GHB 3, fighting log

[bondsoflove]

Characters: Sasuke, Faolan, Gunpei, JW, and whoever else wants.
Open? Yup!
Where: Some courtyard or other.
When: GHB3, morning-afternoon
What: Sparring log! Clashing of steel, armor, and possibly magic, if your character wants to use it or pisses Sasuke off enough that he accidentally sets the ring on fire.
Warnings: Maybe violence?


He waited, shooting venomous glares at the villagers creeping around the edges of the courtyard, trying and failing miserably to make it look like they weren't eager to see what was going to happen. It didn't do anything to deter them, though.

Not that Sasuke minded having an audience when he showed off his physical prowess, but this was a little different. That was when he could produce a fireball bigger than a fruit, and could actually call up his chidori.

He swung his sword a few times, just to get a feel for the heavy blade. His aim was fine, and the power felt all right, but it wasn't anywhere near where it should be.

Frustrating though it was, he could only start working again--gradually build up his chakra control until he was back to where he had been. Which was the purpose of today's practice session.

Comments

[consultmybooks]

"I hope you don't mean to involve magic in today's activities."

Giles had held back a bit in the crowd, for a bit, just to get a look at Sasuke. He'd never paid the boy much attention, before, not in terms of fighting or combat, and he realized now that this had been yet another mistake.

But, when the boy seems to be winding down on the magic front, he steps forward. He's holding a broadsword held in one hand with practiced familiarity - he's definitely rusty, after so long as a ghost and so little fighting since the Hero, but there's also a few decades of training that won't be erased so easily.

All the same, he suspects Sasuke can give him a fight.

[bondsoflove]

The man was older than anyone Sasuke had fought with in a long time, although he didn't look particularly frail. The sword was similar to his, and Giles' grip was less awkward, like he'd used it before. A disadvantage on that front.

But he was sure he was faster, and by virtue of his size, sneakier. This was just a spar, although he couldn't quite tell himself that made it safe.

"I'll give what I get," he answered. "But I would prefer just weaponry or hand-to-hand."

Not that even a small fireball couldn't do damage if used the right way, but that was something he would rather figure out without an audience.

[consultmybooks]

"So would I. Suppose we're agreed, then."

Giles could pull out a few less mundane tricks, if the need arose. But they were far, far more taxing on him than even a prolonged fight with a sword would be, and he didn't like the risk of whatever Schwanheim's magics might do to his own talents.

He could guess from here that Sasuke would almost certainly be faster. Giles had never been the most agile of fighters - it was a trait that had led to more than a few head wounds and prolonged bouts of unconsciousness, over the years. But, he'd once been able to hold his own against a Slayer. Hopefully, Sasuke wouldn't be too much stronger.

"I, um, I wouldn't mind trying for hand to hand, as well. But, um, afterwards. Did you have any idea how long you wanted to go, then?"

Some people liked to fight to first blood, others to unconsciousness.

[bondsoflove]

Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement. He knew from experience not to trust someone at their word, but they did have witnesses here, and he could pull out the prenegotiated terms if he had to, if something went wrong.

As for how long he wanted to go, he paused. He'd never actually put a limit like that on a spar before--even death wasn't usually off the table in the shinobi world, although Sasuke could almost always achieve the same objective by incapacitation.

"Until there's a clear winner," he said, finally.