Post by Burgundy on Sept 8, 2021 7:30:51 GMT -5
Debris wafted through the air like smoke, obscuring the crowd's visual on the fight. Without a proper wind to clear it up there wasn't much but silhouettes against a technocolor lightshow to grasp what was happening on stage three. There were numerous clashing noises like steel deflecting wooden rods. This situation was ideal for Blaire because neither his opponent nor himself could see, as opposed to one way or the other. This meant he could avoid falling victim to whatever rhythmic hypnosis Kaz would weave into his combat.
With the addition of Joyeuse's ringing sound which indicated a full charge, he was able to counteract the snapping as well, so it was down to the two of them using martial skill in close quarters. Blaire had the advantage in a blind fight, thankfully, however, he was still very drunk. That being the case, he was able to waver and weave between his foe's strikes despite superior speed, though only with the help from his sword.
This heirloom of his had not steered him wrong, and never failed him. However, this fight was the first which pushed him so close to the brink of utter defeat. He had yet to even land a single significant blow on Kaz, after all. Joyeuse lone note rang out with delightful timbre. It was a cheerful song which foretold victory, and that was the tune which renewed Blaire's confidence. Even if he had a broken rib or two, even if his head swirled and vision blurred. Joyeuse still sang out, Blaire could absolutely turn this around.
The beat shifted again, and the floor panel to his left shot skywards. Water rained from above and finally cleared away the dust. Blaire was quite injured, panting tiredly, while Kaz was only winded from exerting so much effort so quickly. It was clear to any who were watching who would win if the match were called here. But since both participants were standing, both still had the fire in their eyes to see the fight through, there was not a soul in the crowd who wished for the fight to end yet.
"Tell me, good chap. That sword of yours, it rings every so often, usually before you deliver a powerful attack. Is there something special about it?" Kaz asked directly.
Blaire could have kept his hand hidden, but lying at a time like this would have been a stain on his honor, "Indeed. Joyeuse has been conserving the impacts its absorbed from your aggressive fighting style as vibrations. The ringing sound means that it can shatter steel if it strikes cleanly. If I hit you with this sword right now, you'll lose."
"Interesting. That's a highly complex design you have there. Did you perhaps get it from an old retired pirate?" Kaz would ask, leaning on his cane idly.
"Joyeuse is a family heirloom. My mother's father took it as a prize from a crew he'd apprehended fifty years ago," Blaire would explain, "Not that it matters. This is hardly the place for a history lesson on the Matter of Sally Fourth."
"Salley Fourth, huh? Well that explains where he— No, nevermind, you're right. Let us end this fight quickly, good chap. After all, you just need a single strike, no? In that case I'll simply defeat you with by best technique, one which not even your sword can counter," Kaz would declare.
Judging by the flow of the fight thus far and the clear air devoid of any obscurances, the upcoming clash was certain to end in Blaire's defeat. He was unable to push the advantage while the smokescreen was up, at least not far enough, and his green-haired opponent was a far better fighter, technically speaking.
The beat shifted yet again, and the canefighter would launch himself skywards, landing on stage 2. Did he need this much distance to execute that technique he was boasting about? The feather-capped swordsman would adjust his footing as he tried to look at him from so far away. There were just so many, his vision was crossing and fuzzy. He of course knew there was only one opponent, but that didn't help his eyes any.
Kaz would twirl his cane swiftly, and send a number of metal spheres into the air. It could have been three or six or even fifteen for all Blaire could see. The blonde swordsman closed his eyes and listened. The music was loud, the crowd was yet louder, and yet he could still listen. The cane-twirling fighter would assume a familiar stance, albeit with a great deal more feeling and intention, entering a hyperfocused state.
He launched one of the balls, using the butt of his cane as a cue stick, and it steadily shot forward, though at a speed that would never reach Blaire. Then he fired another one, which went faster and struck into the first one, transferring its energy into the first and launching it faster. And then a third ball, launching into the second ball, and sending it careening into the first. And then again. And then again even still. By the fifth one the first ball had been propelled to speeds exceeding that of a bullet, forming a mach cone around it.
"Dead Combination!"
Blaire had no time to think, he needed to counter it. With a fierce thrust of his sword, he would use the pent-up vibrational energy to push his sword through the sphere like a shishkabob, it coming to a full stop against the handguard. But the balls that followed were only slightly slower, like a newton's cradle they continued to pile in, skewering themselves onto Joyeuse like a trail of metal lemmings. It was only now that the feather-capped swordsman realized that each sphere was larger than the one before it. Larger and heavier, of course. The third one hit, and he was forced backwards, then the fourth crashed in and he was almost knocked over, before the fifth finally caused him to nearly fall off the stage.
Joyeuse had managed to perforate all five of the metal spheres and prevent Blaire from taking the damage. The cost was, unfortunately, it no longer rang. He'd used up all the pent up energy piercing through the magnetic spheres. They were also clinging tightly to his blade despite breaking them into chunks, so he held onto a rapier hilt loaded up with heavy metal balls. The fact that he could still hold it was a testament to his wine-drunk strength. It was a useless hunk of metal now.
Nevertheless he would look towards Kaz one more time, the twelve of him or whatever. "Was that your best move? It was indeed formidable, but it plainly didn't defeat me," Blaire would say.
Kaz scoffed, "You might believe so, but I don't hear that ringing anymore. I believe your trump card's been disarmed, good fellow."
Blaire looked at the useless hunk of metal in his right hand once again, "You're not wrong, Kaz. But you've so kindly given me another one."
"Whatever could you mean by that, Blaire, good chap? Do you intend to swing that at me? Are you going to launch them like you launched your sheathe earlier? I'll tell you right now, those magnetospheres of mine are far more difficult to shake off from around your sword than from one side or another," the cane-waving gladiator would question rampantly. Clearly, Blaire's assertion had struck a chord as to disrupt his opponent's calm facade.
Now it was only a matter of following through.
With the addition of Joyeuse's ringing sound which indicated a full charge, he was able to counteract the snapping as well, so it was down to the two of them using martial skill in close quarters. Blaire had the advantage in a blind fight, thankfully, however, he was still very drunk. That being the case, he was able to waver and weave between his foe's strikes despite superior speed, though only with the help from his sword.
This heirloom of his had not steered him wrong, and never failed him. However, this fight was the first which pushed him so close to the brink of utter defeat. He had yet to even land a single significant blow on Kaz, after all. Joyeuse lone note rang out with delightful timbre. It was a cheerful song which foretold victory, and that was the tune which renewed Blaire's confidence. Even if he had a broken rib or two, even if his head swirled and vision blurred. Joyeuse still sang out, Blaire could absolutely turn this around.
The beat shifted again, and the floor panel to his left shot skywards. Water rained from above and finally cleared away the dust. Blaire was quite injured, panting tiredly, while Kaz was only winded from exerting so much effort so quickly. It was clear to any who were watching who would win if the match were called here. But since both participants were standing, both still had the fire in their eyes to see the fight through, there was not a soul in the crowd who wished for the fight to end yet.
"Tell me, good chap. That sword of yours, it rings every so often, usually before you deliver a powerful attack. Is there something special about it?" Kaz asked directly.
Blaire could have kept his hand hidden, but lying at a time like this would have been a stain on his honor, "Indeed. Joyeuse has been conserving the impacts its absorbed from your aggressive fighting style as vibrations. The ringing sound means that it can shatter steel if it strikes cleanly. If I hit you with this sword right now, you'll lose."
"Interesting. That's a highly complex design you have there. Did you perhaps get it from an old retired pirate?" Kaz would ask, leaning on his cane idly.
"Joyeuse is a family heirloom. My mother's father took it as a prize from a crew he'd apprehended fifty years ago," Blaire would explain, "Not that it matters. This is hardly the place for a history lesson on the Matter of Sally Fourth."
"Salley Fourth, huh? Well that explains where he— No, nevermind, you're right. Let us end this fight quickly, good chap. After all, you just need a single strike, no? In that case I'll simply defeat you with by best technique, one which not even your sword can counter," Kaz would declare.
Judging by the flow of the fight thus far and the clear air devoid of any obscurances, the upcoming clash was certain to end in Blaire's defeat. He was unable to push the advantage while the smokescreen was up, at least not far enough, and his green-haired opponent was a far better fighter, technically speaking.
The beat shifted yet again, and the canefighter would launch himself skywards, landing on stage 2. Did he need this much distance to execute that technique he was boasting about? The feather-capped swordsman would adjust his footing as he tried to look at him from so far away. There were just so many, his vision was crossing and fuzzy. He of course knew there was only one opponent, but that didn't help his eyes any.
Kaz would twirl his cane swiftly, and send a number of metal spheres into the air. It could have been three or six or even fifteen for all Blaire could see. The blonde swordsman closed his eyes and listened. The music was loud, the crowd was yet louder, and yet he could still listen. The cane-twirling fighter would assume a familiar stance, albeit with a great deal more feeling and intention, entering a hyperfocused state.
He launched one of the balls, using the butt of his cane as a cue stick, and it steadily shot forward, though at a speed that would never reach Blaire. Then he fired another one, which went faster and struck into the first one, transferring its energy into the first and launching it faster. And then a third ball, launching into the second ball, and sending it careening into the first. And then again. And then again even still. By the fifth one the first ball had been propelled to speeds exceeding that of a bullet, forming a mach cone around it.
"Dead Combination!"
Blaire had no time to think, he needed to counter it. With a fierce thrust of his sword, he would use the pent-up vibrational energy to push his sword through the sphere like a shishkabob, it coming to a full stop against the handguard. But the balls that followed were only slightly slower, like a newton's cradle they continued to pile in, skewering themselves onto Joyeuse like a trail of metal lemmings. It was only now that the feather-capped swordsman realized that each sphere was larger than the one before it. Larger and heavier, of course. The third one hit, and he was forced backwards, then the fourth crashed in and he was almost knocked over, before the fifth finally caused him to nearly fall off the stage.
Joyeuse had managed to perforate all five of the metal spheres and prevent Blaire from taking the damage. The cost was, unfortunately, it no longer rang. He'd used up all the pent up energy piercing through the magnetic spheres. They were also clinging tightly to his blade despite breaking them into chunks, so he held onto a rapier hilt loaded up with heavy metal balls. The fact that he could still hold it was a testament to his wine-drunk strength. It was a useless hunk of metal now.
Nevertheless he would look towards Kaz one more time, the twelve of him or whatever. "Was that your best move? It was indeed formidable, but it plainly didn't defeat me," Blaire would say.
Kaz scoffed, "You might believe so, but I don't hear that ringing anymore. I believe your trump card's been disarmed, good fellow."
Blaire looked at the useless hunk of metal in his right hand once again, "You're not wrong, Kaz. But you've so kindly given me another one."
"Whatever could you mean by that, Blaire, good chap? Do you intend to swing that at me? Are you going to launch them like you launched your sheathe earlier? I'll tell you right now, those magnetospheres of mine are far more difficult to shake off from around your sword than from one side or another," the cane-waving gladiator would question rampantly. Clearly, Blaire's assertion had struck a chord as to disrupt his opponent's calm facade.
Now it was only a matter of following through.