The stage is set; the two sword-wielders facing each other up in the air. Their eyes burned with overwhelming strength of will as they faced their respective opponent. The two swords, one a silver falchion and the other, a pristine white longsword, gleamed brightly in the sunlight. A long period of silence passed as the two fighters sized each other up.
Signum broke the silence, stating her title, “I am Signum. The Sword Knight of the Wolkenritter…” she readied her sword, brandishing it forward with steely poise, “And this is Laevatein.”
The black-haired stranger replied in kind, “Grandis… Lacetti.” he held his sword forward “And Gottes Rächer.” he readied his stance, a grim smile spread across his face, as if stating his name was somehow a disgrace, “I do not think I deserve the right to follow the Knights’ custom, for I am not qualified. But,” peculiar dark flames, the color like that of dried blood sprouted out of the hilt of his sword and proceeded to cover the entire expanse of his blade, “That does not mean I won’t fight you with all my power.”
“I expect nothing less, if you expect yourself to last thru this battle…” Signum replied.
[Explosion!] echoed Laevatein’s mechanical voice; shooting out a single cartridge to cover Signum’s blade with flames as well.
“Then…” A dark violet Belkan symbol appeared beneath the male, closely followed by a magenta one under Signum, “Prepare yourself,” Grandis shot forward, trailing the crimson blaze emanating from his sword, “Knight Signum!!!” a short battle cry followed.
“Hmph.” Signum lunged forward as well, her own roar of battle leaving her throat as she clashed with Grandis in their first clash of blades.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A collision of swords, several sparks scattered into the air as the two blades collided with each other. One was an ivory longsword, the other a silver falchion; two swords as beautiful as they were deadly; their gleaming edges ripping through the air in insanely quick blurs. Numerous reverberations of steel against steel resounded so quickly in succession that almost only a single metallic ring can be heard; woven together as one continuous chain by the lightning-fast attacks of both combatants.
Signum broke the dance of swords first, sidestepping an attack and jumping back to gain distance.
[Explosion!] announced Laevatein as a single cartridge loaded.
[Schlangenform!] the blades separated, forming a chain-linked whip of razor-sharp bits.
“Haaahh!!!” Signum lashed out with her chain-whip, aiming directly at Grandis’ head.
“Keh-!” Grandis batted away the serrated edges of Signum’s chain-whip, only to find them snapping back at him like a viper lunging at its prey. He jumped back a few meters after blocking yet another attack and plunged the edge of his blade into the ground. “Ascend!” he shouted.
[Mauer des Gaia.]
Slashing upward, he caused a large column of earth to rise unnaturally from the ground, blocking and absorbing almost the entirety of Signum’s attack.
“What the-!” Signum managed to blurt out as Grandis jumped from behind his earthen defense and shot towards her, his once again flaming blade upfront. She quickly imbued her scabbard with magenta-colored energy as she prepared to block his incoming attack.
“Hyaaah!” Gottes Racher slammed powerfully against Laevatein’s scabbard, sending Signum flying back several meters. Despite this, a small smile curved up her lips as Laevatine’s head came bearing down on Grandis from behind. He noticed and managed to block it just in time, his ear almost being cut off if he didn’t avoid in time.
“Tche.” Grandis gritted his teeth in annoyance, loading a single cartridge, he commanded, “Gottes…”
[Flammenhieb.]
“Hyah!!” he hefted up Gottes Racher and slashed downwards, sending a flaming crescent wave straight at Signum.
[Schwertform!] Laevatein chains links reattached themselves to each other, once again forming the falchion.
“Haah!” Signum slashed upward with both sword and scabbard, breaking Grandis’ attack and scattering the flames into the surroundings.
Grandis sent another wave towards Signum and rushed after his shot. Taking the safer course of action, Signum jumped up into the air to evade the incoming crescent of lame and made a shield appear beneath her feet, using it as a springboard to lunge towards the fast-approaching Grandis. She took Leavatein’s handle with both hands and struck simultaneously with her opponent as hard as she could.
*CLANG!!!*
The following impact sent a superheated shockwave of force exploding outwards from the meeting of the two blades. Both sword-users gritted their teeth as their blades grinded mercilessly against each other, both trying to push back the other with their physical power. A low growl escapes each of their lips as each blade loads a single cartridge and sprouts the contrasting flames of the two warriors.
As quickly as the deadlock happened, it broke, turning into an enraged flurry of cuts, thrusts and slashes that sent waves of fire flying around the two combatants. Once again, the two share an insanely fast exchange of attacks that they seemed to be surrounded by a sphere of roiling flames of two distinct colors.
And once again, they broke away from each other, only to rebound back to strike almost simultaneously. This exchange repeated several more times, the two combatants appearing like two flashes of light flying around the air and colliding against each other a number of times every second.
It was a spectacular site to behold; ripples of incinerating flame explode every time the two fighters clash in the air. The ground below them already bears several scars of their duel, with several craters and burning foliage scattered around the vicinity…
Another clash… the deadly dance of steel and flames being broken for the moment by another deadlock between Signum and her opponent… They pressed their swords against the other so powerfully that sparks burst constantly from when the two edges meet. Two pairs of blue eyes of varying shade, much like the color of their flames and magic glared at each other’s intensely. Their eyes belayed no hatred, only showing underlying strength and determination; as well as newfound respect for each other as combatants.
The standstill once again broke.
*CLANG!!!*
“I expected a lot from what I’ve heard about you, Knight Signum… And lo, and behold! It seems like even the rumors doesn’t do you justice.” Grandis was grinning slightly, lending a slightly out of place hint of viciousness in his otherwise genial visage.
*CLANG!!!*
“I’d commend your abilities as well, Lacetti.” Signum replied, smiling as well. She flies back a bit, with Grandis doing the same. They both ready their poses, regaining their breath as they size up each other for renewed set of assaults they knew would come soon afterwards. “As much as I’d like to fight you longer,” Signum started, “I cannot afford to waste my time here. If you’d forgive my selfishness…”
[Explosion!]
Two cartridges shot out from Laevatein, “I’ll have to end this soon, Grandis Lacetti.” She finished, making her scabbard disappear and holding her blade with both hands. A jet of flames sprouts from the shaft of her sword and proceeds to encase Laevatein’s blade with much more powerful flames than before.
“Hmm…” the black-haired man only smiled lightly in return, “Unfortunately,” he raised his sword with both hands above his head in a high stance, “That I cannot allow. Just as you have your duty as a Knight, I have my orders as a mercenary… It’s either I delay you for as long as required. Or..."
[Explosion!]
“I defeat you…” his unnatural dark flames once again wrapped around his own blade, “Any other result… is unacceptable!”
Signum smirked, “Then,” her smile vanished from her lips, replacing her expression with focus, her eyes sharpening, “…let’s see whose result will be obtained.”
“Gladly.” He answered, his own face becoming devoid of emotions, “En Garde!”
With a simultaneous roar, they flew towards each other at top speed, once again clashing in a vicious flare of divergent flames…