Tri-District Tournament Exhibition: Winners Royale

[lance]

After a week's worth of matches, only two remained - Reldexx Scarr of District Two and Syrena Fray of District One. And as such, it was wildly expected that when the sun rose on what was, logically, supposed to be the final day of the tournament, that the grand story of One and Two fighting on Four's soil for dominance would play out in front of their very eyes.

But that was not to be. Wanting the respective finalists to have extra time to rest and recover from their wounds in order to put on the grandest show possible, it was revealed that the finale match would instead take place that evening, with the morning's entertainment being gathered in a different way. There'd been whispers before this, sure, as to which district had the greatest quality of combatants, which tournament's champion truly proved superior, with each district claiming that their own reigned supreme. What few expected was that each delegation had reached out to their reigning champions - Helen Thieves from Two, Leo Krigel of Four, and Rith MissingNo hailing from One - and had nudged them into testing their martial skills for the crowd. The age old debate would, in one way or another, be solved, if only in name.

Would One prove their dominance and sweep both categories in the same year? Would Two prove that their lackluster showing in the Games as of late was a series of flukes instead of destiny made manifest? Would Four avenge their showing and prove why the home field advantage was nothing to make lightly?

Only time would tell.

This special exhibition match consists of Helen Thieves of District Two (Ryan) vs Leonidas Krigel of District Four (Dars) vs Rith MissingNo of District One

(And as a special treat, keep an eye on this match in particular, as a new mechanic to make 1v1v1s more even is being trialed by our three wonderful participants, who each will get 5 points for themselves and their houses!)

[umber vivuus 12b 🥀 [dars]]

He recognized that coming back here meant paying a certain price. The fact of the matter was that his relationship with his sister, India, hadn't ever quite healed back the same way after the first of these tournaments was launched and he managed to beat her and, of course, go on to win. She hated him for a while, blamed him, cursed him. The truth was that she, for the entirety of her life, had convinced Arie and I that we were somehow smaller than her, less deserving. Arie knew it wasn't true but lacked the passion for training to make it worth fighting over, but at least she knew. Leo was slow on the draw, perfectly content to always come second because of course he had, India had to be first.

That tournament was the first time he ever tried to win, and it was the last time his sister ever competed against him. He guessed it was fair, but even now the distance created between their once joined-at-the-hip selves felt too wide to fix, and she didn't even know this was supposed to be happening. Not that she'd find out any time soon- she probably blacklisted the event altogether after she had to recognize she wasn't good enough to win it.

This was District Four, though. This was his turf. His homefield advantage. He could smell the salt in the air, feel the sunlight bleaching the arena as it laid. There was always a breeze thanks to the crashing waves of the ocean, and now there was a giant screen showing his face as he walked into the ring. The crowd erupted in cheers for their hometown hero, and for the first time since agreeing to do this, he got nervous. Fuck. These were the winners of One and Two's tournaments, huh?

Helen from Two was blonde and brave, chin tipped up just like India always did. Of course, she had a good three inches on India. He wondered who would've won out of the two of them, and knew she would've murdered him for even asking the question. The guy from One, Rith, was about Leo's height, maybe a bit skinnier. But sizing them up wouldn't help. These were winners too. They knew what it took to go all the way. It was his job to get there first.

Once they all made their way into the ring, Leo unsheathed his swords.

Ready, set, go.

[00/25 dmg]

[attacks rith]
RtYPl4gf1Lsword
[3.5]

[attacks helen]
sword
[4.5]

sword·sword

[pearl mcclain d4 [ryan]]

Helen wasnt sure if she was ever going to get her chance to be in the games at this point. It had felt like years since she had seen any action to be quite clear. She had spent a lot of time on herself though, realizing that she had a lot more to offer than just being a deadly career.

She still trained, but she at least focused on what life would be like if she ever needed to let go of that dream. She had been making strides to at least become a trainer. She had already been somewhat skilled at her own craft, but now they were about kicking it high gear.

But, she still longed for the glory that she had attained when she won the first career tournament. District Two had finally gotten another victor in that time, but even then, no one seemed to be excited about that. She knew people always wondered why Helen had never been chosen. Luck mustve never been on her side.

She didnt need it anyway to be quite honest.

District Four had been nothing but a fever dream at this point, but she was at least enjoying the salt in the air. It reminded of all the days she spent sweating in order to build her own skills. She had never backed down from a challenge, and when they told her that she could at least taste a little more glory right here and now, she jumped at it. She would prove why she was the cream of the crop, even though both Leo and Rith seemed to be their own type of excellence.

Leo had a certain air about him. When she heard the last name, she even more so figured that it was a chip on his shoulder. After all, Krigel wasnt as synonymous with greatness anymore. Now that names like Morrisen, Hailsham, and Summers were far more interesting. He had seemed like he didnt want to be here, and wanted too all at the same time. As for Rith, he seemed somewhat brooding, and while Helen did not have much opinions on anyone from one, she could at least give him credit for making it all the way through his own tournament.

After all, this was going to be a new type of hell.

Leo didnt wait too far after the matched was started. Helen saw the sword coming her way, but a slice on the skin made her feel even more alive. She was going to prove herself in more ways then one.

She held her glaive, the same one that she used to win her tournament all those years ago at the ready. She would not let this intimidate her. She would prove to these men that she would not sit still and look pretty.

She was much deadlier than that.

[Helen attacks Rith]
f6n7C1b_4vglaive
[8.0]

[Helen attacks Leo]
glaive
[3.5]

glaive·glaive

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

Rith Missingno

You had been a novelty.

Last year, eyes were trained on all the others to win. And yet you had emerged victorious. Not for want of glory or the crown, nor the thrill of taking down your opponents. Just the simple fact that you could prove that you were worthy to exist was all it took to push you further. Each match another opportunity, each strike another moment for you. Odds had changed, fate had been fluid.

There’d been a trophy, some photography, a trophy. All the trappings of someone important. But you held that it wasn’t much of anything and let the moment hold on its own. Your mother, impressed enough to tell the others that her own son had been champion. Someone who’s name would not soon be forgotten. Your grandfather, who’d nodded his head and whispered a few words of encouragement. Which for him had been tantamount to a rousing cheer. You were happy, and you were free.

Now, standing among the other champions, you were unsure what this would mean. You didn’t need to win, you’d proven enough of yourself already. But they wanted entertainment, and District One had its champion. So, you stepped forward and offered to take up the blade. You chose swords. You stared at the boy from four and girl from two and bowed when the time came.

Four managed to glance a first blow, and you hissed, pulling back before two already laid a strike hard into your flesh.

“First blood, very good.” You managed. No need for put downs or peacocking. Only to acknowledge their skill. These were no ordinary fighters and you knew that without precision, you’d likely be the first to fall. You shifted on your feet and rushed forward with your blades, swiping hard to your right, then left.

[11.5/25]

[Rith attacks Leo with sword]
mSNpJgGjrOsword
[3.5]
[Rith attacks Helen with sword]
sword
[4.5]

sword·sword

[umber vivuus 12b 🥀 [dars]]

Of the winners, the most time had passed for Leo. On the one hand, sure, it meant he had time to grow stronger but if he was being honest, things had changed after he aged out. His training wasn’t for survival, it became recreational. He’d only gotten seriously back into it a few months ago, and only because he’d been asked to come here. The dynamic was different when he had two foes to worry about at once, double weapons clashing in a triad of equally-lauded individuals.

Leo was not better than either of them. They were neither better than him, either. It came down to this, to the effort moving forward. Who prevailed is who fought the hardest. He wondered if his sister would’ve supported him if he’d bothered mentioning this to her. He wondered if she would hope he lost. Probably, if he was being honest. He could see her now, feuding her teeth down to nubs every second he wasn’t tag-teamed and overpowered, squeezing her hands into fists until Leo’s picture went dim on the overhanging scoreboard.

Surprisingly, it was all the motivation he needed to push forward, swiping first at the boy, then spinning past him and jutting the second blade at the girl.

[07/25 dmg]

[attacks rith]
BStgqDMVU1sword
[3.5]

[attacks helen]
sword
[3.5]

sword·sword

[pearl mcclain d4 [ryan]]

There seemed to be little words shared between the three, but Helen was more focused on the fact that her blade slid through the boy from one with very little easy. She was here to win after all, a proud career at that, and fully ready to do exactly what she was trained to do. While she couldnt wait forever for her chance to claim victory in the games, she could at least use this time to prove that she was ready.

And each one of these boys had only breached the surface of her skin. A paper cut at the very least each time drawing the faintest bit of blood. Helen looked at Rith "Blood split is nothing personal. I hope you know that." Helen was confident in her words as she gave a light smile to Rith. None of this was personal after all.

However, it seemed the boy from Four, Leo, was a little more on the quiet side. "At the very least we can share a little bit about ourselves?" Helen pulled back her glaive and realized that she still was human herself. She was not a killing machine in this moment, but a girl that wanted so much more for herself. "What drives you?" Helen asked, her hands pulled back, her glaive swiping through the air at both of her targets..

[12.5/25]

[Helen attacks Rith]
8F31CJhjC9glaive
[4.0]

[Helen attacks Leo]
glaive
[3.5]

glaive·glaive

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

Rith Missingno

You hadn’t been sure what to make of a fight like this, but now that it had begun in earnest, you appreciated more than the tournament. They understood what it meant to fight for the sake of it, or so it seemed, and not so much to strive. You had proven who you were and so had they. And while one would ultimately best the others, you’d care little if it meant you were first or last. You had already landed a few blows, after all.

But then, you didn’t seem to be able to maneuver around theirs. The boy from four kept glancing across your body with his sword, and the girl had surely become an expert with her glaive. Perhaps you were too slow to react to how the cuts fell, or how the sharp pinprick echoed across your skin. Either way, you’d need to do something soon if you wanted a chance to continue this fight.

“Myself, mostly,” You answer the girl plainly, even if she may not have been talking to you.

Your grandfather had always taught you that nature had no reason to live for something, no need. It was about becoming a part of where you’d grown and lived, to enter and exit to chaos, rather than prove something to someone. In a hundred years’ time, your name would matter far less than the trees you’d planted.

[Rith attacks Leo with sword]
pLs_b5shLdsword
[4.0]

[Rith attacks Helen with sword]
sword
[0.0]

[19/25]

[/font]sword·sword

[umber vivuus 12b 🥀 [dars]]

He wasn’t expecting this question. Well, he hadn’t expected any questions at all, to be frank, but it was so off-setting he’d all but parted his lips to answer her, before the other boy beat him to it. Good thing, too— he needed to focus if he was going to keep up pace. He could see by the way the boy from One moved, and by how quickly he answered so honestly, that he was the type to fight with heart when the time came for it. And the girl from Two- he couldn’t even rule out if she was asking the question with intentions as pure as her face might make one inclined to believe she is. It’s entirely likely she was trying to lower their defenses. She was already making big moves in combat, sparing no time ripping through the boy from One even as she asks for the core of his drive.

He considered answering anyway.

He didn’t.

He just clenched his teeth at the sting of blade leaving blood behind in its wake, tiny little rivulets of it smearing down his forearms as he kept throwing them up in defense of himself.

“You next,” He challenged to the girl. Two could play this game.

He used the confusion to lash out at both of them at once, his blades arcing like lighting through the air towards their chests.

[14.5/25 dmg]

[attacks rith]
eY|jcKO3grsword
[8.0]

[attacks helen]
sword
[8.0]

sword·sword

[pearl mcclain d4 [ryan]]

There was a little bit of life in the two in front of her, and for once, she felt like she was fighting for a purpose again. The boy from One had at least given her an answer, surprisingly so she thought about it a little longer. Himself. That was his driving force. An admirable, yet somewhat contrive thing to say. Helen simply gave a nod at him before taking a step back and dodging the sword thrust that was coming her way.

"The thrill of it all." she says eloquently before realizing that the boy from four was not wasting any time on pleasentries. Were all people like four like this? She wasnt sure, and quite honestly, the blade that was stabbed through her own arm was reason enough to tell her that she shouldnt care.

Instead of saying anything, he simply commands her to spill herself. Helen pulls her arm away from the sword, blood pooling, but she does not stop. She is too busy letting adrenaline take over.

"and proving that I was born for this." Helen shakes her head before watching the boy from one fall. "How about you? Victor Legacy?" Helen now sees this as a one on one fight, she was not going to back down in this moment.

She swung at him, because her pride was on the line.

And she was going to protect that.

[20.5/25]

[Helen attacks Leo]
FHjjXiO4Ahglaive
[3.5]

glaive

[umber vivuus 12b 🥀 [dars]]

Her expectations sounded all too familiar when she spoke them aloud— he’d heard them a million times in his life, echoed off every wall in their ridiculously oversized house from the lips of India. The thrill of it. She wanted to be great. The truth was that she had to work twice as hard to get half as far and she resented him for it. His own sister. Of course he still had Arie, but his friendship with India had always transcended them spending time together out of convenience. They’d once been a team, hellbent on letting India take over the world and the first time- the first time he dared to want for himself, they were torn to irreparable shreds and all the things he’s wanted to say have gotten so warped and muddled by the rage of waiting that he forgot he was still open to being best friends again. Maybe that’s all it was: both of them had gotten so used to the new normal that going back seemed like a waste of time.

He decided that, if he won this, he’d see how she reacted and let it decide if he extended the first olive branch.

“I have only one goal,” he spoke through a knot in his stomach. He didn’t need to prove he was better than anyone. He didn’t need to prove he wanted anything more than someone else. It rarely mattered, anyway.

[18/25 dmg]

[attacks helen]
zzpIfkwR5usword
[00]

sword

[pearl mcclain d4 [ryan]]

There was a moment of awkward juxtaposition that even Helen realized might have been purposeful. After all, he was a career, but Helen did have a feeling that he did not feel the same way like he once did. The way he moved across the battle field was a completely different story. His words did not match his actions.

Helen was intrigued. She wondered what was going through his head. Obviously it could have been a multitude of things, none of which would probably share the same strand as Helen's. Helen could sit here all day and try to analyze him, play mind games and rip his confidence to shreds.

However, she was no longer that monster. She did what she did for herself. She wanted to prove to herself that she was strong and capable. Thats why she didnt take any hand outs from Jelani, or give any long tirades about how she was going to take out each of her opponents. She suffered battle wounds that no one could see, but she was not a tragic hero.

She was no villain either. She was just a normal girl trying to make ends meet when it came to her own happiness.

"One goal right now..." Helen said, her body moving out of the way, her glaive in toe. "that means nothing in the long run anyway." Helen was honest, she felt a little tired, but she knew that keeping on would be wise. "Whatever you are holding onto..." Helen raised her glaive.

"Let go."

and she swung.

[20.5/25]

[Helen attacks Leo]
_cYehvaokdglaive
[3.5]

glaive

[umber vivuus 12b 🥀 [dars]]

She was… philosophizing. He figured it was learned behavior- he remembered how intense training could be when something like life and death was thrown into the mix. As much as he would’ve loved the opportunity, Leo was okay with never having been reaped. There was definitely an… absence after that last reaping. A question of what comes next that he’d been dreading coming up with an answer to. And what had he done? Exactly what they’d all expected him to, ever loyal to the Perch family. He was being geared up for office some day already- and with the upcoming election, his grandpa had been hard at work trying to see if he was ready yet or not. Coming here probably wasn’t going to help unless he won, though.

The skin on his cheek stung with a cut. It was the thin kind that somehow burned worse for having not diving as deep as it could’ve. He scoffed.

[21.5/25 dmg]

[attacks helen]
RUpgJFw3|7sword
[00]

sword

[pearl mcclain d4 [ryan]]

Without even trying, she could sense that she had struck a chord. She wasnt trying to get inside anyone's head for once. However, she knew her own training well. it was a classic tactic, and one that she knew just a little too well herself. She wondered if she was ever going to break that cycle? There would be a day where she would not be trying to reach for the glory that she was striving for now.

The scoff had said it all. She shrugged, because if he was going to take it personal, then that was on him. She was not a therapist. She was a girl, who wanted to make herself proud, and if that meant that she had to use everything that she was taught to do so, then she would do just that.

Her glaive does not feel any heavier, even with small stains of blood coated through the silver. She did not know where she was at, but she could tell that he might have been at the edge.

So she swung.

It was time for her to give a little push.

[20.5/25]

[Helen attacks Leo]
vqm8h9Z2Atglaive
[8.0]

glaive