3085/Who Wants to Sword

Who Wants to Sword
Date of Scene:	23 September 2015
Location:	Alfheim Online <ALO>
Synopsis:	Two challengers, two very different challenges. Zekken faces two SAO legends; Kirito and Tomoe.
Cast of Characters:	Kirito, Tomoe, 437, Yuuki Konno

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Yuuki Konno has posed:
    The legend of Zekken, brief though it's been, has begun to grow rather hugely. She defeated thirty challengers or so that first day. Since then the challengers, having learned to take her more seriously, have steadily improved in skill even as they decrease in number. In large part that's because each fight is taking significantly longer than they did that first day... no one's simply getting blown away in a single rush. Also, there's not so many people eager to show up and put the noob in her place. Fighters tend to be a lot more worried that they'll show up and have their weapons fed to them by someone clearly not the noob they'd first expected to face.

    Some of the top duellists, in fact, have shown up so far. And lost. Leafa's not even the most notorious of these. Even one of the heroes who'd defeated the Main Quest has fallen to the Absolute Blade. Now, there's more people showing up to see who might actually be able to beat Zekken than to challenge her themselves...

Kirito has posed:
    You cannot became a famous swordsman in Alfheim Online without the other famous characters hearing about it. Kirito was delayed more than he wanted to be - the moment news hit him, he'd hoped to show up immediately.

    But then he swooped around, saw the crowds, and decided to wait a little while.

    But this time the Spriggan and black has come and not found a sprawl of noobs getting their asses handed to them. He comes in for a smooth landing a respectable distance away from... well, the purple whirlwind who's been curbstomping so many people.

    Kirito has made a name for himself among the OSS circles and a few big guilds, the legend of the 'black swordsman' taking on a different tint in fairy land.

    And if even Karian lost, then he's all the more fired up to have his try.

    So the mischevious-faced Spriggan waits his turn, standing on the island with his arms folded and an exuberant gleam in his eyes. SOON!

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki's a bit disappointed that no one's shown quite the same level of awesome as that Iron Wolf guy. A few have come close, certainly. There have been other fighters on the same level as the Salamander tank or of the Sleeping Knights in general, but none of them had the same exuberant glee in the fight as he did.

    She'd had a talk with her friends about him, the same day after the fight. They don't want another tank, though. Well, that's not quite true. They don't MIND another tank, but are willing to wait a little while for someone that complements the team a little better. Tecchi and Jun are both great tanks already, and the group simply doesn't have enough healing talent to support a third damage sponge. What they really need, they agree, is either a strong DPS, a strong healer, or an absolute legend of a tank.

    Not that any of this shows on Zekken's face now. Even when facing a disappointing fighter, one who isn't particularly close to what they need, she remains cheerful and appreciative of them simply for stepping up and putting their skills and pride on the line. Yuuki's goal is important, but the Sleeping Knights have months to complete their final goal. They can spend a few weeks finding the right group member... and in the meantime Yuuki's having a huge amount of fun doing her thing before the rest of her team gets online to join her. Even now, she seems absolutely enthused as she cuts her Sylph opponent out of the sky. As graceful as she is on the ground, she's just as graceful in the sky and she was able to figuratively run rings around the Sylph despite her opponent's racial bonus in the air. Zekken seems utterly at home in the air, seeming to utterly ignore such things as momentum and gravity, spending almost as much time upside-down in the air striking down as she does upright striking face-to-face.

    With the duel finished, the 'WINNER' notification posted, she descends to the ground with the lightest of taps, dismissing her wings as she touches down. She looks around at those assembled, seeking to meet the gaze of someone intent on challenging her rather than simply here for free entertainment. Not that she minds people watching of course. Some are probably here to learn her style and weak points... but she really has neither. Her only real style is godlike speed, owing nothing to any training in any earthly martial art. She has little to fear from people needing to study her to try to learn her weaknesses.

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
    "Salamander, Imp- yeah! Sylph and Leprechaun- let's go! Cait Sith, Spriggan, Gnome and Undine, all together now! Puca, singing their songs, join in harmony. With nine powers combined, it's a magic jamboree! We're the flying fairies, shu-shu-shu! The Alfheim Fairies! Magical folk, in the sky!"

    Silverbloom was singing happily as she returned to Aincrad, hoping to post more of her notices up here. She'd definitely need some assistance from the higher-level players to get her troupe off the ground, and this would be a good place to find them. And hey, from the looks of things, Zekken was going another round. So, while she found good places to put up her posters, Silverbloom would glance over to see what was happening.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is still fairly well known her self she's been pushing the content in the floating castle for one with several major guilds. She's also fairly well known in the PVP arena as well for her fighting.. She's arriving a bit later than Kirito and sees a duel end with another one biting the dust. She looks at how fast she is and an eyebrow goes up.

Tomoe does not expect to see speed like that very often and generally only from one group of people who are not the most common thing in in ALO, SAO survivors so this is really making her wonder here as she settles in. The Salamander Woman is hard to miss at being over six feet before you factor in the heels on her boots. Also her armour set of stands out a bit due to the custom work she had done on it's appearance.

"Well this should be interesting."

Kirito has posed:
    The moment it's time for another challenger to step up to the plate, Kirito vaults forward at god-like speed, landing in a crouch and scuffing up a little dust. But he rises quickly, still aiming that smile - full of mischevious confidence - at the now-legendary duelist.

    "I'll go for a round."

    At this, of course, some of the onlookers fall silent. Those that recognize him, anyways. Kirito's name has come up a few times on the MONUMENT OF SWORDSMEN, and he's been with many of the big floor boss raids.

    Notably, only one of his weapons are visible. Vox Unitas remains sheathed across his back.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    No doubt Yuuki would have heard of Kirito if she'd been in the game long. She's been all over the VRMMO map however, not just ALO, and seems not to recognize the Black Swordsman. She simply smiles at his eagerness to challenge. THIS is the sort of person she's been looking for. She meets his mischevious confidence with a smile of her own, touching her sword hilt with her right hand, summoning the menu in the air before her with her left.

    With Kirito's weapon in his hand, she doesn't see the need to ask what sort of restrictions to put on the duel. This fight won't be one of artificial limitations. "You move pretty fast, oniisan!" she grins. Now, so long as he can fight half as good as he seems... he MIGHT be the one they're looking for. Particularly if the buzz from the audience can be believed. She's drawn the one who may well be considered the top duellist of the server. The one who defeated Eugene in a fight. The Aincrad boss-murderer. This ought to be FUN!

    The duel challenge is sent. Kirito's menu pings. 'YUUKI has challenged you to a duel. Accept?' Across from him, Yuuki eases her sword, readies it in one hand, grinning fiercely across at her opponent with her blade held low before her, tip pointing at his face.

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
     Okay- this, Annie had to watch. She'd remembered Iron Wolf from the Midsummer Night's Dream event, but Kirito she was a bit more familiar with. Mostly because of Yui, who she felt was pretty much a kindred spirit, even though they hadn't really gotten to know each other very well. And now, Yui's dad was going into battle. This time, Annie was hoping for him to win- but from what she'd seen so far, it'd be a tough fight for him no matter how good he was.

Kirito has posed:
    It's a hell of a thing, pushing himself to 'perform' in front of everyone. Having so many eyes on him always fills Kirito with anxiety, but he's come a LONG way from those days in Aincrad.

    He shows NONE of that nervousness, no matter how much it's built up. Kirito smoothly presses the accept button... then draws his blade in one smooth motion. In that same instant he drops down into a fighting stance.

    "I can go faster." He retorts in challenge.

    The timer comes up and starts ticking down...

    KIRITO vs YUUKI!

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    "Really?" Yuuki grins. She's not sure if it's just pre-fight boasting or if he's serious. Probably serious, if the talk of the crowd is to be believed. He's got to be good, that much is obvious. The question is, is he a speedster like her? Or if he's not, what accounts for the skill he apparently has? Yuuki's looking forward to finding out. "Let's see, shall we?" she says, flexing her knees. The moment the timer ticks down to the start, she dashes with enough speed and force to fling up a cloud of dust behind her.

    It's a feint of course. She stops the charge, using the light frame of her imp body to skid to a stop just outside striking range. As the dust blows into where Kirito stands, she bops upright, grins, then spins around and to the side, angling a cut at his legs.

Kirito has posed:
    As it immediately turns out, Kirito is INDEED capable of moving faster than that. His reaction the instant Yuuki moves is almost faster than the eye can see. Tiny fluctuations in his muscles, reflexes firing into full action. The boy's dark eyes zigzag up and down Yuuki in the span of a heartbeat, reading her intent through instinct learned throughout years of life or death battles.

    Kirito is a Spriggan. Heavier than Yuuki's Imp form, and a bit slower - he focuses more on power. So he immediately hunkers upon picking up Yuuki's plan... and brings his blade around. Metal impacts with metal, sparks flying as Vox Unitas clashes with Yuuki's blade!

    When the dust clears, Kirito's expertly parried the blow... ALMOST. It grazed his leg, startling him!

    He knew she looked fast from AFAR. It's quite something else seeing it up close!

    That amazement lasts only an instant though. Kirito transitions the parry into a series of thrusts and slashes, hoping to drive Yuuki off and give him something breathing room to think again!

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe wtches the pair as they strt fighitng she's clearly watching how they fight this should be good She's never seen anyone faster than Kirito, after all right? He had insane response times even for someone from SAO after all. She tilted her head a bit.

"Faster? This is something I have to see."

She's been watching with a good deal of intrest. She watches the hit tht connected and stares for a moment.

"You getting lazy Kirito?!"

She's just teasing him but damn this other fighter? Is hella fast, like on the level of a SAO vet.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki's a little surprised by Kirito's speed. In all her time, save only her sister and a few opponents in her earliest days in VRMMOs, she's never fought someone her own speed. For that matter she's never fought anyone all that close to it, not in the past year at least. She's faster than Kirito now, or at least it seems so at the moment, but he's faster than anyone she's ever faced.

    That doesn't stop her from blocking some of his strikes at least. The chime of sword on sword rings out several times, as does the meatier sound of blades cutting home. She doesn't parry every blow and she certainly doesn't stand toe to toe. Instead she's constantly ducking, jumping, whirling. The only time she remains even marginally steady is when she judges Kirito's attacks aren't sufficiently-lethal to be worth defending against, and so she stands her ground to deliver a more-accurate thrust. Pain is nothing after all, and she can usually count on ending a fight long before an opponent's strikes can add up to something that'll finish her. Someone who's not a boss monster at least. A one-hand blade just isn't going to do enough damage through her armor to scare her, even if Kirito's stronger than she is.

    Several fresh lines of red on her armor, several slivers of life shaved off her health bar, she dances out of combat range. "Pretty good, oniisan!" she says, eyes gleaming. "And it sounds like you've got some fans! But I've got a bard cheering for me, right Silverbloom?" she calls out, grinning and gesturing with her off-hand to the little Puca.

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
     Silverbloom waves back to Yuuki. She wasn't actually rooting for her... but she wasn't rooting against her all that much either. It's one of those things where she wishes they could both win. And... since they're having fun, it seems like they are both winning, in a sense. At least that's how it looks to her.

Kirito has posed:
    GETTING LAZY?!

    Kirito grimaces, both at that call and Yuuki's insane skill... no, her insane SPEED! There's a very solid difference between their styles. While Yuuki fights freely, with little in the way of stances, Kirito's relying on some very fanciful and practiced footwork, relying heavily on his sword to parry counter thrusts. Very little ducking and weaving except when his sword is unable to reach...

    A few of Yuuki's blows pierce his guard just barely, landing grazing blows on his arms or shoulders. However, Battle Healing is working in his favor there. The boy's hit points refill fast enough that it's visible on the duel window!

    That might pose a problem. few people are able to push that one up to over 900, because of how difficult it is to operate safely while in the red and not just keep DYING.

    "Your speed's unreal! Are you even human?" Yep, he's surprised alright.

    He disengages at the same time with a leap backwards of his own. Not as acrobatic, but it's definitely dramatic. The boy's longcoat flutters in the wind... then he grinds to a halt... takes a breath... and rises again.

    His whole BODY tensing.

    Yuuki is faster. He has an advantage in power, but for that to matter he'll have to catch her when her guard is down. Either last long enough for her to expose herself... exhaust her... or break her guard.

    All of which seem unlikely, given the fact that she's been dueling opponent after opponent and shown no sign of tiring or making mistakes.

    His questioning her humanity might be a litle more serious than just a random exclamation.

    Regardless, he extends Vox Unitas again and twirls the sword around once, leaving it out behind him after the motion. His stance deepens and one hand is extended, for whatever good it will do him. The goofy expression he wore prior is gone, exchanged quickly for a fiercer, serious gaze.

    The stance is unusual to say the least, but perfect for launching Sword Skills. Is that his intent--

    WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!

    Nope!

    Turns out his intent was to close in for another melee! he charges straight for Yuuki, expecting her to do as before - use her insane speed to try and sideswipe him. But Vox Unitas is whipped out into action quickly enough and manuevered expertly into another barrage of gale-like slashes! "UUuuuuuuuAAAAAAAHHH!"

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki has no reason to associate her state with anything inhuman, or for that matter her ability with anything inhuman either. She tosses her hair and giggles girlishly at the question. "Don't be silly. I'm as human as you are!" she laughs.

    The fight's going to be another matter entirely. She's done more damage than him, but he's actually regenerating. Not as fast as she can dish out the damage, sure, but if the fight draws out too long it might actually play a role. She's confident in her skill, in her speed, but she's not entirely confident in the outcome of the match. Well, if he DOES beat her, he's more than earned Mother's Rosario. And if he can out-DPS her, she'll absolutely HAVE to recruit him for the next boss rush! Either way, win or lose, she wins.

    Yuuki's eyes widen when Kirito's expression goes serious. She angles her body, readying herself. A sword skill? One she's never seen? That would be awesome! But no he charges in at her, delivering a perfectly mundane series of blows. Fierce, fast blows, but still entirely mundane. She predictably dodges to the side, but somehow she doesn't completely fall to the trap. Several blows later, several exchanges of hits and parries, she binds up his blade. As the dust of their furious exchange fades, onlookers will see her health bar - rather significantly depleted - and the marks of a number of smallish wounds criss-crossing her armor. Not the worst she's ever been, but probably the most damage she's ever taken with her opponent this fresh.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe Was mostly joking at least until she saw what wa going on now with this mysterious Imp. She's fast, she darn fast, she's having trouble tracking him and the look on her face gets serious as she watches. She hears the comment and it's a legit one given SAO vets are stupid fast, and Kirito is the fastest of them all. This woman he's fighting is /faster than that/ she half wonder if Cardnial is playing now as a part of the world as /well/. No that can't be it? She calls out.

"That was a legit question! Given some of the people in our guild!"

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
     "Nope, she's a fairy!" Silverbloom calls out with a big smile as the subject of Yuuki's humanity comes up. For all she knew, there could be actual fairies playing... though she wonders why they'd want to when they could just do this stuff in real life. In any case, she watches the health bars intently. "Wow... it's really close this time. I think he can actually do it!"

Kirito has posed:
    It's rare, RARE indeed that Kirito ends up blade-locked with an opponent and forced to use his free hand in any capacity. But Yuuki's not just fast, but strong! ... Strong enough that even his heavy strength build is pushed into using both hands. "ghhhh--!"

    Being blade-locked is not to his taste at all. It binds up his movement!

    What's worse, in that flurry of exchanges, a bunch of Zekken's blows have gotten THROUGH his guard. Their hit points are pretty close to equal... but favoring Yuuki by 15#505

    Provided his regen doesn't screw that up...

    Can Kirito win this?!

    But something funny's going on. Yuuki has a clear view of his brow furrowing, as if something's bothering him. It's over in a FLASH though.

    In that same flash... Kirito deploys his WINGS for even further leverage. "Well I guess in this world, we're not!"

    The black limbs vibrate to full power even before they're fully formed, and he uses the leverage rather weirdly. He SPINS AROUND, bringing a foot up for a kick in an attempt to break the bind..

    Which might or might not involve catching Yuuki in the gut with a sky-rending spin kick!

    Kirito DOES have Martial Arts mastered!

    But he DOESN'T follow up on it, instead switching to defense. For an instant his free hand hovers out in the air, as if he's pondering bringing up his menu mid-fight... but perhaps he thinks better of it and instead focuses on Yuuki!

    "Ghhh..."

    There is something pretty OFF about Kirito's focus here...

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki laughs. "I suppose they have a point!" she grins. "But do I really seem so inhuman?" she asks, slightly offput. She has no clue what's wrong with Kirito, but clearly something is.

    She's a bit surprised by Kirito suddenly manifesting wings, but of course she hadn't specified otherwise. It doesn't bother her. She's been flying only a short time, but mastery of the air came to her almost as naturally as if she were born in this virtual body. Like just about every other aspect of VR, it's not even something she really has to think about.

    She's knocked backwards by Kirito's forceful kick, but she absorbs the blow easily enough, breaking away at about the same time as he lashes out. She's no stranger to martial arts, having journeyed for a time in a Samurai-based MMO where it was a reasonably major aspect. The kick does no significant damage and while she goes flying, she literally goes flying. Her own wings appear while she's in midair, and she practically looks like she intentionally launched herself just to counter Kirito's own calling of the wings.

    Black, star-speckled wings flutter, and Yuuki drops to the ground once again. "You okay, oniisan?" she asks, looking concerned. "Hey, if you have to go, that's fine. I'll be here tomorrow, same time. We can duel again then!" she offers pleasantly if not cheerfully. With him this distracted, she's not particularly happy. If he's not fighting his best, it's not nearly as fun!

Kirito has posed:
    "..." Kirito frowns. It's a very torn look indeed. But it hardens. "I'd lose the right to call myself a swordsman if I didn't take this challenge seriously...!" He all but mentally KICKS himself there.

    But yeah, something is bothering him. despite this, Yuuki's landing is met with him again readying his weapon. "Sorry. You definitely..."

    Whirl-whirl-whirl-WHOOOSH! Kirito spins his weapon around and lays it across his back. "...Deserve my full attention!"

    Tomoe might recognize this posture. Vox Unitas glows brightly! It's a Sword Skill... but not just any.

    "HUAP!"

    It takes no time at all for Kirito to close the distance. He lunges forwards with a spinning strike at blinding speeds... but it's a double spin. The shining sword than flips around and the boy goes into a flip slash that ends with him driving forward into a ferocious assault of frenzied slashes! Seven strikes in total!

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    "That's the spirit, oniisan!" Yuuki cheers, setting herself up and dismissing the wings. Kirito hasn't left the ground yet, meaning he's probably a lot more comfortable on the ground than in the air. A number of the top duellists like to fly, preferring that unique game advantage. Those who remain on the ground are often PVE-focussed, since most big battles are fought in dungeons where only the Imps can fly. A ground-based fight allows Yuuki the best chance to consider her adversary in an anti-boss role, though she's already fairly sure. This person would be an excellent addition to her group! He's got the skills, he's got the attitude. Assuming he doesn't flake out entirely, he's almost certainly the one she's looking for!

    She has an intent look on her face as Kirito comes charging in, blade lain across his back. This is definitely a sword skill... she can see the blade glowing! Of course she's never seen this attack before, but that's okay. She knows plenty about the OSS system, having made use of it herself to craft an original skill. You have to make certain assumptions about your opponent, given that there's limited opportunities to divert attacks mid-technique. The sword skill is fast, deadly, uninterruptible... but it's also predictable. Besides, Yuuki's perception and reflexes are quite literally second to none.

    Only two possibilities here. To retreat or to block. If she retreats, she just prolongs the charging attack. No, she has to let him start. If he's smart, if he crafted a good skill, she ought to get no good opportunity to sidestep or duck. She owes it to him to see this technique to the end. To be SURE that he's as good as she thinks. Besides... what'd be the point of dodging? She couldn't call herself a swordsman if she ran away from this challenge!

    As fast as Kirito is, Yuuki's faster. Her blade comes up, and she beats into his strikes. Not opposing strength to strength, she uses the center of mass of her own blade to deflect Kirito's blade's tip. Seven times she wards him away, not attempting to stop his strikes, just slowing them enough to feel where they're going, and to put her own body out of harm's way.

    After the seventh strike, once she realizes Kirito's done, Yuuki doubles up and smashes her sword down. A fast but predictable strike, powerful enough and fast enough that Kirito won't be able to dismiss it... though he can easily enough resist it with his superior strength and weapon. With them this close, Yuuki shakes her head. "Oniisan, that was an amazing attack!" she gushes enthusiastically. "Did you create it?" she fangirls.

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
     It's a full parry! It's madness! ...wait, wrong game. But in any case, Silverbloom is stunned by Yuuki's expert blocking. She feels like that'd be tough to do for her, and she's an android! (Though, the extra processing used in her particular interface to let her emulate human brain patterns, as well as her general interest in fairness, does result in her being at a generally human skill level in the game.)

Kirito has posed:
    'You have to be kidding me' is the expression Yuuki's insane evasion elicits from Kirito. She's deflecting and dodging a 7-strike Sword Skill she's NEVER SEEN BEFORE!

    It's far too ridiculous. Simply impossible. Even he couldn't do that with a lesser one... he's pretty sure he couldn't get through a situation like that unscathed! Come close? Maybe? But not THIS good.

    The barest of gasps, perhaps a realization, escapes Kirito's lips. And his body unfreezes just in time. Vox Unitas once again clashes with the Imp's speedier strikes, leaving Kirito in a disadvantaged blade lock and an awkward position with less leverage! "Ghhuh... to think someone would just plow through my best Original Sword Skill... Seven Sins..." Again she's bested him.

    But he has a few words to say. Instead of the loud banter that everyone can hear though, this is little more than a whisper. For Yuuki's ears alone. "In another world, you would have been a hero. You weren't there... but you've come to live even more deeply in this world than me, haven't you?" There's a faint hint of sorrow and uncertainty in his tone that's highly inappropriate against Yuuki's intense cheer. A note of seriousness so deep it shouldn't ever come up in just a game, period.

    Kirito gathers his strength and springs backwards in another disengaging leap, going skidding across the ground...

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe was expecting a fight but not to see Kirito on the ropes like this, not like this at all. She watche as Kirito is just about to unload she wonders about this woman? Who is she she's so fast she's pushing Kirito to stop screwing about and use that attack? She watches intently she tracks the movements and she is now watching Yuuki intently now.

She's also got FRAPs going at this pint she'll take this apart frame by frame if she has to. She's now almost excited she's run into some good people but nothing quite like this and then Kiurito has been beat she stares seemingly shocked. She now moves to step in and looks at Kirito then to the lady who beat him.

"I never seen anyone that fast, how ... are you like that?! I do not know many people who have more timed logged into a world like this than myself, Kirito and a few others."

She's honestly shocked here and is leaving a hint to Yuuki just who Kirito and Tomoe really are.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki grins at Kirito's reaction. It's nothing really. Okay, not nothing, but it's not all THAT incredible. She's got to be quick, but all OSS attacks have a glaring weakness. You've got to set them up in advance, and to use them means committing to an attack without any hope of variance. Clumsy techniques that attack across a broad area, varying greatly in their strikes, simply don't qualify in the execution category. A skill has to be fast, it has to be a suitable combo... and tellingly it has to have a tight focus. In other words, by its very nature even the best OSS is somewhat predicatable.

    It takes Yuuki a moment to process what Kirito's saying though. The whispered words are weird enough, obscure enough, that their meaning escapes her. The expression on his face though, that clues her in somewhat. He must... he must know. Somehow he knows. She lives in this world... not in the real one.

    It doesn't help when Tomoe adds her own question and consideration. More time logged in to a world like this. Well, that's true enough. No one's ever had more time logged in than her, considering she lives in VR. Her smile broadens. It's not like this is anything to be ashamed of or to feel sorry about. She doesn't answer in words though. Without a moment's thought, she charges in, her feet making the ground around her practically explode. The attacks she sends out are completely unyielding too. It's as if she's become serious for the first time. She strikes with deep thrusts, with almost delicate cuts, tearing at Kirito with almost no regard for defense, just wanting to finish the duel. The unfortunate thing though... if he figures it out... well, he'll never be a team member. She couldn't fight alongside someone who showed so much sorrow but didn't actually share in her fate.

Kirito has posed:
    So he was right. She WAS holding back.

    But despite all of his realizations, mostly private though they're kept, his pride as a swordsman won't allow him to just QUIT. Kirito summons up every erg of his skill and speed can at a moment's notice... and faces the purple whirlwind with an equal sense of finality. This will decide it!

    He charges INTO her flurries, and dust EXPLODES from their impact. Sparks fly from it again and again as blow meets blow and blades dance in a vicious duet that far exceeds the previous exchanges in every way. Desperation has now been added to the mix, where before there had just been the urge to compete...

    Now, Kirito wants to see just how far he can go against this opponent...

    Even if he can't win.

    And that seems to make a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE in its own way. Reinvigorated, he stands strong against the assault, managing to barely deflect most of the first wave of strikes away from his vitals... but the thrusts still pierce his limbs and shoulders. So ferocious is Yuuki's assault that he can't manage any serious counterattack! Kirito's pressed back, losing more and more ground and HP after the first ten seconds of exchanges... until he's reduced to twenty percent HP and in the red.

    "RESIGN!" He shouts with a likely unexpected finality, pushed down to his knees and breathing hard.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    It's not that Yuuki was holding back, but that her entire being wasn't wholly in the fight from the start. She used every ounce of her skill, but her intent was to *duel*, not to *win*. Only at the last did she fully commit, having learned everything from her opponent that she wanted to.

    As the 'RESIGN' message flashes in the air, Yuuki stops, stooped over. She straightens, and seems to draw herself together, her eyes cooling from the heated intensity of the fight.

    She can't afford to show frailty or weakness. Yuuki smiles, turns aside, and bows to the audience who break into wild cheers. She then bows to Kirito. "Mmmmm!" she hums in pleasure through a broad grin. She's not even breathing hard. Then again why should she? Do you really think that's air you're breathing, and all that? "You're really good, oniisan!" she grins, her eyes closing in a rather feline expression of pleasure. Her eyes open again, and there's no hint of her fears or her earlier explosion of fury. "Thanks so much for the duel!" she says cheerfully.

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
     Silverbloom looked a bit disappointed for a moment at the outcome, but still waved her hands and let her bells jingle as the resignation is accepted. "That was really close! Great job to both of you!" she exclaimed.

Kirito has posed:
    Kirito ambles to his feet in no time at all. With the duel over he again gives Zekken one of those mischevious, albeit-now-pleased smiles. "And I've been bested. You're something else, Yuuki! Nn! Thanks for the match!"

    It's hard to shake the feelin that something's haunting him though, despite all of that. No matter how much he enjoyed that.

    So he vaults backwards, aided by his wings, and takes a place among the spectators again.. well, really, he lands next to Tomoe. "Going to try?"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe grins happily she has no idea what the truth is about what's going on "Maybe Psalm's right." Zekken could just be flat out better than them. That actually excites the salamander and she looks to Kirito nodding with a big grin on her face.

"Yes, yes I am. It's been a very long time since I had a challenge agianstsomeone new."

She gives her friend a look then looks to Zekken and bows slightly.

"So you want to have a go of it? Been a long time as I said since I had a challenge on the level of this. This should be fun!"

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Of course Yuuki has no clue who Psalm is, or what she said for that matter. All she really knows is someone else is challenging her. She beams, looking her new opponent up and down. Another massive Salamander, heavily-armored, apparently wielding a sword. Kind of a lot like the Iron Wolf really, and that's fine with her!

    She bows in return, though she's not really solemn enough to make the gesture a typical one. She's certainly respectful enough, but that's tinged with a bit too much giddiness to be properly formal. "Let's have a good fight, okay oneesan?" she grins.

    She's not sure this woman would be a good match for the Knights. The problems with the Iron Wolf are still in her mind, and much of the same things count against this salamander as well. Still, she doesn't care. Even if this is nothing more than a fun duel... well, it'll be a fun duel! And besides who knows? If the woman's overwhelmingly strong, or if she's not statted out quite the way she appears, she might still be a good match! If, that is, she doesn't share her companion's expressive sorrow at least...

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is looking the smaller fighter over for a moment, she bows back in return.

"That's the plan and the name's Tomoe. It's good to run into someone so skilled."

She seems to be making ready with her sword and she summons a shield from her inventory and she makes ready to face off against Zekken. She waits for for a moment, she keeps her stance ready and she is made ready. She's thinking over the movements, she does wonder how long Zekken could keep up her attacks and could she endure it? It would be hard to tell, yet she'll find out one way to another now. She is tanky yes but there are some little things about her that might not be as commonly known as others. She is not going to use magic as this is a sword duel after all. She then brings up her menu s she's ready and does the duel invite. It's time to get this started.

"Whatever happens this is going to be fun."

Kirito has posed:
    Kirito's silent, but standing tall with his arms folded and eyes FIXED on the following. He's got plenty of hunches about Zekken and, despite that little exchange, is rather interested in what's about to happen! Tomoe is one of the best of the frontliners, a true veteran of SAO and definitely in the same league as he. Maybe her build will stand a better chance...

    But he'll just have to see.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki examines the duel request, pausing a hand over her menu. "You can use whatever you want. I'll stick with my sword." she grins. It's not entirely a benevolent offer, of course. Spells are powerful, but against a sufficiently-fast opponent they're an open invitation to be face-stabbed. Spells are really only good when you're hiding behind a tank, not when you're duelling.

    Yuuki punches the 'accept' button, her HP refilling from the previous duel as she readies for battle. She certainly seems confident, and not at all worn out from her furious battle with Kirito. She reaches up, slaps her face, then draws her sword. 3. 2. 1. FIGHT!

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
     Annie is interested in how this next battle will go. Would Yuuki be worn out- at least mentally- from the tough fight with Kirito? Right now she didn't look that way at all. They'd just have to see! Meanwhile, she headed over toward Kirito. She was about to hand him one of her posters, hoping he might be willing to help out with her new endeavor- but she stopped when she noticed how closely he was watching the fight. This would have to wait.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe nods and says "I might have a surprise or two for you."

Kirito might know what Tomoe is talking about as maybe Annie if she's seen footage of Tomoe fighting in the /union archives. Tomoe sizes up Zekken again she's a bit more cautious? No she's looking for the tell tale signs of movement what is just starting. Tomoe doesn't waste time knowing how swift that Zekken is. She moves in quicker than one might expect. She makes good use of her shield to giver herself some cover as she attempts to do a few probing strikes with her long sword against Zekken, nothing fancy, just yet.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki rather good-naturedly fences with Tomoe's blade, staying somewhat defensive at first. The shield is something she has to solve. Not that she's never faced shields before or anything. They're a good defense but hardly perfect. No one can strike without exposing at least a part of themselves, and they have to expose some of themselves to see as well.

    It doesn't take Zekken long to make her move. At one point when Tomoe does a probing strike, she beats hard at the sword, trying to fling it wide and create an opening. She draws her sword back again insanely quickly, trying to find a point that shield doesn't defend once it moves, then darting in to carve into any possible opening.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is clearly aware both her and Zekken are feeling eachother out but she seems to also be aware it's not perfect. She's very aware of this after all but she seems to be having fun, Zeeken makes her move and react quickly and does score a hit on Tomoe but the opening was very brief and very short. Anyone slower than Zekken or Kirito likely would not be able to react in time. Tomoe does shift and make a strike trying to fend off Yuuki.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    The sword flashes in on Yuuki, closing in almost as if in slow motion. Her own movements too are slow-motion, as the strike gets closer and closer, all but inevitable. Yuuki's own blade finally strikes upwards, chiming off Tomoe's sword into just missing vulnerable skin. Close, so very close, but with Yuuki's defensive speed it'll take a lot more than just a single strike to get to her.

    As Tomoe's blade goes high, Yuuki spins low in the opposite direction, sweeping out with her blade at the Salamander's ankles. Not that there's disabling blows in ALO or anything, but it's pretty far away from that shield at least!

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe takes the hit a lot better than one might expect the damage is still scored. She's now attemping to counter it, she seems to have an idea of what's going on for Tomoe leaps and fliping into the air spinning evading the strike at the cost of getting off a counter attack, she lands a bit awys and grins a bit.

"Clever!"

She seems to be making ready again for another move but Zekken is going to have some time to react.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki shakes her head, laughing. "You're really quick, oneesan!" she says with delight. Not as quick as her. Not as quick as Kirito either... but surprisingly quick for a heavy-armor spec and agile too. And that heavy armor! It's really hard for Yuuki to score any kind of significant strike with all the defense Tomoe can bring to bear. She glances up, only for a moment, to gauge what she's doing offensively. Not much, looks like. She'll have to step things up a notch if she's going to break through that defense.

    Super tank indeed, at least perhaps. She COULD use someone like that, someone with a good enough defense to get in a boss's face and keep everyone else from taking damage so as to not tax Siune's mana. But... in order to see the truth of that, Yuuki will have to pour on more pressure. See how Tomoe can take it, and if she has any offense worth considering. Narrowing her eyes, Yuuki dives in, sending a lightning series of slashes at any and all points that could even remotely be considered unprotected. Not a sword skill, just plain speed. Speed fast enough to seem almost everywhere at once, though Tomoe should be one of the few with the perception to at least keep up with her visually. Around the shield, darting to the side, ducking low, cutting a high overhand blow... and then, she tries one more trick. Shoulder-charging that shield, Yuuki rolls clear over it as if it were flat ground and she a child doing a somersault, all to get at Tomoe's exposed back and attempt to jab her blade in somewhere vulnerable.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe says "Thank you, and your actually pushing me!"

She seems to be having fun after all this is a duel, this is not dealing with the remains of laughing coffin or something akin to it. So far as she knows? Zekken is just a hella skilled player, Psalm was likely right. There's always a bigger fish out there, and this has to be it. Tomoe's also getting an idea of how agile the Imp swordy is, which is to say very much so. She sees the barrage coming in, she gets how fast Zekken is, there's no sword tells of a sword skill going on here, she can tell.

The strikes come in and she starts actively parrying them, she's not using the assist from the looks o it parry, block but even the force of the hits are doing some chip damage to her but she's keeping up with the barrage. It's just the start if the combo of attacks upon her but she's keeping up.

"No sword skill there? Impressive."

Tomoe's stance is a bit odd from a lot of people in ALO, its like she played another game, and learned a lot of what cemented her style there.

The overhand blow meets the shield but that's what Zekken wants she rolls up the shield and flips over Tomoe.

The strike comes in and catches her but Tomoe is actually twisting to respond, she's hit there's damage but it wasn't the full out pure back stab it could have been.

"You really are a swordswoman!"

Tomoe is now pulling back the blade comes free leaving the red damage of a brutal strike on her, she managed mitigate the damage. It does. It seems to be a mix of a stats and a pretty good battle healing rating. It's not on the level of Kirito but she's clearly someone whose been knocked the heck about a lot. That's when Tomoe springs away again trying to get some distance, she has her red wings flare up as she jets up rapidly and is chanting as she reaches the apex of her flight, she knows she won't have long, the runes swirl about her and her blade bursts into white flames then she starts to drop again. It seems she's got a plan and has been setting up to start going on the attack, a she does so? She'll launches the now fiery blade into a series of strikes that will do a good deal of additional damage if they connect. Also it's not base fire, it's a bright white fire that would be classed as light element in the combat logs. Tomoe like Zekken has yet to unload and sword arts just yet.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    "Sword skills here are pretty amazing!" Yuuki grins, falling back a bit to get some room to move. "But if you can create one, the only advantage to USING one is elemental damage!" she claims. And she's looking to fight, not to dish out damage. When she needs to use an elemental skill just to win a duel, there's really no reason to continue the fight.

    She grins when Tomoe flares wings and flies away. Flight seems to be a way to tell true veterans in this game. Some people can do it, others can't... or are stuck in assist mode. Happily, Yuuki makes her own wings burst out and takes off up the tree after Tomoe. Not TOO fast, but staying relatively close to keep tabs on the Salamander.

    Yuuki emits peals of delighted laughter at the game as she darts among tree branches, staying mobile to keep from being a good target for spellcasting. She doesn't fear magic, not in this game. She has respect for it, but it's fairly easy for her to avoid as long as it's not the area-blasting spells of a major floor boss. "Huh! Blade enchantment?!" she remarks. That's a pretty good move! A spell that has a strong upside with no real downside as long as you can get room to cast it.

    Yuuki spirals into Tomoe, paying little attention to conventional fighting matters such as which way down actually is. Making darting passes, she challenges that flaming blade. It's a good move indeed. Now those near-misses and grazing hits are a lot more serious, and Yuuki has to be careful. But... far better to be carefree! She darts and lunges, taking a few grazing hits and finally starting to lose noticeable health, but at the same time dealing out some impressive strikes of her own. In particular she's trying to use momentum against the larger Salamander, to time her sword swings to spin Tomoe in the air... unless of course she's an expert flier who can counter the imparted spin and keep fighting.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe says "An interesting way to look at it I admit!"

Tomoe is attacked now she's moving she sees Zekken take flight and comments.

"You got it."

Tomoe has spells she does use but those tend to be for pulling packs of mobs and gaining first threat on them. Not really a thing for a duel. She sees Yuuki coming in and the attacks come. Tomoe's own health bar is going down, she's tanking pretty good for now but her foe has a lot of tricks she can bring up against her. She doe snot know everything Yuuki can do after all. She's fairly quick and seems pretty use to flying, what is clear Tomoe is not /using/ an assist controller to fly she can do it on her own as she does take the hit and spins back she's however very quick to recover and keeps from crashing into the ground.

"So looking to make this a bit of a dog fight now?!"

Tomoe's Japanese is very good but there's always been a faint accent to it, if one is paying attention.

She charges in again launching into a combo of sword blows and even making use of her shield to try the yield shield bash but this fight is getting intense its clear Yuuki has been pushing the Salamander, on the other hand? Tomoe's not crumpled yet to Yuuki either.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    "Flying's fun!" Yuuki says cheerfully. Almost as much fun as fighting! And while flight can be a considerable advantage against an opponent who's grounded or unable to use voluntary flight, Tomoe's good enough that Yuuki doesn't need to fear taking advantage of any lack of skill. She grins as she forcefully parries the attacks, trading strikes and occasionally lashing out with her own dangerous attacks whenever she sees an opening.

    Yuuki's pretty good at stopping the deadly sword-strikes, but her eyes widen in shock when Tomoe shield-bashes her. It's not that it hurts, not really. It doesn't do a whole lot of damage either, since shields aren't exactly a weapon class and don't have damage values. It just catches Yuuki off guard, and she goes spinning away, having to struggle to recover.

    She narrows her eyes and frowns at Tomoe. Not angry at the truck, just concentrating hard. She abruptly darts in, laying about with a furious yell and series of slashes, trying to tear her way through the near-perfect defense.

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe couldn't agree more about flying, it was one of the best parts of ALO, and well with Wander Mode? The local conspiracy blogs sometimes got posts about an angel being spotted over the city. She really doesn't mean to cause issues like that, though Kirito no doubt has not let her hear the end of it. She's aware it has no damage it's a old hold over habit from a game her and her dad played when she was young but it also catches people off guard in a fight too which can make an opening to strike. Yuuki however has speed, more speed than Tomoe and she will start finding her way past her star scoring hits her and there cutting her HP bar down which is now edging into the red at this point.

She does attempt anotehr counter attack but Yuuki is really starting to show how good she is.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Of course Yuuki doesn't know about wander mode. If she did, if she somehow managed to be able to take advantage of that... oh, she would love that so much. Possibly for the best. The Multiverse simply can't handle the adorably-purple Imp girl.... yet.

    Right now though, she's focussed on the duel. Tomoe's good, she has to admit. Not as deadly in her offense as Kirito or the Iron Wolf, but better on defense than either of them. Quite a nice change of pace from the other epic fights she's had recently! She's going to have to really do something good to cut through that defense. She supposes their relative health and damage is still in her favor with Tomoe edging into red while she's still yellow, but she doesn't want to prolong the fight as some kind of war of attrition. She wants to solve this fighter. To understand her, yes, not just for the purposes of winning a duel but for its own sake as well.

    Yuuki brings up her sword, striking Tomoe's blade in a ringing chime that makes some of the audience bring hands to ears in wincing protest. She begins using all the power that's in her tiny frame, twisting and lashing out in repeated sweeping blows. Finesse is usually her best advantage, but perhaps against such a strong defense she's better-off switching to an all-out assault!

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe willl likely end up telling her somedya or one of the other GU will, for now she's tyring to not go down. She's very good at enduring her damage isn't terrible but it's clear she's. She knows just how fast Zekken is. She knows the move she used on Kirito to finish him off. She's also trying to get a feel for what sort of fighter She is too. She has some idea or thinks she does. She does seem to be getting into the fight. Their blades lock for a moment, but th attacks keep coming, Tomoe is unable to parry everything, some slip past her guarrd scoring ints slicin into her avatar and causing her hp to drop more. She has to be able to hit Zekken and that's a lot of the problem, the lady is very good at avoiding that..

"You love this sort of thing don't you? A fight like this...you can learn a lot from it."

She's still trying to press her own attack but Yuuki is fast, and pressing her hard.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Words aren't really necessary. Yuuki just beams in response to Tomoe's question. She almost quite literally LIVES for this kind of fighting. And yes she can learn a lot from fights like this. It's the point of the duels, at least the pount she makes with the other Knights. They don't have the same kind of online time she does, though they all have considerably more online time than just about anyone who has work or school to deal with. She's using some of that extra time to fight these duels, to gain that final team member the Sleeping Knights need to achieve these goals.

    While Yuuki presses her attack so hard, several of Tomoe's attacks will actually hit. Yuuki evades, turning hard slashes into grazing hits, but she's still getting hit and her health is beginning to deplete rapidly. Not every attack gets through. Some attacks she dodges completely, some she parries forcefully, but she's more focussed on attacking with power than on evading every hit. Yuuki's gritting her teeth, disregarding the streaks of red that begin to pile up on her arms, her legs, her torso, even her face. Victory is in sight! She can DO this!

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe has just accepted at this point, Psalm was right, they have run into someone whose just flat out better. Maybe Tomoe now understand she'd got complacent about things? That could be it, yet now she's got a challenge before her, and someone to make her stronger. Tomoe's HP bar is dropping now she's not going to last much longer and she knows it. Her battle Healing is being long over powered and her defences stats can only stave off the end not stop it.

She's still fighting hard and doesn't seem to be planning to quit. Her bar's well into the red, she's not quitting, this might be the point someone might yield but there's something else. She seems intent to fight to the last on this, she launches into an attack it's clearly a desperation move, her strikes are coming in quick and Tomoe seems to have an innate use of her body that's not from her stats. There's very little wasted movement here as she makes her play but it's a last ditch effort to bring yuuki down.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki can sense that desperation. Not in a mystical way, but she sees the health bad and knows what it means to focus everything on the fight rather than surrendering. She herself is below half health, her HP dropping quickly. Tomoe's not got her as near to death as Kirito would have if he hadn't surrendered, but she's done more than any other fighter.

    Yuuki continues to dance and parry, relying heavily on her ludicrous speed to keep Tomoe's blade from landing a critical hit. She brings her sword up, slamming a stroke down at the Salamander woman's head, trying to bring up that shield to block Tomoe's eyes. With the shield in the way, she ducks low, folding her body in half, dashing underneath the defense and spinning, cutting, trying to land that final strike clean...

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe style is also odd, there's many way people in ALO fight some of her manoeuvres more harken back to an actual melee fighter trying to protect vitals. She does bring the shield up she's got little choice if she wants to protect her head from the strike. She does but well she's let her self open as Zekken slips in and scores enough of a hit to drop her. Given the Duel wasn't to the death thankfully, but it's over at this point. Tomoe's HP is basically done and the final strike leaves her staggering and dropping to one knee as the game announces.

Victory Zekken!

"Well fought ... Zekken, very well fought."

There's a small smile on her face as she tries to get up.

"It's been a long time since I fought someone who was better than me outside of Kirito... a very long time. Heck of a fight you do seem to have enjoyed yourself from the looks I saw on your face and I'll be honest. I loved it, you were the first true challenge I had in a very long time and I thank you for that."

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
     Silverbloom cheers again at another entertaining battle. "How many wins is that, Miss Zekken?" she asks. "It's got to be a new record or something!" She hadn't been around for all the fights so she didn't know.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Tekken's final strike finishes with her facing away from Tomoe, and she very dramatically doesn't turn around to view the result. The 'WINNER' chime means she really doesn't have to. Besides with her outfit flowing around her like a samurai's kimono, it's impossible not to have a little flare when you run past a foe to defeat them.

    Once Tomoe begins to speak however, Yuuki sheathes her sword in a slow, deliberate manner. She finally turns around, her serious expression abruptly replaced by a fierce grin. She hops up and down. "Oneesan, that was GREAT!" she burbles. Yes she loved it. There's no doubt she enjoyed the fight very much, and is glad Tomoe's happy.

    Rushing over, Yuuki claps a hand on Tomoe's shoulder. She hasn't made a decision, not yet, but Tomoe's GOOD. And she didn't get the same sense of sadness from her that she got from Kirito. She's willing to consider the swordswoman, though she thinks the decision might be the same as with Iron Wolf. Wait and see, that is. See if there might be a better fit. Wait another week or so if necessary. Still, there's a chance right? She hops back a step, still bouncy-enthusiastic, and opens up her game menu. A few taps, and Tomoe gets a friend request from Yuuki... which is nice and all, but she didn't give Kirito a friend request. Huh. Someone doesn't want to join his fan club, perhaps? Poor Kirito.

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki blinks, looking down at Silverbloom. "Ah... you know, I really don't know!" she says, grinning a bit foolishly. "I haven't been counting!"

    "That's sixty four." one audience member says helpfully. Yep, Zekken fan club. "I don't know that there are records like that. No one's ever challenged the entire server like this... so anyone can have like a hundred wins in a row if they never fight anyone really good!"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is in good spirits as she pops a potion to start her HP bar to fill back up. She grins at Zekken as she looks down to her for a moment and talks. 5R
"I guess I asked a silly question didn't I?"

She accepts the friend invite and also make sure to tag a note on the name so she doesn't forget. She now will raise after a moment, and she pauses.

"Hey a question? You ever been to Dicey's by any chance and damn 64 duels?! Impressive."

She looks to the watcher with a bit of a smirk.

"There is no denying her skill no."

She turns back to Zekken and stretches a bit.

"If your going to keep fighitng I'm going to have to watch for a bit myself!"

Yuuki Konno has posed:
    Yuuki shrugs, glancing at her menu. "Afraid I don't have any more time for duels today!" she claims. She has friends to meet, and they have a lot of fighting to do. And discussions, probably. "And hmmm... never heard of Dicey's. Sorry!" she grins apologetically. "So... thanks for the match! And your friend too!" she adds, grinning impishly at Kirito. Nope, it's not like she snubbed him that friend request out of any personal distaste! "I've gotta fly!" she claims.

    Suiting actions to words, she doesn't wait before launching herself into the air. Woosh!

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe says "No worries and I'll tell you about it. I'm friends with the owner, it's a cafe that exists across several VRMMORPGs, it's a good place to hang out and you can watch streams from other games if tyour curious. Take care Zekken, I'll see you around."

She looks to Kirito and Annie for a moment with a grin on her face.

"Well speaking of Dicey's shall we head there and bug Angil, he's going to want to see the FRAPs from these two fights."

She'l turn and waves to Yuuki as she becomes a spec in the sky.

Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
     "So..." Silverbloom says, turning to Kirito and holding out a poster. "I'm working on a performing group, would you like to help? Or do you know someone else who'd like to? I'm sure a Spriggan could make some great special effects!" She gives a big grin toward him.