(Day 9 LA) Practice for the Birds

[Asako Yuki]

Sensing the moment come, Yuki's shinai came free. The Phoenix had plenty of time to choose her target, but decided on surety of strike over fancy display, going for a simple, easy strike against the Scorpion.

Attack: 36

Finishing the blow, Yuki stood to her full height and bowed to her opponent.

[Soshi Bantu]

Yuki's strike was true and swift. Bantu stood no chance against the Phoenix and he acknowledged her superiority with a deep bow.

"You honor your sensei Asako-san. I thank you for the lesson in my deficiency." Bantu spoke after rising, one hand rubbing the ribs that his opponent had found in the opening he had failed to close in his stance.

"You see Miya-san, too much of the mechanics and not enough focus on the spirit of the duel. I think I shall benefit greatly from watching you face Asako-san." He utters before offering the shinai to Mei and ceding the floor.

[Miya Mei]

"Both of your stances were quite interesting, though Asako-san definitely had more speed. Truly I won't be able to comment much until I have faced both of you however."

Mei stands and bows to Yuki then steps a bit closer.

"When you are ready, Asako-san."

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki took a moment to restart her focus. It was always taxing to duel more than once. To duel was to put forward everything that one had, doing that twice was challenging to even the best of duelists. After a minute, Yuki nodded and slipped back into her stance.

Initiative: 15
Assessment: 23

[Miya Mei]

Mei closes her eyes and takes a breath.

After a moment, she opens them and places her right hand onto the top of her Shinai that is tucked into her obi, palm upwards.

She watches Yuki closely.

----Rolls----
[D9 LA] Initiative + Kakita 1: 5d10o10k4+4 20
[D9 LA] Assessment: 5d10o10k3 18

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki leans forward once more, her eyes focused unerringly on Mei as the two prepare for the strike to come. She is not as centered as she had been in her last duel however, but only the fortunes would determine the ending here.

Focus: 32

[Soshi Bantu]

With bated breath, Banti watched the rising tensions as the two samurai-ko squared off.

[Miya Mei]

Mei watches Yuki for a few more moments and then lets out a breath. Clearing the space between the two, her palm turns downward, thumb wrapping around the grip of the shinai. In one smooth movement, she extends her elbow, performing a strike to Yuki's center, the tip of the bamboo scraping gently along Yuki's obi.

----Rolls----
[D9 LA] Focus + Kakita 1 + Center: 7d10ro1o10k5+4 58
[D9 LA ] Strike + Kakita 1 + Center, 58-32-5=21/5=4 free raises, 3 called raises: 8d10o10k6+4 43
Mei's TN=25

[Asako Yuki]

Yuki stopped, her shinai barely out of her sheath as the blade struck. She paused her own strike and slowly stood tall, bowing to the Miya.

"Well struck, Miya-sama." She said, smiling warmly to her.

[Miya Mei]

Mei bows and slides the shinai into her obi.

"And you as well. Your stance is good. I look forward to discussing the intricacies of it with you once we are all finished."

She turns to Bantu.

"Soshi-san, are you ready?"

[Soshi Bantu]

"If it is Miya-san's wish, I would be willing to oblige her. The opportunity to stand opposite a graduate of the Kakita Academy with no stakes for one's inevitable defeat is a rare opportunity indeed." Bantu replies as he shuffles his way back onto the floor.

[Miya Mei]

"It would only be fair. We all can then know each others schools should we ever have to face an opponent from them in the future. I am honored to face you."

She takes a few steps to the side away from Yuki and her contraption and readies herself again, going through a few quick stretches and a breathing exercise.

"And do not sell yourself short, Soshi-san. It may not be an inevitable defeat. Have confidence in yourself and your sensei!"

She bows to the man.

[Soshi Bantu]

"My sensei I have confidence in, and I will try my best to show you all that he has taught me." Bantu answers as he steps into position and slides his left foot forward, presenting a very unconventional and open stance to the Kakita trained samurai-ko.

Initiative = 16
Assessment = 32

[Miya Mei]

Mei nods and again takes the stance with her hand atop the handle of her shinai, palm upwards. She looks at Bantu with focus in her eyes, watching his feet and his hands, observing his body and its position. She then closes her eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she opens them.

----Rolls----
[D9 La Initiative 2 + Kakita: 5d10o10k4+4 25
[D9 LA] Assessment 2: 5d10o10k3 34
[D9 LA] Focus 2 +Kakita 1 + Center: 7d10ro1o10k5+4 40

[Soshi Bantu]

Perhaps it was the Miya's encouragement, perhaps it was from Bantu's analytical brain observing her form in the previous bout, but he caught a glimpse of an opportunity, a fraction of movement in the twitch of a tendon in his opponent's wrist.

And as Mei's weapon darted forward, so did Bantu's...

Focus = 43 = KHARMIC!

However Bantu's blade caught a minor deflection from the tip of Mei's shinai and darted just wide of the mark...

Strike = 24 v TN 25