[PP-F24] Valentines Day Tournament - Round 1

[Koga 0]

Koga's blow staggered backwards, but he was quick to recover. The Wolf should have expected nothing less from his friend. The man darted forward, his bokken leveled to strike, eyes fixed to Koga's own as they rushed towards each other. The spectators around them watching trade blows, but for the two combatants, the world had shrank to just the spaces they occupied.

Alkor twisted beneath Koga, narrowly avoiding the man's fist. Koga could have sworn he felt the soft brush of his opponent's hair against his fist. The man had stepped far away enough, at enough of an off-angle that there was no way Koga could see the man, let alone retaliate.

The loud crack of bamboo striking flesh echoed, and Koga winced as he felt the harsh collision against his back, his thin offering little protection against the faux blade. The momentum of the blow carried Koga forward, nearly sending the man sprawling. Koga was quick to recover however, tucking his shoulder and rolling out the fall.

Koga's feet slid for a moment, skidding to the other side of the arena as he turned and got his bearings once more. A wide grin and manic glint in his eye as he locked eyes with Alkor once more. "Alright, now we're talking," he said to the man.

Best to go on the defensive for a moment, wait for Alkor to make a mistake. He started to slowing walk around the edge of the arena, waiting for the man to make his next move.

---

Tie

Koga: 1/3

Alkor: 1/3

[Freyd 0]

She was faster than expected, even given the fact that she'd already declared the intention of her attack.  Maybe he'd simply rotated through too many weapon styles, of late?  Or maybe it was, like, the sheer zeal, and stuff, of her attack.  Whatever the case, Freyd's improvised staff caught the matt on the dojo floor and stuck, hard, falling short of the necessary position for a block.  Astreya struck a fair point on her first swipe.  He smiled, proud of her for her for casting any hesitation aside.

"Astreya," he countered pleasantly.  "It's been a while.  Looks like you've been training hard."  Tilting his head as he appraised her progress, Freyd twirled the improvised staff in his hands before deciding that it might be best if he himself returned to basics.  The two-handed straight sword had been his own weapon of choice during his ascension to the front lines, and somehow remained the most familiar in his mind.  Switching his grip, suddenly, he widened his stance and crouched to reduce his profile and better match her shorter stature.

"Maybe it's time I learn a thing or two from you?  Come on, coach," he teased, bring the staff from its twirl into an advancing succession of lightning quick slashes meant to throw her off balance. 

"Show me what you've got!"

@Astreya

***

Astreya: 1

Freyd: 0

Spoiler

Freyd, The Whisper in Shadow
Level: 32
Paragon Level: 104
HP: 1080/1080
EN: 142/142

Stats:
Damage: 24
Mitigation: 78
Accuracy: 5
Battle Healing: 59
Loot Dice: 5
FLN: 16
HLY: 16
PARA IMMUNE
REC: 8

Equipped Gear:
Weapon: Samael's Pride (T4 MA | HLY 2 | FLN 2)
Armor: Fallen Angel Garb (T4 LA | Mit 2 | Rec 2)
Misc: The Shadowed Rose (T3 Trinket - ACC 3 | Para.Imm)

Custom Skill:


Skills:
Martial Arts R5
Battle Healing R5
Light Armor R5
Searching R4
Charge
Energist
Quick Change
Extended Mod Limit

Active Mods:
Night Vision
Tracking
Meticulous
Untraceable

Inactive Mods:

Addons:
Ferocity
Precision
Resolve
Reveal
Stamina

Active Extra Skills:
Disguise
Survival
Forgotten King’s Authority
Hiding R5

Inactive Extra Skills:
Meditation
Brawler
Photosynthesize

Battle Ready Inventory:
Teleport Crystals x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Mass HP Rec [Inst] (+30*T HP) x7
Crystal of Divine Light (Reusable) x1
Rhino's Horn (Reusable) x1
Hmr.Pk: The Thing Behind All Lies (T4 Demonic WH, AA, Blight, Static, Para.Ven (Off)) x1

Housing Buffs:
Rested: -1 energy cost for the first two expenditures of each combat
Clean: The first time you would suffer DoT damage in a thread, reduce damage taken from DoT each turn by 20% (rounded down)
Working: +2 EXP per crafting attempt
Filling: Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot.
Item Stash: +1 Battle Ready Inventory Slot
Delicious: Turn 3 identical food items (same quality, tier, & enhancements) into a Feast. A Feast contains 6 portions of the food items sacrificed.
Relaxed: Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 Out of Combat Posts.
Skylight (Searching): +1 Rank to the Searching skill.
Angler: +1 material gained when fishing
Advanced Training: +10% Exp to a thread. Limit one use per month [0/1]
Multipurpose: Gain +1 to LD, Stealth Rating, Stealth Detection, or Prosperity to one post in a thread. Can be applied after a roll
Decor [Potted Tanabata Bamboo Tree]: This buff affects the player and their choice of up to two party members.

Guild Hall Buffs:
Lucrative: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters receive +1 crafting attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters receive +2 crafting attempts per day.
Col Deposit: +5% bonus col from last-hit monster kills and +10% bonus col from treasure chests.

Scents of the Wild:
Kumatetsu Statue: +1 Base Damage for a thread

Wedding Ring:

 

[Alkor 0]

It wasn't at all like the last time he'd fought someone in this world.

Brutality met anticipation in earnest. The wild burning in Koga's eyes mirrored the insanity in the blonde Knight's expression. As his opponent found his footing, Alkor surged forward. The pace wouldn't be allowed to slow at all, the cadence too hot and heavy now with their cumulative sacrifice. If either man stopped dancing for a moment, they would be swept up in the firestorm that existed only for them, in that time, in that place. With wicked wings fanned wide, the Phoenix stretched out its talons to rake the Wolf. Alkor charged across the distance Koga had made, assisted by the Cardinal system. He sustained as a blur of darkness for a heartbeat, and in the next, he was on his enemy once more.

He brought his weapon down on the other man approximately at the same time that Koga's guard would have risen once more. Either the weight he forced onto the man would put him on the back foot, or Koga would have managed to resist; regardless, it would have been a mockery to do anything less. Push each other to the point of breaking, test the foundations for cracks, seek growth. That was what both of these men sought. Neither man could compromise on that, or the friendship that they had cultivated would mean nothing. 

The language they used was different, but this was just another conversation between the two men.

Anyone watching might see the intensity between them, and the terrifying expression on both their faces. Like two demons, gleeful, wicked, and wild.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tie

Koga: 1/3

Alkor: 1/3

Edited February 5, 2022 by Alkor

[Astreya 0]

Astreya had been quite surprised to see her attack go clean through his guard- so much so that she very nearly hadn't even continued the strike, having been prepared to pull backward on it, and follow through with a counter strike.  But when it landed for a point, she actually paused for a brief second in confusion as he returned her greeting now.

"Like, totally!  I told you I was going, to, like get up to the Front Lines!  It's not like Volleyball where I can just, like, practice, y'know?  Had to beat up a lot of monsters!" she called out, shifting herself slightly as she brought her weapon back, but beamed a grin at him.  He moved then, shifting downward a bit more, matching her height and wielding the staff a bit more like the two-handed blade that she currently wielded.

At his words, she gave a small laugh.  "Me?  Teach you?  If I win I'll teach you a few cheer squad cheers!" she called, before he suddenly began to unleash a barrage of attacks toward her.  The woman had, thankfully, seen him in action in a few different occasions.  Granted, the one with the minotaurs hadn't been his best hour, but she'd still seen what he could do.

And the barrage was dangerous, but she shifted slightly with each step, the girl having learned a bit about being on the receiving end of punishment, given her choice of being a tank.  She couldn't completely set his attacks aside, but she managed to turn them aside enough to keep them from landing a solid hit.  "We call this one the high clasp!" she called, having actually managed to step inside his attack range and hoist the weapon overhead, before managing to score another point.

As soon as she had, she darted back away, clearing up the space between them.  "So, like, after this you'll have to totally tell me how the Front Lines went!" she called- of all the people she knew that fought on the Front, Freyd was the one she knew best.  Whether or not he'd tell her though was another matter entirely.

"You better not like, just be letting me win!" she called out, grinning as she shifted her stance, going from the high to a more standard middle one as she took a half-step forward, mimicking what she'd seen some of the others doing for practice as she kept the swings toward the middle of the body, each one aiming to keep the man on his toes and if the opening presented itself- take it!

Astreya: 2
Freyd: 0

@Freyd

[Freyd 0]

"Honestly," he replied while wincing at the second strike to land, "I just wasn't feeling it, yanno?  Must have been having an odd week or something.  Couldn't land the hard blows.  Couldn't get good vantage.  Oh, gods, and the endless talking!"  He mentally rolled his eyes, preferring not to make this an even more shameful beating than it already was.  "Tea and crumpets at my grandmother's place was less painful than all the pulling of hair and gnashing of teeth.  I really hope the next boss is nothing but a good old-fashion murder-fest, because this one set everyone at everyone else's throats.  Morality can be such a bloody distraction."

Catching a moment of wide-eyed confusion flash across Astreya's face, Freyd seized his opportunity and lunged forward into a low roll and tumble that brought him back up to his feet behind her.  A whirl and smack as his bokken came up from being tucked tight to his body caught her flat on her backside marking the elusive point he'd been chasing for some time now.  Even if he lost the duel, it was satisfying enough to know that he'd spanked her at least once in the process.

Laughing in an uncharacteristically carefree manner. he resumed his guard and stance.  This was meant to be fun, after all, and he desperately needed a dose of impractical nonsense.  Almost everyone who knew him would likely agree.  Choosing a low guard stance, he pounced almost immediate, preferring an unorthodox strategy over formal style.  If he could time it right, he'd pull an old hockey move, slip by her again and then jersey her with a cross-check.  Totally not kosher, but funny as hell, if he could pull it off.

@Astreya

Astreya: 2
Freyd: 1

[Morningstar 0]

Other duels had already begun around Morningstar. He gave his training sword a swung, getting used to it's weight. It was lighter than his straight sword. His first opponent, and hopefully not his last, was a green-haired gentleman who went by the name "Hirru". 

"It's nice to meet you," he leaned on his sword, it's point touching the floor, "you can call me Star."

Star's nerves were building up. He wasn't unconfident in himself, but Hirru looked like he'd been in a fight or two before. Star tried focusing on having a good time rather than the outcome, but truthfully he wanted to win; to prove himself. His sword flipped around and he changed his stance in preparation for the duel. How did these things normally start? Was he supposed to bow or something? He glanced around, but didn't see anything helpful. Cheers came booming from players in the stands, although Morningstar couldn't who they were directed to. They weren't meant for him, at least. He shrugged, giving his opponent a sportsmanlike grin.

"Best of luck, okay?" He lunged forwards, beginning the fight.

@Hirru

Spoiler

Morningstar | Lv. 6 | HP: 120/120 | EN: 30/30 | DMG: 3 | ACC: 3 | MIT: 9

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Morningstar

[Hirru 0]

Hirru didn't understand why he was participating in the first place.  Did someone put his name into the bracket as a joke?  Wasn't this for the coveted safeguard?  Why was there a 'romantic dinner for two' also there?  The hunter was assaulting himself with too many questions to notice that his opponent had already started.  Seeing the attack in time to defend, his sword arm would react in a defensive manner, however, that cost him.  This wasn't a fight where shielding one self with an arm was available to him.  Instead, he had given his opponent the point, by using his old combat experience.

"Oh snap..  I think I need to readjust."

What did the hunter have to do again?  He remembered the way that Baldur trained in the dojo on some days.  Kendo, or something along those lines?  This was all in the spirit of that kind of training. 

"Morningstar, huh?  Alright, let's do this right!" 

Going off of that, he would bat back the blade before going for a shoulder strike.

<<Strike to arm -> Morningstar's point>>

Morningstar - 1

Hirru - 0

Stats

Spoiler

Hirru | HP: 900/900 | EN: 102/102 | DMG: 1 | MIT: 122 | BH: 46 | HLY BLS: 36 | MENDING: 2 | REC: 8 | THRNS: 36

Hirru Lvl 32 (PL 51)

900 HP (+200 PL)
102 Energy (+20 PL)
1 Base Damage
5% Battle Healing
8 Recovery
122 Mitigation
32 Thorns
4% Holy Blessing
20% Life Mend

Equipment

Paladin's Oath ..................... // +4% Holy Blessing / +20% Life Mending
Light's Embrace .................... // +8 Recovery / 32 Thorns
Bulwark ............................ // +72 Mitigation
Blades Cloak ....................... // Vanity
Lun'Rael's Insignia ................ // Unique Vanity |
Dimensional Backpack ............... // +1 B.R.I Slot

Battle Ready Inventory

<Teleportation Crystal> x5 ......... // Teleport to a town / out of a dungeon [Uses 2 posts: 1 for use, next to teleport]
<Favor of the Golden Dragon> ....... // +3 Loot Die
<Betrayal of the Fallen Knight> .... // +12 Damage
<Mass HP Recovery Crystal> x5 ...... // +10% AOE Heal
<Empty>
<Empty>

Skills

Heavy Armor ........................ // Rank 5: +35 MIT
Battle Healing ..................... // Rank 5: +5% HP each turn
Search ............................. // Rank 5: +5 Loot Die / +5 Stealth Detection

Extra Skills (Max 4)

First Aid .......................... // Rank 5: +20% ST-H / -15 EN
Leadership ......................... // Rank 5: Command the Front w/ Buffs

Skill Mods / Addons (Max 5 Mods)

Iron Skin (Add on) ................. // +15 Mit / +60 HP
Field Medic (Add on) ............... // +25% AOE-H / -15 EN / 3 turn Cooldown
Hyperactive (Add on) ............... // +3 EN Regen for 3 turns / -5 EN / 3 turn Cooldown
Reveal (Add on)..................... // +2 to Dungeon, Labyrinth searches / Post 10 searches / 3 turn Labyrinth Cooldown

Barrier ............................ // -15% Dmg shield AOE / -15 EN / 2 turn Cooldown
Energize ........................... // +8 EN ST / -10 EN
Steadfast .......................... // +1 ACC AOE, -1 ACC self / -6 EN / 3 turn Cooldown
Press The Attack ................... // +(Target Tier) Dmg, -(Cumulative)Dmg / -10 En / 5 turn Cooldown
Detect ............................. // +1 to Labyrinth searches | +2 Stealth Detect

Housing Buffs

Rested ............................. // -1 EN for 2 uses
Relaxed ............................ // OOC HP regen 5*tier Rec EN after 2 turns
Filling ............................ // Increase food by +1 T1 slot
Multipurpose ....................... // +1 LD, Stealth, Dection, or Prosperity to 1 post
Practiced Angler ................... // +2 EXP & +1 LD & CD to attempts

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Hirru

[Calrex 0]

@Astralin

Stepping out into the area set aside for the duels, Calrex gave a calming breath, raising up an arm to rub the back of his neck, "Heh, this is supposed to be a fun match, but dang with all these people watching it almost feels like I'm putting on some kind of performance. Although I'm fairly sure Baldur would have a heck of a time commenting on my swordsmanship regardless, heh. Let's see...I am fighting a player named...Astralin. Alright then."

Approaching the training weapons rack his eyes scanned each bokken as he picked them up, determining their size and center of balance. There was a considerable variety that was available, however after a little bit, the bluenette selected one. While it was still the same traditional shape, the less distinguishable features made it feel closer to the Grand Blade he was accustomed to fighting with. Stepping to the side he gave a few swings at the air, getting an idea of its momentum before giving a small nod with a calm smile, "Yep, should be just about right."

Now ready for the duel, the Ultramarine Knight turned to face his opponent, giving a ceremonial bow, "It's nice to meet you. If it's alright with you, let's save the formalities for after this duel is over. Regardless of the result though, let's have a good match."

Completing his bow, Calrex held the bokken in his left hand, reversed with the "edge" side facing down towards his fingers. As he straightened his stance, his left hand trailed back behind his body, the training weapon's handle now behind his waist horizontally, as if his left hand was acting as a sheath for the sword. His right hand reached back, wrapping around the grip of the wooden sword, also in reverse.

"Hold nothing back."

In an instant he rushed forward in a deep sprinter's lunge, pulling his hands apart as if he were drawing his weapon from his scabbard, the bokken now in his right hand ready to strike. Getting closer and closer until he was just out of striking distance, the Ultramarine Knight took a wide step to his right. Landing to the side with his right foot, he quickly stepped diagonally forward, moving towards Astralin's flank. Finally landing where he aimed to attack, the bluenette forcefully rotated clockwise to face towards his opponent, bringing his right arm from below aiming to cut from his bottom right to top left in a reverse grip uppercut slash.

Results:

Spoiler

TIE
Calrex counters

Calrex: 0/3

Astralin: 0/3

 Stats:

Spoiler

Base Stats

Calrex | HP: 900/900 | EN: 124/124 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 78 | EVA: 3 | ACC: 4 | BH: 49 | KEEN: 1 | L.M.: 1 | TAUNT

Levels:

Level: 31

Paragon: 66

Equipped Gear:

Grand Blade IV (T4): +1 Keen / +2 Accuracy

Grand Chariot Revamp (T4): +1 Light Momentum / +48 Mitigation

Rebellion of Sapphire (T1 Demonic): +3 Evasion | +1 Taunt

Familiar:

Roc: Grappling Familiar

Battle Ready:

x5 Mass Healing Crystal - Heal 10% HP for self + party

x1 Crimson Citrine Spiderlily (T4): +2 Bleed / +1 Paralyze

x1 Basic Teleportation Crystal (T1): Upon use, teleport to the nearest town next turn

x5 Safeguard Potion (T1): First Attack Negated

(Dimensional Backpack) -

(Dimensional Pouch) - 

Skills & Mods:

Straight Sword [Rank 5]: Stamina Addon / Ferocity Addon / Precision Addon / Resolve Addon / TECH Specialist

Light Armor [Rank 5]: Meticulous Mod

Charge

Energist

Battle Healing [Rank 5]: Emergency Recovery Mod

Parry: Vengeful Riposte Mod

Extended Weight Limit

Quick Change

Survival

Disguise

Meditation

Combat Mastery (Damage) [Rank 3]

Attire:

Spoiler

 

[Astralin 0]

Astralin managed to find and put on one of the available forms of attire, and she managed to find some hand wraps, too. She was familiar with Martial Arts to to it technically being her skill of choice, but she was used to acting like it was magic delivered via physical contact. If she didn't want to mess up the theme of this little event, she'd have to avoid saying any spell names, though that would break her personal immersion into what she wanted to be.

Oh, the conundrum...

With a sigh, she decided to keep her attacks silent for the tournament's duration.

 

Astralin took a look at her first opponent. While she was unsure of whether or not this player was a "threat", as Yona might believe, there was one thing she was certain of when she saw him. "Whoa...he's so...ripped! How...how am I gonna do this?" Astralin thought. She may have pretty good damage statistically, but she wasn't too confident in her actual strength...at all.

Her opponent gave a ceremonial bow...and Astralin had no idea how she was supposed to respond. Poor thing didn't know enough about Japanese culture to make any accurate guesses, so rather than embarrass herself, she just smiled in response. Her opponent said to hold nothing back, as he positioned himself for the duel. Astralin took her stance, deciding to start with an evasive strategy. It wasn't like she could just block a bokken with handwraps, after all.

Astralin waited, she watched the player "unsheathe" his bokken and advance towards Astralin. As soon as he stepped to his right, she knew what he intended. She rolled diagonally, both forward and to her own right, to dodge his attack. Upon getting back up, she immediately lunged towards her opponent in an attempt to deliver a swift chop to his shoulder.

@Calrex

 

Results:

Spoiler

Tie!

Astralin: 0/3

Calrex: 0/3

 

 

Stats and Equipment:

Spoiler

Level: 30

Paragon Level: 0

 

Battle Stats:

HP: 600

Energy: 78

Base Damage: 20(MA Rank 5[7], CM: DMG[9], MA Ferocity[2], Athletics[1])

Mitigation: 0

Accuracy: 3(Amulet of Aknossoth, Zero Degree Chill)

Evasion: 2(Alkarina's Resolve)

Loot Die: 0

 

Additional conditions:

[None Yet]

 

Equipment:

[T3] Glowing Embers(Burn)

[T3] Zero Degree Chill(Freeze, Accuracy)[Equipped]

[T1]Alkarina's Resolve(2 EVA, 1 REC)[Equipped]

[T3]Amulet of Aknossoth(2 ACC, 1 REC)[Equipped]

 

Consumables:

(3) Starter Healing Potions (Heals 50 HP)

Teleport Crystal x1

 

 

Skills:

Martial Arts Rank 5(30 SP)

Combat Mastery: Damage(13 SP)

Cloth Armor Rank 5(30 SP)

Quick Change(8 SP)

 

Extra Skills:

First Aid Rank 5(30 SP)

 

 

Mods:

Athletics(4 SP)

Energize(5 SP)

Barrier(6 SP)

 

Addons:

Martial Arts Ferocity(6 SP)

Martial Arts Stamina(4 SP)

Nimble(6 SP)

Field Medic(6 SP)

 

[Lessa 1]

Even as the woman's sword slapped against Lessa's shoulder, a small smile crept across her lips. It had been a very long time since Lessa had considered herself "competitive." Before Aincrad, everything had been been a competition between Alyssa and her three brothers: cleaning rooms, eating meals, scores on tests. And, of course, video games had always been at the center of their sibling rivalry. But the years in the floating castle hadn't been kind to Lessa. Failed relationships, lost friends, and the seemingly endless monotony of it all had dulled that once sharp edge, and considerably lessened her thirst for victory. Of course, the absolute spanking she had received from her then-best-friend Alkor hadn't helped matters, either. Pausing, she cut a quick glance toward the dark-haired man, who appeared as focused as ever in his own duel. He is a machine, she thought for the umpteenth time. His ability to completely detach himself when the moment called for it both terrified and impressed her.

Shifting back to the matter at hand, Lessa offered her pretty opponent a small nod. "And I appreciate that," she answered, and meant it. "I'm looking for a good fight as well. That was a nice hit, by the way. Keep 'em coming."

Without another word, Lessa feigned to the left, then ducked, mimicking the rolling movement that boxers preferred. In one fluid movement, she straightened, leading with her sword.

---

Yona: 1/3

Lessa: 0/3

[Calrex 0]

@Astralin

As his strike met air Calrex gave a friendly smirk, his eyes quickly scanning his current field of vision to get locked on Astralin's mobile form before he could get blindsided. His opponent had deftly tumbled to the same side his bokken was approaching from. It was a good move, as the path his weapon traveled left the back of his right arm exposed for a counter attack. His eyes watched as her form drew closer, hand bladed in preparation for a chop to come down at him.

The attack was met with a quick transitional guard. Bringing his left arm low and close to his right hip, the bluenette rotated his right hand upwards, the "blade" end of the bokken pointing towards the floor. Bracing with both arms he felt the impact slam into his sword, but made sure to continue his momentum in order for the remaining energy from the strike to be redirected away. His right hand continued to rotate clockwise, gently opening his fingers while his left hand pushed the tip of his bokken in the same circular motion.

The movement allowed the Ultramarine Knight to swiftly deflect Astralin's attack while transitioning from a reverse grip on the blade to a standard one. With the deflecting motion complete, all it took was a simple rotation of his hips to the left for him to send a horizontal slash outwards, directed at his opponent's torso.

Results:

Spoiler

TIE
Calrex counters

Calrex: 0/3

Astralin: 0/3

 

[Yona 0]

Yona never intended to go easy on this woman.

Regardless of however it came up on her life, Yona had become competitive by nature. Life, Gaming, Business, Status...it was always a struggle, a survival of the fittest, no matter who or what was involved. Not everyone worked together, so there were times when one had to behave like an apex. Perhaps one good thing Yona had received from her parents long ago, was her name, her real name.

The name Tora had more than one meaning. Tiger, Conqueror, even Thunder, were all meanings tied to her name. What a strong and powerful name she had.

As the wooden sword managed to land against Yona, she knew what her next course of action was. Of course she never meant to go easy on Lessa...but it was time to live up to her true name and get serious. "Lucky hit..." She jumped back and readied her weapon. "I'll make sure that's the closest you ever get."

She darted around her opponent, hoping to outmaneuver and confound her. Sudden move after sudden move, she soon attempted to strike from behind once she had left her opponent guessing.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yona: 1/3

Lessa: 1/3

 

[Astralin 0]

In realistic terms, deflection by a weapon would have cut Astralin, unless it was one of those one-edged swords, then there would have been a chance the blunt end was used to deflect, in which Astralin would have kept her hand...

But these were training weapons, in a virtual reality, so there was no amputation that could possibly occur. Once Astralin's attack was deflected, the blue-haired player attempted a horizontal slash attack. Astralin fell backwards, by her own choice, as to avoid the weapon. In hopes of avoiding a downward thrust while she was on the floor, she rolled her body to the side before getting back up. One way to have kept an opponent from attacking would have been to attempt a low sweep to cause a stumble in the opponent's balance...but this was an honorable sparring match, such tricks are better off for a real fight. In a duel like this, it wasn't likely that hits below the belt would be tolerated.

So upon getting back up, she lunged forward, and turned around to leap towards the player, attempting to strike his side with a right hook.

@Calrex

 

Results:

Spoiler

Tie!

Astralin: 0/3

Calrex: 0/3

 

[Morningstar 0]

Hirru's attitude suddenly changed and Morningstar took notice. It seemed like his verdant-haired opponent needed to find his bearings and now that he'd found them, he was ready to attack. Star was up a point but wasn't quite in the clear yet. He stepped backwards, his anxiety disappearing. There was power in Hirru's step as he lunged at Star. The tip of Hirru's blade nearly touched his shoulder but Star swiped his own sword left, blocking the attack. They clashed their blades for a moment before disengaging.

"Too close," Morningstar caught his breath, quickly imagining his next play.

Some matches seemed to be coming to a close around them. Star forced himself to focus on his own, worried that he might attack recklessly to avoid prolonging their duel. Without much hesitation, he dashed forwards, closing the gap between the two swordsmen. He swung his blade deep, aiming for Hirru's waist.

-----

Morningstar - 1

Hirru - 0

@Hirru

[Morgenstern 1]

OOC: Morg is a level, I dont care for the EXP lol
@Arabelle

---

 

Round One: Morgenstern vs. Arabelle

Jonathan was sorely unprepared for partaking in a match. The blond boy hadn't expected to even be fighting today. Much less with a bunch of training gear. Pushing the hair from his eyes, green eyes would focus on the girl who moved to stand before him. Bowing, he would introduce himself, "Name is Jonathan, nice to meet you." Straightening his posture, he would take a rather strange stance for using a simple bokken. Ara would be seeing him hold his weapon at his side as if it was in a sheathe. It felt uncomfortable, the weapon was far lighter than his normal katana. The boy was a bit nervous, worried to lose at his own teacher's residence. He had trained with this before. However, there was some kind of thrill to be held here as well. He knew nothing of his opponent or how she would be fighting. 

"Gonna have to ask you to go a little easy on me, I wasn't really prepared to fight today. I get a feeling I know who signed me up for this and I don't think she'd be too happy if I lost here." A grin spread across his face. "Well then, if you're ready." Pushing off of the ground, the boy would be standing in front of the unknown woman within a moment's notice. Pulling the blade from his side, a powerful single slash would aim itself at the woman's right him in an upward slash. 

Attire:

Spoiler

 

[Calrex 0]

@Astralin

"Wow, she's really nimble on her feet. Must've really gotten the hang of utilizing Martial Arts to some degree, or she might even have real world experience."

As his opponent intentionally fell backwards to avoid his strike, Calrex's eyes tracked Astralin as he quickly recovered. It felt like there was a brief pause in the rhythm of the battle, one that might have been exploitable, but there wasn't time to be thinking retroactively about what could have occurred. The bluenette engaged the virtual muscles needed to rotate his body back to center, however it appeared the momentum of his missed swing was more than enough of an opening.

A hook punch slammed into his side as the Ultramarine Knight gave a quick grunt upon receiving the blow. Riding the impact of the blow he took a few steps to the side in order to place a bit of distance between the two of them. If he remained in striking range and tried to attack, he would have been already at a disadvantage due to the extremely close proximity.

It was a race to three, and he was now one behind. However, that didn't mean he was on track to lose. "Duels are just as much about learning your opponent's techniques and strategies on the fly as they are about honing your techniques. There's still an opportunity to turn the tide if I play my cards right."

A calm breath escaped his lips before he brought his sword across to his left side, tip pointed skywards. Rushing forward again he quickly performed a cut designed to take advantage of both sides of a double-edged sword: The first would be a cut with the false edge using the back of his wrist, quickly followed by a circular second downward diagonal slash from the same side using his entire arm.

Spoiler

Astralin hits!
Calrex counters

Calrex: 0/3

Astralin: 1/3

 

[Arabelle 0]

. . . . . . . 鏡

Spoiler notes do you see the table border? i've done literally everything and i can't remove it. i hate it. everyone please hate it with me. Arabelle | HP: 640/640 | EN: 102/102 | DMG: 21 | MIT: 20 | ACC 1 | EVA 1 | LD 1 equipped #1 #2 #3 battle-ready inventory #1 skills Spoiler ● War Axe V      -> Stamina      -> Precision ● Cloth Armor V      -> Athletics          ... Nimble ● Battle Healing V     -> Emergency Recovery ● Energist EXTRA 01. Parry       -> Vengeful Riposte MASTERY Damage III buffs Spoiler -- Relaxed  Increases out of combat HP regen by (5 * Tier HP) and decreases full energy regen to 2 out of combat posts. Filling Increase the effectiveness of a single food item consumed in a thread by +1 T1 slot. This can exceed normal Cook enhancement caps.

strolling to the center of the dojo, arabelle let her gaze wander over the guests who kept to the walls. it was in good sense that the dueling pairs would only have their eyes on their respective matches, so if there were any pair of eyes she felt she needed to devote her spare energy worrying about, it would be from those dedicated to spectating.

oh, was that cordelia? arabelle slowed her steps, and if the disturbance within the flow of movement in the dojo caught the other's attention, she would hold up a hand, wiggling her fingers giddily in the air. cordelia could at least pick her face out of a crowd. she remembered she came off a little too enthusiastic.

she found her place just as a semi-transparent duel screen appeared at the halfway point between her and her partner; a per-second countdown from thirty.

"hello~."「"こんにちは～。"」

her opponent was a morgenstern. he was a frontliner, (a feast for the eyes,) and he was popular enough for arabelle to know that the difference in their skill in wielding a one-handed sword was sky high. she could not weigh how much or how little of a fortune it was that they were using training weapons. "call me arabelle." by this time the countdown was halved, and she had not yet taken a stance nor slid her wooden sword out of its sheath, instead smiling languorously at the pretty face on the other side of the screen, one foot crossed behind the other. "i feel livelier on this day than any other, but i'm a bit lacking in experience.

"so, anything that happens from this point is fair, isn't it?"

the screen vanished and two things happened:

1. a quickdraw and a quicker disposal; her bokken's sheath sent flying towards some indeterminate point behind her. (sorry, event host.)
2. then a resounding clash of wooden blades, and both players found their swords locked, arabelle's hand trembling beneath morgenstern's steadier grip.

a strained smile grew on her lips.

this wasn't a good position at all. she endured it a second more, enough to push herself forward until her blade was nearly perpendicular to her arm, and twisted out of the angle of his attack. if he was stronger, then she would use it against him to send him off-balance and land the first blow on his unguarded side.

.

[tie]

0/3 Arabelle
0/3 @Morgenstern

Edited February 10, 2022 by Arabelle

[Koga 0]

The Phoenix dashed in, rapidly closing the distance between himself and the Wolf. Koga swore that the man moved fast enough for flames to trail behind the player if such effects existed within the game. The Wolf raised his guard, steadied his feet, preparing to bound away before baring his fangs.

The Phoenix raised his blade as he approached, a downward strike. More than enough time for Koga to react. The Wolf stepped to the side as the blade was brought down, and the air shook as the bamboo blade passed by, striking the ground with a terrifying crack. Now was Koga's chance!

The Wolf cocked his fist back, aiming for the exposed jaw. But Koga was mistaken when he'd thought he'd seen an opening. Alkor was far smarter, far more skilled than the average mob. The man knew to use his momentum, let it carry him into a swift strike, quick enough to strike before Koga even had a chance. Alkor span with the grace befitting his namesake, and delivered a powerful blow to Koga's side, a sickening crack filling their ears as the man's torso bent, buckled, under the impressive strength.

---

Alkor scores

Koga: 1/3

Alkor: 2/3

[Alkor 0]

Floorboards rattled as though struck by lightning, and the subsequent thunderclap reverberated through the room. Alkor felt the shockwave shoot up his arm and rack his body with an intense shudder. The weapon had cracked already, put under the pressure of keeping up with the man. Another powerful swing and it would be compromised. These training tools weren't made for the intensity that Koga and Alkor had brought to the room.

When his next attack struck true to Koga's side, the bokken splintered. Shards of wood burst across the floor around them and left Alkor with the jagged corpse of a wooden sword.

He frowned.

"Tch..."

Alkor held the useless tool up in the space between them and regarded the other man. "Hard to practice swordsmanship with no sword," he commented offhand. The implication would not be lost on Koga. He took a step forward and thrust the sundered hilt to Koga's chest, leaving it in the other man's possession. In a much lower voice, not meant for anyone else in the room, he addressed his friend. "We'll have to go again sometime. This setting doesn't give us much room to cut loose."

With a step backward, Alkor snapped off a respectful bow to Koga, then turned and left the arena.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Alkor scores 

Koga - 1

Alkor - 3

[Astreya 0]

If his words intended to bring confusion to the young woman, they absolutely succeeded.  She blinked, pausing slightly in a lack of understanding following what he was saying.  Had they just like... had a meeting instead of a boss fight?  She paused, imagining Freyd, Jomei, Koga and the other people she'd seen and talked to about the Front Lines dressed up in business suits with a giant monster rather than doing any sort of actual combat.  That was not at all what she'd expected to see or hear, and Freyd had taken full advantage of that as he had dove forward, and by the time that Astreya realized what was going on, she felt the man's weapon smacking up against her bottom.

"FREYD!" the woman called outward in an embarrassed faux-anger.  It was, of course, all in fun and she didn't particularly mind the smack, but there was surely a sense of silliness that came along with it.  "I'm so gonna get you for that!" she called out as she turned around fully to face him once more.  He was laughing in a wild, carefree way that she had only seen him in before they'd gone to the cavern in the quest about the little girl.  He and his pet had been acting in this completely wild, lackadaisical way, and it had been a fairly stark contrast to how she'd first met him.

Of course, the following time with the minotaur, where he had actually fallen over laughing was some definite insight into the way the man could be, outside of his calm and almost dour countenance.  It was just hard to tell which one of these was the real Freyd.  Or if either of them were.

But at his lowered stance, Astreya expected more tomfoolery from the man as she shifted her grip on her weapon as well.  If he wanted to play silly, so would she.  The movement forward to catch her was expected, but him slipping past her wasn't.  Still, if he'd gone for the ass pat a second ago, she reasoned he'd probably go high this time and ducked fully, his hockey cross-check moving right over her head.  She held her bokken like a cheer baton, and used both hands to perform a very similar motion to his own attack, hitting him in the ribs.

"Go Streya go!  Go fight win!" she called out as she hopped backward, grinning at him, settling the baton on her shoulder.  "You totally took it easy on me though," she accused, wrinkling her nose.

@Freyd

Astreya: 3
Freyd: 1