Xinnidy

Undead really were something... Agni couldn't say he envied Lavinia's position, but the real issue, now that they've ascertained Lavinia was fine, was how much Marina would be affected by something so graphic... thankfully, Jade was already trying to comfort her. In a way, that was comforting for Agni as well. As they walked into the lobby, Marina ran first to run Marina, while Agni kept observing as he walked closer... she was checking out her neck, huh? It was probably a bizarre experience, even if one were undead. "That was a rather dire opening... I didn't expect him to be that resilient, from our battle. Perhaps I left a deeper wound than I thought." Agni had some courtesy not to berate Lavinia after all she offered them. Besides, it was true --Agni was expecting the last opponent to go down to Lavinia much quicker, from personal experience. Perhaps he misjudged, which would be concerning in a real combat situation. "It's good to see you in one piece again." Agni nodded, a faint trace of a smirk in his lips, it was best to keep looking at the situation with some levity, to keep Marina's concerns low, and keep Lavinia from feeling judged. "Still, your battle style it quite impressive... I couldn't hope to emulate it myself, however." Not to mention he could very well feel pain, he just lacked the bulk to take hits like she did in stride. An enemy could easily damage his body with a few proper strikes, and wearing thick armor was quite counterproductive to his training and body frame... Whilst lost in thought for a moment, Agni had not missed the way Jade excused herself. That was... quite hasty, perhaps something was bothering her. "Of course, Jade."

Alriana is no fan of the bulky suit! Alriana attacks! Target: Saturn #1 Weapon: Tri-Burst Assault Rifle Final Hit: 100 Final Crit: 18 Roll: 18, 7 Hit! Crit! Damage: 115 The Saturn crumbles against the fire! Alriana gains +50 EXP, +14 PP, +5000 credits! Now that's cleaning out the opposition! Tycho casts Focus! [-10SP] The Graviton Launcher whirrs once more! Tycho attacks! Target: Saturn #2 Weapon: Graviton Launcher (Lucky roll: 20; Lucky++) Final Hit: 100 Final Crit: 23 Roll: 31, 6 Hit! Crit! Damage: 156! Saturn #2 counters! Weapon: Rear-Mounter Cannon Final Hit: 28 Final Crit: 12 Roll: 98, 70 Miss! Tycho gains +20 EXP! A powerful blow! Thorvald, on the other hand, is giving Saturn #3 a fiery time! Thorvald attacks! Target: Saturn #3 Weapon: Burner Overcharge Final Hit: 100 Final Crit: 32 Roll: 46, 24 Hit! Crit! Damage: 219 Saturn #3 could not resist the heat! Thorvald gains +200 EXP, +14 PP, +5000 credits! Thorvald levels up! Now that's toasty! ((more actions coming soon))

"My neck?! No, I was simply... worried for her sake. I don't think I can quite do that." Agni had expected an assumption as bold as Jade's, nearly jumping in his seat, startled. "Simply, I was thinking she'd need a meal again, once we returned to the inn." That was quite an awkward topic of conversation... though the merchant lady was probably just poking fun. Still, not something Agni was used to... ah, the next round was just to start. Agni was confident Lavinia could handle her opponent as well as he did... but this 'snake' was too fast and got the jump on her. Unlike Agni's match, here Lavinia was struggling with an enemy that moved too close for comfort, using his speed to keep himself at an advantage. It was almost like seeing Agni himself in a match, really... This was all fine, as Agni figured Lavinia's armor was tough enough to withstand as much punishment as possible... but not all of her was armored, and the duelist made full use of that, sending blad to her neck and creating a horrifying wound that... was far too graphic compared to anything else they'd seen that night. Everybody in the arena went silent. Agni could feel a grim chill take over his heart. Agni stood from his seat before Lavinia spoke again, notifying the healers of her life... or, well, continuous undeath. That was a scare, for certain. "Goodness, that woman..." An exasperated sigh escaped him, but Agni could not relax quite yet. It was a rather mortifying experience, and he looked paler than the magic could have done to him. "Let's go get her. Posthaste." He could not stutter his words in front of Marina, it did not feel right, but Agni was definitely too anxious to remain there.

Lavinia progressed slow and steady, her plan much like her combat style, relied on her enemies being unable to maim her as hard as accurate weapons could puncture them. All things considered, it was pretty visual... even if Lavinia were of the undead, it was hard not to imagine the pain on her stead. "Undead... are quite something." Agni repeated his old thoughts, not averting his gaze despite everything. "Lavinia's style is quite opposite to mine, it's something to watch." It was quite a learning experience, but Agni couldn't help feel a bit sorry for Marina as well --she was certainly taking this the worst of them--. "Worry not, Marina. Lavinia wouldn't take on a foe she couldn't handle here... she will probabpy feel quite hungry after these battles, however." It was an attempt to alleviate the hero's worries, if anything.

Aliza sends the final blast Astin's way...!? Aliza attacks! Target: Luna (Astin) Weapon: Code A.T.A. Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 30 Roll: 94, 38 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 213 That's... that's it for Astin's Luna. Aliza gains +250 EXP, +32 PP, +18000 credits! Aliza levels up! +2 SP! The Luna's field is unable to withstand the barrage, and starts failing...

Tarquin casts Assail![-12SP] Tarquin casts Sense![-16SP] The Aria launches off of the Riese --but that doesn't mean it can't aim still! Tarquin attacks! Target: Luna (Astin) Weapon: High Precision Rifle Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 37 Roll: 25, 47 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 155 Astin is out of range to counterattack! Tarquin gains +25 EXP, +3 Will! The assault continues! Meanwhile, Elaine does her best to convince a bulky Saturn to reconsider... Elaine attacks! Target: Saturn #1 Weapon: L.P.S. Final Hit: 100 Final Crit: 34 Roll: 100, 18 Hit! Crit! Damage: 237 Saturn #1 counters! Weapon: Wrist Beam Gatlings Final Hit: 45 Final Crit: 21 Roll: 76, 76 (huh...) Miss! Elaine gains +20 EXP, +3 Will! The Saturn is barely hanging in there!

Marina's mood was quite contagious. It even got Lavinia embarrassed, which was amusing. Jade was formal yet again, in an exchange that was just as welcome as the other's praise. "It definitely had to do with the heat of the moment. I can't say I'd have been as succesful if I hadn't taken the time to study their openings, or taken the first step, but in combat you learn that lesson first and foremost --not a moment's hesitation is allowed in battle." Agni took her hand to shake, enjoying the formality for what it was. It seemed like everybody was hoping for Lavinia to do well. "Time for me to return to my seat... wouldn't want to miss this, yes?" Lavinia's style of combat... was like she was a living artillery. She paid no mind even to Galahad's axe as she pressed on entirely numb to the pain. The undead sure had one advantage there. "She could just outlast Galahad... I'm impressed." Agni studied Lavinia curiously, that kind of extreme combat style was just something he couldn't hope to emulate, but was perplexing to see in action. "Even if she doesn't bother to move away, her armor us poised to minimize the damage she's sustaining... they will have a hard time finding her weak spot." Agni mumbled to himself, content to leave it at that.

Abigail casts Valor![-28SP] Calina casts Sense![-16SP] Abby isn't having any of what Astin is trying to pull and blocks their escape route! Abigail attacks! Weapon: Beam Magnum Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 0! (Valor) Roll: --, -- Hit! No Crit. Damage: 377 Astin counters! Weapon: Liquid Metal Blade Final Hit: 0 Final Crit: 50 Roll: 37, 7 Miss! Abigail gains +15 EXP! No quarter! "Guess I've gotta bring out the big guns again..." Carlos casts Strike![-20SP] Carlos holds position and fires a large ballistic missile at Astin! Carlos attacks! Weapon: Ballistic Missile Launcher Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 44 Roll: 67, 46 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 167 Astin is too far away to counter! Carlos gains +25 EXP! The barrage on Astin continues!

A seat... it seemed like these scarabs were really going to be used on them. Well, that was about to get uncomfortable. "Ugh... So this is how it is..." Karina wasn't excited at all to learn the prospect that these scarabs would be 'taking care' of her, but she had already accepted the deal... Suddenly, there were scarabs on her limbs and hair, Karina closed her eyes, hoping against hope to imagine a better spot than where she were at the moment. Constantly trying to ignore the tickling feeling in her skin. Don'tthinkaboutitdon'tthinkaboutitDON'TTHINKABOUTIT. She was desperately trying to call back better memories, of the tryouts... no, wait, the tryouts were horrible! That's why she was here in the first place, roped into this scarab mess! Ugh, if I hadn't flubbed it! What a painful memory... but it did the job of taking her mind away from the current situation. Just, not to a much better one. Karina was trying to plan how to show herself in full, to make up for her last performance, and couldn't help but think of some immediate changes to her mech's setups. Still, with the tickling on her skin was an ordeal to ignore... well, as long as Karina could keep her eyes closed, she could manage. "I don't get how you'd call these things cute..." Was Mewlanie really considering getting one as a pet? Geez...

(Time warp: Kim was supposed to be rolled before Hannah) Kim attacks! Target: Luna (Astin) Weapon: 115mm Twin Railguns Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 16 Roll: 70, 78 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 220 Astin is out of range to launch a counterattack! Kim gains +10 EXP! Then Kim moves to (10,12)!

"Wh--" Agni was taken by surprise at Marina's pounce, though quickly regained his balance, patting her on the head. "Goodness, I knew I'd be fine. I had ample time to prepare watching you." It was nice to see Marina content, still, it just hadn't been a realization that she'd cheer for his victory so much. Still, it was welcome. "I'm glad I could give a performance befit my mettle for your eyes, still." Courteously, Agni bowed for a moment, feigning the airs of a performance artist. Lavinia came back soon, and surprised Agni with some more words of praise, as well as her own hinting that she'd partake next. "I'm sure you'll perform wonderfully, Lavinia." If Agni did so well, certainly Lavinia would deal with these men with ease. Although Agni did count himself lucky in a few situations. "I'll be watching as closely as I'm sure you watched mine." This was turning out to be a nice diversion for the group, if anything.

The sixth round begun... Once again Agni walked in, taking in the airs of the arena again, the cheers, people were out to see something brutal, much like the last bout. Very well then... Another foe appeared, a zombie, and a gunslinger akin to a certain merchant tagging along with their group. Huh. Perhaps it was just a zombie thing. Agni readied his dagger again, gauging the foe. Once more, as the announcer gave the call, Agni was the one to get the jump, striking the man's abdomen with his dagger before. Despite the opponent's weapon, Agni played the same trick he'd used on the previous gunslinger --his red outfit and cape being easy distractions, he dashed while keeping himself below the weapon's aim, in a hurried dash. When the bullet was shot, it missed him by a fair margin, and Agni promptly twisted his knife and carved as he stepped back. The opponent never reacted despite the grievous wound. Zombies were quite something... This opponent's reflexes were fast, but the revolver still demanded a loading time, this had given Agni leeway to strike again. Another stab was made, and the opponent folded to the ground. Even as an undead, he was too damaged to move properly. It took a bit more than the last opponent. "Your aim needs more training, but you almost caught up to me. I'm impressed." Agni patted his cloak, leaving parting words to his opponent before making his way to the waiting room. The healers had their work cut out on that one... Then, the final round... "Soft Snake"... was not the kind of performance name Agni thought to hear in a (somewhat) reputable establishment, but that was hardly the most striking feature of his opponent, only the most readily apparent. Agni was fighting a Gorgon, then. That monster would prove to be a tough opponent... but after the last few performances, Agni stuck to the dagger anyways, it seemed his opponent elected a similar weapon. This would be interesting, if nothing else. This foe lacked the speed to keep up with Agni like the former, but the clash of a dagger parrying his own left something clear, "Soft Snake" was quite skilled. Still, speed would be Agni's advantage here. Agni circled the gorgon, leaving a small gash in the monster's skin. This would take a while at this rate. He had barely any time to contemplate it, however, as the gorgon launched an unexpected counter. Agni had to jump back and gain some distance, it missed him... however, a lock of (magically enchanted) silver hair had dropped on the floor, sitting close to the gorgon's feet. "... I've let myself too open, how disgraceful." It was as good as having hit him, as far as Agni's pride was concerned. He grit his teeth, eyeing the gorgon intently, but the veteran was hardly daunted by this. So, instead, Agni would make sure to leave ample reason for the gorgon to fear him. This time, Agni rushed to a direct confrontation, dagger poised to strike the gorgon's abdomen, like most opponents. However, as Agni had seen his enemy rise his own dagger for a parry, he withdrew his armed hand --it was merely a feint. With the gorgon caught off of its guard, Agni striked high, and the dagger had lodged itself just above the gorgon's collarbone. A gruesome attack as such was answered with cheers from the crowd. The gorgon could not take the pain with stride like the zombie did, and was open for a second attack. A simpler stab to the gut, taking the air out of his opponent. The gorgon dropped to the floor on its rear, a muffle wince of pain as he grit though his teeth. "Not bad." Agni admitted, bowing slightly to his final opponent. "But in such light armor, speed is key, I'm afraid." Even if a gorgon were not to be underestimated in resilience, Agni had proven his mettle as a knight rather well. If he could say so himself. A smirk couldn't escape him as he turned his back to his opponent. He looked to the stands once more, nodding to Marina, Lavinia and Jade as he spotted them in the crowd. After displaying his confident smile, Agni left to the waiting lobby --it was time to collect his reward for the job done. He was no novice fighter, after all, it was a good show of what a knight of Coteon could do. Not that most of the crowd was aware of it...

Brant swoops in first! Brant attacks! Target: Ceres (Marianne) Weapon: TK Missiles Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 16 Roll: 21, 39 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 131 Marianne counters! Weapon: Wired Fist Final Hit: 14 Final Crit: 19 Roll: 15, 76 Miss! So close! Brant gains +10 EXP! Vera takes it to the skies! Vera attacks! Target: Praxis Gamma #1 Weapon: Pulse Kunai Final Hit: 86 Final Crit: 27 Roll: 8, 91 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 128 Praxis Gamma #1 counters! Weapon: Proto ESP Bits Final Hit: 40 Final Crit: 3 Roll: 17, 14 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 133 Hannah provides support fire! Weapon: RM-51 Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 4 Roll: 2, 84 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 104 Vera gains +5 EXP! Hannah gains +15 EXP! Hannah levels up! Vera casts Strike![-15SP] Louise has a few words for Astin! Louise attacks! Weapon: Danse Macabre Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 100 Hit! Crit! Damage: 318! Astin counters! Weapon: Liquid Metal Blade Final Hit: 40 Final Crit: 50 Roll: 82, 9 Miss! Louise gains +5 EXP! Whew!

The second round was well due to begin. Agni stepped into the arena once more, this time with a simple dagger offered by the building's staff. It was simple, lighter than a sword, and effective for his combat style. Still, like any good fighter, he kept his weapon concealed, looking at who was meant to be his next opponent. A man named Trevor, judging by his appearance, a traditional fighter, though he seemed free of anything that stood out as an obvious weapon, most definitely carrying something of his own. Hm... Agni took the first dash, this time, his light weight and quick feet allowed him to push himself off of the ground at the end of the dash, propelling himself towards his opponent with noticeable speed, his body rotated, and a laceration was left along the shoulder of his foe as Agni darted by, turning around to face Trevor properly, with his dagger revealed in front of himself --ready to parry any incoming blow. It was clear he outsped this foe as well. However, the parry never came to be, as Trevor made his counterattack with a projective, a throwing star he'd strapped on his belt. The man was not lacking in strength, as it zoomed with force towards his target, an unpleasant trinket that got stuck in Agni's chest. This was a manageable wound, but by no means one to ignore. But speed was on his side --approaching again, Agni decided to give his opponent no distance to perform another attack. His glare followed a cocky smirk as he surrounded Trevor, and his dagger followed with two quick slices. Agni had taken the resistance out of Trevor, who slumped onto the ground. "Surprising attack, but you need more to back yourself up with." A quick judgement of his foe's skills was due, and then, Agni walked back to his waiting room, leaving Trevor to be picked up by the field medics. All things considered, that was a fairly quick round. The third one... Frank, a possible contender, this one carried a gun, which Agni quickly studied as they faced each other, right before the announcer gave them the signal. It was easy to assume Frank would shoot first, so Agni dived down below the man and stabbed him with blinding speed. All this momentum translated into a spin as Agni kicked the ground and jumped to his opponent's side. The dagger twisted and turned in a notably ruthless manner, carving through his opponent and leaving a wound far more than counted for. It staggered Frank enough to stop his shooting, but Agni was honestly considering less of an advantage. Frank's slow reaction resulted in a shot that easily missed Agni, hitting his cape as he dashed in a curve, deftly keeping himself away from Frank's aim. The battle ended after a second stab, with the opponent too hurt. Another quick victory. Agni saved his breath this time. The opponent was too unlucky to really show their fighting style. The fourth round... This was that "Puff" person whom gave others trouble. Agni did not hold his curiosity back as the man continued to wield his chunky hunk of metal as a sword. "I trust you're overcompensating for something?" It was such an unorthodox weapon, but, of course, its range and heft could meant trouble. Better not to make too much fun of it. Naturally, Agni got the first hit in as the announcer signalled they started once more. Getting away from 'Puff's' counterattack was Agni's biggest concern. A weapon with such reach made things much harder, but it turned out to be a predictable swing. Agni sidestepped with grace, taking another stab at the swordsman. And another. This opponent was surprisingly fast for the type of weapon he wielded, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep up, and Agni was slightly annoyed at the elf, for whatever reason. Two stabs in quick succession proved to be too gruesome, and 'Puff' dropped his weapon in response. The fight was over. "If you can't use your weapon flexibly, you might as well be setting yourself up for defeat." That was Agni's chastizing remark for that battle. With that done, Agni turned around, his cape fluttering somewhat, and returned to the waiting room. The fifth round... An incubus, and a magic user. This would change things up, or so agni hoped. From the essence coming from then, the incubus was a dark mage, as well, so Agni had some advantage in familiarity... None of that mattered, as Agni, charging towards his enemy as he usually did, managed a crippling stab to the opponent's neck before he could cast anything. The poor incubus just didn't have any preparation for non-magic duels, it seemed, and kept his guard low. "Train your endurance." There wasn't much advice Agni could give considering the battle ended in a single blow. Agni was hoping he'd find more defensive enemies like Galahad as he went on, to shake things up...

"They're escaping, Major, let's get to them." Lynx continued anxious despite their victory. With the Apotheosis forces thinning, it felt like part of their duty to not let any exceptional mobile suits escape. Fighting that Luna again would only push more on their plate later. "We'll have to trust the others. These machines are above our specs, unfortunately." Bonner continued to approache the battlefield in a pragmatic manner, the Mantle had taken flight as a jet again, reticles already aimed at an Apotheosis unit. "That said, we can cull the herd." The Mantle transforms to plane mode, becomes airborne, moves to 10,17, uses Hip Beam Cannons, supported by the Regalia's Hyper Beam Rifle, on Saturn #3. Bonner flies in! (phone formatting, bear w me) Bonner attacks! Target: Saturn #3 Weapon: Hip Beam Cannons Final Hit: 100; Final Crit: 13 Roll: 8, 88; Hit! No Crit! Damage: 38 Saturn #3 counters! Weapon: Wrist Beam Gatlings Final Hit: 71; Final Crit: 22 Roll: 97, 9; Miss! Brant provides support fire! Weapon: Hyper Beam Rifle Final Hit: 100; Final Crit: 28 Roll: 34, 44; Hit! No Crit. Damage: 63 Bonner gains +20 EXP, +2 Will! Lynx gains +40 EXP, +2 Will! Brant gains +10 EXP! A tough nut to crack!

"You can keep the shield, Marina. Don't worry about me. I have my plans." A shield was far from his expertise, and considering some of the fighters, Agni was sure he'd rather use all of his usual tools. "Now, take a breather to rest your arm well. My round will be soon." Agni was certainly not lacking in confidence, bearing a slight smile as he walked to the receptionist. "I'll do my best for my viewers." A nod of acknowledgment to Lavinia later, Agni had turned to face the ring's entrance. Very well... The combat ring was spacious field, truly feeling bigger on the inside. The crowd seemed a bit expectant after the last couple challengers --to be expected, honestly--, now it was Agni's turn to show some martial prowess befitting his rank. He drew the provided tome first, a simpler type of dark magic. It would do enough for the first foe, should his judging eye be working properly. "Galahad? Well met." Always honorable to heed one's opponent, Agni gave his greeting before the book's page began to turn, dark energy convalescing at the tip of his fingertips. The first hit was Agni's, a blast of dark energy landing true. The discomfort would perhaps be more noticeable were his opponent not wearing an iron helm (as Galahad's surname would strongly imply), but the stifled, bear-silent grunt escaping Galahad was enough information to belie the spell's efficacy. Still, it wasn't nearly as strong as predicted. ...Taking that moment to ponder how resilient his opponent was turned oout to be against Agni's favor, as Galahad took the chance to swing at him with his axe. Unable to dodge away in time, Agni was knocked over to a pillar, a notable gash now running around his upper torso. "Ghk!" Dreadful, but not enough to take the fight out of Agni instead. Galahad was still slower if he tried, amd thus quick movements would win the match for him. Another blast of energy escaped Agni's fingertips and pushed Galahad back, followed by a second volley, this time, Galahad relented, and his swing landed false, swinging against the air. ...Another chance to relaliate with dark magic, Galahad could not shrug off his pain as it were. This pattern repeated one more time... In the end, Galahad had exhausted himself giving chase to Agni's backsteps and pirouettes, frustrated and hurt, Galahad swung his axe overhead, aiming to end it all with one strong swing. Of course, such a telegraphed attack left much room to evade. One sidestep and Agni aimed a spell at Galahad again, his red cape fluttering. That was the eight blast. Brought to his knees in pain. Galahad had to yield, too battered to swing his axe anymore. "You are very resilient... a fair match." Agni didn't like how close it was, but nothing to be done except to improve his magic affinity. A quick bow, and Agni walked back to the healers, readying for the next match. Galahad made his leave promptly.

"...Keep it about her." Agni stared at Jade at the pull of his arm. A blank expression, merely puzzled at what she was implying. "Certainly. Marina did great of her own merits." Perhaps she was afraid he would take credit for how good she was doing? Agni didn't think that was overtly rude, but it'd be unfair, for certain. After all, he never taught her to fight with a shield. "You went quite far with a style of fighting you weren't used to. I'd say this counts as proof of your skill." Having followed Lavinia to congratulate Marina, Agni was rather please, a brief round of applause to his esteemed Hero. "You have much talent for combat, Marina. I'd expect no less." Like a proud mentor, or relative, Agni showered Marina with praise. His face seemed serene... perhaps that was just how he'd looked when truly pleased. "Now... I believe it is my turn to try, if you'd like to watch." He crossed his arms, "I'm sure you could pick something up from my fighting style, Marina... if you'd be interested, of course." He planned to put on a good performance, at the very least.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that didn't 'just happen', Monika. You should go enjoy the exhibit with Linus and the others, at least." Karina It really didn't help that it was bad enough for Monika to inflict self-harm, even if nothing too serious at the end of the day. Mewlanie's decision to tug her along was poor, and it was fine to say it how it was. Speaking of, Mewlanie finally seemed to notice Karina was all dressed up, with a passing comment reaching her ears. "Ah, y-you too." It'd be a bit less awkward if there wasn't a panicking girl juxtaposed to that little moment, but that's how it went... "So, uh... while I'm at it, scarabs." Karina had taken notice of Euphrosyne's return, in the middle of it all. The two critters on her head and shoulders were conjuring some concerns in Karina's mind. "What... do we need the scarabs for?"

"We'll see how long Cianna's stamina lasts." Agni smirked as he corrected once again. Still, it was mostly his concern that dictated he corrected Lavinia, Cianna was a name to be discarded soon enough. -- Remaining in the stands at this point would be surely pointless. "Of course."Agni followed Lavinia with few words, taking note of the setting sun... time had passed by rather quick. His time in the arena was next, and then it'd be a good time to retreat with Marina to the inn. ...Well, surely they would have time to watch Lavinia. Agni would not take long.

"--You're sure Cianna will do well." Agni rose a finger in front of his lips, carefully glancing back at Lavinia, his eyebrow raised. "Hmm, so you're saying the inability to feel pain proper would be an advantage in such short bouts? Considering the short respite between fights... perhaps you have a point." Curious. Agni looked onwards as Marina's next foe. The weirdly named fighter with the large sword. Honestly, that thing was too big to be called a sword. Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too rough, it was more like a large hunk of iron. An elf wielding that, huh? Well, that'd be an interesting fight, if nothing else. Marina definitely started on the right track, making use of her litheness despite the unwieldliness of her shield. "--Yes. Good job!" It was motivaing to see her do so well, she cornered the swordfighter... before long, things were over, following and undoubtedly risky choice of attack by Marina. "...I didn't teach her that." Honestly, it could've gone much worse... The cheers Marina received were deserved, Agni contributed with his own claps, and continued to observe her prowess until she decided to stop after the dark mage. "Well, it was bound to happen. She'd never been used to fighting with a shield... splendid performance, all things considered." Agni would admit he was content with said results, although he believed that not to be the full extent of his training in practice. Perhaps Marina had room to learn more from watching...

Mayhaps Jade had taken his comment too seriously, indeed. Agni shook his head, mostly agreeing with the assessment that followed. Lavinia chimed in with her own words of confidence towards the zombie... unneeded, but it served to reinforce the point. "I meant only to compliment your abilities, and certainly not to change bygones. Worry not." Now, for the little hero that could... a nod would suffice. Marina would surely remember her training when push came to shove --Heroes were not trained cheap. Still, with her mentality, it could be hard to see combat as a sport, in the same way many of these duelist's did. It was interesting to see how well she would adapt to fighting with a shield, as well. "I shall go to the stands first, then." Personally, Agni had enough of his share of experiences with the nightmares for a while. -- And Marina did not disappoint so far. Agni keenly watched her moves, satisfied with the current results. "Not bad, not bad. What are your expectations, Lavinia. Surely she must perform as well as Jade did." Agni was certanly hoping to see a complete gauntlet win from the Hero.

"Another missile volley! Get rid of their 'fish'!" Chaldene #1 decides to bombard Tycho again! Chaldene #1 attacks! Target: Velite Mk.III-M (Tycho) Weapon: Missile Barrage Tycho chooses to evade! Final Hit: 22/2 = 11 Final Crit: 7 Roll: 29, 5 Miss! That... could've been bad. Chaldene #2 moves closer and fires its guns at Tycho as well! Chaldene #2 attacks! Target: Velite Mk.III-M (Tycho) Weapon: AA guns! Final Hit: 36 Final Crit: 27 Roll: 47, 23 Miss! Tycho counters! Weapon: Xiphos Final Hit: 100 Final Crit: 13 Roll: 14, 21 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 62 Tycho gains +10 EXP! Whew! All other enemies close in! Player Phase/Turn 6 The fight goes on... Victory Conditions: Defeat all enemies! Loss Conditions: The Riese is destroyed! Battle Mastery: Defeat Marianne and Astin in the same turn! Stats!

Firmia is pretty pissed off! Firmia Attacks! Target: Luna (Astin) Weapon: AA Missiles Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 13 Roll: 35, 99 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 99 Astin counters! Weapon: Wrist Missiles Final Hit: 100 Final Crit: 7 Roll: 24,49 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 67 Firmia gains +10 EXP! Tycho casts Focus![-10SP] Tycho decides to... sword a battleship?! Tycho attacks! Target: Chaldene #1 Weapon: Xiphos (Lucky roll: 18%; Lucky++) Final Hit: 100 Final Crit: 13 Roll: 86, 31 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 62 Chaldene counters! Weapon: Missile Barrage Final Hit: 22 Final Crit: 4 Roll: 6, 77 Hit! No Crit. Damage: 91 Tycho gains +10 EXP! Whew... Finally, Bonner moves to (9,13), landed.

"That's quite the faith you have. Maybe Jade will prove my doubts unfounded~" Agni certainly doubted it, but it wpuld make for an interesting watch now. The zombie could pull her weight as a marksman huh? Well, he ate his words. Jade's performance was decisive. These combatants seemed hardly a match for her. It was almost humbling... Agni followed down the stairs to the reception at the end of the final round. Lavinia has already said her piece before he got close enough, so Agni began a lone round of applause. "I must say, have you ever considered the life of a marksman?" It wasn't a joke, but with Agni's usual tone, one wouldn't be at fault for being uncertain. "It seems like you would have fit the bill just as well as your current profession." Next up was Marina, then. "Take care, Marina. Though I doubt you'll struggle. Still, show us what you've learned, will you?" Naturally, if the zombie performed remarkably, it'd be an easy job for Marina.

Vera casts Sense![-20SP] Vera casts Accel![-5SP] Vera casts Valor![-35SP] Her rage cannot be ignored! Vera attacks! Target: Luna (Astin) Weapon: Raikiri Redux Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: -- (Valor) Roll: 4 Hit! Damage: 457 Astin counters! Weapon: Liquid Metal Blade Final Hit: 0! Final Crit: 44 Roll: 34, 60 Miss! Vera gains +5 EXP! Even on a mere Velite... "Damn it... Vera needs to calm down, I need to talk to her later." Esther casts Sense![-25SP] Esther lands on the ground, moves to 10,9 and attacks the Luna with A KNIFE. Esther attacks! Target: Luna (Astin) Weapon: Heat Carving Knife Final Hit: 100! Final Crit: 76 Roll: 9, 29 Hit! Crit! Damage: 159! Astin counters! Weapon: Liquid Metal Blade Final Hit: 0! Final Crit: 34 Roll: 30, 4 Miss! Esther gains +5 EXP! Slicing through the armor!