The Scorpion are renowned for being pragmatic in matters such as this, but even so there is only so much you can take. A constant stream of insults and insinuations from a man who dares not even fight with his own steel has, it seems, finally pushed you beyond those limits.
"Enough, Yoritomo-san." You say sharply, turning back to face him. "You go too far, and I will not stand here and listen to you insult me and my Clan entire without response. You will retract your words and apologize for voicing them, or you will back them with steel as a true samurai. I challenge you to a duel."
There is no great storm of reactions from the watching courtiers at this, but rather a sense of grim satisfaction. Those who favoured your position are pleased to see you step up to defend it, while those who are inclined against you have clearly been hoping for a way to settle the matter that you cannot twist with words and jibes.
"I accept." Yoritomo Harike replies without a moment's hesitation. "However, my own skills in the noble art of
iaijutsu are limited, and so I must call upon a champion to represent me."
You nod, unsurprised, and resist the temptation to turn towards the Crab delegation in expectation. Yasuki Mia seems content to throw in with the Mantis, or at least support them in the short term, and she has two
bushi with her to fulfill that role. It seems like the obvious choice.
"I, Utaku Seo, will stand as champion for Yoritomo-sama." One of the Unicorn calls out, stepping forwards and away from her delegation. For a moment you are shocked, but then your eyes narrow as they scan the assembled members of the Unicorn present. None of them look surprised by this development, which either implies some kind of pre-planning or at least a degree of private knowledge that led them to expect this. Interesting in either case, but right now you have little time to spend on such concerns.
Utaku Seo is a tall and slender woman in a dark purple kimono, her once-pale skin tanned and weathered by exposure to sun and wind. She is not currently wearing a katana, being a member of one of the few delegations present to be offered a sword-polisher by your hosts, but already you can see several Lion bowing to their
daimyo and hurrying from the hall to retrieve the weapons for you both.
The hall goes quiet, the assembled guests moving back towards the edges of the room in order to clear space for your upcoming duel. There is a kind of unmistakeable tension in the air now, and while you would dearly love to ask why precisely the
shitotome is stepping forth as a champion, now is clearly not a good time for it. Instead you wait in silence, studying her just as she studies you.
The Lion samurai return shortly thereafter with swords in hand, kneeling at your side and presenting the hilts of the sacred weapons to you both. In silence you draw yours from the sheathe, holding the blade down and to your side as you square off against your opponent. Seo mimics your movements, the faint winter sunlight gleaming from the exposed steel as she takes her stance. You might have preferred to do this the traditional way, drawing and striking in a single motion, but in this case the extra steps of setting your weapon comfortably in your obi only to return it to the sword-polishers afterwards would simply take too long.
First Stage: Assessment
Soshi Naoto rolls Iaijutsu/Awareness: 7k4 = 27
Utaku Seo rolls Iaijutsu/Awareness: ??? = 35
Seo wins, but not by enough for any mechanical bonuses. Naoto discerns that his opponent has Iaijutsu 5.
The Unicorn is better than you are.
You cannot say what precisely it is that tips you off. Something about her stance, perhaps, which manages to be both perfectly prepared for the upcoming exchange and yet also totally relaxed. Or perhaps it is the look in her eyes, the kind of detached calm that presages a bloody onslaught. Regardless of the precise source, it seems undeniable that the Unicorn has invested more time and effort in perfecting her dueling technique than you have.
Which makes sense, in truth. No Clan sends their samurai to court without being sure they are reasonably well prepared for what they will find there, and a delegation the size of the Unicorn's was always going to include at least one trained duelist. Well, so be it. Skill alone does not determine the outcome of a duel, and you have pulled off unexpected victories before.
(You
could concede defeat at this point... but no, the consequences would be just as bad as if you were to be struck down, and by pushing through with things you at least have a chance of turning things around.)
With an effort of will you gather up all of your worries and concerns, focusing on them in your mind... and then you let them go. The rest of the world seems to fade away as you fall into the near-mindless trance of a duelist preparing to test his steel.
Stage Two: Focus
Naoto rolls Iaijutsu/Void with the Centre Stance bonus: 6k3+2 = 44
Seo rolls Iaijutsu/Void with the Centre Stance bonus: ??? = 41
Results are within 5 points of each other. Karmic Strike!
How long you stand there, lost to the world beyond, you cannot say.
Nor can you say what it is that eventually prompts you to start moving. Some buried instinct perhaps, or an old lesson freshly remembered or even the intervention of the heavens themselves. Whatever it is, your opponent apparently shares it, for the two of you begin moving towards one another with perfect synchronization. Swords are raised, lunges made, eyes meet...
She has no face.
Both combatants strike each other in the same instant, and as such both roll Iaijustu/Reflexes with the centre stance bonus.
Naoto rolls 8k5+2 = 66
Naoto's damage roll = 6k2 = 17
Seo rolls ??? = 59
Seo's damage roll = ??? = 49
The razor sharp edge of the katana catches you just below your chin, slicing through flesh and blood and bone in a single motion.
The world spins wildly, floor becoming ceiling becoming floor, and the last thing you hear before darkness claims you is the roaring of angry samurai... and the cold, cruel laughter of a being older than time itself.
-/-
Fin.
