Training in an old gym (open)

[Levi Kayamei]

(OCC: Levi won't be using his qi as he didn't have it when we swapped his stats.)

Levi's eyes widened as she seemed to move faster than she had before the flick of her wrist barely registering to his eyes. He quickly turned his body and stepped back to narrowly avoid the projectile blade, making sure not to take his eyes off of her.

She's quick....was she still holding back?

Levi turned his wrist over to quickly parry Delilah's blade with his own, though barely. His insight was the only thing keeping him "alive" right now.

"che.."

Levi knew she was merely testing the waters, this wasn't everything she had. If she was indeed the stronger between them, he was certainly going to give it everything he had. He decided to go back to a more basic principle 'closest weapon to closest target', which right now was his leg and her knee. He snapped his right leg out towards the side of her knee to try and take her balance away as he stepped around with his left. If he managed to get around to her left side, he would place his left knife behind her left elbow to check it as he would make a flaying motion with his right knife, still in reverse grip, after placing the flat to her forearm, though he would not allow it to cut.

[Delilah A. Black]

His blade parried hers with a 'ting' as they rebounded apart. With her peripheral vision, she saw the kick coming to her knee, just in time to shift her Qi there. His foot would feel as though he kicked a steel pole rather than her leg, causing her no damage whatsoever...although her leg DID move with the force of his, her ankle not being stabilized, but she didn't lose her balance.

He slipped fluidly around to her left side, checking the hand with her bowie knife to ensure it wouldn't come back to haunt him (she flipped the blade over in her palm into reverse grip). As he made to 'flay' her arm, Delilah switched her guard hand to a sabre grip as she turned away from the cut, her arm with her bowie knife moving under his check. Making a quick slash towards his neck with her pocket knife as she turned, the bowie knife would flip back around as she came in for a stab to his solar plexus, stopping milimetres from actually penetrating, should this ploy work.

[Levi Kayamei]

Levi was surprised at how hard her leg was and h was pretty sure that developement was new. She had done.....something to make herself this way. As she moved around his check, his body strained to change his momentum, his face twinging at the sting of her knife knicking his neck. His perspective was improved now that his body was leaning back and he saw the stab coming just in time to defend himself.

I just hope her arm isn't as resilient as her leg was....

His left knee rose quickly, striking the underside of her attacking arm, diverting it upwards, causing it to narrowly miss his abdomen. Levi was beginning to feel fatigue as he pushed himself to keep up with Delilah's movements, he wouldn't be able to do this much longer. The surprising thing one might notice is that the man was still smiling, school was in session and he was going to learn all he could. He chuckled as he prepared to attack again.

"hehe...I feel like I'm in my old Dojo sparring with my classmates....it's crazy how similar our styles are......Oshietekudasai <Please teach me>."

With that, Levi took a defensive posture, his reverse grip by his chest and his other in front in a standard grip. He wasn't sure if he would be able to fend off another attack, but he was certainly going to catch it all.

[Delilah A. Black]

His knee contacted the underside of her arm, jarring the limb and deflecting her arm upwards. She winced, a light, breathy laugh escaping her. She was an experienced fighter, used to prolonged combat and tests of endurance. But this fighting, this back and forth that forced her to think on her feet on a level she hadn't experienced in some time. Beneath the boost her Qi gave her, Delilah could feel her muscles beginning to tire, the sweat beginning to bead on her brow. As soon as the metal started acting up on her again, she would start to lose her edge.

Best to keep this going for as long as she could then!

"hehe...I feel like I'm in my old Dojo sparring with my classmates....it's crazy how similar our styles are......Oshietekudasai <Please teach me>."

Delilah laughed. "I know! Ah, this takes me back." Just a few years ago, she was training diligently in her old dojo before earning her fifth-dan. The stuff he put her through over the years...well, she was grateful....now.

As he took a defensive stance, holding his knives in the same way she held hers. The similarities between them were boundless at this point. The thought made her grin widen. "Mochiron "<Of course>.

In that moment, she lunged for his midsection--but it was a feint. She quickly retracted the bowie knife to her side as she pivoted around him, aiming for a slash to his rib cage, that, if it connected, may succeed in cutting his shirt. Her body would continue to move as she spiraled around behind him, her inside hand coming across for three quick flicks over his back and shoulders before aiming a stab for his kidney (which of course would stop just short of connecting), if she even got that far.

[Levi Kayamei]

Levi's eyes strugged to keep up as, once again, Delilah's speed overcame his as she cut a slit in his shirt. At this point it was a matter of seeing how many attacks he could observe and, hopefully, deal with. Levi spun around with his opponent, anticipating her maneuver and leaning backwards as the three stirkes came in, avoiding the second and third strikes as another cut appeared in front of his chest. In an attempt to take the tempo of the fight back, he stepped to the left and in, moving outside of the kidney shot, though it too left a small cut by his abdomen.

Still too fast, but hopefully I can anticipate and step ahead.

He would attempt to end up right next to her shoulder and, if successful, he wasn't going to waste the good positioning he managed to get. He put his right shoulder into Delilah's arm pit, his hip against hers, and his right leg behind her left leg as he brought his arm arm in front of her body, using the knife in reverse grip and aiming a cut towards her throat, stopping it short of course. He would then make several swipes with the flat of his blade against her back to let her know the knife made contact if it worked. This position was advantageous as it would allow him to feel any movement Delilah made as she did it, giving him the headstart he needed when dealing with speed like hers.

[Delilah A. Black]

SPOILER: Click to show

DELILAH TAKES -10% PENALTIES TO STR. AND CON.

Str: 55 - 10% = 50
Dex: 54
Con: 67 - 10% = 61
Int: 44
Wis: 24
Cha: 16

What Levi did was an excellent way of trapping up his opponent, locking one side of his body against hers and getting a feel for her range of motion.

Unfortunately for Levi, this worked both ways. As he thrusted his knife back at her, Delilah shifted her head slightly to the inside, letting the back of the blade rub against the side of her neck. Moving her weight from one leg to the other, Delilah's arm (now likely resting on or near his shoulder given the proximity of his shoulder to her armpit) would attempt to clothesline the back of his head as she swept her 'locked' leg back in an effort to unlock his hip from hers. The idea was to basically make him fall over by turning his own momentum against him.

If this worked, Delilah would fall upon him the second he hit the ground, boot planted against the small of his back to prevent him from rolling, the tip of her tanto hovering scant millimeters above the back of his neck. She would be panting now, her limbs starting to shake and her bright blue eyes glassy. Her Qi had it's limits and it was starting to take it's toll. If her counter was successful, Delilah would lift her boot and withdraw, sheathing her knives. The silvery metal would sink back into her skin, making her shudder in mild pain.

"There...lesson...learned?" she panted. He certainly hadn't made it easy for her! Levi was as slippery and technical as she was.

She would have to resort to other methods if her counter didn't work.

[Levi Kayamei]

OCC: correct me if I read wrong. D:

Delilah was masterful at turning Levi's counters and attacks into her own advantage and with her physical prowess, Levi was surprised he hadn't been hit more or done in completely. Knowing this and given how quickly he was building fatigue trying to keep up, Levi had put himself in this position to be ready for whatever Delilah would do next, so when Delilah made her move, he was ready, though she didn't give him many options....she had played this position perfectly.

okay, let's try this.

Levi turned his right hand over and began to press his weight backwards against the back of her head and the arm against his head. This was an attempt to get her to fall forward, but if she simply continued her strategy, it would be a battle of stamina, a battle Levi wasn't sure he could win at this point. He replanted his right foot and continued to press as his muscles began to protest, hoping he would hold out longer than her.

[Delilah A. Black]

One of the wonderful things about Ninjutsu is that it teaches you when to be hard and soft, when to be weak and strong. This was not a time for Delilah to be strong or hard.

As Levi pushed her head down towards the floor, Delilah would go with it, letting her head tuck under herself and lifting her feet at the same time, allowing her to roll in mid air. The action of simply going with his momentum should have been enough to pull Levi off balance as all of his weight would have been pressed down on the back of her head. If this action were to cause him to step even a pace forward to recover it, Delilah would wind up just behind him, her left leg lashing out for a sweep at his ankles to knock him forward.

Then, she would pounce on his back, driving him to the floor with her knees against his shoulder blades to pin him in place, the flat of her tanto pressed across the back of his neck.

That is, if she got that far.

[Levi Kayamei]

(OCC: Late post is late! D: )

Levi felt himself begin to fall forward as Delilah rolled over, her weight pulling him down. At this point, the best thing to do would be to go with the fall as any attempt to correct his descent or prevent it would leave him far more vulnerable and would waste valuable energy.

As he hit the ground he rolled his shoulders as he threw his hips back, rolling back onto his feet. He stood up quickly, his body protesting as it finally reached its limit, forcing him to keep himself up by placing his hands on his knees. His efforts to keep up with Delilah had finally caught up with him. He chuckled through his panting as he tried to catch his breath, speaking as he was able and tucking his knives away in his pockets.

"....that was more of a work out than I was expecting to get today."

As he caught his breath he straightened up, smiling at his better. Examining the cuts in his clothing.

"You definitely turned it up on me for a bit there, obviously I couldn't keep up."

His face became a bit more serious as he walked over to his gym bag and pulled out two bottles of water, tossing one to Delilah.

"How did you do that if you don't mind me asking?"

[Delilah A. Black]

She huffed, replacing her knives in their sheaths as they moved away from each other. Strands of ebony hair were matted to her forehead, her breath shallow. The blood rushing through her body, the vertigo, the encompassing feeling of weightlessness.

The satisfaction of a good fight. Delilah laughed breathlessly as her adrenaline levels started to fall.

"....that was more of a work out than I was expecting to get today."

Using the bottom of her shirt, she dabbed the gleaming sweat off her chest, smiling back. "I'll say. You're an excellent warrior."

"You definitely turned it up on me for a bit there, obviously I couldn't keep up. How did you do that if you don't mind me asking?"

Delilah took a seat on the old gym floor, catching the water bottle as he tossed it towards her. She opened it, took several deep gulps, and then poured a little over her head. Setting the water bottle aside, Delilah held out her hand and let the creeping metal move from the small of her back to her forearm, coating her flesh with quicksilver. She rapped the knuckles of her other hand against it and it produced a metallic ring.

"It's a thing called 'Qi."' she said quietly, wincing in pain as it receeded back into her skin. "It's a...power, I guess you could call it. Everyone has one and it's unique t the person who wields it. It has rules, I'm sure, but I'm not certain what they are."