Sokka vs Zanke

Busou Shinki Battle Arena(#1398Ten)
	Welcome to the Battle Rondo Arena, home of the Busou Shinki Battle Rondo.

	It is a massive stadium with a roof, easily as large as any sports arena and capable of seating thousands of full sized humans in multiple levels. Near the arena floor are numerous large boxes filled with tiny seats for shinki spectators, as well as private boxes for the Masters of tournament fighters and the fighters themselves who are not actively fighting.
	The arena floor itself is a massive holographic projector, relaying the tournament bouts on an enormous scale. Individual shinki render at close to three meters tall, along with all of the terrain surrounding them. At this enormous scale, shinki combat can be seen clearly even from the nosebleed section.

	The actual battles take place on a small table in the center of the arena floor. The visualizer here projects the images and battles re-broadcast for stadium viewing by the much larger holofield.
Contents:
Kirikou
Serori
Kagenashi
Visualizer(#2938T)

<J-IC-Moderated> Kirikou says, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a real battle of the tiny titans here in Busou Shinki Battle Arena! Representing Seto Hayama we have Japan's air combat master Sokka, Type Fighter! Her opponent, representing General Serori, is Zanke the Type Panzer! Heavy-armor ranged anti-air specialist versus an aerial master. I expect to see big things from both these fighters! The match is about to begin, and I'll be providing the blow-by-blow on the local channel.  (+2X)"

--

	Standing on the Challenger side of the battle table is a young man in a black school uniform, typical of boys in a Japanese high school. With one hand, he adjusts his glasses, then collects the shinki from his shoulder and places her down on her side. "Remember, Sokka. Just like we planned."

	"Of course, Master." All business, the aircraft shinki is surrounded with white light, her armor and wings materializing around her. She immediately lifts her wrist-mounted machine gun, pointed skyward harmlessly, "The stronger will you have, the more you face various trials. Although you can choose to escape, the trial has a message: For you to conquer yourself."

	With her free hand, she points across the table, inclining her head towards her arriving opponent.

	Behind Sokka, Seto bows briefly and then turns, retiring to the Master's box with quick steps.

--

	Arriving opposite Seto is the stern-faced Serori, already scowling her grim anticipation for the battle to come. There is an aggressive twitch in the end of her tail, though it's not as bristly as she herself becomes after sizing up her opponent. "Tch. You're lucky it's our Shinki doing the fighting."
	It's probably considered 'bad form' to go around threatening your foe in this kind of shindig, she realizes; maybe that's why she immediately sketches a salute to the kid, and feels prompted to speak more gently to the Shinki riding on her shoulder. "I expect honor from you as well as excellence," she murmurs to Zanke, who nods her agreement.
	"Yes, ma'am!" Her sweet voice is much more serious today than it was at the opening ceremonies. The time for excitement has passed. "I won't disappoint you."
	Zanke is set down. Like Sokka's had, all her armor appears in a white flash, leaving the Shinki almost staggering beneath a weighty armored framework. Heavy weapons sprout from her shoulders, including a pile-driver fist and a long-barreled cannon. Under the cute short ears formed by her cap, she frowns her determination. Sokka's given a readied nod.
	Serori backs reluctantly away to her box.

Vervi activates the Visualizer on random. The light and color swirls chaotically, before resolving into a Battle Field:

ANTARCTIC
	An expansive tundra in all directions, thick snow coating the rocky ground. Outcroppings of ice break the smoothly rolling surface at random intervals, reaching into the cloud-filled sky as jagged spikes. The battlefield is ringed in the distance by obvious mountains of dark gray stone, shot through with snow and icy glaciers. Snow falls constantly, its density changing from light flurries to blizzard conditions seemingly at random.

Vervi signals the start of the match!
                                   ...3...
                                   ...2...
                                   ...1...

                                   RIDE ON


<J-IC-Moderated> Tesla Armadia | Saiga brrs. "Just seeing that arena is making me shiver."
<J-IC-Moderated> Serori says, "It won't be a problem for Zanke."

<2X-Supplemental> Kirikou says, "Our combatants are ready, our Masters have given their instructions. One shinki so light she should have no trouble flying even without rockets, the other with armor so heavy it's a testament to warrior will that she can even move! And is it just me or has a chill descended on the scene? No, guess it's not just me. These warriors are fighting in the snow and the cold. That's going to be a serious blast to attempts to fight at range!"

<J-IC-Moderated> Calm voiced Kagenashi | Mae says, "BREAK OFF HER WINGS AND SMASH HER FACE WITH THEM!"

--

	When the Field materializes, Sokka immediately changes the angle of her wings and crouches tensely, ensuring snow cannot gather on the surfaces in the brief delay between Field materialization and the start countdown. "I will not die until I have achieved something. Though the ideal is high, I will not give in. Therefore, I will not die with regrets."

RIDE ON!

	The reciprocating engine mounted to Sokka's tail rumbles to life and angles downward. Knees bending, she leaps and then ascends into the snow-filled sky trailing streamers of shed snowflakes from the tips of her wings. With her empty hand, she pulls down the 'goggles' on her head until they cover her eyes, protecting her vision from snow.

	The aircraft shinki banks into a roll, coming out on her back but at an angle that allows her to level her left-hand-wielded machine gun at Zanke, unloading a burst of high velocity slugs as an opening volley. "The trial begins. One must first ascertain the limitations of the puzzle before devising the solution."
Vervi does 7 damage to Serori with a Direct hit.
Vervi hit Serori with her Machinegun Burst weak attack! <Standard Mechanic>

<J-IC-Moderated> Tesla Armadia | Saiga hehes. "Allie managed to blow off one of my big arms... so I hammered her with it."
<J-IC-Moderated> Allie says, "I still swear I have a dent from that crane."
<J-IC-Moderated> Tesla Armadia chuckles softly. "Saiga has been taught to take advantage of her environment when possible."
<J-IC-Moderated> Ryuko Matoi says, "Huh.. 'nother fight?"

	The opening volley sets the tone: it looks to be a match of fancy maneuvers pitted against stoic resistance. Zanke doesn't even /try/ dodging -- not only would it be very difficult, given the heavy weight she's bearing, but it's doubtful she'd be fast enough! Besides, why put all that good armor to waste? Nah, rather than tuck and roll, she tucks her body behind a broad guard formed by her pile-driver. Sokka's bullets skitter across the offered plating, leaving behind a series of shallow dents.
	While shielding her face and body, she swings out the support arm to her cannon, planting it in the snow behind and to her right. The moment Sokka passes, she repeats the maneuver on the left, her pile-driving fist becoming equally braced. With her feet planted, she forms a tripod for the massive cannon swiveling into firing position above her right shoulder --
	A forceful /THOOM/ echoes across the field whenever the cannon barks.

You suffer 5 points of damage.
Serori does 5 damage to Vervi with an Average hit.
Serori hit Vervi with her cannon strike! weak attack! <Standard Mechanic>

<2X-Supplemental> Kirikou says, "I'd say that's a big cannon, but ... well okay, it's a big cannon! Big enough to make it seem Zanke has to brace to fire. She takes a solid hit from Sokka's machine gun, but she takes it on armour. The weather so far doesn't seem to be a factor, but perhaps it's only a matter of time before a fighter freezes!"

	Snow scatters around the trajectory of Zanke's artillery shell. With a sharp rolling motion, Sokka dives away, avoiding a direct hit. The shell's air burst showers her with shrapnel, scoring jagged marks in her white armor but leaving her otherwise unharmed. Circling around, she rolls again to right herself, muttering quickly.

	"Stationary battle tactics. Turret-style combat against aerial units. Close combat ill-advised..." Her head inclines, rabbit-like ears remaining inflappably upright, "Continue to probe defenses. Be cautious of air-burst artillery." Head inclining, she raises her machine gun once again, firing across her chest as she circles.

	"Resume solving the puzzle." And then the gun opens up again, scattering brass below and copper ahead in short bursts from a new angle.
Vervi does 7 damage to Serori with a Direct hit.
Vervi hit Serori with her Probing the Defenses weak attack! <Standard Mechanic>

--

	Stationary, yes -- but only when firing. Sokka's next burst prompts Zanke to attempt one of her only options for evasion. Though incapable of flight in her standard kit, she's not lacking for creativity, and the punching power in her pile-driver fist provides plenty of thrust to get her off the ground. Temporarily, anyway. With a ssshhk-POOM kind of sound -- and in a shower of scattered powder -- Zanke tosses herself skyward, leaving in her place a shallow white crater.
	Unfortunately, she's not taken entirely clear of Sokka's fire. Bullets draw sparks and shrapnel from the armor wrapping her slender legs. Zanke cries out more in outrage than anything else. The armor plating there is thinner, and any damage to her legs may make it difficult for her to properly use her cannon!
	"Solve /this/!" she snaps back at her opponent, getting a bit fiery now that she's feeling more threatened.
	She produces a Meltra Rapid Fire Pistol from her holster. Its shape has been customized to resemble an old Luger, but the function is the same. Sokka comes under attack as Zanke falls back into her previous position. Landing only a few inches from her first crater, she creates a second snowy dent whenever all her weight crashes down, the landing controlled but only /just/.

You suffer 16 points of damage.
Serori does 16 damage to Vervi with a Direct hit.
Serori hit Vervi with her shots from above! Ish! moderate attack! <Standard Mechanic>

<J-IC-Moderated> Serori says, "Nice shot, Zanke!"

<2X-Supplemental> Kirikou says, "You know how they say close only counts with horseshoes and high explosives? Well Zanke's not firing horseshoes from that cannon! Apparently deciding not to sit there and take unchecked fire, Zanke MOVES by punching the ground! Not completely clear, she gets caught by fire and it seems to have damaged her leg. The landing's not that great but WHAT a move! Yes folks, fire seems to be pounding the ice today!"

--

	The piledriver-pogo maneuver catches Sokka /completely/ off guard. Zanke gets a good look at the surprised expression on the Asuka's face in the split second between taking off and unloading the Meltra. Pistol caliber rounds dig into her wings and engine housing, prompting a trail of smoke through the falling snow. Sokka's expression turns serious as she struggles to rebalance herself. Control surfaces flicker up and down until she stabilizes, then banks, trailing a thin streamer of black smoke as she maneuvers through intensifying snowfall.

	"...This puzzle has proven more difficult than anticipated. I will have to increase my intensity." She lowers her machine gun, ejecting the spent magazine. A fresh magazine appears from the Slipway and she slots it in, then rocks the action with a determined clicking noise. But it's not the machine gun that she makes use of.

	Sokka banks sharply, easy to track due to the smoke from her engine, until she's angled right for Zanke at a higher altitude. Twirling in an ascent, she suddenly wheels around into a dive right for the more heavily armored shinki. Her right hand extends behind her, and from the weapon she now holds a bright blue energy blade manifests. A dive-slash!

	A FEINT.

	At the last possible second, Sokka pulls up sharply. From underneath her wings, two bombs detach and continue their descent, impacting the snow on either side of Zanke with violent explosions while the Fighter type ascends in a tight arc.
Vervi does 1 damage to Serori with a Mild Graze hit.
Vervi hit Serori with her Dive Bomber weak attack! <Standard Mechanic>

--

	Zanke's armor is given its finest test.
	It's not very unlike the field trials any Shinki endures prior to launch. You can't boast about a Shinki's armaments without fully testing their capabilities, right? To do otherwise would mean bad business! Oh, sure, there might be some knock-offs with cheaper armor -- but this is the Murmeltier, the best of the best when it comes to raw endurance.
	But Sokka's the top of her line, too, and her Master has certainly earned his title. Serori frowns at the smoky pillars concealing Zanke's position. Did she make it through? Is she still capable of fighting? The tension gets to her enough that Serori even gets up on her feet, a growl in her throat. "ZANKE! Don't tell me it's over already!"
	Somewhere in the haze, Zanke smirks.
	The nearby blasts unleashed by Sokka had hammered Zanke on either side, of course -- oh, she'd fallen for the feint -- but it was her anticipation of the sword thrust which turned out to save her cute little butt. She'd half-braced herself again, two points of her tripod planted, and had raised her pile-driver to meet Sokka's sword head-on. That was when the bombs went off, and her protective reflexes kicked into high gear.
	Becoming almost a literal tank, the Shinki Murmeltier hunkered down beneath her framework, her main body rattling while her outer armor withstood the dual impacts.
	So, again, it's her armor which eats the hit, but it's not like she's completely unscathed. The armor can only take so much, right? And now it's scraped, scored, blackened, punctured, and in terrible need of repainting.
	But Sokka's got more important things to focus on.
	Like that big cannon spitting out another pursuing blast.

Serori missed Vervi with her cannon fire! moderate attack! <Standard Mechanic>

--

	Glancing over her shoulder, Sokka lets out a sharp 'tch' sound when she observes the result of her bombing run. That Murmeltier is a tough nut to crack. The tense glower becomes one of surprise and she suddenly dives into a tight descending spiral, avoiding the main gun's air-burst projectile completely this time. Testament to her air combat pedigree, Sokka is adjusting quickly to Zanke's anti-air capability. The Panzer type will have to get more creative to keep ahead of the Fighter's reflexes.

	She straightens out her body, wing angle and tail angle adjusting to propell her straight forward. Maneuvering out of the spiral, she approaches Zanke head-on, opening fire with the machine guns mounted to her wings in sustained bursts during the entire approach. At a certain point where she determines she'd be getting too close to the Murmeltier's pile bunker, she banks into a roll and begins ascending again, ejecting spent magazines as she maneuvers back to altitude.
Vervi does 4 damage to Serori with an Average hit.
Vervi hit Serori with her Strafing Run weak attack! <Standard Mechanic>

<2X-Supplemental> Kirikou says, "Sokka's trailing smoke from that hit, but she seems to be in fine flying form. No wait, she's falling. No, not falling, it's a head-on attack! Look out Zanke! And ... explosions! Yeah, explosions make it all better! Snow and smoke's everywhere. Could the fight be over? No! Zanke appears entirely undamaged. How 'bout that armor, folks! Retaliation goes wide, now Sokka's coming about and shooting. Do you really think those guns are going to do what your bombs didn't, Sokka? Next time you'd better try hitting that panzer!"

--

	The armor protecting Zanke continues to erode. In hot little strips and streaks, the plate is worn down bit by bit, every sparking bullet leaving a visible, smoldering scar. The smoldering extends to Serori's glare, who goads on Zanke from the Master's Box: "Return fire! Don't let her tricks get to you -- show her what a Murmeltier can /do/!"
	Zanke reaches up to adjust her stiff cap; it had been knocked askew by Sokka's bombing run. "Right! HEY! SOKKA! It's time you learned to fight on my level!"
	Zanke's pile-driver launches her up into the air again -- ssshhhk-/POOM/! -- and from there, her cannon barks. A huge blast goes streaking after Sokka, aimed precisely in the path the aerial Shinki seems to be taking. Now, Zanke's not braced against the recoil, this time; she's as airborne as she gets, and the recoil hits her full force. Fortunately, she seems prepared to handle it, and to work it into her tactical routine.
	Forced down by her own fire, she hits the ground hard, then springs up a second time, her pile-driver wasting no time in converting her momentum. /THOOOM!/ A second blast goes chasing after Sokka, and for a second time, Zanke's forced to the ground. She tumbles, she spins, she finds her feet, and -- before Sokka can possibly be ready for it -- she plants for a third cannon shot that dumps her right out on her back.
	Sokka's good. Sokka's incredibly good, and incredibly fast, but can she fly and fight through a bombardment like that? It's clear, from the rapid way she discharges her attacks, that Zanke's trying to counter every advantage Sokka's got...fill the sky with fire, and the flyer has to come down, right?

Serori used a combo attack on you and hit you for a total of 15 damage.
Serori uses multi-shot! strong combo attack on Vervi.
The attacks resulted in a series of, Graze, Above-average, Above-average, and Graze strikes for a total of 15 damage.

<2X-Supplemental> Kirikou says, "Sokka's gunfire seems to be having some effect, with the armor of Zanke showing some scars, but there still seems to be plenty where that came from! Sokka's aerial agility is impressive. It's clear why she's considered a master of air combat. Will it be enough though, to defeat the anti-air shinki tank? Zanke drives a fist into the frozen ground again, gaining height and using it to fire from a new angle! Hey, I guess Zanke really is a ground-pounder! She's down again though, recoil... nope, she's up. Aaaand down. And up! And down. I'm getting dizzy... but poor Sokka!"

--

	Sokka turns sharply, trailing smoke from earlier damage and casting a look over her shoulder, even as she fits new magazines into her wing-mounted guns and re-locks them to their mounts. This one is creative. When air-burst munitions start filling the air around her, she dives away from the first shot, taking damage. However, Zanke's assumption is correct and the very next shot impacts right in the middle of Sokka's back. With a yelp, she drops altitude, trailing smoke. The third shot hits her again, in almost exactly the same spot. The fourth ... misses, by virtue of Sokka losing control and hitting the snow in a tumble. Components snap off as she rolls, slides, and then comes to a stop in a smoking wreck.

	It takes a few seconds for the shinki to pick herself up, casting a look down her own back at the damaged armor and engine housing. Something sparks, and as she fires up her engine again, black smoke belches from the exhausts for several seconds, obscuring her. Before it clears, however, she shoots out of it and back into the sky, trailing a much thicker plume of black smoke as she rises. Her wings rattle dangerously on their mounts, but hold for now.

	"No thank you," Sokka mutters, snow blowing off her chest armor and shoulders, "It seems quite beneath my talents." She banks again, obscuring herself in a flurry of snow, and then shoots out directly above Zanke. In either hand, she wields bombs, which she drops in addition to the pair on her wings. No dive-bombing this time. Perhaps her airframe can't take the strain in this state.
Vervi does 2 damage to Serori with a Graze hit.
Vervi hit Serori with her Mid-altitude bombing run weak attack! <Standard Mechanic>

--

	"C'mon!" Zanke beckons. "You know you wanna give it a try! And I can -- /eeeee/!" Evidently, this is Zanke's way of expressing horror. More bombs?! How much more /can/ her armor take?! At least this time she's given a little more in the way of warning, enough time to engage a desperate backwards bounce. Though her armor's taken a hurting, the function of her pile-driver doesn't seem to be weakening at all, and it's this which will continue to prove problematic for Sokka.
	The bombs splash apart close enough to further nick and slash at Zanke's armor. Wincing, fussing, she swats at some of the shreddings still clinging red-hot to her body armor, and prepares herself for retaliation.
	Unfortunately, the barrel of her cannon is still too hot to risk another shot so soon. After her triple blast, she needs to cool things down a little, and -- hey! Maybe that's what she'll do!
	Zanke gropes through the snow to find a sizable chunk of ice. Pile-driver fingers digging in, she heaves with all her framework's might to rip the icy boulder free of its moorings, and then -- it goes whistling through the air as she lobs it right at Sokka. Improvised anti-air fire, gooo.

You suffer 20 points of damage.
Serori does 20 damage to Vervi with a Direct hit.
Serori hit Vervi with her improv! strong attack! <Standard Mechanic>

<2X-Supplemental> Kirikou says, "The attack proves too much for Sokka! The master of air hits the ground. Which, admittedly, the master of the ground's been doing quite a bit too. Maybe Sokka's taking lessons from Zanke though, because no sooner does she hit the ground - quite hard, looks like - than she bounces right back into the air! Not with her usual grace admittedly. Seems she's struggling to stay up. Can't really blame her though. If Zanke ever gets above her, that'd be pretty embarrassing."

--

	In her current state, Sokka's maneuverability suffers. She banks, but promptly rights herself when her engine chokes. Teeth bared, she banks more slowly in the same direction. But it's just not quick enough to evade a GIANT ROCK.

	The ice boulder strikes solidly and with great force. Already weakened, her left wing snaps right off its mount and tumbles to the snow below. Platered to the ice, Sokka snarls in a sharp difference from her normally calm demeanor, which does her no good when she and the ice boulder strike the snow some distance away. On impact, her other wing snaps off and her engine housing crumples. Though the ice shatters around her, she's buried underneath it. For several seconds, all that protrudes is her engine, mangled and smoking, steam from melted snow shooting off anywhere it touches exposed engine.

	With a sputtering, the propeller spins briefly, then catches and winds back up to full speed. Sokka rises from the shattered ice, battered and exhausted, missing both wings but still sporting the engine housing 'tail' and propeller assembly. She raises her machine gun, stance shifting, but when it fires there's a sharp clonking sound that signals a jam. Squinting, she notes the barrel has been bent, and so the weapon is discarded while she steps forward out of the heap of snow and ice that had entombed her.

	"Looks like now I have no choice."

	She snaps her right hand out. From the Slipway, the hilt of her sword materializes and then promptly erupts with its distinct blue-white energy blade. Engine roaring to full throttle, Sokka leans forward slightly. When she disengages the brakes on her feet, she slides forward on them, propelled by her engine, in a fashion not unlike a rollerblader with a rocket on their back. Guiding herself in an arc rather than a straight line, Sokka traces an S-like shape in the snow, slashing at Zanke in passing and promptly accellerating to try and get out of range of those heavy arms.
Vervi does 3 damage to Serori with a Graze hit.
Vervi hit Serori with her Slash Dash moderate attack! <Standard Mechanic>

--

	"Yeah! Nice thinking, Zanke!" Sounds like Serori's starting to get more attached to the little marmot! Zanke pushes her hat back into place and grins across the field at her downed opponent. That's a smile of pride as well as pleasure -- doesn't it always feel so good to make Master happy? Serori's just a Virtual Master, but hey, as far as Zanke's concerned, the relationship is very real while there's a match on the line.
	"You've got good moves, Sokka -- but now you're playing a game I know I can win! Can you -- eep! Hey! How can you run so fast across the snow?!" Zanke hadn't thought about the weight difference. She's sunk into the terrain, but it looks like Sokka can skip lightly right across the crust. She'll be just as maneuverable as she was in the air!
	Such agility is demonstrated by that zig-zaggy sword swipe. Nasty move, and it cuts right beneath Zanke's protective arm-flail, too! She earns a diagonal cut right across the chest, and a slowed reaction to Sokka's retreat.
	A slowed reaction, but not a completely failed reaction. The fist in her pile-driver punches down after Sokka's feet, spawning a disruptive shudder which might be enough to knock Sokka silly. It's not a direct hit, but the Meltra comes up to spray bullets right at Sokka's back, Zanke pulling the trigger just as Sokka's defenses are given something to worry about. Ruthless!

You suffer 10 points of damage.
Serori does 10 damage to Vervi with an Above Average hit.
Serori hit Vervi with her bullets in the back! moderate attack! <Standard Mechanic>

<2X-Supplemental> Kirikou says, "And down again! This fight's had more ups and downs than... er, never mind! Seems though, Sokka's taken too much damage to fly. The spirit's willing but the wings are broke. In her condition, another fighter would probably surrender. Not Sokka however! She draws a beam blade. Even on the ground, Sokka's got speed and agility. She's got heart too! Will it be enough to break through Zanke's ludicrous armour? Hmmm. Damage done to be sure. That sword can find Zanke's weak points, such as they are. But Sokka's in range of Zanke's mighty piledriver!"

--

	The trick is that Sokka is only gliding across the surface. She isn't using it for traction. In fact, the lack of traction is the secret to how she's maneuvering across the snow's surface. Zanke's ground pound just puts the Asuka into the air again, very briefly. The payout here is that she can't maneuver as easily by leaning as she did on her approach. There's a very brief flail with her free arm, grasping for balance, before she touches down.

	Melta rounds dig into her battered engine housing, prompting a sudden spurt of engine coolant and another belch of smoke from the exhaust pipes. The coolant leak is rapidly sealed up as Sokka wheels about, throwing up a spray of powder as she does so. Clutching her sword tightly in both hands now, the grounded Fighter dives right back into melee range, skating across the snow's surface and propelled by her engine. This time, when she gets close, Sokka's slash is low, aimed at the Murmeltier's damaged leg.

	Skating away, she casts a look over her shoulder and replies simply with: "I'm not /running/."
Vervi does 5 damage to Serori with an Average hit.
Vervi hit Serori with her Kind of a one trick pony with all her other weapons ruined moderate attack! <Standard Mechanic>

--

	There's another yelp as the sword goes flashing past Zanke's blockade.
	The Murmeltier wails. A cut, along her face? The vertical stripe runs right up her forehead but vanishes at her hairline. That's a pretty mean injury for a duel like this, but -- no! No, it's even worse than she thought! Her hands come up and squeeze at the empty air above her head. Hey, where's her hat? The upright, militant cap decorated by two stubby, pointed ears is no longer where it should be. Zanke looks down.
	Her hat is on the ground at her feet, neatly split into two halves.
	Zanke /pouts/. "Oh, I don't know if I can get a new hat without winning the tournament..." She wrings her hands together in dismay, and looks up at Sokka, her eyes seemingly bigger and brighter. "Well, it's been a good match, but now I really have a reason to win besides just impressing Master! I -- I hope you can forgive me for what I need to do!"
	Zanke's pile-driver slams against the ground behind her. The force vaults her into a low but long leap, a pouncing /strike/ aimed right at Sokka! Mid-air, she twists around, shouting as she hefts her heavy framework into attack position -- "I WILL BE CHAMPION!"
	Her pile-driver releases its full fury in an attempt to smash Sokka into the snow.

You suffer 15 points of damage.
Serori does 15 damage to Vervi with an Above Average hit.
Serori hit Vervi with her pile-driver pounce! strong attack! <Standard Mechanic>

--

	Zanke's fist slams into Sokka right in the small of her back, knocking the aerial shinki face-first into the snow with a distinctive crunching sound. Her engine immediately sputters, chokes, and dies. As she's manhandled and pounded on by the Murmeltier's heavy Piledriver, the strained engine mounts snap and the engine falls to one side, breaking off the remaining mount and separating the Asuka from her ruined engine.

	Leaking her own coolant, her armor crushed in many places, Sokka twists in the snow until she's face up, bringing her sword around in her remaining arm -- The left had likewise been smashed. With a roar of defiance that betrays the emotions she keeps tightly under wraps, Sokka thrusts her beam sword up towards Zanke's midsection.
Vervi does 8 damage to Serori with an Above Average hit.
Vervi hit Serori with her Final Act of Defiance moderate attack! <Standard Mechanic>

<2X-Supplemental> Kirikou says, "Sokka finds an unarmoured target on Zanke! A cut to the head! Guess you don't get to be Air master without some accuracy! Zanke doesn't seem overly damaged by the cut, though she seems PISSED about that hat! And Zanke goes bouncing into the air and down onto Sokka. Watch out Sokka, it's like you're wrestling with a sumo guy!"

--

	"...hkkkh!" What other noise can you make when you've been stabbed in the belly? Sokka's sword penetrates Zanke's stomach, though the coolant doesn't start to flow until she retracts her sword; then, the shocked Zanke reels backwards, unable to believe the kind of injury she's just sustained. "O-ow...!" she manages, but then she doubles, her pout returning. "...oh, this is...this is really going to require a lot of repairs...!"
	The cost seems to worry her. It doesn't worry Serori, who barks back: "Forget the /cost/ -- claim your victory!"
	"R-right! Yes, ma'am!" Zanke's head comes up. A determined light returns to her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sokka, but I'm going to have to ask you to surrender now -- you won't be able to fight anymore after this!"
	Still in very close proximity to Sokka, she raises her Meltra pistol, and pulls the trigger.

You suffer 19 points of damage.
Serori does 19 damage to Vervi with a Graze hit.
Serori hit Vervi with her close range pistol fire! moderate attack! <Standard Mechanic>
Vervi has been knocked out!

--

	Wrenching her sword free, Sokka rears it back in preparation for another stab. Through grit teeth, she hisses, "I will not die until I have achieved something..." Head inclining as she winds up, she continues, "...Though the ideal is high, I will NEVER GIVE UP--!"

	The Meltra goes off, piercing right through the grounded Fighter's chest with a shattering noise. Sparks erupt from the hole in both the entry and exit wound. Her CMS is visible, its three lights glowing softly.

	Shot mid-thrust, the Asuka falters. Her sword drops from her hand, and she begins to fall.

	"...Therefore... I will never die with regrets..."

	With a snowy crunch, Sokka the Asuka collapses in the snow and does not move again.

<J-IC-Moderated> Kirikou says, "Defiant to the end, Sokka runs Zanke through with her beam blade. The attack pierces armour, but it fails to end Zanke's ability to fight! Zanke retaliates with a pistol, shattering Sokka's torso! Somebody call a medic! Or maybe a microcomputer geek!  Good fight and great spirit, Sokka, but the victory goes to Zanke!"

--

	Serori leaps up from the Master Box and pumps her fist into the air. "You did it, Zanke!" Elated, she remains on her feet, dark eyes fixed on her Shinki while the crowd roars. "You're not bad at all, for a little marmot!" Is that pride in her voice, or something more proprietary? Well, whatever -- what matters is that she's happy with the results.
	Zanke steps back from her defeated opponent. She looks a little sad by the results. She's programmed for competition, not cruelty! "I sure hope you're able to get back in the fight soon, Sokka..." After saying that, Zanke backs away, accepting with a giggle Serori's victorious lift. "One win down!" she says to Serori. "I'm almost the champ!"
	Serori grins. "I like your spirit."
	Her bow to Sokka's Master is not very deep, but it is gracious. "Sokka competed well." Zanke echoes Serori's sentiments.

<J-IC-Moderated> Serori says, "Who's next, I wonder? Saa. That was a good fight, but now I'm eager for the next."
<J-IC-Moderated> Tesla Armadia and Saiga both applaud from the stands

	With a buzzing noise, the Field disintegrates from the sky down, removing damage as it goes until both shinki--intact--remain on the Battle Table. With a grunt, Sokka sits up, collecting her discarded sword. Her armor has likewise been repaired, though it quickly flashes into the Slipway before she stands up.

	Zanke is given only a polite bow before Sokka turns and approaches her Master to be collected. Seto, likewise, bows to Serori before he turns and exits the arena.

	Sokka sits on his shoulder, her head hanging low. Over the roar of the crowd, it's impossible to hear her murmuring a faint "I'm sorry."

--

Vervi deactivates the Visualizer, causing the active Field to shimmer and disappear.

<J-IC-Moderated> Lizbet says, "Congratulations to the winner."
<J-IC-Moderated> Vervi says, "How exciting!"
<J-IC-Moderated> Vervi says, "It was a really tense fight at the end."
<J-IC-Moderated> Serori | Zanke says, sounding tired, "Thank you. Sokka was a good opponent."