The 21st of december came, Hanzo won his first battle against Gimva with relative ease, after which he proceeded to Tohgi's arena. There was an air of satisfaction and pleasure from the spectators leaving the arena as an entertaining battle had just occurred.
Hanzo: (hmmm, seems like there is an interesting person that I didn't notice, wasn't he the one that came in 4th just behind me?).
Tashiro had claimed his first victory and left the arena while the workers prepared for the next battle. Tohgi and Dante walked in and Tohgi noticed the third candidate he met at the lobby, Hanzo, Edana and Winfell along with a few other spectators.
Dante: you really drew in a crowd
Tohgi: What makes you think they came here for me?
Dante: I'm not that interesting, you on the other hand have been hitting a few nerves.
Tohgi: How so?
Dante: A southerner not just contesting but actually succeeding, a lot of people want to put you in your place.
Tohgi: In my place huh? Does that include you?
Dante: What's your place or not your place is none of my business, I am only interested in winning and you're in my way.
The demeanor Dante put on changed from his usual jolly self to a serious combatant.
Tohgi: I didn't think you would get serious, I was hoping you would underestimate me and make this battle easier.
Dante: You're a wild card, I have a feeling if I let my guard down I'm a goner.
Tohgi: (the only thing he should know about me is that I take risks. Is this some kind of animal instinct, this is troublesome)
Referee: Fight!
Tohgi drew his blade
Dante: Transformation Magic: Limbs of a cheetah
Tohgi: (he's not able to do full body I guess)
Dante dashed at Tohgi with full speed aiming his claws at him. Tohgi blocked the attack with his sword and ran towards Dante ready to attack, but Dante was too quick for Tohgi's blade to touch. Tohgi used quick step in an attempt to cover the distance in one movement, but Dante reacted to it and evaded him again.
Tohgi: (Even with quickstep, he evades too easily. The speed difference is far too great, I would never be able to catch him)
Whilst Tohgi took a defensive stance, Dante lunged at him with his claws again which Tohgi parried with his blade. Unable to attack, Tohgi held his stance, trying to figure out the most efficient way to beat Dante. Dante realized Tohgi was trying to figure something out and went on an all out offensive.
Dante: (If he's trying to think of some way to beat my speed, I'll just have to crack his defence first.)
Dante repeated the process multiple times with stronger, faster thrusts hoping to find an opening in Tohgi's defence and end the battle.
Dante: (His defence is good, but I have an edge with speed, if he is slightly late with the block or tries to attack, that would be my chance)
Tohgi: (all his attacks are in a linear motion, I have pretty much figured out his speed and rhythm, but striking with my blade at such high speed might lead to a fatal injury).
Hanzo: So, all his blade is good for is defence
Candidate 3: Is that how you see it?
Edana: How do you see it?
Candidate 3: He's gotten more comfortable with each strike from Dante, his defence isn't weakening it's strengthened. Dante is just too tunnel visioned to notice that. What I don't understand is that he's contemplating striking back for some reason.
Winfell stood there and watched silently.
Hanzo: Probably because the moment he strikes, Dante would be fast enough to counter, the coward can't even take such an easy risk. It's ridiculous to go into battle with such a weak mind.
Edana: this is pointlessly dragging, Dante should finish it already.
Tohgi sheated his blade and took a martial arts stance with his right side extended and his left retracted
Candidate 3: Is he conceding? No... That's martial arts.
Edana: Well that was unexpected.
Hanzo: Can he not even use his sword?
Candidate 3: I thought he was a swordsman? What's going on?
Dante paused his attacks for a brief moment in shock of Tohgi sheating his blade.
Dante: (What's he trying to do? If he's not going to use his blade I don't have to look for an opening anymore.)
Dante charged in with his claws, Tohgi slid his right leg in Dante's path while using his right palm to redirect Dante's wrist to his left hand. Using Dante's speed and body weight, he flipped him over and slammed him on the floor, after which he pinned him with body and drew his blade on Dante's neck. The seamless counter to Dante's speed shocked the entire arena. Tohgi had perfectly timed Dante's speed and reacted to it, something no one including Dante expected.
Tohgi: Submit.
Dante: damn! I submit.
Referee: match!
Winfell smiled and left the arena.
Hanzo: so he has tricks, pointless.
Candidate 3: be careful in your battles, don't shame our name.
Edana: like that is even possible.
Tohgi claimed his first victory and waited in the arena to witness the last highlight of the day, Edana and Lyman. The match ended swiftly as his plant magic was no match for her fire magic. Edana turned to the stand with a condescending chuckle.
Edana: I heard your affinity was plant, see you on the 24th.
Tohgi walked out silently and returned to his room.
The 24th of december came and the match between Tohgi and Edana was about to commence.
Edana: I'll make this quick, I wouldn't enjoy toying with the likes of you.
Tohgi: Thank you very much, I missed breakfast, but I can still make it before eleven if we finish up quick.
Edana: They give free food in the hospitals, don't worry about your empty pockets
Referee: start!
Edana: Flame magic: fireballs
Tohgi easily evaded the fireballs aimed at him.
Tohgi: Is that really all you know? If so then this is going to be boring.
Edana: is talking all you're good for? If you're so confident why not come at me?
Tohgi: Are little flame balls all you're good for?
Tohgi's goading had gotten to Edana as she was visibly irritated
Tohgi: (well that was quicker than I thought)
Tohgi put his hand behind him and started releasing reiki in response to Edana preparing to cast a different spell.
Edana: okay then... Flame magic: blazin...
Tohgi: Plant magic: poison stem shuriken
Tohgi threw a bunch of shurikens at Edana.
Edana: (Poison? Is he trying to die?)
Edana dodged to her right and fell into Tohgi's trap. He had quick stepped to where he expected Edana to dodge to, grabed her and put her in a hold with his blade on her neck.
Referee: Match!
He whispered in her ear with a smirk on his face.
Tohgi: I can still make it for breakfast.
Tohgi released Edana from his hold and started heading for the exit.
Referee: (he deliberately threw the shuriken to the left side of her body to make her dodge to the right, were she attentive she wouldn't have fallen for such a simple trick. However, he was able to pull it off)
Edana was enraged by the outcome of the fight.
Edana: How can you use such complex plant magic with your poor excuse for reiki?
Tohgi: Oh the shuriken? I carved them this morning, no magic involved.
Edana: Huh?
Tohgi: Information is a weapon in itself, didn't you know that? I guess they don't teach that up north. All I did was throw wooden shurikens while flaring up my reiki and gave it a fancy name
Referee: (just an act!)
Tohgi: You high-born are really impressive though, you stopped you flame magic midway once you heard poison. If you burn poison it might become gaseous which is more volatile and dangerous, you were able to make a split second decision to avoid that, amazing!! A for effort, but I guess you were too flustered by the fact that I could use magic to notice I had quick stepped in the direction to were evading to, try to be more attentive next time.
Referee: (He used every little detail he could think of to create an advantage to cover for his lack of reiki and skill, what a boorish method. There is a limit to how far you can reach relying on your wits alone, if you lack actual strength)
Tohgi finished the match in time and headed back to the hotel to have breakfast. He had spent his morning sourcing wood and carving them into shurikens, he couldn't do this in battle as the execution would take too long given the little amount of reiki and practise he had. The last test for the examination was the one Tohgi had looked forward to the most, he was so overwhelmed by his excitement that he went out to have a drink.
END!