- this:
Katsumi held the Henkan I loosely in her hand. It felt strange, wrong almost. A long black trench coat covered her body. A white shirt sat loosely upon her torso. Baggy black pants sheathed her lower half. All together the effect kept her overly thin body hidden. Sand crunched beneath her boots. A crowd of people screamed from the stands around her. Maybe this hadn't been such a great idea. Avin had suggested it. He'd wanted her to get back on her feet instead of moping around. They'd escaped that death game, LAO, little over six months ago. It was time to move on and move forward.
The black hair sweeping down her back was blown into her face by a sudden wind. Great. Her fingers trembled with effort simply getting it out of the way. It was nearly impossible for her to put it up. Not because she was weak though the arena managers clearly thought she was. They'd given her a partner. Katsumi bit her lip as she advanced across the sand with the other contestants in this tournament. She didn't need a partner. She'd never needed a partner. Her weakness came from the terror. The fear that irrationally rose with anything that reminded her of LAO. Like her scar that her hair was covering. Or wielding a weapon.
She looked down at the strange Henkan. It would supposedly grant her magic similar to the Sword Arts she'd been used to. She wasn't sure she was ready for that either. The desire to protect people was strong. Katsumi wanted to succeed in the real world where she had failed in LAO. However, the burning question came down to was her desire to protect others strong enough to overcome the scars LAO had left on her heart? Her fingers tightened on the Henkan. Today was the day to find out. She'd been training for months simply for this chance. Now was the time to test herself. Throwing her head back, Katsumi steeled herself for the upcoming fights. If her partner arrived, she'd tolerate him or her. Until then, she'd move through these fights on her own.
Katsumi felt the arena shudder as the sands shifted. Fighters were moved into their pairings before steel grey walls rose to separate them all. Katsumi slowly pulled out the Henkan II. She wasn't sure of her skills in a real fight. It would be better to start off with everything she had. Her opponent clearly didn't feel the same. He was picking his nose, looking at her with contempt. How he thought he could look good in a pink gi was beyond Katsumi. She waited for the start signal. The announcer echoed around the arena. She ignored his words until he came to her fight. "For Fight Four, we have Hibiki versus the Black Swordswoman! This swordswoman is a newbie to the tournament this year! Lets see what she's got! Ready! Start!"
Katsumi didn't waste time twisting the lacrima on the Henkans. One transformed into a near perfect copy of her sword from LAO. The other turned into a small pistol. Katsumi had to take a deep breath. The thought of raising her sword again filled her with fear. Hibiki of course had no such issues. He taunted her as he strut across the sand. "What's the matter, Black Swords girl? Not feeling up to snuff? Don't worry I know how intimidating I am." Kasumi's eyes slid open slowly. There was no end to this man's arrogance. She'd have to teach him the meaning of respect. A fight was supposed to be a test of strength between to fighters. Not a show of who was stronger, who held more power.
"I think, Mr. Hibiki, that you underestimate me." The black haired woman said calmly. She turned so that her body was bladed toward Hibiki. Slowly Katsumi sunk into a ready position. "Shall I teach you what I can do?" Hibiki barked out a laugh. Before he could say anything, Katsumi darted forward. Her pistol echoed several times. Hibiki stumbled back in response. He clearly hadn't thought she'd attack first. 'I hope you got those voice commands working' Katsumi thought silently at Elizabeth. She'd created the Henkan and had always told Katsumi she'd code it with voice commands. "Henkan II, Sword configuration!" Katsumi shouted as she planted her feet and swung.
Unfortunately, the command didn't work. The pistol whistled through the air. Hibiki looked a bit relieved. That is until the black sword cut into his shoulder. Katsumi couldn't believe this guy had made it into the tournament. He wasn't even a real challenge. She put two shots into his left foot. Not a move she would have normally done. Contempt shouldn't have a place in a fight. It was meant for before or afterwards. Hibiki screamed as if he'd had his foot cut off. He hit the ground, trying to flail at Katsumi. She sighed, knocking away each blow with a sweep of her sword. Hibiki wasted so much time, the girl was able to transform the Henkan II into its sword form. Something that wouldn't have been possible against a real fighter.
"You're a disgrace, Mr. Hibiki." Katsumi said casually. Her swords were darting between his flailing to deal small amounts of damage. She could have cut his limbs off but Katsumi wasn't doing this to be cruel. She was here to test herself. To see if she could stand with mages that protected the world on a daily basis. "You should have more respect for yourself as a fighter. This... this disgraces you and your master." Hibiki tried to activate some sort of spell or skill. Katsumi sighed softly. Now he tried to fight for real? What a waste of effort. Lunging forward, the black swordswoman pinned Hibiki to the ground. The last of his HP slowly slid to zero in her imaginary display. "You're done" She whispered, yanking her swords back out. Hibiki collapsed into the sand and the crowd erupted.
Katsumi didn't acknowledge the crowd as she spun away from her finished opponent. The swords spun in her hands as she made a movement to sheathe them on her back. Wait. Her body locked into that position. She was back. Back in that game of death. She'd just defeated a difficult oppponent, collected the XP and was about to return to town. Her breathing grew rapid. No. She'd just escaped. She couldn't be back. She'd couldn't! They said it was impossible. Katsumi's throat seized as a scream was locked inside. Her eyes were wide, not seeing the arena. She only saw the forest of Floor Fifteen. The slow deliberate movement of mobs in the trees, their red cursors taunting her. Her mind had trapped her back inside Lacrima Arts Online.
WC: 1200
@BlessedBeatrix
Last edited by Katsumi on 21st February 2019, 11:27 pm; edited 2 times in total