Fate/Regalia ~Colosseum~ (In-Character matches)

[Katie]

Maribelle Evans
Turn 6

A dry laugh escaped Risa's lips, choked out between a fit of coughing and spitting out blood. With one last laugh Risa closed her burning eyes for the last time, smiling even in death.

Were it an ordinary human being, Maribelle would have simply thought them to be insane. But magi, in their various complexities, were increasingly suspicious, and her own experience had told her that even magi could cheat death, somehow, some way.

The evidence in front of her showed her a corpse that smiled in its twisted mockery. Was it to simply sow doubt into herself? If so, it had worked, and Maribelle's hands gripped her shotguns ever tighter. Why couldn't she cease to be so paranoid? Was she losing her head over nothing?

She reloaded her shotgun again, and blindly fired over the corpse, hoping to provoke some sort of reaction from a still living being. Shooting the corpse twice could be a trap; wouldn't one expect her to check if she killed her target? Being that predictable was a waste. And once again, she bound another point two points to the right of the corpse, waiting for something to happen.

The irony; the lack of resistance was bothering more than if her target had fought back.

"God bless your heart, Maribelle. He'll be on your side," she muttered to herself, trying to reassure herself that it was simple as it sounded. With that, she started retreating, refusing to take her eyes off the body.

[Spinach]

Risa Noyori
Turn 7

The sincerity of Risa’s death became more than apparent with the lack of response to Maribelle’s last shot. Without any shadow of a doubt, the girl on the ground was dead. There would be no tricks, no clever schemes to unfold, and no more chuckles from misplaced confidence.Risa Noyori was certainly dead.

Death is the conclusion that Risa Noyori saw.



Risa Noyori
Turn 1

In that moment, Risa saw. Then, as quickly as they had changed, Risa's eyes returned to their normal appearance, as if there was never anything different about them at all.

"I am Risa Noyori. Now then, let us begin. Try not to disappoint me, crude woman."

Maribelle Evans
Turn 2

"Crude? At the very least, I have a sense of urgency. I simply can not let these tasks take too long, lest they meander and eventually become nothing worthwhile." Maribelle, for all her hospitality, took note of her opponent's distaste and decided she would choose a much less violent entrance next time. Perhaps more flashy would suffice, but practically was a matter to be considered, much like the fine art of plantation management. Nevertheless, her opponent was showing off, which was rather... unsettling.

But at the same time, her opponent's colorful light show in her eyes had done absolutely nothing. But they were the sign of some mystic nature and would have to be dealt with accordingly.

Risa would need to be dealt with. Slowly.

She bound the ambient mana behind her into a point, and then with a wave of her hands, a golden ribbon flew out aimed straight for Risa's head. Then, Maribell decided to walk a few steps to her left, towards the coast Movement was supposed to be constant on the battlefield, but for now, leisure would suffice.

Risa Noyori
Turn 3

"Fufu." Risa chuckled, watching the ribbon fly through the air on its path for her head. The spell's purpose was immediately apparent. To blindfold her, no doubt out of understandable wariness for her eyes. Just from an observation Risa understood that she lacked the strength to physically break the ribbon. Evasion may be possible for her, however...

Risa opened her mouth, and as her tongue and lips moved to form words, a jolt ran through her mind, through her soul. For an instant Risa's eyes went vacant, as if there was simply nothing behind them, before returning to normal. A spell was initiated, and its steps leading to the "conclusion" of that procedure were erased. The ribbon in front of Risa simply fell to the ground, and disappeared. The spell that had animated the ribbon simply vanished, as the prana behind the spell ran its course, disappearing from the world.

"I believe I already told you." Risa said, following her opponent with her amber eyes, which displayed not even the slightest sense of urgency. "Do not disappoint me."

Maribelle Evans
Turn 4

It seemed the straightforward, simple approach would not work the way she liked. If herb opponent could crush spells out of existence, relying on the gift of magecraft that made her so superior to the norm would be foolish. She would rely on the talents of her forefathers before her, the grand art of shooting that had been passed down many generations.

She bound another point of ambient mana two meters to the left of her opponent. It would possibly come in handily later.

With that, she charged her opponent from the left, aiming to cover enough distance for her to land a shot. Her target wasn't moving, after all, and it didn't matter how fast she was if there was no movement.

And then she pulled the trigger.

Risa Noyori
Turn 5

"... Enough.” The second before Maribelle charged, Risa opened her mouth. Risa’s lips began to move to form words, but before so much as a whisper could roll off her tongue, a jolt ran through her soul, and her eyes went vacant again. When life returned to Risa’s eyes, the world changed.

The rocks spread out over the beach cracked, falling apart into an even more fragmented earth as the world fell apart in its desperate struggle to hold itself together as a fundamental component of reality was simply erased. Above, the overhang shattered, crumbling and falling down to the fractured earth where its remnants scattered like dust. The sky, sunlight, clouds, the ocean’s waves, and the world itself became tinged in a deep crimson, as if the world was painted over by a madman in love with the color.

To Risa’s left, the waves rolled in and out, each wave overlapping with the other and occurring at the same time as the other, creating an image of countless waves occurring at once. Likewise, Maribelle’s every movement overlapped onto each other as she charged forward with her gun raised, creating an image akin to Nude Descending a Staircase. One of Maribelle’s images fired, and from it trails of bullets emerged, each one creating its own series of images as it traveled to its destination.

Maribelle Evans
Turn 6

“Such an uncouth weapon, lacking in dignity or grace.” Risa spoke as she moved through the countless bullet images, phasing through them like a ghost. “It reflects well on its wielder.” Risa said, looking into the eyes of one of Maribelle’s images from so close that their noses nearly touched. “Ah, my apologies, you can’t see or hear anything I say right now, can you?”
Risa moved along with Maribelle’s images as they went through her future actions, which now entailed observing Risa’s corpse.

“You see, everything you do here, everything that happens… it all will amount to nothing. Only I can move freely here. Only I can see and hear what happens here. Only I will remember this.” Risa moved along the images, reaching Maribelle in the moment where she fired over Risa’s ‘corpse.’ “In this world, wildfires will not realize they have been extinguished, the clouds will not know that they have long been blown away, and you…”

Risa stood behind Maribelle’s retreating figure that refused to look away from Risa’s ‘corpse.’

“You won’t realize that I’m far from dead.”

Risa Noyori
Turn 7

In the instant that those words left Risa’s mouth, the world turned to normal. The sky returned to its lively blue, the sun shined orange, and the air itself returned to the ocean breeze from before.

For Maribelle, it would appear as if nothing had changed at all, except that her ‘dead’ enemy was gone.

Without so much as a word, Risa delivered a kick to the back of Maribelle’s leg with as much strength as she could muster, right behind the joint of her knee. At the same time that she delivered her kick, Risa’s eyes transformed, burning brightly.

[Katie]

Maribelle Evans
Turn 8

She couldn't remember moving here. She couldn't remember firing her shotgun, but she knew there was a bullet missing. She couldn't remember what had happened to her opponent before her. She couldn't remember why there was another point. And now her opponent was certainly gone, but wh—

A kick slammed into the back of her knee, and she stumbled over with an unwomanly screech. But Maribelle's mind was already on fixing the problem A ribbon snaked its way around her left, acting as a splint and a bandage. She bound the ambient mana five meters in front of her. Soon enough, the pain just as quickly subsided and she got up in a fluid motion, her shotgun aiming at Risa as she did so.

Maribelle Evans had been humiliated, and loathe as she was to admit, she wanted to be the one on top, doing the humiliation. This absolutely would not stand.

And she fired. This time, there would be no mercy. She would brutalize that yellow menace.

"I don't know what you did, but you're going to pay."

--------

Used: Point Binding, Tied to Life, Shotguns (Treatment of Property)

[Spinach]

Risa Noyori
Turn 9

Risa's lips moved to speak the instant her enemy raised her gun. Evasion at this distance was beyond impossible, which left only one option to escape her enemy's shot. A jolt ran through Risa's soul, her eyes went dull, and the world turned red. Rocks crumbled, the earth shattered, waves overlapped, and Risa chuckled.

"Fufu, these bullets. Their movements... I see them." Risa moved through the world of red, bullets phasing through her as she made her way to Maribelle's side. "I see yours, too."

Risa positioned herself beside an image of Maribelle, which had barely moved from her original position. "All of your movements here are meaningless. All of your actions are meaningless. Even your life is meaningless here."

"It seems you are quite fond of these guns of yours. Then..." Risa took a step back, and as the world returned to normal, she lunged forward, delivering an upward kick to Maribelle's outstretched hand that held her shotgun, aiming for her fingers specifically.



[Turn 2]

[Katie]

Maribelle Evans
Turn 10

Memory blanked once more, and Maribelle found herself holding an empty gun and Risa about to break her fingers—and her grip on the shotgun. Quickly, a ribbon tied itself to her hand and the shotgun, but her fingers absolutely ached in crushing pain. That girl nearly damaged the shotguns that she had inherited from her great grandpappy in the Civil War!

Maribelle got up and jumped back, before pausing. If only she could unwrap the ribbon around her knee. It would now be put to more use to her hand, which was clenching the shotgun so hard fire burned in her very veins. But she would have to wait.

Immediately, six points of mana bound themselves together around the two girls. That was what she would focus on. From what she remembered, she couldn't dodge her opponent at all after the memory blanks.

But this time, she wouldn't have to worry.

------

Spells: Bound and Gagged, Point Binding x 6

[Spinach]

Risa Noyori
Turn 11

"Fufu." Risa stopped, looking over at the ribbon tied around Maribelle's hand before giving a cursory scan of the surroundings. "These bindings... What are they for, crude woman? Surely there's more to you than little ribbon tricks and guns."

"At least make this worthwhile for me." Risa spread her arms wide, inviting Maribelle to come at her however she pleased. "Show me something interesting, crude woman. I'm all yours. Then it will be my turn show you how ultimately futile your struggles are."



[Turn 4]

[Katie]

Maribelle Evans
Turn 12

"As you wish," Maribelle said in her most polite tone. If her opponent wanted to see better tricks of her trade, then so be it. That would be exactly what she would do. After all, the bounded points of mana were simply not just for show. They had much better uses, but this would have to be her greatest art. The thing she strived for so, so much.

She had practiced the art of binding, of preventing others from standing against her for so long, it had become second nature. And after reading a work by Aozaki Touko, her research finally found a great breakthrough. It had to do with Aozaki's broomstick travelling method. Assign a mark at your destination, and let yourself be pulled towards it at high speed. It wasn't practical if you weren't treading new grounds but it was the fastest way of them all.

And she had mastered that art of binding one's self to a point. Maribelle Evans had finally achieved this, capable of tricking the world that she should be here instead of there.

Suddenly, she vanished as she holstered her other shotgun.

And from behind, there was a blast of gunfire.

Marribelle was now at the point she had set up behind Risa a moment earlier.

"Is this interesting enough?"

----

Used Point to Point.

[Spinach]

Risa Noyori
Turn 13

"As you wish,"

"Ufufu, now that's the spirit." Risa smiled, delighted at the prospect of her opponent showcasing techniques that could hopefully be less barbaric than her previous tactics. The gunshow had gone on long enough in this duel between magi, where solid thaumaturgical foundation and unshakeable rules of magecraft should decide the victor, not brutal and overwhelming firepower from graceless firearms. "Now, show me what you can-"

Before Risa could even finish her sentence Maribelle vanished. Risa opened her mouth to begin a spell, but the sound of a gunshot halted her. Bullets tore through Risa's body, devastating her and littering her body with holes.

"Is this interesting enough?"

Risa's ravaged body fell forward face first into the sand, splashing her lifeblood onto the beach. Between coughing and spitting out blood, Risa turned her head enough to see Maribelle behind her, and hissed out her last words.

"Rotten... western barbarian."

With a last, strained cough Risa closed her infernally burning eyes, and lay lifeless in the sanguine-stained sand.

A broken, battered corpse. That is what Risa Noyori saw.



Risa Noyori
Turn 7

In the instant that those words left Risa’s mouth, the world turned to normal. The sky returned to its lively blue, the sun shined orange, and the air itself returned to the ocean breeze from before.

For Maribelle, it would appear as if nothing had changed at all, except that her ‘dead’ enemy was gone.

Without so much as a word, Risa delivered a kick to the back of Maribelle’s leg with as much strength as she could muster, right behind the joint of her knee.

Maribelle Evans
Turn 8

She couldn't remember moving here. She couldn't remember firing her shotgun, but she knew there was a bullet missing. She couldn't remember what had happened to her opponent before her. She couldn't remember why there was another point. And now her opponent was certainly gone, but wh—

A kick slammed into the back of her knee, and she stumbled over with an unwomanly screech. But Maribelle's mind was already on fixing the problem. A ribbon snaked its way around her left, acting as a splint and a bandage. She bound the ambient mana five meters in front of her. Soon enough, the pain just as quickly subsided and she got up in a fluid motion, her shotgun aiming at Risa as she did so.

Maribelle Evans had been humiliated, and loathe as she was to admit, she wanted to be the one on top, doing the humiliation. This absolutely would not stand.

And she fired. This time, there would be no mercy. She would brutalize that yellow menace.

"I don't know what you did, but you're going to pay."

Risa Noyori
Turn 9

Risa's lips moved to speak the instant her enemy raised her gun. Evasion at this distance was beyond impossible, which left only one option to escape her enemy's shot. A jolt ran through Risa's soul, her eyes went dull, and the world turned red. Rocks crumbled, the earth shattered, waves overlapped, and Risa chuckled.

“Ufufu, I’m afraid that won’t be happening.” Risa said, looking over at the future image of Maribelle, the image that would soon kill Risa. “You see, Maribelle, everyone in this world… will sometimes succeed, and sometimes fail. But in regards to the future, as long as I can see all the traps set out for me before they’re sprung, I will never fail. I will remain at the top of this world, possessing supreme abilities and furthering my lineage that most can only dream of.”

Maribelle Evans
Turn 10

“I would ask if you agree, but as we are right now you can’t even hear or see me.” Risa said, standing in front of an image of Maribelle that stood with gun raised and a ribbon wrapped around her knee. Risa snapped her fingers in front of the gun-toting foreigner’s face a few times, giggling at the lack of response. “Ufufu, I considered it possible that you might be one of those special few that can see in here and may just be pretending to be oblivious, but it seems you really are trash.”

Risa Noyori
Turn 11

Maribelle Evans
Turn 12

Risa walked over to another image of Maribelle, this one holding a gun held firmly in her damaged hand by a ribbon. Risa moved in closer, circling the outstretched gun and inspecting it intensely.

“Why I ever considered such a thing is beyond me. One such as yourself, who would rely so much on these crude weapons that possess nothing worthy of respect, would surely not have the potential to look into this world.” Risa shook her head, frowning. “I will admit, that magecraft you used to move between locations is marvelous. It reminds me of another method of transportation that I have read about that was patented by a Japanese magus, much like I. Well, I will give you credit where you deserve it. You have splendidly improved upon one of my peers’ work. However…”

Risa turned and walked slowly to the image of Maribelle that would soon kill her. Between the previous image and this one, there were no movement trails. The evidence did not lie; it truly was a perfect, instantaneous transportation from one location to another, reassuring Risa that there was no shame in praising her uncouth enemy for perfecting such a spell.

“However…” Risa stood to the side of the last image of Maribelle, and turned, carefully noting the location of every location that her enemy had bound in preparation for her spell. Risa took another stance, and took a step backward. “As long as I possess these eyes, as long as I possess this knowledge, it is all wasted effort.”

Risa Noyori
Turn 13

As those words left Risa’s mouth the world returned to normal, Risa lunged forward, and delivered an upwards kick with all the strength she could muster to the hand holding Maribelle’s shotgun. As she did so, infernal flames took shape in her eyes once more.

[Katie]

Maribelle Evans
Turn 14

Maribelle absolutely did not remember what had happened before, but she knew she had used her trump card. And that was exactly what she needed. Before the kick could ever connect, she vanished and reappeared at point diagonally across and fired at Risa, emptying her shotgun.

But with an unusable hand (when did that damn woman break her fingers?), reloading her main source of offense would be impossible. Another ribbon imbued with healing properties wrapped itself around her broken fingers, and despite the initial pain, it had all been mended soon enough. Once again, she warped to another point, a few meters behind her opponent, and casually began to reload both of her shotguns.

"I feel like I'm expending more ammunition than is strictly required," she mumbled under her breath.

--------

Point to Point (4/7 teleports left), Tied to Life

[Spinach]

Risa Noyori
Turn 15

Not unexpectedly, Maribelle avoided Risa's incoming kick. When instantaneous transportation from one point to another is thrown into the occasion it's understandable that landing a hit at all would become a difficult task. However, to Risa it was only a minor nuisance. In the first place, it's not as if her strategy was entirely reliant on physically beating her opponent into submission. Her physique made that more than obvious to anyone, but luckily for her the enemy was obviously no more physically capable than Risa, and with the advantage from her own abilities she could easily push her back in close quarters. All that mattered here and now was keeping up the pressure while waiting for the right opportunity and staying on top until Maribelle's spell ran its course.

"..." A surge ran through Risa's soul as she moved her lips to form words, and the world turned red. Without missing a beat Risa dashed through the trail of bullets fired by Maribelle, running her oblivious opponent down head-on. The world changed back as Risa finished closing the gap with her enemy, and as the sky turned from crimson to blue, she threw a right jab aimed for Maribelle's left cheek.



[Turn 2]

[Katie]

Maribelle Evans
Turn 16

Maribelle was frustrated beyond belief. Her opponent seemed to warp past her every move, empty her mind of things that should have happened. Well, she could try this, at least. It wouldn't do much, but it would bide her time, arguably. She seemed to be wasting charges and bullets all at the same time, so she could at least try to stall with something that was neither of those.

And with that, for once, Maribelle did not try to dodge. Instead, a much stronger ribbon attempted to strangle Risa, hopefully pinning her down so Maribelle could figure out what made her opponent tick. Or something of that nature. Talking was perfectly fine now, if emptying her guns never seemed to work. Then she looked behind her, to the far off distance, and readied a point.

Sooner or later, she would burn out through all her prana. And that would be just terrible.

"Isn't it fine if we take a bit just to chat? Or am I really that uncouth?"

----

Spells used: Point Branding, Shackles of Inferiority

[Spinach]

Risa Noyori
Turn 17

Risa tested the bonds wrapped around her body, struggling with all her might before ultimately sighing in resignation. With a sly grin Risa looked up at Maribelle with a sly grin. "Well, I don't seem to have much of a choice in the matter, and since you don't look to plan on shooting me again I guess I'll accept your offer for a little talk."

"So then, what would you like to talk about? Have any questions for me, or perhaps there is something you've been dying to get off of your chest?" Risa said, chuckling. "Fufu, I don't mind hearing out the last words of a fellow magus, even if they lack the tact a magus should carry theirself with."



[Turn 4]

[Katie]

If you want to know the end of this story, Maribelle got Fatalpulse'd. That's all.

Erik Thorson & Rider + Andrei Biskup & Crusader

In the end, the two of you had come across many hardships during this round of the Holy Grail War. Tasked with diving into the dungeons for the ciphers to unlock the area you were about to enter, you and your Servant had killed enough dinosaurs to be certified as one of the causes for their extinction. It was tiring work, but it was worth every second.

And now, the two of you were here, in separate, translucent elevators with stereotypical blue and black grid-like lines that only served to reinforce the idea you two were in a virtual world. But right now, it felt like you and your opponents were real, and they could see and hear you. Deep inside yourselves, you knew there was only one course of action as you waited to duel to the death.

Trash talk.

~BEGIN~

Rider -AGI B+++ (S)- & Erik -AGI A- vs. Crusader -AGI C (S)- & Andrei -AGI B-
Turn 1: Rider and Erik

[Spinach]

Erik Thorson & Rider
Turn 1

"Ah, hey, hey, Rider, they managed to get the ciphers too! Looks like you were right." A white cloak with upturned collar wrapped around a thin frame, twin tassels shaped like crosses fell down over a baggy, long sleeve turtleneck held down at the waist by a thick leather belt. Worn, oversized jeans covered in wrinkles drooped to the floor, secured by leather straps at the shin. Well groomed black bangs fell over a pair of frameless glasses, behind which lurked a pair of lively amber eyes, lit up with excitement. "Good thing, too. I was worried we'd get a cheap win by forfeit this week. It's way better to advance after a flashy, end of the week showdown."

Erik Thorson crossed his arms, and from under his cloak's collar the corners of his lips could ever so slightly be seen rising, revealing his hidden grin. "Well, I don't think it'll be all that flashy, but do your best."

"Watch yourself, we haven't even gotten to the arena yet, Erik." A heavily armored hand slapped the grinning Master in the back, sending Erik fumbling forward. Black and blue grids reflected endlessly off of a pristine set of heavy armor, covering a tall man from his toes to the tips of his fingers, leaving only his face exposed to the outside air. Spiked, auburn hair rose and fell as Rider laughed heartily at his Master. Grabbing him by his cloak to help him recover his balance, Rider locked his Master's head in a vice-like grip with his excessively armored hand. "But still, I'm glad you made it here, Andrei, Crusader."

Winces and grunts of protest fell on deaf ears as Rider began violently ruffling his Master's hair, laughing all the while. "Heey, ow, Rider, qu- gah, quit it."

"Haha, what's that, Erik?" Rider leaned down, putting his face closer to his disoriented Master. Snickering, Rider cupped a hand around his ear. "You'll have to speak up if you have something to say."

"Hey come, ow, on. Rider, you're, ouch ouch ouch, you're making fools out of us right in the big calm before the storm." Erik said, fruitlessly pouring all of his strength into pushing away the armored glove keeping him tightly in place. "Wouldn't you, ow, come on, ow, quit! Wouldn't you rather, gah, Rider!"

"Haha, alright, alright." Rider laughed again, releasing Erik with a final, heavy pat on the head. An uncomfortable bonk resounded as the heavily armored gauntlet fell down onto the boy's head. "So, what do you want to say to our enemies before we pass the point of no return? Well, I guess the point of no return was a long time ago, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, geez, my head..." Erik rubbed his sore scalp, scowling at his Servant who brushed off his glare with an innocent whistle. Adjusting his glasses, Erik turned back to the two across from him, locking eyes with Crusader. "John the Saint, John the Saint, John the Saint, aren't there too many saints named John? It's appalling, to think at one point one fifth of boys in England had such a simple, boring name, and you're not helping the matter, not one bit. What's more, what's with this 'John of' stuff? So uncreative, so unpleasant to the eyes and ears. Just what were you thinking, having a name like that? Well?"

[I3uster]

Andrei Biskup & Crusader
Turn 1

"You doubted us even for a second? The grail is ours." The short-haired blonde man spoke up. Compared to his large, armored companion his stance was relaxed, his arms hanging down the side of his body. "I will do my best to make your last fight in this tournament meet your standards."

"Why?" The Servant was the next one to talk. His eyes fixed on the face of the opposing Servant his bellowing voice seemed almost like an assault before the battle had even begun. "You are a man of faith, Renaud. Why ally with a warlock?"

His entire body was covered in plate armor, adorned by crosses and markings of various kinds. A loose priest's robe underneath it was the only hint of compassion that could be taken from the Servant's appearance. His golden sword had already been unsheathed, and his tight grip and already reddened face showed that he was in no mood for casual conversation.

His companion had not yet drawn his weapons, though his robe certainly showed that he was ready for the battle. It was a simple one made of kevlar, and only a golden cross on his chest broke the simple grey and black color scheme of his outfit.

"...yeah, I am also glad that you made it."

"Tell me Renaud. How can you jusify your behavior before the Lord, for he is the one who shall judge you at the end of this battle? What is it that made you forgo your faith?"

"John the Saint, John the Saint, John the Saint, aren't there too many saints named John? It's appalling, to think at one point one fifth of boys in England had such a simple, boring name, and you're not helping the matter, not one bit. What's more, what's with this 'John of' stuff? So uncreative, so unpleasant to the eyes and ears. Just what were you thinking, having a name like that? Well?"

As the Servant clenched his sword even harder his gaze shifted from Rider for just a second.

"Shut your mouth, thaumaturge, lest I pour hot lead in it. And even that agony would not show you what true suffering is, as it is fleeting. Quite unlike the flames of hell."

[Spinach]

Erik Thorson & Rider
Turn 1

"Warlock? What oath have I broken? What devil have I put myself in league with, Crusader? Jeez, think about what you're saying before you spout out words you know nothing about." Erik removed his glasses as he spoke, placing his palm over his face and slowly sliding it down to his chin. With an exasperated sigh Erik put his glasses back on, preparing himself for a rant.

"Uhoh, you had to get him started, Crusader."

"There are lots of things you could call me because of my status, but warlock isn't one of them, Crusader. That word originally meant 'oath-breaker' or 'one that breaks faith,' as well as being used to refer to somebody in league with the devil. But I've made no oaths to break, I have no faith to turn my back on, and I've certainly not conspired with any devil. Now, surely you're thinking 'but definitions of words change,' but I don't care. You should respect a word and its roots, because words are more than just noises that you spit out of your mouth by flopping tongue or scribbles that you throw onto parchment with a pen."

Pausing to catch his breath, Erik raised a finger as if to move onto the next part of his lecture before being silenced by an armored hand cupping itself around his mouth.

"Ahaha, sorry about that. He's more than a little eccentric, you see." Rider said, drowning out the muffled ranting of his Master. Turning back to Crusader, Rider pulled his Master close, hooking an arm around his neck and giving Erik a pat on the chest. "Crusader, you asked why I ally with him? Surely you should know. When I turned my back on my king there were only a few who stood with me. My brothers, a few loyal soldiers, and a cousin of mine. That cousin of mine was... an oddity. He obsessed over the strangest things, was raised by fairies, practiced his magic openly, even in front of the king, and even bound demons to help when we took fire and sword to our enemies."

Rider smiled wider as he spoke, drawing Erik closer with every word. Eventually the need to drown out the muffled protests of his Master was no longer necessary as Erik silenced himself to listen closer to his Servant's speech. Taking his hand off of Erik's mouth, Rider delivered a playful punch to Erik's shoulder, releasing him from his grip as he did so.

"Well, in the end I kind of let that cousin of mine down, despite everything he did for me and how little he asked for in return. I've always regretted that, and decided I wanted to make up for that. This kid may have a few screws loose, but if he didn't he wouldn't remind me of my cousin, and I wouldn't feel the need to pay him back for what he did."

"Hear that, zealot?" Erik proclaimed, ignoring the melancholic atmosphere that Rider had painstakingly created during his explanation. "Rider here is my partner, and that's that. So don't waste your time questioning our partnership again. After all, you have precious little time left. Spend it wisely."

Stepping up to the barrier separating the two duos, Erik crossed his arms, grinning under his popped collar.

"Also, good on you for switching to thaumaturge. That's more appropriate."

[I3uster]

Andrei Biskup & Crusader
Turn 1

"Uhoh, you had to get him started, Crusader."

"I could say the same to you..."replied Andrei, shaking his head.For a second Crusader spoke nothing. He did not even move. But after a short while the Servant broke eye contact with his opponent, walking over to the opposing master. After clearing his throat he looked down on the opposing master, bowing forward just enough to stare him directly into his eyes.

As he spoke his voice became louder and louder, going from almost whispering to his characteristic bellowing.

"If you are not in league with the devil where do your powers stem from? What is witchcraft but the product of devil worship? The Lord's blessings do not take the shape of your unholy craft, warlock. You ask what oath you have broken? He died for your sins and you turned your back on Him. There is no greater betrayal in this world. Do not tell me that I should respect speech when you do not respect the one that gave it to you in his infinite grace."
Looking back on the Servant Crusader shook his head.

"It does not matter if you conspired with a magic user once. The Lord grants the gift of forgiveness to those willing to repent. Why must you repeat your mistake? Did it not bring you only suffering and an untimely death? Though I must respect your loyalty..."

The man pointed his sword at Rider.

"...those who protect those that are in league with the devil must be struck down. PREPARE YOURSELF, RENAUD MONTAUBAN!"

"Yes. That." Andrei shot his Servant an awkward stare, fumbling around in his robe for six small red objects.

[Spinach]

Erik Thorson & Rider
Turn 1

"If you are not in league with the devil where do your powers stem from? What is witchcraft but the product of devil worship? The Lord's blessings do not take the shape of your unholy craft, warlock. You ask what oath you have broken? He died for your sins and you turned your back on Him. There is no greater betrayal in this world. Do not tell me that I should respect speech when you do not respect the one that gave it to you in his infinite grace."

As soon as the overly emphasized word "warlock" left Crusader's mouth Erik began to speak up in protest, only to be cut off by an armored gauntlet covering his mouth once more. Fuming, Erik listened to Crusader's lecture in forced silence, trying his hardest to push Rider's hand away. As the zealous giant and his Master reached the end of their retort, Rider leaned forward, pushing Erik down under the weight of his absurdly cumbersome armor.

"Well said, Crusader." Rider said, nodding in agreement with his enemy. "The Lord will certainly forgive me should I confess my sins and repent, in that respect you are correct, but it is not who I choose to ally with that I shall repent for, but it is for betraying one such ally that I shall seek his forgiveness. That is my sin, and that is the mistake I made when I was alive, a mistake that I am not repeating."

Having said what needed to be said, Rider released Erik from his grip, and gave him a pat on the back, pushing him forward. "I believe my Master has something to say as well. Erik?"

"Damn right I do. Crusader!" Erik shot a finger forward, pressing it against the grid separating the elevators and pointing it right at his foe. "Your Lord created man, but he did not create me. I'm already an existence that exists outside of His grand design, and so I see no reason to worship that which will always reject me."

"... But," Erik brought his hand back to adjust his glasses, before folding his arms over his chest again, "more importantly, if words were given by His grace, then shouldn't you respect them even more than I do? They're a precious gift from the Lord, you should treasure them. Treasure them through understanding, an understanding that Rider and I will just have to beat into you. Right, partner?"

"Right." Rider assented, stepping forward to stand alongside his Master.

[I3uster]

Andrei Biskup & Crusader
Turn 1

Crusader uncharacteristically let out an amused chuckle.

"Very well then. The least I can do is grant you an honorable death, for you are a man that stands by his convictions...as for you, heretic..."

"Stop it Crusader. We're not here to talk them down." Andrei raised his hand in a warning gesture. "There is a saying that actions speak louder than words, Thorson. Maybe we should focus on them instead of arguing."

"Are you ready, brother?" The Servant raised his sword over his head in an enthusiastic fashion.

"Master. Call me Master." Andrei replied.

"Yes, Master. It seems that our journey is almost at its end."

"Well then, Thorson, Rider."

With a whistle-like sound the hilts in his hands began materializing shining blades.

"Show us your dedication to this cause."

[Katie]

The elevators opened up reveal what was a crater, surrounded by endless forest and littered with the bone of fallen, ancient beasts that you had just exterminated over a week. Calmly you walk into the middle of the crater, a fine virtual wall preventing you from directly facing each other in combat. Eagerly, the two of you face your opponents, ready to draw arms as soon as the wall comes crashing down into a pile of 0s and 1s.

A grand roar echoes from the distance, and the wall disappears in an instant.

It's time to kill or be killed.

I3uster: [Crusader & Andrei] vs. Spinach [Rider & Erik]

Call if thy soul raised a legend
Reflection of victor only in crystals of thy anima
Yes, this is fight or fall
Let this be a battle of death of thyself
Battle, BEGIN!

Location: The Wasteland
Crusader -AGI C (S)- & Andrei -AGI B- vs. Rider -AGI B+++ (S)- Erik -AGI A-
Turn 1: Rider & Erik