If both duelists involved would kindly let me know that they are ready, this duel can begin. If one of the dueling parties does not report in (ready or otherwise) before Wednesday [1/9/2013], they will forfeit the match. If neither report in, both will forfeit.

Whether you are ready or not, please make it known in an ((OOC)) post here in this thread.

This duel was concluded [1/14/2013] with Fury of the Tempest as the victor by majority vote.

((I am ready))
Valrek, present and prepared!

601598
((Good, no we wait for your adversary. Fight with honor!))

(Ready and willing to fight right now!)

(Got a little carried away with this... oh well!)

Arcantos slowly moved down the corridor to enter the arena, his heart pounding with every step he made. It wasn't so bad that his body was shaking - he was far too used to battle in order to do that - but he was still extremely nervous. ‘Don’t be such a coward, there is no need to be nervous’ He mentally berated himself, even as he walked. ‘You've fought in many fights before, often much more frantic and deadly in this one, you have no reason to be so nervous’.

Even as he thought to himself, he knew this wasn't true. Thousands, mayhaps even millions of people would be watching him during this fight... as well as Aurus Lightbringer, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and all of the holders of the Element of Harmony. Only professional athletes would have faced such a thing before, so it was no wonder he was nervous. Guard or not.

Actually, Arcantos’ history as a guard gave him all the more reason to be reason. Guards that knew him would be keeping an eye on him, expecting him to do well, a champion of the guards as well as the changelings. That wasn't the only reason however...

Arcantos vanished from the world 3 years ago, after the more than likely, infamous among guards Bloodwing aid... and his former comrades will be watching him carefully. Mayhaps Aurus himself might be paying particular attention to him, through that was likely idle fantasy... still... Lod Archon, after the little tale he spun for him but hideing that he was in said tale would more than likely be watching him. If his mum was allowing him to watch at all that is.

Then, there was his final reason.

For the first time in 3 years, Arcantos was no longer hiding who he was.

No rode/cloak to hide his body. No illusion to hide his species. No walking on four legs when he now walked on two. As Arcantos stepped into the light of the arena, his robotic modifications were on full display. The whole world seeing him for what he had become.

His swords, however. Where not.

Arcantos was not idiot. He wasn’t going to go in and reveal his fighting style to world right of the bat. No, it was going to be his secret weapon. Only those had access to the applications knew about his skill with the sword, and no contestants were allowed access to the applications, as fore-knowledge of your opponent was a huge advantage.

Admittedly, the nickname he chose for himself ‘Storm Blade’ might give it away, but if he didn’t use his swords, people would most likely think that he chose the name for it simply being ‘cool’. The guards would most likely know about his storm based magic, so he wouldn’t be able to surprise them with that... but others would be fair game. His swords being his secret weapon... and strapped to his back facing vertically upwards so anything that came into contact with his back would be in for a nasty surprise.

As he stepped further into the arena, Arcantos began to look around himself, first inspecting the guards that stood, circled around the area, prepared to protect the civilians from harm, as well as those that allowed the projectors to work. Then, he turned to the roaring crowds in the stadium... looking for her.

And he found her.

Their eyes met, for a few moments, silent recognition passing between them, but the emotions of the other were no longer so easily readable, showing how distant had become in due to the separation... and perhaps more. With a sad sigh, Arcantos turned away, turning to the royal box and saluting it.

This being a high sign of respect for Arcantos. To him, bowing was for those that could not fight, while most members in royal box could fight. After showing his respec, Arcantos turned to face his opponent, his heart steadying as he prepared for battle.

601927 "I BET 1000 BITS ON THAT CHANGELING!!!" Archimedes hollered from his seat. "THAT IS A WINNER IF I EVER SAW ONE!! BY THE MOON I PITY THE POOR SOD THAT IS UP AGAINST THAT FORCE OF NATURE!!! HEY!! CHANGELING!!! I AM ARCHIMEDES STORM CALLER!! TELL ME YOUR NAME!!!" Archimedes was close to ecstatic. that changeling was a walking miracle of science. i MUST find out who did all those implants. the mere fact that he is ALIVE is a wonder. this is what i want to see. Archimedes thought with a grin.

601598, 601637
((I am opening this duel. You may now fight one another. Please follow this link to see the list of judges.

You must conclude your duel, either by killing blow (judge's rule), forfeit, or voting decision. A vote will be held by default in the event that the duel is not completed by 12:00 a.m. [-5:00 GMT] on Saturday [1/12/2013].

Fight with honor!))

Aurus rose from his seat suddenly, drawing a hush over the crowd and ready combatants alike. His smile was one of excitement, and it was clear from the tone that ventured forth from his throat that he was just as eager as those in the stands who were barely repressing their words to hear him speak.

"It is clear that you are all excited to see this match, and I an right there with you! Lets not delay, and commence the battle, one which I am sure will be monumental. This duel between Arcantos and Valrek should not be taken lightly. Not now, or ever in the future, as this will be a moment of history to be remembered gloriously for ages to come!"

The crowd roared in excitement, stilling once more for Aurus' final words before the unleashing of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

"Begin the match!"

The deafening roars that followed drowned out the trailing of even his mighty voice, and any hope that the clash of steel or a blast of magic had to be heard.

Valrek can go first.

603888
Valrek stood before his opponent, looking him over. He saw Arcantos' hesitation as a sign that he should take the first move.
I usually like to wait, but this'll turn into a standoff instead of a duel.

"Sir, I wish you luck." he said simply, before drawing his mage pistol as quickly as he could, firing three concentrated fire bolts. One to the left, right, and straight at his opponent. ((Effect: very minor magic drain, about 5%))

That should ensure at least one hit... he thought, darting back to a safe distance, where his ranged weapon would be most effective. He took notice of how many shots he had left, and made sure to use them sccordingly.

>>Approved by Cyberfire22

603998
((Please be mindful of how many actions you are taking. I know it may not seem like it, but firing, dashing to a safe location, and reloading the shots you just expended are all actions in their own right. In this case I would allow the leap backward, as it could be done while shooting, but I would consider reloading to be separate action. Fair warning for future posts.))

604028
((Sorry about approving that then. I forgot about the single-action thing. I'll be more diligent, I promise; I've just been juggling approvals in a few other threads and doing something in real life at the same time, so I've been a bit distracted.))

604047 ((To be fair, he threw it at you because he didn't like my answer, which was that it was too many actions. If you have too much work, send it my way.))

604047
((Welcome to my world, lol. It's perfectly fine, just keep moving forward.))

604070
((Thanks for the offer. I do want to take my own share of the burden of judges, but I'll keep you in mind if I need it.))

604075 ((Well, considering I had two games, one of which was this one and one of which went "nope, found someone else" I think I've got some free time.))

604079
((I had about 3-4 including this one, but luckily things have slowed down a bit, and at least one is inactive for now, so that's good at least.))

603998
Arcantos had not hesitated.

Even as Aurus spoke he fell into his combat stance, turning his body sideways to his opponent in order to minimize his profile, as well as pushing up with his feet, lightly on his toes so he could react quicker. His front arm was raised up, hand clenched. Protect his chest and able to move to protect his head. The rear was diagonally across his chest, palm open, protecting chest, stomach and able to protect his nether regions.

As Aurus worked his magic and transformed his arena, Arcantos looked around. Scanning the area around him and committing it to memory. Noting not just the ponds and the jutting rocks, but the locations of the patches of grass, as well as how the land raised and fell. All details could be useful in a fight, if one knew how to exploit it.

Then came the words

‘Begin the match!’

Upon hearing this, Arcantos stopped paying attention to the crowd around him, stopped scanning the arena, stopping everything... to pay 100% attention to his opponent. Waiting for him to make the first move.

Valrek did just that, drawing his weapon - Arcantos quickly identified it as a gun - and firing. Arcantos taking note that his projectiles were bolts of fire, as well how he fired. Firing to either side before firing directly at his opponent, attempting to box him in.

A good strategy, but with one, major flaw

Arcantos let his feet fall flat, bending his knees before pushing upwards with all his might, jumping as high as he could. Then, his wings snapped out, flapping hard so that he continued to rise, the bolt of fire passing harmlessly below him.

Having identified his opponent as a ranged fighter, Arcantos began to quickly move towards him - skimming a few metres above the ground - with the intent to get close, fast. He didn’t move at full speed however, not wanting to leave himself open to an attack that he couldn’t dodge.

>> Approved By Kapuchu

604070>>604028
((Sorry about that, I actually meant to cut the reloading part out. I was tired lol :P. Also, I will contunue the duel after school, just letting Tempest know))

Very smart, jumping over the bolts. I can see he will be a challenge. Valrek said, grinning as Arcantos dodged the firebolt. He liked a challenge.

As the cyborg-changeling skimmed the ground towards him, Valrek unclipped his Batlith sword from its holster on his back in preparation to draw it as fast as he could- this was to be a surprise in case Arcantos wasn't feigning the charge. If he wanted it close, then so be it, for Valrek didn't have the time to move away effectively.

In the precious seconds before contact, Valrek began to recharge his three shots, keeping his attention on the aggressor. He preferred to have a full charge at all times.

>>Approved by RainbowBob

605722
(Next time, can you make your post a reply so I get the notification please? I would have replied to this hours ago if I had known it was up!)

Arcantos didn’t show any reaction when he noticed Valik unclipped something. Inwardly however, he frowned, not liking the thought that Valik might have a weapon for close-range as well. However, he knew that most close-range weapons had a range itself, it was possible for one skilled enough at unarmed combat to defeat someone with a weapon... and he knew how to fight.

Arcantos closed in his wings as he ducked himself downwards, going into a roll that allowed him to smoothly get to his feet when he was close enough at Valik. Sure it slowed him down, but in melee range, he would need the quickness and agility of his feet in order to win.

Talking about quickness, once he was close enough, he launched a quick stab with his right-arm, aiming towards Valik’s eye, through with enough control on it to pull short if he needed to, not wanting his talon’s to blind his opponent... or going deeper hit the brain, killing him. His left arm was loose across his chest, ready for a rapid movement to block if he needed to.

>> Approved by _Medicshy, ShadowBro, SwiftEthan, inoeitall, Twilight at Dusk, RainbowBob & Dracmatais

Archon's front hooves dangled over the low wall of the royal pressbox as he hauled himself high enough to see over the edge and down into the arena, where Arcantos was currently fighting. His back hooves couldn't even reach the floor of the pressbox as he dangled from the ledge, but the inconvenience of having to hold himself up to watch proved far inferior to his desire to watch the fight.

"Go Arcantos!" Archon shouted, his high-pitched and childish voice sounding strained as he tried his best to match the volume of the adults all around the arena. His little voice didn't stand a chance though, not with the added effort of having to hold himself up.

Aria, now back in the box with her brother and nephew, picked Archon up and held him high enough see over the wall, freeing him of the need to hold himself up.

Smiling and ready to devote all of his effort and attention to cheering for the storyteller he had met only a short while ago, he cupped his hooves to his mouth and shouted again. "Go Arcantos! Show him who's boss!"

608621
(Thanks for the post!)

607003
Slightly surprised at the small attack coming from the charge, Valrek pulled his head off to the side, barely dodging the jab on purpose. Then, he gripped his arm with his magic, pulling the Changeling past him with just enough effort(not throwing, and not with too much force), attempting to unbalance him.

This simple move provided an opportunity to bring out his Batlith, and he slid it out of its case, following an arc towards the back of Arcantos- aiming to disable an arm at the shoulder. He kept a good magical grip on his blade, as he wanted to keep all control of it.

((Batlith))

>>Approved by SwiftEthan

((To Razorbeam: Nice addition! To Tempest: Sorry about the reply thing, I forgot to do that ))

609400 608621
Even concentrating on the fight as heavily as he was, Arcantos was able to hear Archon’s cheer and couldn’t help but smile at the support. Feeling the positive energy feeding into him, through it would unlikely have an affect on the fight.

Arcantos hadn’t stopped with his forwards momentum, so Valrek’s attempt to unbalance him was unsuccessful, and he was carried forwards so that he didn’t need to dodge or block the sword, not only stepping ahead of the movement, it would hit the swords on his back and stop before hitting him.

Concentrating, Arcantos gathered his magic even as he made his next attack. His knee came up, aiming for Valrek’s neck. At the same time, his knee was coated in ice, becoming a sharp point.

>> Approved by SwiftEthan & Crafter

609776

Seeing how Arcantos adjusted for the attempted attack intrigued Valrek.
I'll have to analyze that at a later time... He thought, but kept his focus on his opponent.
The Changeling was now bringing a knee up towards him- coated with ice that had a sharp point. All Valrek had to do was move his head a bit to the side, and the ice worked to his advantage. Instead of catching or scraping on the carapace, he slid harmlessly off of the ice.

Unbeknownst to Arcantos, Valrek had his mage pistol on the other side of him. Firing four fire bolts- right, left, up, and directly at the changeling- he tried an improved version of his previous tactic.
Even if he manages to figure a way out of this, I'll still have time to get to a better position as he tries.

>>Approved by Crafter and Nathan Traveler

610176
(Woah, hold on. By simply moving his head to the side. He managed to avoid a strike that he would have meer seconds to react to and the ice spike simply slides of his neck instead of simply impaling his neck?

I'm sorry. But even if the judges have approved that... I'm calling it BS. Moving his head to the side does not dodge the attack, even with this 'oh the ice simply makes it slid of instead of doing any damage.)

610193
((It was ice. My logic tells me that unless it was a blade, all I had to do was move my head away from the sharp point, and It would slide off. Less friction.))

610198
(That's the thing through. Its JUST a spike... okay probably could of made it clearer in the post, but that's my intention. I mean, its a waste of energy to put more magic the knee then there needs to be.

Plus I doubt the ice could of affect the power behind the knee enough so it simply slides to the side)

610213

the ice could of affect the power behind the knee enough so it simply slides to the side

I didn't quite understand that, sorry

610219
(Okay, lets say my character DIDN'T just make a spike for some reason or another.

The non-spike ice would be weak, hit the neck, it would shatter, letting Arcantos' knee drive into Valrek's neck. A blow that could crush his windpipe and kill him... if not, it would make him loose his breath, and without his breath... I don't think he'll be able to do much but gasp for breath. Just my opinion on the last bit through)

610271 But it never hit it head on. Valrek turned his head and made it a glancing blow, so that it would slide off without causing that much of an impact on the ice. His agility is a B, so I think that should aid him in at least getting most of the force off of critical areas.

Also, he is very intelligent, and knows his angles and physics of body heat+ice.

610284
(Actually, considering the size of the neck, how close they are and how quickly one can move their neck and still be able to fire four shots from a gun... I highly doubt that it was just a glancing blow at all.

But even if it was a glancing blow, the ice is still fragile and with the force of the knee behind it... it would still shatter.)

610305

He didn't fire the shots at the same time as he avoided critical contact with the knee of death. And about the shattering: if it did, then there would be even more surface area, allowing it to be more slippery. Especially since changelings have a herd carapace(and if this is a metal area, then that adds even more to my logic)

610319
(Shattering it doesn't increase the surface area, it makes the ice no longer have an affect.

And even if he didn't do those things at the same time... my character would of been able to react quicker and move so he couldn't fire without taking a hit...

Even then, this discussion is a little pointless. That trick could happen if their was just a spike, and that's all their was. Sorry for not making it clear.)

610337 Ice doesn't disappear. It shatters into small bits, and thus creating more surface area. And as Valrek pulls away from the attack(instinctive move), he fires the already-prepared pistol. He had it loaded and ready for just such an occasion. (this is where his S-level intelligence kicks in)

610348
(Ice is shattered, loose its anchorage to the knee and because of its low mass, instead of it affecting the knee, it is affected and slids to the side - which is easy to happen due to its low friction - and the knee rams into the neck)

Even then I still feel this is pointless... it was just a spike, through I failed to make that clear

Also, you do know shooting in all those directions means that one of the shots is going to hit your character, right?)

610357

But how could it anchor itself to the knee without falling off with Arcantos' quick movement? In order for it to be moved that quickly, there has to be a base to hold it in place.

610361
(The base is his knee

BTW, if he is so intelligent... why is your character shooting himself? As at that range, one of those shots will hit him)

610368
Arcantos is between them.

What I mean about the base is that ice cannot simply be 'attached' to the knee. Unless you're talking about flash-freezing yourself. A base would need to be made of more ice, spread across the knee to provide proper structural integrity, and allowing it to stay connected with Arcantos as he uses it as a weapon.

610389
(... Okay, now you just going into unnecessary detail... Its magic. Sorry if you don't find that as an excuse... but its true. I have no idea what this 'base' could possibly could be.

Also, Arcantos is right next to your character, by firing on both sides one is gonna hit your character)

610398
Okay. Sorry, I tend to get a bit scientific at times. What I mean by 'base' is something that allows the spike to grip(or hold on to) the knee. Unless he is holding on to it with telekinesis(more magic)

Pistol
| || |
Arcantos
Valrek

(lines represent where the shots are fired. Its from a broadside)

610412
(... I see... but yeah, I guess he would be holding it on with magic of some sort... it'll go my way then...)

610426
But since he's holding it down, and if Valrek does move his neck, then the spike would have no effect. He may have been hit pretty hard on the side of his neck, but not disabled.

610441
(... Urg... I could continue on... but I'm not in the mood to argue. Too much has happened already tonight because of arguing)

610448
I'm sorry if this was perceived as arguing. I was just trying to clear things up. I won't ask all that happened(if it has to do with other stuff) because of arguing, and I actually have to go to sleep

Talk to you tomorrow

610453
(Oh... huh. Well is almost 5am over here... so I think it'll be a good idea to do the same.

After I get confirmation of the post I made during this little debate to go with you post

... Or not... oh well)

610176
Arcantos was amazed at this deflection, he couldn’t figure out how such a move was possible. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the gun being readied... and knew that there would be no way for him to dodge the attack at this close range.

So he didn’t.

Instead, he allowed the swords on his back to take the brunt of the fire bolt as his leg to dropped to the floor, lashing out at Valrek’s neck with his left claw. At such range and with his natural strength... such a blow to the neck would be a ‘death blow’, and such range... well, unless he knew how to teleport, Arcantos saw no way for him to escape.

>> Approved by Medicshy & SwiftEthan

Arcantos' move made Valrek chuckle.

Ooohh... he'll feel that soon. Once his nerves get past that initial adrenaline jolt, he'll feel the burns. he thought.

Then, as the changeling cyborg turned to face him, Valrek noticed his foreleg making an arc motion. Remembering that his opponent had artificial claws, he put two and two together. He was making a swing at him with claws.

There's no way out of this except... I hate using this spell...

In an instant, he brought up an image of a nearby place in his head that he identified as the terrain was formed. As the claw neared him, he teleported himself with his equipment. Out of sight from his opponent, he planned on resting and recharging while Arcantos searched for him.
(-7% magic)

>>Approved by ShadowBro

613102
(.... What.

Teleportation isn't listed in his abilities.

Nor is there anything in his equipment that allows him to teleport...

And don't try to say that 'Basic magical abilities in offense and defense' includes teleportation, as teleportation is highly advanced magic')

614303
Teleportation has to be listed? I'll ask Razorbeam.