(F11-OP) Unfinished Business: Jomei v. Lowenthal

[Jomei 0]

Jomei found himself more and more on the beaches of Floor Eleven recently. Usually these visits were very peaceful, and helped to get his mind off of things. This time, however, things may not be as peaceful. If Jomei recalled, there was a certain duel that was sadly cut short between Jomei and Lowenthal.. One that they had both hyped up, only for it to be cancelled. Jomei planned, now at their new levels with new skills, there was no better time than now. Could also serve as practice for the upcoming boss raid, see if they were both strong enough to fight with the others. 

Walking on the sand, the green cloak flowing behind him, Jomei's eyes were focused on the new Albatross and Finch.. which was a small hut found on these beaches. It was not hard to find.. being the only shop in the area. He stood in the archway where there should be a door, looking forward at the sandy haired man behind the counter with a grin on his face. "Hey there Lowe.. Just came to my mind that we have a score to settle." 

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal looked up from his counter. He had fallen asleep. He wasn't getting much sleep lately, well as much as he should. It seemed that fate decided to bless him with nightmares of the face. The face the man made when Lowenthal killed him. Lowenthal shook his head, as he heard a voice. He looked up, and saw that it was his friend Jomei. "Ah, Jomei. What brings you here?" Lowenthal asked, actually surprised that Jomei walked into his shop. "A score?" Lowenthal thought for a minute, and realized what it was that Jomei had meant. The look in his eyes gave it away. Lowenthal sighed, then smiled. "Let's take this outside then." Lowenthal said, removing his apron, and putting on his Stealth Jacket.

Outside, the sounds of the ocean washing the sand echoed. Lowenthal sent Jomei the Half-HP Duel request. "Don't you dare hold back. Hit me with everything you have in your arsenal." Lowenthal said, his jacket blowing gently in the wind. "You get the first swing. I insist." Lowenthal said, now holding his kunai in one hand. Lowenthal outstretched his arms, making himself a broad target for Jomei.

 

Lowenthal: 89/89 (45)
Jomei: 69/69 (35)

[Azide 0]

There was no mistaking it; above the heads of this pair, the mask of the fool appeared in black and purple. "Unless I'm terribly mistaken, these two must be members of the Velvet Room." The name was one of several that he had picked up upon his return to among the front-lines. As a guild that had risen to prominence during his leave, there was little he personally could claim to know  about the group. However, there in fact existed a single name amongst their rank with which he was familiar. Conveniently, the man called Jomei had alluded to it.

"It can be a bit of a challenge to hold a duel on the beach, don't you think?" asked Azide, speaking to no one in particular. He approached from somewhere further down the shore, strolling along with the same casualty that one might have when running into an old friend. He gestured to the sand as a frazzled expression danced across his face. "I find that silicate isn't exactly the ideal material to be running around on, especially when we're all armed to our teeth with such pointy objects. You know what they say about running with knives."

He shook his head as if having just heard a joke so bad that it had become regrettably humorous. "Anyway, I hope you don't find it a strange request, but I'd like to observe how the Velvet Room fares in combat. Especially since I've had to luck to come across the leader himself," said Azide, turning to gauge Lowenthal's reaction.

"So, how about it?"

Edited September 13, 2015 by Azide

[Piera 0]

Piera found herself on the eleventh floor for the third time, this time for more personal business than to simply relax. She found it odd that the previous two times she'd visited the highest floor available in Aincrad currently were for goofing off. Especially given her low level. Lowenthal and Jomei had shown her how to navigate from the safe zone to where she'd needed to go as well as how to try and avoid aggroing the mobs. Today she'd finished crafting earlier that morning and didn't have much else to do other than wait for the next time she could craft. Instead of going out to grind for more mats, she decided to pay their fearless Fool a visit and put in an order for some specialized armor finally.

Stepping on the sand, the brunette made her way towards the Albatross and Finch, idly making a mental note to ask Lowenthal about the origin behind the name until she saw three tall male figures on the beach a little ways from the tailor shop. Head tilting in curiosity, she walked a bit closer and then saw the orange cursor accompanied with a green cursor and cloak. The third party however she didn't recognize. Approaching cautiously, Piera raised a hand in greeting. "Hey guys. Everything alright?" She glanced at the unfamiliar man pointedly, wondering if he was one of Lowe or Jomei's friends or perhaps somebody that was starting trouble. Not that she could do much of anything if the latter was the case.

[Jomei 0]

Jomei smirked and nodded, waiting for Lowenthal to change out of his apron and into his coat, before leading him out the front entrance. The two walked a small distance from the clothing shop to a spot on the sand that would be perfect for a small duel between the two friends. As Lowenthal went into his menu, most likely to send Jomei the duel request, Jomei did the same, going into his inventory to equip his Summerthorn rapier. By the time the sword fell into place on his hip, the small square box indicating Lowenthal had sent him the duel request popped up in front of him. Just as Jomei was about to accept the duel, under the Half-HP conditions.. an unfamiliar face came into the area, drawing both Lowenthal and Jomei's attention to him. Jomei raised one of his eyebrows as the man spoke, not knowing what his deal was. "Well, makes it more interesting if you ask me. Mind if I ask.. who you are..if I may?"  Soon after, another face, this one familiar, came running down towards them from the entrance to the beach. Jomei easily recognized the woman as Piera. Jomei nodded his head, "Aye, every things fine. Just a friendly duel is all..." Jomei looked to Lowenthal with a confident grin, pulling the rapier from its scabbard. "Heh.. sorry lad. Kept you waiting, huh." He lifted his finger, tapping on the Accept button. Above the two players, a countdown to the start of the duel began. Jomei brought his hand up to his collar, where his cloak was buckled together. Undoing the buckles, the ginger haired man threw his cloak off to the side, and then took a fighting stance.

Jomei charged forward at Lowenthal, pulling his sword arm behind him. As he closed the distance between the two, hid blade began to glow a gold light. Jomei had activated a sword skill, specifically his Rip Ravine skill. Once he stood sword length from Lowenthal, Jomei skid to a stop, using his sword to slice a V into Lowenthal's chest. Jomei's eyes widened when he realized Lowenthal did not even flinch from the attack.. and that his armor absorbed most of the damage. 

ID: 31276
BD: 9 (+2) (-3) = 8 (Small Crit.)
DMG: 2(7)x1=14(-28) = 1 dmg

Lowenthal: 89/89 (45) (E:21/21)
Jomei: 73/73 (35) (E: 15/17)

Edited September 13, 2015 by Jomei

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal saw the attack coming, and entrusted himself to take the attack. Last duel they had, Jomei wiped the floor with him. But this time, Lowenthal had the level advantage, so to make it fair he allowed Jomei to have the first strike. As Jomei charged, Lowenthal braced himself. He felt a prick, and saw his health bar twitch slightly. He stared blankly at Jomei, who just realised what had happened as well. "Well, then." Lowenthal said, cracking his knuckles. Lowenthal went with a quick jab, but Jomei was able to duck under it, and swing around. "Traded damage for speed? Not a bad move. Can't win if I can't hit you." Lowenthal said, his Light Momentum on his armour activating.

[ID: 31284]
[BD: 0] [3-3] [Miss] [+2 to BD till successful hit]

Lowenthal: 89/89 (45) (E:19/21) [-2 Miss]
Jomei: 73/73 (35) (E: 15/17)

Edited September 13, 2015 by Lowenthal

[Jomei 0]

Jomei grit his teeth when he saw just how pitiful of an attack he laid onto Lowenthal.. was he really that much stronger than the last time they had fought? To Jomei's knowledge, he still had the same armor as the last time.. he must have been getting stronger.. But that much stronger than Jomei was? After Jomei's attempt to attack Lowenthal, he retaliated with his kunai, jabbing at Jomei. Anticipating the attack, Jomei quickly ducked down low under the strike. He chuckled when Lowenthal complimented him on his choice to put into his agility first rather than his attack or defense strength. 

Despite being much stronger and being able to take a harder hit, Lowenthal was still fast. He was easily able to dodge multiple piercing strikes from Jomei's rapier, bobbing and weaving from side to side. Jomei grunted and closed his eyes momentarily and as he reopened them, yellow crosshairs flickered around his pupils as he activated his Concentration skill. At the same time, his rapier began to glow a similar color as he lowered his body to the ground, preparing to leap over Lowenthal. Using the extra jump from his Acrobatics skill, Jomei flipped his body over Lowenthal, using his Above sword skill to strike vertically down on Lowenthal's head. Where it may not have done much damage again, there was no way even Lowenthal could react quickly after being knocked in the head. 
 

ID: 31291
BD: 6(+2) (-3) (+1 Concentration) = 6
DMG:  1(6)x1= 6 (-28) = 1 and Stun

Lowenthal: 87/89 (45) (E:19/21) Stunned
Jomei: 73/73 (35) (E: 14/17) (Concentration Cool Down 0/5)

Edited September 13, 2015 by Jomei

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal tried to keep his eyes on Jomei. But his lack of sleep had nearly ruined his eyesight. Just as Lowenthal turned around, Jomei was behind him ready to strike. Lowenthal felt a sharp pain on his head. rubbing it, he squatted. "Owwww, damn!" He said, now unable to move. Damn, Jomei must of used a stunning sword art. "Is this a new strategy? Just gonna make sure I can't move? You guys liking the view?" He said, laughing at the two people behind him. "Don't believe I caught your name. And I would shake your hand but, little busy." Lowenthal said, watching his energy climb back up.

Lowenthal: 87/89 (45) (E:20/21)[+1] Stunned [Immune to STUN for 2 turns] [+2BD]
Jomei: 73/73 (35) (E: 14/17) (Concentration Cool Down 0/5)

[Azide 0]

Azide returned the brunette's cautious stare with a close-lipped smile and waved back at what appeared to be a third member of The Velvet Room. "It's as your friend said himself, everything is rather fine and dandy." A slight bow of the head preceded his next words. "Just consider me a harmless spectator- an interested party, if you will," he continued, nodding towards the end.

Slowly, he ambled on over to the modest hut that lay comfortably at the edge of the shore. He sat himself against the shack's wooden exterior and made himself as comfortable as he could. His arms stretched out wide, as if on their own accord, and he held his palm over his mouth as a yawn escaped his body. "Not entirely sure who this place belongs to," he paused slightly as he tapped the back of his hand against the wall behind him, "but your taste in location isn't too shabby." 

As the counter ticked down, signaling the duel's quickly approaching commencement, he called to Jomei. "By the way, the name's Azide."

What proceeded was perhaps one of the more lopsided starts to a duel he'd seen in quite some time, with highlights including Jomei's two successful Sword Arts versus Lowenthol's single missed attempt. He noted the use of Rip Ravine and briefly wondered whether its use was due to limits in proficiency, or if this was simply a tactical choice. Whatever the true answer happened to be, the rapier-user's second technique 'Above' seemed to point towards the former explanation.

On the flip-side, assuming this was true, he could guess that the Rip Ravine had dealt anywhere between four and sixteen damage (twenty, in the case of a hyper-critical, although this was unlikely with no tell-tale smirk to be seen for miles). As Lowenthol's health bar had only dropped the slightest of notches, the leader of The Velvet Room was either an absurdly high level, or (more likely) carried a bit of armor on him. 

In any case, the duel held no signs of being over anytime soon. He pulled up a small window and began recording his observations, shifting his gaze between the virtual screen and the fight at hand.

[Jomei 0]

Jomei scowled silently as Lowenthal began to have conversation with Piera and the other, who let himself known to be names Azide during their duel. Was he really that confident in his ability to defeat Jomei? Despite being able to diminish Jomei's attack damage almost entirely, Lowenthal still had yet to land a hit on him. However, Jomei would need to keep up the assault if he was to see any sort of victory in this battle.As soon as he hit the sand, he turned on his heel.. which proved to be more difficult than he thought on this battlefield. As his body turned to face Lowenthal, Jomei activated another sword skill, this one being the simple Linear attack. As his body continued to twist, Jomei began to lunge forward with his attack, but as he expected, his footing was thrown off by the sandy ground, causing his attack to just miss Lowenthal.

ID: 31434
BD: 1
DMG:  miss

Lowenthal: 87/89 (45) (E:19/21) 
Jomei: 73/73 (35) (E: 14/17) (Concentration Cool Down 1/5)

Edited September 14, 2015 by Jomei

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal heard Jomei coming at him again, but something was different. Seemed Jomei slipped in the loose sand, which slowed him  great amount. The sand assisted Lowenthal as well, as it gave him just enough time to move again. Lowenthal used his kunai to deflect Jomei's blade and side stepped out of the way. Lowenthal was used to the sand. He had ran alongside its beaches for a good time now, so he was used to the sand moving beneath his feet. Lowenthal went to attack Jomei again, but his speed against was able to outmaneuver Lowenthal. Lowenthal gave out a frustrated sight, and sheathed his kunai. "I swear to god man. You've gotta be the fastest man in Aincrad." Lowenthal said laughing. "If you want, you can declare yourself the winner. Cause I'm not going to be able to hit you, and you're not gonna hit me hard enough." Lowenthal stated, rubbing his neck.

[31442]
[BD: 4][Miss]
 

Lowenthal: 87/89 (45) (E:17/21) 
Jomei: 73/73 (35) (E: 14/17) (Concentration Cool Down 1/5)

Edited September 14, 2015 by Lowenthal

[Jomei 0]

Jomei seemed to fly right up next to Lowenthal when his Linear attack missed, his blade being knocked back by Lowenthal's kunai. His body now wide open to strikes, Lowenthal went to strike at Jomei again, but twisted his body to the side to avoid said attack. I can't get hit by one of his attacks.. who knows how much stronger he has gotten.. a bead of sweat dripped down Jomei's jawline as he stepped back to gain some distance from Lowenthal. As he went in, prepared to try and strike at Lowenthal again.. he noticed he put his kunai away, telling Jomei he could declare himself the winner of the duel, since Lowenthal was having so much trouble hitting him. by now, Jomei had already planned out his attack on his friend, and pierced his sword forward. However, he stopped his blade directly in front of Lowenthal's chest. "Huh.. Are you forfeiting?" Jomei shook his head and smirked, "Come on now.. whats the fun in that lad." 

ID: 31453
BD: 4(+2)(+2)(-3) = 5
DMG:  Miss

Lowenthal: 87/89 (45) (E: 17/21) 
Jomei: 73/73 (35) (E: 14/17) (Concentration Cool Down 2/5)

Edited September 14, 2015 by Jomei

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal looked at Jomei and sighed as he stopped short. Lowenthal quickly drew his kunai, knocking Jomei's rapier with his free hand. Lowenthal slashed Jomei with his kunai, and followed with a swift kick to his shin. Then another kick followed as Lowenthal rotated his body and had his boot meet Jomei aside his head throwing the irish men to the ground. From experimenting from before, he knew that his sword art paralysed a player or mob. "That better?" Lowenthal asked his downed friend.

ID: 31478
BD: 6[+2-2]
DMG: 34[42-8] [Shadow Stitch: 3x2+Stun]

Lowenthal: 87/89 (45) (E: 6/21) [-9EP]
Jomei: 40/73 (1) (E: 14/17) (Concentration Cool Down 2/5) [STUNNED]

Edited September 14, 2015 by Lowenthal

[Azide 0]

What followed was a swift string of misses from both sides, and he couldn't help but chuckle as the effects of their terrain became increasingly harder to deny. Whereas Jomei appeared constantly off-balance, Lowenthol glided about the sand with a flighty ease. He was starting to get an idea of just who happened to own the lovely hut behind him. 
The monotony soon came to a close, and he raised a brow as the dagger-user converted a single slash into a three-hit chain. Perhaps even more impressively, the maneuver had nearly ended the confrontation outright- Jomei's health bar was now clinging to the green by the skin of its teeth.
The fact that the duel had not ended there and then seemed a moot point; without the health to soldier on, or an offense capability of clutching out a victory, it might as well have been over. That the rapier-wielder had been stunned only further cemented the inevitable outcome.

A few moments more, and Azide had managed to wrap up his thoughts and observations to a degree which satisfied him. "I'm aware you're probably not able to respond right now, on account of the paralysis and all, but I wasn't kidding when I said that fighting here could be a challenge," he remarked, as he exited from the virtual display before him. 

Edited September 17, 2015 by Azide

[Jomei 0]

Whatever had just happened was way too quick for Jomei to even register what had happened. One moment he is standing with Lowenthal at the edge of his rapier, unarmed. The next, Lowenthal's boot is meeting the side of his head. Jomei fell into the sand in a daze, not being able to move, his head pounding from the intensity of that attack. "Ugh.. w-what the hell..." Just with one move, Lowenthal managed to knock Jomei back entirely.. making up for the few times he missed earlier. Lowenthal really had gotten a lot stronger than Jomei. How would he even be able to participate in the boss fight if he would take that much damage in just one hit. Jomei relaxed the muscles in his shoulders and neck, and his head fell into the sand under him, closing his eyes. This fight was pretty much over.

Lowenthal: 87/89 (45) (E: 6/21) [-9EP]
Jomei: 40/73 (1) (E: 15/17) (Concentration Cool Down 3/5) [STUNNED]

[Piera 0]

{OOC: *coughs awkwardly* Sorry for such a gap, forgot to turn notifications on for this thread and kinda forgot about it ^^;}

Piera looked between the four male players and smiled widely at Jomei as he explained that they were having a friendly duel. "Still at it guys? What's the score at now anyways?" She was aware of the two best friends always challenging each other to see how strong they had gotten but she was fairly sure Lowenthal was in the lead due to his higher level, though Jomei was definitely starting to close in on him. Glancing at the stranger as he said he was just a spectator before introducing himself to the other guys she nodded and gave a polite smile. "Nice to meet you then Azide. I'm Piera." The brunette made sure to keep some distance so as to not get in the way, standing a few feet aside from Azide as they watched the duel commence.

The Irishman had gotten considerably faster much to the annoyance of his guild leader. As Lowenthal asked if they liked the view, the alchemist couldn't help but let out a wolf whistle to tease him. It seemed that the sandy haired man was about to forfeit, declaring his comrade the fastest man in Aincrad. But when Jomei refused on the grounds that it wouldn't be any fun, Lowe cut loose, issuing out a paralyzing combo that involved stabbing and kicking the ginger to the ground, nearly halving his health. Piera's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide at the result. "W-Were you holding back?" She asked aloud. "Jeez..." She had known that he had a high damage build, but honestly hadn't truly seen him in action before. This was certainly educational. The brunette couldn't help but feel bad for Jomei though, especially when he seemed to be doing so well during the beginning of the duel. "Good fight Jomei. I didn't even know a player could move that fast!"

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal ran his hand through his hair, and pulled up his menu. And promptly surrendered the duel over to Jomei. The 'WINNER' banner appeared over Jomei, who was still face first in the ground. "Man, I feel bad to mobs when I do that. Let alone friends." Lowenthal said, helping Jomei to his feet. After seeing to Jomei, making sure that the stun effect had indeed ran out, and that he was okay. Lowenthal changed his attention to the other male player. "Azide, huh?" Lowenthal asked. "Can't say that I've heard of you before, and I travel quite a lot. What brings you to my little piece of heaven?" Lowenthal asked Azide.

[Azide 0]

The familiar win-notifier lit up above Jomei's head, all too unaware of the ironic circumstances of its latest appearance. With the exchange having come to a timely end, stood up and gave his jacket a quick dusting off before turning to the duel's technical victor. "Don't feel too bad about what took place here today. After all, a stun like that just might save a life in the next floor raid," he remarked. From what he'd last heard, the location of the boss for this very floor had already been discovered, and it would only be a matter of time before the real fight began.

From there, he looked back to the dagger-wielder with a feigned offense which quickly melted into a smile. Then, with a shrug of his hands, he addressed the man's observation. "I honestly can't say that surprises me. Let's just say there was a little incident a while back that kept me away from all the fun. But as you've probably already noticed, I'm back and in the flesh."

Azide raised a brow as the man questioned his reasons for being here. Upon contemplating this for a moment, he flashed a sly grin. "What can I say? I love long walks on the beach as much as the next guy."

Of course, it wasn't exactly as simple as that. It truly had been little more than coincidence that that he had witnessed this match today between Lowenthal and Jomei. But that wasn't to say that he hadn't already been planning to evaluate the growing guild's abilities one way or another. So in this way, he had not been lying. 

[Jomei 0]

Jomei, with his face in the sand, waited for Lowenthal to deliver to finishing blow. Rather than that, he heard soft pings as Lowe opened his menu and surrendered, giving the win to Jomei. Obviously to either of them, this was no win. Lowenthal had won the duel fair and square. He probably just felt no need to continue, since Jomei would lose in just one shot. One the paralysis wore off, Lowenthal helped Jomei to his feet, and the irishman wiped the sand off of his armor. He let out a heavy sigh, "Well, looks like we are one and one now." he chuckled pathetically. 

Once on his feet, Jomei was able to regain his balance so he could stand on his own. He stood next to Lowenthal and listened to this Azide talk.

[Lowenthal 0]

Lowenthal looked at the man named, Azide. "An 'event' few months ago huh? Can't say that I've heard of you before today. Sorry." Lowenthal said, raising his hands and shrugging his shoulders. "But as for the event that had transpired, you have my condolences. However," Lowenthal said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I think that it's more than just 'walking on the beach' to what brought you here." Lowenthal said, thinking. Azide could be here by complete accident. Or be trying to cleanse the world of PK'ers, and is here to assassinate himself. Until he got a straight answer, Lowenthal wasn't going to let his guard down. "And no Piera." Lowenthal said, turning his head. "I was actually trying to do that at first, but Jomei kept dancing around me. Like it was some kind of jig." Lowenthal said, laughing.