Scene Listing || Scene Schedule || Scene Schedule RSS
Owner Pose
Vergil     The arena quakes with the cheers of the crowds, but Vergil pays it no mind as he stands at the centre of the arena. His sheathed sword is planted on the ground, and he holds it up with both hands, his eyes closed and his breathing even. His coat flaps dramatically, even if this place is sheltered from the wind.

    When Staren makes his own entrance, Vergil opens his eyes and regards his opponent coldly. Even through the roar of the onlookers, his frigid words are clearly audible. "You think you stand a chance?" He makes a dismissive noise, and moves in a flurry of blue afterimages once the starting gong is rung. "Too slow!" he jeers as he speeds at Staren, quickdrawing his Yamato to unleash a fast, spinning slash as he rushes by Staren, hurling his sword back into the sheath he clutches right after.
Staren     Staren waves as he walks into the arena. This time he's already armored up, though he has his helmet off, holding it in his other hand. He's surprised by Vergil's words. "Geeze. Full of yourself much? May the best man win!" He puts the helmet on and takes a fighting stance before the gong rings.

    He doesn't try to dodge, just holds out his right arm as Vergil charges him, chipping into a suddenly-visible amber forcefield -- which Staren drops to fire point-blank from the beam cannons on his arm! "So, who /are/ you, anyway?"
Vergil     Vergil's scowl is almost audible as his blade meets a force field. "Another one..." he mutters, watching as Staren prepares his counterattack. Just as the beams erupt, Vergil moves in a flurry of blue again. There is a smell of charred flesh, but as he reappears across the arena, he looks perfectly fine. Not even his clothes are damaged.

    "I am Vergil, a son of Sparda. But as of right now, I am your opponent. That is all you need concern yourself with." He pivots on the spot, turning his whole body incredibly fast. As he does, he pushes Yamato out of its sheath with his thumb. At the speed he's moving, this is enough to launch the whole sword like an arrow, right at Staren! When it impacts, Vergil vanishes and appears in the air above the catboy, catching his sword once more and bringing it down in a vicious downward slash. "Begone!"
Staren     Staren smiles at the comment. "Ah, did you just fight Seventeen?" He rolls his eyes at the words. "Geeze, dramatic much?" With robotic speed, he tries to parry the blade with his arm, but it cuts into the armor plating there instead. "Nngh..." Staren grunts in annoyance, and-- dumps an intense electronic current across his armor, trying to shock Vergil through the blade! "YOU need to work on your friendly banter! This is a competition, I'm not some monster you need to banish from existence!"
Rean Schwarzer Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to stage 4 of the MECC Tournament! My name is Rean Schwarzer, and I'll be your announcer for tonight. The match between Staren and...Vergil? is already underway! Whoever he is, he's fast, and already got a good hit on Staren. But it looks like Staren's got a few tricks up his sleeve.
Vergil     "Yes," is all Vergil says in response to the 17 question. The look on his face says it didn't go very well. As Staren shocks his armor to try and jolt Vergil through the Yamato, Vergil just vanishes once more, now standing a few feet away. Slowly, he sheaths his sword as he regards his opponent with barely concealed contempt.

    "A competition, yes. One that everyone is trying their hardest to win." He disappears, appearing besides Staren and lashing out with the sheathed Yamato. It seems like it should be a clumsy attack, but Vergil's strength and the demonic sturdiness of the blade makes the blows bone-crunching! "If the likes of you were to win it, someone who treats it so casually, it would render the whole affair a joke!" Now he draws the blade, attacking in the same motion to lash out with two quick slashes. When suddenly, in a bolt of blue lightning, his whole form changes. He becomes demonic, his sheath melding with his left arm, horns upon his head and buglike wings from his back.

    "I won't allow it!" he snarls, his voice now pitched down and harsh as he grasps the Yamato in both hands, the weapon bathed in blue and black energy. Vergil brings it down on Staren, a mighty diagonal slice that paints the air in Vergil's colors.
Staren     "Who said I'm not taking this seriously?" Bone-crunching force dents and cracks the side of Staren's armor, and his eyes widen as Vergil transforms and brings down the blade -- Staren brings the forcefield up again and it cuts deep, the discs on his chestguard sparking, the field flickering. Staren holds out his arm again, and... there's a brief delay as he tries to fake-out Vergil expecting him to fire, and THEN he drops the field and shoots, and... compartments open all over his body, revealing missile racks, gun barrels, laser emitters, and so on -- there must be some space-warping technology going on, because there wouldn't be room for his internal structure if all those guns are where they look they are! They unload at point-blank range, energy and shot blasting the are in front of Staren!

    "But I can enjoy it and relax, because for once, FOR ONCE, no lives depend on this, no world hangs in the balance, it's just me and my opponent! I can enjoy the challenge for its own sake! Can't you?!"
Rean Schwarzer Aaaaaaaaand never mind, he's still too fast. Vergil is making decisive strikes, even with his sword sheathed! He's-" There's a good couple of seconds of silence on Rean's end, as he stares at Vergil for a bit. Did he just- REan shakes his head to clear his mind, and then he finally continues. "Uh... So, Vergil just turned into a demon. Staren's folowing up with a transformation of his own though- Looks like he's bringing out the big guns!
Vergil     Vergil is on the end of what looks like every gun in the armoury as he sheaths Yamato. Bullets land, missiles impact, lasers pierce. But in this form, Vergil's innate regeneration is faster than ever. Wounds close behind slugs while they're still travelling through his body, chunks of flesh carved from his form by explosives grow back immediately, and laser burns recover before any burn spread can occur.

    When the onslaught is over, Vergil reverts to his more humanoid form with a crack of his neck. "So, you only put it all on the line when something is at stake?" He sighs, looks away, and puts an index finger to his forehead. "Disappointing." He dashes at Staren again, but he doesn't swing Yamato. Rather, an array of spectral blue swords spread out around Vergil, their blades facing out and slowly orbiting the half-demon. He slowly advances on Staren, the magical swords slicing and chipping at his power armour as Vergil lectures.

    "You hide beneath armour, you utilise firearms, and when nothing is at stake, you fight half-heartedly. If you cannot enjoy a fight when it's important, then you are weak and a coward. Come at me with everything you have, or surrender now!"
Staren     "Tch. You don't get it." Staren replies.

    The truth, ironically, is kind of the opposite: In a real fight, Staren has to measure his use of resources. Consider whether he can justify 200-thousand-credit ammunition bills. And of course, all this space-warping tech in his body? Expensive to replace, as he found out after the WMAT. But thanks to the Shrine, he can cut loose...

    But he's not going to tell someone he doesn't know that.

    Staren backs away, firing the two beam cannons one after the other rather than together to try and keep Vergil moving, but he misjudges when to drop the field -- the swords cut into his armor, leaving nasty-looking tears all over.

    "Idiot. Armor and guns are what give mortals a chance against people like you. So you turn to name-calling to keep mortals down? I don't know what's worse, that you use that as insulting trash talk in a tournament -- or that you really believe it because this is the same as any other fight to you."
Rean Schwarzer "Looks like not even the big guns are working, because this guy can regenerate. Staren's still shooting, though- and that looks like it hurt! ...His armor, at least." Rean says.
Vergil     "Mortals are weak," Vergil replies simply, stating it as a matter of fact. One of the beams eats into him, but he flash steps away before the other can, snatching up one of those revolving swords and spinning it on a finger. "I believe that whole-heartedly. And if you do not believe me, I'll show you the depths of your weakness."

    He hunches over, clutching Yamato to his side in the classic iaido stance, before dashing faster than he has until this point. He blurs all about the arena, leaving multiple after-images of his actions. Strangely, they all seem to be keeping Yamato in the sheath. So why is the air suddenly filled with bubbles of whirling, space-cutting slashes? They mostly zero in on Staren, but they blossom out from there, filling every area he could possibly dodge to, rendering the whole arena a hazard!
Staren     Staren laughs dismissively at Vergil's words. When he fills the air with slashes, Staren puts up his forcefield again, but the attack wears it down and finally cuts through it and then starts cutting armor more, criss-crossing with the rents from before, some parts falling off and revealing... more metal underneath?

    "You poor fool! It doesn't matter how weak you are, when you have the power to make yourself stronger! If you cling to the power of your birth, then mortals will surpass you! They have already! But you! You have an advantage, and instead of growing further your rest on unearned laurels and put others down!"

    Staren fires a couple of tiny missiles that home after Vergil and explode into piercing lances of plasma. "Whatever it is that's important to you... If you don't learn this lesson, one day you'll fail to protect it against someone who did!"
Vergil     Vergil is knocked out of his dash by the seeking missiles, the bolts of plasma searing him and sending him sliding to a stop. The disdain on his face is not even slightly concealed anymore. He points Yamato at Staren and scoffs. "You know /nothing/ of what I've lost to gain the strength I have. My power comes from my father, but my skill is all acquired. Rally against me all you want for being strong, your weakness remains your own. Strip your armour, and hone yourself. At least then your meagre power will be your own."

    He's audibly snarling now, a sound that only becomes more prominent as he activates his Devil Trigger, the arena filling with the scornful sound. "If someone who has learned that lesson defeats me, it will not be you." Power wafts from Vergil's form, filling the area with a blue haze. His stance widens, once again moving to the iaido stance as he marshals all his power into himself and his blade. "You shall fall," he promises, before disappearing from sight entirely.

    Afterimages bloom from his position, covering every area of the arena as blue lines trace through the air. The very fabric of space seems to be cut, segments of the air sliding apart like cut glass. In a single instant, Vergil seems to have slashed every section of space that he and Staren occupy. He reappears where he was standing, lovingly sheathing Yamato in the still moment following the attack. It is only when hilt meets sheath that time seems to catch up, and the impact of the attack is felt.
Staren     Staren laughs again at the demand to strip his armor. "It's fine that you're strong! I'm relieved for your sake to hear that you've honed your strength. Whatever you care about has a better chance of survival."

    When Vergil says Staren won't defeat him, Staren shrugs. "Perhaps."

    He takes a defensive stance again, crouching down to occupy less space, but it's still not enough. The sword cuts deep. Armor plating falls off, mechanical innards are exposed and cut down to metal bones. There are sparks, and smoke, and it collapses.

    Once the Shrine rewinds him back together, Staren holds out a hand. "Congratulations."
Vergil     Vergil exhales as the fight is given to him. He steps over the rents he left in the ground that repair as he approaches Staren. He's still evidentially mad, Staren said a lot of things. But as the hand is offered, he regards it for a long moment before taking it. His grip is like iron.

    "Grow stronger. If you lack strength, you cannot protect anything." It doesn't really sound like a threat, but everything Vergil says carries that kind of energy no matter what. It's with those parting words that he strides away.
Staren     Staren simply nods, smiling after he hears those words. "Always. Good luck."