Spellheart [Luna & Jakers]

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Shibo's eyes widened as Amiko drew her weapon, watching with awe as the black rod exploded into a scythe of brilliant purple. As a girl who nerded out over awesome looking weapons, Amiko had to wipe a little bit of drool from the side of her mouth as she admired the scythe. That was... one of the most stylish weapons she'd ever seen a student have. Her Arhyzzinian blade looked like a mere stick in comparison. The Aozoa family had some very powerful weapons stashed away, but... Shibo was only a student. She wouldn't get her hands on any of those in a long time.

"Holy. Moly. That scythe turns me on." Shibo murmured in disbelief. It took a few moments for her to correct herself. "I-I mean... uh... I said that scythe... looks really... fun...?" Shibo began to sweat and blush, before coughing in an overly loud fashion. Why did she say that? Idiot.

"Ah... y-yeah. That's a pretty cool weapon. A-And your fighting style sounds like it'd work perfectly with mine," Shibo said, wiping her forehead. "Sooo... I'll keep up the pressure with my Red Smoke Style so you can get in some hits. Give me a shout when you want to do your charged attack, and I'll focus purely on defence for you." Shibo said, a warm yet still flustered smile coming to her face.

Pausing for a moment, Shibo got something out of her bag.
"Oh, and... you should eat this before we get started. Fighting on an empty stomach will suck, so... here." She said, offering the second granola bar to her, trying not to make too deep eye contact.
 
Jakers said:
Shibo's eyes widened as Amiko drew her weapon, watching with awe as the black rod exploded into a scythe of brilliant purple. As a girl who nerded out over awesome looking weapons, Amiko had to wipe a little bit of drool from the side of her mouth as she admired the scythe. That was... one of the most stylish weapons she'd ever seen a student have. Her Arhyzzinian blade looked like a mere stick in comparison. The Aozoa family had some very powerful weapons stashed away, but... Shibo was only a student. She wouldn't get her hands on any of those in a long time.

"Holy. Moly. That scythe turns me on." Shibo murmured in disbelief. It took a few moments for her to correct herself. "I-I mean... uh... I said that scythe... looks really... fun...?" Shibo began to sweat and blush, before coughing in an overly loud fashion. Why did she say that? Idiot.

"Ah... y-yeah. That's a pretty cool weapon. A-And your fighting style sounds like it'd work perfectly with mine," Shibo said, wiping her forehead. "Sooo... I'll keep up the pressure with my Red Smoke Style so you can get in some hits. Give me a shout when you want to do your charged attack, and I'll focus purely on defence for you." Shibo said, a warm yet still flustered smile coming to her face.

Pausing for a moment, Shibo got something out of her bag.
"Oh, and... you should eat this before we get started. Fighting on an empty stomach will suck, so... here." She said, offering the second granola bar to her, trying not to make too deep eye contact.
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Amiko can't help but giggle subtlely at Shibo's initial reaction. At first, it seemed that Shibo's eyes were about to fall out of their sockets. Normally she would assume that Shibo was simply resorting to hyperbole with that comment on being turned on, but the bit of drool that came sliding on out of her mouth gave the claim a bit of credibility. Certainly the spiritforged sythe possessed a certain prestige and style that made it attractive, but hearing such a reaction made Amiko want to try some poses with the weapon just to play to Shibo's interests.

Amiko only restrained because she knew better than to tease that sort of attention from someone she just met. However, she did find herself quickly finding Shibo's expressions endearing. Something about that honest, unjudging demeaner seemed appealing. It was almost sad that she'd have no reason to stay with her once they finished their assignment.

While Amiko was thinking about this, Shibo offered her the granolda bar. Amiko took ahold of it, taking a good bite out of it. The gesture seemed a simple one, but somehow it seemed profound in the moment. Amiko speaks somewhat softly after swallowing her first bite, "Thank you for looking out for me. I'm not too skilled at combat, so I'll be counting on you to be my shield."
 
"Heh... don't mention it." Shibo replied quietly. There was something so soothing and attractive about Amiko's tone, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She paused, before saying with a wink, "Don't worry. This shield doesn't break easily."

Somehow, she had a feeling Amiko was being somewhat modest when saying she 'wasn't too skilled in combat'. With a weapon like that, forged from goodness-knows how many enchantments, she'd certainly be able to scare the enemy at the very least. But, then again... maybe she was one of the more academic types? She was almost the opposite of Shibo if that was the case.

Shibo had only known this girl for a short while, and there was something about her company that she actually really enjoyed. Usually, she liked being in the presence of loud friends with a good sense of humour. But... having someone as gentle, warm and wise as Amiko around was even better. It was a pity they'd probably go their separate ways after this fight thing... Shibo probably wouldn't see someone like her again for a long time, if not, ever again.

...

After quite a bit of walking in silence, which was unusual for Shibo, she tapped Amiko's arm gently.
"Hey... we're almost there. ...Are you ready for this? Anything else you wanted to ask?" Shibo said, a little tension behind her voice. A mix of excitement and nervousness was brewing inside of her for this first fighting session.
 
Amiko shakes her head then speaks in a jovial tone, "I think for right now, I've learned more than enough to work with you. I don't know how to explain, but it feels like I'll understand when the time comes, even if I've never had the chance to fight with you before. You are just a person that I naturally empathize with. Which is why, I think we will make a good team."

Amiko finishes the granola bar, then picks up her pace as the arena comes into sight. Modeled after an ancient complex before the prevalence of magic, the Arena is structured with the intent for a large crowd of spectators to watch a fight to the death. Modern advents such as reception desks, concession stands, private offices, and more contrast with the antiquated building design.

Amiko and Shibo enter through one of the many entrances to the Arena's outer ring. This area contained primarily concessions, information centers, merchandise, facilities, and briefing rooms. Information centers existed next to every fourth entrance into the inner ring. With 150 different entrances into the inner ring, that meant there were 37 different locations Amiko and Shibo could potentially go to take their exam.

They were by no means alone, however. Every person intending to get a job from the military track could be found wandering about the arena. Since the Arena was designed to hold the entire population of Spellheart, 30,000, and the public was barred from entrance during the application assignment, the place seemed relatively empty.

Making their way towards the receptionist, Amiko and Shibo are processed immediately after Amiko presents their tickets. The receptionist gives Shibo a map with a room marked, "Please head to this location to begin your assignment. For the military track, we will place you in a mock battle with another set of applicants. The mock battle will follow the standard rules for matches in the arena. Each team will be placed into an illusionspace with a randomized environment. From there, the match will not end until the one team remains. If you intend to protect Spellheart, this sort of training will take place daily. With this in mind, please consider if this job is a good fit for you." The receptionist seems to target Amiko with this concluding statement.

Amiko seems a bit distressed by that explanation. Although she doesn't show any obvious signs of it, she simply didn't seem as happy as she was during her time with Shibo. She looked ready to get this over with.
 
Shibo blushed a little at Amiko's response, giving a simple but delayed nod in response. There was something about the way she replied that was so heartfelt, that it kind of hurt in a way. Not in a bad way, it just... ugh. It was hard to explain.

As she entered the arena, Shibo blinked a little as she looked around the place. She'd visited the place a few times in school trips and such; and she might've watched some sort of fight here, but she was too young at the time to remember it properly. But this was the first time she was 'properly here'... not for enjoying the decor, but to be in one of the biggest fights of her life. Practice sparring or not, she'd graduated now, and wasn't about to lose it all and dishonour the Aozoa family name. The tension was so thick in her body that she might die of some sort of heart attack, though she kept a mostly unwavering exterior.

Taking the map, Shibo gave a tough nod when the receptionist was finished talking.
"Understood." She said, her demeanour fading into a much more serious one. There were no two ways about it; this was what she wanted to do. If she could get good at combat, doing it daily would be fantastic. And the people would look up to her as... sort of a hero, of sorts. Almost like how she herself looked up to Kazzian. ...How she longed for that day.

Looking to Amiko, Shibo noticed she'd gone a little bit quiet and pale. Obviously it was just her nerves being as tense as her own, but Shibo tried to give her a little comfort nonetheless.
"Deep breaths. We've got this... just be prepared for anything. ...I know we'll have each other's back." Shibo solemnly mumbled.

Unsheathing her sword, Shibo withdrew a small, golden object from her bag, 'loading' the ward into the hilt of her sword with a loud 'click'. Shibo's blade began to waver a little and emit some sort of red smoke for a moment, before she sheathed it again after carefully checking the blade. Leaving her bag and jacket behind, Shibo lead the way using the map. The random location didn't bother her - they could throw her into as much mud, bugs or sand as they wanted. She'd be damned if something like that was going to stop her. It was who they were going to be up against that made her a little more nervous.

As they started coming to the entrance of the room that'd take them into their first mock battle, Shibo looked back at Amiko and gave a wink.
"...Let's do this thing."
 
Jakers said:
Shibo blushed a little at Amiko's response, giving a simple but delayed nod in response. There was something about the way she replied that was so heartfelt, that it kind of hurt in a way. Not in a bad way, it just... ugh. It was hard to explain.

As she entered the arena, Shibo blinked a little as she looked around the place. She'd visited the place a few times in school trips and such; and she might've watched some sort of fight here, but she was too young at the time to remember it properly. But this was the first time she was 'properly here'... not for enjoying the decor, but to be in one of the biggest fights of her life. Practice sparring or not, she'd graduated now, and wasn't about to lose it all and dishonour the Aozoa family name. The tension was so thick in her body that she might die of some sort of heart attack, though she kept a mostly unwavering exterior.

Taking the map, Shibo gave a tough nod when the receptionist was finished talking.
"Understood." She said, her demeanour fading into a much more serious one. There were no two ways about it; this was what she wanted to do. If she could get good at combat, doing it daily would be fantastic. And the people would look up to her as... sort of a hero, of sorts. Almost like how she herself looked up to Kazzian. ...How she longed for that day.

Looking to Amiko, Shibo noticed she'd gone a little bit quiet and pale. Obviously it was just her nerves being as tense as her own, but Shibo tried to give her a little comfort nonetheless.
"Deep breaths. We've got this... just be prepared for anything. ...I know we'll have each other's back." Shibo solemnly mumbled.

Unsheathing her sword, Shibo withdrew a small, golden object from her bag, 'loading' the ward into the hilt of her sword with a loud 'click'. Shibo's blade began to waver a little and emit some sort of red smoke for a moment, before she sheathed it again after carefully checking the blade. Leaving her bag and jacket behind, Shibo lead the way using the map. The random location didn't bother her - they could throw her into as much mud, bugs or sand as they wanted. She'd be damned if something like that was going to stop her. It was who they were going to be up against that made her a little more nervous.

As they started coming to the entrance of the room that'd take them into their first mock battle, Shibo looked back at Amiko and gave a wink.
"...Let's do this thing."
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Amiko felt distressed for reasons beyond what Shibo could understand. Amiko, having been subject to many of Spellhearts "investigations" and "interviews" grew up to be much more receptive to subtle signaling than the average person. At her worst, this characteristic could turn to straight up paranoia. Amiko thought after last night that she'd at least be able to take the assignment without interference, she now began to doubt her safety. Could the government truly interfere in such a public setting? Just the thought of failing here made Amiko grow sick.

In the midst of these feelings, Shibo gave her some words of encouragement. Amiko didn't know how to recieve such words. After all, Shibo had no idea the magnitude of the troubles she currently had on her mind. Amiko already felt like she might not be able to succeed in a mock battle even in the case which the fight was completely fair. Now with possible foul play in the mix, Amiko already felt like she had failed. Could Shibo really protect her, when she had no idea what lies ahead of them? And more importantly, Amiko had no idea why, but she felt like she could believe Shibo.

Grasping ahold of her shirt, she grabs the fabric resting atop her chest, and begins to steel herself for battle. This would be the battle to determine her future. In response to Shibo's declaration Amiko delivers one of her own, "I'll give it my all."

With that, the pair entered combatant area B. The room seems barren, only containing a man dressed in a black suit with black sunglasses and an earpiece, 16 silver metal orbs attached to their own respective ornate pedestal, some monitors which currently just display static, and some benches against the walls. The man approaches them, "You may now enter the illusionspace. To do so, please rest your hand on any of these 16 orbs. Although this is review, I'm obligated to inform you of the following. First, anything that happens in illusionspace will not carry over to reality, so there is no need to show restraint. Secondly, actions taken in illusionspace are not legally actionable in court, so you do not need to fear acting illegally. Thirdly, while illusionspace doesn't affect reality, it is very real. And finally, unless a real world emergency arises, you will be unable to eject from the illusionspace. If I must repeat or explain myself, now is your only chance to seek clarification."
 
"No questions from me. I'm ready."

Shibo took a deep breath, before stepping forward towards one of the orbs. She understood the whole concept of illusionspace, and she didn't have anything to ask. As soon as she touched that orb, what she'd be up against and the conditions of the fight would be absolutely random. It was a scary and confusing thought, but it still pumped adrenaline into Shibo's veins. Kazzian had been through this and done this before... so she could, too. She could almost feel that calm smile of his at her back, wishing her good luck. That in combination with her will to keep Amiko safe filled her with courage.

Shibo briefly wondered if Amiko had courage forming inside her, too. Was she afraid? Was she excited? For some reason, it was very hard to tell. Shibo just prayed Amiko wouldn't crack under pressure or break down. A girl as nice as her didn't deserve anything of the sort. Even if Shibo probably wouldn't be meeting her much after this, she still wanted to see more about Amiko... there was something so... entrancing about her, that even here, in the heat of this moment, she was thinking about how she was feeling.

Shibo didn't know why, but something made her want to hold her hand gently as they went to touch the orbs. But common sense stopped her from doing something like that. It would be unprofessional, and would be a move that would probably creep out Amiko more than comfort her.

Beginning to outstretch her hand, Shibo's eyes and face remained as a cold, hard exterior as she clasped her hand over an orb, keeping silent. It was time to make them proud.
 
Jakers said:
"No questions from me. I'm ready."

Shibo took a deep breath, before stepping forward towards one of the orbs. She understood the whole concept of illusionspace, and she didn't have anything to ask. As soon as she touched that orb, what she'd be up against and the conditions of the fight would be absolutely random. It was a scary and confusing thought, but it still pumped adrenaline into Shibo's veins. Kazzian had been through this and done this before... so she could, too. She could almost feel that calm smile of his at her back, wishing her good luck. That in combination with her will to keep Amiko safe filled her with courage.

Shibo briefly wondered if Amiko had courage forming inside her, too. Was she afraid? Was she excited? For some reason, it was very hard to tell. Shibo just prayed Amiko wouldn't crack under pressure or break down. A girl as nice as her didn't deserve anything of the sort. Even if Shibo probably wouldn't be meeting her much after this, she still wanted to see more about Amiko... there was something so... entrancing about her, that even here, in the heat of this moment, she was thinking about how she was feeling.

Shibo didn't know why, but something made her want to hold her hand gently as they went to touch the orbs. But common sense stopped her from doing something like that. It would be unprofessional, and would be a move that would probably creep out Amiko more than comfort her.

Beginning to outstretch her hand, Shibo's eyes and face remained as a cold, hard exterior as she clasped her hand over an orb, keeping silent. It was time to make them proud.
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Amiko also has no questions of her own. This seemed mostly review since she had already learned about illusionspace from her time in school. The only reason why this person was here to explain such concepts was due to a Spellheart law that required those who enter duels to be reminded of the functions of illusionspace. Though, Amiko wondered why the guard failed to mention that when you leave illusionspace, you have the option to leave your memories of the experience behind. Was such an omission intentional? Was it safe to leave her unconscious body alone with such a person? Amiko felt a natural hesitation in surrendering her mind to the illusionspace with such a threat present, but watching Shibo touch the sphere Amiko realized she'd have to face this challenge sooner or later.

Amiko touches the orb with a swift motion and enters with Shibo into the realm of illusions. This illusionspace seemed to be that of a winding and twisted labyrinth. The walls are made of stone and the floor of obsidian. The sound of stone grinding on stone can be heard constantly. Off in the distance, the walls can be seen moving about. Amiko rushes to Shibo's side in fear that if she waits too long, they might be separated by the magically shifting walls.

"This stage seems like a really bad match for us. We need to find the other team quickly. If they have a lot of control over their spells, they'll just be able to charge up for free. Neither of us can do the same. This kind of stage gives us a huge disadvantage."
 
Shibo grimaced a little as she looked around. Of all the places that could've been picked for them... this was one that really sucked. The constant sound of the sharp crunching of stone... the drab, monotonous look of the place... but what was the worst thing was the whole concept of it. She thought she was ready for anything, but a whole damn area that was like a puzzle? Her memory wasn't great for things like this, and the fact that the walls were moving made things even worst. If she dropped her focus for even the slightest moment, she'd get lost in this shifting maze.

Shaking a little, Shibo blinked as Amiko came near. The whole daunting atmosphere of the area made her forget she had a partner in all of this. Attaining a relieved expression, Shibo gave a curt nod in response to Amiko.

"Y-Yeah. This place is damn headache, but... the sooner we can get up close and personal to the other team, the better." Shibo mumbled, though it was clear the whole place was making her uncomfortable. Swallowing, she continued. "Crap... with the walls moving like this, then..." She wheezed. This place was more of test of mental strength, not physical endurance - something that was horrible for Shibo.

Shibo breathed heavily for a moment, before wiping her forehead. No... she wasn't going to let the pressure get to her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath.
"Okay. Let's rush them. As long as we stick super close, we should be able to dart around this maze and find them eventually. It may seem like a blind dash in the dark, but... we don't have any other choices." Shibo paused for a moment. "...Uh... shall we, like, hold hands as we run...? Just to make extra-sure a wall doesn't cut us off? Because if it does, then..." Shibo said hurriedly, holding out a hand as her eyes darted around the place.
 
Jakers said:
Shibo grimaced a little as she looked around. Of all the places that could've been picked for them... this was one that really sucked. The constant sound of the sharp crunching of stone... the drab, monotonous look of the place... but what was the worst thing was the whole concept of it. She thought she was ready for anything, but a whole damn area that was like a puzzle? Her memory wasn't great for things like this, and the fact that the walls were moving made things even worst. If she dropped her focus for even the slightest moment, she'd get lost in this shifting maze.

Shaking a little, Shibo blinked as Amiko came near. The whole daunting atmosphere of the area made her forget she had a partner in all of this. Attaining a relieved expression, Shibo gave a curt nod in response to Amiko.

"Y-Yeah. This place is damn headache, but... the sooner we can get up close and personal to the other team, the better." Shibo mumbled, though it was clear the whole place was making her uncomfortable. Swallowing, she continued. "Crap... with the walls moving like this, then..." She wheezed. This place was more of test of mental strength, not physical endurance - something that was horrible for Shibo.

Shibo breathed heavily for a moment, before wiping her forehead. No... she wasn't going to let the pressure get to her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath.
"Okay. Let's rush them. As long as we stick super close, we should be able to dart around this maze and find them eventually. It may seem like a blind dash in the dark, but... we don't have any other choices." Shibo paused for a moment. "...Uh... shall we, like, hold hands as we run...? Just to make extra-sure a wall doesn't cut us off? Because if it does, then..." Shibo said hurriedly, holding out a hand as her eyes darted around the place.
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Seeing Shibo's reaction to the environment, Amiko realized that Shibo felt intimidated by some sort of deeper factor about this landscape than just the obvious challenge that it presented the duo. Looking at the way Shibo's eyes moved about without method showed Amiko that Shibo was trying to keep track of the positioning of the walls. Coupled with the way that she verbalized her thoughts, it was becoming clear that Shibo couldn't keep up with the changes. Once Shibo asked to hold hands, Amiko realized what was going on. She was scared and confused in an environment she didn't understand.

Taking hold of Chibo's hand, "I'm not going anywhere. Just follow me and listen to your instincts. Trying to keep track of the walls won't help. I'm going to charge up my biggest spell, since there just isn't another way we will have a chance of winning. If we don't find them by the time it bursts, then we lose. If we find them exactly at the right time, then we are sure to win. And if we find them early, then I'm counting on you." Amiko holds Chibo's hand at this time, giving her a reassuring squeeze before dashing into the maze. Her ultimate spell manifests in the air, following Amiko just above her head. It had the appearance of a five-pointed star.
 
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Shibo gave a somewhat embarassed nod as she gripped Amiko's hand and listened to her. Dammit... why she have to be in somewhere that messed with her brain and made her look weak? Thank goodness she was with someone as emphatic and caring as Amiko; any other partner would be rolling their eyes and hoping they had a less dumb person to complete this with right about now.

"O-Okay...! Yeah... yeah, I think I got it." Shibo quietly said when Amiko was finished. Running with her hand in Amiko's, Shibo let her take the lead as she tried to get accustomed to the look and feel of the place. "...Thanks. I'm sorry I'm being a burden, I... I just... struggle... with this stuff." Shibo added quietly, looking shameful for a moment. "...But I still know we can do this. Just ignore me. I'll get in the swing of things soon, haha..."

She wasn't claustrophobic, but something about this place was really making her feel uncomfortable. Pulling her sword from her back with her other free hand, the blade began to resonate a little with the same red smoke from earlier as her feet tapped against the jet-black obsidian floor. Corridor after corridor... what if there were traps laid for them down here, too?

Looking around herself for any signs of the others, Shibo held on to Amiko mostly for guidance. It was hard to not let the shifting walls distract her, but she was starting to calm down and get accustomed to the place. As Amiko's hand became warmer in her grip, the smoke coming from Shibo's blade intensified slightly. ...They weren't going to touch her. Wherever they were.
 
Amiko isn't able to see Shibo from behind her while taking the lead like this, but Shibo doesn't take much work to detect everything you need to know about her. She probably felt vulnerable right now. Amiko didn't seem strong at all. Relying on a pretty face like her must be difficult for someone from such a powerful family. Even in spite of that, she seems to want to rely on her for the things she can't do herself. Amiko shakes her head, "It just isn't in my nature to ignore people. And you might not know it yet, but between the two of us, I place a far greater burden. So that is why, if there is anything you need me to be for you, I'll transform."

Amiko and Shibo continue through the maze. Following the left wall, Amiko knows that she is certain to make progress through the maze so long as she never encounters the pattern of turning in the same direction 4 times in a row. Through this method, Amiko eventually leads Shibo right to the other team. Amiko's Astra Storm(60, Offense) has received 40 SP, meaning they had found them slightly too early. The other team seems to be lying in wait from the other side of the wall, just waiting for Amiko and Chibo to move too far forward to mount an escape. Although the team is out of sight, through Amiko and Shibo's spell sense, they can judge the relative strength of the opponents.

Opponent A: SP: 20 SF: 20 SC:20
Opponent B: SP: 30 SF:10 SC:0
 
Shibo looked at Amiko, processing her words for a moment. 'Greater burden'...? 'Transform into anything for her'...? Before Shibo could think more deeply on it, her spell sense was tingling. Thanks to Amiko's swift navigation, they'd managed to find the enemy. Neither of them seemed to be alarmingly strong, and a wall was separating them. Any sort of spell could be thrown their way if they decided to come round a corridor and attack; it was time for Shibo to do her part. If she could defend and distract the two away from Amiko, her spell would do some serious damage.

"Here they are. ...Stay behind me at all costs. They might turn the corner and attack us, or that wall could fall at any moment. Don't worry if I get a little beaten up, just get that thing charged and ready to go." Shibo whispered as she clutched her blade with both hands.

Starting to funnel energies into the blade, Shibo prepared one of her 'bread and butter' spells:

Red Diffusion Slash | 10, Defence/Mild Offence


The spell only took 10 SP, and with Shibo's SF of 10, it'd be ready soon.

The blade seemed to start to bleed smoke of a salmon-red colour, an occasional spark rising into the air as Shibo stood in front of Amiko, her stance as sturdy as a rock. Shibo got ready to get in the way of anything the other team threw at them, if they decided to advance and attack. If they didn't, that would just be buying Amiko more time for her spell. Her pinkish-red eyes squinting with concentration, Shibo watched the walls carefully, getting ready for any sudden changes or moves.
 
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The moment that Shibo forms her spell circle, the other team bursts out from around the corner. The silver-haired mage calls out to the girls, "It was nice knowing you girls for this brief time, but stages like this favor me way too much. My one-shot ambush technique is going to break through your defenses all at once." The red triangle on his right hand bursts, uncovering his phoenix cannon spell. A bird-shaped firey projectile streaks across the battlefield, ending right for Amiko. The other opponent forms Blade Wind (10, Offense). Each of them wields a katana, and rush forward, using the phoenix cannon as cover.

Amiko seemed surprised. Although in theory she understood that her opponent's would come in with an ambush attack, but she didn't realize how frightening it would be to face what looked like certain death coming in her direction. She didn't have any spells ready to stop such an attack. She had to put her faith in Shibo to stop that attack from completely destroying her. Trembling, Amiko simply continues to fill her Astral Storm. She doesn't have the wherewithal to recognize the need to draw her melee weapon.

[fieldbox=Amiko's Battle Stats]Basic Stats: SP:55/100 SF: 5 SC: 0
Active Spells: Astral Storm (45/60, Offense)[/fieldbox]
 
Shibo kept silent as the two boys came round the corner, ignoring the silver haired one's monologue. 'One-shot-ambush technique'? Pfft, she'd see about that. Standing in front of Amiko with her blade drawn, Shibo watched the red spell circle carefully, squinting and tightening the grip of her blade as the fiery projectile went straight for Amiko.

As the projectile began to come near Amiko, the next thing she knew, Shibo was in front of her, her blade giving loud hum as the projectile came close. In a feat of impressive reaction timme, Shibo tensed her muscles, red smoke exploding into the air in front of her as she performed a swift, upwards slash on the projectile. The smoke seemed to make the flame projectile die down with a loud 'fizz', and it turned into almost nothingness. A small lick of flames was all that was left, and with a simple blocking motion, the ward could easily negate the remainder of the spell.

Looking behind her to make sure Amiko was okay for a second, Shibo snapped her attention back to the two, getting into a low stance.

"Alright then, kids. If this terrain is so perfect for you, why don't you show me what you can do with those fancy swords? Come on." Shibo said through gritted teeth, trying to taunt their spells out into hitting her. She was probably going to have to take a few hits, but she could survive it. She was counting on Amiko's spell to seriously put them behind in the fight, then she could work on a relentless offence herself to try and finish them off.

As Shibo prepared to charge her next spell, the red smoke seemed to be emitting from her shoulderblades this time as her sword hummed.

Shibo's Battle Stats
SP: 50 SF: 10 SC: 5
Active Spells: Redwing Guard (0/15, Defence)
 
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Jakers said:
Shibo kept silent as the two boys came round the corner, ignoring the silver haired one's monologue. 'One-shot-ambush technique'? Pfft, she'd see about that. Standing in front of Amiko with her blade drawn, Shibo watched the red spell circle carefully, squinting and tightening the grip of her blade as the fiery projectile went straight for Amiko.

As the projectile began to come near Amiko, the next thing she knew, Shibo was in front of her, her blade giving loud hum as the projectile came close. In a feat of impressive reaction timme, Shibo tensed her muscles, red smoke exploding into the air in front of her as she performed a swift, upwards slash on the projectile. The smoke seemed to make the flame projectile die down with a loud 'fizz', and it turned into almost nothingness. A small lick of flames was all that was left, and with a simple blocking motion, the ward could easily negate the remainder of the spell.

Looking behind her to make sure Amiko was okay for a second, Shibo snapped her attention back to the two, getting into a low stance.

"Alright then, kids. If this terrain is so perfect for you, why don't you show me what you can do with those fancy swords? Come on." Shibo said through gritted teeth, trying to taunt their spells out into hitting her. She was probably going to have to take a few hits, but she could survive it. She was counting on Amiko's spell to seriously put them behind in the fight, then she could work on a relentless offence herself to try and finish them off.

As Shibo prepared to charge her next spell, the red smoke seemed to be emitting from her shoulderblades this time as her sword hummed.

Shibo's Battle Stats
SP: 50 SF: 10 SC: 5
Active Spells: Redwing Guard (0/15, Defence)
Click to expand...
The silver-haired boy looks in dismay as his spell gets completely blocked by a single sword swing. Usually when he launched a big attack out of nowhere like that, the opposition simply couldn't muster a defense in time. If they did, it generally was too weak to stop that attack. He didn't have anything left. All he could provide was his body as a shield, and melee attacks. He yells back, "Don't look down on me bitch!"

The more level-headed among them simply stares ahead. He seems to have his sights set on Amiko. "Don't be so angry. We still have them right where we want them. I don't need you for the second part of the plan, so just distract her friend." The silver-haired mage looks annoyed, but he agrees that it is the best way to accomplish their goal. Diverging paths, the silver-haired mage clashes blades with Shibo, trying not for a kill blow, but instead locking down her position. Meanwhile, the level-headed mage bursts into creation his wind blade spell. Targeting the defenseless Amiko, he hopes to break her before she can cast whatever spell she seemed to be charging.

Amiko, however, was doing much better than she had been doing just a few moments ago. Seeing that Chibo managed to deal with that ferocious spells that had been targeted for her, she grew more confident, and, as a result, realized that she needed to bring out her weapon. Opening her aether pocket, she summoned forth her Spirit-forged scythe. With this in hand, although a magical attack came her direction, she found herself no longer defenseless.

Much to the level-headed mage's dismay, Amiko runs directly through the attack, completely shattering her ward. He found it impressive that her ward was able to withstand that sort of strain, but additionally, that she'd be brave enough to fight without a ward. Without that sort of protection, even instant cast spells that cost 0SP would be able to affect her. Since he could produce three spell circles each turn, he could easily ensure that she'd be unable to get out of the way at this close range. Forming three instant cast circles, he tries to lock down Amiko much like his teammate was attempting to do on Shibo, when the final surprise comes about.

Seeing the formation of the spell circles, Amiko slashes them out of the air while blocking the sword strike. This reveals the hidden strength of the spirit-forged scythe. It does spell damage! Each of the circles take a single point of spell damage, but even this amount can break spell circles with nothing stored within them. And thus, all three of his spell circles break before any mana can channel into them.

[fieldbox=Amiko's Battle Stats]Basic Stats: SP:50/100 SF: 5 SC: 0
Active Spells: Astral Storm (50/60, Offense)[/fieldbox]
 
Shibo remained calm in stance after blocking the attack, until she was called 'bitch'. Suddenly, she shook a little, her teeth forming into a snarl as her silver hair covered her eyes. It was obvious for the silver-haired boy to notice that Shibo really, really didn't appreciate the insult. Wisps of red smoke rising from her back, she raised her sword and clashed against the boy as he approached, looking directly into his eyes with fury as her steel loudly clashed against his.

Shibo kept herself locked down with the silver-haired boy, shooting a brief glance over he shoulder to Amiko. Damnit... she couldn't protect her from that one... Shibo's heart sank a little as she heard the sound of a ward breaking, but judging by Amiko's moves, she intentionally got hit. Everything else seemed normal, until Amiko did something incredible. She broke the boy's spell circles out of thin air with the scythe. Her eyes shrinking a little in disbelief, Shibo couldn't help but grin a little. Not out of cockiness, but out of relief. The chances of these guys winning now were near zero, unless they had some quick spells up their sleeve.

Shibo assessed the situation for a moment. Judging by the silver-haired boy's anger and switch of tactics, he had no mana left. And, so long as Amiko was near the brown-haired boy, he wouldn't be able to create a spell circle without it being destroyed.

Suddenly, Shibo rolled her wrist sideways with her sword blade as she was clashing with the silver-haired boy, switching the positions of the two. Now, the two boys were in the middle of her and Amiko. So long as they could block them off from this point, they'd have to escape from Amiko's incoming attack. Even if Shibo was going to probably going to get caught in the crossfire, she had a defensive spell at the ready, so she herself wouldn't take damage from the attack. Everything was perfect. Shibo just hoped that Amiko would have the physical strength to keep the other boy contained.

"Keep your guy there, Amiko, and give me a shout if you me to come over! Don't worry about me getting caught in your crossfire... just do it when you're ready!!" Shibo called out to her partner, snarling as she kept pressure to the boy opposite her. Looking at him deeply in the eye, Shibo tried to taunt the silver-haired boy so he'd stay on the offensive with her.

"Damn right I'm looking down on you. You're out of mana already." Shibo hissed. Being called a 'bitch' seems to have triggered her into a somewhat more mean fashion. "You think you can be part of the military when you can only cast one spell? Psh. Why don't you show this 'bitch' what you can do without spells. Huh?!"

Shibo's spell she prepared earlier began to charge, red smoke beginning to envelop her shoulders in a more intense fashion. It seemed another spell circle was being created by her, too... and a powerful one, at that. This would be more of a backup attack than anything.

Shibo's Battle Stats
SP: 50 SF: 10 SC: 5
Active Spells: Redwing Guard (10/15, Defence) | Crimson Ultraslash (0/25, Offence)
 
Jakers said:
Shibo remained calm in stance after blocking the attack, until she was called 'bitch'. Suddenly, she shook a little, her teeth forming into a snarl as her silver hair covered her eyes. It was obvious for the silver-haired boy to notice that Shibo really, really didn't appreciate the insult. Wisps of red smoke rising from her back, she raised her sword and clashed against the boy as he approached, looking directly into his eyes with fury as her steel loudly clashed against his.

Shibo kept herself locked down with the silver-haired boy, shooting a brief glance over he shoulder to Amiko. Damnit... she couldn't protect her from that one... Shibo's heart sank a little as she heard the sound of a ward breaking, but judging by Amiko's moves, she intentionally got hit. Everything else seemed normal, until Amiko did something incredible. She broke the boy's spell circles out of thin air with the scythe. Her eyes shrinking a little in disbelief, Shibo couldn't help but grin a little. Not out of cockiness, but out of relief. The chances of these guys winning now were near zero, unless they had some quick spells up their sleeve.

Shibo assessed the situation for a moment. Judging by the silver-haired boy's anger and switch of tactics, he had no mana left. And, so long as Amiko was near the brown-haired boy, he wouldn't be able to create a spell circle without it being destroyed.

Suddenly, Shibo rolled her wrist sideways with her sword blade as she was clashing with the silver-haired boy, switching the positions of the two. Now, the two boys were in the middle of her and Amiko. So long as they could block them off from this point, they'd have to escape from Amiko's incoming attack. Even if Shibo was going to probably going to get caught in the crossfire, she had a defensive spell at the ready, so she herself wouldn't take damage from the attack. Everything was perfect. Shibo just hoped that Amiko would have the physical strength to keep the other boy contained.

"Keep your guy there, Amiko, and give me a shout if you me to come over! Don't worry about me getting caught in your crossfire... just do it when you're ready!!" Shibo called out to her partner, snarling as she kept pressure to the boy opposite her. Looking at him deeply in the eye, Shibo tried to taunt the silver-haired boy so he'd stay on the offensive with her.

"Damn right I'm looking down on you. You're out of mana already." Shibo hissed. Being called a 'bitch' seems to have triggered her into a somewhat more mean fashion. "You think you can be part of the military when you can only cast one spell? Psh. Why don't you show this 'bitch' what you can do without spells. Huh?!"

Shibo's spell she prepared earlier began to charge, red smoke beginning to envelop her shoulders in a more intense fashion. It seemed another spell circle was being created by her, too... and a powerful one, at that. This would be more of a backup attack than anything.

Shibo's Battle Stats
SP: 50 SF: 10 SC: 5
Active Spells: Redwing Guard (10/15, Defence) | Crimson Ultraslash (0/25, Offence)
Click to expand...
Completely pinned by their own strategy, the two boys looked to each other, hoping for the other to have some sort of idea about how to escape this situation. Since the silver-haired boy went and used all his mana, he couldn't even cast the 0SP spells to keep up the pressure on Amiko who was now fighting completely wardless, with negligible magic resistance. Usually such a thing would be a death sentence due to the lack of magical protection, but thanks to the efforts of Amiko and Shibo, magic had been completely locked down as a potential option. With the circumstances where they were, neither of them could switch opponents without opening themselves up to a free attack. In addition, Amiko's skill with the Scythe was great enough to keep up with their spell circle generation. So even with 20 SP of mana left at their disposal, they essentially had no flow remaining. Their last remaining win condition was to simply win with physical force.

With an exchange of glaces, both mages push back with all their force against their foes' respective weapons to create some space, and lunged with a reckless offensive swing towards the girls' necks.

In response to being repulsed, Amiko didn't want to take the risk of getting hit by anything, so instead she gave the opponent some ground by retreating backwards slightly out of range. When the reckless swing came her way, she simply disarmed the man by striking the hilt of the blade at an upward diagonal angle. Then, with the lower part of the scythe, she wedged the blade into the obsidian floor and lunged herself forward for a diagonal kick. Unfortunately for Amiko, she missed one of the spell circles that had formed Wind Blade (10, Offensive). Her only saving grace was a projectile type spell, so she'd have her chance at blocking it.

[fieldbox=Amiko's Battle Stats]Basic Stats: SP:45/100 SF: 5 SC: 0
Active Spells: Astral Storm (55/60, Offense)[/fieldbox]
 
The reckless swing from her opponent came out of nowhere for Shibo, as she'd turned her attention away from the silver-haired boy to check on Amiko for a moment. Missing her chance to parry, Shibo moved backwards to try and dodge the swing by her reactions alone. Whilst she dodged a fatal blow to the neck, the blade nicked her sideways across the bridge of her nose, leaving a shallow but painful mark on her face. A little blood began to pour down to her lower face, but Shibo ignored it along with the pain, thankful it wasn't anything fatal. This mark would remind her to pay attention in the future.

Wincing a little as she moved back, Shibo's spell began to ready up as the swordsmen moved back closer together in the middle of the two girls. There was a spell circle forming a wind blade towards Amiko, but there was no way Shibo could push past the silver-haired boy to block it in time. Amiko's spell circle looks like it was about to release. It was time.

With an eerie hum, Shibo back-pedalled as the red smoke coming from her shoulderblades grown into the shape of a pair of crimson, smoking wings. Putting her sword forward, the huge wings folded in front of her, forming a pulsating, deep red wall of smoke that would block oncoming projectiles, and keep the two from trying to dodge past Shibo.

"Now! Fire!!" Shibo yelled, charging her Crimson Ultraslash in the meantime if the two needed to be finished off, blood trickling down her face.

Shibo's Battle Stats
SP: 50 SF: 10 SC: 5
Active Spells: Redwing Guard (15/15, Defence) | Crimson Ultraslash (5/25, Offence)
 
With their opponents pinned down right where they wanted them, Amiko looked on them with a look of satisfaction. Unlike Shibo, she managed to make it out of the match without a scratch on her, and now she was ready to end it. Even though the stage had been picked specifically against her team, in favor of the other team, and both members had been targeting her the entire time, here she stood, completely unscathed from the fight. Now, it was time to finish it.

Though the level-headed mage sent out a wind blade projectile, it would soon be entirely consumed by Amiko's gargantuan technique. Amiko drops her weapon, taking hold of the spell circle from above her head. Shouting out, "Astral Storm!"

After a bright flash of light, numerous purple energy slashes appear from Amiko's hand firing out as ring-shaped projectiles. Controlling their trajectory with her hand, Shibo avoids the brunt of the absolute destruction. The magical force of the slashes easily breaks through the enemy wards, leaving them mincemeat on the ground. With this final flourish, the illusionspace announces, "Amiko and Shibo are the winners of this mock battle. Congratulations! You are now official members of the Spellheart first defense core. Please see the reception desk for more information. This illusionspace will close in 60 seconds. In this time, please decide if you'd like to keep your memories of the occasion. Thank you for fighting in the arena today. We look forward to your return."

Amiko drops down on the obsidian floor, laying back to look up at the ceiling. The entire experience seemed almost overwhelming. To think, she'd get to do this every day from now on.
 
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