WMAT B1 Gough vs. Asuna

WMAT B1 Gough vs. Asuna
Date of Scene:	23 June 2014
Location:	WMAT Arena - Diablo Desert
Synopsis:	Asuna the White Flash takes on Gough the Hawkeye in the first round of WMAT 2014's B Bracket in the Diablo Desert!
Cast of Characters:	9, 182, 268, 396

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Gough (268) has posed:
Welcome to the desert.

The Diablo Desert is about as pleasant as one might expect with a name like that. It's hot, it's dry, and it's bright. Stepping out onto its sands is about as enjoyable as stepping into a blast furnace. Heat waves distort everything in sight. This is what the challenge is all about, though. A true warrior must be able to function even in the worst circumstances! After all, he's not just proving his strength as a warrior against fellow opponents, but strength against the elements, too! Ha-ha!

There is a giant sitting atop a boulder, in the shade of a rock outcropping. No, really, he's a literal giant. The guy is probably between twenty-five and thiry feet high. His armour is a mishmash of hardened leather, chains, fur lining, and a big steel greathelm that obscures his face completely, leaving only a star-shaped guard over the slots in front.

He is busily carving a piece of wood, and the scraping of his huge knife (which could be a sword to an ordinary man) echoes eerily far across the desert.

Gough the Hawkeye can wait.

He is, after all, very patient.

Asuna (9) has posed:
He is not made to wait long. There's a soft sigh that echoes across the field as Asuna comes to the starting spot. The young woman has two blades, one strapped onto each hip, and her light blue hair hangs down to her back, for Asuna has showed up as her wandering VRMMO Avatar from Alheim Online.

"Greetings!" She calls out, giving a polite bow. "I am Asuna. You must be Gough." The size difference between the two registers as a brief look of amusement on her face as she ducks down into a bow.

Artorias (182) has posed:
Artorias's relatively tiny announcer's desk is currently situated under one of those mushroom trees. He looks as comfortable as he can be, under the circumstances. It must be sweltering in that armor. "And here we begin, fair audience! Our combatants hath entered the arena and are offering their greetings. In contrast to the fight I spoke of just the other day, I believe this shall be a rather polite match. Both Sir Gough and Lady Asuna are surprisingly well-mannered, and I doubt there shall be any dirty fighting to be concerned with. What an excellent change, is it not? Still, Lady Asuna must find her height vastly outstripped by Hawkeye. I believe she may have some difficulties today, though perhaps the same could be said for Sir Gough. 'Tis difficult to hit something so small, as I know myself!"

Gough (268) has posed:
The helmeted head raises at the sound of that sigh, and whatever his features may be, one can imagine the giant blinking behind that greathelm. With surprising grace, he climbs to his feet, spilling a cloud of sawdust and wood shavings from his lap as he does, tucking the half-finished carving into his belt, standing to face his opponent.

Then the giant lets out a jolly belly-laugh.

"Little human!" His voice is VERY DEEP and his words are KINDA SLOW, as one might expect of such a very large creature. "But thou art not exactly human, are thee? Still, it is good to see thee. I accept thy challenge." One can imagine a big ol' grin on his face, though all that's visible is that helmet. Oh yeah, and he's wearing an ENORMOUS BOW over his back, which he takes down, planting the end into the dust and holding it upright as one might a staff.

It's almost taller than he is. And the quiver of arrows over his other shoulder look like freaking /spears/.

Welp, Asuna's got her work cut out for her.

"If you are ready, then..." A cheerful rumble, which sounds a lot like boulders ground together. "I believe this will be enjoyable."

And somewhere along the way, Gough's bow made it into his hand, and there is a really big arrow lancing through the arid air straight for Asuna's feet.

That, however, is just a warning shot.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Oh god that arrow is /gigantic/.

It impacts into the area around her feet, sending her head over heels backwards from the impact, landing on her rear end and sliding back a few feet. Never one to be deterred, though, Asuna immediately pops right back up to her feet, grinning at Gough. "It is going to be enjoyable!" She says, girmly, already a bit bruised, but what did you expect from Big Gough Vs. Tiny Asuna?

Then she laughs, a soft noise as she races towards the nearest small mushroom, leaping on top of it, and then off of it - and as she does, blue wings shimmer into the air behind her, and she flies up into the air, before she sticks her hand into the air and says a line of soft words, it all wrapping around her -

Before a large ice bolt suddenly comes from her general area, a ice arrow flying for Gough.

Artorias (182) has posed:
"There we go! The duel hast begun, ladies and gentlemen, as Sir Gough openeth with a warning shot of his greatbow. Ooh..." Artorias visibly winces and leans back at the impact. "/That/ is not an unexpected result of an arrow that hast felled dragons. Lady Asuna is hit, but in a testament to her durability, she riseth to her feet once more and offereth her own counter. Ah, how agile! She hast chosen to use the mushrooms as leverage to help her ascend to greater heights, producing her wings to fly up higher and launch a large bolt of ice toward Sir Gough! Will this be a ranged battle that we see today? 'Twould certainly be engaging, considering the skills of both our combatants!"

Gough (268) has posed:
#-1 FUNCTION (PSACE) NOT FOUNDThat arrow was meant for killing dragons, not human-sized opponents. So it is that Gough looks on in something akin to horror as the arrow flies more truly than even he had anticipated, slamming into the ground uncomfortably close to Asuna and bowling her over backwards through the desert. He almost looks like he's going to call time-out just to see if she's okay!

He doesn't, because she gets up a minute later and seems mostly fine. Well, alright, then. More than fine, actually, because she comes back swinging at him.

He expected it, but not the wings, or the javelin of ice. Well, it's more like a needle, to him, but it's still something wielded by another Elite and that makes it something that hurts. Gough staggers back in surprise, the sound of his snort of surprise and pain muffled by the helmet.

"Well," he says, still cheerful by all accounts. "That was unexpected!"

He seems to be gauging the distance, helmet fixed in Asuna's direction... and then he nocks two arrows to his ridiculously large bow, aiming carefully for a moment, forefinger outstretched to point the way--

With a tremendous, reverberating -THWANNG- of the bowstring, which is probably made of /dragon sinew/ or something, both arrows are fired at the same time.

One flies straight for Asuna.

One is fired slightly /above/ her, where he must be anticipating that she might dodge the first one.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Okay, so the good news is that Gough has good aim.

The bad news is that GOUGH HAS GOOD AIM. The second one flies over her head, mainly because the first one crashes into chest and sends her reeling before smacking against one of the giant mushroom trees with a audible thunk. Oooh, that one is gonna bruise in the morning.

Asuna lets out a huff of air, before she rips out the arrow, taking to the air again for the briefest of moments, mostly just to dart through the air in a blurr of blue before she lands right next to him, blade withdrawn as she lands, the tip glowing blue. "Hnah!" She cries, before she reaches out in a feint to his chest, before bringing the blade around to his knees.

Artorias (182) has posed:
"Oh, 'twould seem Sir Gough was not expecting such a small opponent to hit quite so hard! The giant is sent staggering back, but he too recovers in time, and in good humor to match. Little seemeth to be able to bring our combatants down this day! Oho, but 'twould seem Sir Gough is attempting to fire upon Asuna with /two/ arrows simultaneously! Maybe that will be enough to bring her down in a more literal sense?"

"Ooh, indeed 'tis! Lady Asuna hath found herself struck dead-on by the first arrow, knocking her into a nearby mushroom tree! At least the strike of the first saved her from the second, as it flyeth past harmlessly. Still, our White Flash will need to close the distance if she desireth victory from this match - ah, and that is precisely what she does! A slash of her blade is sent down to Hawkeye's knees, no doubt attempting to shorten his height advantage!"

Gough (268) has posed:
Oh, dear. Gough looks visibly distressed when his next arrows strike home, clutching at his helmet like a person might clutch their head. Oh no! Poor Asuna! He didn't mean to hit her so hard--

--and she gets up from the mushroom tree, pulling out the arrow and tossing it aside. She then proceeds to swoop down in a blaze of blue, slashing at him with a glowing blue sword. Fortunately, glowing blue swords are not too out of the ordinary for a strange place like Anor Londo.

Oh, hello. He's also being slashed at. Not at the chest as he'd expected, having already committed himself to trying to swat her away with his bow (like a baseball bat, and it's probably about as solid as one), but at his knees.

Gough staggers back with a grunt, even as his blood spatters the sands, sizzling where it lands. Curiously, it's not red. Well, maybe it is -- but it's so dark it looks almost black.

"Well played," he affords her, still insufferably cheerful. Does nothing bring his mood down? "Well played."

And then
he brings his bow down on Asuna like a freaking /club/.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna looks up, blue eyes wide as the bow itself gets brought down on her hea,d and she takes a quick, instinctive five foot step forward - and the bow goes striaght over her head, so she's standing on the inside of it, framed by the wooden curve and the dragon sinew string. She looks down, then up, then gives a brilliant smile followed by a laugh!

"Oh, I wasn't even expecting that one! Good try!"

This being done, Asuna draws her blade back, and then, while he's still hopefully blink in confusion, just thrusts her rapier straight forward, a single, linear strike.

Artorias (182) has posed:
"'Tis a clean strike! Lady Asuna hast cloven into Sir Gough's legs, but 'twill take more than that to bring the giant down! Immediately Hawkeye gives his retort, with..." Artorias pauses for a moment, then sounds a little baffled. "...with the use of his greatbow as a club. W-well, 'tis certainly sized for such a task! Lady Asuna is spared the brunt of it, however, as a moment of quick thinking sendeth her rushing forward between the bow's frame and string! The quick-thinking swordswoman followeth through a moment later, thrusting her rapier forward to catch Sir Gough while he is recovering from his attack!"

Gough (268) has posed:
Gough may be a gentle giant but he's no dummy. He doesn't waste time staring in befuddlement when Asuna sidesteps his greatbow. At the same time, he's not /fast/, either, so while he sees her attack coming, he doesn't have much choice but to suffer the consequences. And suffer he does. Gough's black blood stains the sand one more time, and Asuna might hear a grunt echoing from inside that greathelm.

Ow. Once he's recovered, though, Asuna is still standing pretty close by.

She's still pretty close.

So Gough simply makes a MIGHTY LEAP. He is surprisingly good at jumping. His GREAT SHADOW falls over Asuna.

And he simply tilts forward and free-falls, attempting to LAND on her.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Gough makes a MIGHTY LEAP. Asuna says something highly inappropriate very quietly so no one else can hear her. She immediately tosses her arms out, dodging to the side- and while it saves her blade, it doesn't save her so much, the much larger and taller giant landing on top of her with something close to a 'crunch'. She lays there, staring up at the sky.

See, there are two things about this... the first is that it hurts. The second? It makes you easier to target with a giant magical water laser cannon. Speaking of which, Asuna has the capability of makinga giant magical water laser cannon. Fwoosh.

Artorias (182) has posed:
"Another solid strike from Lady Asuna! If she keepeth to these tactics, she may yet win against the mountain of an archer! Still, those muscles art not simply for show, and Sir Gough hast plenty of options even at such a close range. To combat Lady Asuna's grace, he..." Another pause from Artorias, before the dark knight suddenly finds himself trying to hold back laughter. "...he...he hast leaped into the air to...drop directly upon Lady Asuna from above, belly-first!" And he loses it for a couple of seconds.

Still, he gets himself together after a brief spat of laughter, holding his stomach as he looks out over the desert. "Oh, my apologies. Ah...Lady Asuna unfortunately did not manage to avoid that blow. She is still in one piece, however, and she hast chosen to make use of Gough's close proximity as she unleashes a blast of water magic upon the giant!"

Gough (268) has posed:
One probably does not expect a giant of Gough's stature to do something like belly-flop on his opponents, but it's a surprisingly effective tactic, as proven by the crunchy sensation of Asuna below. What he wasn't expecting was a water cannon.

It's one thing to get hit by a hose, but it's another entirely to be hit by pressurised water. That hurts! It is in fact pretty similar to being hit by a hammer. A hammer that /keeps on hitting/.

Needless to say, it makes Gough back off pretty quick, but he's not wasting his time. No, he's firing two arrows as he goes; not two at once, like earlier, but a quick one-two staccato, both aimed in Asuna's general direction.

Asuna (9) has posed:
It's almost like Asuna's from a MMO game and she has access to both amazing spells /and/ great weaponry!

The first Arrow takes her in the abdoment, sending her staggering to the side which allows the other one to sail past her harmlessly, thank goodness. She grits her teeth and breaks it off again, knowing far too well that she shouldn't leave it sticking out like that, although she does let out a pained exhalation. This done, she picks herself back up again, shaking her head still with a smile on her face.

She's enjoying herself, which is unusual as of late considering Kirito's node and everything else. "Niii-nya!" She cries out, a strange battle cry, but her blade glows again and this time Asuna engages Gough in a acrobatic dance, using her light frame and wings to flip herself around him with a series of bruising rapier hits.

Artorias (182) has posed:
"Durable though our giant may be, that jet of water is no laughing matter! Sir Gough is forced to move away and give Lady Asuna some space, but such is where the archer's strengths lie. Once more he fireth upon her with twin arrows, one after another to cover his retreat! One findeth purchase against her abdomen once more, but its strike is enough to make the second fly past again! 'Twould seem Sir Gough need'st space his shots out more if he would like to strike this sprite more than once!"

Then some more applause from the great knight, each clap rattling with armor crashing against armor. "And yet more excellent footwork from Lady Asuna, her blade shining as she danceth with Sir Gough to deliver thrust after thrust of her rapier! Hawkeye certainly must find himself outmaneuvered today by this graceful swordswoman!"

Gough (268) has posed:
Breaking the arrows is probably a necessity, even putting aside practical concerns. The arrows fired from that greatbow are literally the size of spears. Getting hit by one is like getting transfixed by a polearm. She probably wouldn't be able to move if she didn't snap them off... and even eating just one of those bad boys means she's probably going to get to know the medics after this.

That's okay, so will Gough. It looks like he's still bleeding, the black ichor-like blood steaming wherever it patters against the sand. She must have cut pretty deeply.

The greathelm cocks slightly to one side at the acrobatic dancing and hopping about, and one can practically see the question mark floating over Gough's head, turning this way and that to try and face his opponent, let alone counter her. She scores deeply, even if he manages to block a few blows by holding his greatbow like a staff.

He grunts with every scored blow, more of that black blood spattering against the desert sand.

Finally, he seems to have had enough with this dancing and hopping about. When she gets close for another blow, Gough simply smashes his greatbow down like a club again. Asuna can't be a problem and keep stabbing him if she isn't conscious or able to move, now, can she? Right?

Ciaran (396) has posed:
Ciaran's little pennant goes wild whenever Gough makes his move. It's hard to tell how excited she given the blankness of her mask's expression, but her body language makes it pretty clear how wholeheartedly she is behind Gough. She's sitting upright, one hand clenched in a fist that sometimes pumps, her other waving the flag.

Of course, she doesn't ignore Asuna's accomplishments, either. Ciaran has an eye for fine swordplay, and Asuna's skill is astounding enough to get a few fist-pumps, too. It's hard for Ciaran to separate herself from her loyalty to the Four Knights, but it's just as hard not to root for a tiny thing like Asuna, the fight's definitive underdog.

Asuna (9) has posed:
Well, that's technically correct. If Asuna is unconcious, or very badly broken, then yes, she'll be unable to stab him. Theoretically. Unless she's learned telekinesis and can wield her blade that way. Hrm - that's an idea. Perhaps for the future. However, first off, Asuna has to deal with getting clubbed.

She drops like a sack of potatoes, a mess of blue and white and silver and /red/ on the ground for a few seconds, before she woozily makes her way to her knees. Her hand is gripped tightly around the hilt of Lambent Light, before she staggers to her feet, her wings coming back in to flap just to help keep her balance.

She blinks sweat out of her eyes, whirling back to face Gough. She sets herself into position, locking her knees. "Kiiii/yah/!" She declares, before she moves in, the blade whirling in a single, hard to follow feint-like flourish.

Artorias (182) has posed:
"Again and again Sir Gough findeth himself scored by the blade of Lady Asuna! Is this to be it, then? Shall the giant find himself felled by the grace of quick footwork and agility? No, 'twould seem not! Again his greatbow cometh down like a felled archtree to crush Lady Asuna! The White Flash is laid low...is she going to rise once more? Ah, yes, there she is!" Artorias gives an excited pump of his fist at that. "Even repeated crushing is not enough to douse her spirits! Immediately she cometh in once more, whirling with her glowing blade to deliver a single powerful strike to Sir Gough!"

Gough (268) has posed:
It should be mentioned that there is not a significant desert that Gough has visited recently. He isn't used to this kind of heat or arid climate, and it's clear that the desert sun is starting to sap him. (Having his head wholly encased in what amounts to a metal bucket with eyeholes probably isn't helping at all.)

Maybe his greatbow isn't hewn from the trunk of an archtree, but it may as well be. It's extremely solid, for a bow, and it's extremely heavy. It makes a very good club, evidenced by the way Asuna drops like a string-cut puppet. Once more Gough looks concerned, worried perhaps that he'd gone a little bit too far.

Once again Asuna pops back up to her feet, though a little less solidly than before, and Gough looks relieved; inasmuch as a giant wearing a greathelm covering his face can look relieved.

Just in time to get stabbed again! That is getting kind of annoying, and he is getting pretty cut up by this point. So is Asuna's sword, stained black by the giant's blood.

"Thy swordsmanship leaveth nothing to be desired!" the giant says instead, laughing jovially. "I must commend thee for that!"

Even as he brings his greatbow around to fire on Asuna, point-blank, with an arrow the size of a freaking ballista bolt.

Asuna (9) has posed:
"Your own bow work, my good ser, is amazing! Both with a bow and arrows and with the bow itself!" Asuna can't help but give the gentle, teasing jibe about his use of the bow as a club, even though it really is a valid tactic. He moves the bow around, and Asuna can't help but /gawk/ at the sheer SIZE of that bolt.

"Oh gods."

She can barely be heard saying that before she suddenly throws her weight backwards, wings fluttering frantically once in order to help with the assist. The bolt impacts right against one of her feet, and in a almost deja vu like moment, sends her backwards again, just like his very first attack of the night, except this time, it's a bit more dangerous due to sheer /size/.

Asuna stabs Lambent Light into the sand/dirt of the desert, using it to haul herself back up, her knees shaking a little bit. However, she doesn't let it stop her from just - going. She's been here before, in thte pit of battle, with things on the line, before, her life twice over before. She shifts her weight, pulling the blade up to chest height, holding it there for a few seconds, before she just thrusts it forward in a series of stab-flick-stab-flick-stab-flick.

Artorias (182) has posed:
"Lady Asuna is truly a masterful swordswoman! No strike falleth short from her target! Though, in truth, her target is so large that I would worry for her ability if she /did/ miss at that range." A good-natured laugh from the dark knight. "Ah, after that strike, Sir Gough findeth himself compelled to compliment his opponent's skill, moments before firing upon her once more with yet another shot from his greatbow! At such close range, as well! Lady Asuna is struck, though at least not directly this time; still, those arrows art not something to be scoffed at, and she is sent quite some ways away! Her endurance is remarkable, however, and she rises once before again assaulting Sir Gough with a flurry of strikes and stabs! What speed!"

Gough (268) has posed:
Most of the time using a bow as a club is a really, really bad idea. They're not made to take that kind of blunt trauma, and their fine balance means clubbing somebody upside the head with it will break it in two.

Gough's bow, however looks like it IS a club. Or at least started life as one. It might look crude, but it's surprisingly devastating in his huge hands.

The giant laughs good-naturedly in the face of those compliments, and the laugh gets all the more louder when Asuna expresses her dread in the face of that dragon-slaying arrow. All of his are like that. They're made for pinioning the wings of beasts like that old bat, Kalameet. He felled his fair share of dragons in the before times; alongside his fellow Four Knights. Gough is as accomplished with a bow as his fellows are with their respective techniques -- Anor Londo's finest.

And suddenly he is being stabbed again.

Stab-flick-stab-flick-stab-flick. Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow.

Gough staggers back, bleeding, finally falling to one huge knee with a grunt, examining her handiwork in carving him up even more. He plants the greatbow against the ground, holding it straight upright as one would hold a staff. The greathelm cocks to one side, as though he were considering something.

Perhaps Asuna might be letting her guard down, with him staying there on the sand (which by the way is very hot and kind of burns).

Which is precisely why she might not expect the sudden -WHOOSH- of air as Gough swings his bow like a baseball bat again, big clubby knobby shaft aimed right for her torso. (Anything more specific would necessitate a much smaller weapon! Like maybe a telephone pole.)

Asuna (9) has posed:
Asuna is, indeed, letting her guard down by the act that Gough is using. She's worried she might have done a bit too much but then the whoosh of the bow has her closing her eyes, shoulders slumping as she goes limp, before the bow catches her and tosses her. There's a blue and white blur that goes and goes and ... she's going to stop before she lands in the next arena, right?

... Right?

Eventually, though, her wings pop back up again, slowing her down just enough for a rough tumble down to the ground, rolling a few times, Lambent Light glittering in the sand as she goes down a few more feet. Finally, though, she stands, her wings a 'keep up' aid as much as a agility aid. She glances down at herself, and brushes sand out of the skirt by shaking her hips for a second, before she limps over to her blade, picking it up. Asuna turns around til she spots Gough, then nods.

Then she starts running, picking up speed with every step she takes until she's something closer to a blur as she dives right on past him, a steam roll of a train with drawing her blade down across his side as she goes.

Artorias (182) has posed:
Artorias sounds honestly shocked now. "Sir Gough has finally been forced to fall outside of his own control! Only to one knee, but such is certainly no small feat, especially for one so...well, small. 'Twould seem Hawkeye hast decided to use that moment to his advantage, however, as he suddenly lasheth out with his greatbow once more as if 'twere a great /club/ instead! Her guard lowered, she is sent flying through the air, away and away..." Pause. "Ah, there she is again. 'Tis a moment before she reclaimeth her weapon once more, but off she goeth again, building speed faster and faster - ah, she hast passed him, and struck in passing!"

Gough (268) has posed:
The giant stands there, still as one of the mushroom trees, raising a big broad hand to shield his eyes as he watches Asuna's far-flung flight.

"Oh, dear." His admission is quiet, which is to say, not very much for a being of his stature. His tone is wretched and apologetic and quietly horrified again. "I did not intend to hit thee half so hard..."

Aw, he's such a gentle giant.

Gough finds himself squinting against the desert glare and the mirage-like heat waves, even as a flicker of motion suggests Asuna charging forward at tremendous speed. He blinks in puzzlement as she flashes right on past him; so keen is her blade, it actually takes him a few seconds to realise he's even been cut. And then there is blood washing down the side of his leg, which is probably all she can reach from the ground.

His head lowers as though he were regarding the wound and frowning.

"Ah, bother," the giant rumbles in disappointment. His voice is a little slower than usual, though, and it's clear that the desert sun and the numerous bloody wounds are beginning to wear on him. Asuna's gotten too far away for him to waste strength on any sort of pursuit, and his dragon-slaying arrows seem to have mixed results.

So Gough simply reaches over, snaps off a smaller mushroom tree (which means "it's only about the size of a telephone pole") at the ground, nocks the thing, and /shoots it from his bow/.

Asuna (9) has posed:
What.

Asuna whips around after a few seconds as the Sword Skill resolves, watching him nock a BLOODY TREE TO HIS BOW, and if there was ever a look of shock on Asuna's face, it is both back and /hilarious/ now on her face, the little swordmistress mouth something silently, her voice having left her out of shock, surprise... what have you.

"what."

She breathes, but then there is no time, just instinctive reaction, and Asuna dashes forward, before she throws herself to the sand, landing on her facde as the tree goes over her head. Asuna gets back up onto her knees, huffing some sand out of her mouth and brushes it off of herself as she stands again. Then she twirls around to face Gough Again, this time her blade striking out a single stab, using it much less like a rapier and something more like a polearm.

Artorias (182) has posed:
Artorias can't help but laugh a little. "The cut was so quick, 'twould seem Sir Gough did not even know it hit him! He seemeth to be beginning to struggle, as both of our combatants find themselves worn to their limits. For her size, Lady Asuna hast been a skilled and determined fighter. Ah...and 'twould seem Sir Gough is uncertain about his choice of ammunition! He is going to one of the trees nearby for some reason...oh. Oh, he is plucking one free and nocking it to his bow! Lady Asuna is shot by a mushroom tree!"

Artorias is on the edge of his seat then, but he suddenly pumps his fist in an 'aw, darn' manner when Asuna dodges. "Ah, and he missed. I suppose trees art not as fitting for arrows as his usual. Still, Lady Asuna has risen from her evasion and is rushing ahead to once more strike Hawkeye with a single thrust of her sword!"

Gough (268) has posed:
The Hawkeye can't help but laugh a jolly laugh at the sheer befuddled expression on his opponent's face. It's a good laugh; a good-natured belly-laugh.

"Why so surprised? Didst thou not expect me to use the landscape to my advantage? A warrior, nay a knight; must use every advantage he has!" His voice booms across the desert.

Apparently he is weak against polearms, because he keeps getting skewered by that little rapier. Gough is very bloody by this point, but he seems to be doing his best to ignore the pain. Harder to ignore is how slick it makes his footing, or how infirm his grip on his bow from the blood, his own blood, on his hands.

Gough takes the blood once more with a grunt, dropping again to a knee. This time he takes the rather large, unfinished carving he'd stuck in his belt at the beginning of the match, clutching it in hand and attempting to smash it down over Asuna as one would with a rock.

Asuna (9) has posed:
"No, I understand that! But I cannot pluck a tree and use it as a blade, nor as a arrow for a bow! And my bow, if used as a club, would do very little!" Not that Asuna uses a bow and arrow, anyways. She tilts her head up to him - and then she sees the carving come down at her, and she immediately ducks down, hands over her head as she gets smashed into the ground. There's a rather nasty crunching noise, and there's silence from the small blue and white and definitely red frame as she huddles there in her little sand hole for awhile.

However, stand she does, almost blindly stumbling over to her blade where she had dropped it when she saw the carving, so it wouldn't break. Her wings disappear as she picks it up - her energy for her acrobatic flight actions is just /gone/. She then turns back to Gough.

"Starry Strike." She whispers, her blade glowing /golden/, then she strikes out, her rapier flicking in a series of star-shaped stabs.

Gough (268) has posed:
"Thy bow is no doubt smaller than mine." Gough's tone is still jolly, even if he sounds tired. "Hah! Then again, no doubt many bows are smaller than mine."

Suddenly the world is made of stars. Gough actually cowers a little under that onslaught, not because of any particular fear, but because it's like input overload. Trying to track that many stars (and stabs) is just too much to do, so Gough does the only thing he can think of. He tanks it through to the end!

And wobbles on his feet once the onslaught subsides.

"Stop; stop!" He still sounds jolly, but he definitely sounds tired now. "I yield to thee, good Lady! I yield to thee." Again, there's that cheerful laugh. He slumps a little. "You have this round. But I expect thee to go all the way, and I will be cheering for thee through thy progress!"

Artorias (182) has posed:
"Ladies and gentlemen, both our duellists seem to be pushed to their very limits in this match! Lady Asuna hast drawn no small amount of blood from the giant, but Sir Gough hast offered just as much damage in return! Whoever may win this match is unclear, but 'tis certainly an engaging duel! Ah...'twould seem Sir Gough is making use of one of his carvings now, producing the large chunk of wood from his belt and swinging it down to strike Lady Asuna over the head with it! Lady Asuna, in her swiftness, ducks...but it doth little to spare her from the impact as she is struck down!"

Artorias visibly winces at that hit. "Ooh, that will leave a mark. Ah, but the determined White Flash refuseth to remain embedded in the earth for long! Up she riseth again, brandishing her sword - 'tis glowing /gold/, by the Lord! Stars flash upon her strikes now, and...and he has yielded! Lady Asuna hast claimed victory this day against Hawkeye in a brilliantly spectacular match!"

Ciaran (396) has posed:
Ciaran sighs sadly at Sir Gough's defeat. "I suppose the barrels shall be dragged out for less jovial reasons tonight," she murmurs to the big wolf at her feet. A moment later, in a more cheerful tone: "Ah, but to drink to Lady Asuna's success 'tis happy occasion enough! We shall give her the support of all our hearts, shall we not?" Smiling behind her mask, she bends down to ruffle Sif's ears, then hops up to her feet to melt into the crowds. She'll catch up with the others later.

Asuna (9) has posed:
"Thank you, Sir Gough! You have given me one jolly fight, and I look forward to moving forward!" Asuna grimaces as she sheathes her blade. "... and rest for a little bit, admittedly, although I am sure we will both be celebrating with our friends and beloved ones tonight for a fight well fought!" She bows again, waits for a response, then starts limping off towards the healers.