Sabina POV
It was somewhat unusual to be up so late, normally you'd be in bed by now, otherwise father would be displeased.
You take a quick breath, halting your routine as that familiar pain starts throbbing in your heart. You take a long breath before starting again, swinging your sword in time to the pulsing agony coming from within. Your sword moves as a blur, harsh cracking noises echoing throughout the training room at the end of every swing, carving slits into the ground without even touching it. So lost in your melancholy, you don't even notice the hand that reaches past you, snagging your sword in a familiar armoured gauntlet and stopping it dead.
You jump in surprise, heart-rate skyrocketing for a moment as you desperately tug your sword for a moment, before you realise the futility of your attempts. Daiyu lets your blade go a moment later, more and more of her armour beginning to fade into existence along her body as she steps back from you.
"What do you want." Your words are curt, but not rude, you know better than to make her angry at you. If that was even possible, but she could squish you like a bug, you liked living.
She stares at you with slightly glowing eyes before sighing, stepping back and taking a stance. "Come, fight with me."
You lower your sword a little in surprise and a little nervousness. "You mean like... properly?"
She shakes her head again. "No, spar. Is good for letting off stress, want to see how you do anyway."
You don't even try to repress the grin that comes to your face as you step back, sliding into an opening stance that comes to you as naturally as breathing. She gives you several seconds to brace yourself, not bothering to summon her own weapon as you feel her magic roil inside her, the ground around her cracking slightly as she shifts. I think I might have been a little-
(Fist: +30 Base Damage, +8 Dice = 38 Total Damage
Sabina: +10 Base Resilience, +10 Dice = 20 Total Reduction
Sabina Health: 150 - 18 = 132)
She pushes forwards incredibly quickly, slapping your sword aside with her other hand as she lands a solid punch right in your stomach. You feel your breath forcibly escape your mouth as you slump to the ground, desperately wheezing for air as you try not to throw up. She doesn't continue her attack, waiting for you to slowly make your way to your feet, not looking apologetic at all. "Should transform, won't go easy on you."
You still can't make anything other than long wheezing noises, but you manage to choke out your transformation phrase clear as day. "Nothing is beyond the reach of my blade! Magical Girl Endless Soul!"
The feeling of your... armour cutting it's way into existence soothes your pain, letting you stand up properly as your opponent examines you for a moment before nodding. When she takes a stance, you immediately dash forwards, your sword crossing the distance between the two of you almost instantly.
(Soul Edge: +100 Base Damage, +10 Dice = 110 Total Damage
Ebony Knight: +580 Base Resilience, +23 Dice = 603 Total Reduction
Ebony Knight Health: 1700 - 0 = 1700)
There is a loud screeching noise as your sword meets her arm, the blade skittering along the silver plate before sliding off of your target. You desperately dive backwards as her hand rushes forwards, grabbing your blade and wrenching it from your hands. You abandon it with reluctance, but take the chance to jump backwards. You bite your lip as you land, glancing around for anything you can use, but the room is completely barren. Just you, your opponent and your sword. Which you don't have. Fuck
Daiyu holds your sword up to her face rather than attack you, running an armoured finger along the edge as she inspects it. The action makes something inside you shudder, and you aren't sure if it's in a good way or a bad one.
Your opponent flips the sword into her hand, testing the weight as she cuts a neat trench through the floor, looking back up to you when she's done. "Is very good sword." She plants it into the ground, point first. "But is no good if not in hand." She steps in-between it and you, taking a stance again. "If you want to learn with battlesister, must impress me." Wait what
"Hey, she said she'd teach me!" You crouch down as you look for a way around her.
"Keep her promises, she will." You see a frown pull her face. "But if you are weak, you not deserve place at her side, become liability." The ground cracks as she takes a deep breath. "Show me strength."
Oh I'll show you bitch. You run forwards, well aware that she is more than capable of demolishing you without your sword. Probably even with it. Your magic gathers in your hand, folding and folding to be sharper and sharper as you reach her. She punches against your charge, too fast for you to dodge. That's fine, neither can she.
(Sever: +200 Base Damage, +11 Dice, +35 Direct Hit = 246 Total Damage
Ebony Knight: +580 Base Resilience, +33 Dice, -25 Stationary, -147 Armour Pierce = 441 Total Reduction
Ebony Knight Heath: 1700 - 0 = 1700)
The orange wave of magic lashes out, sliding past her fist and hitting her directly in the chest. She rocks back slightly, but doesn't even flinch at your attack, her hand still on it's path to your face. Fuuuuuuck
(Fist: +30 Base Damage, +100 Dice = 130 Total Damage
Endless Soul: +60 Base Resilience, +13 Dice = 73 Total Reduction
Endless Soul Health: 132 - 57 = 75)
The armoured gauntlet hit you hard enough to throw you off of your feet, your back tearing up the ground as you roll across the dirt. When you finally come to a stop, you flip back to your feet in a learned movement you didn't learn, panting as your face throbs in pain from the skull rattling punch. You pitch forwards, catching yourself with the handle of your blade, planted into the ground before you.
It takes you a moment to realise what you are holding, eyes confusedly moving down to the familiar handle in your grip. You look back to Daiyu, who is looking at the empty space next to her with confusion. The fuck. When you pull your sword out of the ground, you feel like it has always been in your hand, even when it was across the room from you. I guess I can just make it come to me or something? No, that feels wrong. You spin your blade, raising it to strike as you think. I always had it, even when I didn't?
(Sever: +200 Base Damage +20 Dice = 220 Total Damage
Ebony Knight: +580 Base Resilience, +52 Dice, -147 Armour Pierce = 485 Total Reduction
Ebony Knight Heath: 1700 - 0 = 1700)
The wave of magic crosses the distance between you fast enough that Daiyu only manages to lean out of the way of half of it, not that the part that hit did anything, the magic washing over her form harmlessly even as it tears a deep trench in the ground between you as it travels.
Close or far, I cant do shit to her? You frown a little as memories of your first battle come to mind. Fucking useless, again. You let out a harsh breath as you stare down your opponent, watching her slowly move towards you. "What the fuck do you want from me? I can't hurt you."
Daiyu clicks her tongue at your words. "Never said this was spar to defeat. Said to impress me, show me your strength."
It takes you a minute to grasp her meaning. I'm not supposed to beat her, just show her how strong I am? You feel a little stupid at your mistake, but at the same time it's a little, relieving? You let the grin fall onto your face again, muscles in your legs pulling taut you crouch down, sword held firmly in both hands. Lets fucking do this
You rush forwards, taking great bounding leaps as you close the distance, swinging your sword at her wrist when she tries to grab your blade. It skitters off harmlessly as it did before, but it knocks her hand back. She tries it again and you nail her on the side of a knuckle. She smiles at you a little as she pulls her hand back and changes her stance, magic pulsing. "You are learning." You see her blade flash into existence in her hands. "Good." Fuck my life
She lashes out, slower than you know she can. That slowness is what gives you a chance to thrust your blade forwards, the point sliding past the blade and catching the pommel.
(Ebon Heart: +290 Base Damage, -190 Not really trying, +60 Dice = 160 Total Damage
Intercept!
Soul Edge: +100 Base Damage, +3 Dice = 103 Total Damage
57 Damage Difference, Ebon Heart Wins
Ebon Heart: +57 Intercept Damage, +2 dice = 59 Total Damage
Endless Soul: +60 Base Resilience, +14 Dice = 74 Total Reduction
Endless Soul Heath: 75 - 0 = 75)
Despite your best effort, you only manage to slow her blade down, it still bulls straight through your block and hits you across the chest. Surprisingly, it only shoves you back, there is only a slight stinging sensation where the sharp edge hit you. You spin with the momentum, using it to swing your sword in a backhand motion, right at her unarmoured face.
(Soul Edge: +100 Base Damage, +9 Dice, +20 Momentum = 129 Total Damage
Intercept!
Ebon Heart: +290 Base Damage, -60 Holding back, +9 Dice = 239 Total Damage
110 Damage Difference, Ebon Heart Wins
Ebon Heart: +110 Intercept Damage, +4 Dice = 114 Total Damage
Endless Soul: +60 Base Resilience, +9 Dice = 74 Total Reduction
Endless Soul Heath: 75 - 40 = 35)
Her sword jolts from it's previous out-stretched position, slapping your sword away hard enough to spin you around, the blade following through with it's path, nailing you in the ribs hard enough to force the air from your chest. You take several wheezing steps backwards as you desperately try to breathe while keeping your sword ready. You fail, planting your sword in the ground and leaning against it as you desperately try and breathe, the lack of air forcing tears from your eyes.
You feel a hand on your back, gently rubbing circles as Daiyu takes some of your weight. "Deep breaths, force body to obey." You feel more tears of pain force themselves through your eyes as you force your lungs to expand, gulping down blessed air before you start coughing. "Good, ignore pain, is just body." You take several more long breaths, despite the sharp pain coming from your chest as you do so. Daiyu steps back, letting you slowly stand up as you catch your breath.
"Fuuu-" a cough interrupts you"uuck, that hurt."
She nods at you, dismissing her sword. "This is combat, pain is close friend, you will be very familiar with her." She lets the rest of her armour fade away and you only just notice now that your own has done so as well. "You did well, will not object to lessons." She smiles brightly, her previous harsh demeanour gone. "I like you, have much promise."
You force yourself upright, sheathing your sword even while your lungs protest mightily to the battering they had been given. "I guess you're alright." Her smile is practically blinding and she sweeps forwards, picking you up in a princess carry as she sets off towards your rooms. "Hey!" Your try your best, but you can't wriggle out of her iron grip. "Put me down you crazy bitch!"
She just smiles down at you, a tiny bit of smugness leaking from the corner of her grin. "Injured Junior, must take responsibility." She starts skipping down the hallways, doing something with magic to make sure she doesn't jolt you.
The hallways are filled with your loud protests as you try to escape, slipping into French as you raise your voice at your captor. Many eyes are drawn your way and try as you might, you fail to hide the bright blush that is burning on your face, torn between burying your face in Daiyu's shoulder to hide it and hitting her for carrying you in such an embarrassing way.
But, I guess I don't mind that much.
POV
[] Sisters
[] Morgan