Match: Yuuki vs Arashi

"Good evening Breg Epona!" Kauchemar may not be the one technically on stage for these things, but she's right at home doing the business from the commentator's booth all the same. "I hope you're ready for more hot paced, heavy hitting action, because in a few minutes we're going to be treated to our second semi finale's match up!" Part of which includes getting the crowds properly hyped up and ready for the show to come. "Will the little pwny that could pull off another win, or will this opponent be the one to stop the stampede? The only way to find out is to be here and see it for yourselves!"

    Typically when Arashi's entered the arena, there's no big formalities, fireworks, or celebrations. It's just the slow, steady, gait of the dire-shire were fang heading to the center of the fighting floor. Today, for once, the crowd at least gets a wave similar to the ones she has offered on her way out after her victories. And that's about all they will get as she waits for her opponent.

    Yuuki makes her way out into the arena as the lead up to the match start begins. She clearly has a lot of energy within her as she grins and waves excitedly to the watchers. She makes her way towards her starting point, starting to size up her opponent as she does.

    Yuuki doesn't recall meeting Arashi in the past. Although it's possible they may have crossed paths but never really interacted. Not that Yuuki is concerned or anything. She's used to fighting and adapting to her opponents on the fly. Makes things more interesting!

    The challenge is given and accepted, the countdown beginning. As the clock ticks down, Yuuki draws the one-handed sword at her waist, lowering down a little into a ready stance as she says to Arashi with a smile, "Good luck, have fun!"

"Looks like once again we've got swordfighter vs swordfighter. Blade vs blade. But I don't think we can call it in anyone's favor just yet. Yuuki has a reputation before her, but Arashi has proven she's not someone to be underestimated." Kauchemar pauses to lean over the edge of the booth, holding one hand up to her mouth as if she was trying to be sneaky about saying something, even though it's at full volume to be heard she's just mock whispering to the crowd. "Between you and me, I don't know why she claims to not like player versus combat, she's been exceptional at it."

The duel challenge is made, and as per usual Kauchemar grabs her binder sword. "This is it folks, here we go! Count it with me audience..."

"5..."
"4..."
"3..."
"2..."
"1!" She slams the sword into the shield floating next to her for the starting bell. "FIGHT!"

    Arashi gives a nod, and maybe even a small smile to Yuuki. That's the first time that the equine has heard the GLHF line in ages. It was refreshing. The countdown begins, Arashi draws her broken blade, and something new. A shadowy looking blade she recently aquired! This fighter may have some new tricks up her sleeve, given the look of the weapon.

    The match begins! Arashi starts by surging forward, not looking to pull any punches, especially the first ones. A surge of energy rushes up from the ground into her as she leads with her new blade in a trio of brutal slashes for Yuuki to deal with.

    The match begins!

    And Yuuki is off. She dashes her way straight towards Arashi. The two quickly meet in the middle as Yuuki raises her blade to meet her opponent's. There's a loud clang as the two meet, Yuuki managing to block the first blow and then the second. But the third manages to get through Yuuki's defense to slice across her chest, leaving a line of glowing red behind.

    But Yuuki doesn't let the successful strike to deter her as she counters with a quick stab towards Arashi, testing her own defenses with the point of a sword.

"And what's this? Right off the bat Arashi is showing off some new toys." There's a pause as the Nightmare Were Fang's eyes flicker, and then for whatever reason she smirks to herself. "Looks like she realizes she can't horse around in this fight, it's straight into putting that sword and some earthly assistance into some beating!" She releases the posessed sword as she's commenting, and reachs for her instrument. "Yuuki is equally right to the point, as we'd expect. She intercepts two-thirds of the barrage, and takes the third but tries to make a point through her opponent's defense in doing so!"

This is the point where the Bard does her thing, fingers tickling the strings of her instrument while her magic amplifies her music more than enough to be heard, in an almost ominous tone.
"o/~ Are you the future or are you the past? ... Have you been chosen or are you the last?
The message was sent, it seems so unreal ... 'Cause now I'm made of plastic, wire and steel..." Then abruptly kicks up into something more appropriately intense. "And steel! o/~"

"Follow for now and follow for this 'cause everybody follows for nothing at aaaaall!
Follow for now and follow for this 'cause everybody follows for nothing at aaaaall!
Becaaaause...

Supernova, yeah, supernova... Supernova Goes Pop!
Supernova, you think it's over, but the Supernova don't stop! o/~"

    The clash of blades begins! The way Arashi's opponent blocks it looks vaguley familiar. A similar, technique, at the very least. The equine doesn't have quite the right positioning to deflect all of the strike coming in, but she can at least keep it from striking fully hard and true. It does give her lower arm a thumping as well, that will sting for a moment or two.

    To follow up, Arashi stabs that broken blade forward, before alternating between the two weapons in another trio of potent strikes! Then she actually -speaks-. "I see familiar techniques, here. This will be very interesting.."

    Yuuki grins as her techniques are commented on, "Yeah, that tends to happen when you use a similar style to others. Or just PVP a lot."

    Arashi unleashes another trio of strikes, but Yuuki seems to handle these ones better. Despite having only one sword to the equine's two, Yuuki manages to deftly maneuver her blade into position to block the first two strikes, before swinging towards the third to parry, causing it to only glance by her as she pushes forward.

    Taking advantage of the parry, Yuuki swings hard, getting in a strong slash before quickly reversing her blade and swinging it back for another.

    Well, any kindness in Arashi's demeanor suddenly vanishes. Was it something Yuuki said? Maybe. When the other fighter's slash comes bearing down on the equine, both blades move to intercept it before the broken blade surges toward Yuuki's midsection, twisting if it makes purchase with her frame, as if to emphasize some unspoken point.

    Looks like someone hit a nerve!

"o/~ Can you explain just what you are? ... 'Cause I've never been this close to aaa ~star~...
The message was sent, you know what to dooo...'Cause everybody needs to be someone, don't you?
Right, don't you?!

Follow for now and follow for this 'cause everybody follows for nothing at aaaaall!
Follow for now and follow for this 'cause everybody follows for nothing at aaaaall!
Becaaaause...

Supernova, yeah, supernova... Supernova Goes Poooop!
Supernova, you think it's over, but the Supernova don't stooooop! o/~"

Kauchemar doesn't have any direct commentary to make while she's singing and playing. The music is doing it for her, questioning and then pushing ahead, the shifts between somber and energetic and back again emphasizing the two swordmasters coming to fierce blows and then sliding back onto the defense without letting up.

    Yuuki blinks in confusion at the change in demeanor. Was it something she said? Yuuki thinks back on her words... Nope, all pretty normal. Can't be that then. Must be something else.

    Arashi goes to plunge that blade into Yuuki's gut. And Yuuki doesn't try to stop her! The broken blade pierces, taking off a chunk of HP and applying a DOT.

    But Yuuki's choice to focus on her offense puts her in a good position to get off a pair of quick strikes, her blade glowing with a black shine, making the usually dark blade even darker.

    But those two strikes don't turn out to be the only thing, as Yuuki's arm suddenly blurs, moving extremely quickly, making it difficult to track what follows. Is it just everyone or is Yuuki getting quicker as the fight progresses?

Kauchemar stops her musical accompaniment, mostly because she's wincing a little. She knows exactly what it is that got Arashi's tail in a not. "Faux paus aside folks, this is where it starts to get interesting. Arashi is going to give Yuuki a demonstration of just why a broken sword isn't useless! Yuuki is taking it like a champ as one would expect, but it's not slowing her down. If anything, it seems like she's doing the opposite." Kauchemar is squinting with those flickering eyes again, likely trying to deduce just what it is Yuuki is trying.

    Oh, it was something you said, it really was. Arashi doesn't seem inclined to admit to it, however. Instead, she moves to deal with the sudden rush of strikes that Yuuki sends after her. The sizeable were-fang suddenly vanishes in a potent clap of thunder, managing to avoid a large portion of Yuuki's attack! Where did she go?!

There's a sound from behind the duelist. Arashi has plunged her new weapon, that shadowblade, into the ground between them. Tendrils of dark energy draw out into the ground as a Wave of Dark Omens roll forth. A voice somehow both whispers and booms out to those that are near...

        <<LET GO OF YOUR RESISTANCE.>>

For now, the warrior's glare is everything. She is waiting for Yuuki's next move, even as the dark energy saturates the arena.

    Yuuki skids to a halt after her last blurry strike misses Arashi. That was certainly some impressive movements. Yuuki even nods approvingly as she turns to face her opponent behind her.

    The darkness spreads out from Arashi with a tense and forboding aura. And as she faces the equine, Yuuki looks... Confused?

    "My resistance to what? Darkness?" She rubs her chin for a moment, "I'm not sure I can let that go." She suddenly rushes forward, sweeping her blade out to the side, "I'm an Imp after all. It's my race element!"

    The Imp leaps moments before reaching Arashi. As she reaches the peak of her jump, she swings her sword up over her head, the blade beginning to glow. Then, as if suddenly propelled by a hidden force, Yuuki rockets down towards Arashi, swinging for a punishing blow.

    But Yuuki doesn't finish there as she lands in a crouch in front of her opponent. She quickly reverses the grip on her blade, before unleashing a quick slice towards Arashi's stomach as she jumps backwards and away to gain some distance.

Kauchemar leans forward from her booth. "Now it looks like they're both playing a speed game. This is looking less like a fight and more like a ra--" The Nightmare stops herself as Arashi, though through a different means of action, does something she is astutely familiar with. Dark magic is one of her strong points. "--Nevermind that, it seems Arashi is forging a path into the Dark Artes. But will a new sword of omens give her the sight beyond sight she needs to win the fight?" Though she is definately going to have to poke the other mare about that sword later...

"Yuuki is certainly not afraid of the dark though. She powers through the eerie forces, being an Imp probably helps, and goes for a NOT FLY JUMP GOOD to get in close and let Arashi have it with some vicious technique."

    "Oh, you will understand, you -will-.." Arashi intones as she retrieves the blades. She knows what comes next and moves to defend against it. Familiar blows, each of them to the equine. Both of her blades rise once again to stave off what damage she can before the shadowy blade stabs forward, again, at Yuuki's weapon arm before Arashi steps back.

"Now the pressure is on folks. I know from experience what a move like that can do, Yuuki is going to have to consider her options carefully. But certainly an experienced duelist such as her can live up to her reputation! Come what may, Arashi is not letting her off easy, and keeps applying her offensive while she can. What's going to come? Even I don't know," Kauchemar interjects a brief wickering laugh, "And I posess Divination!"

    Yuuki still looks a bit confused, tilting her head as she asks, "Understand what?"

    Now is not the time for understanding though as Arashi comes in with that creepy blade for another stab. Yuuki's quick reactions and agile movements allow her to mostly evade the blow. Though the various debuffs applied by Arashi's previous skill use is making it difficult for her to focus on her opponent. Also her bigger skills are also on cooldown.

    So Yuuki decides to focus on simply keeping her opponent at bay for the moment, running off and trying to maintain distance while she waits for the debuffs to wear off.

    Though as Yuuki runs, she reaches behind her back with her free hand. Pulling it out once more, she's holding a small pouch. She throws it in Arashi's direction. As it gets close, the pouch explodes into a puff of dark purple powder, applying a defensive debuff to the equine.

    After that last series of blows, even with the dark energy pouring into every corner of the arena floor, none of it goes into Arashi. The assault has clearly left it's mark, clear in her health bar and shaky posture. However, when Yuuki finds herself cursed and unable to come at the were-fang with all her strength, that's when Arashi gives a snort, a fanged grin, and lunges ahead.

    Knowing she has to take full advantage of the moment, Arashi's surge doesn't even try to avoid the purple powder. She moves to close distance, a surge of different energy welling up from the floor once again to empower her assault in spite of so many debuffs. Her arms are a blur of motion as strike after strike after strike comes bearing down on the other duelist!

Kauchemar has to stand and lean out of the commentator booth to keep an eye on what's happening as both very speedy fighters make for a far end of the arena. "You see, folks? Yuuki may be put on a back foot but she handles it with the grace you would expect, pulling back and trying to leverage her future chances instead.... But Arashi is going to try her damnest to not give her the chance, powering through the trickery and aiming to keep that pressure on with a savage fury of strikes." She turns and raises a hand towards the audience, immeadiately getting a cacophony of cheering and hooting out of them for both competators. "Yeah, that's what I want to hear. Show em your love, folks!"

    Arashi charges through that powder and right up to Yuuki. What follows is probably quite difficult for the less experienced audience members to follow. For as Arashi's arms blur in motion to level strike after strike after strike at Yuuki, the Imp seems to briefly light up as her /body/ blurs, her movements hard to follow as she ducks and weaves and twists out of the way of those blows, her Sonic Acceleration skill briefly boosting her already impressive evasion.

    But finally the attacks end along with Yuuki's brief speed boost. It's hard to tell which strikes hit and which didn't, but by the end of it Yuuki's HP bar has dropped a fair bit.

    But now Arashi's debuffs have ended and Yuuki's attack skills are off cooldown so she moves in to counterattack. Flames burst to life around Yuuki's blade as she swings it in a quick X pattern at Arashi, the combo of skills leaving behind some burning embers to eat away at Arashi's HP for a short while.

    Is that a look of surprise? It might be. Arashi's eyes peer at Yuuki, her healthbar, and back again. There are gears turning, trying to figure out that math, and coming up with -nothing- to explain it except some defense she just cannot see. Hrmph. Time to get back to basics, it seems. And those basics start defending Yuuki's fiery assault. Heh. Another attack she knows.

    The mare winks out of existance, just as one of Yuuki's slashes find purchase. Another rumble of thunder follows, but rather than going behind the duelist, Arashi has moved to the side of her to lash out with a far more controlled set of blows with the shadow-blade, looking to try and pierce Yuuki's enigmatic defenses.

"Now THAT was an exchange!... As much of it as we could see at least." By this point Kauchemar has once again had to switch to her more arcane methods of keeping up with the action, the spectacles-like frame of eerie flames flickering around her eyes as she does. "Yuuki makes a move to heat things up, putting Arashi back in her place. But not stopping her from a quick pivot to defense, and trying to blindside her in retaliation!" The mare runs a hand over her mane idly. "There's so much speedballing in this fight you'd think it's a -- wait, none of you are going to get that. Moving on!"

    Yuuki thinks she sees some surprise in her opponent's expression. That or it was an upset stomach. Either way, Yuuki smiles in response, saying, "This is the fun of dueling people! They don't always act how you expect them to, making things more of a challenge."

    Arashi disappears again, quickly reappearing next to Yuuki. But now that Yuuki knows her opponent can do that, she's somewhat prepared for it. Combined with her speed, Yuuki brings her sword around to precisely intercept those blows, only one managed to get through to poke at Yuuki's HP bar.

    Darkness shines along Yuuki's blade once more as she attacks back with a pair of slashes, asking her opponent in the process, "Don't you agree?"

    Doesn't seem like there's much for the mare to say. Sure, she may agree with what Yuuki is saying, but there's still a core tenant that has been violated. Something that Arashi finally decides to say. "PVP is pointless."

    To emphasize, the shadowy-blade moves to hold off the darkened slashes before Arashi's broken blade lurches forward in a twisting stab, followed by an upward arc. She is feeling the length of the fight, some of the other blows, but she isn't going down without a fight. Not by a long shot.

Kauchemar rubs a finger along her nostrils. "Oh, that is not a good conversation to bring up during this fight...." But why only someone that actually knows the dire-shire would understand. "Arashi would rather talk with her blades than words right now. Both of our fighters have been going at it for some time now, but they're not letting up in the least. It's still anybody's fight at this point!"

    Yuuki just smiles at Arashi replies, "Oh really?"

    The agile Imp jumps to avoid the first strike, though it still manages to graze her a bit and apply a debuff as she says, "It's about people. Bringing us together, having fun with each other."

    Yuuki swings her blade to meet Arashi's second strike, parrying it to the side to avoid the Imp's petite body, "It's about improving ourselves. Getting stronger so that we can overcome the obstacles in our path."

    After her parry, Yuuki grins as she ducks in low and charges into Arashi's guard, flames once more covering her blade as she unleashes that familiar pair of strikes at the equine, "And it's about pride! Fighting for what we believe in. Especially when the other person is as stubborn as a mule!"

    "Uh huh.." Arashi may be a little punch drunk. She doesn't usually explain her bias. "In this world, you get nothing for it. No experience, no loot, and forcing someone into inactivity for an entire day," she points out, not even going on about Tri-Edge or worse. "PVP is lurking in the shadows, stabbing people in the back, stealing what others have worked so hard for in this world, only to be stolen at the last second," she continues, raising her blades to put pause to the fiery assault. "It adds nothing, and drains valuable time from getting stronger, getting equipment, earning gold, and for some, climbing the tower." Then she arcs her shadowy blade from low to high at Yuuki. "And before you ask, I'm in this tournament on a whim. I was in the area. I was searching for other things. This is just a nice way to pass the time between my chances, which, thankfully, have been fruitful."

Kauchemar leans on the side of the booth, smirking. "And -yet- here you are, facing off against one of the most famous duelists in the land. Or the game for that matter. Imagine that." She doesn't have much to add at that point, these do are doing fine speaking for themselves. Both actually speaking at the moment, and with their fighting.

    Yuuki shakes her head firmly, "That's where you're mistaken."

    Yuuki swings her blade to meet Arashi's, the two swords crashing into each other. The force of the blow causes Yuuki to skid back a few feet, "What you're describing is PKing. Which I'm not a fan of either."

    Yuuki lowers her stance and charges forward, her sword sweeping down low. She then swings it upwards in a strong slash, extra force added as Yuuki performs a small jump, "I'm talking about PVP! A fair, face to face duel."

    Yuuki spins in the air, her sword rising up before coming down again in an equally strong follow up strike as she lands once more, "No killing. No sneaking. No hard feelings. Just fun!"

    "It's Player. Vs. Player. It's all the same," Arashi protests as both her blades come up to defend the potent slash coming at her. The assault catches a shoulder, puts her on a knee, but then she presses back up and tries to put that shadowblade deep in the Gladiator's midsection again. She's done talking. She wants to end this.

    Yuuki shakes her head firmly once again, "Nope." But it seems like her opponent isn't willing to listen to what Yuuki is saying. That's okay. Yuuki will just have to show her! She takes a step back, shifting the grip on her blade so she's holding it in reverse.

    Arashi lunges towards Yuuki with that shadowblade, trying to stab it into her gut. But Yuuki isn't going to just sit around and let it happen this time. The Imp dives forward, rolling under the stabbing blade. It still grazes her shoulder, applying its DOT. But Yuuki avoids taking the blow direct.

    Coming up on one knee beneath said blade, Yuuki quickly spins with her leg stretched out to try and catch Arashi with a sweeping kick.

    Yuuki then rises once more, spinning as she does so to unleash a slicing strike towards Arashi with that reversed blade.

    No. Arashi isn't willing to listen anymore. She's had enough talking. She's tired, she's frustrated. She just doesn't want to be in this arena anymore. For once, she has just the right positioning to defend herself. Yuuki does managed to sweep the leg, but Arashi throws herself into the direction she's falling, rolling, putting both swords in the way. "No more." she says before stabbing upward with that broken blade and twisting. HARD. "Fall."

    It's a bit of an odd pair, with Arashi in her frustration, while Yuuki is grinning so much from the fun of the fight. Aware of their respective HP bars, it's so damn close, it could go either way.

    Arashi stabs upwards with that broken blade, twisting. This looks like it could be it... This could be the strike that does Yuuki in.

    Yuuki's arm flashes through the air as she parries the twisting blade off to the side, causing it just to barely graze her and refresh the poison DOT on her. In the same moment of blurry movement, Yuuki follows through with a quick stab to cut through the opening her parry provided. The counterattack is light, but it seems to be enough to bring Arashi's HP into the red.

    Not that Yuuki is aware of it as she takes a step to prepare another piercing strike, only for the poison DOT to bring her HP down into the red a moment after Arashi's.

    This might be a photo finish, folks!

    There's no real movement from Arashi. She had done the mental math. She knew what technique to use, and used it. There was no expectation of thorns, or the counter strike that came a moment later. She was certain she had it, so, there's no rise, no defense, just staring at two red healthbars, confused. What did she miss?

Kauchemar leans forward as the two combatants collide yet again. "Blade to blade, right in each other's faces -and- methodologies until the very end. This one is... Uh..." She can't make out a clear view from here just yet. She leans one way, then the other. "What I wouldn't give for an instant replay right now..."

Kauchemar leans forward as the two combatants collide yet again. "Blade to blade, right in each other's faces -and- methodologies until the very end. This one is... Uh..." She can't make out a clear view from here just yet. She leans one way, then the other. "What I wouldn't give for an instant replay right now..."

Fortunately we don't need to wait for a bunch of referees to stare at a screen for 15 minutes arguing, as it's by the -barest of margins- that the system registers the nick from defense seconds before the poison, and declares Yuuki the winner. "Wow! There you have it, by the literal seats of their pants." She shakes off her own confusion to get back to working the crowd. "But so close! Let's hear it for them both people!"

    Yuuki knows that someone won. Their HP bars are in the red. She just doesn't know who. She isn't as good at the math as some people. She relies more on instinct. But in this case, instinct wasn't precise enough.

    Thankfully the duel system has her back, reporting her as the victor. Yuuki is so surprised and relieved at the same time that she drops to her knees. It's as if all the strength and willpower she had summoned for the fight has just left her.

    Still, Yuuki is grinning soooo much as she looks at Arashi, "That was AWESOME! You're pretty damn strong. We should duel again at some point! If you want to, of course."

    Kau isn't sure. Yuuki isn't sure. REFS AREN'T EVEN SURE. This is ridiculous. The were-fang slowly sits up, giving a little wince as she just looks around, trying to figure out what in the world is going on. When the fireworks finally go off, and Yuuki gets the W, Arashi heaves a sigh. Part of it is a little disappointed, but more relieved than anything else.

    When Yuuki collapses, despite their different idiologies, the argument was in the fight. It doesn't matter, now. The other duelist gets a wave. "Maybe I can make an exception. Just don't tell Xander. He may get jealous."

Kauchemar smirks that way she does once she's down from the commentator booth. "Don't tell who what now?~~" she singsongs at Arashi. Then shakes her head, she's just teasing. She's not -that- kind of a jerk. Most of the time. "Seriously though, regardless of who won, I think that's the most intense match I've seen yet."