The Duel Ring [SPEC Training Part 1/PLOT/Ayero]

The outside of the great building was a far more bland than Yushin had expected. By the description of his papers, the building was known to be a site for training. In fact, great battles have been supposedly raged within its walls. It wasn't exactly a coliseum, nor was it a gladiator training ground, but the Duel Ring was intensely popular for those who wished to spar with other great warriors. Upon placing his hand on the doors, Yushin could immediately make out the fine linings across the door. With a pull, the entryway creaked, allowing a powerful gust of battle fury flood out of its gates. The place was enormous!

Gawking at the site of the inside, Yushin could make out three different floor levels of rings and battle equipment. At the center of each floor stood an enormous arena/ring where fighters appeared to pit themselves against each other. To the sides, Yushin witnessed a variety of peoples fighting, sparring, and receiving instruction with each other on tactics and techniques. The bustle of the Duel Ring ferociously invaded deep into Yushin's soul and without warning, he found his entire body shaking from thrill.

"So...this is the Duel Ring." He gulped as he let the moment sink in for a moment. After doing so, Yushin proceeded to a counter to the left side and approached a woman, clad in half armor smoking a pipe. The woman appeared to be in her middle ages however her hair was already as gray as an aged grandmother. Looking up at the approaching boy, the woman blew out a puff of smoke before she straightened up. Here for the Duel Ring are you? First time? Yushin nodded. "Yes. This is my first time." He bowed respectfully as the woman nodded and gave him a sheet of paper. Graciously accepting the paper with two hands as was customary, Yushin began to unfold the sheet. In bold a letter and a number was written onto the paper reading,C-6 .

"That's your block and partner." The woman explained. Clearly the young boy had been confused about the implications of the sheet, and it was up to the woman to explain such matters. "The letter corresponds with which division you are placed into. C signified that you will be on the third floor of this Duel Ring." She pointed to a flight of steps that appeared to lead to the third floor. Continuing on, she said, "The number corresponds with your match partner. Whoever shares the same block and number with you is set to fight you. When the bell rings-" Just as the had said so, a bell rang throughout the entire Duel Ring and the ongoing activity within the building shifted. Fighters left the arena and new ones began to walk up to take their place.

"So I'm guessing that it is my turn then?" Yushin asked the woman. She nodded and shooed him off as if to say she were done with him. Understanding the situation, Yushin climbed the flight of steps to reach the C-Block Ring. Before he could open the doors to the third floor, a man stepped in front of Yushin and blocked his way.

"To enter you must prove your worth." He said. Procuring a block of what appeared to be black stone, the man set the block in front of Yushin. "Cut through and you may enter." Puzzled by the sudden turn of events, Yushin unsheathed his sword and struck at the block of stone. Sparks flew but otherwise no dent had been laid on the block. Hmmm...this was not going to be as easy as he had thought.

"Your match will begin soon. If you cannot cut through this block you will be disqualified as forfeit." Sighing at the implications of these words, Yushin grew serious. Something about this block was peculiar. Every time he struck at it, sparks flew, however no dent was left. The piece of stone was surprisingly dense, and at every strike, it layed there, unmoved and seemingly untouched. Shaking his head, Yushin took a moment to catch his breath. "A little impossible do you not agree sir?" The man stood quiet, merely observing the actions of the Sangju man. Sighing once more, Yushin gripped his Geom once more and focused.

He most certainly had the muscle to cut through the block of stone, and his geom wasn't so feeble that it would break upon impact. No. Yushin was very capable of breaking through. What held him back was his technique. Looking back, Yushin gave very feeble and quick attempts at breaking through the block. He was too eager to get through and therefore, he became sloppy. Inhaling before trying again, Yushin took stance and stared at the block. Upon exhaling, Yushin slashed at the block of stone with a precision much sharper than his previous attempts, and to his satisfaction and glee, the block was sliced cleanly in half.

"Yes! I did it!" He exclaimed and looking at the man who had been testing him, Yushin awaited his answer. With a grunt, the man opened the doors leading to the third floor and allowed Yushin through. After bowing towards the man, Yushin proceeded to enter the C-Block arena. Although the trial to enter was a tad arduous, Yushin had learned something. From henceforth his attacks would be twice as precise as they had every been and thanks to this he was grateful.

"Now...who is my opponent?"

916/500

Ayero stifled a yawn as she ran the sharpening stone along her blade, an occasional spark leaping from the metal. She had come to this dueling ring in hopes of working off some of the stress that still clung to her from the war. As calm and controlled as she tried to appear, the Fanalis woman was unable to deny her lust for battle. While she would normally head to the coliseum to satisfy her urges, whispers at the pub she frequented alerted her to the dueling ring. Skeptical at first, the warrior woman attended a few matches to scout out the level of toughness of the fighters. Satisfied, she signed herself up for a fight as soon as she could.

The test in order to enter had struck her as a little odd, but the swordswoman had no trouble slicing cleanly through the block. As she entered the arena, Ayero was immediately enveloped by a familiar feeling. The spectators…the crowd…they’ll be watching….! Being here felt similar to stepping into the coliseum arena, so similar that the adrenaline began to pump through her veins almost instinctively.

The sound of a bell caught her attention and Ayero grunted, looking up from her blade for the source of the noise. The voice of one of the event managers sounded shortly after, announcing the next number to enter the arena. Fumbling with the paper she been given earlier and stuffed into her chest plate, Ayero’s eyes lit up when she realized she had finally been matched up. Inhaling deeply, the Fanalis warrior made her way over to the arena, stepping inside the sectioned-off area with an air of capability. It had better be someone strong. It’s been a while since I’ve fought like this.

Her sharp gaze lands on a white haired man in eastern styled clothing at the other end of the arena and her eyes reflexively narrow. A Kou bastard… There were no rules against killing, right? Or were there? ”You’d better be strong. For your sake.” No introductions, no pleasantries. Ayero was unaware of the man’s origins, but his clothing was styled similarly to that of Kou, a fact that did not sit well with her.

The roar of the spectators was deafening as Yushin stepped onto the circular arena. The diameter of the duel ring itself was far larger than Yushin had anticipated which played to his advantage. As a quick and nimble fighter, the large arena would allow for Yushin to step away and dodge any attcks that were sent his way. Taking a look at the opposite side of the arena, red hair came into view. That was odd. Rarely had he ever seen a man with red hair. He had heard stories of a race of red haired humans who defied the boundaries of human strength. Upon closer inspection, Yushin could make out that the red hair belonged to that of a woman. The moment she stepped foot onto the arena, a loud roar echoed throughout the space.

Yushin whistled at the reaction. Quite the celebrity had taken stage huh? He could hear a couple of the murmurs around him and quickly he deduced the reason why. Ah. The coliseum. She must have been a regular competitor, or perhaps just a fan favorite?

As he took the stage, his white aura began to shine brilliantly, encompassing the room around him. Even the crowd could take notice of this metaphorical aura. Yushin tended to have this effect on people. He drew the attention of people, and he couldn't help it. Coupled with the fact that he had the appearance of an easterner, the tag of underdog had already been placed onto his head.

Taking a closer look at his opponent, Yushin immediately became serious.This woman...she's not normal. A wave of thrill struck the very core of his essence as both contenders stood now face to face. Another man had stepped into the arena and quieted down the crowd.

"Okay! C-6! You have until the ring of the bell! The man raised his hand into the air, as he did so the crowd completely quieted down. "Exhibition match! The rule set will be in correspondence to sparring. No killing allowed! No severe maiming! Have a clean fight!" The man looked at the red haired woman and introduced her. "C-6 Contender 1. 5 stars!" Then he turned to Yushin. C-6 Contender 2. 1 Star! Underdog!"

At the mention of his introduction a sweatdrop fell from Yushin's brow. So that means that I'm expected to lose huh? He jokingly pondered the thought of the outcome of the battle. Seeing as there was no reason to be a stranger, Yushin approached the red haired woman and smiled brightly at her. "I'm thrilled and honored to be able to combat such a worthy and beautiful adversary. Yushin bowed as he uttered the words. "Let's have a fun match," Yushin smiled even brighter at his next words, "Onee-san."

The man closed his fist and signaled the duel to begin.

Ayero’s gaze fixed on the white haired man in front of her as the referee announced their apparent rankings and laid down the rules of the fight. No killing? Pity… The Fanalis woman was quick to reign in her darker thoughts, wanting to respect the rules of this establishment. I might have to hold back. Depends on how tough he really is. Though he had received a lower ranking than herself, Ayero paid little attention to it. She was experienced enough to know not to underestimate her opponent, preferring to get a feel for their skill in battle on her own rather than rely on a ranking system.

Despite her animosity towards Kou, Ayero never aimed to kill her opponents in a sanctioned battle. She aimed simply to win, and if her opponent’s death was a byproduct of that then so be it. But the no killing clause might make this battle a bit tricky.

The Fanalis woman arched a brow in mild surprise as her opponent stepped forward with a cheerful smile and friendly words. Let your blade do the talking, eastern scum. Though she did not speak, the hard look in her eyes and stern expression likely conveyed her response. The man’s last words caught her off guard, however. Onee-san? Don't get too familiar, boy... A flicker of confusion passed along her face before she flourished her scimitar to the side. In a quick movement the Fanalis woman had brought her blade to the front before extending it forward in a simple arching slash. The movement was purposefully deliberate and had less power behind it than it than usual, but it would still cause a devastating wound if her opponent was unable to avoid it.

The red haired woman only continuously glared at Yushin, seemingly unmoved or fazed by his words. He didn't mind. He meant to harm or ill intent from it. If the woman was focused on the upcoming battle, who was he to challenge that? Responding in turn, Yushin braced himself, putting a hand on his geom as he did so. The Sangju boy did his best to keep his thrill in check, there was no use in getting too overly excited from the start. He had quite a rule against humility, therefore the thought of winning a losing battle was in no way shape or form disheartening for him.

To his sudden surprise the red haired woman struck first, attempting to Yushin with her sword. The attack was noticeably gentle for someone who appeared to be of her strength. The white haired youth simply sidestepped as he usually did and avoided the attack. "So you're testing the waters too huh?" He didn't let his smile break through into his face, but Yushin was genuinely amused by the early stages of the match. "I'll give you a little one of my own."

Immediately following the sidestep, Yushin twisted his body to gain torque and snapped a kick towards his opponents left temple using his right leg.

Stamina: 190/200

Abilities Used:

There wasn’t much momentum behind Ayero’s blade to begin with, allowing the Fanalis woman to stop her motion as her attack was dodged. The white-haired stranger seemed unperturbed by her blade, moving to deal a sharp upwards kick to her head. But the kick did not catch the experienced warrior off guard as she responded by raising her left arm in a Simple Block in order to intercept her opponent’s foot before it could make contact with her head. Flicking her wrist, the woman grabs the man’s ankle in her hand. Aiming for my head? That could be a fatal blow. He expects me to avoid it.

With the youth’s ankle in her firm grip, Ayero could easily crush his bone. But in favor of continuing the match—she didn’t want to get kicked out for providing a dull show—the Fanalis woman simply yanked on her opponent’s leg while aiming two slashes in an X at Yushin’s midsection.

Spoiler:

The block was rather expected of the woman, but the grab most certainly was not. Under normal circumstances, Yushin's could would be a snap, therefore, his kick would strike the target and then quickly recede. The fact that the red haired opponent could even grab his foot was a testament to her reflexes. She's skilled. There's no question about it. Gritting his teeth as he was yanked, Yushin only had a moment to react before he would be inevitably cut into by the woman's blades.

Using his free left leg as a hook, Yushin wrapped the leg around the woman's neck and used it to pull his body higher a second before being slashed at. If he had been a moment late, he would be bleeding into the ring floor. He yanked his body sideways to release himself from the grip. The left hook had helped in doing so but his landing was a bit sheepish. The crowd had believed that the young man would be finished by this point. The mere fact that he had lasted this long was a show in itself.

Feeling the intensity of the eyes focused on him, Yushin kept his fighting spirt. He jumped nimbly back a few feet to create space between himself and the woman to catch his breath. He replayed the last couple of moments again in his head. Straightforward attacks are going to be useless here. If this was the case, then the Sangju boy would have to resort to trickier methods.

For now, he would catch his breath, and analyze the red haired opponent from afar. If she decided to act, he would have to be ready to respond in some kind, otherwise he would be done for.

… Ayero didn’t expect her opponent to be so quick in mind or on his feet. Usually fighting at such close range against a Fanalis would be a death sentence, but the nimble man used their closeness to his advantage by securing his leg around her neck to pull himself up and away from her blade’s reach. The sudden motion caused Ayero to grunt from the pressure to her spine, her eyes darting upwards in order to try and keep track of her opponent. A quick one…


Ayero would only allow a single moment of rest to fall between the two before darting forward once more, pushing off on her heel. Still, the woman did not use her Fanalis-grade speed against the young man. Her sword arm jolted forward suddenly, her blade aiming for the young man’s stomach in a Fierce Jab.

Spoiler:

As expected the ferocious woman darted towards Yushin in a burst that he had seen coming. By now he had deduced that she was a warrior, and a professional one at that. Types like her tended to brutalize opponents and rush them without warning. Of course, the assessment could have been a wrong one. Yushin had only interacted with the red haired opponent for a short time, however, his knack for analyzing situations was a trademark talent. If he couldn't manage at least this much, he wouldn't have made it as far as he did now.

His eyes caught the action of the woman's limbs a mere moment she had extended her arm. By heaven's grace, Yushin was able to prepare for the oncoming assault. He braced himself, knowing that he would be unable to dodge this particular attack, Yushin fell into a strong ox stance. Quickly, the white haired youth raised both his geom and his hwando in a defensive gesture as to parry the jab heading his way. [Neomgi II]

Steel clashed with steel, and the heat of the sparks was enough to input an idea into the Sangju teens head. Exceeding directly after the parry, Yushin used the heat of the sparks and his metallic guard to create high temperature friction a moment before he struck. With a mighty quick horizontal swing, Yushin sent a Scalding Slash at his opponent's way. If the attack succeeded, the woman would be left with 2nd degree burn marks, which, in actuality would have been against the rules. There was no time to think however. "This woman is strong. Even if it's against the rules, this is the best I can muster!" Encouraged by these thoughts, Yushin prayed that he would be able to make some kind of impact in the fight.

Stamina: 150/200

Abilities Used:

When steel clashed, Ayero almost raised a brow at the young man’s deft parry of her blade, using a second sword of his own to compete the movement. Ho…not bad. The Fanalis woman was a bit surprised that her opponent had pulled out a second sword, but kept this extra piece of weaponry in mind as her own blade was redirected away.

Yushin’s follow-up slash was expected, but the sparks that flowed along with his strike were not. Dropping her center of gravity, Ayero performs a Swift Roll bringing her behind her opponent and allowing her to dodge the blade’s burning path. As she sprung upwards, Ayero’s blade would swing in a semi-circle and stop a millimeter from Yushin’s neck while her free hand came around to grip his left wrist tightly, her hold intending to prevent any movement.

[Stamina: 220/290]

Spoiler:

What?! Yushin's eyes bulged at his opponent's quick reaction to his attack. My eyes... He darted his gaze towards the woman as she rolled away. His eyes bulged even wider at the sudden realization of how dangerous the situation had become. ...they can keep up, but my body... Almost as if to prove his point, the red haired woman situated herself behind him and grabbed his wrist,...can't even keep up.

He was baffled. There was no escape. Her grip was like iron and her blade was cold as ice as it gently, yet firmly kissed his neck. There was no helping it, he had lost.

*Bell Rings*

"That's the match!" The overseer shouted as he called for both combatants to cease and space away from each other. "Winner! The fanalis woman, 5 Star Combatant, Ayero!" The overseer had known her name due to the fact that all combatants had to register at the front desk.

Yushin gulped and sighed at the outcome. Guess it can't be helped, he shrugged, I was destined to lose one it seems. Still with a bright smile on his face, Yushin turned around and offered a hand of respect towards his opponent. At this action, the crowd cheered.

"You did well boy!" One spectator yelled out. "What a good sport! I hope to see you on that ring again!" Another member of the audience yelled out as well. Whistling and cheering erupted throughout the third floor as people rose to their feet to give a standing ovation.

Utterly surprised and humbled by the crowd's reaction, Yushin stood at attention and bowed towards the onlookers. Once again a loud cheer erupted from the fellow warriors throughout the grounds. Yushin then turned again towards the red haired woman, and bowed. After doing so, he outstretched his hand once more for a handshake.

"A complete defeat." He smiled. "I learned a lot from our match, thank for giving me a humbling experience." His aura shone brightly and blindingly at his smiled never left his face. "Ayero, I assume is your name? My name is Yushin, I come from the wandering Sangju people. He stated his words firmly yet with a comforting warmth that held no hostility. It was undeniable that he harbored no ill feelings, and the invitation of his handshake still stood to offer.

The moment the bell sounded Ayero released her hold on the white haired youth and withdrew her sword, sliding the weapon silently into its sheath as she stepped away. She was not surprised to be declared the victor—her opponent still seemed a bit green—but she had not disliked the fight as much as she thought she would. Initially she was a bit irritated by the thought of going up against someone who could potentially be far weaker than her, but her opponent had given her an entertaining fight.

Folding her arms over her chest, Ayero arched a brow at Yushin’s friendly introduction. It was not the young man’s cheerfulness that bothered her, but rather that in conjunction with his attire. Perhaps she would not mind so much if he was stern-faced and serious—but as she saw it, he was simply a Kou dog who dared patronize her with pleasant words. Scenes from the defense of Capua and Savona flashed in her mind and it took all she had to maintain her stern façade and not grit her teeth.

Her eyes traveled down briefly to the outstretched hand before making their way back up to Yushin’s face. Sangju? I’ve never heard of…wait…! The gears in Ayero’s mind began to whirr as she turned the word Sangju over and over in her head. That…I’ve heard of them before. Somewhere…near Balbadd maybe? I wonder if we’ve ever crossed paths before…[i/] The more Ayero ruminated on Yushin’s potential origins, the more memories surfaced. Before she left to travel on her own, Ayero had traveled with a merchant caravan for several years. They often traveled through the Reim and the Balbadd lands, their route taking them through the plains on occasion. She couldn’t remember coming across a tribe bearing the name specifically, it was more likely she’d heard the name through local folklore.

”You’re a nomad?” Ayero still did not extend her hand in kind, but rather fixed Yushin with her typical hard gaze.

The bluntness of Ayero's words did not stifle Yushin and he merely responded kindly, "More or less, yes". He could notice the gears turning in her head. Her eyes may have been hard and cold, but the flashes that came across from her gaze led Yushin to presume she was working through memories. It was a look that the Sangju Prince had noticed many times throughout his short life, but it was not one that he brought up.

Yushin's hand remained to be outstretched and the crowd grew awkwardly tense from it. Still smiling, Yushin's eyes blinked into an eye smile whilst he cocked his head innocently sideways. "I'm sorry. You must have confused me for something else?" It didn't surprise him much. To him, the distinctions between Kou attire and Sangju attire were like night and day, but to a foreigner, the similarities could be confusing.

The white haired prince pondered for a brief moment to deduce the situation. He had almost forgotten that a recent war between Reim and Kou had been disputed. The resolution was a tense one, and many citizens still held a hatred towards the eastern threat. Ah. Now the sky is clear.

Yushin kept his hand outstretched. By now the fact that Ayero had not taken his hand was almost an insult to the viewing crowd. "Just take his hand already!" A man stood up from the audience and bantered towards the ring. Had Yushin not held his free hand up to stop him, the entire crowd would have gotten rowdy. "It's fine by me if you don't wish to take my hand. I don't want to burden you. Though...," he gestured to the onlookers with his eyes, "I advise we take our talk elsewhere off this ring. Otherwise I think the crowd might act up again." He retracted his hand and faced the audience one more. After another Sangju bowed, Yushin turned and faced the stairs off the ring but kept his eyes locked onto Ayero. He beamed."Shall we go? Onee-san?"

Ayero tilted her gaze towards the singular outburst from the crowd for a brief moment. Since when did they care if two combatants got along or not? The spectators at the coliseum certainly didn’t seem to care either way, so long as the fights were entertaining. Thinking back, she couldn’t recall a time where she had shaken an opponent’s hand after a battle while in the arena. This place must attract a different crowd. The Fanalis woman mused on re-negotiating the rules should she sign up for another fight, finding a certain thrill lost from the battle without the threat of injury.

The red haired woman met Yushin’s offer with a roll of her shoulders, but did not correct him when he called her onee-san. Either the woman simply didn’t care or the words played on her more maternal instincts—those which were often well hidden. ”Follow me if you’d like, but I’m not sure what sort of “talk” you are looking for.” With that, the Fanalis woman turns on her heel and begins to exit the arena.

Yushin opted to jump down from the ring as it was only a little hop away to the ground. The crowd, he noticed, was only filled with combatants, warriors, and brawlers of all different types and ethnicities. Makes sense, he thought, Warriors tend to have an honor code amongst each other. They're different from the normal civilian. He noticed the fanalis woman, as he assumed she was, gave Yushin yet another cold answer.

Ascending the stairs quickly to the spectator lounge, the white haired Sangju prince took a seat at a small rectangular table. The lounge was quite spacious, as it held several tables and chairs where waiting combatants could rest and watch the matches below. A young man wearing an apron walked around and took orders from fighters who were relaxing in their tables. With a smile, Yushin gestured for the young man, approximately his age he noticed, to come over to the seat. "I'd like to order!" He called out. "Oh and 'Older Sister'!" Yushin gestured to Ayero to sit down as well, once again that ever present bright smile plastered on his face. "Why don't you sit down too!

The young man stood at attention, awaiting the orders that the white haired participant would give. Yushin placed his elbow onto the table and pressed his palm into his chin, resting in a laid back child-like way. He pondered for a moment before he answered. "Tea please! The Sartorius one." He turned his attention to Ayero, paused, and then spoke again. "Could you bring enough for two? Oh and anything this woman would like, I'll order that too." With that, the young man jotted the order down and then turned to Ayero.

"Your order ma'am?

(I will be ending this thread here unfortunately)

[EXIT]

The Fanalis woman gave pause in her departure when she heard Yushin’s voice ring out towards her once more, beckoning her to sit down at a table in the lounge. …They serve refreshments here? Ayero couldn’t recall such a place within the walls of the coliseum for the contenders, but then again this place differed from the coliseum in more ways than one.

What does he want with me? The red headed swordswoman raised a brow as she half turned towards Yushin who was ordering tea. A spark of surprise leapt in her head when he offered to order anything that she might have wanted, though her face remained as unamused as ever. Sweeping her gaze over the cheerful boy and server for a brief moment, Ayero snorted before turning and making her way out of the establishment. While the white haired young man was friendly, Ayero felt no obligation to spend her time with him unless their blades were drawn…and in an arena more to her liking.

[Exit]