You make Shun sound too paranoid. Take a breath, take it easy, take it slow. We got this. Shun needs to remember this and always stay cool.

Now, she's encased in a full dome of metal sheeting.
This means she is fully encased in a dome of shadow.
Put our hands on top of the dome, and create a shadow lance or drill from our palms, pushing inside the dome. No one should be able to see this. Once we get inside, we have control of all the shadows in the dome.

You can see where I'm going with this.

>>18984111
Definitely uncool of her. On the bright side if we do get in there a completely shadowed enclosed area is to our advantage.

Get on top of the dome, try to find a weak point, stance of the cold phoenix and bash through.

Sadly our abilities aren't quite at the level where we can just manipulate the shadow inside the dome and just take her out while sitting on top.

>>18984135
Once we can slip a shadowy tendril inside, I mean. Shun himself shouldn't have to be inside the dome.
If you say this doesn't work, I'mma shit.

You take a deep breath as you climb on top of the dome. This thing is solid steel, but you know you can break it. Palms facing down, your shadow creeps up undetected, forming a tiny drill under your hand. It goes and goes and goes, for an agonizing minute. You’ve never done this before, and you’re a little surprised that it’s going so well. You’re halfway there… It’s been a little too long for your liking, but after a little more force… you crack through! You pull your palm back… and a bright light shines from inside the dome. Wait, it’s not just a dome, transmutation magic has the ability to alter the target of the mage...

It’s a cocoon.

>>18984179
Wait, I don't follow.

>>18984179
I don't think she expected us to break through quite this quickly and given the protection she set up she ought to be vulnerable as all hell, we might not be able to jump in and beat her into a pile of goo, we can stick our palm to the hole we made and start forcing shadow projectiles through or something along those lines.

>>18984202
That's been the idea the whole time. Once we get access to the thick shadows inside the dome, we beat her around like Punchy the Clown until she submits.

You don’t have time to act, you force your shadow inside through the tiny hole, spreading as much of it as you can, and spikes erupt from your darkness. Anything in there should be dead. Right?

You fall to the ground as the dome and the steel underneath turn back into sand… and you don’t fall on a body. Shit. Jeanne erupts from the sand with another sword identical to the first… eyes glowing.

You've got a bad feeling about this.

>>18984220
Does she have any visible damage?

>>18984224
None, but your riposte earlier was a broad display of force. It doesn't lend to bleeding unless you completely blow something away.

>>18984220
Check for damage to her, shadow feint her as she assaults us, there being two attacks ought to confuse her and maybe we'll get a lucky hit in.

>>18984234
So all that dicking around with the dome did nothing.

Charge her again. She's getting restless.
Restless becomes angry.
Angry becomes sloppy.
Sloppy is just how we like our enemies.

>>18984220
She can glow all she wants. She'll cast bigger shadows.

>>18984252
This. Remain calm, avoid injury, exploit opportunities.

She erupts, even faster than before, and you can’t see her until she’s in front of you!

(Defense roll = 18 + 1 for shadow burst = 19!)
(Defense roll = 11 + 1 for shadow burst = 12.)

One of her greatswords comes sailing for your neck, while the other slices from the other side at your torso! You manage to duck underneath the first, and you try and deflect the other, but she’s too strong, and the blow digs deeply into your arm as it knocks you back a few feet! Alright, she wants to be like this? Fine. You send your leg straight for her face as a blade of shadow thrusts from behind…!

(Attack roll = 14 + 1 for shadow burst = 15!)
(Attack roll = 16 + 1 for shadow burst = 17!)
She’s getting aggressive, too aggressive! Your kick smashes into her temple, and the shadow pierces her side! She’s bleeding a little, but… not enough for the kind of wound she has. What did she do to herself in there?

>>18984303
Did she improve her defenses, just to make this fight drag even longer? I should have you know I'm supposed to be meeting friends later this morning for a BBQ. Sheesh.

Press the advantage. Small gash or no, she's still wounded. Strike at the gash.

>hemorrhage DFgattl

>>18984325
Plus, that kick to the brain has to have jolted her and left her loopy. We have to pressure her now.

>>18984303
Focus on continuing to hit her where she has the wound, we want to aggravate the hell of out it.

Keep pressuring her, we just kicked her in the temple, alchemy or no that has to rattle you some.

>>18984303
Girl went Super Saiyan.

If things get hairy, we should copy her, make a shadow bubble and start chugging potions.

>>18984354
We're not being more obvious than we already have.

>>18984303
Remain calm, exploit her recklessness, just avoid crippling injury.

>>18984365
Its kinda obvious that unless we start showing more of our hand, we're not going to win. Girl is a three time champion, she's not someone we can hold back on.

>>18984390
We'll worry about what we need when we get to that point.

Her blue eyes blaze as you continue your assault!

(Attack roll = 11 + 2 for shadow burst and disoriented opponent = 13!)

You lift your leg up for another kick and crash it into her wounded side! With a wince, she slices at you again!

(Defense roll = 20!!!)
Her form is perfect. She dances with both swords, each bigger than she is, a master of her style. With the force of a natural disaster, with the harmony of a summer lake, with the grace of a swan, a hurricane of blades slashes at you from nearly every angle in a second. It would blend lesser men into a fine paste.
You are not a lesser man. Her blades assail you from every direction- she slices at your head, you duck. At the same time, she goes for your knee, you deflect. An instant later, both swords coming at you diagonally, and you clap your hands together over them, freezing them in place. The crowd, uproarious a second ago, has fallen silent at this awesome display of skill from both of you. You spin around, still holding onto her swords, until she loses her mighty grip on them. She is unarmed, and you have her weapons.

>>18984406
Get a feel for their weight, then rush her. Knowing her, she'll likely make more from the sand. But we have weapons training, and now we have weapons. We can fight with more confidence.

Make her surrender.

>>18984406
Slice her open, one to grab her full attention by swinging at head to neck level from one side and the other being the true goal of hitting her once again where we opened the wound on the other side.

She should focus on the sword heading towards her head or neck and leave her open to open the wound even more.

>>18984406
"Please, surrender."

If she doesnt, knock her out with the broad part of the blade.

You’ve already adjusted to their weight. It’s time to finish this! But… you’ve got to see if she’ll submit. You don’t think she will, but… “Please, surrender.” Her blue eyes grow icy at your words, and she says no to you, in a soft, but firm voice. You thought as much.

Rushing at her, you begin your dual-pronged assault!

(Attack roll = 7 + 1 for shadow burst = 8.)
(Attack roll = 17 + 1 for shadow burst = 18!)

Your first attack goes for her neck, blatantly telegraphed. You don’t want to actually kill her. Of course, she dodges it, but the follow up… she takes the broad side of her own weapon to the temple. Staggering, her hand goes to her head, now bleeding, eyes wrenched in pain. Now that you get a good look at her… she’s younger than you. She can’t be older than 16. And yet she can do this? How? Her eyes open, and their glow is gone. You end it mercifully. Dropping the swords, you close the distance, and, like lightning, your arm is behind her, ready to press her pressure point to knock her out… and she doesn’t resist. Not one bit. She just looks at you firmly. Her blue eyes piercing your own steel orbs. You can end this right now if you want. She’s done.

>>18984488
She's effectively submitted already with her lack of resistance. She needs to ratify it herself.

>>18984488
Don't let go of her, give her 5 or so seconds to surrender honorably. If not knock her out.

If she surrenders tell her that we'd love to meet her outside of the arena sometime, she was quite impressive. If we have to knock her out try to leave a note and slip it in her pocket.

“I’ll give you one more chance. Give up, Jeanne.”

She glares at you. “No.” Her determination is admirable, even if it makes no sense. With a simple hold, she’s asleep on the ground.

And the crowd goes wild, berserk- even Master Richards is astonished. “He… he actually did it! Shun, a complete nobody, has shown up and beaten some of the finest Terec has to offer! I’ve never seen moves like that before!” Well… it couldn’t be helped. You want to meet up with her later, but you can’t just leave her a note after a fight like this. You should look into seeing her after the tournament.

Hank’s surprised when you walk back to your room. He doesn’t say anything, just grins, shakes his head, tells you your final fight is coming up soon, and leaves. For the last time, the healer shows up and mends your ails. You sit and meditate on your next fight.

>>18984488
This looks dangerous. I'm paranoid.
Knock her out quickly.

Also good job guys on showing our Shadow Powers. I hope you're proud.
We didn't HAVE to win the tournament, you know. Getting a little trashed but being alive was good enough.
And why the hell do you think that "stealthy" use of shadow magic will go unnoticed to decidedly magical people? What the hell is wrong with you? No mages or alchemists or mix thereof worth their name wouldn't have magical sense.

>>18984488
"There is no shame in defeat. One learns more from it, then they do in victory. But I must win this tournament, for reasons beyond merely winning or losing." Knock her out if she doesn't give up.

>>18984522
I have a feeling we're going to be meeting them anyway. They are all pretty interesting characters.

>>18984570
It's never been clarified that our Fist of Shadow is magical in nature. For all we know, it isn't.

>>18984568
Before starting the next fight, drink the endurance potion. If the previous fights have shown us, the next one will be harder or at least the same level as this one.
Besides, better safe than sorry. If we came all this way, showing our secret techniques, might as well use the potion and improve the odds of winning the tournament.

>>18984568
Well, we are officially over the hump. Hopefully it gets easier from here.
Can we please stop now?

>>18984600
Sleep is for the weak, and those who have responsibilities on the weekend. I am neither.

>>18984581
It is still supernatural. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm sure they have contraceptions installed all over the arena to analyze the fights. I doubt that SCIENCY city like this would miss a chance to study fights and improve their technologies based on them.

This time, it only takes ten minutes for them to come fetch you again. Ten minutes? So fast? This next guy must’ve torn his opponent apart. You’re a little worried. You may have beaten the previous champion, but your next foe must be quite the combatant to finish a fight at this level so quickly. You’re both apprehensive and excited. This’ll be one hell of a fight. You step out into the field for the last time. The Shard isn’t in the sky anymore, and the heavens are bathed a dusky orange. You’re the first one out this time. Hm, maybe you can size this guy up.

The man who will contest you for the prize enters. His blonde ponytail reaches to his knees. A long white cloak with a flame pattern emblazoned on the bottom strides behind him; open, revealing his incredibly tone chest. A red gi costumes him from the waist down. Excited, determined green eyes look at you. When you recognize him, you take out your endurance potion and chug it. This’ll be one hell of a fight.

“Khan.”
“Shun.”

>>18984617
>contraceptions
I know you meant "contraptions," but damn son.

And on that note, I'm tired as hell. But don't worry! I'm not done yet. I'll resume this tomorrow. Of course, I'll stick around a bit to see your reactions.

>>18984571
>The wizard tags along, wanting to know our secrets. The Smart Gut
>The guard follows us, to escape the embarressment and a chance for a rematch.
The Big Gut

>Jeanne, is..uh..
Lancer

And our girlfriend will be the chick, while we're the hero.

Five Man Band, wooh!

>>18984633
I had sneaking suspicion I would see our friend here.

>>18984639
Hey, English is my 3rd language and you can blame spelling check for that and the fact that I didn't double check.

>>18984633
Sup, brah.

>>18984633
Hey man, somehow I figured this would happen. Good to see you again.

>>18984633
"Should have seen this coming. I take it you've been practicing." Scan him, every minor detail. What is different from when we last saw him?

>>18984677
The cloak.
Which is pretty stylish, I imagine.

>>18984680
Wait, wasn't Khan going in the opposite direction of us when we met him just outside Crestdale? How'd he get here so quickly in time for the tournament?

>>18984646
>So many errors
Blargh. I am tired as fuck.

>>18984685
Don't worry, it'll be answered tomorrow.
Which is today, now that I think about it.

>>18984680
As stylish as ours?

>>18984680
Is it as swagtastic as our scarf and as stylish as our armor? If so that's some serious style he's got going on. I also shouldn't be surprised he recognized us with our mask on.

>>18984685
It's been some time, a couple of months, I could see him getting here.

>>18984706
>>18984708

Depends on your taste.
Ignoring the Narutofaggotry, I think this cloak is swag as hell and fits Khan pretty damn well.

>>18984708
It took us a month, not counting distractions, to get from Crestdale to Terec. That must've been a quick turnaround at wherever he was.

>>18984702
>>18984685

I'm pretty sure he knew about the tournament before us and made travel plans to come here in time.

>>18984719
Maybe he ran here?

PROPELLING HIMSELF LIKE A ROCKET!

So
when is the next session?

>>18984792
We're apparently finishing the tournament later today, but for the most part, FoSQ runs every Monday and Friday.

>>18984798
Will it start at its usual time?

This thread hasn't been archived.

bump

Bump.
Op should be here soon

Oh god, I slept like a little bitch,
I'll get things rolling when this coffee kicks in.

i can't believe i missed that fight with the alchemist girl, fuck my net

Fuck me in the ass this is on page 15.