[ROUND ONE] Angelglory VS Eversor Lupus

*ROUND ONE Dark Tournament Primary Stadium*

*Team Angelglory VS Team Eversor Lupus*

Arena Specs The arena itself, which actually sits below ground level, spans one hundred feet in diameter with walls six feet high before the stands begin. The floor of the arena is sprinkled with just enough sand to cover up the stones beneath, but not enough to be significantly detrimental to footing or traction. Gates at the northern and southern end lead into the arena, through which contenders will enter upon being summoned from their quarters in order to compete in the designated match. The platform is risen only four feet off the ground.

Weather Conditions and Bonus Effects The weather is slightly overcast, the distant roar of thunder booming from above ever so often rumbles loudly over the massive array of demons that fill the spectator stands. The crowd constantly screams for blood, regardless of who's is spilt; demons seem to be happy as long as someone's going to get torn to pieces. The fight is broadcasted on large screens, so every spectator in the stands and viewers watching at home can get a close-up of the brutality. An announcer reports all the gore directly from the ring with overflowing enthusiasm, and a ten count from her will end every match.

Who will win? And who will walk out alive?

**Kong stepped out first of both teams, sword already drawn and placed against his shoulder. The wild looking warrior was donned in shattered and broken Chinese armor, and a tattered red cloak. His hair was back length and dirty, caked in blood and grime, hiding most of his facial features in its matted filth. He looked to the demons around the crowd and smirked, as he was 100% human he was greeted mostly with boos and other such fancies.

Kong walked to the edge of the arena, he didn't care if he was first or last to fight, it didn't really matter. Either way he was going to shed some blood for Khorne, win or lose he'd be sure to spray as much of it into the air as he could. The 6'4 blonde warrior placed his right bare foot onto the edge of the arena and leaned his body forward, his right elbow leaning against his right knee and his sword sliding some to accommodate the position.

Now was the time to calmly wait for the other team, and to let his Leader decided who fought first, or what the terms were.**

Crow's entrance to the arena was marked by a very noticeable increase in muttering by the crowd and a fresh round of Boos for a 'Human' contender's presence in the rankings. As was his style, he was dressed impeccably in his finely pressed, straightened and clean suit and jacket, dress shoes barely making a sound even on the passage stone into the arena. He barely lifted his head to the crowd and instead simply moved to the side of the entrance, barely hearing the whispers of the crowd as his frail looking figure assumed something of a statue-still pose, red eyes closing and showing plainly to those with a clear view the odd rune burnt into the right side of his face and eyelid. After a while of the fact he barely even seemed to -breathe-, the crowd returned the majority of their gazes to the other entrance and at that point, Crow opened his eyes to stare at the other team's present members.

How surprising that -he- should be the first one to arrive for Eversor Lupus. He'd expected his other teammates here first, but then he doubted anyone was as excited as he was. Crow's body felt like it was weighed with sand and even his blood felt choked inside his veins, so long had it been that -anything- had gotten him motivated. Talon's distinctive linen-wrapped form was hanging from the back of his waist and the twins blades of his lineage were quietly tucked inside his coat, ready for the battle even if Crow knew he was far too rusty to use them properly. He hadn't even taken the time to brush up on his sword techniques or practice his rune casting, so thrilling was the pleasurable restraint of the rust upon him...

The grin that Crow sprouted was positively mad.

"...All praise to Diagoule."

The conclusion the private prayer of the faithful. The devotion of his children will grant them the strength to overcome whatever obstacle they may face in the troubled world. As his chosen lambs, they are destined to triumph at the gates of his paradise. Claire's right hand moved away from her chest and to her side, her head slowly lifting up with the rest of her body from a single knee. Finally the day had come. After a long period of anticipation, she could finally experience the various characters that had been floating about, the personalities that piqued her interests. A test of might, a show of valor, this was something she wanted greatly. Well rested, determined, and focus, Claire would begin to march towards the open arena at the echoing call of a young, passionate voice.

Her eyes set forward on the platform, her sharp eyes could already see the bunch of both teams awaiting the battle to begin. Walking through the Eastern gate light bathed the marvelous craftsmanship that covered her superior body. The tall Elvaan did not notice the hiss of the riled crowd, only the occasional crackle of thunder could penetrate through the thought. Her eyes sized up the opposing team, most of the men not much bigger than herself. It seemed at least from first glance that a few of them were actually quite small compared to the optimal athletic build. Though let that not be a mistake to consider them brittle and frail, in her experience the physical appearance rarely did justice to the will of an individual.

Her confident stride halted next to the fearsome Crow. It was no surprise he would be the first of Eversor Lupus to be in the arena. He seemed to be the most excited out of the group, an appetite for blood, and not short of insane. If anyone could match her desire for this tournament to begin then it would be him. His enthusiasm would be well applied in battle. Her eyes continued to try and read the men who stood before her. A motley crew, each character was so distinguished it would be hard to imagine them as a team. One appeared to be a product of war, with such an intense craving for destruction that he had lost the desire to keep a clean appearance. This one would be for Crow to handle, it should be the perfect match. The other two, a mere boy smaller than herself, someone with such a flamboyant look would be bold enough to call themselves a captain. The other, he looked rather easy-going.

Kiet had yet to show himself, but this did not pose a concern to Claire. She could figure that he may not be too keen to the idea of punctuality, but she knew that he would not let her down. He would soon come to the arena fully ready for battle, there was no room for doubt to hinder performance. Confident in that Claire stepped forward to the opposing team, there was no reason to keep the people waiting any longer. In a calm, powerful yet controlled voice, Claire would address them all,

"Good day gentleman. I suppose you are prepared to propose terms of conflict?"

MP: 1000/1000

hup hup hup

Keit bounded down the hall way towards the entrance to the stadium. He was dressed in a worn red Karate gi, with the arms torn off, and a red and white baseball cap. His long blonde ponytail trailed behind him as he sprinted.

Emerging out into the open he gazed around, spotting alot of people standing around, and the woman he had met the other day talking to them."Oh good, I'm not late" he thought to himself, catching his breath and strolling over to the group.

"Those rules are fine. I would imagine you do not have a problem with match set ups of.."

Claire pointed to Adam, "Kiet and you," and then to Kong, "Crow and him,", and then to Eric, "Him and I."

MP: 1000/1000

"That sounds good to me." Said a gentle voice from behind the winged male. It belonged to the fourth member of Team Angleglory, Relius Tiolin. And he was late, very very late to the party. "My apologies, everyone. I was..." The male paused for a moment, as he ran various excuses through his mind for he didn't want to say that he slept in longer then he said he would, despite the others attempting to wake him up. Looking for my spell book? Deciding what robes to wear?...Wait, I brought all gray, that makes no sense....Oh wait, I've got it! he thought, as he looked over at the foxgirl announcer.

"...Trying to find appropriate flowers for that lovely lady over there." He remarked with a soft chuckle, as he ran his fingers through his blue hair. Clearing his throat, he continued, "..Regardless...it seems as though I'll be sitting this one out, I'll be cheering you all on!"

Crow wasn't the particularly cheering on type, nor was he entirely sure how to go about that even if he had been inclined. But Claire had been good to him as a leader and he couldn't remember the last person who'd been able to put up with his temperament without trying to strangle him...So he broke away from the place he had been residing as a statue and the grin faded to a more appropriate smile as he took Claire's side and reached up, eventually resting his arm on her shoulder and leaning against her, somewhat casually. "Do try not to hurt him too badly, Claire. We don't want you to scare everyone..." and he grinned at her, pulling back a bit as he moved back towards his spot. He didn't know who would exactly be going first, but he hoped he was going soon...

Kong's manner, Kong's attire and especially the caked gore coating his chosen opponent would have made him Crow's obvious choice if he'd been called on to pick one...He seemed like he'd be an interesting first fight. Back from retirement and obscurity, already he'd found a worthwhile trial to surpass.

Once he reached his corner, he did a tiny spin on the ball of his heel and stopped, facing the arena and it's combatants but more importantly, quite capable of watching the other team's side perfectly. Now was the waiting and the deciding of whom would go first.

Keit scratched his head. Everyone here seemed really egotistical, not surprising but still really damn annoying.

"Uhh yeah, okay."

He mumbled to no-one in particular and walked off to the side to join Crow.

He blinked then shrugged, smiling. "As you wish. Well Lord Kong, if you will pardon me." He bowed his head lightly and moved to the ring, quickly hopping onto it. Eric bowed deeply to Claire, his fists still together before him. "I wish you luck, my lady, and no ill will. May the gods bless our battle to be one of greatness."

The monk slid out of his bow into his stance. His hands were raised, ready to attack and his feet planted with his left before him. He almost looked like a boxer, except with more clothes and no big punch gloves.

To the center.

MP: 1000/1000

Koto looked between the two competitors, standing a few feet away from the both of them. "The first match of the round is about to begin! For Team Eversor Lupus-- Claire de Louday! For Team Angelglory, Eric Artis!"

The foxgirl raised her hand above her head, giving one last look to each of the opposing fighters. "And when you're ready..."

Koto's swung her hand down, signaling the start.

*"FIGHT!"*

*'... s**t.'* That was the thought as he quickly pushed away, backpedaling. If his opponent stayed close... he'd have trouble dodging. Only he found to his surprise that the opponent did so as well. Thus it lead for him to stop and be greatly confused.

The sight of her performing magic though... well that didn't sit well with him. He was hoping to use her armor against her, considering that such plating would probably leave her slowed significantly as well as heavy and easy to unbalance. Magic could do crazy stuff, which could take away the disadvantages of having such bulky armor.

As Claire spoke, Eric started into a dash straight for her, holding his arms so as to punch.

If she moved to engage him in melee or if he got up to her, he would proceed to stop on his left foot hard, duck to the side and swing his right leg around in a forward sweep, followed by rising into a backwards elbow, hoping she continued to have the sought after disadvantage.

1

'I hate magic.' The monk, unable to react quick enough to the speeding projectile, could only manage to shift, changing the target area. He was spun and thrown to the ground as it blasted his shoulder, though the lack of actually piercing him was something that he was thankful for. That would leave a nice ache later, but he wasn't as weak as your average human. For now he focused his mind and ki, ignoring the pain.

Unfortunately, he was left a bit open on the floor. Any follow up attack would have an increased chance of hitting for the precious seconds he was down. If no attack came he would roll to a stand and start in a circular dash towards Claire, still looking as if to punch and still intent to preform the leg sweep.

2

And of course, she was faster than he hoped. Her legs were moved out of the way. Worse she had grabbed his pants. He was glad he had made sure to pack sewing supplies to deal with tears. Still, he wasn't out yet. His right hand slammed down, the fingers spread and palm flat. His left leg would get the weight lifted off it, allowing him to sweep it up in a kick, which was originally going to be heading for Claire's left side, but with the lifting of Eric's right leg and her bending down, it's new target was more for the back of her head, upper back, or left shoulder.

"I'm not going to loose so easily!"

3

The monk was groaning as he hit hard on his back. Just another ache he'd have to try and get healed up later, or something. It hurt to move the arm though, seeing as there was a little muscular tearing. Still, he did his best to ignore it, though the wincing from moving it behind him as he windmilled his feet so he could flip into a stand showed that it didn't work as well as the minor damage to the right.

Claire was standing as well. "Fine, let's do this." He slipped into a low stance, focusing on his opponent. Anyone with the ability to feel energy would notice that he was building it up.

4

((Yea, not a big post but really not doing much. Charging attack.))

He continued his gathering, slowly starting towards Claire. He'd have to time this right. He was cautious now due to her magic. What was it now? A shield? Hmm, he hoped this worked. "You first, cutie."

5

'Now what?' The monk frowned. Guess he'd have to just use this amount. He held the charged energy, focusing it along his right arm as he made another dash at Claire. It looked like before, but his aim this time was to slip past her and turn, striking with his right hand in a strike that would be twice as powerful as normal.

6

The monk cursed as his attack was nullified. "Fine, let's try this." His breathing slowed a bit and his hands seem to start to blur. "Beat Rush, 20." Eric's hands shot out faster than anything before, striking 20 times in an instant. Of course each one's power was significantly less than normal. Probably enough to blow over cards with the breeze they made. Still it was a flurry though, which may get a few hits in.

7

His eyes widened as the spell exploded out, pushing him away fast. "I... hate... magic..." The edge approached quickly and the monk did the only thing he had left. He fought against it, near fruitlessly. Just enough to get low. His fist slammed into the arena, knuckle first. Around him burst out energy so strong even those with weak senses could feel it.

The shield held just through the spell, leaving him kneeling there, his breathing hard. "Why do the cute ones always have to have magic?"

8

The young man seemed to have been relatively unharmed by the effects of the brief gusts, but the amount of energy he was expending as a result appeared to have been taking its toll on his body. Though bruises nor scratches seemed to be visible on his person, fatigue apparently was consuming him. Such a case put Claire at quite the advantage, she still had much stamina to continue on compared to him, or so she would think. The sound of his breathing, the visual of his body with each breath, he clearly must be tired out as the young announcer had pointed out. But with each moment he had to stand there freely was a moment to gradually recover and try to gain a second wind, a chance that he may be able to turn the tide of the battle. Claire was not going to allow him such a chance.

Her eyes set on her downed opponent, she would not move from her current position. The distance between the two was desirable as it seemed the young man relied heavily on being in close proximity to his opponent. To maintain this distance advantage Claire would decide to use the same strategy she had started the bout with. Right leg moving back, her posture straight, her empty left hand moved up and began to trace an arc again. Just like before the fine film of amethyst would dance behind covered finger until her digits would wrap around the center of the bow. The thin string manifesting as her right hand moved up and drew back to her cheek, the mace positioned and held in the palm by the thumb so that the index and middle fingers could assume their place. The point of the magical arrow aimed in the direction of the young man on his knee, she was near ready to try and finish this.

She could feel the pleasurable heat produced by channeling the power of her Lord, and the anticipation of victory to come only added to the good feeling. She was rather impressed with how the young man fought at her, he did not give up which was an admirable trait. But in her mind it would be foolish for him to keep pushing on, further attempts to try and climb the steep mountain set in front of him could only leave to unneeded injury. And so Claire would propose to him in a confident tone,

"You have fought well and proven yourself to be the capable warrior. But please know your limits and stand down. A wise warrior knows when he has been defeated and does not risk injury, for he knows that another day will come where he will claim victory only if he takes the necessary steps to ensure his safety. If you are not in good health it will be impossible to embark on your journey to better yourself. To not forfeit now would mean you escape any possibility to obtain the power you desire. "

MP: 600/1000

9

This was an odd situation that fought with the compassionate tendencies Claire held for most individuals. It would seem that this man came from such a culture that forfeiting, even if it were the most plausible decision to make, simply would not do. She has read about many cultures, Eastern and Western, that death was much preferred than being ostracized for looking out for the future and calling a battle. Forfeiting was shameful, it was cowardice, and under no circumstances would it be an accepted practice amongst these people. Even though this kind of logic confused her and she thought it was backwards, she could understand and respect a person who is a product of such a culture.

The young man would stand after he gave his reply to the young Elvaan. And her aim shifted upwards to adjust for his standing position. But his hands, they lifted up and were positioned in a way she had not seen him done before. Was he planning yet another ability after showing obvious signs of fatigue? Perhaps the positioning was another defensive technique he planned to deploy. Not knowing the meaning the gesture meant that Claire would need to make some considerations on her plans to accommodate. It would not be such a big deal, but considering the state her and the rest of the audience figure him to be in, it is possible that he may be bluffing entirely in an attempt to sway her from using her plume shot.

And so the young man would ask to be excused for his senseless charge forward. Claire did not sigh, her face did not turn away to show the man pity, he obviously knew what he was getting himself in to. Her eyes remained on his figure and she would wait for him to move, and she would not have to wait long for. As the right left would begin to move forward to push his body forward, Claire's head would tilt down, adjusting the aim of the energy arrow from his chest to his leg. The slight adjust quick, she was fairly certain the shot would be quite accurate. The weight of the draw was released, the amethyst arrow traveled at such speed towards its intended target, around the knee of the man's right leg. Enough room for error given in case it would somehow lift higher than expected, but nonetheless she was going to take out his leg if she could. If he would not willingly stay down, she would take away the means for which he could stand again. Her follow through much like before with the bow to vanish away, her hands would return to her sides, the mace readjusted in her right hand to a correct and comfortable grip.

MP: 525/1000

10

Her aim was on it seemed a sure thing that this attack would down the young fighter as expected. Though her opponent continued to prove to be one who did not simply do what was expected of him. In a quick motion his right hand would move in the path of the magical arrow. The small area to absorb the full force of the powerful attack. The peripheral of her vision could catch the grim wince drawn on the fighter's face, the pain was evident. Though upon noticing that the young man did not halt his charge regardless of the pain, her attention shifted from the severely damaged hand to frame completely his body once again. He was still coming for her. What exactly could he be planning at such a close range, in such great pain that he could not hide it, and under just moments of extreme exhaustion? Was he planning to try to land a single blow to her, perhaps not to try and defeat her, she'd imagine all had figured that was a lost cause, but perhaps for his pride's sake? Bold and foolish such an attempt, he should have simply stood down upon her request.

The right leg edged back to ready her body for what was evident to come. Her enchanting eyes narrowing to focus greater on the smaller area her moving target took. The left digits stretched in an organized fashion while the right reapplied the solid grip around the mace shaft. Muscles in her core and limbs tightened as to brace for direct impact. She swallowed, she waited, she was ready to take head on whatever was to come. And then the young man would stop short of running directly into her to left his leg higher from the ground. Claire noticed the sudden unexpected movement in the lower field of her vision, but she could not react fast enough to try and avoid it, he was simply too close. For a moment it seemed as this man had grown wings to guide his jutted knee to Claire's powerful frame.

And in little time the connection was made. The knee would land its target at the firm abdomen of the young Elvaan. The force provided by the momentum behind it absorbed by the plating that protected her body. It would spread and weaken through the layer of mail and then to the protective padding layered underneath that before finally reaching her actual body. Much of the force dispersed in the process of its travel to her body, it did not cause much pain, but it would be untrue to say that Claire could not feel the impact. Her eyes shifted to the face of the young man who had finally landed his attack, her right foot moving back slightly to be caught on the ball to keep her balance, Claire flashed him a small, but brief smile. Truly she was sincere.

She had the time though to take some thing into consideration while the momentum that propelled the young man to drive forward into her kept him from stopping immediately to move back and away. The left fingers curled into a fist upon impact out of instinct as a method of bracing herself, the shock he experienced to his right hand and possibly his entire arm was still fresh in her memory. The man had his attack, it was now time to put him to rest. The left arm raised to level with her head as gravity would have to pull the man's leg back to the Earth. Her arm in position, fingers curling tightly into the palm, Claire would thrust her arm forward in a quick tight jab to her opponent. The plate of the gauntlet that was so perfectly crafted to fold just over the knuckles guided to impact the young man between the jaw and cheek on the right side of his face.

MP: 550/1000

11

Claire could feel her guarded fist connect with the bone of the young man's face. Though her eyes were not granted the pleasure of viewing him being knocked away from her by the simple punch. He had mustered enough strength to deliver another strike of his own, his fist slamming across the side of her face. The flesh of the lower lip was grazed by the upper teeth as his hand forced her head to turn to the left. Claire's balance did not falter from the connection of the strike, but it took her a moment to adjust to what had just happened. He was not only able to land the initial attack with his knee but managed to sneak in a quick follow up that she totally did not expect to come. If this were to be his last stand then bravo to him for a wonderful performance, he put up a good fight.

Claire would recollect herself after the momentary pause following impact. She would catch in the peripheral and then the full spectrum of her vision the man's back facing her as fell to the ground. His body yet to brake as it continued to slide against the rough stone platform, could he possibly be down for the count? He did not seem to move, positioned in an awkward and most likely painful way. But his performance through out the duration of the fight would tell that there was a decent probability he would find the spirit to lift himself up and to press on. It would not be good for his health and if by some chance he was gaining in his abilities due to his injuries it could mean that he was gradually becoming more of a threat. With that possibility about this character in mind, Claire would take the opportunity presented to her to make for certain he did not stand to fight again.

She would not take her time in a slow confident stride. No, Claire would move towards the man quickly to not give him the chance to run away if he were planning to play opossum. Just moments after he had fallen to the ground her body would be hovering over top of his and then the entirety of her weight would be placed on the center of his back. If he were not to move a single knee would drive in the middle of the spine as to cause him great pain if he were to yet be unconscious. The strap at the end of the mace shaft would be held close to its cylinder form and pulled tight so it would not be in the pay. The digits of the left hand would rest against the protruding flanges of the mace, palm pushed against the center of the head. Her eyes focused on her target area, the back of the man's head. A moment passed and she drove her arms down, the butt of the mace shaft guided towards the back of his skull. If connection were to occur she would hope the force would be enough to completely knock the man unconscious if he were not already. It was a good measure to take against a fighter she could not fully be sure would keep down or not.

MP: 575/1000

12

A horrifying scream would not deter the will of the young Elvaan, this brutality was a necessity to end a hard fight. As it became evident that the young man had indeed lost consciousness Claire would elevate the pressure of her weight from off his back and slowly rise to standing posture. Her eyes to her side as she secured the mace to its place along the belt, her attention soon lifted to view the filthy crowd that found pleasure in witnessing such savagery. The sport was not enough to quench the thirst for blood by these demons, decimation was all that could subdue them. But this was something she had figured before coming to this place, and upon registering a team to this tournament was a fact she had to accept.

After a moment of gazing into the sea of many Claire would turn to the demon announcer and speak in the calm tone she's accustomed to,

"I believe he should be cared for immediately to try and prevent unnecessary complications."

MP: 600/1000

"..Brutal." Keit looked in awe as the guy's skull smashed. s**t just got real. It was kinda weird to see the calm natured team captain possibly kill some dude. But in a instinctual, savage kinda' way it got him even more hyped for his own fight.

fwip fwip fwip

He threw out some jabs, ducking and weaving an imaginary opponent. "I wanna fight next"he said to no-one in particular.

Claire simply ignored the suggestion posed by the dirty man, she had no desire to actually kill her opponent much less take his skull as a trophy. But seeing that he held such an attitude it'd probably be best if she took things into her own hands and saw to it that the young monk received some sort of aide. With that she scooped his unconscious body into her arms and retired to the sidelines. Passing by Kiet she paused for a moment to turn and face him, a smile on her face despite the downed man in her arms, the enthusiasm Kiet showed was pleasing.

And with that she would step away from the platform, head turning while searching for someone who may be willing to take her opponent way and tend to his wounds. Hopefully somebody would have enough compassion to help.

MP: 600/1000

Crow had watched the battle with sometimes interest, sometimes indifference. True, Claire was his teammate and team leader beyond, but there had been no part of him that wished to whoop and cheer for her like some might, even if it hadn't been lost in the crowd's own reactions in the fight. He had, however, almost stepped into the ring to drag Eric out of it until Claire herself performed the duty and handed him off to the other man on the team, who went to tend to him. And then, seeing that none of his other teammates were stepping up to the plate, or arena in this case...

He took a step forward and stretched his arms back with a satisfying crunch before reaching behind his back and unhooking the linen-wrapped monstrosity of a sword from his belt, which he hefted easily and carried almost like a cane as he stepped inside the arena, tapping the tip of Talon against the tip of his shoe idly while watching the other side of the arena, specifically Kong, then he grinned as he pushed the tip of Talon into the ground, where it stuck with surprising ease.

"Since no one else is really stepping up, would you care to join me up here, sir?"

Somewhere in the stands..

But then a demon ate him.

Crow's disappointed look as Kong left the Arena in a fit over not being able to behead Eric was almost pitifully sad. In fact, it was. He looked like he was about to pout in the middle of the arena and he sighed as he turned on his heels, expecting to have to leave the Arena and wait...Until the gentleman who'd taken Eric away had returned. And all at once, Crow practically did a ballerina spin on his bloody foot and grinned wickedly at Relius. Not even a sadistic grin. No, this was a 'Can I hug you?' kind of grin...Yes! Saved by the random person!

"I'm more then fine with that. Just so long as I get to fight -something-"

(Apologies for the initial forgetting of the important rule of waiting for someone to say Go. Ahem.)

The way Relius spoke was an interesting bump on the rungs in Crow's mind, though when Relius stepped into the ring, Crow hefted Talon and tossed it over his back, it sailing behind him and lodging against the wall of the arena tightly, before reaching out and grasping his right sleeve and tugging it back. From wrist to elbow, as far as he rolled it back, black runes glistened and pulsed against his skin and he smirked at the mage as he hefted that arm, the runes suddenly increasing in the pace of their pulsing.

"Really? I was hoping you were going to kick my a**. How much more could I ask for?"

Crow then turned to Koto and waited, eventually starting to tap his foot gently on the arena floor and holding his arm patiently.

"Haha...I suppose not much else..." Relius responded as he opened his book, the pages turning themselves, with a strange dark-blueish aura surrounding it. Looked like Relius wished to show of just a tad as well before Koto started the match.

And then, she gave the word.

~First act~

"Then lets give these people a good fight!" He would exclaim right after Koto had given them permission to engage in combat. Since he had distance for the moment, he decided to use that to his advantage. Extending his left hand towards Crow, he would utter a single word: Fireball. A heartbeat passed, and suddenly, a fireball was sent flying towards Crow, signifying the start of the match.

Not Relius's most powerful spell, but his most accurate.

Health: 100% Stamina: 100% Spirit Power: 99%

....Water? Relius was taken off guard by something so perplexedly simple as water streaming at him. It was obvious to him that this was meant to be a distraction, or perhaps a trap...and he would play into it. As water slashed him from everywhere, he would look as though it totally caught him off guard, and flailed just a tad as his face got hit by a nice burst of water.

"Mmmmmghugle!"

However, he kept an eye barely open, keeping an eye on Crow as he kept up a facade of distractedness as the enemy came towards him. And as Crow rushed towards him, he might notice the pages of Relius's spellbook beginning to turn; despite the water, the spellbook appeared to be dry.

And in Relius's left hand, a basketball sized golden orb of energy appeared. And as Relius quickly took to his left to get out of the way of the charging opponent, he would send the Light Bomb towards the ground near his foe. As he connected with the ground, it would explode with light magic.

Health: 100% Stamina: 99.6% Spirit Power: 95%

Keit shadow boxed into the center of the ring.

Crow had expected the mage to provide some challenge and in fact would have been insulted if -water- had led to his defeat. And the rush of excitement that came to his veins as Relius ducked out of the spray of water, which continued for several more minutes, and counter-attacked. Whatever that ball of light was, it did not bode well for Crow no matter what. Crow's body stopped moving almost immediately and with more speed then he'd showed perhaps the entire time, his legs kicked back and he soared backwards away from the ball of light, skidding to a halt a few feet away as his hands flashed and grasped at the ground, aiding his movements. He was graceful and quick, when he actually wished to be and had he rushed at that speed, Relius wouldn't have had time to dodge.

He -really- enjoyed his fighting.

Crow had no way of knowing the effects of the ball of light that would still smash into the arena floor without fail, for Crow had no runes ready to stop him. So instead, the man focused himself purely on his Runeword and nothing else, going so far as to close his eyes in the crouched position. The fact his hands were still pressed to the ground and he was on his knees was of no real concern to him. The water that Crow had summoned finally stopped flowing by this point, though the portion of the arena Relius was in was now somewhat covered in a thin puddle that was having difficulty being absorbed by the stone. It wouldn't make footing difficult, but movements made a distinct slapping sound...

[Energy: 99.5] [Stamina: 93%] [Runeword Charge: 40%]

The crowd grew louder as the final fighters had prepared themselves in the center of the ring, as Koto exchanged glances with them to see that the two of them were both ready.

"Alright, fans! Looks like they're ready to heat things up!" Koto cheered, receiving anxious cries from the massive array of fans begging for more blood.

"For Team Eversor Lupus-- Kiet!" the foxgirl announced, displaying him with a dramatic wave of her arm, and then shifted her weight to do the same to the opposite side for his competitor. "And for Team Angelglory-- Adam!"

Koto gave hard looks to both fighters as she removed herself by taking a few steps back to give them room. "Ready... set..."

"FIGHT!"

As Adam broke into a sprint, Keit would begin to back peddle, not at the same speed as Adam, but pretty fast. His eyes stayed fixated on Adam, trying to read his moves.

It wasn't that hard, as he threw his fist out forward and shouted "fire in the hole". Keit guessed wildly that he was about to shoot a projectile of some kind, and sure enough flames shot from his fists.

"Hup!" Keit action rolled to the left, his blonde ponytail whipping out to the side as his body sprung into action. He landed on his shoulder to absorb any impact and rolled about 2 meters before stopping on his knees. At this point Adam was in the air preparing another fireball.

"HADOUKEN!" Keit said outloud, quickly bringing his hands together, and shooting out his own fireball. Blue in hue and speedy to boot, his hadouken sped up towards Adam's fireball and collided with it mid-air.

After shooting the projectile, Keit would rise onto his feet, strafing to the right back towards his starting position, and watching Adam's body carefully as it landed. Just before his opponent hit the floor (a few feet away from the ground) Keit would fire another Hadouken towards his airborne feet. If his timing was anywhere near decent, the Hadouken should of made contact with Adam's chest around the same time he hit the floor, giving him little to no time to dodge.

"Hmph" Keit began to run forwards towards Adam, who was striking some kind of strange pose. Keit wasn't stupid though, and knew that his opponent wasn't just standing there for nothing.

He stayed alert as he ran forwards, and the tips of his fingers began to emanate a blue hued glow.

**"A BOOOOGDEY BOOOODGEY BOOGDEY!"

The crowd roared as the fights happened in paradox.

"A BOOOOGDEY!"

((Yes, that is my post for this tournament. It was epic.))**

Crow's concentration was fully leveled on the rune he was casting in his mind and it continued to be so, even as Relius himself started chanting. Whatever the words were, they were of no mind to Crow. The rune words fell into order in his mind faster as he felt the pulse of excitement run through him, not knowing what was coming. It made the blood in his veins practically boil, in an odd choice of words. And just as Relius' own spell came, Crow's words were finished and before he could speak them, the Inferno came.

And Crow's smile faded even as the first flames began forming, but it was not one of fear. "Fire?"

And then the inferno blasted upwards. What Relius didn't know would definitely hurt him, however. The linen-wrapped blade currently lodged outside the arena wasn't in Crow's hands, certainly, but it's protections still extended as it was bound to Crow's soul in a very powerful way. It's suppressive effects weren't as strong as if Crow had been holding it, but it was enough to buy Crow time as the flames began to coil around him. The red barrier coating him gave him what he needed.

He practically screamed the rune word with no sound as a chilling wind gusted over. [Runeword: Aesir Rune! Greater Rune of Thor & Greater Rune of Isa; Valkyrie's Song!]

The bitter song of frozen wind suddenly screeched over the arena as the place's temperature dropped and the air began to snap with invisible energy, until the runes formed in the fire around Crow and all went silent and still.

The blacks runes were invisible as they exploded into the air and melded together, just as the first touches of frost began to coat over the water under Relius feet. The water that had been there the entire time and even though it had begun to dry up under the intense inferno, all it needed was even a touch. The ice sprang up like a living wave and blasted through the flames, repairing itself where it melted until Relius himself would be surrounded by a dome and wall of crystal, but that wasn't quite the end of it. The first arc of lightning from inside the very ice around him would blast towards him shortly after the initial spell completed. And then further bolts would spark out at him, but these were nothing compared to the final bolt.

To the onlookers, they would get to see the dome suddenly crack as a lance of white light blasted down from above, generated from a single black rune above Relius' position in the arena. It pierced through the dome with enough force that shortly after, it would shatter. Even if it missed, the electrical current still running through it from the various other runes would make it dangerous to remain standing on the shards, even as the flames began to melt them.

As for Crow, as soon as his rune had taken effect, he had done his best to focus his energy into Talon's natural heat barrier, though he couldn't do much. He was even siphoning off the freezing energy from his Isa runes which is why the dome had shattered instead of remaining to rain Relius with the arcs. As soon as the focus needed to maintain the runes was over, however, he leapt from the raging flames as quickly as possible while remaining out of the electrified ice, even if it wouldn't hurt him. His suit had been scorched nearly from his body and more then a bit of skin was showing and every inch above the waistline and below neck was covered in more black runes. He himself looked badly burnt over his hands and some of his chest, but the shield had kept him alive and able to focus through the pain. He was also apparently soaked, as if ice had been coating him as well. Whatever happened to Relius, he would stand back up straight and though stagger but a moment, let out an exhale of air..

This felt natural to him, somehow.

[Energy: 85%] [Stamina: 73%] [Runeword Charge: 0%, Rune of Isa Active]

Before his retirement, Crow had been an undisputed master of Runic Magic. What now took him minutes to conjure would have taken heartbeats and what now took focus were mere reflexes once upon a time. A battle like this, focusing on magical combat, was awakening those long slept, drunk and rusted away abilities and the polished precision very aptly. Crow felt the wind's change more then saw and having been in more then one of these kinds of battles, knew exactly what the wind was. He wasn't foolish enough to think the simple was so simple, especially with magic.

He didn't have time to really string together a offensive rune word, for those took time. What he did have time for, however, came to him very quickly. With a minor bit of concentration and focus, he lifted his somewhat burnt hand and waved it in an odd arc, before speaking another of those silent words.

[Rune Word: Trivial Rune of Raidho]

The wind's bent slightly and as the razored wind flew towards him, it would be caught up in itself, essentially. A gust of wind that, while harmless in itself, caught the magical winds Relius had created and sent the wind blade circling back on itself, heading right towards it's Mage with increased speed.

And then it took a slight dive in the air, dipping low enough that it's swirl could pick up the electrified shards of ice that were left in the wake of Crow's last attack. Essentially now a swirling mass of razor wind and quickly melting, electricity infused ice, it promised a great deal of damage if Relius wasn't quick enough to completely get out of it's way or cancel it, if he could. That would still leave the matter of the diamond dust sparking around him, waiting for one misstep to shock him once more.

And Crow smiled at Relius now as he flexed his hand, focusing on another rune word in the back of his mind. He had no words to really say about it, but he couldn't help but think of the Mantra of the Runelords in the back of his mind. Runes had a Word for Everything.

Crow took a moment to right himself after redirecting the winds and felt the burns against his skin tingle slightly as the numbing effects of the ice began to wear off, though the pain wouldn't be too great until the adrenaline had worn off. With this in mind, Crow grinned and shifted himself on his feet and began to move himself back a bit, preparing himself for a further attack.

[Energy: 84.6] [Stamina: 71.5%] [Runeword Charge: 5%, Rune of Isa Active]