destinystrings | The Duel's Rebirth

Entry tags:

!duels,
!open log

The Duel's Rebirth

▼ Fighting Tournament

Who: Tournament Fighters and those who wish to watch them.
Where: Aries Arena & Televised
When: 22nd of March!
Summary: Let's bring back hope to the people...by beating the crap out of each other!
Warnings: D-D-DUELS!

▼ And now, back to you, Jay!

It wasn't the excitement of the Grand Prix that had occurred a year ago in January. Even if it had been over a year, it was something that most citizens would never forget.

But hope, it seemed, could never truly die. And so with the stadium finally rebuilt… and improved, came the question of when a new tournament should be organized. The answer: as soon as possible.

With most of its champions out of commission, and last year's winner dead… it fell to the Visitors to help with this monumental task.

Last minute preparations, and whispers of the Grand Prix happening this year had driven up the city into high spirits. For the ten warriors involved, it was quite a load on their shoulders. Five matches. Not a true Grand Prix, it was announced, but rather a demonstration, to get people excited again before it became a quarterly event as before.

What can they say? The show must go on. And the ratings must be high. Tonight depended on the Visitors. As did the security.

The entire place was filled with cheering spectators, surprisingly for a last-minute venue and the risks of last year repeating themselves. The time to get in had taken longer; now there was much more security walking around, a grim reminder of what had to be changed.

For those who couldn't attend the sold out event, the usual channels promised to stream the entire event life. Pay-per-view had extra side shows and cameras, interviews of normal civilians and asking them who they thought would win. Pubs were filled with rowdy after-work men and women passing sake around and drinking towards the future winners.

Gambling wasn't allowed… publicly. So naturally, it flourished underground. A few visitors were well known, but the newcomers faced lower odds; which meant a bigger payout should they win.

From their viewing box above the entire stadium, "Jay Queen" and "Bob Sternhammer", the two ringside announcers, excitedly begin the pre-game talk.

After all that's happened, what an amazing crowd today Jay! You can feel and hear the energy coming right off of 'em!"

"A stadium of ten thousand filled to the brim! The tickets were announced just a few days ago and looked at the thing, everyone's scrambling to be able to make it tonight!"

"Tonight's matches are sure to be interesting! Ten Visitors, along with a few usuals from last year warming up. This may not be a Grand Prix, but the crowd sure is actin' like it is."

"Can't blame 'em! Hinoto-Ri's future is looking better than ever, and this just proves we won't take this lyin' down. Now for those unlucky souls watching at home, we're gonna remind you of the few ground rules."

"Tonight's matches are primarily Visitors. Ten fighters, Five battles. Different skill levels. Seaside Dragoon, the new Arena chairman, is overseeing the entire affair himself."

"Names are drawn based on known skill. Randomization is under the supervision of the Hinoto-Ri Lotto Society."

"Contestants pick their own Evoker ten minutes before the duel, and are asked to fire a blank shot in the air to ensure security before it is scanned. Contestants then are brought into their isolation zones and are kept there until they are ready to be brought up to the ring."

"Turns are taken, each allowed only one command from their Personas, and one attack from a weapon of their choosing. Because this is a Visitor match, this weapon attack may be switched to a 'native' skill."

"Spells and items they had before coming to Hinoto-Ri basically! I've heard of things like Pocket Monsters myself..."

"As usual, Instant Death Spells are forbidden. You may not kill your opponent. If your opponent is knocked unconscious, they have ten seconds to get up. You are only allowed to attack your opponent’s Persona, even with your weapons and skills."

Someone walked the center of the stage, as the crowd began to scream.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. Last year's Grand Prix was a dark moment in our history. Instead of the national anthem this year, we have decided on a moment of silence for the victims, including last year's champion please..."

The feed went silent for a minute, panning to various crowd members. Everyone stood up. Some had closed eyes, others were crying.

Once the minute was done, the announcer blew a kiss towards the sky. The crowd followed his movement.

"AND NOW! THE MAIN EVENT!"

The sudden shouts shook the stadium, becoming louder and louder.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE HINOTO-RI ARENA TOURNAMENT IS PROUD TO PRESENT THE OTHERWORLDERS! A SERIES OF BATTLES WITH STRICT SET OF RULES TO SHOWCASE THE AMAZING ABILITIES OF HINOTO-RI'S HEROES!"

Dramatically, the announcer leaned in closer, raising his hand as the crowd's enthusiasm broke into an even louder frenzy.

The crowed cheered, as a series of fireworks and music tore off into the sky.

"This is the start of a new era, Jay I can feel it!"

"I've never felt this much excitement before. Here's hoping that tonight's fighters are gonna give it their all! This is Bob and Jay live from the Otherworld Tournament!"

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Kotoha carefully notes the weakness for that laser-eyed bird Persona and starts spinning her staff as she prepares to rush in. Overhead, Scorpina has stopped gliding in circles and landed next to Arthur, the two Pokemon sitting together next to the arena wall, the pair of them splitting a chocolate bar as they spectate the fight.

Kotoha leaps in, her form a strange mixture of kung-fu and ballet as she strikes at Itzpalt with her staff and pirouettes away.

Otoha snarls, struggling to keep his balance. This isn't looking good. He refuses to lose, though. He has the distinct assistance of a thick skull, and so he only wavers a bit, waiting for an opportunity to strike again.

The seven giants supporting the globe sink into the ground as Chehooit and her throne shatter into shards of glowing blue glass as Kotoha switches back to her Soul Persona.

"Incinerate!"

Otoha grins through the fire. He doesn't mind this, now that it's back on better footing for him. Attacking Mitra won't do anything - he knows that now - but he needs to strike while he can. And if she's using fire, then maybe -

"Hell Frost." The mage Persona lifts his staff, firing off a wave of ice at Mitra. Otoha plants his feet carefully, bracing for whatever she's going to throw at him next.

Kotoha gets knocked to the ground by the attack, Mitra fading out behind her as she re-summons Chehooit.

Perfect. Just the opportunity he was waiting for. Otoha springs forward, aiming to slam down a solid attack against Chehooit. He grins, trenchcoat flapping behind him like a cape.

And he disappears. One... two... three... four. He appears again, high in the air to try to allow gravity to aid him as he comes crashing down against the other's Persona.

As Kotoha flips to her feet, recovering from the attack, she casts Diarahan before lashing out at Itzpalt with her weapon.

He stumbles backwards, cursing this Persona in his head. Why did he have to pick up one that was weak to Physical? That was a stupid move. And - crap. She has a healing spell. He probably should have gotten one, too. He can feel his muscles tightening in the way that suggests that his Persona has started taking way too much damage - but he refuses to back down. He'll keep going until he can't anymore.

Streamers of water gather above Kotoha's head as she casts a spell, resolving themselves into a spinning disc that she flings directly at Itzpalt.

"Whirlpool!"

Otoha huffs slightly as he takes the attack. Wearing her down won't be easy... so he'll have to hit as hard as he can.

"Mind Charge." The Persona draws in power, glowing slightly. Next time won't be easy to deal with. He can feel the strain, though. He can't keep going forever, at least not with how many spells he's been casting. He jumps forward again to try to hit her Persona.

Edited 2014-03-30 20:23 (UTC)

Kotoha accepts the hit, Chehooit shattering under the blow as she summons Mitra while twirling away.

"Shield All!"

As the barrier goes up, she casts an experienced eye over Otoha's form, trying to judge how much more he's got in him.

Oh great. He can't remember if it blocks magical attacks too. He might as well just waste an attack on it, even if he already knows Mitra reflects physical attacks. He jumps forward, swinging a fist at it instead of his sword. Better to literally pull his punches here.

Strangely, Otoha hasn't broken a sweat. His muscles are starting to show signs of tension, though. His attacks aren't really slowing down, though it does take a hair of a second longer for each movement.

Shield All's nullification overrides Mitra's normal Reflection, so Otoha is not punching himself in the face with this attack. Kotoha does take advantage of the resistance from the shield to launch her own thrust with her bladed staff at Itzpalt, whispering under her breath to Otoha as she does so.

"There's a limit to how far you can push your body before it gives out, y'know."

Edited 2014-03-31 00:07 (UTC)

Otoha growls as his weakness is hit again, stunning him for a moment. He plants his feet, trying to keep his stance stable. "I won't lose."

He can't. Losing and failure are just things that he won't accept. Not for him, at least.

As Mitra fades away, Chehooit popping up once more, Kotoha continues to whisper.

"It's not about losing, it's about ruining your body for no good reason."

"I heal easy and I don't feel pain. Going all out is the only fun way to fight."

Too many words. Not enough fighting. "Volt Carnage." The Mind Charged attack flies towards Chehooit as Otoha leaps backwards. This is going on too long - but she can heal. And if he switches to just physical attacks she'll just stay with Mitra.

... This isn't looking good.

Kotoha goes absolutely still, Chehooit fading away as she processes what Otoha just said. Over at the edge of the arena, Scorpina is being bodily hurled into the air by Arthur, the duo reacting to Kotoha's mental turmoil. Putting on a burst of speed, the Gliscor interposes herself between her Trainer and the mass of electricity hurled at her, shrugging it off and grounding it through her tail. Numbly, Kotoha reaches up and pats Scorpina's head gently before stepping out in front of her and throwing her staff to the ground.

"I forfeit!"

Otoha freezes, eyes widening. She - no. That's not fair! He lets his Persona fade, and watches as the walls come down. They're both led off to healers, and Otoha ignores both them and the announcers.

This wasn't how he wanted to win...

Tough.

The entire way over, Kotoha is gazing at Otoha, her expression unusually serious compared to her normal carefree manner. Once the healers have finished up and the pair have been left alone she finally starts speaking, her voice level with just a hint of scorn.

"Well? How does victory feel?"

"It's a win. Not a victory. The crowd, the whole tournament thing... it's just background noise." He pulls his arm away from a healer who's looking at him with a little bit of concern and waves them off. He doesn't need their help.

"I fight until I give out. There's no other way to do it, for me. I don't care that much if people are stronger. I do care that I can have an all-out fight and give it everything I have." Otoha pauses for a moment, shifting so he can look Kotoha in the eyes. "It's about pushing my limits. That's the only way you can get stronger."

... He has people to protect now. He can't afford to stop.

Kotoha just stares, her lips compressed into a thin line.

"...that was an exhibition match. Did it occur to you, even once, that I might not be okay with hospitalizing my opponent to win?"

Standing up and stalking over to him.

"Or that there are people in your life that don't want you injured?"

... She's kind of scary when she's mad. He bites back his initial response, forcing himself to try and think about his words first. "So... what, you wanted me to just lie down and take it? To not keep going when I could? I'm not stupid enough to get myself killed over something like that. I can't come back to life here. I've already had my chance."

He's had too many chances, really. "I get injured a lot. I know how to handle it. I can't feel pain - that means I've had to learn to be careful. But not so careful that I don't push myself."

Welp. That's it.

"THIS WAS NOT AN APPROPRIATE VENUE FOR PUSHING YOURSELF!"

She really mad now.

"I didn't expect you to take it, you jackass, I expected you to understand the basic concept of sportsmanship. And why, exactly, do you think not fighting would get you killed? I literally threw the match rather than hurt you, and you assume I'd have killed you? A sixteen year old ballerina, publicly murdering a man in front of thousands of witnesses? When was the last time you pulled your head out of your ass and actually saw the sun, you utter jackass?"

"I never said that. I said that I know when to stop. I said that I know where my limits are." He's not sure if she even could kill him. If his Persona took too much damage, he'd stop. Attacking him directly was against the rules, or he'd have had a much easier time.

"I have people I can't leave behind. So just try to think for a single minute that I'm not as stupid as you seem to think I am. I'm reckless and thick-headed but I'm not an utter moron."

Kotoha stares at him for several long moments before replying.

"...I've decided. I'm going to make you a better person."

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bakegarasu - 2014-04-01 15:51 (UTC) - Expand

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The Duel's Rebirth

Weapon: Physical

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Persona Switch: Mitra | Persona Skill: Incinerate + Fire Pierce

Persona Skill: Hell Frost

Hit Weakness | Persona Switch

Personal Skill: Veil of Mist | Weapon: Physical

Persona Skill: Diarahan | Weapon: Physical

Weakness Hit

Persona Skill: Whirlpool + Water Amp

Persona Skill: Mind Charge | Weapon: Physical

Persona Switch: Mitra | Persona Skill: Shield All

Physical Attack

Physical Attack

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Persona Switch: Chehooit

Persona Skill: Volt Carnage (Mind Charged)

Persona Dismiss | Pokemon Skill: Intercept

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