Scene #6600: MECC: Zenos yae Galvus vs Siefer Almasy

Owner	Pose
Seifer Almasy	It's night. It's unannounced. There's still people in the stands, but not many; the diehards, the people who don't need sleep, the people who were looking forward to this specific battle. It's hardly full of thundering crowds and thunderous applause. Ordinarily, Seifer would probably see this kind of battle as boring. He's the kind of man who usually likes to make an entrance, to show off, to bow and backpedal while waving and all the whole gladiatorial thing. He hasn't been, not since Touta; he's been sincere, quiet, and even subdued. He's had a laser focus in his eye. Tonight, he's excited, though. It's in his stance. It's in his motion. The guy was talking big on the radio, not the braggadacio kind of big that people tend to make obvious, but the kind of big talk where you can tell - you can tell - that they have an opinion of themselves that is painfully accurate. Seifer's a little bit more energetic than he's been in the last three fights, a little bit more motive, a little bit more...more. He's got a grin on his face, he's bouncing a bit on his feet. He gets himself under control, though. And when Zenos comes in, he takes a stance. It is the most ridiculous stance in the world. It is the stance of a complete amateur with a weapon that makes absolutely no sense. It is the kind of thing a monkey might do and make. A gunblade that isn't for shooting or cutting? A rapier stance with a weapon that long and unwieldy? It looks like he's trying to look cool for a movie. "Not gonna lie," Seifer says, his grin fierce, his eyes wild, "You got me all excited. I can tell. You're good at what you do. I hope you live up to your end, too."
Zenos yae Galvus	Zenos approaches the arena with the same pace that he nearly approaches everything. Unhurried, he allows the crowd to cheer as he approaches, his masked face watching the opponent opposite him as they both enter the arena. Dressed in the Garlean dark steel armor, with a white mask covering his face. On the center of the forehead of the mask is a pearl-like gem. The rest of the armor is adorned in red, Ala Mhigan style garments. On his hip is a trio of swords in what might be described as a 'golf caddy' of blades, named the sword revolver. His armored hand resting on a single hilt as he continues to observe Seifer wordlessly as he comes to a halt opposing him. The stance does not inspire confidence in him, watching the ridiculous style does not impress. However, All-Seeing Eye, his new friend, indicated he was more dangerous than he appeared. He would have to watch this style closely. "Oh I shall, and I am. However, I have a question for you. How would you enjoy a world where all of the fights went exactly as you expected them to, complete victory. Having no ability to draw out your true strength, they end before a fight for you could truly begin," he asks. "That is the world I lived in before the joining to the Multiverse. I could care less about this tournament. Or the people watching for sport...no, I care about one thing." He says before he draws his blade in a single fluid motion, swinging out in a wide arch and closing the distance between the two of them in but a single instance. It would be but a flash, but the sword would go from sheathed to extended behind Seifer in what seemed like a blink of an eye. "Living. Fighting. Doing what men were meant to do! Now...let us see if this is a fight between two men...or a fight between a man and a beast!"
Touta Konoe	Touta ends up having to bolt into the commentator's booth on short notice. He wasn't expecting to be called in but given how a match came up short notice apparently no one else was available and they knew he had just finished his match so he was the most reasonable canindate. Though to say that they wanted his partner with the smooth mature voice actually over him made him feel some sort of way. "Seriously, what's that about?" "Touta now's not the time for that. Look they're already getting ready. Turn on the mike." He stares at the blade for another moment but just gives up and starts up the comms. "Greetings once again from the MECC. My name is Kurobo and I'll be your head commentator tonight. In this match we have two Swordsman who are well known even amongst the Multiverse. In the red corner we have the Hand of the Concord, the Fox Knight, the King of the Moon, the self-proclaimed Kind of a big deal, Seifer Almasy. In the blue, we have the General of Garlemald, the Heir Apparent, the Imperial Viceroy of both Ala Mhigo and Doma, Legatus Zenos Yae Galvus. Between these two masters of their craft sparks will likely fill the night sky....And also my guest commentator for the night, Touta Konoe." Just as Touta's about to speak up... "And it looks like Contestant Zenos will lead the first strike. How will Contestant Seifer defend?" ...
Seifer Almasy	The question gets Seifer's lips splitting in two. "I'd hate it." "Standing on top of the world? Who wants to do that, huh? That sounds like the most boring crap imaginable. Nowhere to climb. Nowhere to go. The apex and nothing better. What a terrible fate." "Besides," he rolls the blade in his finger like a pistol, somehow not cutting off his arm or even touching his flesh, "I'm a knight. If a knight ain't fightin' somethin' more dangerous than he is, what kinda story is that, right?" Zenos's mind can read Seifer's like a book. He can even read Seifer's moves like a book. It's just, they make no sense. Zenos surges in. He's fast, lightning fast. ==THE ECHO== Zenos yae Galvus peers into Seifer Almasy. His mind is an open book. The blade is going to cut right through him. There is no way that he could possibly move fast enough to avoid it. No way that he could move his blade from that position to parry it. He's reacting far too slow. Seifer's reaction is far too slow. He's an inch away from a perfect parry. The blade moves in ways swords don't, not fast, not with a quick reaction time, but with something else. Something borderline-supernatural. Zenos's blade narrowly is bent off course, just enough to avoid actually cutting straight through Seifer. It's enough to nick his side through his jacket, to draw blood, but it's not enough to do serious damage. The gunblade's already swinging around for Zenos's back. Amateurish. Slow. Nonsense. Insulting. "This should answer enough!"
Zenos yae Galvus	"Heh..." Zenos makes a small laugh, he moves abruptly. No man in that much armor should move as fast as he does. However, he turns, just enough and sends his blade to meet Seifer's own. The attempt to parry is more of a redirect, as the blade slices across the armor of the Garlean, but far less than he was expecting, and not where he wanted. "I wonder, though...is it a desire to become better...a desire to protect something...or thoughtless desire to throw yourself into the abyss? I think we shall find these answer together, you and I...but for now, we shall enjoy ourselves," Zenos says with a rumble. Zenos, with a flash of movement, stand across the arena, as he once more comes into existence. His blade swings out in an arch, as he sends a wave of energy that cuts like a crescent throughout the arena. The blade is more like a cone that gets larger as it soars out, and is dangerously fast. "Your style obfuscates your skill? Are you self taught?"
Seifer Almasy	LEMME TELL YA ABOUT MY ROMANTIC DREAM! "LEMME TELL YA ABOUT MY ROMANTIC DREAM!" It's the answer to Zenos's question. I trained myself! I trained for days all so I could do just one thing! Live the life I wanted to live! Live the dream I've held from the days I was a kid! "I trained myself! I trained for days all so I could do just one thing! Live the life I wanted to live! Live the dream I've held from the day I was a kid!" He's not even charging forward. He's charging something, though. Seifer brings his blade around to meet the blast wave. He's never done this but once, against All-Seeing Eye. In that, it was a desperation move. Here, it's a test. He wants to know if he can disrupt the incoming wave. He's trying to disrupt the wave with a wave of his own. The gunblade swings at a most unnatural angle just moments before the cone reaches him, carving a direct diagonal through it. In the middle of the swing, a line of explosions erupts in front of Seifer, blasting open the cone. What gets through sends him skidding backwards, his arms burning, his chest scorched, but him alive and mostly uninjured. I used to grab a stick every day! "I used to grab a stick every day!" Seifer goes running at Zenos, a straightforward charge from a straightforward man. And swing it till my arm hurt! Over, an' over, an' over, an' over! I'd swing it till I could barely lift it! Just like the knight in the movie! No, there's no way- "And swing it till my arm hurt! Over, an' over, an' over, an' over! I'd swing it till I could barely lift it! Just like the knight in the movie!" Wait, he's going to dodge? At the last moment, he does dodge, surging to the left. But the strike doesn't come from the left. The strike is like Zenos's - fast, almost illusory, trailing behind him. He pulls the trigger on the gunblade as he passes and it explodes, vibrating furously on impact. 'cause my romantic dream was to live my life like the Sorceress's Knight! "'cause my romantic dream was to live my life like the Sorceress's Knight!" Down to the last detail! "Down to the last detail!"
Touta Konoe	"And it looks as though first blood will go to Contestant Zenos with speed and dexterity coming into play immediately. Though Contestant Seifer appears to come out of the attack without much concern as he goes on the counter attack with his own weapon of choice, the gunblade." The crowd even in the lesser of sizes still finds enough of a voice to make an uproar in the arena as Zenos' blade strikes and Seifer finds his rhythm to minimize the damage. It's then that Seifer's own attack finds it mark. "Contestant Zenos' movements shown his expertise even in such heavy looking armor. Seifer's attack appears to miss it's mark as Zenos redirects the blow into a sturdier part of his armor. Though as to that particular spot I'm unsure if it was truly intended or not. Though he doesn't falter regardless as he prepares his next strike that appears to be some sort of projectile slash. Will Contestant Almasy find room to breath or will he suffer the brunt of that one?" It's only at that point does anyone really see that Zenos attack is expanding.
Zenos yae Galvus	Once more, the katana of Zenos swings up as the gunblade of Seifer swings down. The two collide in a brilliant display of explosions and force. However, Seifer's strike breaks through the swing of Zenos, though the Garlean was more focused on making sure the next hit landed. There is a laugh, however, from Zenos. Surprisingly, not a mocking one. "Is that so...so devoted are you to pursuing this dream that you would risk all whenever you take the field, making sure to live every battle like it was your last...taking the hardest path whenever available?" There is another laugh, "Absolutely amazing. I am suitably impressed...but let us see if your strength backs up your ideas..." Blades drop from the sky, specifically right behind Zenos. Each one glowing with a green aether, before exploding with the force of a hurricane, aiming to try and blow Siefer away from him, while he remained unmoving. The force of the winds was blindingly devastating, as the sword in his hand came up... Then back down, a blast of lightning aether to go with the storm, aiming to surge through across the ground like a dangerous, and continuous, blast of electricity.
Seifer Almasy	See, I knew it. I knew you'd get it. I knew you'd be the kind of guy to understand this kind of thing. Yeah, that's right. You wanna see how strong I am? I'm itching to see the same! "Yeah, that's right," Seifer says, "You wanna see how strong I am? I'm itching to see the same!" Wind and lightning come storming down. Seifer's response is to dive into it. He dives straight into the furious, devastating wind, mitigating the impact, his arms crossed in front of him. His blade comes down to the ground, stabbing into it as the lightning comes striking, and he uses it to push himself off and pull it free just moments before the bolt can hit. The timing is beyond split-second. Seifer's in a cartwheel off his own weapon so he doesn't touch the ground, so the only thing hitting him, shredding at his face, tearing at his skin, is the wind. This is the part where both hands would grip the blade if Seifer was the kind of swordsman Zenos would think he was. Instead, what Zenos gets is that he's bringing his sword down with one hand and snapping his fingers in Zenos's face. The gunblade comes down. He pulls the trigger at the last possible second. And, with his other hand, he snaps his fingers. The gunblade vibrates. The explosion comes out of absolutely nowhere directly in Zenos's face.
Zenos yae Galvus	The explosion rocks the giant man, staggering him from the blow and sending him reeling for the first time this fight. The helmet of the Garlean is blown clear off, rolling around elsewhere on the battlefield as the head of Zenos is finally revealed to Seifer. He's a beautiful man, even now when there is a slight burn across his face and a line of blood running down the left side of it. Blonde hair runs down, slightly swaying in the wind, as a single pearl rests on his forehead, not a gem but actually a part of the Garlean. "Ah good...now I will feel satisfied not holding back," he says, with a laugh. Those eyes glow red for a moment, as Aether channels around him in a stunning fashion. It's a palpable change as he raises his blade once into the air. "Now, FIGHT FOR THAT DREAM!" he says and brings the blade down in a manuever to pierce the ground. An explosion tears through the area, the ground splinters, and breaks as the force of the wave go in every direction. Those caught in it often feel the might of Zenos' fighting spirit weighing down their own. It is in fact, simply Zenos enforcing his wills on others.
Touta Konoe	Seifer's attack to split the wave causes the small crowd to gasp in surprise. Even Touta up in the booth is keeping his eyes on the guy as he does something reckless like that. "What was he thinking?!" "Contestant Seifer rather than choosing to avoid Zenos' wave tries to split it in half it appears. Though takin a look it probably didn't go as well as he had wanted. Though perhaps any other way would have been lackluster for the story of a knight such as himself." At this point, Touta covers the mike, "Where'd that come from." "Regardless of Seifer Almasy's attitude his skill is without question. As a weapon how could I not show some sort of respect to someone I've seen many a time, who has shown mastery of his weapon." Right, but uh, remember to stay impartial alright?" He lets loose the mike once again. "Contest Seifer retaliates with what appears to be a head for- No - Wait! The attack is misleading but one can hear the sound of his gunblade going full force on that last strike." "Zeno's intercepts still! That collision can be felt even from up here! But it looks like things are really gonna get crazy now! Zenos is bringing in his extra blades from the sky! I don't know what they actually are but as someone who had to deal with them, I know they can really mess you up with elemental attacks if you're not careful! And speaking of mess you up, it looks likes Zenos is gonna unleash a crazy combo of wind and lightning!" Seems things were escalating so quickly, Touta really did need to step in to keep up pace. Though the fight is fast and even with two commentators its hard to give the play-by-play the justice it deserves in this fight. "Contestant Seifer makes a daring move to leap right into the storm, it looks like he avoids the lightning but one can see just how powerful those gales are. His rebuttal to such an attack appears to be a two-hand-" "It's a bluff! Look! Seifer's using that Ki explosion thing and his gunblade together!" "How will Contestant Zenos fair?"
Seifer Almasy	Well. That, Seifer was not expecting. The ground splinters. The arena shatters. The wave hits Seifer dead in the face. It's hard enough to kill. It's strong enough to push him backwards, towards the edge of the arena. It could crush his bones. The explosion could kill him in and of itself. One step. That's what it is. That's what breaks it. It's one step. Or, no, not breaks. Seifer can't break that fighting spirit. He has no skill in Soul Force arts, not really; everything he is is self-taught. His fighting spirit is ferocious but he doesn't really understand how to wield it. But that wild, unbelievable grin on his face as his lips are pushed back against the wind tells more of a story than anything else. His gunblade comes up and points straight into the wave. The explosion parts. It's like watching magic. No, it's not magic. It's meeting explosion with explosion, soul with soul, fighting spirit with fighting spirit. Seifer is walking forward, because he can't do any more. Zenos is overwhelming. Seifer is walking forward because Zenos yae Galvus is an overwhelming foe whom he absolutely cannot beat in a contest of power. And that makes him really, really, really want to try. He's walking forward. It's one step at a time. It's almost nothing, but it's not quite nothing. Snap. BOOM. The ground under Zenos's feet erupts, at the center of his power, at the center of his fighting force. Zenos isn't getting any thoughts because Seifer isn't thinking anything. All he's seeing is Zenos. All he wants to do is fight Zenos. Everything is instinct. Everything is reaction. This is a fight between men. This is what Zenos wanted.
Zenos yae Galvus	The glow in his eyes, fade. There is something in this place that is preventing him from forcing the Resonant forward more than at a burst at a time. However, at that moment Siefer manages to turn the tides into his favor. No thoughts? That is impossible because everyone thinks, and it was at that moment that the burst caught him. The armor burned and damaged as he dashes back to avoid more damage sizzles as he gives his opponent a stare. There were no more words, no more need for words...his sword returned to the sheath, as it rotated until a new blade came to his hands. His hand resting on the sheath as he walks slowly facing his opponent. Swords drop behind Seifer, sparking with electrical energy as they threaten to surge through him, hopefully getting him to move closer to avoid them. At this moment, Zenos would be on top of him, bringing a flaming sword down at him, trying to cleave through him in a swing to turn him to a cinder. There was no red glow anymore, but right now there is the look of a man trying to kill his opponent.
Seifer Almasy	Too fast. Even Seifer's superhuman instinct, superhuman reaction speed, can't do anything about this. The Echo can't even keep up with Zenos right now, and it doesn't need to, because he gets Seifer to step forward and then in that instant smashes the flaming sword down into him. It hits Seifer dead on. He hits the floor. He bounces. There's blood in his mouth. There's blood on the floor. There's a grin on his face. It's not the cocksure grin of a man who has a trick up his sleeve. It's not the wild grin of a beast. Zenos knows exactly what this grin is. This is the grin of a man who is absolutely loving this shit. This is the grin of a man who has been pushed into the absolute corner and can't wait to see how he gets out of this one. Still no thoughts. Or, not coherent ones. Seifer's mind is scrambling for an option. For a way to counterattack overwhelming strength and overwhelming anger and skill almost his own equal. Maybe even more than his own equal. It's hard to tell considering the overwhelming strength angle. Kind of obscures the whole 'equal skill at blades' thing. He doesn't wait around, though. He's already rolling despite the burning hole in his back, suffering the pain rather than wait around. He's on his feet in a heartbeat, ducking under the next attack, because he knows Zenos won't let up. The gunblade goes thrusting forward. It's a simple stab. It's nothing - it's - At the last possible instant, quite literally the moment of impact, the blade shifts. Not turning, not to ram through. A thrust becomes a slash. A two-handed slash, in fact; Seifer's lower hand slams against the hilt of the pistol as his finger pulls the trigger, and what had a mere second ago been a simple thrust, easy to parry, becomes a devastating, vibrating slash using the tip of the blade, the force of the thrust, and the first use of his gunblade like an actual gunblade in the entire fight. It's a desperate attack born out of insane skill, a madman's gamble putting him right up in Zenos's face. He's grinning all the while. It doesn't take a mind reader to know that Seifer Almasy Is Loving This Shit.
Zenos yae Galvus	The slash comes down, the grin on Seifer's face is shared by the grin on Zenos'. The two collide in a brilliant show of sparks, magic, and fire. The explosion from their combined clashing shakes the arena itself, the crowd likely put to silence by the pure contest of might happen. Right now, Zenos does not care for the arena, but only the man in front of him. Only the man he wants to kill, and the man who wants to kill him! It's wonderful, brilliant... The explosion from the trigger cuts through Zenos' defenses, but there was another brilliant flash of his eyes, the crimson light returning. Aether rolls off of him, even as his chest gapes at the slash. His body threatening to shut down. This is what he lives for... "Let this moment last forever!" he says, before flashing away. Three sword drop from the sky, each one surging with their power. Wind aims to blast Seifer back, lightning threatens to hamper his moment as the static can be felt in the air itself, and the Ash threatens to turn him into its namesake. However, it wasn't done. Zenos appears by The Swell, grabbing the blade and dashing through the arena, aiming to slash Seifer as he dives by. Without missing a beat he grabs the Storm, dashing back again, swinging it in a powerful overhead slash to try and blast the man with that electrical aether. Then he grabs the Ash, and literally DIVING from halfway across the arena brings it down in a beautiful arc, aiming to slash it through the chest of his opponent, as a pillar of flame would erupt after him.
Touta Konoe	"The smoke is clearing, and it looks like that explosion has proven rather effective in pushing back Contestant. With his helmet knocked off that'll also leave him susceptible to future attacks but it seems like that explosion has already taken its toll." "Zenos doesn't get bothered by that kind of stuff though. Look at him, he's revving to get back at Seifer already, he's just jammed his blade to make an eruption of his own!" The crowd holds onto the nearest thing each is capable of, no one was ready for Zenos' groundbreaking attack. The structure of the areana is well fortified so one one has to actually be concerned hopefully, of course there's one person who finds himself without any sort of concern. Someone who fights explosion with explosions apparently. "Contestant Seifer appears to counter Contestant Zenos' shockwave using his own. Whether that was a gamble or simply him learning how to use that technique from the last time it's appeared to pay off. And now it seems as though he'll return the favor." Snap. Boom. "There it is. That Ki Explosion again, and big this time too. Zenos really looked like he felt that one. That looked reall- Ah, those are!" Just as Touta was to speak again Zenos' blade descends from the sky once more. "It's just like the last fight! Zenos brings his sword from the sky behind Seifer, he's gonna unleash a hell of a lot of lightning!" "A two pronged attack. Using lightning to garner his attention and following up with his own attack. A well planned move by Contestant Zenos." "You can say that again...Seifer looks the closest I've seen him getting bashed up this hard since...Well, I can't think of another time but if that's happening rest assured folks...He's probably having the time of his life." That's all he can imagine as Seifer gets beaten near death...He can't tell if that's a good or bad thing he knows that though.
Seifer Almasy	No thought. No mind. Nothing but blade. This is it. Seifer doesn't hesitate. More than doesn't hesitate. As Zenos is bringing the three swords down, Seifer is already running straight forward. He's already charging into it. He's diving straight into the final art. Slash. The sheer force of the two slashes is a shockwave. Wind meets wind. A tornado bursts to life in the center of the arena as two impossible blades meet. Flash. Lightning meets lightning, divine lightning meeting sparks from a gunblade's edge. Lightning crashes through Seifer's body. His skeleton is briefly visible. Thunder blows back chunks of the arena already blasted by Zenos's earlier attack. A divine thrust, met with a diving thrust. All instinct. No thought. All mirrored. Skill mirroring skill. A perfect moment. "LET'S MAKE IT FOREVER!" Hyperion comes down in a perfect arc, right through Zenos's chest. The flame follows. It blasts Seifer. It blasts backwards at Zenos. Final Art met with Final Art. Seifer wobbles. He drops to one knee. He can't tell. He can't look back. Everything spent in one strike. His grin is enormous as he coughs up blood.
Zenos yae Galvus	Zenos, too, ends on the other side of Seifer. Moments before the arena shakes as the two arts collide, breaking the stage and sending lightning flying everywhere. Fire erupts as things shatter around them. Right now, though, Zenos takes a knee, unable to continue as blood dribbles down his mouth. His sword stuck into the ground to brace himself. He laughs a long health elated laugh. Never would he have found such strong opponents in the small world he was in. Too small was it, and finally, he understands. Truly, he is happy, right now at this moment. "Ah...another person I can call 'friend'. The solitude at being the apex, with no challenge...and now there is a multitude of people who /get it/. Ah, I will NEVER get bored of this Multiverse." He stands the effect of the Shrine already taking effect as he moves to Seifer, "Usually it is customary for the winner to by the loser a drink...however let us celebrate this fight."