ellipsanet | A Challenge | un: vainglorious (video)

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A Challenge | un: vainglorious (video)

Champions of foreign lands and worlds of names I have yet to know–hearken unto me!

[This video starts off with a bang! No, literally. There’s a loud explosion in the background as towering flames suddenly jut out from all corners of the arena forming an orange-red haze around the entire colosseum. For any unfortunate souls here, it’s going to feel hotter than hell but for others just watching from afar; you’re relatively safe for now. Those wild orange flames won’t scorch anyone as long as Rosen has control of them.

Oh, for those of you wondering who’s talking right now–that would be the dapper old bastard with the long flowing hair dressed in bright red and blue tunic standing at the center of the colosseum. Don’t ask how he’s managing to film the entire stunt. He’s just doing what he does best, causing a disturbance. It’s been a little too peaceful here and he’s bloody determined to change all that. If there’s one thing Rosen hates more is peace and quiet.]

Many of you proclaim to be warriors of realms I have yet to explore. Some of you even pretend to be likened to gods all for the sake of vanity and nothing else!

[It’s amazing how this crazed fellow can project his voice. He’s not talking into a microphone or anything. No, he’s literally projecting his voice throughout the entire colosseum over the roar of the fire. That actually takes talent and a lack of shame for being that damn LOUD! Then again, the colosseum has great acoustics.]

Therefore, I challenge you!

[In a flash of brilliant white light, a magical fiery red spear suddenly appears within his right hand. He dramatically points it towards the direction of the camera, making sure that this prized relic is on display for all to see. While it might come into question as of how he’s recording all this, Rosen at least knows how to put on a good show.]

I am called Rosenkrantz, and I formally challenge every capable warrior and legend here to face in armed combat! Only the strong need to apply for those without strength will be turned at the gate!

[He’s not kidding either. If he finds any of you fools lacking, he’ll toss you out of the colosseum on your ass. That is an unspoken rule here.]

With that said, if you seek a worthy challenge–then face me.

[And just like that, the footage goes black.]

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[The second he sees this overconfident purple bastard, Rosen grabs his fiery red spear and charges right towards them. Unlike some of his previous bouts, it seems the old man isn’t one for conversation. Instead, he thrusts his spear towards the youth in hopes of testing out the young man’s reflexes. While he’s confident this little shit will be able to dodge his incoming strike, a wicked part of him wants to skewer him alive.]

Best be on your toes, boy!

[ Oh was he ever ready for that, literally what he was asking for, and Yuri backflips nimbly out of the way — higher and farther than you might expect, given he's ostensibly human and not a Spring baby. ]

Where else would I be?

[ The adrenaline's already pumping, and Yuri is in great spirits. ]

I don't know! I expected you to run and hide beneath your mother's skirt!

[That fancy little backflip wins an appreciative whistle from Rosen. He didn’t expect his opponent to be so nimble, especially since they seem quite human. Nevertheless, he doesn’t dare relent in his assault. He follows that powerful charge with a quick thrust of his lance.

If his opponent somehow manages to parry this blow, Rosen will try to get within his hitbox to land a kick at their torso. It’s a bit of a risky move since it would leave him momentarily open.]

Damn, and here's me, fresh out of moms.

[ Another dodge, in fact, rather than an attempted parry. Rosen might quickly get the impression that Yuri, in addition to being A Little Shit of the highest order, is actually pretty canny. Feeling his opponent out as much as he's being felt out. ]

We sticking with blades here, or do you wanna blow stuff up?

[He dodged again!? Rosen lets out an annoyed growl as he attempts to slash at the nimble little twerp again. To be fair, Yuri isn't that small at all. It's just that Rosen has a few inches over him judging from how much range the old bastard has. He thrusts his spear over and over again in hopes of landing a hit but it doesn't seem like he's going to be too successful here. If there's one thing he can say about this smart-mouthed bastard, it's that he's fast.

Probably a little too fast to be just some normal bloke.]

I ought to blow you up, you little cuss!

Edited 2023-03-20 01:21 (UTC)

Little cuss? C'mon, commit! Pick a genre of insult.

[ He is not usually this much of a brat, but everything about this is bringing it out of him. ] [ And yeah, you've got a couple of inches on him, he's 180cm. Fast is certainly one word: acrobatic, flexible, and a damned show off also spring to mind.

Dropping low to dodge, Yuri finally goes for any sort of offensive move: sweep the leg. But he doesn't really expect it to connect, either, and is ready to back off again. ]

Am I an asshole? A brat? A bastard?

[It’s kind of hard for him to pick anything when this twerp is flipping and dipping all over the damn place like a little monkey. Every time Rosen winds up for a swipe, this pest nimbly dodges with minimum effort. It’s a bit maddening, to say the least, especially since he wants nothing else than to wipe that smug smirk off this brat’s face.]

Stand still long enough for me to think, will ya!?

[When Yuri goes in for the leg sweep, Rosen thankfully sees it coming. He jumps over his leg and swings his spear downward in hopes of nicking him. Rosen figures that his sprightly opponent will find some way to dodge that incoming strike but he’s hoping to at least land a scratch on him.]

Bloody monkey!

[He really can’t pick an insult right now. The poor man is honestly a bit overwhelmed.]

[ Laughter, slightly manic laughter. He loves this. He will only love it more when you land a hit. ]

Not my fault if you think slow.

[ Another backflip, landing lightly on his feet just out of spear-reach, but Yuri brings his sword up — and finally unsheathes it with a flick of his wrist that sends the sheath flying. ]

Come on, old man. Teach me a lesson. Kick my ass.

[He clicks his tongue once he hears the cheeky remark, his mismatched gaze lingering on that fancy blade. While it looks like a rather well-made sword, he can’t help but feel like it's wasted on this impetuous youth. Instead of blindly attacking like before, Rosen swings his lance behind him as he casually circles his opponent. So far he hasn’t been able to land a single hit on this cheeky bastard and this irritates him to no end. However, rushing forward to strike doesn’t seem like the best strategy.

It’s almost as if the brat can read his every move. The key to victory here doesn’t rely solely on brute strength but also a clear head. That might be a bit difficult since Rosen is so riled up but this seasoned old warrior isn’t about to give up.]

You talk a little too much for my liking. [Rosen boldly states as he keeps circling him.] It’s like you’re holding back or somethin’!

Aren’t you here to fight, lad? Not talk?

[He suddenly comes to a halt before Yuri and points his spear towards him.]

Come at me.

Not actually a complaint I get a lot, believe it or not! [ Watching Rosen circle him, his own stance relaxed by decidedly ready. ] You know, some of us like to get the feel of an opponent before we go all out...

[ But he cocks his head, a wide smirk on his lips. ]

Still, I'd hate to have you keel over waiting for me to actually make a move, so...

[ He tosses his sword up behind him, then drops low and kicks up, off the ground, launching himself feet-first at Rosen's torso.

No feint this time, and he won't so much as flinch if Rosen gets a hit in with that spear of his. He will probably laugh. There's no point in a fight if you don't get at least a little bit hurt. ]

Get a feel of me, hm? [A devilish grin settles on his lips as a dirty joke comes to mind.] Well, I suppose I could let you feel my up later~

[When the youth drops low, Rosen is already on the move. He really doesn't know what to expect from this opponent. Yuri's fighting style is so unorthodox that he's having difficulties predicting his next move. This is rather frustrating but oddly exciting as well.

He dashes behind his opponent and uses the blunt side of his spear to smack him right on the ass. It should be a clear shot but Rosen has no idea since Yuri is so quick on his feet. This battle is anyone’s guess at this point. Rosen thinks he can hold out for a bit but he can’t seem to gauge his opponent’s strength.]

Assuming that you win!

[Rosen isn't entirely being serious here but at the same time, he can't help but tease a little.]

[ You know, he wasn't being extra flirty with his wording, but it wasn't not there, either, so he smirks, eyes lidding a little, and wow, really, he leaves himself open for a hit and almost gets spanked, okay. Yuri is laughing again even as he catches his sword without so much as a backwards glance to track its trajectory. ]

Is that why you called the whole city out? [ The most shit-eating grin. ] Your people have some rule, and you're not allowed to give it up to anyone who can't beat you in single combat?

[ He's just saying. He'd be sexually-frustrated, too. ] [ Idly twirling his sword for a beat, while he watches Rosen again, then a series of quick slashes, not quite trying to connect, and a much quicker punch coming in behind from his right hand. ]

Maybe. [Judging from the flirtatious edge in Rosen’s tone, Yuri hit the nail on the head.] However, it’s just me. I doubt anyone else has such an arbitrary rule.

[He doesn’t care what the other arkanas do in their free time but he found fighting to be a rather gratifying experience, one that rivals the sweet intimacy of sex. Violence is much easier for him to comprehend than the emotions tied with sensual acts. Even so, he likes sex nonetheless. However, Rosen isn’t going to screw anyone who can properly defeat him in a duel. He loathes weakness and only seeks strength in his potential partners.

That’s why he makes it a point to give Yuri one hell of a fight.

Rosen effortlessly manages to avoid those vicious slashes but it’s the incoming punch he’s watching out for. He pivots out of the way in the last second, effortlessly twirling on his heel in order to aim a kick at Yuri’s midsection. The lancer means to put some distance between them somehow. Having his opponent this close and personal is a detriment for a lancer like him.]

I'm gonna have follow-up questions about that later.

[ But if you were saying the rest of that out loud, Yuri would honestly agree. In some ways, he even prefers a good hard fight.

More dodging back out of the way on Yuri's end, too, ducking and then shoving off the ground into a backflip, and it's starting to seem like that's gonna be the theme here: blows that very occasionally clip each other, lots of dodging, lots of banter. ]

—Not that this isn't fun, but if I don't at least get some bruised ribs out of this, I'm gonna be very disappointed.

[ 'At least'. As if bruised ribs don't really suck. ]

Bruised ribs, huh?

[A shockingly cruel smirk suddenly curls onto his lips as he taps into his true abilities. While his combat skills are fairly impressive, Rosen is at his best whenever he uses fire.]

How about a bruised ego, instead?

[For a good majority of this match, Rosen hasn’t been using his full powers. He was trying to shoot a fair one with Yuri but this insufferable rogue just seems to block every last one of his attacks.It’s horrible frustrating, especially since the little twerp isn’t even taking this fight seriously. That’s why Rosen suddenly summons a towering inferno made of red hot flames around his opponent. With just the flick of his wrist, the fire suddenly swirls around Yuri with every intention of burning the youth alive. He was trying to play nice earlier but Rosen’s competitive spirit has finally gotten the better of him.]

Try dodging that!

[ Well, Rosen will definitely get the satisfaction of widened eyes and hands brought up to shield his face, but that initial flinch is very quickly turning to something else, a practiced sword stroke and then a burst of ice that slices through the wall of fire with Yuri close behind it, hissing, to bring the tip of his sword down on the other side of it.

For Rosen's sake, hoping he's not in the immediate blast radius, because a wide circle lights up around him, symbols glowing blue on the ground, and then any damage the fire might have done before he was able to escape is healing — and anyone Yuri doesn't consciously choose to heal is feeling that same refreshing breeze like a punch to the gut. ~~AOE pulsing damage.~~ ]

[ And... a very breathless laugh. Yuri's gaze is hot when he lifts it. ]

Better.

[With surprising haste, Rosen manages to avoid that icy strike with relative ease. The second he felt the temperature dip, Rosen all but vanished from view obscured by the clash between Yuri’s ice and his towering flames. The lancer reappears behind Yuri in just a breath, his golden-eye shining brightly as he swings his lance down upon the swordsman’s head. It’s a dangerous maneuver for the both of them, especially since this could be a fatal blow for anyone other than them.

Not only that but that field of light Yuri summoned tears through him like a knife through butter. Even though the effects were about to fade, he could still feel the burn of that light magic on him. It's a horrid sensation, a burning sensation if anything but Rosen tanks through it like a pro. Despite his lofty dominion over vainglory, Rosen is a legitimate fire spirit.

While ice magic is truly his bane, Rosen can power through light-oriented spells well enough. That's why he continues with the swing by turning up the heat both metaphorically and literally. It's a foolish thing to do but this is the only time Yuri will stay still. He only has a couple of seconds here. The window of opportunity is that bloody short. So he sacrifices his own wellbeing in hopes of landing a decent hit.

Nevertheless, Rosen is confident that the little bastard will find a way to squirm out of harm's way. After all, he knows just how spry and nimble the young man was earlier. Yuri is slippery like an eel. It would be a shock if he actually manages to land a decent hit on the pretty bastard. Hell, Rosen might call that a “win” if he does.

So far Yuri is giving him a run for his money and he isn’t entirely sure if he likes that yet.]

Edited (minor edit) 2023-04-17 17:06 (UTC)

[ Go on, tell him how tanky you are, he likes that in a guy. ] [ More seriously: Yuri has a couple of weaknesses as a fighter. One of them is that he's only just gotten a clear invitation to use Burst Artes, which means Mystic Artes are still off the table in his mind. A pity, since Rosen would definitely get a kick of some kind out of Divine Wolf: Flood.

But another? The longer fights like this go on, the more Yuri wants to take a hard hit. He gets — impatient for it. A fight with an opponent like Rosen, who's definitely eyeing him for more than just the next attack... A fight where his life isn't on the line? Or in a place like this, where he knows that even if he really screws up, he'd just come back in the winter flower yard...

Yeah. It starts opening these little gaps in his defenses.

So the sword comes up and it blocks, taking the blow with more strength than you might expect from his narrow frame, but Yuri doesn't pull back as quickly as he could. Okay, handspring backflip, get distance. He should definitely cut this short, before he does something stupid like letting himself get seriously barbecued. ]

Too much of a terrible pun to say you're hot like this?

[To be honest, Rosen is a little surprised that Yuri can block his attacks. He’s quite aware of how athletic the youth is and expected him to simply dodge but no, the bastard blocked it. It goes without saying that Rosen is built more for power than speed. He’s one of the strongest arkanas, if not the strongest. So for Yuri to be able to contend with his power despite still being assumedly mortal, is a little surprising. That’s why Rosen pauses for a second in disbelief giving Yuri the distance he needs to handspring backflip away from him.

Something akin to a scoff escapes Rosen once he hears the pun. A smirk slowly curls onto his lips as he stabs his lance into the ground beside him. That smirk of his eventually grows into a full-on smile before suddenly he’s just laughing loudly at the top of his lungs.]

Color me impressed by both your fighting prowess and bad sense of humor!

[He teases before summoning away his spear for now with just the snap of his fingers. The magical lance vanishes in a plume of fire leaving little red embers within its wake. It seems this battle is over.]

You did well. Much better than I initially expected.

[Rosen honestly didn’t know what to expect when Yuri stepped into the coliseum but he’s grateful for the experience.]

[ ...Oh such mixed feelings: relief, from the little part of his rational brain that would actually prefer not to get too seriously injured, and disappointment from the rest of him.

But the laugh's nice, and as Yuri rolls his left shoulder, feeling the ache from the impact he absorbed with his sword arm, well... that's nice, too, even if it's not quite what he very stupidly wanted.

A grin, fierce, showing canines: ]

What can I say? I'm full of surprises.

[ —and full of energy, a restless buzzing just beneath his skin. Shouldering his sword, ]

We should definitely go again sometime. I'm sure we've both got a few tricks left up our metaphorical sleeves.

[ But are you done right now, Rosen. Or are you just done fighting. An important distinction. ]

[If this was less a spar and more like a life or death clash, one of them wouldn’t be walking out of here alive. However, this isn’t Rosen's intention. Just as he stated earlier, this is nothing more than a test on his part. He wants to see how he compares with other newcomers here and Rosen has received his answer. While he’s indeed quite powerful, he’s not at the top of the food chain anymore.

This worries him quite a bit but Rosen is a master of hiding his worries with sarcasm.]

I fear I might have to head back to the metaphorical drawing board. [He mutters before shifting his attention back towards Yuri. He smirks at him again but this time it’s a little flirtatious.]

We can go again whenever, friend. Although, it looks like you’re craving to do something else.

[/eyebrow waggle]

[ A little caught out, there, and Yuri hesitates for half a second before deciding to own it. He's definitely being teased, but he doesn't think he's just being teased. Starting to cross the distance between them: ]

I like a good, hard fight. [ Steady, even, surer of himself. ] If I can't go until I pass out, though, I get a little wound up.

[ Right up in Rosen's personal space. ]

Luckily? There're other ways of burning off that energy.

[Just when he thought Yuri would falter, the young man suddenly crosses the distance between them and gets all up close and personal. It’s a little surprising, especially since they barely know each other but the attraction is there. If there’s one thing Rosen simply adores, it’s confidence.]

You’re a bold one, lad. [He whispers as he leans down a little to get a better look at Yuri.] A little too bold but I like that in potential mates.

[If his teasing smirk wasn’t anything to go by, then maybe the way he curls his arm around Yuri’s waist is evident enough of his attraction.]

If you want to burn the midnight oil with me, just say so.

[ Eyebrows lifting, even as he lets himself be drawn in closer. ]

I like to think I'm not bad at reading people.

[ Fingers curling in the front of whatever passes for Rosen's shirt in this thread, Yuri tugs him down to mouth level. Almost purred: ]

But hey. Feel free to tell me I'm barking up the wrong tree.

[ Confident enough for you? ] [ He'll... circle back to the mate thing in a minute, there's a higher priority right now— ]

A Challenge | un: vainglorious (video)

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guess who spent the last 2 days thinking it wasn't my turn,

No worries!!

1/2 <3 <3

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