WMAT B2 Tomoe vs. Homura Akemi

WMAT B2 Tomoe vs. Homura Akemi
Date of Scene:	09 July 2014
Location:	WMAT Arena - Yunzabit Heights
Synopsis:	Round 2 of the WMAT's B bracket, it's the swords(wo)man Tomoe versus the magical girl Homura.
Thanks to:	Mizuki for commenting, Tomoe for being a cool opponent!
Cast of Characters:	2, Tomoe, 183, 439
Tinyplot:	WMAT 2014

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Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
The Yunzabit Heights are as ever an hostile playground; the cold winds batter the raised hills, platforms and mountains of the area. There isn't a lot here to accidently collateral-- perfect for Homura, though she's reduced the yield of her toys knowing that Tomoe was not quite like Kharn-- and would not be as welcoming or friendly to the almost-lethal tactics.

The crowd will be watching from viewscreens, either way, due to the weather up here. The arena has been set up on one particularly large chunk of grassy rock-- how grass grows at these heights and temperatures is beyond understanding-- but that doesn't mean the fighters will have to restrict themselves to it. Surrounded by crevices and craters, it's entirely possible to jump to other, higher and lower platforms.

Homura is here, naturally, protected from the weather by her magical girl outfit. The white, purple and black stands out from the grassy plains and rocks, but more obvious is the pitch black, wicked sword she holds in one hand, with a chess motif along the hilt. It's just a Regisword, but it'll carry her through the fight unless she does anything stupid with it.

Madoka Kaname (439) has posed:
Madoka Kaname is... Not here.
She is actually at the stadium, watching this fight from a view screen, dressed as a completely inconspicious and normal girl. Aside from the /really/ long pink hair anyway.
But she's front row center in a viewing room, with a big smile on her face.
If Homura listens carefully above the chill whipping winds, she just might hear that soft, sweet, voice:
"Do your best, Homura."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Ahh, here comes Miss Homura now~! She doesn't appear to be clad in any special sort of armor, but... my, look at that sword! Wait... wait. A sword?" A bit muffled, Mizuki asks someone, 'Wait, a sword? I said 'gun toting'! Was I misinformed? I swear, Palora, if you --' Mizuki stops, suddenly realizing that others can hear her. She flushes, and the banter stops suddenly. Within a few seconds, though, she's back and as loud as ever. "NEVER you all mind anything you might've just heard there! But yes, it would appear that Homura has brought along an usual - albeit quite beautiful - blade as opposed to her usual, more modern armaments~! We shall see what this means for her fighting style shortly..."

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is a surivor of a death game after all, when things get close to lethal, she falls into certain habits. It's for the best, she is however seemingly excited about the match as she enters teh arena seemingly in full armour and carrying a Naginatta across her back as she does so. She is all right with the are and she notices the platform she's already getting ideas too as she makes ready.

She looks around for Homura to is she calls out.

"So Homura, humm I never seen you fight in person. I'd like to see what you can do, this should be fun."

On the other hand if Homura went overboard it wouldn't actually kill Tomoe afterall given she's an avatar.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Annnnd next, Tomoe steps on to the stage~! It looks like she's brought along all of the armor that Homura didn't! But if there's one thing that I've learned in the time that I've been here, it's that /everyone/ /always/ has a trick up their sleeve. And I think we can all agree with Tomoe on one thing, dear friends: this will be fun~!

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
"I don't think I've seen you fight either, so..."

Homura gives a light shrug. It'll be interesting either way-- and the entire reason she signed up isn't to win or overpower people, it's to practice. Opponents who can actually fight back, in a setting where she can avoid wasting magic doing it. Holding back, having a limiter on, it helps.

"Well, good luck. I hear you're quite sturdy, so we'll see if I can pierce through that defense or not." Her grasp on her blade tightens, and somewhere an official pushes a button, and lights emerge from the ground.

They blink, red, red, and then green.

The signal to fight!

Homura closes the gap with Tomoe almost instantly-- she didn't seem to move, much less run, she just appeared in front of her, Regisword raised up and coming down for a light shoulder hit. Probably barely enough to dent past the armor.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "A green light flashes! The crowd roooars~! And then, before any of us can even bat an eyelash, Homura is directly in front of her enemy! She brings down her sword to test that tough armor! But -how- in -Creation- did she get there? Was it incredible speed? Was it teleportation? Ah, but being a witch myself, friends, I think it was something... more~!" She giggles juuust a bit. "But all good magicians know to keep their secrets, and it's only common courtesy to keep those of others as well. Ah, and as an author, it would simply not do to give all of the secrets away at once~..."

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe says "this should be interesting yet, and I hear your one of the fastest speedsters in the multiverse."

She keeps hee eyes open and she pauses for a moment as Homura makes her move with the blade, she shifts and moves to try to avoid a full on hit. There's sparks as she takes a hit it clearly connected but there's no breach just yet.

She moves with her own weapon and intends to make use of her pole arm if she can catch up with Homura.

"Maybe I heard wrong but either way your good, heh. I hope this goes better than my last fight!"

She then moves, with good deal of speed for someone in such armour as she laches out with Moon Cutter.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Did you /see/ that my friends? Sparks are literally flying, folks, and this is only the first exchange~! But true to her name, the Iron Lily shall not be phased by Homura's magical tomfoolery! Tomoe -leaps- into action, rushing at Homura with a gleaming blade of her own! Once she reaches her, she ~swings~ her sword around for a powerful strike! Oh, that looks nasty...~! And it HITS, dear viewers! It hits, likely leaving Miss Akemi with an equally awful cut!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
"Speed is one way to put it. I don't think it's the one I would use, but it's certainly one," Homura answers, calmly; the Regisword clashes with Tomoe's Moon Cutter, the blade sliding all the way down and nicking the Puella's hand. She doesn't seem to be a very good swordsman-- Tomoe has the experience to tell that much. On the other hand, her 'speed' might close the gap barely enough to make it not matter in the long run, if she can keep doing that.

Rather than pursue immediate melee again, Homura takes a small leap backwards-- she doesn't actually lift a single finger, but a few bullet rounds suddenly streak through the air trying to slam into Tomoe. Bullets, just made of rubber. Great to stop riots and stun, but it won't inflict too much actual harm. Pain, though, sure, that'll come in spades.

"Let's see if you can close in."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Ah~! There is one of Miss Homura's trademark firearms~! Your illustrious commentator would never call it wrong, after all~!" Slightly muffled, she adds, 'You're off the hook this time, Palora.' "After a quick step back, she shoots, and bullets fly! The union of bullet and steel creates a cacophony of clings and clatters! I don't care how much armor Tomoe is wearing -- that simply /must/ sting! And I know I'm not the only one wondering just how Tomoe will close the gap for another strike...!

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe says "I just have scuttlebutt to go off."

She replies as she finds that Homura is quite the fighter. She isn't sure what she's up to? Wait what the heck is she doing? The bullets are ignoring physics and the tear into her. The rounds to impact and they hit with enough force there's a strange red effect on the impact points where Homura would see ... wire frame?

Tomoe hangs back holding her weapon and starts chanting, strange runes start to form about her glowing gold, she's clearly using magic? The light rays seem to point to that...

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki leans ever so slightly forward in her seat. With interest, she says, "But... what is this? It doesn't appear that Tomoe has to close any gap at all! Instead, she calls upon her own magic! In flickers and flourishes of lights of all kinds, Tomoe prepares a spell! By the looks of it, it's going to be a holy one! I wonder... will that be ~super-effective~ against Homura? I /have/ heard that she can be a little broody, and that sword /does/ look a bit sketchy." Mizuki emits a long hmmm, audibly stroking her chin. "I suppose we'll just have to find out! Once enough of those beautiful runes have gathered about, Tomoe's spell... HAPPENS~! Light bursts forth to scorch the gun enthusiast...!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
-- that's right. Tomoe's not just from SAO.
She's from ALO too, and ALO had magic.

What a horrible thing to forget.

Homura uses her free hand to produce a brief, shimmering dome of purple light in front of herself-- it doesn't withstand the assault, not even a base-spell like this, because frankly, protection magic isn't her thing, and she might as well have been trying to shield herself with a sheet of paper. It does dampen the blow just a bit, change the course of the rays just enough, that she isn't hit head on, and ends up with a scorch across her left shoulder instead, through the fabric of her 'uniform'.

She hmphs, idly flipping her hair.
It's unsure if that's for the camera or if it's just how she destresses. Probably a bit of both. "I guess keeping you at range isn't going to help me that much after all."

Homura prods the tip of the Regisword into the ground, and starts running towards Tomoe. She pulls the blade up at the last second, before it would be able to hit the other girl, sending a cloud of dirt and mud up at her. That might not block her vision for very long, but she only needs a brief opening to follow up with a light cut to her side.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki speaks up again, this time with a bit more spirit. "Homura throws up a shield, but that isn't enough to stop the ~LIGHT of HEAVEN~! Some of those blinding rays still make it through, one of them skating across Homura's nose! She may be playing it cool, but you can tell by that flip of her hair: there's some /attitude/ happening! And it looks like that mood is influencing this next attack, because now, Homura's playing dirty~!" There's an audible giggle. "By which I mean, the girl has just kicked some of the field's soil into her opponent's face! Taking advantage of her momentary blindness, she goes in for a slash! But as if instinctually, Tomoe is able to stumble out of the way to avoid most of the damage!" There's a brief silence... before a chuckle can be heard in the background. 'Man, that 'playing dirty' thing you said sucked, Mimi.' There's a huff, and a quiet retort comes shortly after. 'If you think you can do any better, be my guest.'

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is indeed an Salamander or was, she's naq Alf now, thankfully she does not eat cats. She however does eat that attack and its not something she's going to enjoy as the strikes slam into her body over and over but it's not enough to slow her for very long. She tilts her head a bit.

"Lot of people think oh she's a melee fighter, I can get her at range. It's normally people expecting spells, not sword play in ALO. I love carving up people who think one's more helpless up close there, in PVP."

She however launches her self at Homura wings flaring to life as she takes to the skies and rapidly goes after her with her spear.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki audibly vaults forward in her seat. "But Tomoe doesn't let the dirt feint keep her out of the game for long! In no time at all, her eyes are wiiide open, and... wings! Do you -SEE- that, my friends? Wings spring from her back! Tomoe may not have guns herself, but there are two things that she does have: breathtaking speed and a SPEAR! Using both of them in a beautifully harmonized strike, she dashes forward to ~become a bullet~!

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
"And you can fly too... I can see why you're a survivor. You know your tricks and how to fool people into giving you the advantage." Homura's back shimmers a bright pink; she too produces wings, though they're semi-transparent, pink and angelic in appearance, complete with feathers of light molting from them occasionally. She stands her ground for now-- Tomoe comes crashing in with her spear, and Homura deflects, smacking the weapon aside with her own sword.

Tomoe would know that hit must have left the Puella Magi's arm numb, though, because there was less strength in it than would have been needed to actually bat her aside.

She'll use the opening, though; without Homura moving at all, several cuts and stabs just suddenly reach out for Tomoe, as if trying to knock her away rather than actually hurt her-- though they are aimed pretty well, overall.

If she can give herself that room, Homura's wings will flap once, and take her airborne as well, a few feet off the ground. She seems fine contending with the area's harsh winds and weather, though she doesn't know if that'll last.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki enthusiastically continues, "But Tomoe isn't the ONLY one with wings! From her back comes even more glittering, fantastic feathers! But she isn't going anywhere... no! Tomoe hits her head on, and Homura... -smacks it out of the way-! I don't care how many insane and horrific things this girl has seen -- how can someone stare down the end of a spear and not even flinch?? I don't have the slightest clue, dear viewers, and yet that's exactly what she does! Then /something/ comes to stab at Tomoe without Homura budging an inch! What madness is... - ah! And then there she goes, braving the violent winds of the arena to launch herself into the sky...!"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is enjoying what she catches from the announcer, she seems to be doing a darn fine job. She half wonders baou trying to hire her for an upcomming event tourny back in alo. Tha though quickly vanishe as she's got to deal with Houmra. Who can also fly, this actually gets a grin out of her as she sees that she can fly.

"Your nothing to sell short either. In a way I'm still just playing a game, you are not."

She's always kinda kicked herself for needing an avatar, her Abby has helped a lot with that but it's still there some times.

She's able to aovid the worst of the hit but now thinks it's time to turn upo the heart as she launches herself again at the other flying lady.

"LUNAR CLEAVE!"

She makes a powerful swipe for Homura, taking enough care to avoid striking somewhere vital like her neck.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "But Tomoe takes the strikes from unknown origin just as well as her opponent had taken her spear! Not skipping a beat, she, too, takes to the sky. It looks like this has just become an ~airborne SHOWDOWN~, my friends! When will they touch the ground again? Will it be when one of them falls back to the ground -unconscious-?? It looks like we won't have to wait long for our answer - here comes Tomoe, sweeping by Homura for another hit from her blade! Did you hear that, everyone~? LUNAR CLEAVE~! I can certainly respect her taste in names! But it would appear that Homura planned ahead, as time mages are wont to do, and she's able to avoid the brunt of the attack yet again! But will she be able to keep it up as the fight wears on...?"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
"That's only mildly true. This tournament is more training and a game than what I do usually though, yes. Well, as long as you're helping the Union with crises, can you really be said to still be playing? I don't think this is that dissimilar," Homura admits, half-quietly-- and then Tomoe gets serious.

Right, well.

Better do that too, or else it's going to be a short fight.

The magical girl raises her free hand up, shouting: "TYRFING!"

A bolt of purple lightning crashes into her hand, forming into a wicked, thunderbolt-shaped sword. The sister sword of Psyber's Einherjar-- if we agree that in this case, sister means alternate timeline version. It's exactly what it sounds like.

The blast of lightning has two purposes; first, it's to blind Tomoe. In that instance, Homura is able to swerve to the side and avoid most of the attack-- which would have left her a mess if it had hit directly. She takes amoment to catch her breath, and then levels the new sword towards Tomoe, keeping the Regisword at her side for now.

Lightning shoots out of the blade's tip, a surplus from the summoning. It could be pretty nasty to get hit by that, though the magic is fortunately nonlethal by design-- and thanks to the TSAB limiter Homura is wearing right now.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
The radio emits a some static, causing the first bit of what Mizuki is saying to be nigh inaudible. "-- credible, dear audience! Did you SEE that? A bolt of lightning CRASHES to Earth... no! Into the palm of Homura's HAND! And... and...!" You can't see it, but Mizuki just took out one of those ornate oriental fans and is batting it up and down pretty rapidly. "-Now- she's holding a bolt of lightning in her blessed -hand-! What insanity is this? It would appear that things are about to get ~SPICY~, friends! Or at least... shocking~!" Another giggle, and a subsequent groan from some other source. "But no sooner have I said that than has Homura loosed a bolt aimed directly at her opponent! And... it hits her -HEAD ON-! Creation's providence, I am certainly glad I was not in the vicinity of that attack. It would've ruined my coiffure~!"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is very much getting serious but she can't pin down Homura at all. Nope that didn't work wait what tyrfing? Oh this can't be good. She attemps to try to brace her self for it she pops several abilities ofr lack of a better turn but soon she finds she's got a lot more to deal with as she's being blasted and this time there is a full out return to wireframe at the site of the impact. She's also clearly feeling it from her physical recoil. The Salamander rdoubles her efforts starts chanting again and this time? There's a bit all ball of fire.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki pipes up again, as theatrical as ever. "Remember when I said things were beginning to get 'spicy', dear viewers~? Now, this match has just become a full blow ~INFERNO~! Runes and lights gather around Tomoe once more, only this time, they aren't yellow - they're alternating shades of orange and red! And if that means what I think it does -- it does! Tomoe calls forth a ball of flame that just continues to grow! Eventually, though, it hones in on its mark: Homura! And it's... a direct hit! Oh my goodness, I can hardly watch! But I could -hear- the sizzling from here! Naturally, I couldn't feel the heat, but I feel it in my heart~! As I'm sure all of YOU do as well!" That same heckling voice adds in a 'Gimme a break' once Mizuki's overture is complete. 'One more outburst from you, Palora, and I swear...' "

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
A fireball slams into Homura and detonates.

She is on fire, at least briefly. Her outfit is badly burnt, though not so much it falls off. She avoids being burnt too much herself-- but she has to release a burst of wind outward to put the fire out, so it wasn't quite the trivial hit either.

She frowns-- she hadn't really been until now, she'd managed to keep more of a neutral face. Without moving, another hail of rubber rounds shoots towards Tomoe from every direction, and Homura comes in with them, both swords still in hand.

She attempts to deliver a flurry of slashes-- both from the royalty-slaying sword, and the holy lightning sword. The rubber rounds aren't half as much of a threat, though they might disrupt the other flier into opening her guard.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "But not even a ball of fire to the FACE can keep Homura out of this fight! And suddenly, bullets hail from all directions! What is the meaning of this, my friends? Is there some deity watching over her? Some veritable God or Goddess of swords and guns that sees fit to lend their aid now and again? Or is this just more of Miss Akemi's peculiar magic? I have my theories that I'm still keeping to myself, but I can assure you all: time will tell~." 'As if anyone watching this doesn't know the trick already', that same heckling voice quips. Thankfully, though, there's no response from the commentator this time. "But amid the rain of rubber, Homura still boldly rushes forth to stab at her opponent with her swords! Truly, there's no stopping her...! but kudos to Tomoe for being able to keep flying in all of this chaos..."

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is no the best caster she tends to use it blutly, she's a swordsman as some player would call it. The SAO vets tended to swordplay over magic in ALO which often caught people off guard quite a bit. Shje's hurt again but this time it does not cause the whole sort of wireline things. She's seems to be almost laughing now.

"I haven't had a duel like this in ... very long time. There's only a few in ALO who can give me a fight even close to this!"

The bullets were clever they did get her open up to allow the otehr hits to get in, still she's keeping back a bit and she drops down to the ground, runs and rises back up trying to get back into the skies for another attack run but at this rate? Homura may be able to keep her grounded.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "The bullets bear down on Tomoe, threatening to keep her on the ground! But the Iron Lily will have none of that -- resisting the guns, the swords, and even physics themselves, she rises into the air to try to get another hit in on Homura! But once there, the wielder of lightningbolts strafes just in time! The sword skates across the sky and connects, but it looks like it wasn't enough to take her out of the sky...!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
"Well, aren't you in the top levels? It'd be hard to find people who can match you in your own element. You have more experience than most of them, after all," Homura answers, idly; there's another hailstorm of rubber rounds. These don't seek to harm, but to slow Tomoe-- it gives Homura enough time to blur, herself, and only get grazed by the tip of Tomoe's weapon, which draws a thin streak of red across her chest.

She doesn't pursue in melee, though.

Instead, the Regisword disappears from her hand, replaced by a high-yield stun grenade. It's electricity, completely nonlethal unless Tomoe has a heart condition (and even then). It suddenly disappears from her hand, reappearing inches from Tomoe, without the Puella Magi having actually done much of anything for that to happen.

The intent is probably to ground Tomoe a bit more permanently, yes, rather than keep giving her the room and freedom of flight.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Another round of bullets comes down own Tomoe, but it doesn't look like these are doing as much damage! No, they can't be all that Homura had up her sleeve. ... ah! I might see it now! What is that in her hand, dear viewers? It looks like... my word! A -grenade-? Yes, it is! And there it goes, fl --" The radio feed abruptly gives way to static, making Mizuki's speech unintelligible much like before. When she can be heard again, she's saying, "... -lectrical waves pulse around Tomoe! It looks like that was another strong hit, my friends! Will Homura's opponent be able to get back into the sky after taking so much punisment??"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe Says "IT's not really the level a lot of it is based on how well you can play. I was stuck in death game for about 2 yearr, having a gun to your head is a heck of a teach...."

She gets cut off as Homura has something else planned, and that's when the grenade comes and ka boom. There goes the fact she has any illusion about being made of glehs she's covered in wire frame patches from where the stun grenades archs of electrical energy had got her, she's aqlso been dropped to the ground.

Hacks that's what's going on right not all the hacks ever. Tomoe however isn't quite out of it yet, she moves to unleash another torrent of flames, and thus is chanting once more. Then the skies seem to rain fire, just a little bit.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "But if she can't rise to meet Homura in the sky, she can still use her magic! And it only seems like Tomoe is getting stronger and stronger, folks -- this time it's not just a ball of fire coming at the magical girl, but an ~entire sky~ of fiery ARMAGEDDON~! Bolts of red come raining down, threatening her on all sides! Her deft dodging can't save when there's this much going on around her, and it looks like she's taking quite a few hits! But no doubt, she has her own response in waiting..."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
"Yes, having an incentive like that to perform tends to be..."

Homura trails off, not sure it's worth finishing the thought. People learn and perform better under threat of death. News at 11! Revolutionary thinking. She's all too familiar with it, really, so she can't disagree.

Tomoe interrupts thoughts by making it rain fire; Homura flies, left, right a bit, trying to dance around and avoid the fireballs. It only works for a little bit, before a few slam into her and make her lose altitude-- she avoids catching on fire, but she loses her high ground, so to speak.

She lets go of Tyrfing, and it floats in the air idly, doing nothing. She produces a large black and purple bow instead, pulling a string of pure light back and forming three purifying arrows out of air. Nonlethal magic, here too.

"On the bright side, when you meet a player who can give you a challenge, it'll be something to enjoy. Think of it as bidding your time for a greater reward," she says, as she releases the bowstring and it sends forth not three, but a few dozen of those arrows down towards Tomoe. They're more blunt impact than anything else. No weird burns or wounds, just impact and fatigue.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "From the forest of fire emerges Homura, as gracefully as ever. Then she holds her sword out to her side, and..." There's a brief, somewhat surprised silence. "... lets it go? Wait, what? It... it isn't falling! Apparently Homura's -sword- is able to defy physics! But what does this mean? Is it going to begin to act autonomously? Is it going to let out another bolt of lightning? Is it --... oh." There's another period of quiet. "Oh my word. F-From out of nowhere, Homura pulls out a massive bow and looses an arrow of what appears to be pure light! N-No, several arrows! How many are there? Three, or... Creation's BEAUTY! She sends an entire barrage at Tomoe! Just full of surprises, I could swear...!"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe i+o:is jhust taking the punnishment more than you might experc, she rained fire and then well? Arrows the arrows end up slamming into her, there's no burns, no wounds and yes mental fatigue the enemy of Tomoe. Her Avatar is clearly showing the wear and tear from the various strikes.

"not bad..."

Tomoe however is trying to do something else as she recovers her footing she doesn't try again and then she's chanting again forming an arrow and bow of light in her hands. She takes aime at Homura and fires.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Tomoe isn't done yet, though! Her title is clearly well earned. No matter how many hits she takes, she simply refuses to go down! Meanwhile, she responds to Homura's impressive display... with a large magical bow of her -own-! First the wings, and then this! Truly, it's as if this is a mythical clash between archangels! Could this be a... match made in heaven~?" Somewhere, someone loudly facepalms. Probably the same person as before. "But finally, Tomoe delivers a shot that Homura simply cannot dodge! The arrow takes her by surprise, rushing in... as it hits its mark /directly/! Whenever one of them takes the lead, the other jumps right back! Will this battle ever cease...?"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
Homura did not know Tomoe had a bow.
It could just be a specific move, and not a weapon and actual skill with the weapon, but either way, she didn't know. She braces herself, unable to move away in time, engulfed in the lightshow. By the time it ends, she's got quite the ragged magical girl outfit-- no serious injuries, although a lot of exhaustion and missing protection. It also doesn't look like her wings will keep her afloat much longer.

"Not bad yourself. How many different flavors of weapons and skills do you have in all?" Just an idle question; she never played the games, after all.

Flickering and blurring a bit, Homura is suddenly surrounded by rockets, which zoom past her and towards Tomoe. Most of them have had their yield either reduced or replaced by less lethal explosives-- probably magic stuff right out of Union armories, nothing especially fancy or effective.

Much better than firing real RPGs at Tomoe though.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Somehow, some way, Homura's ragged wings manage to keep her afloat. And while she's there, she..." There's an audible blink, and another pregnant silence. "... there are rockets. The sky is littered with them. When did that happen, exactly? Is this more of Homura's... bah, expect the unexpected and all of that silliness. Yes, it would seem Homura has put together a lattice of VOLATILE EXPLOSIVES all around Tomoe! I don't care how strong her armor is, or how durable she herself has grown to be - /that/ is horrifying. And all at once, they -whizz- toward Tomoe, leaving behind trails of smoke and chemical fire... until a good number of them hit her where it hurts! I..." Audible headshake. "... how either of them are still standing simply eludes my comprehension..."

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is getting the hell backed out of here.

"I'm just making use of light magic, they got flashy with it."

She smirks a little bit.

"I generallu just do one handers and spears, the Japanese Naginatta has become a personal favourite."

She readies said weapon the moon cutter but that's when the rockets come.

Hey it's the 4th of July for tomoe as things explode!

The blast clears and Tomoe is still standing, somehow. She readies her weapon her wings reform and she launches herself at Homura and she breaks into a long stream of strikes with the weapon she pulls back start chanting and drops another blast of light to hopefully distract Homura as she comes for anotehr go.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "But again, Tomoe breaks through the barrage! With another flash of light courtesy of her magical repertoire, she musters what strength she has left to call her wings back into existence! Once she's in the air, she charges, her sword held out in a stalwart display of strength and unerring willpower! And... and...! She hits! Homura is hit head on by Tomoe's sword, and all of the inertia it had to back it...!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
"So spell effects include weapons?" Fancy. Might be a nice break from things to try the game out sometime. It's not like she'd have any issue getting started, what with Kirito and Tomoe, at the very least. Though the thought of 'raid night' at the Puella loft... something about Sayaka screaming at Kyoko for being an aggro whore, Mami taking too much time to show off... you know what let's just never introduce team video games there. Ever.

But all this thinking is interrupted-- the blast of light disrupts Homura, who ends up thinking that's the actual main attack. Tomoe swoops in, swinging straight for Homura as she attemps to dodge the feint, and gets hit square-on.

She slams onto the ground-- bounces a few times, trying, not very successfully, to regain her footing-- before finally ending up on one knee, with her wings breaking up and disappearing from behind her.

They may not be fighting for their lives but this is taking its toll regardless. Homura extends her free hand up; Tyrfing rushes down into it like a thunderbolt, and she places it on her bow like an arrow.

"Hmph. Judgment Arrow."

She is not going to shout that, no.

Tyrfing becomes a massive bolt of purple lightning and purifying magic, and she lets it go like a beam of light towards Tomoe, probably tracing a line into the ground on the way to her that'll be visible from quite a distance up-- the attack itself not being easy to miss as it were, being a huge column of light with some electricity.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Did... did you hear that? 'Judgement Arrow' it sounded like, my audience~! And -that-... sounds like a game finisher if ever there was one! And yet, it didn't come with the characteristic, cinematic shout! Is she just tired? Or, or... is that just not her style? Curious... if it is indeed the latter, Homura must possess a will of steel!" Aside from the radio, Mizuki mumbles, 'Creation knows I would never miss an opportunity to shout my fancy attack names at the top of my proverbial lungs, hoho~.' "Again, a bolt of lightning flies hurtles toward Tomoe, and... -Creation's BEATEOUS starry NIGHTS-! The blast has transformed into a horrific column of pain! A-And yet..." There's a pause as she glances to the field. "... and yet Tomoe is still moving, somehow...!"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe HP bar is not really there any more at the moment, it's not really there anymore at all. There's a tiny sliver left and if this wasn't a tournament? She'd be running at this point. However it is and this is no longer SAO. That arrow has just slammed into Tomoe and well it caught her in the face, half of it? Is just a red mess of gridlines with no real features.

She's got nothing else to say at the moment as the Iron Lily is about to wilt, she has however one last trik she banishes her spear to her inventorya nd her sword comes into play, she att3empts to get close to Homura dashing along the ground and only using her wings where needed, as she makes for one last strike.

Madoka Kaname (439) has posed:
And meanwhile, back at the viewing room at the stadium, Madoka's smile widens eerily.

C:

Seriously, some people are beginning to edge away from her.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "Still somehow mustering the strength to run, Tomoe runs straight at Homura! Even when she's so close to collapse, she still fights on so boldly! So spiritedly! I am certain that I speak for all of us in the audience when I say that, while this strike is not her hardest, it is certainly laden with Tomoe's soul...! She closes in and brings her sword around for one more strike, scraping along Homura's already tarnished uniform..."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
Oh that didn't do it.
Oh crap that didn't do it.

Homura brings her bow up as if it were a melee weapon; one spoiler later we find out it is not, and it is not suitable to blocking, parrying or otherwise protecting herself. Her grip on it isn't perfect, and Tomoe might as well be slicing through butter. It's like there's nothing in the way, and she gets a clean cut from shoulder to waist on Homura, adding injuries where there were already plenty.

She's just fortunate she has her own bag of dirty tricks-- WE MEAN ABSOLUTELY ACCEPTABLE COMBAT TACTICS WHICH ARE NOT UNFAIR AT ALL. Sheesh, read correctly.

Homura leaps back-- she gives her legs a last tug, enough to put at least several feet between her and Tomoe. She pulls a detonator out, but doesn't grace the action with a smile. She's too exhausted and beat to really be happy about anything except the fact she's learning quite a lot from more even battles like this.

She pushes the button on the detonator, which is roughly around the time Tomoe might notice she's got a stun mine at her feet. She might even have enough time to leap back or shield herself.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "A-And... as Tomoe comes in for the finishing blow... Homura leaps back! Then she pulls out... heavens alive, what is that this time? Is it another grenade? Oh, no, it's... a detonator? OH, merciful Poseidon of SPACE, please don't let that be as damaging as I think it is! She could've laid out rockets and mines all across the FIELD! She's a time mage don't you -- gah! Here it comes! She's going to do it! She's going to blow it up!" Too tempted to pass up the opportunity, that voice quips one last time: 'The maniac! Damn her to hell!' There's a pause before Mizuki stops cringing. "O-Oh. I-It was... a mine!" Phew. "Electrical discharge circulates throughout the field, and Tomoe... Tomoe..."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
Mizuki says, "It would appear that, finally, after this gruelling match between bullet and steel, bow and bow, sword and sword...! That we HAVE ~ A ~ VICTOR~! Congratulations, Miss Homura Akemi! You will be moving on to the next round! As for Miss Tomoe, you too put on an EXT~RODINARY performance! You should both be proud~!"

Tomoe has posed:
Tomoe is no getting out of this one she attempst ot stnad her ground but ther's clearly not much left there as Homura makes her final play. She does have a moment to look down she sees the mine she lets out a curse and then it goes off there's nothing visable after the blast. There's just a red burning flame there where Tomoe was, it seems the fight is over.

Back elsewhere Sheena's got the you are dead, do you wish to respawn notice on her goggles.

The Remain Light just flickers there bright red there, rez plz anyone?

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
And Homura, well.

She kind of falls to one knee and starts breathing a bit more heavily. She pulls a small bag of black cubes from inside her ragged clothes, detaches the gem atop her left hand and just dumps it inside the bag, stuffing it back into the inside of her tattered shirt. That's starting to feel a bit better. Though really, the magic strain here wasn't that bad, but the exhaustion and pain is what's going to stick. The limiter would be useless if she was still risking tons of magic on these.

She is a little bit too tired to enjoy the victory note right now, she'll try to do that whe she's caught her breath and rested for a bit.