Scene #6693: MECC: August Kohler vs Tamamo no Mae

Owner	Pose
Muramasa	The stage is a simple stone path roughly fifteen feet wide that stretches on well into the horizon in either direction, a full and bright moon in the sky. The stone path is lined with lush greenery, a canopy of blooming cherry blossom trees hanging over your heads. Something wet dots your face. Even though the sky is clear for the moon and stars to shine down on you, it seems there's a very light and almost imperceptible drizzle of rain falling. Sengo rests in one of the trees, perched on one of the branches. His floral haori is fitting, given that he was surrounded by the pretty pink blossoms. "Good evening, everyone." he begins. His voice is loud, but calm. "Tonight's contestants are a fox-eared Caster and the Watch's own August Kohler. They've both put forward their best to get past the qualifiers, so please show them both your support." Bringing two fingers to his mouth, the red-headed Servant blows a loud whistle. "Begin!"
August Kohler	August Kohler is here. Dressed in a t-shirt, jacket wrapped around his waist, revolver and combat knife openly worn and Dietrich already summoned, the black knight powered armor Persona's back being ridden by the redhead, August listens to Sengo's speech. The drizzle splashes on Dietrich's visor, as August wipes it off his face. "Good luck." Is all August says to Tamamo, a little raw over...something unrelated entirely to her. As soon as Sengo whistles, Dietrich is off, wielding a massive mechanical buster sword, which with surprising speed it moves to swing straight into the fox and try and knock her backwards down the path with a heavy thud. "Let's see how well a Caster can fight..."
Tamamo no Mae	It doesn't take too long for the Caster-Class servant to head into the arena, her tails swaying behind her as she gives waves to the crowd surrounding... Win or lose, the fox got some exercise in and some training... and most importantly, a look at new fighting styles to take heed of. Too bad there wern't any Servants here, "Mikon!" she calls out to the crowd, with a section calling out the same noise. "Awww, Caster loves you too!" Tamamo stretches a bit, bounces in place and nods, the Mirror of Uka starts to float around her and she readies herself. "The Watch's own August Kohler, the fates are kind to me today and I appreciate the opportunity to fight you." she gives a very traditional, respectful bow towards the Watch leader before resuming her combat stance. "I promise to give you my all." with Dietrich's already off, the fox is already off on the defensive, hopping backwards while the sword catches her kimono, digging into her for a visible wound upon her. She skids a bit after landing, then starts throwing off a small barrage of talismans that explode either on contact or around Dietrich. "I'll fight just well, ask my Master."
August Kohler	As Tamamo recognizes August, he grins a little. That feels good. And then, the talimans don't feel good, as they explode into Dietrich, ripping up armor. Except, where one should find workings underneath... There's even more armor, which starts to repair itself rapidly, expending August's energy, even if he's pained. "Nice hit!" He calls out to her, and then flicks the wrist holding the sword. The blade ignites with flame, as it goes for another heavy strike, trying to burn into Tamamo, the sheer force of the strikes knocking down cherry blossom leaves that burn on contact.
Muramasa	"August propels his automata forward to strike at her -- it's a precise chop without elagance or style. But there is skill in it, for sure." Appraising the opening, he continues to soothingly narrate what's happening before everyone's eyes. Afterall, without the perception of an elite or high-shutter cameras, things could get too fast for normal people to keep up with. "Mm. Not a direct hit, but close. For aspiring swordsmen, often the simplest form is the most efficient. But Caster's moniker isn't just for show, she's using magic to counter-attack with red hot fire." With a gentle, grandfatherly smile, the young man raises his hand in a subconscious lecturing posture. "Ordinarily, Ofuda such as that is to be hung in one's house for protection. They are inscribed with the names of gods and are said to give their blessing, but just as well, it seems it's possible to use them like this." "Fire is fought with fire. Yet, what a silly saying that is, isn't it? Hm. Earlier, I said that simple strokes are usually the most efficient, but they have weaknesses as well. Even though his strike is quick and the movements unwasted, it's effortless to see through his tactic. But how will a proper lady fare? ... Ah, I shouldn't say things like that, you think? I see."
Tamamo no Mae	Tamamo nods, "Thank you." she replies, eyeing all the armor upon armor... "Is this your Servant? Where is Gao?" she questions, watching the blade ignite and come right towards her. She braces herself for this hit, the sheer force of it sends her into the ground, braced up by the Mirror... with her kimono catching on fire... "Ah, fire after my own heart. This will be good, August." She rolls away from the sword before it slices through her, dumping some talismans upon the ground... that blow up into spikes of ice, aimed towards the armored 'servant-like' thing that August is riding! "Maybe some ice will cool you down!" she keeps backing up a bit after that to try to put some distance between the sword wielding 'servant'.
August Kohler	"This? This is my Persona. The manifestation of my ego." August replies brisky, as the spikes of ice impale into Dietrich's armor. It moves to rip them out, charging forward, but it doesn't swing the sword again, even as August is clearly pained from the icicles, clutching his chest. "Hmm..." And then, Dietrich moves to pick up the tree directly next to Sengo, in something that would probably have an unconfident commentator leaning back, rip it out of the ground with one hand, and then swing it as a club at Tamamo, with enough force to shatter the tree if it hits anything. Dietrich hits like a truck.
Muramasa	The rainfall is still light, but fog is beginning to roll in. It might obfsucate your vision, when combined with the various elements at play and the roiling cherry blossoms. "It would seem the five elements are at her beck and call. Perhaps she's the famous Abe-no-Seimei? Ahahaha, no, it's just a joke. Don't take it too seriously." The man reclines on his branch, seemingly unbothered by the tree next to him becoming uprooted. It was a show of both poise and grace. "Steam and fog swirl and mix. Watch your footing, down there -- as well, please show some respect to your environment, would you?"
Tamamo no Mae	"I see." Tamamo backs up.... "Persona, huh?" she scribbles this down in her mind to poke at later, but for now, she has a huge tree coming her way. She braces herself and the tree smashes right into her sending the fox flying into another tree, cracking it. "MIKON!" she shouts, slowly picking herself up at this, "Oh, you're good." "But I'm just getting started." she smirks slightly, pushing herself forward as a circle starts to appear above and below August and Dietrich. "Curse. Firey Heaven." she mutters out, if the two are remotely in it, they'll be engulfed in flames from below and from above along with an exhausting heat wave!
August Kohler	The tree breaks, and is dropped from hand. August just waves a hand at Sengo asking him to respect the environment, as flames detonate under and around August and Dietrich. The flames don't do too much, besides the exhaustion. They /hurt/ and burn, certainly, but it seems like they're less effective than the other attacks used so far - an innate fire resistance making it hard to burn through the armor. "Trying to exhaust me out, huh?" The sword is swung again. It's a light swing, trying to regain some of that energy and keep himself upright, while keeping pressure up on Tamamo.
Muramasa	"Flame swathes pour out, but it seems that August Kohler's ... 'Persona', was it? Yes, his Persona is naturally able to repel the flame. Yet, he himself ... " Sengo trails off, allowing those watching to draw their own conclusion. "His persistence is admirable. While her curse of fire was powerful, is that all she has up her singed sleeves, I wonder?"
Tamamo no Mae	Tamamo mmms a bit, nodding, time to change up the tactics here. "It's an attempt." she chuckles, but the light swing of that sword snags her in the side once more and a spurt of blood soaks the ground. "Well?" she mutters, "So, shall we?" she backs up and kisses her ring, "Moon Cell, grant me your power." one transformation sequence later, her outfit changes into her Moon Crux form, the hat between her ears, the two ice-tailed orbitals around her and a general air of cold. "Alright, let's dance." she calls out, rushing herself in and making swipes with the ice-tailed orbitals and slashes with an ice-element aspected mirror! "Time to cool down the heat you and your little Persona are emitting, after all, I can't stand damage to these pretty cherry blossoms!"
August Kohler	The mirror comes forth, as Tamamo transforms. Ice freezes over Dietrich, frost covering several cracks of the armor as August is badly damaged, bleeding from his nose from exertion and healing. "Alright. Let's end this." The sword swings at Tamamo again - and transforms into a chainsaw whip mid-swing. It moves to grapple around her, and then with both hands, Dietrich's going to lift it up, try and pull her into the air with it, and swing her back into the ground as hard as possible, enough to break the stone pathway they're on and create a small crater.
Muramasa	"Ah, and just as he speaks, this old man eats his word. That ice ... it's an elegant form. But Kohler isn't to be underestimated." Sengo did appreciate the move away from flame. He was fond of these trees, even if they were ultimately but an illusion created by the Shrine of Adversity. "The blow he deals is devastating. She's been plowed straight through the stone path, if she were a normal person, she'd no doubt have been killed just now. But, as the saying goes, don't count your chickens before they hatch. This battle is coming to its finale, but the conclusion isn't foregone."
Tamamo no Mae	"Gladly." she responds in kind, she gets ready to launch another ice-filled barrage but when the sword starts to swing, she expects it to crash right into her, so she braces herself for the incominug hit. What the fox /doesn't/ expect is the sudden chainsaw whip snagging her instead! "MIKON?!" she shouts, letting out a surprised noise once she's lifted in the air. "Nonononono!" and down she goes, right into the ground, and into a crater as dust and debris rise up. It could be over... it /could/ be over, but fog rises from the hole in the ground.. Chilly, vision reducing fog as the fox slowly crawls up from the hole, looking quite beat up, bleeding here and there from the cuts and abrasions from the chainsaw whip and the sudden planting in the ground. Tamamo's face looks like it's angry, because it is. "We'll end this." she comments, coughing out some blood, the injured fox's words start to chant. "God who resides in Izumo. Aesthetically certain, Breath of the soul. Residing in the mountains and watery heavens, Amaterasu. Let this freely become the proof of purification. Thy name is Weighted Stone of Tamamo. Become the sacred treasure, Mirror of Uka!" Torii gates appear all over the battle field, the fox rising up as eight talismans surround her in a circle and soon explode into balls of fire and ice, four each. As she speaks the words, they grow and grow until the final line is spoken, they launch towards August and Dietrich, exploding around the area in a wave of fire and ice explosions!
August Kohler	The fog is making it hard for August to continue, especially as Tamamo moves to end this with a Noble Phantasm. As the gates appear and the elements explode at him, the fire is resisted...but the ice gets him. Dietrich is knocked back into some of the cherry trees, bowling them over, as August starts bleeding from his mouth. He'll be /fine/, but... A gesture to Sengo. It's the tap-out. "Thanks for the fight. Looks like I'm out of the race." There's some shame there, but...August isn't mad at her. She won fair and square.
Tamamo no Mae	Tamamo floats down from her position and moves over towards August, offering a hand to pick him up. "YOu're a strong person, August. Thank you for showing me what you can do and thank you for the fight." there's a pause, "I don't believe that you've been told, but I trust you with my True Name." regardless if he takes her hand or not, she smiles. "My True Name is Tamamo no Mae. I trust you won't abuse it. Now come, let me take you to the healing areas, least I can do for your epic performance today."
Muramasa	@emit Sengo blows a loud whistle once again. "End! It's over. The winner is Caster! Both of our contestants tonight showed incredible fortitude. They played to their strengths and ultimately, it was anyone's victory." Sengo looks down at August from his perch, a swathe of the cherry blossoms having been destroyed by the Noble Phantasm. Yet, he hadn't moved an inch. "There's no shame in defeat -- indeed, to have come even this far is not a disservice. Learn from this experience and grow." He then turns to Tamamo. "Your victory was close and bombastic, but don't forget to review each and every bruise you were given tonight, okay? I guess I'm just trying to say that things are only going to get harder for you from here. Don't shy from the adversity, hesitation will be defeat." He then addresses the spectators. "Thank you all for watching, I hope to see you again as the tournament continues." As the surroundings bleed away to the Shrine of Adversity, their respective fans greet them with applause and various well-wishes. "Caster, Caster! I love you!" "I feel like I got singed just watching ..." "So cool!" "Persona? I thought they were Stands?" "Uwah, is he looking at me? YOU DID GREEAAAT!"