Caelus Valeria VS. Zai

Opponents:

Gear:

Caelus stared blankly at the paper in front of him.  On it was information about his next opponent in the Colosseum, Zai the Fanalis.  Fanalis were always highlights in the bracket, their unparalleled natural strength and speed, not to mention their piercing screech ability were forces to be reckoned with.  Any gladiator worth their salt knew about the Fanalis Core, which frequented the Colosseum to train.  Gladiators with promising careers ahead of them almost without fail were turned into invalids when they faced off.  Those who could go more than a few minutes against one of the Core became instant legends.  Zai, thankfully, was not part of the Fanalis Core, being a Heliohapt native.  But his exploits in the arena were nothing to be sneezed at.  Six wins and Zero losses, and with three opponents killed and the rest hospitalized.

Telleus noticed Caelus' dour look.  "Don't psych yourself out before the match even starts.  You've got speed to match a full blooded Fanalis, and your sword can rival his punches.  Plus, read down near the bottom there."

At the bottom of the page was a short compilation of notes that Telleus had taken about Zai's fighting style.  Circled three times in red ink was the word "Barbaric".  Now to most, this would be a warning.  But Caelus saw through to what Telleus was really saying.  "No formal training...  He fights like an animal."  Caelus pondered the information.  All future Gladiators had to climb the ranks by fighting beasts.  Lions, tigers, bears, you name it.  But one thing that separated the good fighters from the merely strong, was reading tells.  No matter the beast, all animals had specific tells before they struck, which would key in the more intelligent as to how to avoid and counterattack.  Even gladiators had tells, but the best learned how to hide them.  And without training, Zai wouldn't have this skill.

The stands were filled to the brim with fans, excited noise echoed throughout as the two gladiators entered the arena.  The crowd cheered the arrival of both competitors, however Caelus noticed that the cheers still heavily favored his opponent.  It appeared that however much good his match with Silver Fox had done him, there was still much more work to be done repairing his reputation.

Caelus took up a defensive stance as he faced off with Zai, who instead leaned forward with his hands bared.  The Fanalis bloodlust was legendary, and this man embodied it.  Caelus was no stranger to it, but in himself it manifested more as hotheadedness and aggression, rather than a need to kill or defeat others.  When the bell rang Zai bolted forward, but rather than strike for Caelus directly, he instead put his fist into the ground at Caelus' feet.  His Bursting Strike cratered the ground and sent shock waves several meters.  Caelus retreated quickly, noting the cracked tile extended for almost five meters.  If that punch were to strike him directly, it could do serious internal damage.  Zai followed up with a Flurry of Blows and Feints, but Caelus deftly deflected them all with his shield.

After about thirty seconds more of simply defending himself against Zai, Caelus was ready to fight back.  He put some distance between himself and Zai and settled into his Mirror's Edge stance.  He put his shield up again and taunted Zai with a wave as if to say "come and get me".  It worked perfectly.  Zai's face contorted with rage, and he shouted as he launched himself at Caelus.  "Don't you ever do anything except run like a coward!?"  Zai pulled his fist back to launch another Bursting Strike, this time at Caelus' face.

A moment before the distance was closed, Caelus leaped into the air and pointed his shield away from Zai before flooding it with Magoi.  "You'll have to be faster than that!"  The blast of wind from the Roar of the Storm propelled Caelus over Zai to land just three meters behind him.  Immediately Caelus pulled Valkyrie up to eye level before dashing towards Zai to execute his Mirror's Gambit.  Zai turned and saw death in Caelus' eyes.  He tried desperately to deflect the blow with his Bursting Parry but in his panic was unable to tell the real blade from the illusion.  Valkyrie tore into Zai's chest, just below the shoulder.  A sickening *shlick* sound reverberated throughout the Colosseum as Valkyrie was pulled up and out, then spun in a flourish to flick the blood off of the blade.  Zai fell to his knees and gasped for air, before falling forward in a slump.  Blood began to pool even as medical staff and healers rushed to his aid.

In the meantime, Caelus reveled in renewed glory.  The crowd loved the spectacle, and his flair for the dramatic only further garnished their cheers.  This was just one step closer towards his goal.

Abilities:

Magoi: 170/180
Stamina: 230/290

WC: 827/800