Showbizz Generational Violence Event

Vee watched her opponent carefully, although her eyes looked bored. "That shield's impressive, but will it do you any good? Ninjas attack from all sides simultaneously, like an unpredictable bolt of lightning," she boasted. Despite her face, she seemed to be enjoying herself.

Of course, it was important to remember that not just one, but two Vees were watching him. It was still impossible to distinguish which was which. Worse yet, neither seemed ready to make a move against him and open themselves up to attack. The two strafed in opposite directions, leaving Durandal caught between the two of them.

"AHEM!" Showbizz coughed indiscretely, her annoyance showing clearly on her face, which was displayed across the nearby monitor. "Little boring, guys. The audience paid for action! Strike like a bolt of lightning or whatever you were saying!"

"What sort of ninja would I be if I acted that rashly?" the Vees replied, obviously annoyed at being hurried.

Durandal: 170 HP (3 hit shield) (rageclaw: 3 uses)
Hauteclere: 40 HP

VeeA: 120 HP (1 movements away) (behind Durandal)
VeeB: 120 HP (1 movements away) (in front of Durandal) (back against wall)

Terrain: 100% Normal
Durandal found himself grinding his teeth in frustration. He had battled few opponents who were as cautious as this ninja was turning out to be. As a knight, he was generally the one playing the defensive game. He would sit behind his shield and his armor and let his enemies break themselves upon his walls. He was out of his element pressing the offensive in such a manner.

"Milady," Durandal called out. "I pray thee, does thou have any suggestions?"

"Sorry to say this," his NetOp answered. "But no. I understand a few of her moves, but I don't have any experience with countering them."

"Perchance," Hauteclere paused a moment. "If she will not come to thee, Milord, then thou shall have to find a way to come to her."

"I would rather not advance recklessly," Durandal muttered.

"Then thou might be able to force her hand."

"Mayhap..."

"Oh yeah," Katherine sounded excited as she slotted in a second battlechip. "Try using this with your sword!"

Durandal nodded, feeling the rush of battlechip energy surging through his system. He tightened his grip on both his sword and shield and adjusted his stance to put the two Vees one either side of him rather than in front and behind. He activated the battlechip, watching as faint blue lines of energy perceptible only to his eyes reached out all around him.

The knight directed the lines of energy toward the ninja who had been standing behind him. He figured that the real Vee would attempt to sneak up behind him while her was distracted by her shadow clone. The blue lines of energy sought out any form of metal on Vee's body, tying it and her to Durandal's shield. He focused on the lines, planning to draw them tight with one quick tug and send the ninja tumbling across the distance between them. With luck, he would be able to deliver a devastating shield bash straight to Vee's face and hopefully stun her long enough to deliver a few extra blows.

Once Vee was drawn to him, Durandal planned to lash out with his blade. He was certain that he would be able to deliver two quick chops with his blade before Vee could pull away again. At least, that was the plan. He wanted to disable her or at least slow her down and keep her within range of his strikes. He would aim one strike to her shoulder and the other to her thigh, planning to cripple the girl if he was unable to defeat her outright.

Durandal pivoted on his right leg, shifting his weight to bring himself around the ninja. He kept his shield raised high, but still didn't want to paint himself as a target for Vee's sneaky tactics. As he moved, he thrust his blade forward, aiming to impale the girl with his sword. As he had done before, Durandal planned to use his momentum to lift the girl off her feet on the end of his blade. Her clone was becoming a nuisance and he wanted to delete it if he could. Once more he planned to hurl one Vee into the other and attempt to figure out which ninja was which once and for all.

Summary:

1. MagBolt1 (90 Elec DMG + Stun) to VeeA (Magnetic Pull draws her toward me)
2. RageClaw (40 Slashing DMG) to VeeA
3. RageClaw (40 Slashing DMG) to VeeA
- Swordplay dodge -
4. RageClaw (20 Impact DMG) to VeeA and B

Hauteclere: Dodge
Durandal took the fight to his enemy, breaking out of his defensive stance to lure Vee out using his magnetically charged sword. Luckily, he'd guessed right; the ninja was immediately pulled towards him by all of the various metallic items she was wearing. The shapes of several kunai, chains, darts, and concealed blades bulged on her outfit as she slid towards him. Almost pitiably, the weapons began to tear free from their cloth and fly onto his blade, attaching one after another until they coated it. The ninja herself gasped as her body was driven into the knightly sword. "Using magnetic powers against me... that's bold!" she coughed, pulling back as far as she could.

"That's how you do it! Our knight's never one to disappoint," Showbizz cheered, clapping to rouse the audience.

Vee's yellow suit hung around her in tatters now (although she still worse her black navisuit beneath it). Aggressively, she dodged out of the way of one of Durandal's strikes, then slashed at him with her ninjoto, scraping his shield. When that failed, she threw away the blade and extended two hidden claws from her gloves. "We'll settle it now then!" she cried, slashing at him again and again with her blades. In the end, though, the shield predictably proved to be an effective defense against frontward blade attacks and Durandal was able to get in another slash.

The referee called the match as Vee stumbled backwards, overwhelmed by the strength of the knight's arms. "The match is over! Durandal progresses to the finals!" Showbizz proclaimed.

The ninja swore silently beneath her mask, then closed her eyes and composed herself. "I'm disappointed in myself for losing so easily... but the Neo-Shogun could use one of your talents. If you ever need work, please, contact us at this e-mail address."

((You can now apply to the Neo-Shogun's Army! From level 8 onward, you may use this address to apply.))

"Alright, guys, move to the porters so we can clean up!"

Durandal: 170 HP (1 hit shield) (rageclaw: 3 uses)
Hauteclere: 40 HP

VeeA: 1 HP
VeeB: 1 HP (1 movements away) (behind Durandal) (back against wall)

Terrain: 100% Normal

--BATTLE COMPLETE--
Durandal sighed with relief when the referee signaled the end of the match. Vee had given him more trouble than he had thought she would, her subtlety and skill proving more than a match for his straight forward approach. He had managed to win in the end, but he knew he would need to improve if he wanted to keep winning.

The knight took another piece of cloth and used it to wipe down his sword before sheathing it. Vee approached him to offer him a position in whatever group she was apart of.

"I shall think on this," Durandal answered Vee. "My duties to Milady Katherine take precedence, but if she is willing then I am as well. Thou fought well and thy style is an interesting one. It would be my pleasure to spar with thee in the future."

Durandal saluted Vee, fist pounding against his chest, before waving to the crowd. He bowed to Showbizz once again and headed back toward the teleporters.

"An excellent fight Milord," Hauteclere congratulated him. "I knew you would prevail."

"My thanks," Durandal answered. "Though the battle was hard fought and closer than I would have liked."

"But you did it," Katherine said. "You've reached the finals. Now we get a sword no matter what."

"Aye," Durandal answered before stepping onto the telepad. "But I do so wish to win."
The teleporter led Durandal back out, where Swat was already waiting for him. The champion was nowhere in sight, so he/she had either yet to complete his/her mission, or had already moved on. "There you are. I was just looking for you,"[b][/b] she greeted him, smiling slyly in a way that indicated she had some intentions beyond simply herding him into the next arena. Of course, dragging people around seemed to be a specialty (or at least common task) of hers, so she grabbed Durandal by the arm and started to lead him with no further discussion. She left the SP there as if she hadn't even noticed her (which, in reality, she hadn't).

However, instead of towards the teleporter, the woman in black alarmingly pulled him behind one of the nearby tents, then pressed him to the wall, pushing her large (but armored) chest against him while bracing her right hand on the wooden wall behind him. "I think that several parties would prefer to see you succeed in the next match... self included,"[b][/b] she whispered to him, keeping her face overly close to his own. Her glamorous, purely-white hair bobbed as she moved her head slightly, allowing him to see the board in the distance behind her.

Quote (Brackets)

Round 1:
Left bracket Top: Fencer vs. Samurai
Left bracket Bottom: Vandal vs. Gladiator
Right bracket Top: Ninja vs. Martial Artist
Right bracket Bottom: Knight vs. Pirate

Round 2:
Left bracket: Samurai vs. Vandal
Right bracket: Ninja vs. Knight

Final:
Knight vs. Vandal

Quote (Ratings)

Right bracket Top: Samurai vs. Vandal -- 33%
Right bracket Bottom: Ninja vs. Knight -- 76%

*Percentages reflect audience interest


"Our host is racking her brain trying to think of how to make up for the mishap in that brute's last match, where ratings plummeted significantly,"[b][/b] Swat explained, keeping Durandal's eyes. "I've come up with a solution to satisfy everyone. Just lure him into the center of the arena, and I'll be able to take him out with a practically invisible tranquilizer dart from an unseen vantage point. While he's in the drug-induced stupor, you can finish him off easily and claim the prize. Showbizz will have her ratings, we'll all be rid of that disgusting vandal, and you'll go home with a greater reward... as well as my gratitude,"[b][/b] she explained, backing off just a little to let him breathe.

"We're on in five, everyone! Man the arena!" Showbizz's voice cried out from the speakers, somewhere off in the distance.