loud."

    "Hello everybody! And welcome to the next match of the Plate-Spinners Tournament! I hope you're ready for some exciting plate spinning."

    "Hahaha, just kidding. WE'RE HERE TO SEE TWO PEOPLE BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF EACH OTHER, RIGHT!?"

    "I know, I know, so exciting! I'm your MC for this match, the ever fantastic Yuuki! You may have caught my own match recently. Boy that was fun, the way Mizuki was all 'Nin nin' and I was 'Slash slash'. But we're not here to relive those fond memories. We have two new contestents!"

    "In the red corner, which is probably red because of all the blood, we have the bun bun Were Fang, Wisteria! The fluffiest bun there is. But watch out for her bite, this bun has got sharp teeth!"

    "And in the... I dunno... Rainbow corner? It's the bouncy Spriggan, Kotono! Gotta keep your eyes on this one. Mainly because she's all over the place with her acrobatics and can be hard to track."

    "Alright you two, LET'S SEE SOME FIGHTIN'!"
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

"I'm all over the place, and you can never tell where I'll pop up next!" Kotono comments to the announcer's remarks about her, before she smiles and turns to face Wisteria. She smiles and returns the bow to her as well. "Let's give it our best!" She says with a thumbs up before clutching her daggers tightly in her hands. "Win or lose, we're both getting better!"

The signal to begin is given, and Kotono attempts to rush in quickly and strike with a swift stab of her left dagger.
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria keeps that smile on her lips, that intimitading half smile she's used to unnerve any number of kendoka. Just before Kotono's knife reaches her she lifts up one foot and slams it down, a stone pillar shoots from the ground blocking the spriggan's hand just before the dagger can make contact.

    Wisteria then shifts, growing a few inches, white fur, and well over a foot of white ears. The most troubling change is how her smile fills with ragged triangular teeth in multiple rows. "Too slow." she says with a laugh and bounces back with a bunbun hop, her sword flashing free of it's sheath in a slash that crackles with dark green energy veined with black. The poison slash intended for the spriggan even as Wisteria makes some space.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

"Looks like I need to work on my speed a little," Kotono says as she attempts to ready herself for a counterattack. When the sword slashes at her, the acrobatic Spriggan attempts to knock it away by using her blades as a tool to keep herself safe. Unfortunately, the parrying attempt is just a little too slow, and the blade does make brief contact with Kotono, causing her to stumble back a little as she feels a burning sensation working its way through her body.

"Ungh... looks like... I've been poisoned?" Gritting her teeth for a moment, Kotono shakes her head. "I won't let anything stop me!" She attempts to rush straight at Wisteria, attempting to send her dagger straight ahead forwards into her!
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "ANNNND WE'RE OFF! The horses are out of the gate and starting to make their turn-Okay. I'll stop that now."

    "It looks like Kotono is making the first move, going in with a pretty straight-forward strike. In my experience-which let me tell you is a LOT-she's probably testing Wisteria's defenses and skill. In PVP duels it's important to study your opponent, learn their strengths and find their weaknesses so you can exploit them and come out on top!"

    "Wisteria responds by pulling out a bit of handy magic to form a stony shield to block the attack. Man that's so cool, I wish I could do that. Wait-What's this!? Wisteria is evolving! Oh wait, no, she's just revealing her true form. Turns out she was a bun Were Fang all along! Who knew?"

    "Wisteria doesn't stop to monologue though, choosing to strike back with what looks like a poison attack. Poison is nasty stuff. Very handy in situations like this! Unless you happen to be someone named Kotono."

    "Not letting the poison slow her down Kotono closes the distance again with another strike! You can do it Kotono, just believe in yourself!"
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria "Never go against a Bunbun when death is on the line?" of course death isn't on the line and she isn't a bunbun she's a Caerbannog. When the stab comes for her she gives another of those stomps, only this time the stone pillar errupts under her feet shooting up and flinging the albino bun into the air. A graceful rise, with her left hand flicking through gestures, drawing out the runes of a Wave Art, at the top of her flight she calls out. "THORN BIND HOSTAGE!" sending dark green and black creeping vines shooting from the ground towards Kotono. And then she's falling, the bun plummeting towards the ground like a meteor, those with her at the first floor boss fight might recognize the move. Her sword held in the over head motion of the headsmans blow. She'd almost never use this in kendo but here in this world it's become an effective way to take down foes.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

Whatever type of attack you're dealing with, it's best to be on the lookout for the potential of harsher attacks than you're used to.

When the slash comes at Kotono, she is quick to roll out of the way, just barely getting grazed by the slash. It only causes her to wince a little, but it hurts even more when the pain from the poison is coursing through her virtual veins. "It hurts... gotta suck it up though..." She's reminded of her acrobatics classes where she was forced to hold stretches that made it feel like her muscles were burning up, but she learned to breathe through them.

"Gotta keep going!" Spinning around on her feet, Kotono smiles and says, "I'm not done yet!" With that, she attempts to utilize a swift upward slash of her right blade.
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "Wow! Would you look at that, folks? It seems the half-time air show has been pushed forward! Wisteria floats like a butterfly and stings like a thorn as she turns Kotono into her hostage with a bind. Those things are going to knock a sliver or two off her HP bar if Kotono isn't careful."

    "Kotono doesn't stay still though, showing off her nimble figure as she avoids a direct strike from that falling bun. Though it looks like she's still suffering from that poison. It'll wear off soon enough though!"

    "Kotono goes in for another strike. Good ol' reliable swordmanship. My kind of style! Even though they are technically daggers and not swords. But it's the thought that counts! And dual wielding daggers requires just as much skill. And certainly have an element of danger with their short reach."
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria lands, her katana sinking several degrees into the stone floor with a rending sound leaving a deep gouge in the floor that will soon fix itself she's sure, Root cities are pretty awesome. Extracting her blade takes a fraction of a second longer than she'd like, her blade coming up in a form perfect block, only to have the other dagger slash in leaving a red glowing line and a grunt of pain, like taking a shinai to the arm rather than the shoulder guard. "Never over commit." she says to herself in a quiet tone ment only for her own ears. Then she counters, a upward diagonal slash followed by it's mirror twin in a downcut that would form an X if she were using a blade art that had particle effects.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

That slash does look like it would hurt. Kotono tries to use her speed to avoid being caught, but the thorns that are binding her keep her from moving too well. She still gets caught in the slash and winces a little in pain. "Oof... looks like I gotta be more careful." She tries to strike again, this attempting a stab aimed at the general heart area. Granted, it wouldn't actually pierce her heart, just strike in that area.
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "Ohhhhh, that looks like it hurt! Not nearly as much as it would have in the real world. But that's definitely a good chunk of HP gone. Wisteria's taking it in stride though, moving to counter with a pair of slashes."

    "Speaking of slashes, this brings us to this match's sponsor! Farmer Bob's Farm Foods Fantasia. Where they're always slashing their prices and passing the savings in to you! Now back to our regularly scheduled kerfuffle."

    "It looks like Kotono's prices have been slashed just a bit too! That's also a good chunk of HP disappearing into the database. We're still not to the end yet though, Kotono unleashing a quick strike. It's so fast!"
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria steps back rather than blocking or making a large move to dodge, a shimmering shield of energy catches the blade keeping the stab very shallow leaving just a small red circle rather than a gaping glowing wound.

    Then she opens her mouth and the most ungoddly scream is emitted directly at Kotono, it's the war shreik of the wounded Caerbannog, never a plesant experience and quite known for it's disorienting effects. Then her katana is slashing, the whole of the blade wrapped in a twisting black light that twists the eye and on impact can twist the mind and stun an opponent.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

Between the roaring and the katana slashing, there's not a lot Kotono can do. She does her best to evade and block, but it's not too easy. She finds herself caught off-guard and hit again, with more red spots appearing where she should be bleeding.

"A good fight," Kotono says as she hisses from the pain briefly. "But I like a good challenge!" She tries to go forward again, this time attempting to literally pierce Wisteria with her blade as she comes forward with it sticking out.
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "Oh my, a field of light has halted Kotono's attack early. Is Wisteria heaven sent or something? No! Of course not. Don't be silly. She's just using magic."

    "The magical barrier keeps that blow from being too serious, while also opening up an opportunity for Wisteria to scream at her opponent. What is this, a session of the National Diet? Or maybe Wisteria was just trying to distract her opponent before unleashing that dark slash!"

    "Kotono weathers both the auditory and physical abuse with only a small bit of HP lost, moving to counter with another stab! Definitely the dagger's strength as a weapon. Did you know that some dagger types don't even have sharp edges? As focused as they are on the stab."
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria grins widely, and... doesn't dodge? Her razor teeth on full display and her red eyes practically glowing. The blade sinks deep through the glowing shield and then there seems to be some method to her madness. The energy sheild shatters exploding into a flare of blinding light and then she's on the offensive.

    Her sword whips up into a pair of slashes each sending a dark wave of energy before she pulls back and then drives a thrust behind the X to peirce through the cross behind it's dark energy. Trying to take Kotono by surprise.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

Kotono is quite caught by surprise. Do as she may, she gets hit hard and is sent staggering back.

"Ungh... no..." She says, now trying to catch her breath. "Can't give up..."

Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, Kotono attempts to rush in while attempting to actually stab with her blade instead of simply slash. She's got a look of determination on her face that indicates she's trying to hit hard.
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria seems to have switched to a concentrated assault, again she doesn't doge two attacks against her, the red gouge and stabwounds lighting up on her and the bleeding debuff icon flashing into her vision. She gives a grunt at the pain but working through taking blows is something she's been training for, for as long as she can remember. Ever since she first found her fathers kendo gear.

    She powers through, a flick of her hand racing through runes, deep green earthen energy crawling up her legs from the ground filling her with power. Then a black eye snaps open on her forehead, searching around in a frantic twitching until it locks onto a point on Kotono, that point is exactly the worst spot in her defense, and Wisteria lunges for it, her blade sparking to life with green and black light as that nasty little poison sword art kicks into play again.
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "Wisteria unleashes the fantasy version of a flashbang! I bet Kotono is regretting leaving her sunglasses at home today. Wisteria uses the bright light to launch into a three hit combo, summoning the darkness within her to assault her opponent. Is this a metaphor of the duality within all of us? Or just flashy graphical effects? Probably the latter."

    "It looks like Kotono was unable to completely handle that last assault, another chunk of her HP vanishing. We're getting closer and closer to the red, folks. And these two fierce fighters are looking neck and neck at this stage!"

    "Kotono isn't giving up yet! Which is good, cause you're doing well! There's still an opportunity to pull ahead and grab the victory here! She goes for another stab, fire in her eyes. Or so I assume. It's hard to see from the commentor box."

    "Wisteria is choosing to endure the strike as she focuses on her own assault. She's pulling out more magic trickery to grow another eye. Surely that increased depth perception makes things even easier! But really, that Arcane Eye can be a handy skill to deliver some serious burst damage. And Wisteria uses it for another poison strike, which will complicate things for Kotono."
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

It's a harsh battle, but Kotono takes the damage like a pro.

Although, the poison is back. And it burns like heck.

Making matters worse, Kotono's HP is starting to go down.

Her attempts to evade are not going well but she's doing her best. Deciding it's time to go on the offensive, the girl goes on a one-two striking combo attempt to try to gain the upper hand.
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria having it seems run out of steam on her furious assault. Then she's launched into the air again taking a stab intended for her body on one leg, leaving a smaller wound that it might have otherwise. Instead of coming down as she did last time, her large Caernebog foot lands on a glowing air rune, and she uses that to leap backwards, opening up space between the fighters, a few more bunhops back from air rune to air rune before she lands a goodly distance of the arena way. "Not bad." she says with a wide grin full of razor fangs. She uses the opportunity to catch her breath and remove the bleeding debuff with a quick bit of work with a bandage.
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "Kotono is trying to press the offense! A good move, in my opinion. Sometimes you have to be willing to take a little damage in order to dish it out. And if you can force your opponent on the defense, even better!"

    "And it does look like Kotono has managed to do just that! Wisteria switches her focus to defense in order to keep herself from being steamrolled by that assault. Even then she still takes a bit of a hit. She tries to create a bit of distance between herself and Kotono. But if Kotono still has the strength to close in and press her assault, it may be the push she needs to achieve victory!"
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

With Wisteria stopping to heal herself, Kotono goes on the offensive. "Prolonging the fight always makes things a lot more enjoyable! It gives me more of a challenge!" She twirls her knives as if trying to emphasize this, but then aggravates one of her virtual injuries and causes her to yelp. "Oops!"

"Well, back to the fight?" With that, Kotono rushes in and attempts to stab at Wisteria with both knives simultaneously. "Yahhh!" She cries out.
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria has her guard up, her zanshin is steady as ever, as the other girl comes rushing in she pushes back with one foot, the daggers just grazing her leaving tiny red lines as she goes into a backwards roll. However when her feet touch ground those strong Caerbannog legs explode with power sending her forward in a rush hard to focus on, her blade coming up and around to slash with that extra speed and force in a vicious slash.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

Even with her best efforts, Kotono still takes a hit, and it's obvious she's running out of steam... but there's no keeping a good fighter down.

"You're giving me a great challenge!" Kotono says, weakened but still smiling. "I love it when I get challenged! It helps me to improve!" She grits her teeth and rushes at Wisteria, trying to leap upwards before coming down with a hard slash of her blades.
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "Wow, this fight just keeps on going! Kotono tries to get in a pair of stabs, but Wisteria is having none of it as she goes into a roll before bunny hopping towards her opponent for a smashing blow."

    "Kotono manages to hold up against the strike, taking only a sliver of damage. But it's edging her closer to that red! She tries to get in some slashes of her own. Now if I were, Wisteria at this stage I would try and-" ... ... "-And that would assure me the victory. Oh. Huh. Apparently the amplify magic finally timed out and we had to cast a new one. Oh well!"
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria it seems has over committed again in trying to end the match she's only able to get in a minor hit. Then she can't pull back fast enough from the slashes that follow up. Another of those glowing shields snap into place, but only in time to deflect the second slash in that combo leaving her with a significatly depleted HP bar.

    However it seems that whatever effect makes her blade seem to grow larger with a black aura of eye twisting energy comes off cooldown and she counters with a heavy slash with that blade blade.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

Keep the challenge coming, that's what Kotono wants.

She does her best to protect herself, and despite how harsh the attack looks, Kotono gets by with just a graze... although that's not much compared to how she's doing right now.

"It's not over till one of us falls," Kotono comments after taking a moment to catch her breath. "It can go either way." She steps in and attempts to poke Wisteria with the tip of her blade, almost like she's trying to 'point' her out.
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria gives another of those deafening Caerbannog screams, even as a stone pillar launches her into the air once more before she meteors down once again with a heavy over head chop. Hopefuly she can squeeze this one off if Kotono dodges rather than wedging her sword into the stone floor again.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

Taking more hits, Kotono is clearly getting worn out, as she's got more wounds on her body and she's showing signs of slowing down. But even then she still tries to keep a good defense going before going back in.

"Even if I... go down fighting..." Kotono comments as she slashes with her blades, "It's still better than nothing!"
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    It's getting down to the line, and Wisteria is having to focus on her defense more trying to line up that final killing blow while avoiding one herself. She slashes out to slap away the blade coming for her even as she has that stone pillar snap from the ground to launch her into a graceful arc again, then she's diving down blade glowing with black and green as poison sword art slashes out.

    The landing is less than perfect giving her a small flash of red against her HP bar. It's coming to the wire.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

Doing her best, but getting poisoned again...

"This... might be it..." Kotono says as she tries to send a forwards stab at Wisteria in hopes of at least landing one last attack before she collapses. Since she can feel the poison in her again and it's getting close to taking her down.
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    The Were Caerbannog has been looking for the moment, and there it is, she lets the stab pass and the bleeding icon pops into her view again. She goes all out, her muscles bulging and her blade springing into black eyetwisting energy once more. She's saved that activation, and she's charging in that disturbing black eye snapping open on her forehead. It's frantic twitching analizing Kotono's stance and weapon position before locking onto just the spot for her slashes to go. One, two, massive slashes crackling with that black power.
Kotono
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

Kotono is hit again, and while she's still weakened, she tries to land one last attack, but it doesn't look likely.

Kotono drops to her knees then onto the side of her legs, gasping for air as she tries to keep herself propped up. "Overdid it... this time... hopefully my next... opponent... won't be so rough." She smiles and gives a weak thumbs up before she collapses.
Yuuki
Breg Epona - Arena Floor


    "It looks like this could be it, folks! Kotono is down to her last bit of HP after the punishing assault which has left her with little left in order to attack back with. She manages to get off a strike, Wisteria taking a debuff for it, but unfortunately it's probably too late at this point."

    "Wisteria unleashes her final strike against Kotono, bringing her HP down into the red! We have a winner, folks! Wisteria of the Red Bun!"

    "Let's also hear it for Kotono, whose skill and determination has led to this being probably one of the longest matches this tournament has seen so far. The fact that these two held out for so long despite neither of them being a tank type is pretty impressive!"

    "Anyway folks. I've been your MC for this match, Yuuki. With two Us. Please don't get me confused with that Yuki with one U character. He's just terrible at PVP. Stick around as the matches continue in just a bit!"
Wisteria
Breg Epona - Arena Floor

    Wisteria smiles when a system notification comes through and WINNER appears over her head. She shifts back into her human form, the tall Albino girl walking over and holding a hand out to help Kotono up. "Good match." she says "Your hitpoints should recover pretty quick it's a duel." she says wiggling her white fingers to invite the other girl up. "Now it's time for some food and maybe some shopping." she says with a chuckle, her other hand lifting up as she waves at the crowd.