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The irregular clang of steel echoes throughout the room. The waves of sound reverberate off of the elegant marble columns that outline the crystal windows revealing an almost cloudless blue sky. They clash again and the waves ripple across the black and white checkered floor, adorned with nearly enough battle scars to obscure the pattern, where it not so simple in the first place. Shattered by heavy blows, cut with a sharpened blade, or riddled with shockingly clean yet numerous holes.
The wounds this floor has endured are countless, but more continue to be added. As a mighty pair of fists come crashing down like a hammer, their target swiftly moves to the side, leaving the floor to bear yet another bruise. Marble shards fly up as the Chaser keeps her eyes on that roaring azure blaze, not at all perturbed by her whiffed attack. In fact, the grin on her face stays wide and confident. As does the smile lit by that blue flame.
Gigi rushes straight towards Elizabeth, her arm reeled back. Her strike connects this time, but only with the greatsword of her opponent. Unlike the floor, the unbending blade that is Thorn carries barely a scratch. At a glance, that is. A carefully cared for companion, its wounds meticulously restored. Only to the trained eye can its innumerable faint scars be seen.
It has no time to suffer from its damage, after all. Its Queen needs it in this duel. Mock battle or no, those of Justice take their work seriously. With a forceful push, Gigi loses her footing, and Elizabeth carries that motion into a horizontal swing. Yet the blade only sings with the sound of empty air. Gigi’s balance was maintained and the slash avoided, thanks to a strong tail acting as an extra leg, springing her out of danger. It then launches her right back in as she keeps the pressure on her opponent.
Sword and fist continue to clash as the waves of their exchange brush past a pair of feline ears, listening with intent. Eyes shine beneath them and the sounds of battle are broken up by the soft crunch of popcorn.
An artificial hand plucks a kernel from the bowl and adds her own disinterested crunch. The other hand of the automaton rests on her cheek, elbow buried in the arm of her chair. Yet, despite her nonchalance, her eyes stay just as locked on to the battle as her companion.
“Think Gigi’s got this one?” Raora asks.
“I doubt it,” Cecilia replies. “She’s not doing bad though, honestly.”
“She hasn’t been hit yet,” Raora adds.
“Well neither has Liz.”
Raora laughs. "You sure you aren't confident in her?"
"No," comes the curt reply. "But! If she can do it, I will be pleasantly surprised."
"I mean... Sure she hasn't hit her directly, but Liz has had to block most of those attacks. Gotta be wearing her down, right?"
"Don't pretend like you aren't seeing what I am, Raora."
They fixate once again on the battle. Despite Gigi's speed, the defenses of Elizabeth have yet to give way. While that grin remains on her face, Gigi can’t hide the sweat rolling down her brow. Elizabeth breathes heavily as well, but the flame in her chest roars brighter and brighter. It was clear who was really getting worn down in these altercations.
Elizabeth sees this as well as she steps forward, taking the offensive. A tune begins to rise from her throat, muffled into a hum by her sealed lips. Gigi ducks and weaves past slash and thrust. Until her balance becomes too unstable and she slows down to bring up her guard. Her gauntlets endure the blows she can’t dodge, deflecting the force away. Her tail aids her widened stance in absorbing the shock, yet it still takes a toll.
Elizabeth prepares a thrust wound up with a bit more force than those before. One that threatens to pierce Gigi's guard. She dodges to the side, but the experienced Scarlet Queen anticipated this, and her blade is already changing course towards her target. Gigi can feel the slash coming and knows that there is no time to avoid it. Yet she does not raise her guard. Instead, she firmly plants her feet and tail, then throws another punch that collides with the blade directly. The force sends them both reeling backward and it rings loud enough to shake the windows.
The force of it shot up through Gigi’s entire arm. It was more strain than she’d expected. Before she can recover – before the ringing of the metal can even end – Elizabeth is before Gigi yet again. Her sword arm reels back like a revolvers hammer. All Gigi can do is raise her defense in the direction of the oncoming strike.
Yet the strike does not come.
Her confidence finally breaks as she looks up to find where the blade has gone. Only to be met with the pommel of Thorn right before her eyes, striking her squarely in the nose. In that daze, the blade finds its mark. A clean, diagonal slash across the torso of the Chaser.
Most would have been cleaved straight through by such a blow. Luckily the members of Justice are more resilient than your average bystander. Still the cut digs into her and she lays with her back on the ground, her chest in fierce agony.
A moment later, she opens her eyes, the pain subsiding enough for her to focus. Only to see the tip of a blade pointed at the space between her eyes, mere inches from its apparent target. Her briefly widened eyes close again as she takes a deep, refreshing, yet bitterly cold breath. The sting of defeat wounds her more than the blade ever could. Yet she recovers just as fast.
“Alright, you win, you win,” Gigi says, shrugging from the ground. She sits up as Thorn moves away from her face. “Almost got you though, didn’t I?”
Elizabeth exhales as she thrusts her blade into the ground, resting after it has served its purpose. The flame on her chest dies down slightly.
“Certainly more of a work out than last time, I’ll give you that.”
She offers a hand to Gigi, which is taken as soon as her first gauntlet is removed. As she stands, the clapping of the spectators makes itself known. With the attention of the combatants gained, Raora stands, clapping with even more enthusiasm.
“Woohoo, yeah! Almost had her Gigi!” She shouts across the room. “That was awesome! You’ll get her next time!”
Elizabeth places a hand on her shoulder and nods with gentle affirmation. Gigi can feel the lingering ache of defeat leaving her chest entirely as the warmth of her leaders approval melts it away. Though, there was one last member she still needed to hear from.
“Ceci!” She shouts back. “Did I look good out there?”
“You looked the same as you always do,” comes the reply.
“Sexy?!”
“No! Stupid!”
“Stupidly sexy?”
“Shut up!”
With a handful of popcorn muffling her words, Cecilia takes her leave, snack bowl in hand. Gigi is next to her in an instant, her gauntlets now hanging from her tail, as her freed hands immediately dive into the popcorn despite Cecilia’s protests. Before they’re even out the door, the bickering is already easing into a friendly conversation. On her own way out, Elizabeth stretches and meets up with Raora.
“So, how would you say she did?” Raora asks as they walk and talk.
“Well I’d say she did a fine job,” Elizabeth replies, as she examines Thorn for damages. “Improving right quick.”
“Can’t believe she beat me last time…” Raora whines with a pout.
“Now now, don’t take sparring too seriously.”
She stops in the armory. The many weapon cases, tool cases and benches make it look like a small locker room. Elizabeth seats herself and immediately begins tending to her weapon.
“Always next time, innit?” Elizabeth smiles at Raora, who sighs in reply.
“Guess we’ll see if I can keep up with her.”
“Yeah… She sure is a fast learner.”
She glances towards Raora again and sees her feline eyes lingering on Thorn. Elizabeth shifts her position to pull the blade from her view as she whets away.
“Mind catching up with Gigi for me?” She asks to distract her. “Worried she’s gonna forget to fix up her gauntlets again."
Raora shrugs. “I’ll see if I can pull her away from Ceci for a bit. No way am I doing it for her again.”
“You’d better not.”
With a shared smile between them, Raora takes her leave. Alone, Elizabeth finds herself staring into the blade of Thorn. It shines, as sharp as ever, hardly dulled at all in the scuffle.
Yet there is still a bruise.
The blade is warped. Bent from the force of Gigi’s strike. And along that bend, minuscule shards of metal are missing. The pieces are so small that they would never be found nor missed once the blade is repaired. Yet they were still pieces of her weapon, now lost amidst the web of carnage that is the training room floor. From a blade that has never once cracked whilst sparring before now.
As she moves to the miniature forge, Elizabeth smiles. For a moment, the flame in her chest seems to sparkle.
The future of Justice is a bright one. That she is certain of.