Field: AoD Mansion

Description: "We duel INSIDE THE MANSION! Breakable furniture, walls, and a window that Bane always has to clean up are just some of the items littering the AoD's mansion but don't worry, there aren't any traps or hidden dangers that you'll have to worry about. We'll restrict it to just the first floor, a foyer, dinning room, large living room, scattered closets, and a wrap around porch on the outside. Several camera dot the various rooms giving all of the clan members a live feed of our duel."

Rules:

• There will be two ways to claim victory; reduce the enemy's HP to zero or remove them from the Mansion's grounds (which would be to knock them off of the porch).
• No healing items and lets restrict ourselves to one sword and one set of armor.

Equipment:

• Ko:
  Equiped Costume Peices:
  -Chibi Wing Angel Wings (2ft levitation)
  Status Enhancers:
  -Fire Magic: Vak +1
  Equiped Weapon:
  -Horse killer: Karin-30, Hirameki-30, Ap Corv-15
  Equiped Armor:
  -Fire Dance Hat: Repth-10
  -FireDrake Mail: Vak Kruz-10
  -Fire Bracer: Vak Rom-10
  -Aqua Gaurd: Rip Teyn-10
• Dien:
  Weapon:
  - Jinsaran: Level 14
  Vak Crack (30), Vak Revolver (30)
  Equipment:
  - Heavenly Bead Tiara: Level 6
  Gan Rom (10), Rig Geam (25)
  - Fire Bracer: Level 21
  Vak Rom (10)
  - Fireman's Coat: Level 21
  Vak Kruz (10)
  - Mountain Guard: Level 13
  Repth (10)
  Slot Armor:
  - Golden Grunty
  +30HP

FIGHT~!

Ko_Inuyasha, not as the Crimson Heavyblade or the Reikan in training but as the recruiter and first lieutenant of the Army of Darkness, stood alone in the main foyer of the clan's mansion. This digital construction of a building is the home to the Army's personnel and as such sits in the middle of their own private field. This fact allows them to wield their weapons while inside and if the leader, Commander Sasuke, wished there could be monsters for them to combat against. Even nicer was that they could battle each other in this space with the terrain of a house under their feet. Such a combat was significantly different than fighting in an open field or a subterranean dungeon. Ko would be taking advantage of this feature to complete his job as the Army's recruiter.

When he first acquired the position as recruiter, Ko went down his list of flashmail addresses and invited everyone he had made alliance with. Some joined, some turned him down, and the others were already in the Army. Dien, an old ally that he could count on in a pinch, was one that had to turn him down due to his alliance with another clan of “The World.” Now, months later, Dien came to Ko this time to join the clan. So much time had past since their last event together. Each one had become so much stronger, wiser, and more delved into “The World” in their own way. They were no longer the same people they were in the field Unending Sea of Amber where Ko left Dien's side. Neither were they the same people that lost the Shadow Termite event. It was only appropriate and just that these new combatants should face off against each other to test and learn about their new metal.

Ko stood in the bright mansion with towering windows letting in the sunshine all about, large chandeliers glistening with crystal risen over head, wooden tables and black leather sofas scattered about the room to his right, dining sets positioned to the room to his left, and a massive red carpeted stair case to his rear, thinking such things as combat with one similar to him. Fighting a Blademaster can be tricky business, as proven in his combat against Commander Sasuke. Their balanced stats and quick weapon working can be dangerous against the inexperienced, their magic stats, superior to a Heavyblade, can prove fatal, and their speed stat, also superior to Ko's class, was the most deadly advantage they could have if the heavier and slower Heavyblade allowed himself to be taken. The crimson clad warrior would have to keep his head level and his mind clear to defeat an enemy with so many advantages.

All wasn't so bleak as his pessimism would have it seem. Where Dien out ranked him in speed and magic, Ko out classed him with defense and most importantly with physical attacks. Yes, the Heavyblade class was only rivaled in power by the Heavy Axeman. Dien's rare weapon, Jinsaran, could pose a problem in this aspect but, as a Heavyblade, Ko was confident that his base stat would be greatly superior to his Blademaster enemy. If worse came to worse though, Ko was a collector of magical scrolls. Where his power might fade he had some of the strongest magics available to him at his disposal.

Hurry now Dien. My body's burning from the wait of this challenge.

SP:94

Edit: Sp count.

It really had been a long time since he’d eaten anything. Granted, being in a coma meant that his needs were well cared for, for the most part. His body was lying in some hospital somewhere, so he never really got hungry or thirsty. Most likely, he was fed intravenously with some saline mixture of all the nutrients he would need: a puree of whatever pieces of plastic the hospital tried to pass off as an entrée to its patients. There was a certain novelty to eating, though; something that he missed about sitting down at a table and biting a chunk of bread off a freshly-baked loaf gave him so much more satisfaction than simply not feeling hungry anymore. Maybe it was some kind of carnal instinct, but even eating with a fork and knife was considerably more of an ego boost. It was that kind of, “I HAVE MADE FIRE!!” feeling of pride: the feeling that he’d conquered something, he guessed.

“Uh, excuse me sir?” the waitress asked, stepping nervously up to the table, “are you going to order anything?” He’d been staring at the menu a full twenty minutes, trying to decide how to break this fast of his in Mac Anu’s premier restaurant. Every choice looked (and smelled) delicious: from the New England-style chowder to the half-pound cheeseburgers to the 12oz. slab of steak that was guaranteed to be cooked to perfection. Still, the woman was waiting ever so patiently next to him, so he had to make up his mind somehow.

“Yes,” he began, closing the menu, “I’d like-” He was cut short. A series of descript chimes from his wristwatch echoed loudly throughout the restaurant, garnering all sorts of unwanted attention before he finally silenced the thing. Damn, he thought, looking down at it, just when I was about to order. He and he alone knew what the alarm meant: it was time for his duel with Ko_Inuyasha. In the hopes of getting a meal in beforehand, he’d come to this restaurant half an hour before the fight. Ten minutes’ wait time and twenty minutes’ gawking at the menu left him where he was: no chance of getting the meal in before the duel.

“I’m horribly sorry,” he apologized, standing out of his chair, “but I forgot about an appointment I have with an old friend. I’ll take a rain check?” He didn’t wait for her response, but rather, under the watch of the entire restaurant, kept face and walked hastily out.

It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t excited about dueling the player he’d known so many levels ago. He’d been quite the fire lover in their last encounter during an event they’d sadly lost, and with Dien’s new persona, he doubted if he’d be recognized. He himself was considerably more Vak-oriented now as well, which would make for an interesting turn of events if things got out of hand. Hopefully, he hadn’t garnered a summon spell for himself – if he had, things would get ugly pretty quickly. He’d already revealed how different his nature was to this player and Sekai in their previous encounter, having torn his own arm off to slay the sled dog that had kept its fierce grip to the very last. Granted, he’d reattached it normally, but his behavior had been enough to alert the two players to his ‘altered state.’

This duel was for clanhood, though. He’d left the Unity not a week ago, posting a bulletin on the digital cork-board with his dagger attached. Now, he was seeking to take up the canid player on his prior offer to join up with the so-called Army of Darkness. How a couple vak-o-philes could fit in with a group that professed its allegiance to darkness (or so the title suggested) was beyond him, but from what he understood there were a great many members of the clan interested in the duel. He didn’t necessarily have to win; just prove his merit over that of Ko_Inuyasha.

He’d barely made it to the Chaos Gate before speaking the keywords that had been given to him. Golden rings fell as countless other times, sending his data through the streams that fed the World’s current to the desired field. The second falling of the rings was always more interesting, though. Each and every field he’d been to was unique. Each held its own feel and each had its own luster and strength. What he found on the other end of this journey, though, was different. It was clear that the focus was on the mansion before him, grand and stately in its colonial appearance like something straight out of Gone With the Wind. Here was their battle ground, according to the recruiter: within the bounds of this digital symbol of power. As soon as his foot touched the porch that wrapped the entire structure, it would begin.

Several options presented themselves for the first attack. Upon stepping on the wooden platform, he would be able to quickly decide the outcome of the battle from without the walls. Hell, a quick cast of Dek Vakz from his scrolls wouldn’t hurt at all, nor even a call of Vak Crack or Revolver from his sword. The possibilities were endless for a sneak first-attack. But that was not his way. There was more honor in him than to simply catch his opponent blind. He’d enter, meet with the heavyblade, and then their fight could begin.

The front doors swung wide open, and true enough, there the fighter was, his red outfit blending harshly with the crimson carpet that wrapped the ascending stairs behind him.

“Rig Geam, Ap Vakz,” he said, activating the two spells in sequence to alert the fighter to his presence (one from his armor, the other from a scroll), “hello again, Ko_Inuyasha. It’s been a while.”

SP:
90 – 25 (Rig Geam) + 1 (Turn Point) + 4 (Rig Geam) = 70/90 SP

He increased his Vak stat before the battle began. Since we're both fire types he's increased the damage he can do to me and reduced the damage I can do to him. Even though it has hurt his Sp to take the initiative like that he's also already casted Rig Geam on himself. By the time his Ap Vakz wears off he'll have more than recovered the Sp. Clever little Blademaster.



The Dien standing before him wasn't exactly the Dien he once knew. Last time, Dien kept a black trench coat on his persons that he specifically used to catch pockets of air. The long and billowing over coat had been replaced with a smaller deep blue coat that only came just above his hips. Ko had expected to have to deal with Dien's air trick but with out the coat, could he still do it? This Dien also looked... colder, like he had seen a rough patch of life recently. Ko's experienced enough to know that more can be told about a player's ability to battle by their personality and mind set than their equipment or avatar appearance.

”Good to see you too Dien, it has been a while. Lets get the rules straight for this duel. Killing me wont mean that you're automatically part of the clan. Likewise, falling in this battle wont mean that you're declined. We're here to witness your abilities to preform in battle. It'll be how you handle yourself in this battle that you are judged on.”

Dien's obviously not the type to play a sneak attack, or at least sneak attack Ko, so he felt at ease when stretching his shoulders out and rolling his head while his enemy was standing right in front of him. Finally he looked like he was ready to begin fighting when he took a huge falchion that looked just shy of covering his entire body in both length and width. This huge sword wasn't anything special compared to other Heavyblade weapons. All of the weapons for Ko's class are the same size making the image of Ko's sword as what really creates the division. The design is just like the sword that went to the character that he takes his avatar's appearance from; a great flachion with the color of an aged bone and a fluff of fur that covers the hand guard.

Out of the billowing crimson sleeve of his left arm slipped out a scroll that was quickly snatched out of the air and thrust forward for Dien to see. In a gust of wind the item vanished from the Heavyblade's firm grip and soon after a second gust of wind escaped from his feet as the effects of the Speed Charm granted him Ap Do.

”Are you ready Dien, cause here we go!”

Rather than try and fail at some kind of attack from a flank, Ko focused all of his speed and strength into attacking directly. As he charged forward with his scream roaring out and his feeting pounding across the foyer of the mansion, he drew his sword back and lined it up with his torso. At best he hoped to begin pushing Dien around, pound on him hard and strong to keep him off balance. At worst he feared that he was underestimating the strength of Dien's rare sword.

SP: 94 max

He cast an Ap Do. In an instant, the blademaster saw his own unpreparedness in this aspect. One of the stipulations of the fight was that he wouldn’t be allowed to change equipment once it had started—something he relied on heavily in his other duels to easily access the plethora of skills in his armor’s arsenal. Now, though, he couldn’t call on anything but the skills currently attached to him: which meant that Zanzamas’ Ap Do was off limits. Ko was now roughly twice as fast as Dien, and there was nothing he could do to change that fact. Sure, spells could freeze him in time momentarily, but that tactic only worked when there was a teammate to take advantage of the opponent’s lag, as he would also be frozen by the cast.

“Are you ready Dien, cause here we go!” the crimson-clad warrior proclaimed, and the blademaster’s hand shot into the bag on his leg, instantly retrieving the item he’d wanted: Firebane.

“Dek Vakz,” he called, and the scroll vanished instantly while the runes began their play. Only a few seconds, he quickly thought, eyes darting left and right to examine the room. It was a fairly simple layout to play with, though at the moment his focus was primarily on the attacker who’d been frozen mid-stride. The interesting sword he remembered from the few previous encounters with the player was pulled up to his chest, in a position ready to be swung. That gave him all the edge he needed, and had chewed up all the time he’d been given. Once again, the heavyblade was running forward at almost blazing speeds – speeds he’d only seen in Nighthand and Nall without any status enhancements. He’d have to be quick with his defense as well, and time it just perfectly.

There were a few options for him to consider. The first was calling a skill. This might stall Ko in his charge for a few seconds while the prescribed actions played themselves out, but in the end would only serve as an SP drain. The second was activating another scroll, though there weren’t many scrolls for him to choose from. Besides that, all of the attacking scrolls were being saved for the Elites’ dungeons—which he’d heard held many puzzles that pertained to the elements (at least, the two that he’d been through had). What their fascination was with the six wave gods was anyone’s best guess, but that left one final choice.

With an Ap Vakz on himself and a Dek Vakz on his opponent, a fire spell would undoubtedly inflict severe damage. That, and it was the only spell-type he currently had equipped. Which one to choose, though? Roms deal in multiples, he quickly sorted, Kruz is a one-shot deal. More hits meant more HP loss, especially with the elemental weakness he’d inflicted. Ko was almost upon him, so this had to be quick.

“Vak Rom!” he shouted, feeling the SP drain into the spell’s formation. So far, the match was proving him a better mage than swordsman, but with luck that would change.

SP Count:
71 - 10 (Vak Rom) + 1 (turn point) + 4 (Rig Geam) = 66/90SP

As the crimson wrapped Heavyblade plowed through the mansion's foyer he expected to take a hit from Dien but didn't expect that his Vak stat would be the one taking the hit. His Blademaster enemy used a Fire Bane scroll to cause the Dek Vakz status ailment to fall on him. With his above average Vak stat one might say that Ko was being reduced to the basics but the truth was that Dien was in the same condition, that being he's always set above average, and had enhanced himself further with an Ap Vakz previously. Taking hits from Dien's fire magics and skill might prove as fatal as taking Rue\water element attacks.

”He's still focusing on status effect, trying to create a weakness out of my strength instead of exploiting an already existing weakness. Which is really just telling me that his available spells are drastically limited. My spells aren't much better off so I'll keep pushing him until he's low enough for me to one hit with Hirameki. He wont expect me to use a wave other than Vak.

Dien's second attack came soon after but not soon enough, he hesitated and that made all the difference. Ko leaped into the air over a whirling tornado of burning embers, flipping first and twisting second so that he ended up planting his feet on the wall standing over the door that Dein had entered from. Such an acrobatic move was normally out of character for a Heavyblade to perform. Their swords possessed a weight and gravity center that made them difficult to move around in mid-air. Ko was an experienced Heavyblade though and one that knew the secret to over coming such a handicap.

When he goes airborne he doesn't keep his sword close by but rather lets it hang out at arms length. By doing this, he doesn't try to force the sword to move with his muscles but lets a union emerge with his center of gravity and the blade's. He rotates on the binary center, creating equilibrium and better mobility.

“Ap Corv!”

On contact with the wall a pale white aura was called upon Ko's sword as he activated another scroll. A Warrior Blood, not exactly necessary for a Heavyblade, casts the Ap Corv spell on its user to increase the player's physical attack stat in the same magnitude as a Speed Charm, or Ap Do spell, does for speed. With two enhancements to his player's physical abilities, Dien would be hard pressed to cover the same ground.

The bare feet of the Heavyblade stayed planted on the wall for only as long as it took for his eyes to focus down on his target, a split second less than what gravity was allowing him. From his vantage point he combined speed with power by pushing with his legs so hard that the wall began to give way behind him. His sword drew back in the same way he hand prepared it before but the swing would be much different and significantly harder to block this time around.

Sp: 94 max

(OOC: Ko, you wanna nix the time limit rule for this post? I was incessantly posting for Mainplot, and so didn’t have time to duel…)

The hell did he- Dien thought, watching as the player rocketed off the ground, somehow simultaneously triggering his spell and, at the same time, making it miss. It didn’t quite add up. Game mechanics told him that if the spell went off, then it should have hit – otherwise the targeting systems would have come back void, and the spell would not have been fired at all. As it stood, though, he was down ten SP, with a spell still going on that, by all means, shouldn’t have been happening.

To make matters worse, though, the heavy blade pulled an acrobatic maneuver that was impossible for Dien, let alone someone in a heavier class. And yet…apparently not. The spell evaporated, leaving his opponent somewhere on one of the walls, pushing off like something out of some anime. How physics let him do this was beyond the blademaster, but he put all of that aside, watching as the fighter kicked off the wall and sped straight for him, somehow defying gravity in his attack. The wings… Despite how puny they were, the wings on the player’s back gave him a distinct tactical advantage in this regard. It was something he hadn’t taken into account, and would make the fight that much more interesting.

He’d called an Ap Corv on himself, increasing still the tremendous power of his attacks. With speed and strength on his opponent’s side, there was now no way that the blademaster could actually win. Evading attacks would only work for so long. Eventually he’d take a hit, and with the tremendous strength that Ko_Inuyasha now possessed, it would very likely be the last one. Victory here wasn’t a necessity – that much both of them knew, but he still wanted the KO. Chances for that were getting slimmer and slimmer still.

One plan worked its way through his mind, and with no real alternatives, he began to act upon it. First, a scroll: “Ap Torv,” he said, applying yet another status effect to himself. The plan relied solely on who had which status effects. For Ko, he had Ap Corv, Ap Do, and Dek Vakz, while Dien held Ap Vakz, Rig Gaem (Geam?), and now Ap Torv. As it stood, he had to play on the one disadvantage he’d forged in the crimson-clad warrior: his Vak stat. As his mind finished playing through its imagination, the action began, starting first with the Heavy Blade’s attack.

It was doubtless that he would swing, either in just a normal attack or in a skill. This was what he was relying on. The heavy class’s body and momentum would be forced to work in favor of Dien, making little to no chance for escape. Initially, he’d step back, pulling a classic move he’d seen done so many times on the playing field. “Vak Revolve!” he’d shout, feigning the motions of the skill while it failed to activate. In the heat of his attack, it was doubtful that Ko would catch the missing last consonant, which would hopefully lessen the intensity of his attack as he tried to recoil. That would be when the real fun would begin.

With Ko in immediate range, and with no way for him to back out in time to avoid damage or even to pull his sword in for defense or counterattack, Dien would strike, activating his Vak Crack technique and dealing what would hopefully be an Elemental Critical. Well, one could hope. The only failing point he could see was in the strength of Ko’s attack. It would take both hands on his blade to properly offset it, but if not, there was a backup plan: Life Drain. It was a skill he’d only managed to use successfully only once in the past, but because of its nature, there was no predicting how or when it would activate. On Jinsaran, it would reap a hefty amount, especially with the hit almost guaranteed by the Ap on his physical accuracy.

“Vak Revolve!”

And so it began.

SP Count:
67 + 1 (turn point) - 30 (Vak Crack) + 4 (Rig Gaem) = 42/90SP

(OOC: Life Drain isn’t listed as a skill on Jinsaran, but it is, in fact, there. Check NISDIP if you don’t believe me)

Ko plummeted to the ground with his sword pulled back for full swing. Even if his plan was to push Dien around until he was weak enough to kill with one hit, there was no reason to pull any punches and not try to strike critical damage. He knew Dien was smart, Dien would push back, and Dien would be a tough fight. All those things and more made this the most enjoyable recruitment that he has ever done.

“Vak Revolve!”

”Wont get me so easily.

A twitch occurred in Ko's right eye as Dien called out one of the attacks of his skill. He was familiar with Blademaster skills and knew the extent of a revolver type's damage and as much as he'd like to dodge it with his Vak stat suffering so much, in mid-air it was impossible. So instead, Ko reached back even farther with his sword, twisting his hips, chest, and back until his entire body was like a stretched spring. He wont just hit, he'll demolish whatever gets in his way.

At the last second, when Ko is drunk with adrenaline and tunnel visioned on his target, Dien stopped. He didn't just stop a run or swing but stopped dead in a set maneuver of strikes preordained by the programming of “The World.” With a quick leap he completely avoided the Heavyblade's strike into the ground, a cratering strike that ruined the floor of the mansion and sent the towering double front doors flying open. As wood and concrete debris fell around him Ko took in and held a deep breath in response to what he knew was coming next.

“Vak Crack!”

Dien's heavy foot steps could be heard pounding one the cracking floor even if his image couldn't be seen. The Blademaster busted through the heavy dust with his sword drawn back over his head ready for the single blow of Crack Beat type attacks. A level two flame circled his weapon like a funnel with an out reaching arc swirling around his air born body. The slash not only tore open Ko's chest but sent his defenseless body crashing through the semi-open doors of the mansion. The crimson wrapped warrior almost flew off of the porch from the blow before he grabbed hold of the railing and swung back onto the white planked porch.

”Tsch. He didn't say Vak Revolver he said Vak Revolve and then faked the moves. Son of a-”

Something else was wrong, some how, some way, extra damage was done to him. He didn't know it but Dien's sword's Life Drain stole life from him on top of the damage that Jinsanran had burned away from his chest.

”Repth.”

It wouldn't cure all of it but it'd cure enough for now. Breathing heavy and pissed that he fell for such a ploy, Ko grabbed hold of a lawn chair and came stomping back into the building. Without hesitation he instantly chucked the item at the head of his adversary before quickly following behind with his sword flickering with sparks as it scratched the ground.

”He'll dodge it, take the hit, or smack the chair away. I'll use my greater speed and hit him in the blind spot where ever he goes!

Sp: 94-10(Repth)+1(turn regen)= 85\94

(OOC: because of the fact that the Vak Crack had been a contingent plan, I did not include it in the last post’s SP count, though because that contingency did occur, I will include it in this post’s count)

Chair, he thought. His opponent, after having narrowly avoided leaving the premises of their fight and giving a default win to the blademaster, had noisily stomped back into the mansion. The decision not to hide had been Dien’s own. Stealth would only draw out the inevitable. While he could have waited in one of the side rooms under a table or something, hoping to waste the heavyblade’s Ap Do, that would’ve left him wide open for an attack. There was no telling how well Ko_Inuyasha knew this mansion’s layout. Chances were that no matter where he could have hidden himself, he would have been found out long before his speed would have returned to normal. No, he had to stay put and fight. Anything else would only prolong what was coming anyway.

That left him standing in front of a massive staircase, with a chair rushing towards his face. Behind it and through its mesh, he could see Ko’s charge right in its wake, following it like the mutt he was. He sighed, testing the options that presented themselves to him in his mind. Well, not too far ahead. There was one option that the Heavy Blade hadn’t considered, and this was clear from how he ran behind the chair: he wasn’t expecting an attack.

Already, a plan formed in the blademaster’s mind, and he knew that it was the only chance he would have to actually get another hit in. He’d play him again. Same trick, only with a different spin. After having burnt two skills in a row, there was nowhere near enough SP left to call upon another one, but Ko couldn’t know that. Well, the chances that he had been keeping track were slim to none, and even catching him off-guard would be enough to throw him off.

More likely than not, he’d be very cautious and attentive to Dien’s words. Vak Revolve wouldn’t work. Vak Revolver would, though, along with possibly Vak Crack. Only they wouldn’t actually work. Hell, he’d just fake the motions again. He’d call out Vak Crack, this time, and rely on Ko’s more than likely over-compensated defense to pull him open. With the skill called, the most likely course of action would be to raise his sword horizontally in front of him and push up as hard as he could to block the blade, Jinsaran would rebound easily. With the force of his block unanswered, Ko's hands would be raised abnormally high, opening his abdomen to a cut. This would be the blademaster’s true target.

Still, there was a chair in the way. Well, it wasn’t exactly hard to fix. He started to charge, ducking under the deck furniture before beginning his second trick play of the night.

“Vak Crack!” he called, leaping into the air and mimicking the motions as best as he could. With the battle raging at this pace, there was almost no chance of the crimson-clad swordsman catching the one give this tactic had: his sword would not be ignited. It was a risk he was willing to take, and with a single motion, Jinsaran was brought down.

SP:
(Interrim: 42 - 30 (Vak Crack) + 1 (Ko’s turn point) = 13/90 SP)

13 + 4 (Rig Geam) + 1 (turn point) = 18/90 SP

EDIT: Grammar error... >_<

Dien was the thinking type, always apparent in the way his eyes seemed so clear and always expected by the people that have fought along side him. They each had that same advantage, knowing how the other fought, fighting against each other now. It was possible that Ko was still underestimating him. As the brutish type that always tries to push forward and swing his sword harder than the opponent, it is difficult for him to think on the same level as a brainy strategist and thus just as difficult for him to think as many steps ahead as are required to keep up with Dein. On the other hand, Ko had a quick reaction time and what he lacked in planning he made up for in battle instincts. With out thinking it was possible for Ko to be an unaccountable variable in any plan.

In his own sort of sly gymnast way, Dien ducked and slid under the chair Ko had flung at his head. Even though he was basically dodging the chair it was in such an unexpected way that Ko didn't even see where there was a proper blind spot while Dien was avoiding the hit. The wooden porch chair broke into scattering pieces as it crashed into the red rugged staircase. Dien leaped high into the sky as he had before hand with Vak Crack. Seeing the attack coming, and knowing the way Dien thinks, Ko knew that it wouldn't be what it seemed but he had no clue what the attack would truly be.

“Vak Crack!”

He heard the words but he heard the words all the same the last time. The was no choice, with out knowing where the attack was going to come from he had to do the only thing that made a logical sense, in his mind.

”Don't think that I'll just stand put every time you decide to bluff!

Even though it was too premature to think that a Hirameki could eliminate Dien from the battle, Ko's Karin would deal even less damage to the Vak affiliated Blademaster. He buckled his knees down and built up the power to leap with tremendous force behind him. His sword pulsed with a deep green wave before brambles and branches materialized out of the broad side of the falchion.

”Hirameki!”

Unlike Dien faking his attacks, Ko's was genuine. His body spun in the air in preparation for the three hit combination that was preordained by the system for all Hirameki style attacks. It was his hope that when their swords crossed this time, his superior physical attack power would outclass Dien's superior tactical abilities.

Sp: 85-30(Hirameki)+1(turn point)=56

(OOC: Time limit removed for this duel.)

Ohshit!Ohshit!OhShit!OHSHIT! Ko had done more than just call his bluff. He’d seriously overestimated the power of his words, and now he was about to pay for it. Something had gone wrong; Ko heard the name of the skill, but should have at least flinched for a moment before reacting like he did—unless he’d been planning to take the damage anyway. There was something he hadn’t considered. The strictest set of game mechanics he knew would enable only two actions by the fiery heavyblade while under the influence of a skill: a spell, or a counter-skill. By that set of mechanics, the one on the sharp end of the stick sword would almost always be hit by the skill, and while the skill was active, wouldn’t be able to move at all.

This was what had Dien so panicked.

Hirameki was a level 2 Juk Hayabusa – the three-pronged katana attack that he’d witnessed only a few times before. Jinsaran in his hand had landed square in Ko’s shoulder, though because of how little force he’d put behind it, there hadn’t been any damage at all to his character that he’d seen. Maybe a few threads from his red coat had been cut; he didn’t rightly know or care at this point. He was more concerned with the mass of Juk that was about to shred him apart. He was completely defenseless: hadn’t expected that move in the least bit.

One stroke passed him, slicing across his stomach and leaving extra sting behind from the wooden energies that tried to sink deeper in after the fact. Then another strike, slightly higher up on the body, shedding yet more blood as the blademaster struggled to regain himself amidst the pain and the wracking his body was about to take from the final strike. Ko’s body twirled around as the game’s engines prescribed, and it was all that Dien could do to lift his sword into its path, hopefully redirecting the blow to his shoulder instead of his head. There was no way it was going to stop the skill entirely at all, especially without the strength of a skill behind it as counterweight.

Horse Killer was brought down in its fullest force, the sheer force of the hit against Dien’s blade tilting him sideways to make the hit land in his left shoulder and sink in pretty far before launching him backwards like a ragdoll, blood trailing out of the massive wounds he now held as his body crashed through the stairs and into the drywall behind them. Somewhere between a third and half of his total HP had been torn off by that attack, the pain of which still lingered in his character as he tried to push himself up off the wall. At this point, it was second nature to call Repth after a hit like that, and the healing waters bubbled over him, closing the wounds and relieving the pain while restoring 150 HP. He didn’t have time to deal with numbers as precisely as he wished he did.

“That was a good hit, my friend,” he said, rising to his feet and brushing off the dust and dirt that had accumulated on his jacket, “you truly caught me off guard.” Cracking his neck from side to side, he slowly walked forward, letting Jinsaran rest easily in his hand. It was time to stop messing around—kinda. Truth be told, the word games were fun, but as it stood he needed to stop burning through so much SP. He didn’t have enough right now to even cast a mere Vak Rom, let alone pull off another skill. Part of him wished that he’d remembered to pack Zanzamas for this trip instead of Jinsaran, as he was sorely missing his Ap Do right about now, but that had been part of the arrangements of the duel.

For now, he would charge. A straightforward attack might be suicide, especially against an enemy who had a great deal of physical advantage over you, but it was all he could think of that wouldn’t be more obvious than it was worth

That, and his options were limited.

SP: 19 – 10 (Repth) + 4 (Rig Geam) + 1 (turn point) = 14/90 SP