A New Challenger Appears

Morning had dawned in the land of the rising sun and although the hour was still rather early, many had already gotten up, preparing for the remainder of the festivities. Some were less fortunate and were stuck lamenting the pains either from their injuries or from the hangovers resulting of the widespread alcohol abuse in the nearby bars. Those more able, however, tended to whatever preparations they could before the next big matches, took bets, or simply shared stories.

In the frail rays of the sunrise's shimmer, one of the many young magical girls on the site had, after much deliberation, decided to take a resolution. For some time, the back of her mind had been wracked with a mixture of contradictory emotions. On one side, there was fear, apprehension, doubt and self-questioning; rational, but negative, utterly paralysing thoughts. On the other side, there was drive, desire, ambition and need; primal, but proactive, powerful thoughts. It was time for it all to stop, and for a part of the past to be crossed out, once and for all. No more hesitation, no more doubt, only advancing forward.

Activity was buzzing all around the coliseum when she entered and made a beeline through the more crowded areas, passing by the hall and the mess straight to the back area. There, things were more calm as most of the participants and spectators were outside, leaving mostly the organization staff, Venenums and other high-profiles to lounge in this place. This was fine and for the best, just in case things went sour or awry. They shouldn't, hopefully, but she was always thinking ahead to some extent.

"Доброе утро, Как у Вас дела?" Her voice broke the quietness of the morning, clear and loud with a certain confidence, but not loud enough to be considered a yell. Most of those present could not understand the foreign language and were confused, but the carefully-picked words found their intended recipient. The greeting demanded her attention by calling upon a far-away, shared heritage.

" Хорошо. А ты?" An informal response came to the formal approach, accompanied with the sound of Fel Steel resounding on the ornate tiles with each step. As the one who had spoken it made her way closer, those in the vicinity made clear of the path, freeing the way with somewhat curious expressions. Some of them were used to other girls coming in and making all sorts of boisterous declarations, but this? This was new.

"Неплохо." The newcomer concluded, also moving on to a more informal type of speech, as if taking the previous words as granting permission. The smaller girl couldn't help but smirk in a mixture of nervousness and amusement, most of her figure being hidden under her cloak and, this time, raised hood, with only combat boots and bare legs observable underneath.

"I remember.." The taller Russian mused as she observed closer, judging, appraising. "You were with that American Eversor, very bold one, yes?" She hazarded, recalling the otherwise rather short encounter from a few days ago. "And you also come from the North?"

The Vindicare nodded."Partially, but I haven't gotten to see my Grandfather's home land in a long time." She admitted, not wanting to get lost in the details and technicalities, but otherwise rather glad that her next mission, in all likelihood, would allow her to return to these snow-clad lands. Her smirk receded into a more genuine smile.

"And what it is that you want from me, little shy one?" The Warmaster teased before leaning back with a smirk of her own, also recalling how the shorter girl had been practically trying to disappear into her cloak the previous day and finding the difference odd, to say the least.

At that, the smile turned into a grin, practically going from side to side and causing the Warmaster to raise an eyebrow."You still do fights, right?" The Vindicare asked with a faux-detached tone, which her interlocutor had no trouble whatsoever seeing through. She cracked her neck lightly before continuing. "I've had nothing but occasional weak Charlies to chew on for over a month, and seeing all those fights got me itching for a real challenge." She finally showed her true colors and started to feel the heat rising.

"Fortunately for you, yes. Thanks to your friend." The taller Russian moved back closer and brushed the very tip of a lone claw against the cheek of the younger girl, whom took a slow, steadying breath, finding it difficult to remain composed at such a distance. "No blood?" She then mused as she brought her finger back, slightly surprised, and even seeming slightly disappointed.. or so would indicate her mild pout. In her fellow's mind, the display was indecently cute. "What is it?" She continued after a short moment of silence. "You were hoping I would say no?"

The Vindicare let out a small nervous chuckle and tore her eyes away. "A sorry, it's just... your eyes.." She answered with a sheepish expression, restraining herself from also adding 'and everything else'.

"Do they scare you?" Kharn asked in a neutral manner, having grown used by now to the fear she often imposed on other Magical Girls.

"Actually, I find them breathlessly beautiful." The Vindicare chuckled once more, still avoiding direct contact before adding "The claws too". In truth, while the Warmaster was already a sight on her own right, the smaller Russian's unhealthy fascination made it so those Witch-like attributes were appealing and breathtaking, rather than repulsive.

"A fresh reaction" the raven-haired Warmaster commented, somewhat pleased, before bringing her hand down once more to force the Vindicare to look back at her by grasping her chin. "It is not fair though. You gawk and flatter, but you hide yourself in these robes... unsightly."

Another grin lit up the smaller Russian's face and she rose one gloved hand to stop her interlocutor from removing or tearing anything. "Soon~, I'll have a surprise for the fight."

Once more, Kharn rose an eyebrow. "Oh, surprises? Hopefully a good one. Very well, you will have your duel." She concluded with a nod. "And what is your name?" She inquired, almost as an afterthought.

"Liese Brandt, Vindicare of the 12th." The challenger announced proudly, ready to defend her Officio's honor by giving as good a show as possible.

"The bookworms eh?" The Warmaster mused thoughtfully, leaning back "I would not expect them to be a good fight.. but your Eversor friend did say you could take a beating..."

Liese clicked her tongue lightly with mock-annoyance. "Did she? Well, here goes my biggest asset no longer being a secret. I guess I'll just have to fight even harder."

"It is good, I can only hold back so much, after all..." Kharn closed and opened back one fist a few times in emphasis, while her interlocutor cracked her gloved knuckles with a grin.

"Oh good, I go away for five minutes and you make a friend, I'll pencil it right before the regular matches start." A new, vox-corrupted voice chimed in as its owner turned a nearby corner and came to put down a hand on both of their shoulders.

---

Only a short amount of time had passed since the challenge had been issued. Since there were many matches to go through and only so many hours in a day, they would begin relatively early and, before that even, there was a slot for any last minute, impromptu special events... such as this one.

In contrast with how everyone else seemed to be keen on gathering their friends before their matches, basking in the attention and hype, perhaps, Liese had gone about things in a different manner. In the antechamber, she stood alone, having instead given her friends a time and a place, telling them "Something they really, really didn't want to miss" was going to happen, before promptly excusing herself. Whether she had managed to keep it a surprise was anyone's guess, with how excited she was.

The Vindicare had come first, partially due to her natural leaning towards punctuality and partially because she had not a clue where the antechamber was supposed to be and had to find it again. With a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, she walked back and forth, the sound of her boots onto the ceramic soon being joined by two more pairs of footsteps, one similar and one sharper.

"A familiar scene, is it not?" The Warmaster mused, referring to how they had first met here before, if in different circumstances. "You were much less.. eager last time."

Liese offered a somewhat apologetic smirk and shrug. "I was apprehensive, for a lot of reasons, but in the past few days, I've decided to leave that behind me; I decided to be more daring and forward, and what better way to rid myself of fear than fighting a bad-ass Warmaster one-on-one? Not to mention, a Maerorus at that."

Kharn glanced over to Malal, asking a silent question, to which the latter responded with the universal widely dismissive gesture of 'Don't look at me, I've got nothing to do with this shit'. She then walked over and looked the Vindicare straight into the eyes. "You know some dangerous things for such a young girl, but I guess if your Eversor friend is one..."

"Funny thing is, I was already wondering if something like that was possible before I found the proof. For whatever it's worth, I find it a lot more fascinating than scary." The half-Russian conceded with another of her somewhat embarrassed expressions, imagining how awkward it must be for the other girl.

Said Maerorus remained quiet for a moment before responding in a somewhat veiled manner, perhaps reserving judgment for later on a sensitive topic? That was all the Vindicare could imagine. "Try not to be -too- fascinated. Some people may take advantage of it."

The blonde clicked her tongue lightly, feeling like she had somehow fucked up terribly, yet she didn't let that thought grow, cutting it dead in its wake as she had resolved to before it could spoil her mood and focus. There was no reason to dwell on it anymore.

Eventually, the Warmaster shrugged, warning calmly. "Either way, flattery will not help you."

"That wasn't the idea at all." She shook her head energetically at the accusation and pouted slightly. "I was being totally genuine, and I will give one hell of a show, you can believe in that!" She raised an accusing finger of her own.

"Good, good, let your spirit burn wild, no hesitation! No half-strikes! Act as if your life was on the line." As the seconds ran short, the Warmaster seemed to fire up herself, with both of them increasingly eager to shed blood.

Granting their wish, the buzzer announced the beginning of the day's events. Naturally, Kharn entered first, acting as if the crowd wasn't there in the middle of their loud ovation, her mere presence alone being enough to stir the enthusiasm. It took a moment for them to calm down, and while still in the antechamber, the upstart newcomer knew she would need a far more impressive display to create even just a fraction of the energy.

When her turn came, she summoned her magical weapon before even entering and let it drag behind her as she walked, hood and cloak still hiding her figure. The sound of steel raking against ceramic rose into the arena before dying down when she reached the sand, at which point she rose it and laid it on her right shoulder before continuing her way. After securing her Soul Gem in the armoured safe, she went back to her position and faced her opponent. A small murmur started to rise in the crowd.

There, silently, she slammed the massive black blade into the sand and reached back with both hands towards the cloak. After a few seconds, and in a single, smooth motion, the black cloth went flying away, revealing everything. This time, Liese wore neither of her beret nor signature ponytail; her showering blonde hair was left wild and free, while her costume was altered, with the pants being shredded short a bit above knee length. Once this accomplished, she recovered her scythe in her left hand, held high, and summoned her assault rifle in the right, also held high. both then aimed forward. After the tense build up, the crowd went ecstatic.

 "You look frail like a young twig." Kharn broke the silence with a taunt; a verbal appetizer of the battle to come, and Liese shivered despite the unnatural heat. "I was told you could take hits, but you have no armor anywhere, curious..."

"I'll be more than glad to demonstrate for you." The Vindisor countered while flicking a switch on the side of her assault rifle. "As a matter of fact, that's not the only thing I'll be happy to demonstrate." With that bold claim, she makes the first move... by willingly discarding her range advantage, charging in with two careful, controlled forward bursts of fire, scythe to the left side.

The Warmaster had no difficulty avoiding the first salvo with  two, short side-jumps and was all too ready to respond in kind,  dashing forward as well with the speed of a bullet and claws steadied. The first blood was quickly scored as the blonde was surprised by the amazing burst of speed and failed to guard or evade fast enough. The slice wasn't all that deep on her side, but it was there, and Kharn paused for further banter. "Slower than your friend. I hope you have more than that..."

With this, Liese decided to play along for the crowd, releasing her hold on the assault rifle which fell back, held by a strap, and bringing her right hand to the wound, brushing some blood with her fingertips and bringing them back up in mock surprise. At this point in time, she felt almost possessed. She was in the middle of doing something she was just a few days ago qualifying of totally insane. Not only that, but she was doing it in the middle of hundreds of people, all watching attentively. This was the most terrible idea she ever had... but somehow... it felt absolutely thrilling, almost mesmerising. The Adrenaline, the eyes of the crowd, the spirit of the show... she wanted more, and so she brought up her fingers just a little more and took a small lick. "What was that, a tickle!?" She taunted back with a wide grin.

 "Too gentle? I am sorry, I will properly slaughter you next time." Kharn countered, unfazed, before resuming hostilities and dashing in like a rocket once more. With a steady footing, Liese swung her scythe with precision, which connected head on with the first strike coming from Kharn's first claw, both blows canceling one another, but both having been merely openers for what came next. Liese unleashed another burst almost at point blank, but Kharn nimbly managed to weave out of the way while responding with a strike from her off-hand, which only bit into a glancing slice once more. Ever so faintly, the scent of blood started to rise.

The Vindicare had the growing suspicion that the Warmaster was going easy on her; after all, the difference between their ranks of power was immense, and she had no doubt from the start that she would get mauled quite badly, and yet... not only was this not happening, but she was starting to get drunk on the high of the arena, relishing the fight. She attempted to surprise the Maerorus by dazing her with a quick headbutt before firing at point blank, but that plan fell flat when Kharn recovered and reacted even faster, slamming a powerful kick in Liese's side and sending her flying against one of the columns, which broke from the intensity of the strike and left -her- dazed.

The crowd cheered for their lauded hero and dust kicked up, obfuscating the Vindisor. No doubt, the officials were just about ready to ring the buzzer but... this was not to be. When the dust finally settled down, a standing Liese was breathing heavily, but recovering. "Didn't think I was done so quickly, did you?" The banter went on, and despite a short lack of air, the impact had apparently not been quite enough to break her bones.

"You have not given me reason to think otherwise, so yes." Kharn taunted further with a wide shrug. "Perhaps if you could entertain me better, I may change my mind." She readied herself for another strike, but Liese moved first with a wild shout "DANCE". She drew her assault rifle seemingly from nowhere, flicking the switch again to toggle modes.

This time, she fired single shots with each trigger push. One might have believed that against a powerful opponent like the Warmaster, it may have been best to spray with full-auto fire, but Liese quite clearly understood that if she ran out of ammunition, she would have little opportunity to reload against such a monster, not to mention her ammo was highly limited! No, she fire single, heavily accurate shots to keep the Warmaster on her toes; again and again. Even though her shots were precise, the ability, skill and sheer, raw speed of the Warmaster were such that she managed to avoid just about every single of the bullets, weaving, ducking and jumping in an uninterrupted streak of feats of acrobatics that left her right in front of an increasingly amazed Vindicare. "Damn....." she muttered

"Think fast." Kharn sent a jab with the left, but it turned out a feint to cover for another kick coming from the right. Liese managed to mitigate the impact somewhat by bringing her assault rifle down, but the force of the blow was such that it broke the strap and disarmed her partially, sending the firearm flying away to the side. She quickly recovered by putting her second hand on the scythe's hilt and smote down with a powerful blow, hoping to catch Kharn while she was still recovering her equilibrium from the momentum of the kick, but that, too, failed.

With this, she kicked back and sliced down, resulting in a large cloud of dust rising up from her slice. The Warmaster suspected her foe would use the distraction as an opportunity to recover her gun, and thus immediately looked in that direction, prepared to deny the attempted with a terrible blow. Amusingly, Liese just as firmly suspected her foe would be expecting a frontal attack through the dust, so she did not strike yet even though she may have had a good opportunity, instead setting-up a double-layered distraction. Using the cover of the settling sands, she conjured a flock of 5 ravens, which she sent forth to further distract and confused her now rightly surprised opponent by circling around her.

While the birds were circling around the Warmaster, cawing loudly in close proximity, Liese moved in, with a two-handed, powerful horizontal slash. Despite all the diversions, Kharn's reaction speed and monstrous overall speed allowed her to avoid even this first blow. The Vindicare pressed on now that she had the initiative, sending one, two, three, four blows, but all were in some way deflected or dodged by the stunning display of the Warmaster, who managed to catch her foe over-extended and to connect gruesomely with another kick, upwards and to the gut this time.

The outmatched Vindicare's body was sent flying on an arc, hitting the ground painfully about 10 meters away from her foe. The crowd remained silent and held their breath, wondering if she had enough this time. Yet, one more time, the Vindisor rose back up over a few seconds, swinging back her scythe as she took a stance once again.

"I see your friend was not lying, you really are tougher than you appear." A bit of reluctant praise was handed down, finally earned after Liese displayed enough endurance to make the match last this long.

"And you're fast as hell, I'm kinda sad I didn't bring grenades or a flamethrower or something." The Vindisor grinned as she responded casually. Although she had large, nasty bruises on her side and midriff, as well as numerous cuts across her flesh and clothes, she still stood defiant

"You like to play with fire? So do I!" Kharn exclaimed, although without any knowledge of Skulltaker's abilities, the joke was missed by the blonde half-Russian.

"Sounds good, too bad we'll never go on a mission like that, it'd be fun." Liese mused, the errand thought of going on a fire-based purge-type endeavor with the Warmaster that had allowed her to feel all those new, strange sensations crossing her mind.

"If you start to day-dream, you will be dead before you even realize it." Kharn warned, and her opponent took it seriously, snapping out of the short reverie to steady her stance once more.

She also took this time to review her strategy and think a little. Clearly, her previous attempts had all ended in failure, so it was meaningless to try to continue like this, with direct strikes and deceits. No, she needed something different. Something that would somehow prevent that nimble Warmaster from dodging every single attack coming her way. She had a plan, of course, quickly enough, even at that, but it was a gamble, all or-nothing. It was extremely dangerous and would only give her one chance of victory, but that was a chance versus none. In the past - her younger days as a rookie - she would have never allowed herself to go with something so risky, but times had changed. Times, but mostly herself, and this arena, which had her blood pumping so fast she could almost feel it and her mind racing so fast she almost lost herself. Once again, she felt the fighting was enthralling... and perhaps too much so, as the Warmaster managed a direct stab right through her gut! The audience gasped!

...or so it seemed. Liese quickly used her free hand to grasp Kharn's wrist, applying as much iron-tight force has her full strength could muster to keep it in place while the Maerorus was about to speak more banter. She grinned manically. "Dodge this..." She spoke resolutely and began to swing her scythe once more. The Warmaster brought her free claw to bear to parry it, but the strike was a feint, and as soon as it hit the metal, she simply let go of her magical weapon, letting it fall down and quickly drawing her -other-, large battle rifle from inventory as her hand continued to move. Before Kharn could react to this new assault, it was pressed against her own midriff, and the Vindisor crushed the trigger, in full auto.

The thunderous roar of the cannon filled the arena as it vomited steel bullet after steel bullet, going through a good chunk of its magazine in a second and causing the Warmaster's body to spam under the unexpected pain. When the trigger and wrist were finally released as one and Liese stumbled back from her wound, both of them had a similarly-sized hole in the torso, almost like mirrors of one another. Then, and only then, was the buzzer finally heard, to the utter shock and surprise of the audience.

"You are a Vindicare, but you fight with the savagery of a true Eversor, this was unexpected... and fun" Kharn commented, still somewhat surprised by the blow but managing to take it in stride without so much as the smallest sign of weakness.

Liese coughed blood as she tried to speak, clearly the worse for wear of the two. "That makes two of us.. I finally managed to get that itch scratched... thank you..." She let out with some difficulty, stumbling back one more step.

"You are welcome to come again, little bookworm. My arena will always be open for those who can entertain the Blood God." Kharn declared, still looking like the victorious one even though by the rules of the match, Liese technically had won by managing to score a damaging blow before getting knocked out. "Or if you prefer a different kind of entertainment.. come see me after the matches are over and you've been patched up."

The Vindisor paused lightly as she had made to recover her discarded weapon and looked over to the Warmaster who gave a complicit wink, out of the audience's notice. She gulped lightly and nodded, resuming her current course of action. This... would be a long night. In the aftermath of it all, she couldn't even remember why she ever thought she needed to stay away from her fellow Russian in the first place! Still burning up inside, Liese was intercepted by the Venenum after picking up her assault rifle, though the one thing that truly clouded her mind was not wounds, but rather the high of it all...