[Riven]

(OOC: Combat practice thread for myself and MonsterManic.)




Combat Practicals was not Rory's favorite class at Beacon, especially right now. On a good day they studied things like the varieties and anatomy of Grimm or the fighting styles of famous Huntsmen and Huntresses. Today, however, was not a good day... because today they were learning the 'practicals' part hands-on. Today was a student sparring day.

The school's amphitheater was practically buzzing with students eager for their turn on the floor; Rory, for his part, was trying to stay quiet and unnoticed. It was no secret by now what his weapons were -- the last time he'd been called on for a sparring exercise he'd faced no small amount of ridicule for "just using his shields" and not magically pulling a battleaxe or shotgun-flail from his jacket pockets. He'd also gotten soundly trounced. That had, admittedly, been earlier in the year and he'd learned a few things since, but the memory and its shame still stung. Rory was a support fighter; his focus had, since day one, been on what he believed were the undeserved and sensible fields of recon and team defense... which meant that, in a solo stand-up fight, he was more than a little out of his element. He was hoping not to get called on today, and three fights in it was looking like he might just--

"Next up: Setsuna Antiqua verses Rory Vogel."

⚔  S C E N E ~ M U S I C  ⚔
Tchaikovsky Remix
by Edvin Marton

He barely restrained a cringe as he heard the teacher's words, then sucked in a deep breath and stood. No escaping it now. He could already hear the murmurs among some of the other students -- "Think he's gonna hide behind his shield again?", "Maybe he's got a better weapon this time.", "Does a shield even count as a weapon, honestly?" -- and did his best to ignore them. Folding his glasses up, he left them behind in his book bag and made his way to the arena's edge, pulling a basic set of inexpensive goggles up to replace them. Wouldn't do to wreck his high-tech pair getting clobbered, after all.

Antiqua... had he heard that name before?

Hopping down into the central fighting area, Rory fell under the glare of the overhead lights. The silhouettes of his fellow students were lost in shadows behind the bright column's edge, all but invisible... but he could still hear them. He did what he could to clear his head as he double-checked the fit on his vambraces and toggled the shield mechanisms on each to readiness. It was time to see if all his crazy training, both at school and the bakery, would be worth a damn.

"I'm ready." It might've been a lie, but he was stepping towards the center of the floor anyway, fists clenched and eyes watching for the arrival of his opponent.

[MonsterManic]

"Next up: Setsuna Antiqua versus Rory Vogel."

Admittedly, Setsuna wasn't as eager to leap straight into the thick of combat, unlike several others around him who seemed to almost be foaming at the mouth at the chance to bash some heads in. He'd have preferred to observe the ongoing fights, and he did get his wish. Well, somewhat. However, now was his time to display the results of his observation.

Heading down to the central arena, the overhead lights reflected off his armaments: his beloved sword and shield, Discord and Harmony. Both would be seeing some action today, and that meant repairing them after the fight. Not a task he minded, but it would be nice to go without the hassle for once. Hard light maybe? Stepping out from the shadowed areas ringing the arena, he started to bow to his opponent--and caught himself staring at the Hunter-in-training's choice of weapon.

Not that there was anything wrong with just a shield--he was using one on his shoulder, after all-- but to the naked eye, he  didn't have anything else with him, nor was his shield weaponised to any degree, apart from some folding parts. Maybe this was his thing? Or was he just practicing how to use a shield? Either way..."Rory, was it? Well met and all, but I can't help noticing you're somewhat under-equipped for this--no offence to your choice of weapon. If you're practicing with a shield, I have no qualms about matching you." he called across to Rory politely, loosening his grip on his sword. It wouldn't be fair if all he could do was defend, right?

[Riven]

Practicing. Well, if that didn't just beat all.

He kept his expression neutral as he eyed up his opponent: sword, shoulder-shield, probably some kind of ranged attack mode in one piece or the other as per standard Beacon Academy style, if he had to guess. Balanced fighter most likely, someone who liked having options on the battlefield. That versatility would be... problematic. He'd have to try and get a read on this guy if he was going to last long in this fight.

As for the quip about his weapon, well...

Rory brought both arms up to a ready position then flexed and jerked his arms slightly downward. The motion triggered the responsive transformation system in his vambraces: a tightly-knit cascade of tiny metal "scales" flowed outwards and took on the shape of twin kite shields with rounded edges. He locked eyes with Setsuna. "Two shields." He corrected, shifting into a fighting posture. If this guy was thinking about going easy on him or treating him like a joke, Rory wasn't about to stand for that -- to hell with what the peanut gallery up there might think. Even if he got his ass handed to him by this swordsman today it was better than letting it be a pity fight, right?

"Setsuna... bring it." Words Rory might soon regret...

[MonsterManic]

No, you've got the wrong meaning... ah, dammit. Setsuna sighed softly. "If you say so..." He really didn't want Rory to get the wrong meaning, that he was going to go easy, because he wasn't. Hopefully he would figure that out mid-fight.

"May the best man win." Turning the blade of his sword sideways, he revealed the ranged function of his sword and fired 3 rounds at Rory, before breaking into a run straight at his opponent.

Battle Stats:
3 rounds at 3% aura each

[Riven]

And so it began.

Setsuna was quick to confirm Rory's theory about him having a ranged weapon mode built in; the shield fighter brought his guard up in time to cleanly block the second and third shots, taking only a glancing hit across his shoulder from the first. It barely registered. Between Rory's defense-aligned Aura and the low caliber of the rounds it was the combat version of a mosquito bite, but still not something he could ignore. He couldn't risk staying purely defensive and having his Aura chipped away, not in a situation where no one was backing him up. He had to act.

Seeing that Setsuna was coming right at him, Rory weighed his options for a brief moment. Shield fighting, as he was learning, was all about openings: yours, and your opponents. If all you did was cover your own then the foe was free to dictate the terms of the fight, and that path led to sure defeat. He'd have to use his defensive edge creatively if this fight was going to even slightly go his way. Legs tensing, Rory launched himself forward and broke into a run to meet Setsuna head-on, watching his opponent for cues as to the angle he'd swing his sword at. That was the key.



Battle Stats:
▫ Passive Effect: Aura Specialist
(defensive Aura focus reduces incoming damage by 1.5%)
▫ Minor hit received @ 1.5% Aura damage
▫ Aura Status: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ (98.5%)

[MonsterManic]

In Setsuna's experience with using a shield, even with his weaponised variant, there was little in the way of offensive approaches that a shield provided. In theory, this should have made Rory's next move predictable, but Setsuna wasn't a combat strategist. Still, he could weigh his options, given that even though shields were useful for defence, they did bugger all to hurt opponents.

Against a shield, with one that size, his sword wasn't breaking through any time, not without extra help. The way Rory's eyes seemed to be focused on his sword arm further solidified that thought. Still, Setsuna had a few tools in his arsenal, including his own shield. Leading his sword arm forward, he feinted and shifted his shield forward, aiming to catch Rory off guard from just looking at his sword with a classic shield bash.

Battle Stats:
-Aura Damage: 3%+knockback from a shield bash

Spoiler: ShowHide

 Going to use this thread to experiment with some variations, since Riven seems intent on stealing the spotlight with his fancy text and colors 

[Riven]

(OOC: This is a handy resource I'm using for some of the fancy stuff. Enjoy!)


So focused was he on his opponent's sword arm that it wasn't until it was already too late that Rory realized he wasn't moving to strike with it. The metal surface collided with him solidly, catching him completely unprepared and sending him tumbling backwards from the force of the blow. It hurt... but what was hurting more than anything at the moment was his pride. He'd been so focused on one thing that he'd completely lost sight of the bigger picture. As Rory rose to his feet, the look of disappointment in himself was plain.

' . . . No. I have to keep it together. I'm letting myself get worked up and it's not helping.' The thoughts ran through his head as he took a deep breath and quickly readjusted the fit of his goggles, eyes locked on Setsuna the whole time. Rory's moves thusfar had been reckless, he realized, caring more about how he was perceived than what was most important: learning from this fight.

"... Right, let's try this again." He muttered to himself, bringing both shields up to a ready position. Rory put one foot in front of the other, slow and deliberate steps taking him steadily towards the self-styled knight while his eyes watched for Setsuna's next move. If he took his time he'd be ready to drop into a defensive stance when it was needed, then wait and watch for a chance to make an opening.



Battle Stats:
▫ Passive Effect: Aura Specialist
(defensive Aura focus reduces incoming damage by 1.5%)
▫ Shield Bash was a surprise strike! Aura Specialist nullified -- full damage received +knockback.
▫ Hit received @ 3% Aura damage
▫ Aura Status: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ (95.5%)

[MonsterManic]

The surge of excitement that was felt as the shield made contact had, unfortunately, to be quelled for the time being. Seeing as Rory was knocked back from that strike, Setsuna's trained instincts was not to rush in like a brawler, but rather to stay back. Rory hadn't made a move thus far, and with that distance made he could easily be setting up for a counterattack.

Staying where he was, Setsuna ran though a few offensive options in his mind. Shield bashing and using his fists were the only two things he could think off that Rory could execute. Instead, he focused his aura defensively and stood, shield first, to meet any assault.

Battle Stats:
-No attacks launched
-Focused defensive Aura reduces incoming damage by 1% (Not permanent like Rory's: requires concentration)

[Riven]

Rory approached, then began to circle just outside where he guessed Setsuna's engagement range was. It was a bit surprising that his opponent wasn't rushing in against him... the shield fighter did a few quick mental calculations to figure out why. Either the young knight was baiting him into making the next move in hopes he'd leave himself vulnerable again, or he genuinely didn't know what Rory's next move would be. Truth of it was, neither did Rory.

Either way, though, didn't it mean that...?

"You're taking this seriously." Rory appraised, just loud enough for Setsuna to hear. "I want you to know I appreciate that. Not everyone would."

It was true -- in the background could be heard muttering from the other students and even the occasional jeering comment along the lines of "Just fight already!", "This is getting boring.", "What's with these guys?". Rory did his best to shut the noise out of his mind, but it was true enough that one of them had to start attacking again or the teacher might just call the fight. Steadying himself, Rory collapsed his shields back into their vambrace form and took a different stance, balance shifting from back foot to front. It was time for a change of tactics.

He rushed forwards, faked hard right and then veered left. Setsuna's shield sat on his left side, which meant his defense would be strongest there -- that was something that could be exploited, if he played it smart. He'd have to get in close, however, to make this work. Darting evasively, the shield fighter rushed to close the distance. Setsuna's response would determine his next move.



Battle Stats:
▫ Passive Effect: Aura Specialist
(defensive Aura focus reduces incoming damage by 1.5%)
▫ No change this round.
▫ Aura Status: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ (95.5%)

[MonsterManic]

"Thanks for the complement." Setsuna replied, smiling despite the situation. "Also, I just want to say...whatever you thought I meant at the start of this? I didn't mean that. I'm just interested in your choice of armament. I mean, I use a shield too, so..." His expression hardened when he heard the chatter from the sidelines. "Forget those guys. Let's have a fight to remember, shall we?"

He was expecting an attack from Rory, so his rush didn't come as a surprise, and he moved his sword arm to strike with an upward blow. What he didn't see coming was the hard juke to the left, and his sword cut air with a loud swoosh. Surprised, and swearing under his breath as a result, Setsuna back-pedalled a few steps to regain his balance and raised his sword again, tip toward the charging fighter and body sideways. Rory's feint, however, had jarred his concentration, causing him to drop his focused aura.

Battle Stats:
-No attacks launched
-Defensive Aura negated

[Riven]

Now he was getting somewhere. Rory pressed in, seemingly charging straight at Setsuna's extended blade; he even redoubled his speed as he got in close, pushing himself to a full-out sprint. He was about to try something reckless... but, if history was any indication, sometimes the best defense was to attack your enemy's attack. When he had only a few feet left between himself and the sword-tip Rory put all the strength he could into his legs, squeezing as much speed out of them as he could while ducking slightly. He raised his left arm to meet Setsuna's sword, sparks flying as blade and vambrace sheared across one another. The next seconds would be pivotal.

All at once, Rory did several things. The first was to reactivate his left vambrace, causing the full shield to form. Coupled with this he pushed hard, putting his body weight into a shield bash to throw Setsuna's sword -- and, with a little luck, his balance -- out of equilibrium. Rory's body, however, was still moving forward under momentum. With Setsuna's body angled sideways it was likely any blunt attack was just going to bounce off or slide past... but the shield fighter wasn't going for a blunt attack.

All he needed was a touch.

Rory's right hand felt like it was electrified as his Aura concentrated into it -- the power may not have been visible, but it was there nonetheless. He reached for Setsuna, determined to make contact in those fleeting seconds. If he could, the fight would swing in his favor.



Battle Stats:
▫ Passive Effect: Aura Specialist
(defensive Aura focus reduces incoming damage by 1.5%)
[Temporarily disabled due to Aura Strike]
▫ Special Attack: Aura Strike (15% Aura damage)
▫ Aura Status: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ (95.5%)

[MonsterManic]

Rory's headlong charge and reckless attack got results, as Dischord scraped off Rory's shield, leaving Setsuna's body wide open. His eyes widening as his guard was knocked aside and he saw a faintly glowing hand reaching for him, Setsuna activated his semblance and ducked, but by then Rory was already close enough to touch his left shoulder.

As Setsuna moved away, leaving afterimages in his wake, he was also simultaneously reeling from the sudden bolt of pain. It felt like his shoulder was dislocated. This did not come without it's benefits, though, as Rory was now in range of his sword, and he was in his self-dubbed Quantum System. Time to play offence.

Swiftly removing one of the longest sword bits from his shield, Setsuna returned the rush, charging at Rory with his sword outstretched in his right hand, then turning and slashing at him with the bit in his left, circling Rory and surrounding him with his afterimages.

Battle Stats:
-Semblance Activated, chance to confuse Rory
-Aura: 85% (Direct hit from Aura Strike)
-Aura Damage: 4% from sword, 3% from bit (Up to you to choose how many hits and circles Setsuna does, feel free to stop him at any time)

[Riven]

For a moment, Rory had been pulling ahead in the fight. For a moment it looked like things had turned a corner.

And then the moment was gone.

Setsuna had, rightly so, taken Rory's use of an Aura technique to mean things were going up a notch. The knight was suddenly a blur of motion -- Rory caught just a momentary glimpse of his opponent's sword coming at him and jerked his shield up to deflect when another blade struck him instead, bypassing his defense entirely. This went on for several seconds: engulfed in a blurry haze of afterimages Rory would try to get his guard up only for attacks to come in from completely unexpected directions. It got so bad that he reflexively hunkered in place, both shields now up to cover as much of his sides as he could while he crouched down, desperate to minimize his weak spots. Yet the blows just kept coming, exploiting the drop in his Aura's defense and finding ways past his guard.

Not good. At this rate the fight would be over in a minute -- if not faster. Sweat dripped from the shield fighter's brow and his heart thundered in his chest. He HAD to get clear of this!

For that, there was only one way to go: straight up. Willing every ounce of strength he had into his legs, Rory leapt directly towards the room's overhead lights. He had no idea if Setsuna would follow his move and attack mid-air -- if he did, there were precious few options Rory would have -- but even if only momentarily he had to put some distance between them. The leap was a risk, since a defender relies on solid ground to anchor themselves, but desperate times called for desperate measures.




Battle Stats:
▫ Passive Effect: Aura Specialist
(defensive Aura focus reduces incoming damage by 1.5%)
[Temporarily disabled due to Aura Strike]
▫ Multiple hits received, 33.5% Aura damage
▫ Aura Status: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▢▢▢ (62%)

[MonsterManic]

One moment Rory was there, the next he was gone. What? Setsuna's whirlwind of movement was brought to a screeching halt when one of his drive-by attacks swung and missed, causing him to lose his footing and stumble a few unsteady paces, eliciting barely suppressed snorts and giggles from the onlookers. Turning around, out of the corner (or is it top?) of his eye, Setsuna caught a glimpse of a sole and looked up to see Rory jumping to get away from his onslaught. First time I've seen anyone jump to get away from me. Hell, I doubt I can even jump that high.

There was no way to reach Rory, and he didn't trust his shooting arm like he did his sword arm. Nor did he want to give up the pressure. He could sense an invisible timer, limiting his semblance. What now? A flash of light reflecting off his blade gave him the answer. What would have normally taken a punishable amount of time was reduced to mere seconds as Dischord's buster sword form was assembled. Seeing Rory starting to fall, he started barreling toward the falling fighter, swinging the large sword sideways to meet him the moment Rory touched the floor.

Battle Stats:
-Semblance in effect, will wear off next post
-Aura Damage: 13% from heavy strike

[Riven]

At the moment, Rory likely had two advantages. One, he was above Setsuna and could see the swordsman's movements clearly, even with the blurring effect of his enhanced speed. That meant that, just as Setsuna could calculate when and where Rory would be back in striking range as he fell so too could the shield fighter make certain assessments about his opponent's next move. His sword was, for one thing, suddenly bigger -- you could hardly ask for a clearer indication that an attack was imminent, and a heft one at that. The calculation in Rory's head was mostly solved: his descent was a known variable, as was the amount of Aura he had remaining before the fight was called and the fact that Setsuna was gearing up to attack again. The only question... was speed.

If all went well, that would be the second advantage.

Rory was a bookworm by nature. History was his strong point but he was no stranger to math and geometry either. Gambling, however, not so much. He knew Setsuna's Semblance made him faster and caused some sort of visual distortion -- what he didn't know was whether it was purely a speed booster or if the power actually manipulated time or momentum somehow. As long as it didn't, he had a chance to pull this off... just a chance, and one that would certainly cost him the fight, but still better than getting picked apart or knocked out of the ring. That's where the gamble came in: not so much 'will it work', despite the uncertainty, but 'will it be worth it'? He'd never used his Semblance like this before, after all.

His gaze tracked Setsuna as he closed the distance and Rory fell. Effectively they were two sides of a right triangle -- the path of Rory's fall was A², Setsuna's rush towards him was B², so he just had to solve for C², assume Setsuna planned to intercept him near or on the moment they met at the "90^∘ angle", and then work backwards for roughly 10 ¹/₂ ft. Of course, there was no time for paper and pencil, let alone to go grab a calculator -- there wasn't even properly enough time to check the numbers in the handful of seconds he had remaining. He just had to guess, as best he could, when the right time would be.

And it... was... now!

All at once, Rory's Aura blossomed out of him like a shockwave, travelling in all directions and casting the overhead light that passed through it a bloody hue. In a heartbeat it had reached a ten foot radius and stopped, solidifying with a sharp crack like a thunderbolt. In that moment, as Rory continued to fall the crimson orb traveled with him -- and, if Rory's guess had been right then Setsuna would be right in front of its searing electric-like surface, less than a foot from it and moving at intercept speeds. Of course it was a last-ditch move, one last strike at an opportune moment before the fight ended and Rory lost... but at least he could say he'd given it everything he had, and hold his head high as he left the ring.



Battle Stats:
▫ Passive Effect: Aura Specialist
(defensive Aura focus reduces incoming damage by 1.5%)
▫ Semblance activated: AEGIS DOME
 - Negates any incoming damage that would be less that 75% Aura damage; anything over 75% shatters the barrier and does half damage
 - Damage on contact: 15% Aura damage + shock effect
 - Full dome activation (1 minute max usage)
 - When Semblance ends, Rory's Aura will be reduced to 0%
▫ Aura Status: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▢▢▢ (62%)



(OOC: I'm thinking I'd like to continue this thread after the fight, if you're up for it. Rory could probably learn a thing or two from Setsuna, and it'd be interesting to see them interact outside of battle. Your call.)