[] Fonte, can see about dueling her on the move. Brilliant!
===
There's little fanfare as your party exits through Bulwark's gates and starts into the Flux Mountain's outskirts. Leopardmon doesn't even come out to say farewell, though given his position it's not exactly unexpected. The only small hiccup is when Galgomon and the chefs have to venture into Sparks' Book, but all that really amounts to is another slap when your closest friend tries his hand at flirting again. You're not sure why she even bothers given Sparks' toughness, the most she'll ever accomplish there is damaging the palm of her hand.
PileVolcamon sets a brisk place across the paved pathways, *walking* just fast enough so that the weaker Ultimates amidst your group can keep pace. Bulwark's constructed path is a simple, but robust design, cutting straight inwards through mountains and above valleys in an unstoppable line of metal and concrete.
Normally at this point you'd fall into a trance to let time go by, however upon looking at Fonte, a rather brilliant idea pops into your head. There's no reason you can't duel the pink-decaled Knightmon while traveling! At least, so long as the two of you don't bother PileVolcamon that is.
With that in mind, you shoo Sparks off your shoulder, then move up through the column to Fonte's position. And, after a quick explanation of your proposal…
"Why, thine plan is wondrous Verge!" The Knight exclaims, one hand reaching back to grasp the hilt of her berserk sword. "Ser PileVolcamon may we-"
"Accepted. Just don't slow us down." The scarf-toting Mega states, not bothering to so much as break stride.
"Of course we won't!/Very well."
And so it is that the two of you fall back, letting a glaring Thresh, and the others get a comfortable lead.
You're just about to ask if Fonte is ready, when the heavily armored Ultimate pivots and draws her main blade, taking up her fighting stance up in one smooth motion.
"Have at thee!" Between moments your opponent goes from stationary to a streak of pink.
Fast!
On reaction you lean away into a counter-too late. Three feet of Chrome Digizoid thrust up into your abdominals, piercing through fur and flesh with laughable ease. Still, the wound is shallow, and proves entirely ineffective at stopping your kick from scything down into her chest.
The sharp clanging sound as Fonte gets tossed away is satisfying, but quickly gets overshadowed as she reaches out a hand. Your eye goes wide as the swordswomon swings around a suddenly appearing shaft of shimmering air, and then launches herself right back around. That… that changes things considerably. Instead of coming from below, the knight charges you at chest-level.
Your next moments are a flurry of frantic blocks and parries as Fonte closes the distance with a shower of thrusts. Despite your best efforts to provide a stalwart defense, her blade manages to slips between and outside your guard time and time again, riddling your cuirass with puncture wounds. The prospective chevalier is more powerful than you expected. Much to your chagrin, evolving to GrappLeomon hadn't fully closed the gap, rather it had only allowed her to put some actual effort into dueling you.
Quicker than I-ugh-expected-rgh-this-agh- cannot continue.
Normally in situations like this, you'd utilize skill, and toughness to overcome the opponent's superior power and speed, however against Fonte-
"Winning Straight!" The punch straight with all the power you can muster, timed to meet her next thrust directly. Only, instead of colliding with her berserk blade, the thick metal dances around in a circle, redirecting your attack to the right before sweeping back to leave another gash in your side.
-that strategy isn't working. She's as skilled, or perhaps even a more skilled combatant than yourself. Sorcery might allow you to surprise her, or even get the upper hand but… this duel is meant to test martial might. Utilizing a spell would mean admitting defeat, and you haven't been pushed to the brink yet.
Think Verge-urgh.-How…
And then it clicks. Fonte's only avenue of assault this time has been a frontal one, ignoring the possibilities battling within the air gives. Yes, there is a way to gain the advantage here.
Taking initiative you dart away from the paved pathway and slam down feet first onto the nearest mountainside. Normally that wouldn't do much more than make a couple holes in the ground, however thanks to the energy you're channeling this isn't exactly a normal landing.
Tremor.
An explosion of pulverized rock and dirt fly up around you as Fonte closes in, covering you both in a thick cloud of spirit-imbued dust. In the moment of uncertainty you drop to all fours, letting Fonte's chasing lunge pass over harmlessly. Then whilst she's fanning the cover away you dart around just outside of the cloud and summon the energy of Wrath.
Your left palm reaches down, forming a platform of air with just enough friction to start spinning. The right meanwhile...
"Jūoudaken!" The blast of burning purple flame crashes over Fonte's energy signature singeing the metal with black. It doesn't do any meaningful damage, which is fine. You hadn't expected it to.
"Aha! There you are!" Your opponent lunges back out of the powder, and just like before takes an entirely linear path. She may be fast, far faster than you in fact, however you've trained to fight with obscured vision. In cover this thick Drop's bodyguard meanwhile might as well be fighting blind.
All of this makes her chasing lunge effortless to predict-
"Cyclonic!"
-and counter.
"Kick!" Having expected a standing opponent the Knightmon's blade flies harmlessly above you a second time, just as your rotation-empowered kick flies up and around towards her breastplate. This time your ears make out the unmistakable sound of warping metal as she flies away, crashing into-and then through the small mountain.
Perfection.
===AN: Writing did not go well today. Despite having a full plan the muse did not to flow… though Doom Eternal probably had something to do with that. I'll see what I can do for writing bits and pieces over the next few days, as there's still a great deal that needs covering before we get to the vote.
