Test Your Prowess!

[bladedwind]

I challenge any man who thinks he may best me in combat! The wager is 200 Gold to start. You are free to attempt to give me more money if you choose, for surely you shall not win a single silver mon from me!

Rules:

-Melee Weapons Only, no Ranged (Maxumim of Primary and Secondary)
-No Hidden Weapons
-Fight On Foot
-No Death
-No Post Time Limit, but I ask you post when you log on

Setting:

A river with a bridge going over it in the wildnerness. Nearby is a bamboo forest. Underneath the bridge, the water is only knee deep. The bridge is slightly arched, and frimly set into the ground on either side. The forest's ground is even leveled.

[scholar]

What makes you confident that you'll win? I'll take the wager.

[bladedwind]

((Very well. May the best man win!))

Ichimonji Masaki's armor creaked silently as he walked down the forest path and onto the bridge. His sword and wakizashi were strapped into his sash firmly, swaying ever so slightly as he moved. Strapped to his back was his trusted secondary weapon, the dangerous kanabo club, which had seen him through many dangerous situations. His face mask covered his mouth and nose, revealing only his eyes, steel orbs that pierced whatever they gazed at. He stopped on top of the bridge right in the middle, the river water gurgling as it passed under. His eyes and ears were alert as ever, on the look out for any signs of movemnet.

Masaki had posted a challenge to anyone who had the guts to try and fight him. He had been rather low on cash, so he decided to attract people by posting a wager of money on the village notice board. Even so, many dared not fight him, knowing his name and his exploits as a warrior. However, today, someone had finally responded to his challenge, and he had arrived at the designated meeting place. The green armored warrior waited patiently for his opponent to arrive.

[scholar]

Seeing a notice for a challenge is not what makes a man shake in his shoes or turn the face white, it is the man that casts it that makes it so. Seeing that most of the villagers were too scared to even look at the challenge made Suehiro intrigued. Maybe he will find a man of good consciousness and even better poise. Who would know, he tried asking several who issued the challenge but none would answer. A small child finally told me when it was put up there but after thanks was given a smile and was told that it was nice to be the last person to talk to him before he died. The thought kind of made him smile. But Suehiro had no time to think of his death.

Following the instructions laid out Suehiro walked towards the bridge. His straw sandals softened his feet against the coarse rough rocky pathway. His precious katana at his side, his aquebus was left behind, instead he carried a second much shorter katana. The day was rapidly fading and only the glow of lanterns lighted the path, the moon above was lit like a sun in the night which accompanied the lanterns. Shadows surrounded him in the wilderness beyond the path. When finally the bridge came in sight, he showed himself to the waiting armored man. Two swords strapped to his robe, he waited for the man to acknowledge him.

[bladedwind]

Ichimonji Masaki was alerted to the sound of a soft padding sound against the ground. Looking up, he observed as a robed man made his way towards him across the bridge calmly and confidently. His opponent had an elegant look about him, dressed in fine suuichin silk of high quality. His air was refined, elegant, serene. He was not a common samurai; this man was a man who had power and commanded respect. Whether or not he was a warrior, however, had yet to be tested. To come to a duel where one could either lose his life or his honor without any armor was either the sign of a brave man, or a foolish one. Masaki bowed politely to the newcomer in greeting, never keeping his eyes off of him.

"I see you have accepted my challange. I hope you are prepared for a real fight."

With a quick, elegant motion, Masaki drew his blade with lightning speed, bringing it in front of him in a center guard stance, his legs bent as he took a ready stance. He stood his ground firmly, his eyes peering over his mask at the man. He would see just how good this man was with a blade. If Masaki should lose his sword, he still had his other weapon, the deadly lethal kanabo club, which could break a sword in two with it's force. Whether or not he would actually need to do so had yet to be seen. He remained stationary, waiting for his opponent to draw his blade. It would be barbaric and dishonorable to strike at a man who had not yet drawn his own sword during a formal duel. Masaki was confident he could win this fight.

[scholar]

Suehiro stared at the man, taking no stance and not drawing his sword in any real fashion, he stood there standing looking at him. It was not so much the aura about the man before him, nor the stance in which his opponent took that caused such a stare, it was in fact a blankness in his mind. A certain clarity rarely achieved by man, except for the enlightened, and the most common of fools, a line so easy to cross it is invisible to any man who stands in the shades of gray in life.

"A challenge that beckons is a challenge that beckons, what else needs to be said?"

Suehiro drew his larger blade about 4 feet in length including the hilt. It glistened in the moonlight. Suehiro took a small yet dignified step back, and drew the katana to his shoulder ready the thrust forward, or down. It was a parrying stance, and in essence a stance of defense, though to even most skilled swordsman it is an aggressive stance, a statement which is hard to argue with. He stood waiting for a response, not so much with words but actions.

[bladedwind]

Masaki was impressed with the man's coolness. This was no ordinary man that stood before him. He was certainly one who could handle himself in a dangerous situation, with no fear of death. Whether or not he was a skilled swordsman had yet to be seen. His stance was basic enough, capable of counter attacking two ways. One would have to be careful how to approach, or else risk being cut down by a well placed counter slash or stab. Masaki had no intention of falling victim to defeat in this fight. He would win to retain his honor and pride as a warrior, and leave his opponent to bleed. He may not have been as serene or clear headed, but his mind was focused and razor sharp, ready to react quickly and adapt to his situation.

Wasting no more time with words, Masaki sprung forward without hesitation. While a level headed fighter, it was not his style to stare down a foe in a nearly endless face down. A ferocious assault was more his style. Given his foes stance, he would have to attack in a manner to counter measure any counter Suehiro threw at him. It did not take Masaki long to reach his target; he was fast on his feet and as nimble as a fox. He stabbed forward in a horizontal manner, the sharp edge pf his blade facing away from his body rather then toward it as he aimed for the same side the daimyo held his own blade. He would go for a shoulder wound to incapcitate his sword arm. If his strike was not quick enough, he could hopefully bring his blade up to block or parry.

[scholar]

Such swift action did not phase Suehiro at all, his mind was blank, it was not following the sword or it's movements, that was what his eyes were doing, instead his mind was calm as a still pool of water. One step to the side and a small ducking motion was all it would take, he turned his blade, looping under the advancing blade and broke the stance with a quick motion to the side to swipe away at the blades center using his blade to then ride the sword downward in break the hilt, this is what the entire motion was placed upon. Weather he could break a man such as this would be up to him. But regardless of what action he took the motion of advance had been broken. The blades would dance in the light of the moon, upon the bridge which they stood. A gentle glow coming from lanterns gave the pale light a shade of color.

[bladedwind]

The reaction of his opponent was to be expected, judging by attacking pattern, he was a methodical fighter who favored parries and counters arther then a direct fighter. It could either a safe fighting method, or one that could land the user in danger if they underestimated the skill of their opponent. Suehiro's mind was empty, clear and pure of any thought. An ideal state for a swordsman to be in, but in the end, reaction and timing were what really mattered. Masaki had both, and prided himself on his speed and efficiency. He would not lose to such a simple manuever.

As his opponent side stepped, he followed with his own side step, following so that he faced his foe. As Suehiro's blade met the back of his own, Masaki pushed down towards the ground, edge pointing upward as he attempted to lock down the sword. Without wasting a motion, he slashed uppward towards Suehiro's chest, taking a step inside as he did so to help prevent any propor counter attack by crippling the man's range advantage. One needed good range control to win a fight, as taught in the basics of swordsmanship. If you controlled your foe's range, you controlled the fight. He did not stop to wonder what the counter might be; he would simply react.

[scholar]

In this moment his sword was relatively locked, and a blade was fast approaching his unarmored breast. With three steps he moves out of the direct range, narrowly avoiding a direct hit, a slight graze against his robe was the outcome he quickly dropped his blade and took out a smaller one he had at his side, this one was only about a foot with a 6 inch hilt, from there he thrusted towards the advancing man's chest. A reaction would be difficult from the man, while he would be able to counter the longer Katana, the shorter one was close advancing and the act of locking the original sword leaves him open to a second one. The fight was about to reach it's climax as both warriors stood unleashing swift and efficient blows, each one not phasing the other. Only time would tell, but in the end the fight now favors suehiro's short blade, Masaki's Kanabo is too awkward to handle at such close range, it would seem as if a dodge or a grasp of melee tactics would be his only hope, but Suehiro thought of none of this. The efficiency of his blades would be what matters, and through it all his hand reaches for his first blade, no lying on the floor, abandoned by it's master, waiting for it's retrieval.

[bladedwind]

It seems his foe was not so intent on letting Masaki end the fight so quickly. Nonetheless, his tactics themselves were flawed. Dropping his sword may have seemed like a good idea, but the moment it was dropped, Masaki kicked it off the bridge and into the water with a swift backward foot motion, the katana falling into the disallowing a retrieval. This meant that Suehiro no longer had the option of retrieving the weapon. He observed as the daimyo drew his short sword. Not an odd choice considering the circumstances, but slow regardless. By the time the Kazizaki leader had drawn his blade, his center guard stance was already back in place. His kanabo was too awkward against such a weapon, this much was true. That was why the katana was best.

Masaki saw the incoming stab and reacted with a simple method for countering. While a wakizashi was a short, quick blade, the katana was a longer weapon with superior reach. As long as Masaki could keep him out of his own range, the short sword was a useless weapon. A simple side step to the left to position himself and a downward slash at the man's outstretched arms was his counter. He used a one handed downward cutting motion as he came toward him, which would most like decide the duel by either chopping his arms off or seriously wounding him. His other hand flew to his scabbard, grasping it firmly in his left hand. Countering such a technique would be very difficult, maybe even impossible. Only the next split second would be able to tell.

[scholar]

Such moves such bliss, surely a man with full armor and a club at his side would be less quick than one wearing a simple robe and a much smaller weapon, still Suehiro's thoughts were of nothing of this type. If his attacks failed, and he himself was being parried than the act must be returned in full. A mind blank and pristine is a mind untempered with, fear even of loss of limb does not cause him any quarrel. They were worlds apart from each other, the mind simply going through the motions of what any action should do, but such an attack like his left his stomach open, something most would die from. The thrust went into nothingness, that was not because of the side step which the man took from only a few inches away, but for the reach it would take for a successful swing backwards into the man's stomach. The armor would be thick but if the blade had enough room to slash it could still cut through, though no serious injury could come of it.

As the arms attached to the Katana flew downward to chop off his open arms a slash was then taken at the unprotected stomach, reaction time from the samurai would be short as such a move could well result in the death of the dealer for leaving his shoulder open, and for a moment causing his back to be turned. A moment that could be the difference between life and death. After the blade went through the motion, unaware if the target even sustained more than a minor cut on his armor a second slash was taken towards the arms. The longer katana was in sight down beneath the bridge among the sparkling water in the moonlight, it lay on the rocks, less than ten feet away from him. Not knowing what become of the engagement, or if any of the attacks had succeeded or failed he jumped down hurting his toes and ankles as he reached the stony riverbed. With one motion he picked up the Katana and looked upwards at the man who issued the challenge. This dance was not over yet, but the hearts of these men were standing off as their motions played to their song.

[Admin]

I'm going to step in here to stop some arguing. Scholar was cut by Bladedwind's attack, however moving away from the attack means it's just a cut. Still bad, but not enough to end the duel on the spot. It'll continue, but scholar will be losing blood from the attack and can only have around four turns to try and reverse it, otherwise he'll faint from the blood loss.

Also scholar, you have limited use of your legs, since jumping the bridge onto an uneven surface would hurt your toes and ankles, as well as mess up your knees. So don't expect to be running in the rest of this duel.

[scholar]

I wouldn't dream of it, but ten feet surely would not cripple any man. And which attack harmed me, The one meant to chop off my arms?

[kaname]

Yeah, the attack meant to chop off your arms has cut you quite badly, but its up to you what it does. If nothing changes within 4 rounds you'll faint, but blood flow is easy enough to slow down - should you have the time to fix it (or try to at least).

Also, you jumped after recieving the wound, so you wouldn't have been fully prepared for the impact and besides, it was all a little too convienant that the bridge had no railings and just so happened to be jumpable. You are not cripped, but your ankles, toes and knees hurt from the impact. The more you strain them worse it'll get (realism FTW).

As it stands, you're under the birgde or what not with your sword. Next round commences whenever Bladedwind posts again. This decision has been made by both the Admin and I. Enjoy the rest of your duel.