OOC: To quote Seto Kaiba from YGO:TAS: "Even though there's no chance at success, I'm going to defy logic and attack you anyway."

IC: Xokorn grunted and clenched his stomach as the sword slashed right at his lower torso. He could feel blood dampen his cloak, but as it was dark, there was no way that it would noticeably stain. The large gash in the fabric, though, was still a telltale sign of damage. It would be easily repaired later.

Ugh, there's no way I can beat him. He's to agile and strong. He'll dodge any attack I throw at him, and he'll land every blow he throws at me. Focus, Xokorn. To win, you must find a window of opportunity, be it in the opponent's defenses or the environment. Pyralin's attack, however, didn't seem to leave open any "window." He couldn't see anything that could give him an edge. Surely, Pyralin planned his attack flawlessly.

All that he could see was his stance. A part of fighting, of course, was to try to turn the opponent's force against him- or herself. If Pyralin's stance were disrupted, a flurry of attacks would be easier to land. If it weren't disrupted, then perhaps damage would still be lent.

Xokorn loosened his grip on his stomach (much to his dismay) and put it on the shaft of his staff once again. He pulled it back to build up a wider range of momentum swung at the opposing warrior's legs with all his might.

Xokorn swings his staff with valiant grace, admirable considering the pain that he must be under after receiving a pair of slashes to his stomach. But however valiant it might be, he has just received a pair of slashes to his stomach, so his speed is obviously going to be hindered. It isn't too terribly surprising to find that Pyre has noticed the attack coming and dodged out of the way (13+4[Roll+AGI]), taking no damage at all. And for once, Tarlen decides to refrain from offering up a commentary.

Pyralin: 61 HP, 9 SPL
Xokorn: 40 HP, 4 SPL

~Pyre grinned as his blades sliced into their target. Every hit would count, and now that the scholar didn't have enough magic to heal himself, it would be a countdown to the end. His grin only widened when Xokorn made a clumsy attack with his staff that he easily avoided. The hylian was sure that the sheikah would probably have a trick or two up his sleeve, but for now, it looked like he was going to win.

Of course just thinking about winning wasn't going to get things done, so Pyralin once again sprung into action, moving as close as he could to the mage, even to the point where it would be hard to attack regularly, and then spun around in a circle, extending both of his arms in opposite directions, and letting his two blades cut in a complete arc around him. Unless he displayed some of his shiekan agility, Xokorn would be hard pressed to parry the attack.~

Pyre's blades once again fly true, aimed with pinpoint accuracy that cannot be painless as they dash through the Sheikah's body (15+5[Roll+AGI]). Xokorn is dealt another devastating 12 DMG as he spirals back down towards the point he had occupied earlier: one of weakness at Pyralin's feet. Ouch.

Pyralin: 61 HP, 9 SPL
Xokorn: 28 HP, 4 SPL

OOC: Must...continue...to...defy logic...!

IC: Xokorn was starting to get desperate now, even though he seemed to do a pretty good job of hiding it. Such swordsmanship, such cunning, such speed--definitely second-to-none to what he had fought against in the past. Of course, placing all of his inexerience in front of him, he hadn't really fought that much to begin with. It was no surprise as to why the tournament was dubbed the "Grand Tournament."

He was now presented with two choices: (1) he could just try to attack again--and ultimately fail--or (2) he could use his natural innate ability, Shadowmeld, and stall the match. Stalling wouldn't do much good now that he had virtually no magic power left in him. Plus, it would give Pyralin a little break and recover a little energy, and that was the last thing he wanted to have happen. Thus, it was as if he had only one available option: attack. And so he did, raising his staff in the usual fashion, trying to be as unpredictable as he could without injuring himself further and swung at the warrior when he found the time right.

Xokorn certainly does continue to defy logic as his staff slides forward, having taken the offensive in a fight that seems at best a lose-lose situation. But perhaps his willingness to continue onward even in the face of such logic gives him an edge, for at last his weapon manages to barely slip through the Ranger's defenses (16+4[Roll+AGI]) and strike at Pyre. The Vagabond is hit with the wooden weapon quite sharply, and is forced backwards as 10 DMG is dealt to him.

"And the Sheikah finally manages to strike back!" Tarlen cries excitedly as the members of the audience who enjoy cheering for underdogs roar all the louder. "Could this be the start of a comeback?! And how will Pyralin take the fact that he too now has felt pain?" Eagerly, announcer and audience watch on.

Pyralin: 51 HP, 9 SPL
Xokorn: 28 HP, 4 SPL

(((OOC: What??? Your NOT going to try to stall the match?! Your defying the annoying sheikan method?! YES!!! No getting spammed with Shadowmeld for me!)))

~A slight smirk that had been building on Pyre's face throughout the match grew even more pronounced as he struck down his opponent once again. Tightening his grip on his blades and he moved forward to meet the sheikah's charge and then attack. However, things didn't go exactly as planned.

When he rolled to the side to move out of the way, the arcing path of Xokorn's staff changed course to hit him hard in the side. The blow pushed him toward's his adversary's flank, but it had jarred him, and he was worried about the damage to his elbow. The hylian didn't have time to test if it was broken though, as a new emotion swept through him, as opposed to his previous arrogance: anger.

His eyes flashed, streaks emerging from his pupils and covering his irises, changing the color of his eyes from its regular dark brown, to a piercing ice blue. Someone needed to get injured. Now.

Pyre's arm swept sideways, his blade moving towards Xokorn's back, his body not even twisting to keep up with it. Normally this would have been a foolhardy attack, for the sheikah must have been for a counterattack right after he had struck his first blow, and even though the scimitar was moving fast enough to appear as little more than a flash to the side of Xokorn's vision, the ranger knew that he would be able to dodge it. Despite all appearances, that was the point. One was forcibly reminded of the very beginning of the match, and spectators might very well predict what was going to happen next.

Not even bothering to shape the spell, Pyralin released a blast of magical energy, all of it focused on one target; the sheikah. Directed by the path of the blade, the spell coursed towards his opponent, seeking to gain vengence for the blow that its vicitm had dealt. [Elemental Burst]~

OOC: Ack, sorry MF. Forgot about posting here... My bad. You have three days from now to reply.

IC: Pyralin's anger burns through the very air of the stadium, and it isn't long at all before every member of the crowd becomes aware of the wrath boiling up within the Ranger. "Hm, seems like Pyre isn't exactly fond of pain!" Tarlen cries out. "He's working himself into quite a rage right there!" And Pyre's vengeful desires certainly seem to pour out into his attack. The Elemental Burst morphs itself into a sphere of darkish energy - not of Shadow, but of Earth - before lashing outward towards its Sheikah target.

But at the same time, the consequences of such a hasty attack without even an attempt to control it becomes clear. Not only does Xokorn dodge the scimitar that lances through the air, he is also able to duck out of the way of the magical spell (18+3[Roll+SPI] vs. 20), avoiding any and all damage that could have been dealt to him. The same cannot be said of the audience behind Xokorn, of course...unless someone manages to do something. But that's hardly the two fighters' problem, now is it?

Pyralin: 51 HP, 3 SPL
Xokorn: 28 HP, 4 SPL

OoC: I'll SAVE THe DAY, RG!!!

IC Sovelis had been intently watching the match, and was impressed with how long Xokorn had lasted. When he actually hit Pyre, he let out a yell of triumph, for it meant that his fellow mage had done what few did; Smack someone upside the head with a staff. "GO XOKORN!!!" he yelled as he saw the sheikan DODGE an Elemental Burst, Which proceded towards the stands. That'll blast all those spectators! Gotta act fast... He thought as he sent a small burst of magic into his legs and Jumped all the way across the stands to intercept the blast. This is gonna hurt in the morning!!! the Tempest thougt as he tried to save the people in the stands from a powerfull attack that could kill.

OoC-Agian: I didn't know if you wanted someone to act RG, but since MF and Pabru are fighting, I decided to be a hero here. I'M SUPERMAN!!!

(((OOC: er, I hereby pardorn MF if he's late, unless it is inconvient to you, RG)))

OOC: I think I have a few hours left. RG posted on the 8th in the PM hours, and this is the 11th in the AM. But I'm sorry for squandering my time like that.

IC: Like it was all in slow motion, the attacks harmlessly grazed passed Xokorn. He didn't know what had happened, only that, in truth, he had no idea himself as to how he evaded both attacks. He thought it best that after the battle, he'd not say anything about that miraculous event.

However, even if he had dodged both attacks, he had only a split second of time to initiate an attack before Pyre had time to counterattack. He looked all around him to give him an idea as to his opponent's position so as to try to accurately land the attack. And there he was: on Xokorn's left, and quite close, too. He had to try to increase the distance from them, if not for the fact that close-quarters combat (emphasis on close) made him feel a wee bit uncomfortable. Taking his staff, he attempted to stab the warrior, aiming for the stomach. Hopefully the blow would knock him back to increase the distance between the two warriors.

OOC: Yeah, don't worry, MF had plenty of time left.

And nice work, Sovelis. Exactly what I was hoping someone would do.

IC: The Elemental Burst Pyralin had suddenly unleashed smashes directly into Sovelis, which is somewhat apt...seems the Mage managed to participate in a match of the Grand Tournament's 1st Round after all, even if it wasn't his own fight. The Tempest is hurled backwards into the stands as the attack erupts at his chest, but fortunately the few spectators he would have found himself smashing into are smart enough to leap out of the way.

Xokorn's ability to dodge the attack in question is quite astounding for all those watching. Perhaps the Mage really CAN come back and win this fight after all! But while those cheering for the underdog begin to roar in celebration for the Sheikah, those still unsure about who to root for find themselves even more unsure: had Xokorn landed this attack, he might have gained a few more supporters, but alas, that was not to be (9+4[Roll+AGI]), as Pyralin manages to dodge out of the way of the staff.

Pyralin: 51 HP, 3 SPL
Xokorn: 28 HP, 4 SPL

~Pyre skipped to the left, his anger left going strong. He felt the staff move pass him by just an inch, but he barely noticed this, and his hand shot out and grabbed it, his blade already rushing through the air. His mind was already locked on to his target; Xokorn's extended arm that he was trying to hold in place. This time he was determined to strike true.~

(((OOC: Sorry I didn't have much time.)))

Pyralin's blade does indeed strike true, hitting Xokorn square in the side (17+5[Roll+AGI]). The Sheikah is forced to the ground once again, his good luck streak appearing to have ended as the sword takes out another hefty 12 HP. "Oh, that's too bad," Tarlen cries. "We were all hoping for the best for the mage, but it seems that without his magic he just can't seem to work the necessary miracle."

Pyralin: 51 HP, 3 SPL
Xokorn: 16 HP, 4 SPL

Sovelis was glad that he had saved the citezens of Hyrule from an aciedental blast from the might Pyralin, but a little hurt, and with a board jabbing him in his backside. He stumbled to his feet and yelled at Pyre. "WATCH WHERE YOUR AIMING!!! THAT REALY HURTS!!!" the Last Tempest bellowed as he slowly made his way back to the sidelines, and he prayed that he didn't need to do that agian until the second round of the fighting.

OoC: Glad to be a meat-shield for the people, RG. If I do that too many times, I'd get K.O.ed though! That did some damage. Any hits like that on Xokorn, and we'll have a winner sooner that later.