"Flash Move." You intone as you feel the the card activating. The world turns into a blur as you shoot to where your opponent is at high speeds before landing on the branch Vivio is hanging on. "My apologies."
You then proceed to unceremoniously kick her hands until they let go of the branch-
"Chain Bind." You mutter as the card works it's magic. A magic circle once more appears in front of you before several chains begin to shoot towards the falling girl before wrapping around her-
You really need to get away.
For one thing, you aren't really in a position to do any fighting, at least not from here. You're currently hanging one handley on a branch while Vivio begins to climb her way up here. You need to find better ground, and you need to gain distance on the heterochromatic girl.
The best way to do that?
Go up.
The highest branch you can see is around fifty feet away, if you're guessing correctly. Of course, there's a couple more branches near the breakthrough into the clouds, but that's a little too close to the unknown for your comfort.
The problem is that Flash Move is a bit too risky to go that far a distance, and you have absolutely no faith in your ability to fly. At all. Actually, you don't think Vivio does either, so that's something you could use to your advantage.
Speaking of, the girl herself seems to fallen off the branch and if you squint you can faintly see chains around her for a few seconds.
Wait a minute.
You summon the Chain Bind you got yesterday into your hands, before looking back up at the branch. If this worked for Flash Move, maybe, then, maybe...
"Chain... Anchor." You mumble as the card glows. A magic circle is quickly summoned, before your chains shot towards the branch before wrapping tightly around it. Throwing away all hesitation you let go of the branch and let the chains pull you towards the sky.
Learned [Chain Anchor]!
The wind feels absolutely great in your hair as you were zipping through air at speeds you have absolutely no idea of but it all comes to an end as you approach your new branch, using the chain to swing around it before landing on your feet.
You give a slight wince and start to lean against the tree as you begin to stich your memories together-
"Chain Anchor!"
You whip your head down only to see the familiar chains of Chain Bind coming straight at you even they're recolored in, of all things, rainbow. Unfortunately you still had to deal with stitching your memories back together correctly, and by the time you had managed to get a firm hold on them the chains had already wrapped around the branch causing, you to look up towards the nearest branch.
...Which was one of the branches beginning to peek into the clouds. Great, that left standing your ground or risking it.
You get off your spot on the tree before summoning your swords back into your hands, positioning yourself for escape at any moment.
"Wait!" The blonde haired girl/women-who-is-actually-way-younger-than-she-looks exclaims as she lands on the branch, "That thing you just did, it's not normal is it?"
"Is it?" You ask while shifting your feet a little, "I don't exactly know much about this game, and I hear you're a newcomer as well."
"Only by a few days," The women shrugs, "But I know for certain that's not normal."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Shh, let me finish." Vivio whispers with a smile, playfully bring up a finger to her lips with a wink. "Let me guess... do you have any relationship to Nanoha Takamachi?"
You don't give her an answer but your body tensing up is all that she needs as a light giggle escapes her lips.
"If you're wondering why I know about her it's quite simple," She smiles, walking towards you as you keep your ground. "Flying prodigy, taking on the best players days after the game was released, and coming in third with her team in the first ever Brave Duel tournament... she's quite famous you know? Her duels are everywhere on the internet."
"Where are you taking this?" You state as calmly as can manage while your grip grows tighter on your swords.
"Eh? W-W-Wait calm down!" A look of shock crosses the woman's face before she began to flail her arms around, much to your amusement. "I-It's just that she's particularly famous for her special technique."
"Special technique?" You haven't heard about this, "and what would that be?"
The women lets out a sigh of relief, turning her back towards you while looking up towards the clouds. "Unison Rerise. It lets her combine her personal card with another person's personal card in order to gain a new form. Truthfully, anyone can do it, but you'd be hardpressed to find someone with another personal card. Getting someone to straight up give you their card? No way."
"If you're wondering where I'm going with this..." Vivo trails off, turning back to you before tilting her neck causing your eyes to widen, "Well, I can do the same thing. But a bit... more advanced."
Normally you wouldn't be so shocked by an opponent but sitting on her neck...
Sitting on her neck was the exact same black cross that was imprinted onto your hand.
Instantly your left hand turned into a blur as you slashed at the girl in front of you only to stop by the sound of metal ringing against each other. Your eyes trailed downwards as you slowly take in the sight of your sword being stopped.
Your sword being stopped by another sword held by the girl in front of you.
Your sword being stopped by a sword that looked exactly like your own.
"It's a cheater's ability I admit, and I bare no pride in owning it." The heterochromatic woman states, staring directly into your eyes. "But this ability of mine... it lets me copy the skills, weapons, and cards of an opponent."
You... A feeling you haven't felt in a long time wells up within you.
The wind begins to pick up, as a tense silence fills the atmosphere before the two of you descend into a fury of slashes. Vivio easily matching every move you make, with the same fluidity of that of someone who's practiced for years. There was no waste of movement as your blades cut through the air, slowly picking up the pace until it felt as if your edge had extended onto the winds.
It was frustrating, watching the style you had trained for so long in copied so easily, but...
But as the sound of metal rang throughout the arena you almost fell into a meditative trance, allowing you to realize what you felt. At first, it was anger, but now? Now it's just simple curiosity-
Something touches your skin as the temperature drops several degrees colder. Slowly the two of you drop your blades as you register this new feeling, looking up to the sky as particles of white begin to fall from the sky.
"...Snow?" You mummer, "And it's getting heavier."
Strangely though... You don't feel cold. Sure a part of your body feels a chill but it feels like a warm light is heating up your back. Vivio seems to be dealing with it not as good as you but well enough.
"Kyouya, do you mind putting your hand against the tree?" Vivio asks seriously, "I promise I won't attack until I've tested something."
Keeping an eye on the girl, you slowly press your left hand against the tree trunk only to be assaulted by the warm heat of a summer day. You quickly whip your hand back and turn around only to be assaulted by the fact that the tree is glowing.
"The tree gives off heat." You mumble, turning back to face your opponent. "Is this another change to the arena?"
"No, that would be the snow. This would count more as a reaction." The girl says, dismissing the swords in her hands, before lifting her hands up to the wind. "And it's getting heavier."
Heavier, huh? Interesting...
Hm... You still have no idea how far that ability of Vivio's goes and it would be best to get a handle on her capabilities.
"Hey," You begin, adjusting your feet before smirking at the girl who's just looking at you with a confused expression on her face. Perfect. "Try to keep up."
And at that moment you kick off and begin to run on the tree...
[] Upwards. You're willing to risk it now, if the snow will keep in your way.
[] Downwards. The best footing is solid ground, even if the temperature is dropping
AN: Vivio's ability really annoys me in it's simplicity but it does go further then what she explained in the update. On a side note, a total of five people have beta'd this quest! Yeah, I tend to ust bug whoever's available.
