[EVENT} Fairy Festival Battle: Mura v. Johann [Contestants Only]

Now that the parade was officially over, Arcadia  flew down to the platform Master Sorano stood on to address the crowds. The little slayer remaining invisible as she reverted to her human-self. Little Arcadia pulled her iLac from its specially sewn pocket, and quietly texted her friends from the Magnolia Theatre Company to stand ready. After nearly dying on a recent job that probably saved the company's biggest star, she figured they  would be owing her quite a few favors for awhile.  Arranging special non-magical fireworks to light up the skies over the designated  dueling areas around Magnolia was just a small beginning. They'd hang in place long enough to guide people who wanted to watch in person. Arcadia was pretty sure they'd look pretty boss on the screens set up for remove viewing too.

When Master Sorano finished her closing speech on the parade, Arcadia  let herself become invisible, and she walked  forward to introduce those who would be fighting.  She beckoned the floating microphone lacrima down lower, and let her voice be cast all over to be heard by all. ”Thank you, Master Sorano! And now... let me introduce all the those who dare to enter  the Fairy Ring!  We have four matches with brave contestants who will test each other's skill to the limits! Each pair have been chosen to ensure a fair and entertaining match! Who will win! Who will fall! Our contestants will not be just fighting each other, but time as well! If neither has won decisively before the allotted time has won out, our honorable, All-Saints panel of judges will confer and vote on the ultimate winner!”

Keeping her iLac subtly at her side, she texted the signal and fireworks shot up in all the designated dueling areas around the city. When the pyrotechnic rockets exploded their colors made the faces of the wizards who would battling in each designated area directly below.

”Just follow the faces in the sky to the matches that interests you most! Or watch them all the many screens set up  and down the main thoroughfare here! Refreshments, souvenirs and more are available at our sponsor's booths and don't forget the half-priced drinks right here in our own guild hall!”

Little Arcadia announced, ”In Designated Dueling Area: Avalon! It's the Battle of the Saints! We have one of Fairy Tail's most senior aces! MURA KENSHO! Vs! The always awesome! Ace of the WFTC! My dude! JOHANN VAN WEISS!!”

(Please do post here unless you are a constant specified in the introduction/thread title. Thank you!)

The fire works form and hold the colorful portraits of the contestants in the sky above their battlefield. (Vs. Icon by Dezzie)

@mura kensho @johann

The time had finally come. His feet were lighter than usual, holding him elevated above the ground a little more than when he just stood normally. He knew that in order to please the crowds around the arena, he would have to put up not just a good fight, but a sparkly and colorful one as well. And he had to do well like to the show that the lady Fairies put up before - he might not have been a performer of lightshows, but he was just as lively a Fairy Tail member as any other!

Today, his tomoe cloak - usually to symbol the five tomoes that he possessed - was gone, and he donned his good-old Toad Sage gi (black gi with white contour) just like the good old days. His headphones were put away back at the guild, and his duck-tail was tied to a spiky man-bun. Kyuken was floating as a blue spirit ball on the right side next to his head while Zirconis, the green dragon ghost ball was on his left side.

As he entered the ring, he heard the sourceless voice of Arcadia, the adorable Ice Dragon Slayer. Why she decided to speak out without being seen… well, it didn’t bother him that much. What caught him by surprise was more likely the faces that appeared from the fireworks - it was a tad goofy, but that was totally his face. The other face was that of Kyuken’s drinking rival, the Ace of the West Fiore Trade Company. So this would be both a battle between two Aces and two Wizard Saints at once… essentially, excluding the opponent’s elevated Wizard Saint position.

Even with his hair tied up, the wind managed to wave his man-bun a little.

“Let’s give them a show, Johann…!”

Pulling the white silk gloves over his hands, his usual, steel inlaid lacrima gloves left behind, Johann stepped up into the arena, clad in the usual white uniform of the West Fiore Trading Company, though this one seeming a little more athletic as to not hinder his movements. Briefly, he was startled by the sudden rush, a rush he had never experienced, the cheering of the crowd a sensation the newly appointed God of Ishgar had not anticipated. That constituted about the only reason he was here as well, to represent himself as one of the Wizard Saints of Fiore. He had originally accepted the Magic Council's offer to the title to better the standing of the West Fiore Trading Company, but had learnt that the position was also a public one, the man now having to show himself as one of the bastions of good in all of Fiore. it was associated with a decent pressure, but ... Johann was the challenger, after all. He would give Magnolia what it wanted, a show, he would show them what he could do.

Lifting his gaze to the sky as the enormous explosions of sparks and colour formed not just the face of his contestant, but also his own, accompanied by a familiar voice announcing the impending start of the duel. Immediately, he felt like burying his face in his hands in shame, not only being called VAN Weiss, the world would forever misspell his name, but Arcadia, the Dragon Slayer girl of Fairy Tail calling him "my dude" was too much, referencing the events that had occured around halloween, events and behaviour he would much rather forget about. Still, he acknowledged the need to put on a face, keeping himself composed as he bowed before his opponent for today, deeply and with respect to the mage of Fairy Tail. The breeze picked up, his shoulder length silver hair swinging back and forth a little as he raised his left hand, running a finger of the right around his left wrist, forming a bracelet of runes that lit up in 10 different colours, lowering the hand once again to assume a fighting stance. Confident, he answered "Yeah, let's. May the best win, friend !", offering Mura the first move, remaining steady.

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HP: 600 / 600
MP: 1215 / 1260

Additional Rules:
● No Weapons & Equipment / Pets

Stats:

Used Spells and Abilities:

It wasn’t too long until the other contestant entered the arena, clad in a white suit in the honor of WFTC and a troubled look for a brief moment. Maybe he was afraid of big crowds? From his point, Mura couldn’t really pinpoint the exact reason, but alas, the tall lad was just as ready to begin the fight as Mura was - the shaman already decided to pick up a small grain of sand and clench it into his hand. Now, how should I start the battle?, he thought, If blitz and sparkly colors is what the audience wants, then…

Every heated battle started with a bang, so for once, the shaman grabbed Zirconis’ ghost form and seemingly dissolved it in his grasp. Dragon and human collided inside his body in an acceptable synchronization, each entity sharing the same goal. Dark-green scales grew out of his arms and cheeks resembling Dragon Force among the few Dragon Slayers that Mura had witnessed enter that power. A ferocious aura manifested itself around him as the spell settled, readying the collection of just enough mana to unleash the first attack.

Oh, the crowd was going to love this. Gladly, the arena was wider than he imagined before - he wouldn’t dare accidently hurt any spectators nearby.

As his magic power collected itself, green aura leaked out from beneath the arena’s floor. Without warning, the shaman’s entire body was enveloped in an eruption of green, blazing mana that shot up from the surface, quickly expanding its radius from beneath the ground and pressuring even the air around the stage. The eruption was approaching Johann as fast as it could with its top points resembling a crown of sorts…

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HP: 600
MP: 540

Stats:

Used Spells & Abilities:

Johann grinned broadly, instinct overtaking conscious thought, joy replacing the embarrassment he had felt at first, the heat of the upcoming fight drowning out everything around as his vision centered on his opponent, the cheers and screams of the crowd quickly fading when the other made his first move. In an impressive display of magical aptitude Mura seemingly started covering his skin in scales before unleashing a blast of powerful magical energy that, after spreading out, burst up from the ground with primal force, rising up high as it coalesced and started to form shape, exploding forth towards Johann. The Vice President did not even think about making a single move, nor did he intend on blocking the spell. Quite to the contrary, he took the spells full force, the burning aura of emerald magical power surrounding him, starting to burn the exposed skin and creep up further, the edges of his white uniform beginning to singe from the onslaught of magic, though the spell quickly subsided just as fast as it had come. Admittedly one of the more painful spells Johann had endured, especially with these strange scales that had formed around the burn marks on his skin, but not even close to the worst he had ever felt, the God of Ishgar standing straight, still in the same spot he had been in before, unmoved, his eyes still centered on Mura Kensho. "Impressive ...", the silver haired male opened his mouth and raised one hand, gently touching his forehead with his right ring finger, "... but just as you are not alone in this fight, neither am I", a cackle choing through the depths of Jo's mind just as he had finished speaking these words, mumbling to himself a short, confident prayer, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength", before the air around him suddenly began to flicker. The burn marks and jade scales on his body rescinded, the skin restored in a matter of a moment back to its old, perfect state.

"Now it's our turn, Mars !", the concentration of magical power around the VP intensifying before suddenly bursting into an aura of scarlet energy, his left eye changing its regular colour from white to a deep, endless black, the pupil in the ocular's middle flaring up with crimson colour. From his form, wave after wave of magical pressure emitted, sending ripples through the air around him as he took a deep breath, a wide, pleased grin spreading across his face. "On it", the deep, almost distorted voice spoke from the VP's mouth, Mars, the demonic entity sealed within his body exerting his control over the vessel they shared as he dropped to the ground, touching it gently before it started to rumble. Where he had touched the ground, an almost translucent orb of pure energy rising from it where he had touched it, now hanging low in the air in the middle of the arena. Immediately, the spell unfurled its effect, the pure, gravitational force exerting its extreme play of pushing and pulling, the air around it starting to swirl as it formed a vortex of air and dust that quickly expanded outward. Johann hoped that the arena was wide enough to accomodate the spell and, if not, that the magical barrier raised on the edge of the ring for explicitly this purpose would hold. If Mura would not find a way to avoid the spell that had turned the vastest part, if not actually the entire arena into a circulating tornado he too would be affected by the pull, but not only that. Now Johann's runic bracelet came into play, the VP quickly snapping his fingers before, in an intense flash of light and heat, the entirety of the vortex lit up with blazing, black flame, forming an inescapable inferno that sucked everything around it in, even magical energy. Inside the vortex of flame, Johann still remained in almost the same spot as before, surrounded by his flames, scanning for his opponents next move.

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HP: 600 / 600 ( -60, +150)
MP: 1.113 / 1260 (+63 MP Regen every post)

Additional Rules:
● No Weapons & Equipment / Pets

Stats:

Used Spells and Abilities:

Johann appeared to ready himself to… just stand there. Was this spell not enough to push the tall lad? At that point, Mura fell into a slight confusion as he witnessed it all with his own eyes - surely, Johann took his emerald attack head on without lifting anything. The scales were burnt onto his body, too… but just as quickly as Mura spotted them, they faded away and left his skin unharmed. This was one of the stronger caliber spells that Mura had in possession, and Johann tanked it all without worry.

He had to find something that could sink deep enough into Johann to last a little longer than that.

"Oh shit, back, back, back, back..." Immediately, the shaman moved further away from his opponent, while green aura left a track on his way. Johann made it clear that they both were accompanied by someone during battle; he must’ve meant just like with Mura’s ghost pals on his sides. Although, despite being the descendant of an Olympian god, Mura had never heard of this 'Mars'. Anyway, Ripping off a few chunks of his left side of his shirt, he spawned yet another weapon in his arsenal; a long, fiery, white blade and spikes that overall appeared to look like the half of a flying swan. Speed was preferred for this round of action, and Mura wanted to see just how much that Johann could take.


Magic gathered around a singularity a certain length above the ground at Johann’s position. It didn’t take so long before the entire arena underwent a cataclysmic change - whose magnitude was akin to that of a black hole, Johann’s spell almost shattered the space and caused air and vacuum to bristle and expand in all directions, transforming into a visible tornado. At that point, Mura had charged back as soon as the first signs were apparent, the tip of his Battle Control blade emitting a ray of light. This ray unleashed into a sudden blast that was aimed directly at Johann’s position, but partly to hit the spell that he unleased given it surrounding him like a storm mail.

If Mura had put enough mana into it, he could remove the large tornado’s source of mana and dispel it. He immediately unleashed another quick swing with the huge blade, emitting a sudden burst of slashes in all colors that expanded out from his position, cutting through none of the solid material in the arena, but only aimed to injure the soul of his target.

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HP: 600 (+2 S-Rank Single-Target Endurance)
MP: 420 (-60 from Battle Control, -60 from Ignorant Edge)

Stats:

Used Spells & Abilities:

The blazing firestorm began to swirl intensely, black flames thrown up higher and higher into the air as the smoke and circulating air formed a spinning tornado that wreaked havoc across the entire arena. The silver haired Vice President was satisfied with the never before tested effect the spell had, summoning a catastrophe of enormous proportions on command. This contributed all the more to his sudden surprise when a blast of light broke through the pure black of the swirling flames, Johann reacting instinctively by releasing a burst of wind that launched him out of the way and to the very right edge of the arena at extreme speeds just in time, the sound barrier breaking as he moved and the ray of energy slammed into the spot he had just been in. With little delay, the sphere of force in the middle of the vortex burst into a puff, a shatter of sparks, the flaming tornado of black fire around receding immediately, the heat dying down immediately before, with a hiss, the flames vanished entirely, the arena, although scorched in places, returning back to its original state. "As expected of a Wizard Saint of Fiore", he shook his head, a satisfied smile forming on his lips. He had expected someone strong, and the Fairy Tail mage had delivered, glad that this opponent provided him with a challenge. Mura wouldn't give him a break to lose himself in idle chatter, though, instantly following his attack up with a flurry of glowing slashes aimed at him, whizzing through the air towards his new position.

The attack wasn't necessarily the fastest, but still faster than the rune mage could move or evade. He had already used the burst of wind to get himself out of the way of the other spell, he could've cast a shield, but the attack was nearly upon him already. He had no time to cast it and so, in a defiant attempt to block the incoming damage, raised his arms and crossed them before his head, the impact hitting him like a truck and throwing him back several meters, though he managed to remain on his feet. The pain was there, but ... it was different. It weren't his arms that felt like they had taken the brunt of the force, but his body, more specifically his insides. He couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly it was, he had never experienced anything like that before until Mars made himself known, his deep voice growling "Son of a ... that actually hurt, tssehehe", the realization hitting the VP. If Mars had felt the damage of the attack then it must've meant that the other had targeted his spirit directly, his soul, the essence of his being that had merged with the Second Seal. "Not bad", the Lord of War continued, the glowing eye remaining in its socket as the VP raised his head, Mars taking control of the vessel, his gaze once again centering on the opponent. "This is starting to get interesting, tsehe ... my turn again". Around his head, a halo of spinning crystals, black in colour, materialized, the pain he felt vanishing into nothing as once again, he was restored to perfect condition.

The Lord of War grinned broadly. In one sweep, he stretched out his right hand, a swirl of what appeared like pure, ink coloured energy forming within his grasp before expanding out, forming a tangible object within it in a mere moment, Mars twirling the pitch black scythe between his fingers playfully as he brought it around, grasping it firmly with both hands, the blade of the newly created weapon lighting up with the same black flames that had been present in the vortex before. Without loosing much time, Mars activated another ability that he had kept up his sleeve, simply vanishing into nothing before instantly appearing right behind his opponent, the warp speed he had moved at making the travel from point a to point b appear like instant teleportation. Without hesitation, he swung down the blade of pure antimatter at immense speed (225m/s) towards his foe for a carefully aimed slash, spinning the blade around before grasping it with his other hand, swinging it towards his opponent once more at similarly inhuman velocity. Regardless of whether the two strikes would have made contact or not Mars would immediately take steps back and get a good few meters between himself and Mura, extending his hand towards the other duelist to cause a magic circle to appear beneath his feet. If he would not block the attack or move out of the way quickly Mura would be struck by the own amplified gravity of his own weight crashing down on him, crushing the mage against the ground of the arena and, with high probability, make him unable to move.

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HP: 600 / 600 (-60, +120)
MP: 1.086 / 1260 (+63 MP Regen every post)

Additional Rules:
● No Weapons & Equipment / Pets

Stats:

Used Spells and Abilities:

… Hmpf. Only a few moments passed by after this blurry of attacks from the shaman before Johann recovered again. That must’ve meant that he was also able to recover injuries on his spiritual domain… that was a minus for Mura. As powerful as he had become, the God of Ishgar was simply on his own league in comparison. And it only seemed that he got stronger throughout the battle… just how far could he get? Where would he hit the wall?

The blade on his right side of the armor that he had summoned slowly transformed into a scythe itself upon spotting Johann’s new spell. It was a kind of compliment to the cool ability that the other Ace possessed. Relative flames surrounded the opponent’s razor, and Mura began to reflect over the guy’s powers; he had spawned a sort of air hole, dark fires and lots of regeneration from whatever Mura threw at him. The shaman would have to see if anything from Hades’ arsenal could inflict more damage on the other Wizard Saint…

Oh thank god for the accelerated reflexes. Johann had decided to teleport behind the shaman in blinding speed, but the scythe just scratched air as the Battle Control spell moved Mura out of the way. “Argh, get away from that thing!!!” Kyuken warned the shaman, having taken the initiation of dodging the attack instead of, say, blocking it and getting an open space for another attack. If it was because of the scythe’s danger, then Mura would have to erase it with the Ignorant Edge again.

Johann quickly followed up with another spell beforehand. A magic circle appeared beneath the shaman’s feet and suddenly dragged him down, the armor around his Battle Control and the clear aura around himself dissolving rapidly. In repulsion over the pain dealt to his body under such conditions, Mura aimed the exposed sword at the magic circle on the ground and released another Ignorant Edge to negate the gravity spell.


Drops of blood trickled down his temples from the change in gravity earlier. A dark aura suddenly engulfed him and began healing, and the trickling blood slowly vaporized and lessened the amount of damage received.

"... See? I can heal like this, too..."

All the while, the previously discreet scythe that was now exposed without the armor around charged out like the tongue of a chameleon to rip at Johann’s soul inside his body. The scythe left a black trail of fog on its way to him, a cold and eerie sensation spreading over the arena and even affecting the air around the spectators.

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HP: 399 (-501 from Sera Gravitatis (-240 damage dealt to Battle Control and ‘Eyes On The Neck’ which are no more = -261 to HP from Sera Gravitatis), +60 from Plouton)
MP: 315 (-60 from another Ignorant Edge, -75 from Soul Tear, -45 from Plouton)

Stats:

Used Spells & Abilities:

Mars grit his teeth when Mura's spell seemed to maneuver him out of the way of his strikes with the ink-black weapon, the scythe only leaving a trail of black flame whizzing through the air behind it as it missed its intended target, his mood instantly lifted, however, when he saw the pressure of the gravity spell take effect, slamming the opponent down. Still, despite the spell taking hold, the other Wizard Saint seemed prepared for this situation as well, the blade of light he had used to erase the singularity before now erupting down and into the magic circle that had appeared beneath the Fairy Tail mage's feet. "Tsss", Mars dashed back, seeing the enemy stand back up, visibly hurt, wounded perhaps, but unrelenting, the resolve of the other impressing even the Horseman of War who, before this point, had been very much sure of his immutable prospect of total victory, his certainty wavering for just a second. That in itself was an admission of the Saint's strength, at least as far was the Lord of War was concerned, though within his chest, his heart, a calmly smoldering spark, the will to battle imposed on him by his vessel, flaring up into a roaring flame, the look in his dual coloured eyes twisting. Mars refused to let this go, another feeling besides ferocity and determination arising within the Second Seal: The respect for an equal. Mars' grin widened when his gaze met Mura's eyes, the dark aura around the Saint of Spirit beginning to heal the damage his body had sustained.

Still clutching the black scythe alight with onyx flame in his right hand, the Lord of War watched as Mura unleashed the power of his own scythe, the weapon bursting forth with unprecedented speed towards him, leaving him a fraction of a second, no, more like no time to react at all, the distance between the two combatants simply too short to even attempt moving out of the way of the attack in time, the full force of the attack striking Mars across the chest of his vessel, the familiar, burning pain inside setting in once more, Mars launched back by the intensity of the sudden strike that lifted him off his feet and threw him to the ground, skidding across the slightly charred ground of the arena for a few meters before his body came to a halt, the flaming weapon on the ground next to him. His vision faltered for a second, the body he possessed involuntarily coughing up a small stream of blood that started running down the side of his cheek as he steadied himself, raising himself up on one knee. From the Lord of War's lips all that could be heard was but a whisper, a giggle, the subtle sound,"tssehehehe ...", dancing through the arena for just a few moments, the change in magical pressure and tension between the two duelists almost tangible.

Once more the spinning corona of dark crystals swirling around his head lit up with energy, and while his own body had already worked on reversing the damage dealt to the vessel, the crown of life would neutralize the damage with a more spiritual nature. Inside the mind of these two beings that shared a single body, right in this moment, a quick exchange of words was taking place, the two creatures united in their fight centering their attention solely on the opponent. "You don't reckon you could give me full control for the rest of this ?" Mars asked the Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company. "Hmm ... this is supposed to be a friendly duel, you know. This is different from the world out there", Mars smirking to himself. He knew how to handle the silver haired male just as much as the other knew how to deal with him. "We did promise them a show, did we not ?", the smirk extending to Johann. "Fair enough, but ... don't overdo it", Mars simply nodding in response as the VP stepped back into the shadows of subconsciousness to watch, but not interfere unless needed.

Mars on the other hand now stood up from his kneel, lifting his head, revealing the excited smile on his lips, the other, unaffected eye now, too, changing its colour from white to ink-black, the crimson pupil in the middle shining with magical energy, extending out his right hand, the scythe returning to his grasp in an instant. The distance between himself and the opponent was still minimal, he needed space. With one, playful sweep of his hand, the runes adorning the vessel's body, along with the Lord of War's eyes, flaring up in an intense orange glow, he sent out a wave of pure heat and similarly dark flame as before, the inferno rapidly surging forward, spreading, increasing in intensity as it expanded out into a wide cone of flame before the Second Seal. This would give him the time he needed, vanishing on the spot once again, reappearing in the air above the arena. Without delay, a pair of black strings, pure darkness, burst from the vessel's back, acting as wing that held the Seal aloft, hovering in place as his eyes once again centered on Mura Kensho. Hopefully, the swath of flame had distracted the other contestant enough to buy some time. Extending out his left hand once more, within it he collected a surge of pure magical power, untainted kinetic force that was shaped into a piercing projectile, Mars' eyes following Mura's movements as he let go of the spell, the arrow of energy zapping through the air towards its target.

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HP: 600 / 600 (-150, +120, +30 HP Regen every post)
MP: 1.081 / 1260 (+63 MP Regen every post)

Additional Rules:
● No Weapons & Equipment / Pets

Stats:

Used Spells and Abilities:

Alright, direct hit with the scythe looked painful to the God of Strength. Achievement unlocked. However, a huge issue was blinking in Mura’s head - using Hades’ powers took a huge toll on his mana, so he couldn’t use many spells right now. However, after what he had experienced, the Darkness Magic proved most effective among his arsenal against Johann.

… Did he hear a giggle? During the small pause of watching Johann recover the injury, the shaman could’ve sworn that he heard a chuckle escape the snow-haired wizard’s mouth. That stupid halo appeared again on top of his head, too - next time that Johann manifested that, he’d do smart and target it instead of him. You know, it just appeared to keep spawning whenever the opponent had to recover damage. It was also… like, the second time that it appeared or something.

A wave was quickly sent towards Mura. Readying his Battle Control sword, he flew up and became wary of the lack of armor around him. He should save mana for a restoration of that spell later. The fires below died out quickly, too - in which case, Johann had switched position during Mura’s evasion of the previous spell. That sly dude!

Remembering Kyuken’s words, Mura figured that he shouldn’t get hit. Tilting to the right, he quickly swung the spirit-empowered Harusame from the left side to the right in a horizontal cut to meet the next spell launched at him.

However, this spell delivered devastating power and completely shattered his sword, driving right through Mura’s belly before the shaman realized that his magic couldn’t stop it. A sore pain travelled across his body, and all sounds turned to echoes for a brief moment as Mura found himself descending instead of ascending. His magic usually couldn’t damage solid property, but the mere descension of his body crashed up a good chunk of the arena below, leaving him in a pool of crumbled rock.

“Hnng… h-hurts…” his black magic quickly began healing the injury on his belly where the spell pierced through, leaving the body part restored efficiently but the stamina and magic weary. Despite having healed his body, he still felt such a violent pain surge through his body. It was wrathful… almost like burning in fire. “Mura! Mura, are you there?!” Kyuken shouted up in fright. “Y-Yeah… what a shame.” His limbs felt heavier than before, only at like 1/3rd capability. Slowly looking down his body, there was also an apparent hole on his shirt… piss. He only had 5 of these, and he could only buy them in Midi.

He rose up on his feet calmly for a change. His breath was heavy, but his glare hadn’t lost its fighting spirit as he eyed Johann up in the air. Taking one more of that… yeah, if this wasn’t just a friendly duel…, he thought for a brief instance, Man, this is very hard… and unlike his halo thing, my magic can’t follow up with the regeneration. I still feel low on energy… He’d have to act carefully from now on.

... The God's soul was exposed thanks to Soul Tear. Exposed. He could use the last spell in Hades' caliber, the Harvest. Immediately, black arms shot out from Mura's back and charged up towards Johann's position, grabby hands and all greedy on getting a hold of the chunks that were leaking out of him.

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HP: 125 (-334 from Sagitta Penetrabilior, +60 from Plouton)
MP: 225 (-90 from Harvest)

Stats:

Used Spells & Abilities:

It had been like Mars anticipated, the Saint of Spirit easily avoided the slowly rolling wave of black fire he had sent at him and using one of his spells to propel him upward, just enough to erase any chance of dodging the barrage of kinetic energy sent at him. Mars watched with unchangingly pleased grin how the spell struck Mura down and catapulted him down to the ground, the impact shattering the arena around him. Had he actually overdone it like the vessel had advised him not to ? The Lord of War started a descend, his feet gently landing on the ground of the arena once more before looking up, rather pleased with the fact that his opponent had gotten up again, his eyes meeting those of the other contestant. A wide, toothy grin spread over his face, the fire in Mura's eyes stoking the blazing flame in his own, infecting him with the other's fighting spirit. It seemed like the duelist, despite not being in the necessarily best shape possible, wasn't willing to give the Lord of War as much as an inch without the fiercest of fighting, a compliment to the Second Seal, and an atest to the Fairy Tail mage's proficiency and skill. The other wasn't ready to give up fighting just yet, and in honesty, neither was Mars. He had just the right thing for that.

Before he could do something, though, the other's form had already started to shimmer with a sudden increase of magical energy, from the opponent's back 5 dark hands of shooting forth towards him at inhuman velocity. If the aura of deeply ink-black energy around the Lord of War wouldn't have been active at all times the first hand that had reached for him would have already gotten a good grasp, instead finding itself repelled back by a burst of negative energy, but ... after that it would vanish, this fact leaving the Second Seal without any cover or time to avoid the other 4 arms. The long, stretched limbs slamming into him with considerable force. Mars had the feeling that they were trying to rip him apart from all sides, the tear and pull on his form immense. Taking a step back, the sensation had vanished as quickly as it had come, and for a brief moment, everything around him went dark. His body was still intact, he could feel it pulse with pain as he fell to his knees. It was one of those gods damned attacks that targeted the soul directly again, his vision blurred from the strain and tear on his very own spirit.

"No", he spoke briefly, "No" he repeated. The Second Seal of the Apocalypse, Mars, was not ready for this fight to end yet. He would not accept a simple defeat like this, though ... that concern did not apply to himself. The Lord of War would be fine either way. Swinging himself back up on his feet, just barely keeping his balance for a few seconds, he stood once more, the crazed look in his eyes centered on the Saint of Spirit, the red glow within the two oculi seeming to threaten to set them aflame any second. He would command and reality would have no choice but follow his will. Disappearing once more he warped through space itself, reappearing right before Mura. His pose was not threatening, and he made no move apart from the hand he slowly stretched out, attempting to gently tap Mura on the shoulder before jumping back. If the other would indeed let this happen then Mars would seem to boom with magical energy before the same would flow to the opposing duelist, instantly reversing all damage Mura had sustained in this fight, the same halo that had appeared on Johann's head appearing now on the Spirit Mage's along with a dark aura that surrounded his body. Regardless, though, Mars did not falter, the grin still very present on his lips. The rest would depend on the Saint of Spirit.

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HP: 90 / 600 (-540, +30 HP Regen every post)
MP: 1.144 / 1260 (+63 MP Regen every post)
Total Healing to Mura: 540 HP

Additional Rules:
● No Weapons & Equipment / Pets

Stats:

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Oh boy, he looked triggered. Those eyes could send another fire wave at Mura any time now… excessively intimidated, Mura expected a devastating response from the powerhouse over there. Also, that last spell of his… his mana had dropped far, and he wasn’t sure if he could continue the fight any longer. He slowly clenched his hands and got stuck in a dilemma - should he restore his Battle Control now, or would that just tore him apart even more? He was questioning the amount of magic power left in him, because he had been keeping this one Battle Control up for a very long time now, and it was fading away overtime. Any decision from now on could decide the outcome of the battle, a burden and duty so heavy on his shoulders…

But it was so entertaining in the long run. By far Mura’s best duel to date. After this, he should hit up Aven again - the shaman had yet to discard his grudge against those *urgh* circles.

But it was almost comical, the next action… because instead of damage, Mura recognized the halo on his head now. Johann had taken the first leap, appearing right in front of the Saint and poking his shoulder with quite less hostility than what he showed mere moments before. This specific construction of magic rang a bell, too… and it restored his state, removing all pain from his body and regenerating all his injuries.

Rather taken aback by the generous action, Mura eyed his hands in a slight moment of disbelief. However, it only took a moment, before he accepted the action. “… Hey, all my pain is gone,” he stated the obvious, swinging around his left arm and stretching out. He merely felt a little weary now, but no signs of physical pain were present.

“… Don’t tell me that you want to continue the fight?” he asked the God of Strength with a chuckle mixed in. It was a tad naïve but hilarious, this act… if the other Saint was insisting on a round two, then…

"... I say you attack now, catch him off guard!"
"Oi, oi, what just happened to your sense of sportsmanship?!"
"Shut up, we're in the middle of a duel!"

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HP: 600 (+540 from Johann, +60 from Plouton)
MP: 225

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Mars smiled from ear to ear, staring down at his opponent before taking a step back. "Of course this fight will continue. Don't you think it is too early to end it quite yet ?", the deep, blurred voice asking the other contestant as the dark aura and halo zapped back from Mura's form to his own. The Lord of War took a deep breath, feeling the spiritual damage he had sustained now repaired in but the blink of an eye.

The feeling that both of them were back to as good as new was exciting the Second Seal named Mars, and it left him wondering just how far the two could push this duel without it counting as something out of the allowed parameters for this type of occasion. What type of occasion was this exactly, though ? Mars didn't really know, all he knew was that the fight was fun and that the silver haired Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company had allowed him to play.

Instantly, his form vanished once again, reappearing on the other side of the arena and a good hundred meters away from Mura Kensho, the Saint of Spirit. The negative energy was still coursing through the Lord of War's body, and the power was still present. If this went on like it had so far, the Second Seal of the Apocalypse could push this much, much further ... but would the mortals allow him to do that ? For the time being, he would stand his ground, stretching his right hand out as the ink coloured scythe materialized within it once more

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HP: 600 / 600 (+540)
MP: 1.207 / 1260 (+63 MP Regen every post)

Additional Rules:
● No Weapons & Equipment / Pets

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Hmh… well, it was a tad early in the duel. Mura could afford continuing his battle against the God of Ishgar and his… uh, voice-changing fashion. Unless if he was possessed by another spirit like Mura tended to be once in a while, then the shaman would have no idea how that took place. Either way, it appeared that both wizards were enjoying the fight, and so were the audience surrounding the arena where they stood.

He could hear their cheers and echoing roars resonate the space around him. Akin to the center of a colosseum, he felt like a seasoned gladiator going up against his greatest challenge as far. So eager to go up against him again, the Battle Control began recovering itself, the white plate armor returning to full strength and the blade growing out of the handle again. However, thanks to Hades' magic being active, the Battle Control was in a dark-purple theme with black lines complimenting its new look.

… Oh wait, whilst thinking through the techniques that Mura had yet to show - which were running out - he remembered one thing. There was a branch of magic in his possession that he hadn’t touched yet… his Onmyōdō! Now would prove a good time to utilize that.

The cloth was thrown aside as Mura reached the ground with his right hand. A pair of rock poles rose up and substituted the cloth pieces as mediums for Kyuken’s and Zirconis’ spirits. He would have the Battle Control on standby for now, unleashing a new type of magic into the ground. Grabbing onto the surface like grabbing onto a carpet, he ripped a small handful up and revealed a black orb in his grasp. Said orb was launched up in the air along with Mura himself, swiftly and in blinding speed as they both soared above the arena.

A classic way of showcasing destructive prowess was, obviously, to spawn a meteor.

The sphere cracked up the stone slabs covering the surface and built itself up rapidly, forming a large, round meteorite. Without hesitation, he launched it down at Johann, its size in comparison to its speed making it look like a slow descent but destructive in nature. It was like an apocalyptic trailer.

If watching the meteor carefully, blitzes of light slashes were visible as well. Mura upped his dukes in this last attack, wanting to show Johann just how much that he was capable of. He rarely used this technique in 1v1 combat, but the occasion called for it. Despite the fact that it was large enough to consume the battlefield, Mura was assured that the magic barriers were able to protect the eye-dropping audience whose voices almost died out in pure shock and suspense.

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HP: 600
MP: 105 (-60 from a new Battle Control, -60 from Shin Onmyōdō: Rengōkyū)

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The cheering of the audience was immense, overwhelming almost, and it fueled Mars' primal instincts, the want, the need of being recognized for his strength something that was part of the Lord of War just like his magic or personality. Still, he watched on awe when Mura finally decided to make his next move, his magical aura changing as he decided to show off a completely new spell, soaring up into the sky at breakneck speed before finally coming to a halt. Without much delay, the magic that the other was wielding expanded, the sound of bursting rock and stone cracking in the air above the arena as an enormous, gigantic chunk of solid earth was created from seemingly nothing. I was nothing short of amazingly impressive. Such a display of potent magical strength was ... rare at the least, Mars grinning from ear to ear when he realized the true strength of his opponent. "Yes! This is it".

True power. True strength. So his little ... trick had been worth it, after all. The gigantic rock, no, the meteor came crashing down towards the arena with nigh unstoppable force. Not just that, the enormous spell cracked with slashes of light and energy, a colossal amount of energy packed into this single attack. It was exhilarating. Without even thinking about it, Mars extended one hand forward, levitating off the ground just a couple meters, facing the barrage of power that was sent right at him. For but a brief second, his eyes lit up with what seemed akin to dark blue flame emanating from within them, the skin on his extended hand changing colour, changing shape as it was encased by dark, metallic substance, the aura around his body forming a layer of ink-black energy as it swirled towards the extremity. The cheers from before had stopped, and the crowd was now eerily silent, watching with almost tangible tension as the meteor threatened to slam down into the arena, the force behind it colouring the edges of the rock glowing red with heat before suddenly ... it stopped, just meters before bursting into the arena grounds.

For just a moment, a mere blink of an eye, the arena was filled with a pure sense of dread, fear, of overwhelming, unstoppable ancient power of pure darkness, the curse of War revealed in its entirety as Mars unleashed all his strength, stopping the gargantuan magical projectile with his one extended hand. If anyone would be able to catch a good look at "Johann" in this very moment, they might have, even if only for a second, seen enormous, antler-like horns sprout from his head as the meteor came to an instant halt. Without much hesitation, Mars raised his other hand, slamming it into the surface of the mountainous rock before, with a blinding flash of light, the entire arena was filled with a titanic explosion, the ground shaking as the shockwave slammed into the magical barrier that had been erected to protect the public watching the spectacle from the duel of the saints. If Mars had used this on the actual arena and not the meteor there would have been a real chance of the place actually getting destroyed, but now, as dust settled and the rumbling stopped, the audience could see that the meteor was no more, reduced to singed ashes and falling pieces of rock and ground. Mars grinned widely, the aura of magical energy around his form booming with a zest for action when suddenly a horn rang out, and a voice announced something. "Draw", it said, the Lord of War immediately stopping in place and floating back down to the ground of the arena, crumbs of dust and dirt still falling around him as he handed control back to Johann. "Seems like you haven't used your time efficiently, friend. Did you at least have the fun you so desperately sought?", he asked into himself, Mars not answering. He seemed grumpy that he didn't get more time to play. Well, it couldn't be helped. For a friendly competition between allied mages, this had been quite the show, and the audience now erupted in cheers and shouts, a booming wave of screams echoing throughout the arena.

Waiting for the Saint of Spirit to get settled, the Vice President of the West Fiore Trading Company walked forward until he faced him, extending a hand towards the Fairy Tail mage. "This was quite the duel, my friend. You have fought admirably. I wish we could have had more time. Sometime in the future, perhaps ?", hoping that Mura would shake it, he would offer him a smile regardless. What a day.

Word Count: 4.509

That meteor came down really quickly, though… the shaman did make sure that the barrier was strong enough to keep the audience safe from what was about to happen. As the large rock descended, it pushed the air away from its direction, quickly reaching terminal velocity and soon accelerating. The slashes from his Halo Blade coated its surface firmly, ensuring some spiritual damage as well. A combination of pure, raw magic combined with inner, auric magic would hopefully push Johann even further.

And so it did. What a miracle.

Mura couldn’t see it from this position and due to the meteor blocking his view a little, but it suddenly stopped in its track by what Mura could only guess was the performance of his opponent. Despite not visually capable of seeing it, a terrible amount of magic power emerged from the surface and almost caused absolute silence from the previously roaring spectators who were now witnessing a dreadful magic unfold. And in the blink of an eye, the meteor that Mura put so much power into crumbled for a moment, then turned into crumbles and ashes by the repulsion of Johann’s attack. Mura’s heart stopped for a moment, taken aback by the sheer force that his opponent possessed. To be able to reduce such a large spell - way larger than anything else he could pull off - required a lot, and Johann made it through wholesomely.

Then the word ‘Draw’ reached Mura’s ears. Caught by a cloak of relaxation, he quickly descended from the air and planted his samurai boots on the ground. The metallic pole on his hands reduced their sizes, slowly disappearing under Mura’s hands as he reheard the cheering sounds of Magnolian viewers. Nice, the two Saints delivered completely. “… Sweet,” he commented to himself with a chuckle. Kyuken released himself from Mura’s Spirit Bind Magic, sighing heavily in relief. “Oh kami-sama, by the wicked gods, we made it through, somehow…!” the samurai ghost blabbered.

When Johann reached a hand to him, the shaman obviously grabbed and shook his hand slowly. “There’ll be a future of fighting small wizards, I’m sure of that,” he replied jokingly, “… I wonder how the others are doing.”