WMAT C2 D vs. Takamachi Nanoha

WMAT C2 D vs. Takamachi Nanoha
Date of Scene:	09 July 2014
Location:	WMAT Arena - Gizard Wasteland
Synopsis:	The dhampir D, elegant and noble, takes on the Confederate child mage, known as Good Nanoha.
Thanks to:	Kagenashi for commentating!
Cast of Characters:	85, 232, 381, 401, Neuroi Girl
Tinyplot:	WMAT

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Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
So Nanoha arrives! It's a pretty normal arrival... for her, anyway. The white-clad mage floats in to land at the designated starting area with a little 'tap' of feet on the rock, the pink wings of light on her ankles fluttering a few times. She's looking rather nervous after the close fight last time, and the fact that her opponent is... well... mysterious brooding man with a dour countenance.

It's intimidating.

No reason to not be polite though! The redheaded girl clutches the staff in her hands tightly - though D might notice that the way she's holding it hints at some training with it - and bows to introduce herself. "Takamachi Nanoha. Um, please do your best and enjoy yourself too, okay?"

Meanwhile, not far away, a curvy woman with cat hears is yelling, "YOU CAN DO IT, MASTER! GOOOOO NANOHAAAA!"

Testarossa Fate (401) has posed:
Sllllluuurp.

This is the sound of Arf scarfing ramen, where she sits next to Vesta. "YEAH NNHHA! KKCK HSH ASSH!" She muffles through a mouthful.

Fate is here too, though her support is far more quiet.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
As Vesta slurps and Fate quietly supports, the littlest Neuroi floats down beside them and takes a seat. Neuroi Girl looks toward Fate and Vesta, then toward the battlefield. "...good luck..." she says in her soft voice, probably unheard by anyone but Vesta and Fate. If even them.

D (232) has posed:
'Dour' is one word for the youthful Hunter. Nothing seems to bring him any joy. Is that why he dresses in a black uniform? Is he gripped by a perpetual, soul-rending sorrow so overwhelming he has no care for any other color but the one meant for mourning?

D prefers not to think about himself in that way, but if you ask the entity residing in his left hand just /why/ there isn't any color in the youthful Hunter's wardrobe, you'd no doubt receive a sarcastic answer along those lines.

Tipping his hat toward the girl, D gives his respects in a serene voice. "Greetings. I am certain the match will be a challenge. We may not have met before, but your reputation precedes you, and I expect a good fight, Miss Takamachi."

He has not yet drawn his sword.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
Kagenashi is up on the hovering announcer's booth right now, once more in her festive, bright red kimono decorated with beautiful floral patterns. She has no weapons, but that mask is still over her face, as ever, and Munashi sits up eager and alert on the announcer's desk. "And there is Nanoha already. The eager little girl has fluttered down onto the stone of the Wasteland, striking quite the counter to her opponent. Bright, pink, and very polite, she greets D with a wish for an enjoyable battle. Certainly a change from his last match, as I recall."

The nogitsune leans back in her seat, producing an ornate scarlet fan that she begins to wave over her masked face as she continues. "This choice of arena is a significant change for D, too. Before he was in the Northern Mountains; will the heat of the Wasteland prove to be a problem for him now? He does not seem disturbed yet, at least, for he offers his respects to Nanoha in return with just as much politeness. He has not drawn his sword yet, either. I suppose he wishes to offer her the first strike, if she chooses to accept. How courteous."

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
Vesta can indeed hear Neuroi Girl, and gives her a wild wave! "HEY! It's the... flying... girl thing! You're an awfully good loser, that's awesome!" The cat is actually complimenting someone? Nice!

"Ah, thank you!" Nanoha smiles brightly and floats up a few feet from the ground. "Then you know I'll be shooting to stun. No worries!" At least, that's how it should go, but in her version of the world high-impact attacks can still break limbs and crack ribs. Still, it's better than lethal attacks, and she will hopefully not be doing that! "I'll just get things started, then?"

It's a bit of a projected attack, but one of them has to start. The ruby gem atop her staff glimmers once, flashing brightly with pink light before disgorging one small sphere, and chiming, 'DIVINE SHOOTER.'

"Shoot," Nanoha chirps pleasantly, before that tiny sphere streaks toward D at high speed.

D (232) has posed:
"I appreciate your restraint. I will similarly do my best to avoid bringing you serious harm." D reaches up to grasp the hilt of his sword.

As Nanoha looses her Divine Shooter, forming a small pink sphere meant to try D's defenses, the dhampir demonstrates inhuman speed. In the same instant he lunges forward, he draws his sword -- a slight chime striking the air -- and has enough awareness and time remaining to perform a horizontal slash. The magical sphere scatters around the gleaming edge of his blade, and the Hunter continues his charge, running at Nanoha in a streak of black shadow.

Fortunately, his counterattack is not as aggressive as his charge makes it out to be. The gleaming edge is kept well away from the girl: Nanoha is struck by the weapon's pommel, flipped around in his hand to augment a cautious strike at her shoulder.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
"And accept she does! Nanoha begins to hover above the ground and prepares an attack from her staff: a simple small sphere to open things up, testing the waters against D rather than outright rushing into battle. Ah - but he will not be caught by it so easily! D is fast, and in his rush and lunge he draws his blade and cleaves through the attack. But it is not his blade with which he returns the favor; instead, D rushes toward Nanoha, weilding the pommel of his sword to strike out at her shoulder." Kagenashi makes a faintly amused sound. "Perhaps both of our combatants today are relying on non-lethal attacks?"

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
It might be a cautious strike, but Nanoha was unprepared for that speed! That force! "Wuh-!" Her eyes have just enough time to widen before the pommel strikes, slamming into her shoulder hard enough to break bone! It... doesn't, though, which likely relieves D somewhat. That Barrier Jacket is armor enough to protect her.

Still sends her flying to slam against the nearby towering rock with a *KABOOSH* of rock and dust, coughing loudly as she catches some of it before her Jacket filters the air for her.

'I'M SORRY, MASTER. I WAS TOO SLOW,' Raising Heart chimes.

"I-it's all right, Raising Heart. We'll just have to be faster!" Nanoha reassures as she bursts out of the cloud, the tip of her staff already blazing a bright pink. It's not a fully charged bombardment spell, but the beam of pink that lances out is considerably larger and more forceful than the last one!

D (232) has posed:
I always knew you hated children. The smug old voice chuckles enough to put a concerned frown on D's face. Had he hit Nanoha so hard? It's either surprise or concern widening his eyes. He straightens up from his attack and puts his sword back in its scabbard, the blade clicking home just as poor Nanoha stops bouncing.

"Forgive me," D says to her. "I did not intend to catch you unaware."

Perhaps he should have been taking the time to prepare himself for Nanoha's response? Such resilience! Tenacious Nanoha flattens the Hunter in a bludgeoning bombardment he was not ready to face! What kind of girl is she, to stand up like that and fight back without so much as a tear in her eye?

D needs to reconsider his expectations of young women, it seems. First Toph, and now this one, younger than Toph but no less dangerous...

At least he's as quick to recover. As the last pink sparkle fades from the air, he's bounding back to his feet and leaping into a high vertical jump. His figure briefly obscures the sun, the spread of his cloak making him appear like an immense black bird. Unseen inside the shadow, his hand flicks three times, sending down a shower of wooden needles.

They'll sting, but they're not the kind of thing which would be lethal to Nanoha. She's not a vampire.

He thinks.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
"Ooh..." Kagenashi gives a sympathetic shake of her head as she continues to fan herself. "Blunt though that may have been, the strike is clearly felt by Nanoha! The girl is sent flying back into a nearby pillar strongly enough to kick up a cloud of debris. D is obviously not going to pull his punches for his opponent, even if he does not end up using the blade of his sword this fight - indeed, he is sheathing his sword once more. Ah, but there is Nanoha again, her weapon already prepared with more magic! Pink flies out in a beam, one that seems far more powerful already than the testing strike before."

"D offered an apology to dear Nanoha, but it seems it would have been better spent preparing for the attack that would follow. The hunter is absolutely leveled by that beam, black struck down in a flash of pink. Such is the price of underestimating his opponent," the nogitsune remarks in a singsong tone. "Ah, but he is quick to regain his footing, and actually leaps up into the air! Again he makes use of those wooden needles, casting them down upon Nanoha in an irritating shower. Not quite as flashy, but it certainly may be just as effective."

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
Wouldn't it be awful if Nanoha vanished in a poof of dust or something? But no, that doesn't happen. Instead a shimmering field of pink surrounds her, with a chime from the Device, 'PROTECTION.'

It's a little too slow and a little too weak. Several needles snap and break on the barrier, but several got through, and the barrier itself shatters from the numerous impacts. Several strike Nanoha, causing the girl to cry out in pain and yank one of them from her leg with a wince. Her Jacket is already showing battering and shredding from the earlier impact, too.

But she doesn't let it stop her! "Mnf! Well a battle is all about the unexpected, right?" She counters that philosophically and does the unexpected then, a sudden burst of speed moving her in TOWARDS D for a pulse of magical power to blast through her staff, aiming it in a surprisingly fluid strike toward the dark shape's middle.

D (232) has posed:
The shadow grunts, and is brought down in a much quicker descent than it might like. D is bent by the blow, and whereas Nanoha may land in a display of controlled grace, his own falters, leaving him bent on one knee.

"You are quite right." He doesn't sound displeased, but his expression remains cautious and somewhat nonplussed.

Harmful magic shouldn't be /pink/.

The Hunter whirls toward his foe, the hem of his cloak snapping at the air. Something clicks -- an unusual sound given his tendency for silence -- and it proves to be the scabbard strapped to his back. Something mechanical must hold the scabbard and baldric together. His twist is finished in a thrust of the sword toward the girl, but rather than skewer her on the blade's sharp end, D slings the scabbard's blunted tip at her solar plexus. The scabbard's reach effectively doubles his weapon's range, though in this case, it's not necessary -- Nanoha isn't /so/ far away.

He must take another step forward to insure the scabbard is returned to its former position, hilt and sheath locking again.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
"Nanoha raises shields to deflect D's attack, but it does not quite seem to have been enough. A few shattered against the barrier, but soon the barrier /itself/ shatters, and Nanoha suffers several direct strikes from the offending needles. Tenacious as she is, however, she does not let that stop her, and she rushes in to close the distance between herself and D before delivering a powerful burst of magic to his center!"

Kagenashi winces a little. "Powerful indeed; D is sent to a knee as he lands, but not for long. Again he rises in a whirl of black, and he appears to have freed his scabbard from his back. He wields the weapon with the sheath as a cover, thrusting toward her to deliver a blunt stab! Ah, but he places the scabbard upon his back again when he is done. Certainly unusual tactics he is using in this battle."

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
It's getting easier to guess what's going on with Nanoha's melee skill. She has clear training, probably from an expert... but the fact remains that she's only nine years old and D is... lots older, and faster. Her guard is just fine, and the scabbard skitters along the edge of her staff. If she were a little faster and her reflexes better she might have even slowed it down a little!

But she didn't, and her Barrier Jacket's midsection and it's thick armor is instead left to absorb the blow. A blow hard enough to shatter the chestplate, leaving just the blackskinsuit and white overjacket above. "HYAH!" It also knocks her away with the solid impact, sending the small girl tumbling over in direct defiance of the graceful landing she'd done moments ago. Tumbling over... and off the edge!

Of course, Nanoha can fly so this isn't a crisis, but it's still a clear 'loss' of the point on her end! She streaks up from the other side, clutching her chest with one hand, while the other points Raising Heart at D and lets loose another attack. 'DIVINE SHOOTER.'

The same attack as before? Yes, but the bright pink sphere is so bright, she's hoping to disguise the trio of denser, tiny spheres behind it for a little surprise for D.

D (232) has posed:
D squints. The attack is bright -- almost blindingly so. The Hunter flaunts keen senses, but he is at a disadvantage in the daylight, his eyes made much more sensitive thanks to the ambient light. Anything as bright as Nanoha's Divine Shooter is sure to give him further trouble, and though he falls back and attempts to bring up his sheathed weapon in a crude defense, he is open to the additional orbs hidden by the main orb's brilliance.

The result is a man driven back by a well-trained and clever little girl's too-potent-for-explanation magic. It bursts around him, pummeling him with non-lethal but nevertheless painful powers until he is sent back to his knees and left gasping.

At this point, he decides, he should probably admit Nanoha is an actual threat. The power she has defies all his expectations. A short, sharp sigh is huffed through his nostrils as D gets back to his feet and consider his opponent more carefully.

"Flight," he murmurs, "and a level of skill I did not anticipate. I hope you will forgive me for underestimating you. It is an offensive mistake I hope not to make again."

D leaps -- higher, faster than any human possibly could -- and with a swing to rival any Major Leaguer's, attempts to bat Nanoha right back to the ground.

Even sheathed, that weapon can hurt.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
Kagenashi shifts in her seat to get a better view, leaning on the desk on her elbows as she continues to keep that fan gently waving over her face. Munashi leans up a little, too, silently peering down at the battle. "Strange though his tactics may be, they are clearly effective. D's strike actually shatters Nanoha's chestplate, in fact, and the girl is once more sent flying away...off the edge of their platform! It is a good thing she can fly, or else I imagine D would have leaped in to help her. She returns with another sphere...a blindingly bright one, in fact - ah, and it is bright so as to disguise the trio of shots behind it! A shame D was unable to retaliate against them."

"The overwhelming pink sends D back with surprising force for such cheerfully bright magic, once more sending him to his knees! Gentle though Nanoha may be, she is clearly as much a match for D as Samuel was before. Even the hunter admits this as he rises again, and once more he leaps into the air - and attempts to smash her into the ground with his scabbard-covered sword!"

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
'ROUND SHIELD,' says Raising Heart in a chiming voice. This comes with a barrier, round as could be guessed, flaring to life an instant before the strike hits. This blunts the attack even though it shatters under the impact, sending Nanoha flying down as predicted. And her 'landing' has no shield to protect, hitting with a SLAM of an impact that sends her rolling, a short gasp of pain from the young girl rising up from the bruising impact.

"Nnh... th-thanks? Um... Raising Heart?" She looks to her Device as she shakily rises to one knee and braces the butt of her staff to the ground. It shimmers, changing form to something that has a... trigger of some sort? Uh oh. "Y-yeah, we should really stop fooling around."

'LOAD CARTRIDGE,' the ruby gem declares loudly, with a sudden clatter and loud noise. 'DIVINE BUSTER.'

This isn't a little sphere of power like before. Or multiple spheres. This is a sudden ROAR of energy, a pillar of pink mana that pours forth as if to say she's cut loose at last.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
Neuroi Girl continues to watch. Which might seem strange since she does not have a face. But, she is obviously watching. Her head moves with the action, though she doesn't seem to have any reactions to things. At least, not proper reactions. Her reactions are all delayed. When Nanoha takes a hard hit, she flinches, but only after a few seconds. As if she has to remember to flinch.

Also, Neuroi Girl is conflicted. D is her ally, but Good Nanoha is at the least a friendly aquaintance and the one who defeated her yet seemed concerned about her after the battle. So, the little Neuroi is very quiet, just watching the battle and hoping Nanoha wins.

D (232) has posed:
D has no chance to outmaneuver the cannon-like blast. For all his superhuman capabilities, his supremacy on his own world has left him underprepared to face the challenges of the Multiverse, and Nanoha once more takes him by surprise. Flat-footed, all he can do is lift his cloak like a shield, and crouch behind its dubious protection.

His heels cut furrows into the ground for several feet before he is finally overcome and blasted into a tumbling sprawl. He is slow to rise. D shakes his head in dazed wonder, and reaches up to right his hat.

"Impressive."

He is as gracious in competition as he is beautiful. That's right, we went there today.

The field is crossed in three bounding leaps taken in confusing angles. The second leap cuts impossibly into a whole new direction while D is still mid-air, his twisting body having far more control than seems reasonable. His attack is as fast as it is evasive, and though his flaring cloak makes it impossible not to see him coming, there is something about him when he moves this way which is difficult to anticipate. It's under the cover of this confusing routine he lashes out with his sword again, the end of it swinging around to slap Nanoha across the wrists.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
"Nanoha brings up a round barrier to block D's powerful strike, and while it surely blunts the damage, it nonetheless shatters under the impact. Nanoha is sent hurtling to the ground with a very painful-looking landing, and it seems the girl has also decided that this is the time to increase the power she is sending after her opponent. Here is clearly where the match will grow in intensity, as both our opponents are taking each other very seriously."

Kagenashi stops fanning herself only so that she can put both hands on the desk and support herself as she rises to her feet. "Nanoha sends a sudden blast of pink after D, a roaring pillar that threatens to blast him away! Ah...as the brightness clears, D seems to be sent to the ground. Is he...ah, there, he is rising again! The hunter bounds once, twice, a third time - oh, his cloak is used as a cover to strike with his sword once more, swinging down upon Nanoha's wrists to disarm her!"

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
Disarming Nanoha would be pretty bad, since she relies on Raising Heart for MOST of her magic! Which is why it's a bad thing when, despite twisting around to keep the swat from hitting full on, D's strike still jars her hands and causes her to yelp, the numbing in her fingers causing her to fumble and drop the staff! That's her weapon right there!

But she's not without any protection at all.

Wincing, the young girl dives for the staff that has rolled away, and at the same time D might catch the bright flare of pink to his side as Nanoha uses one of the spells she's practiced for use without a Device: the basic Barrier. And in her desperation, she's casting it now and...

Ramming it toward D like a freight train, just a flat disc trying to slam the pretty dhampir into a column of rock.

D (232) has posed:
The inconvenient pillar of stone crumbles dangerously around D. It's described as inconvenient because if D had been thrown a mere two feet to the left, he would have simply kept going, instead of striking the pillar so hard his insides feel pasted. D is the type to bear his pain in stoic silence, but even this impact draws a low groan from him, and after he staggers forward, he's left bent like a man at least twelve thousand years older, stooped and gasping after the simple effort of crawling out from the coffin.

Silent, focused, he battles past the clanging inside his skull to once more test Nanoha's talents. The sheathed sword is a blur in his grasp. A two-handed strike leads into a twirling, heavy blow from the left. Wielding it almost like Nanoha does her staff, he changes grips constantly, his actual strikes coming in rare and uneven rhythm as compared to the more regular but misleading feints. He takes advantage of his superior reach, and sometimes extends the scabbard along the blade to double or triple that, giving Nanoha next to no chance to escape.

Of course, she is a very small, adorable target, and she has her magic to aid her. Perhaps his cleverness will be wasted.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
"Nanoha's weapon is cast from her hands! The girl's staff goes rolling away, forcing her to cast herself down and catch it again. Ah, but - she has left an attack behind her! A disc of energy goes flying at D to smash him into a column of rock, breaking the stone about as much as it must have broken him! He gets up from it, but surely it has left its mark on him. This battle is truly wearing on even his stoic durability."

Kagenashi straightens up a little more where she stands, a gesture mirrored by Munashi as the shadow fox's tail sways eagerly. "He will not fall yet, however! His swordsmanship is astounding, and even I can barely follow the rain of strikes that falls upon Nanoha from his skillful assault. Feints give way to strong attacks, the scabbard is lowered against the blade to extend his reach even further; his attack upon Nanoha is truly relentless!"

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
'PROTECTION POWERED.'

It looks like Nanoha got Raising Heart back just in time, in part thanks to her fortuitous luck in getting D blindsided by her barrier. "Uwah!" The girl barely manages to react before the sheathed blade is hammering toward her in a skillful display, and she has to rely on her hemisphere of a barrier of pink energy to protect her! Sort of. It doesn't actually manage to block the strikes, but it slows the series down enough to give her a fighting chance, allowing her staff to knock first one, then another aside...

But not all, and she's wheezing as she staggers back, clutching her stomach. One of her wrist shields was hit, too, and the thick armored bracer is cracked and starts falling off even as she recovers herself somewhat. She's losing a lot of her armor here, and taking a bruising to boot.

"SHOOT!" She squeaks in a near-panic, sending a flurry of poorly-aimed pink spheres in D's general direction. Very poorly aimed, as it's unlikely any hit... but he might be on to her by now, so maybe he'll be able to predict that the half-dozen bigger globes of mana will stop in midair and streak toward his back when given the chance.

D (232) has posed:
"BEHIND YOU!"

The voice is distinctly not D's. It's cranky, and far more anxious than the dhampir himself appears to be. The tone of the voice is so crabby, anyone who can hear it is left with the distinct sense an 'idiot' has only /just/ been left out.

Unpleasant the voice might be, it nevertheless turns D's attention just in time for the Hunter to react.

It's an instinctive defense the Hunter tries. Parting his sword from its sheath, he uses both scabbard and blade to deflect or carve through as many orbs as possible. Though an elegant series of parries, it's far prettier than it is effective -- D is only successfuly in negating the punishing hits of a few pink spheres before he's buckling once more, beaten down by the magical forces.

"ENOUGH!"

The shout carries a force which diverts the last orb away from his body.

As it bursts behind him, granting D a short-lived pink corona, he bears down in a repeated flurry. Rather than use his sword like a club, he uses strikes from its flat in tandem beside the sheath's blunter hits. He unleashes a storm of blows.

But never the edge of his sword, that would be like super mean.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
"Strike after strike falls upon Nanoha, but the girl manages to turn at least a few of those dazzling strikes aside. She is finally sent back, however, looking significantly beaten after that flurry of strikes from D. Will she be able to pull through and claim victory after this overwhelming display of agility? Ah - she sends another shot after him, and it misses - and then it splits into many that strike into his back! Dodge!"

Kagenashi seems slightly on edge, now, excitement slipping more into her tone. "The sword is taken from its sheath so that D can make use of both to deflect the storm of orbs, but it is not incredibly effective. The hunter is strained, buckling yet again - ah! A /shout/ ensures that last orb does not strike him down! Incredible! Again D sets upon Nanoha, assaulting her with another rain of blows now doubled with both the flat of his sword and the bluntness of the scabbard falling upon her!"

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
That gave Nanoha some breathing room... or so she thought. That was the idea anyway. And it did give her /something/ that takes the edge off the flurry of assaults that D pounds upon her, scabbard and blade striking at the small girl and driving her back with gasps of pain and flinching.

She's not totally defenseless though. Her staff is moving better than it ever has before, from sheer adrenaline. A good thing, because this close, D can see that her Barrier Jacket is torn and battered, and welts from the numerous bruises are rising. She must be utterly exhausted, but she's still fighting! And she's also airborne again, which is the slight edge she needs to weather that assault without being utterly beaten into submission.

That's when a totally different series of symbols appears on the ruby gem she carries atop her staff, and the loud clatter of a cartridge loading is heard before the attack's declaration. 'DIVINE BULLET.'

It's a much different spell. A sudden burst of mana so condensed it's almost like a physical bullet, though still nonlethal. Bruising, but nonlethal. A much more advanced spell than the basic ones she's been using.

D (232) has posed:
D is in his element. He is flowing. An unstoppable force, graceful and potent, his rhythm answered by Nanoha's skillful defenses but never truly checked. The pressure continues to increase alongside D's speed, until his sword is nothing more than a shining, half-seen ghost, and his scabbard an equally swift but stinging sort of ethereal thing.

The bullet succeeds in interrupting his assault. D, on pure reflex, flinches to the side. The energy clips off his ribs and carries on to tear a jagged hole through his cloak. Despite only barely touching him, the magical force is enough to leave him winded and flinching. His breathing comes in ragged gasps. He is nearing the end of his strength -- somehow -- and that alone is a true testament to the kind of power Good Nanoha wields.

Solemn, serene as the surface of a glacier, D steps forward, and thrusts the end of his scabbard in a price /jab/ right between Nanoha's eyes.

The strength behind the simple attack is absurd.

It is, despite its simplistic appearance, a finishing move. He holds nothing back. When the attack lands, if it does? A short burst of transferred energy flattens the grass in the immediate vicinity as if a shockwave has rolled through.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
Kagenashi lifts her fan-holding hand to her chest in a gesture of (possibly) mock anxiety. "D is relentless! Strikes rain upon Nanoha once more, but she seems capable of meeting those blows with her staff! Despite exhaustion and weariness, she continues to defend herself, enduring D's attack long enough to strike with her own! A bullet of magic flies at D from her staff, but - he moves, the shot clipping off of him to move past! It is no delicate attack, however, and D is still winded, but he is going to make use of the distance between them; he steps forward...and delivers a final thrust of his scabbard between Nanoha's eyes with so much strength that it appears to send a shockwave along the earth on impact!"

Neuroi Girl has posed:
"...goooo Nanoha...." comes the soft voice of Neuroi Girl as the fight goes on, both D and Nanoha giving it all they've got. She even raises her arms and gives a fist pump motion. Even though she has no fists at the moment. Also, she has floated up from her chair and is just hovering a few feet above the crowd now.

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
That's a dangerous attack, and Nanoha realizes it a fraction too late! She's going to try to block rather than dodge! This is a bad idea! Still, it's something.

'ROUND SHIELD!' Raising Heart chimes, and unlike Nanoha it can sense the power behind that blow. A cartridge loads with a loud clattering noise, and that's when Nanoha realizes she'd better do something! Even as the barrier comes up, she's lifting Raising Heart to block... and that's what saves her.

The reinforced Barrier cracks, then shatters under the onslaught, and the tip of the scabbard goes right for Nanoha's head... to intercept the staff instead. Raising Heart's haft blocks it... only to crack and shatter a swell, the bolstered mana construct giving up under the strain and leaving her with less than half a staff as the remainder of the force, horrendously muted yet still powerful, slams into her forehead and knocks her right over. In midair. This means she does a complete flip and slams into a far rock, which crumbles down around her in a dust cloud.

All is silent for a few heartbeats.

*COUGH COUGH* Oh, it sounds like she's still up! Barely. Tiny pink lights start to gather and swirl in preparation for something, which Fate and Neuroi Girl may recognize as familiar... but it's not quite the same.

The remaining cartridges all load at once as the smoke starts to clear from her impact, the dazed girl lowering her remaining half of the staff toward D. "Muh... um..."

'STARLIGHT BUSTER,' Raiding Heart chimes helpfully, with a hint of static in its voice from the damage.

"B-Buster shoot!" Nanoha calls, releasing that massive WAVE of pink light.

Testarossa Fate (401) has posed:
"YEAH! WIPE HIM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH! TURN HIM TO DUST NANOH-- ERP!"

That is the sound of Fate yanking on Arf's collar to tone down the wolf-woman's enthusiasm.

D (232) has posed:
The scabbard is still humming in D's hand as Nanoha emerges from the rubble. His startled attention shifts from the splintered remnants of Raising Heart's broken components to the girl who is nearly as bedraggled as her weapon. "Incredible," he mutters to himself. The gleaming edge of his sword turns toward Nanoha in a readied angle.

The wave of pink light erodes any attempt D may take at protecting himself.

Awash in a sea of brilliant power, D finally communicates his pain in the form of a long roar. Soon, that's lost, too -- the explosion far more savage and loud than any sound he can hope to make. He understands he is not facing a /lethal/ power, but the agony is astounding enough to make him momentarily forget he is not experiencing a real threat to his life.

After the smoke clears, D's hat rests several yards away from where he himself sprawls. Next to him, thrust perfectly upright at the root of a long furrow, is his sword. He must have dug in and attempted to resist the Starlight Buster.

He releases a coughing yield and remains where he is. He'll be able to move eventually.

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
"Nanoha raises a shield to block that incredibly powerful thrust, and though it shatters, she makes use of that brief moment to bring her staff up to block in turn - though that too shatters under the impact! She is sent flying from the blow, casting her into a pillar of rock which crumbles down upon her in a cloud of dust! Is that the end of Good Nanoha...?"

Kagenashi waits, then takes a breath. "No, she is still there. Her staff is raised, calling for the Starlight Buster -" The nogitsune actually winces at the flash of pink that consumes the arena and D, raising her fan to shield herself briefly. Only when it fades does she lower the fan again, releasing a slow, calming breath before continuing. "...and there it is. D has been pushed past his limits at last, forcing him to yield the match to Takamachi Nanoha. The last strike has been delivered in this match."

Kagenashi (85) has posed:
After the match has been declared to be over, a woman slips out of the shadows of the crowd, dressed in clinging black with several pieces of armor and a snarling mask over her lower face. Her eyes are covered by greenish flames that leave a trail behind her as she strides slowly across the arena. First she offers a low, respectful bow to Nanoha before proceeding with retreiving D's things: first his hat is plucked from the ground, then she nimbly tugs his sword free before moving over beside him. There she simply plops down into a seated position, the hat and sword in her lap as she silently waits for him to get up. Eventually.

Takamachi Nanoha (381) has posed:
Whew. The dust settles, and for a long moment Nanoha thinks the impossible man is going to GET UP again, even after slamming him with a Starlight Buster! She stumbles forward a little, breath panting and ragged... and then she dimly hears that she's declared the winner.

"Oh..." She smiles. "He's okay..." She woozily blinks a few times, then just falls over, and would hit the ground again if not for a certain cat-Familiar suddenly there, catching her.

"Wow, Mistress! You won! And against such a pretty opponent, too!"

Cats.

Neuroi Girl has posed:
"...she won..." Neuroi Girl says to no one in particular. She floats up a bit higher, then down toward the front of the stands. "...congratulations Nanoha..." she says, but again her volume is much too low to be heard more than a few feet away.