The First Fall

[17:01] It was time for another round of sparring. But more importantly for Nemein, it was time to see what his month of training in solitude did for him. One whole month, training his every aspect. From the heat of his flames to the way he swung the blade, everything was improved in small increments. But practicing by one's self always had a limit. The epiphany that he found was no longer the sole inspiration of his motivation.

"Give it your all."

It is a simple statement, one spoken with the same impassioned countenance as per usual. But with the sword's hilt now warm in his hands, Id could see him gradually expressing himself. The emerald irises held a glint of passion, to demonstrate the fruit of his training thus far. But more importantly, to put himself on equal footing with the green cloaked fistfighter.

The blade is raised, hands tightly wrapped around the hilt, fully intending to swing it about with a wild, pure, and destructive way of fighting. His lips move, ready to utter a word, but he soon refuses to do so. The back foot is leaned upon, shifting the blade to his right side in preparation for his first attack.
(Nemein Sparda)
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[17:19] For one to be spurred into such a form of growth as she, there had to be extreme influences. Kirai, Soren, Oldra, Nerin, Agrien, Myrra, Iskan, Audree, Fooma, Robin and even Nemein himself. They all played major hands, along with others, in shaping her and in giving her a reason to change. They gave her something she hadn't truly known before as life had never been kind to her, even if what Kirai gave her was negative to an extreme.

They all gave her a worthwhile reason to change and with the Kurokaiyo exile's words to her, it all merged into the catalyst of her evolution. For once, she's not drowning underneath her guilt and it's only because she has people to hoist her out of it. Id believes they won't let her drown in shame and it gives her strength. Not of body, but of mind and enough for her to reach upwards.

That kind of support is what she needed all along.

Her right hand grasps the top of the hood from above it and she lowers the green cloth. It's not because she wants Nemein to see her particularly, but a combination of the force of will she's becoming. Her refusal to give up, her want to protect what she's found and her desire to change just to fit into it.

Two emerald green eyes stare towards the blonde across from herself, but glance to her left as well as she reaches up to brush a few stray green hairs from her face. A frown is portrayed. She's not used this at all, but she finally shows her face of her own volition. Not because someone else egged her into it, not because it was required or someone shattered her mask.

Only because she wants to prove something and for a smaller, mostly unknown reason. She had to find her mentor again. The scarred hands rise into a basic fighting stance as she prepares to attempt to take down Nemein once more. As she breathes, the mana she pours into the surrounding oxygen with such a motion is visible and especially and strangely blue for several moments until it fades into the mundane color of Wind Magic.

Of course she'd shift through all of her tactics in order to make the point apparent that she hasn't been slacking in her training. Another glance towards Iskan is made and then she locks her attention onto her Exarch opponent.
(Id)
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[17:30] He's not fast enough. Will Nemein ever be fast enough to catch her?

She assails him with strong hits to the torso and arms, pressuring his joints to prevent him from attacking much at all. When he attempts to strike back, she rolls with the blow, taking it as a glancing hit or dodges it entirely.

But that isn't enough for her. She has to see him become a challenge for her. Nemein is struck in the torso by an exceptionally strong palm strike and her fingers curl inwards abruptly as he's knocked off of his feet to hold him in place without letting him fully drop to the floor.

There's an intense stare from her emerald eyes as she attempts to create eye contact, then her lips twitch and she releases the poor Exarch onto his back and moves back to her original spot.
(Id)
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[17:33] The Exarch was beaten by speed. The pure blur that struck him down was enough to have him rise again. ALl of that time spent trying to improve only to be bested with a flurry of hits did not sit right with him. The intense stare is returned, a defiance, a refusal to fall tot he ground and end it simply there.

He had to try one more time.

The hilt of the sword is grasped, clutching it tightly in hand as he rises up for one more bout. "I do not give up easily, Id." It is all that the Exarch states before once more, despite the pain in his joints, he readies himself for yet another round.
(Nemein Sparda)
[17:44] Swift jab into shoulder-check.

Nemein is practically bullied by the green-haired girl as a swift fist hits him in the chest and she follows through with a point blank explosion of ethereal mana from her legs to allow her to shoulder charge him with extreme force.

He doesn't have any chance to beat her and is knocked onto his back by her tackle. She frowns as she glances over towards the sidelines, then a faintly-scarred hand is offered to the floored Exarch to help him up if his pride isn't shattered by this.
(Id)
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[17:46] Once again, the Exarch is overwhelmed by unnatural speed of Id. Once more, he finds himself defeated, but not undeterred. THe hand is accepted, the blade momentarily forgotten about on the floor. For what is only a brief moment, Nemein stares into Id's eyes, refusing to yield, despite the embarrassment he stood to face before the audience.

Once more, the Exarch moves back over towards the forgotten blade on the ground, picking up one final time. It was a test of patience, a test of skill. Despite what he felt within, what mattered most of all was that there was a sense of understanding to the flurry of Id's movements. He was, at least, learning something from this engagement.
(Nemein Sparda)
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[17:51] Her expression shifts after she gets back into position, noting that Nemein has once again gotten up. Her cheeks puff up with as she inhales. Is... is she pouting because he wants to continue and she can't fight someone else? She looks to her left again---

Her eyes go wide like a spooked deer for only a few moments as she tries to force her control over her composure, but it's not going to last very long. In fact, it's likely she'll hide her face again very, very soon.

It's too early in her path forward for her to keep that hood off for much longer. Despite this, she ducks and weaves forward to strike at Nemein.
(Id)
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[17:58] Third's time the charm, as they often say. Once more, the Exarch is bested. But it mattered not what they perceived or their many thoughts about his ability to fight. What mattered from this battle was that he learned. Each and every flurry of jabs is responded towards. Each mana powered kick dents his armor further and further.

But it mattered little to the Exarch, who'se one goal in the now was to learn from the mistakes of his failures. The blade isn't loosened from his grip this time around, rising up to his feet with a haggard breath expelling from each exhale. It was clear to see that he was gradually reaching his limit.

But limits were meant to be discovered, broken, then reforged again from the ashes of defeat. No matter how many times it took, Nemein would fight until his last breath. One last exhale is given as he raises the sword for battle, his eyes staring forward, rather than directly at Id.

"Give it your all."

They were words to live by, refusing to fight at anything less. A battle of a lifetime awaited the Exarch, whether he lived or survived was meaningless in the face of danger. Every battle was a learning experience, every fight a trial of patience.

Thankfully, Nemein had plenty of patience.
(Nemein Sparda)
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[18:04] "Hngh..."If that's what he really wants, she will.

A linen-wrapped foot slams into the floor in front of her as she takes up a stance that seems like it's almost halfway between Valmasian and Shengese. Id exhales, her breath wholly visible and laced with mana. She'd pummel him if that's what he really wanted, as much as she didn't want to hurt him, she understands that request.

She understands it all too well. A nod is given as her aura becomes more chaotic in appearance, the pale color briefly becoming deeper in color, more vibrantly blue, before returning to normalcy.
(Id)
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[18:13] A deep hiss is elicited from the exarch. The pain was starting to weigh him down. The fourth and final fall had taken quite the toll on his being. Even for a hardy man like Nemein. After a few seconds of laying still, Nemein finally relents. There'd be no desire to fight, for now.

"I'm gonna feel that in the morning..." He grunts, finally rising up. This time, he makes his way over to the side, deciding to get some rest beforehand rather than jumping right back into another bout.
(Nemein Sparda)
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