(no subject)
WHO: Darth Vader, Saber
WHERE: Outworld, The Pit
WHEN: Friday, Febuarary 2nd
WHAT: Darth Vader and Saber have a swordfight.
WATCH FOR: Worst attack name ever, courtesy of myself. shut up i couldn't think of anything else.
He arrived some time ago, to gauge the chosen battleground before the battle started. Walking along the bridges, Darth Vader allowed himself to silently muse over how - rather, why - he had gotten into this...tournament, for another's amusement. The answer seems to be clear, but that doesn't mean he will find any pleasure in this - not that he expects to. It is merely something to be done.
The Sith Lord now stands in the middle of the highest bridge, his cloak flapping lazily in the slight wind, waiting for his opponent...and gazing at the moon.
Saber may be a Servant, but she obtained the position because of her spirit and her strong selfless desire for her people. It is this same desire to protect that lead her to join the tournament. So on this particular night when the invitation finally arrived, Saber was ready. After all, fighting is in her blood. Uphold the law and protect the people with your sword. That's what being a King is all about right? "You are Vader I assume?" The young girl addresses the masked man as she steps forward onto the bridge, head held high and proud.
He doesn't answer immediately. Nor does he look at her. But after a few moments of silence, he turns to take his first look at his foe. The Sith isn't fooled by her appearance - the Force immediately tells that she isn't to be underestimated.
"I am Darth Vader," he corrects, resting a hand on the hilt of his lightsaber as he uses the time to take in all that he can...gauging her spirit, her mind, and perhaps attempting to instill the seeds of doubt...
He isn't going to take any chances, even so early in the tournament. Palpatine would be...displeased if he was defeated so soon.
As a "heroic" spirit, Saber is more difficult to waylay than oridinary mortals. Once she has put her mind forward to fight, anything short of death will absolve her of that will. "Very well then Darth Vader." She shifts her feet backwards, taking up a ready stance, one gauntleted hand reaching behind her to grasp at... empty air. But then the hand makes the motion of one drawing a sword and now both hands rest curled around an invisible cylinder.
She steps forward onto the bridge, eyeing the much taller man? It sounds like a man but perhaps it's not. These worlds are tricky. These unconventional weapons and she's not entirely sure just what that black thing Vader is holding is for but there is an entire multiverse and the lives of innocents riding on this fight so she makes the first move.
Her steps are lightening quick as she closes the distance between then, arms held close to her side till she is practically face to face with the Sith Lord. In such close proximity, she swings her invisible blade upwards.
Saber hits Darth Vader with her Testing the waters jab.
You take 28 damage.
Interesting, Vader thinks to himself. Definately not a simple sentient - it seems that Kahn gave him a challenge. Very well, then, he will overcome it. The not-weapon is watched, for he can sense that there's -something- there...and by the way she's holding it, it appears to be posess a hilt. A sword? Likely...if the name he was given was any hint.
She moves quickly, almost like a Jedi - something he didn't expect. And while he did expect there to be some sort of weapon, he wasn't sure /what/ to expect - he brings his suddenly-activated lightsaber to block, but manages to get sliced through the arm instead. Sparks flare from the wound, but it doesn't seem to slow him down at all - rather, he swings his blade in a quick, horizontal slash towards Saber's gut.
You miss Saber with your Simple Slice attack.
The advantage to an "invisible" sword vs even something like a light saber is that one's opponent can gauge things like reach and and trajectory. So as soon as Saber made contact, the girl lept backwards just out of reach of the Light Saber. She's never seen a weapon quite like this in all her life (both real and Servant). As as it buzzes by harmlessly Saber pauses to watch it hum sword at the ready, "An interesting weapon Darth Vader." Her feet shift again, metal scrapping loudly against stone. "And what do you call it?"
She barely gives him a chance to answer as she dashes forward, leaping up into the air using a stray post as a launch point before she flips over behind Vader and lands in a crouch, swinging her sword around.
Saber misses Darth Vader with her Cutting your knees out from under you <3 attack.
Saber has just graduated to 'Jedi' status. That is, she's being treated as one - her acrobatics are now half-expected, and as she flips behind him he's spun around, whipping his blade around to block hers. "A lightsaber," he says simply, gripping it with both hands now as braces himself, then pushes, hard to get her off balance - no need to reveal all of his powers just yet, such as the telekinesis-like power of the Force - before launching another attack, this one aimed at her hands. Disarming is always a useful tactic...
You hit Saber with your Leggo My Eggo (Only Totally Not) attack.
There's a spark as the Light Saber meets up with quite a bit of resistance. The light itself even seems to warp and refract a little bit as it slides down a partial length of the blade, biting into one of Saber's gauntleted hands. It's a fortunate thing that her armor is actually special magical armor or she would have lost a hand and -that- would have been very bad. :/
But even then, the light saber bites through metal and sears the flesh of her left hand. The girl yelps in pain as she lets go of the sword with said hand and wrings it. "Tch... A sword of light, who would have thought." She is more wary now as she backs away from Vader, plotting her next move. She spares a quick glance below, quickly memorizing her surroundings.
She taps the stone beneath her with her foot, trying to feel it's solidity before dashing forward purposefully -dragging- her sword through the rock as she carves a path towards Vader and then spinning on her heel at the last minute as she whips her arms upwards, ripping the blade out of the ground and sending a cascade of dust and small chunks of rock towards Vader.
Saber misses Darth Vader with her Clogging your system stun.
The sparks help him to envision her weapon, to visualize it in hopes of dodging it in the future. Still, as she backs away, he's only waiting a moment before purposely stepping forwards, intent on giving her as little time as possible to recover. But her...attack...makes him pause. What is she...
Oh, he sees. Vader does nothing but extend an arm, palm facing her as parts of the bridge fly towards him, enveloping him completely...at least, from what Saber could see. The dust clears and the Sith is completely untouched, not a speck of dust on his armor thanks to the Force serving as a barrier. He pulls his hand back as he gathers the Force there, then thrusts it out once more as he sends the invisible - but powerful - blast towards the Servant, which creates its own furrow in its wake.
You get a glancing blow on Saber with your Force Strike attack.
Saber is not quite one to rest on her laurels as she's already beginning to move again but the Force is not something she was expecting as the barrier not only prevents the dust from settling where it should but then she feels herself getting pushed -away- from Vader. She grunts as she attempts to block it with her sword and digs her feet in deep but protection against magic is useless of the strike isn't magical... right?
Unfortunately, Saber is not strong enough to withstand all of the blast and is pushed off the first bridge, landing with a bit of a thud on the one below. "What sorcery was that?!" The knight yells upwards but she's not immobile for long. The former King runs along the bottom bridge and uses her momentum to leap up in the air, hopefully high enough to be over Vader so she can bring her sword down in a two handed cleave.
Saber hits Darth Vader with her Death from abooooooooooooooooooooooooove attack.
You take 21 damage.
There's no response. No words are offered, no noise is made other the slow, monotonous breathing of the Sith Lord. It hasn't changed at all since Saber first came upon him, no sign of exertion whatsoever...it might be a little disturbing. Might not be, depending on what sort of enemies Saber has fought before. Darth Vader looks up as she leaps into the air, proving him right for considering her on the same lines of a Jedi...and a skilled one at that. She's fast. She's powerful. She reiterates this as she catches him in the shoulder.
But she's not as powerful as him, the Dark Lord of the Sith.
He takes a single step back, outstretching his hand again, but this time it's slightly clawed, as if gripping something. Namely, the area around Saber's throat, aiming to lift her off the ground through the power of the Force.
You stun Saber with your You Been Choked. action.
And -that- causes Saber to "drop" her sword as she begins choking, dangling up in the air as she attempts to grapple with whatever it is that's lifting her up in the air and slowly cutting off her air supply. Unlike normal Servants, Saber is still mortal, which is a huge disadvantage. Still, as she struggles in the air, that stubborn look remains on her face as she glares openly at Vader.
For a few moments, he wasn't certain it would work. At least, the choking part of it. He knew very well that he could grasp her neck, and for a moment is tempted to try and snap it - such a feat would be simple, and end it quickly. But instead, he makes a gesture - not too different from the one that one would make to dismiss another - and the Force obeys, 'tossing' her away from him and the bridge.
Let the Pit have her.
You critically strike Saber with your Mid-Air Fu this. attack.
Saber is no longer stunned.
As Saber goes flying off the bridge and CRASHING into another bridge beneath, leaving a sizable crater in the stone, the brief memory of being tossed around like a Rag Doll by Berserker filters through her mind. She staggers slowly to her feet, using her sword as a crutch. (The item had somehow magically returned to her during the flight). Hunched over, she ponders her next move. Droplets of blood spill out, outlining the sword, giving the Sith Lord an idea of just how wide and how long the sword is. She bites down on her lower lip and suddenly the wind around her whips up.
The focal point of the wind seems to be the blade held between her fists. The wind swirls around it rapidly and if Vader wasn't a level or two above her, he would feel the near hurricane force as the tightly compressed air struggles to escape their mystical bonds. Saber holds this for a moment or two longer before letting out a loud shout and suddenly the wind is loose and a whirlwind fills the pit, spinning up and out taking up everything that's light enough and blowing over that which is not firmly anchored.
Saber hits Darth Vader with her Winds over paradise attack.
You take 22 damage.
Hmph. He had hoped to throw her through it, but no matter. Darth Vader walks over to the edge to observe his handiwork, catching sight of the blood-lined blade...and silently impressed. Both by it...and its wielder. A lesser (wo)man would have been dead by now.
The wind prevents him from immediatly following and finishing her off. Though the Force would guide him true, the sudden speed and power which it posesses is enough to make him take a step back...not needing the Force to know something ad is about to happen. He reaches down to try and ground himself, but is unable to grab hold of the partially-destroyed bridge before he's caught, and sent flying off the bridge...and onto a lower one. He lands with a loud 'whud'. After checking over his systems, he speaks, voice carried throughout the battleround despite the distance between him and Saber:
"Impressive." Slowly, he gets to his feet. "But it is not enough." He holds a hand upwards, summoning his lightsaber which he had dropped during his brief flight, at the same time causing the Force to surround the bridge Saber is standing on. The very stone trembles...then abruptly explodes upwards, as if struck from below by a powerful...well, force.
You critically strike Saber with your Your Bridge Asplode! attack.
Saber's lips are set into a grim smile as the wind and the debris dies down to reveal gleaming sword a hand's width apart. Despite the fact that there's a full moon, the sword reflect a light that is almost -too- bright to be the moon's reflection. Shifting her hands a bit, Saber nods towards Vader and opens her mouth to respond when the Force cracks the ground beneath her, sending her up in the air with the shattered stone.
Sharp edges slice open skin and muscle, leaving trails of blood in their wake. She yelps in pain but the pain also helps her keep her focus. In mid-air, her feet seem to suddenly find purchase on something in the air as she launches upwards and flips forward. It's almost like she'd dancing as she uses larger chunks of rock that returning to earth to move towards Vader. Some of the larger ones she kicks towards him before landing behind.
"Then let us see if this is enough then." Saber sweeps out, the sword leaving a trail of light in it's wake as it slashes first upwards and then to the left followed by several more sword strokes. With each stroke, she presses forward.
Saber juggles Darth Vader with her Dance the sword waltz with me? combo.
You take 30 damage.
Saber juggles Darth Vader with her Dance the sword waltz with me? combo.
You take 28 damage.
Saber juggles Darth Vader with her Dance the sword waltz with me? combo.
You take 25 damage.
Darth Vader breaks Saber's combo.
There are very, very few Jedi who have ever bested Darth Vader. The power of the Dark Side is strong in him, and his very suit has been designed with Sith Alchemy to withstand assaults that would kill lesser men many times over. But it was not designed with the Multiverse in mind, and though he tries, it doesn't allow him to move fast enough to parry Saber's sudden offense...at least, until her final strike seems about to defeat him. Then, perhaps by luck, perhaps by the will of the Force, the red beam of the lightsaber blocks what would be her final stroke.
And the anger is practically bleeding off Darth Vader, moreso then the fluid from his open wounds. It's not blood, and the wounds do spark...it's something else. What reveals him to be more man then machine. But he is still enough of a man to summon, bend the Force to his will, and even the Force-dumb could feel that /something's/ about to happen.
Because in the hands of a Sith lord, anger is a very powerful weapon. Like now. He pushes backwards, giving himself distance, for a moment doing nothing but collecting the Force about him...then lunging forwards, bringing his lightsaber downwards with enough power to cleave the bridge in two...regardless if Saber dodges, or blocks the blow.
He /will not/ go down so soon.
You hit Saber with your Great Cleave super.
Saber is perhaps closer to being a Jedi than Vader had ever originally imagined. She feels a small amount of satisfaction in the fact that she is able to not only push him back but the might of her Noble Phantasm is able to bring him so close to defeat, that is until he blocks her sword. Light Saber and Holy Sword meet and spark as the two struggle, but Vader being at least a good foot taller than Saber is able to use his weight and his height as leverage and Saber is forced to break away. Panting, "You are..." Her voice trails off as blood trickles down her forehead and there is a prickling sensation in the back of her neck.
As Vader gathers the Force, Saber is already leaping backwards. Unfortunately in the short distances, Lancer is a quicker Servant (damn dog). Vader's lunge catches her off guard and burns through layers of leather and cotton and into the soft flesh of her unprotected shoulder and it doesn't stop there. When the sword comes down and just sheers the bridge they were standing on in two, Saber is a bit -too- surprised by both the action and the pain to do anything and when she realizes she needs to, she's already slipping, tumbling down with the falling bridge towards the spikes.
She manges to -not- get herself impaled on the spikes by angling herself so that she is able to bounce off the side walls of a particuarly large spike and using that moment to play a small game of human pinball as she ricochets upwards back towards Vader. It's now or never. With an impressive battle yell, the King of Knights launches one last time off the final platform, sword held close to her side as she intends to impale the mechanical man upon her blade.
Saber misses Darth Vader with her For Shirou! Yeah. You heard me. attack.
It's not enough. But the anger, the fire still burns in Vader. He expects Saber to still be alive, to return to try and finish this - and she is, her yell heralding her strike, giving him more then enough time needed to make a half-step to the side. That's not all he does - he thrusts with his own lightsaber, aiming to use her own momentum against her, to skewer her through the stomach - that, surely, will end this.
For it will not last much longer. This, he is as certain of as he has been of anything. One way or another, these next few strikes will decide the winner.
You critically strike Saber with your Shishkabob attack.
Saber has been knocked out!
"URT!" One moment Saber is sure she's going to win and the next well... she's got at least a foot of condensed light and energy sticking out her back, a man barely being held together by a bunch of machines in front and a very painful burning sensation in her bowels as the light saber slowly begins to slowly cook and then burn the flesh around it. In all of the battles she's faught, this is by fair the most physically painful.
She struggles against the light saber for a moment, one hand grasping at Vader's arm as she attempts to pull herself -off- the Light Saber. "I will not die here," she hisses through clenched teeth.
"..."
For all that she was able to do, for all that she was, she still appears to be human, mortal - able to be killed. Darth Vader can sense her pain, her suffering, but it gives him no pleasure as he watches her all but squirm. He still isn't certain what she is...or who she is...only that she was chosen to fight against him. She fought well, and he respects that.
He deactivates the lightsaber. "No," he relents. "Perhaps not." Then he takes a step back, allowing her to fall if she cannot support herself.
No longer "supported" by the light saber, the knight crumbles to the ground as blood pours from numerous wounds. She is only kept upright by the fact that Excalibur's blade is sunk deep into the ground and she's clutching it like it's her last remaining life line and it most likely is. She -could- use the last of her mana and unleash Excalibur's full power thusly effectively eliminating both herself and Vader but he is letting her live. It was a good fight and despite some of the "tricks" used, it was an honorable one.
"You..." She pants in short breathes, "Watch yourself Darth Vader. It will be more difficult from here on out." This is going to take a -long- time to heal. Hopefully there's at least a bit of mana left in this area that will at least allow her to get -out- of here.
The lightsaber is clipped onto Darth Vader's belt as he watches Saber suffer. He /could/ provide assistance to her - either end her suffering, or ensure that she makes it to the gate. But he doesn't. Now that the battle is over, he finds no reason for him to remain here any longer. He has his own wounds to attend to, and knows that his Master will not be pleased with how much damage he has 'allowed' to be inflicted upon him.
There is no response offered to Saber - just a turn of the back, and a somewhat labored walk towards the Gate.
WHERE: Outworld, The Pit
WHEN: Friday, Febuarary 2nd
WHAT: Darth Vader and Saber have a swordfight.
WATCH FOR: Worst attack name ever, courtesy of myself. shut up i couldn't think of anything else.
He arrived some time ago, to gauge the chosen battleground before the battle started. Walking along the bridges, Darth Vader allowed himself to silently muse over how - rather, why - he had gotten into this...tournament, for another's amusement. The answer seems to be clear, but that doesn't mean he will find any pleasure in this - not that he expects to. It is merely something to be done.
The Sith Lord now stands in the middle of the highest bridge, his cloak flapping lazily in the slight wind, waiting for his opponent...and gazing at the moon.
Saber may be a Servant, but she obtained the position because of her spirit and her strong selfless desire for her people. It is this same desire to protect that lead her to join the tournament. So on this particular night when the invitation finally arrived, Saber was ready. After all, fighting is in her blood. Uphold the law and protect the people with your sword. That's what being a King is all about right? "You are Vader I assume?" The young girl addresses the masked man as she steps forward onto the bridge, head held high and proud.
He doesn't answer immediately. Nor does he look at her. But after a few moments of silence, he turns to take his first look at his foe. The Sith isn't fooled by her appearance - the Force immediately tells that she isn't to be underestimated.
"I am Darth Vader," he corrects, resting a hand on the hilt of his lightsaber as he uses the time to take in all that he can...gauging her spirit, her mind, and perhaps attempting to instill the seeds of doubt...
He isn't going to take any chances, even so early in the tournament. Palpatine would be...displeased if he was defeated so soon.
As a "heroic" spirit, Saber is more difficult to waylay than oridinary mortals. Once she has put her mind forward to fight, anything short of death will absolve her of that will. "Very well then Darth Vader." She shifts her feet backwards, taking up a ready stance, one gauntleted hand reaching behind her to grasp at... empty air. But then the hand makes the motion of one drawing a sword and now both hands rest curled around an invisible cylinder.
She steps forward onto the bridge, eyeing the much taller man? It sounds like a man but perhaps it's not. These worlds are tricky. These unconventional weapons and she's not entirely sure just what that black thing Vader is holding is for but there is an entire multiverse and the lives of innocents riding on this fight so she makes the first move.
Her steps are lightening quick as she closes the distance between then, arms held close to her side till she is practically face to face with the Sith Lord. In such close proximity, she swings her invisible blade upwards.
Saber hits Darth Vader with her Testing the waters jab.
You take 28 damage.
Interesting, Vader thinks to himself. Definately not a simple sentient - it seems that Kahn gave him a challenge. Very well, then, he will overcome it. The not-weapon is watched, for he can sense that there's -something- there...and by the way she's holding it, it appears to be posess a hilt. A sword? Likely...if the name he was given was any hint.
She moves quickly, almost like a Jedi - something he didn't expect. And while he did expect there to be some sort of weapon, he wasn't sure /what/ to expect - he brings his suddenly-activated lightsaber to block, but manages to get sliced through the arm instead. Sparks flare from the wound, but it doesn't seem to slow him down at all - rather, he swings his blade in a quick, horizontal slash towards Saber's gut.
You miss Saber with your Simple Slice attack.
The advantage to an "invisible" sword vs even something like a light saber is that one's opponent can gauge things like reach and and trajectory. So as soon as Saber made contact, the girl lept backwards just out of reach of the Light Saber. She's never seen a weapon quite like this in all her life (both real and Servant). As as it buzzes by harmlessly Saber pauses to watch it hum sword at the ready, "An interesting weapon Darth Vader." Her feet shift again, metal scrapping loudly against stone. "And what do you call it?"
She barely gives him a chance to answer as she dashes forward, leaping up into the air using a stray post as a launch point before she flips over behind Vader and lands in a crouch, swinging her sword around.
Saber misses Darth Vader with her Cutting your knees out from under you <3 attack.
Saber has just graduated to 'Jedi' status. That is, she's being treated as one - her acrobatics are now half-expected, and as she flips behind him he's spun around, whipping his blade around to block hers. "A lightsaber," he says simply, gripping it with both hands now as braces himself, then pushes, hard to get her off balance - no need to reveal all of his powers just yet, such as the telekinesis-like power of the Force - before launching another attack, this one aimed at her hands. Disarming is always a useful tactic...
You hit Saber with your Leggo My Eggo (Only Totally Not) attack.
There's a spark as the Light Saber meets up with quite a bit of resistance. The light itself even seems to warp and refract a little bit as it slides down a partial length of the blade, biting into one of Saber's gauntleted hands. It's a fortunate thing that her armor is actually special magical armor or she would have lost a hand and -that- would have been very bad. :/
But even then, the light saber bites through metal and sears the flesh of her left hand. The girl yelps in pain as she lets go of the sword with said hand and wrings it. "Tch... A sword of light, who would have thought." She is more wary now as she backs away from Vader, plotting her next move. She spares a quick glance below, quickly memorizing her surroundings.
She taps the stone beneath her with her foot, trying to feel it's solidity before dashing forward purposefully -dragging- her sword through the rock as she carves a path towards Vader and then spinning on her heel at the last minute as she whips her arms upwards, ripping the blade out of the ground and sending a cascade of dust and small chunks of rock towards Vader.
Saber misses Darth Vader with her Clogging your system stun.
The sparks help him to envision her weapon, to visualize it in hopes of dodging it in the future. Still, as she backs away, he's only waiting a moment before purposely stepping forwards, intent on giving her as little time as possible to recover. But her...attack...makes him pause. What is she...
Oh, he sees. Vader does nothing but extend an arm, palm facing her as parts of the bridge fly towards him, enveloping him completely...at least, from what Saber could see. The dust clears and the Sith is completely untouched, not a speck of dust on his armor thanks to the Force serving as a barrier. He pulls his hand back as he gathers the Force there, then thrusts it out once more as he sends the invisible - but powerful - blast towards the Servant, which creates its own furrow in its wake.
You get a glancing blow on Saber with your Force Strike attack.
Saber is not quite one to rest on her laurels as she's already beginning to move again but the Force is not something she was expecting as the barrier not only prevents the dust from settling where it should but then she feels herself getting pushed -away- from Vader. She grunts as she attempts to block it with her sword and digs her feet in deep but protection against magic is useless of the strike isn't magical... right?
Unfortunately, Saber is not strong enough to withstand all of the blast and is pushed off the first bridge, landing with a bit of a thud on the one below. "What sorcery was that?!" The knight yells upwards but she's not immobile for long. The former King runs along the bottom bridge and uses her momentum to leap up in the air, hopefully high enough to be over Vader so she can bring her sword down in a two handed cleave.
Saber hits Darth Vader with her Death from abooooooooooooooooooooooooove attack.
You take 21 damage.
There's no response. No words are offered, no noise is made other the slow, monotonous breathing of the Sith Lord. It hasn't changed at all since Saber first came upon him, no sign of exertion whatsoever...it might be a little disturbing. Might not be, depending on what sort of enemies Saber has fought before. Darth Vader looks up as she leaps into the air, proving him right for considering her on the same lines of a Jedi...and a skilled one at that. She's fast. She's powerful. She reiterates this as she catches him in the shoulder.
But she's not as powerful as him, the Dark Lord of the Sith.
He takes a single step back, outstretching his hand again, but this time it's slightly clawed, as if gripping something. Namely, the area around Saber's throat, aiming to lift her off the ground through the power of the Force.
You stun Saber with your You Been Choked. action.
And -that- causes Saber to "drop" her sword as she begins choking, dangling up in the air as she attempts to grapple with whatever it is that's lifting her up in the air and slowly cutting off her air supply. Unlike normal Servants, Saber is still mortal, which is a huge disadvantage. Still, as she struggles in the air, that stubborn look remains on her face as she glares openly at Vader.
For a few moments, he wasn't certain it would work. At least, the choking part of it. He knew very well that he could grasp her neck, and for a moment is tempted to try and snap it - such a feat would be simple, and end it quickly. But instead, he makes a gesture - not too different from the one that one would make to dismiss another - and the Force obeys, 'tossing' her away from him and the bridge.
Let the Pit have her.
You critically strike Saber with your Mid-Air Fu this. attack.
Saber is no longer stunned.
As Saber goes flying off the bridge and CRASHING into another bridge beneath, leaving a sizable crater in the stone, the brief memory of being tossed around like a Rag Doll by Berserker filters through her mind. She staggers slowly to her feet, using her sword as a crutch. (The item had somehow magically returned to her during the flight). Hunched over, she ponders her next move. Droplets of blood spill out, outlining the sword, giving the Sith Lord an idea of just how wide and how long the sword is. She bites down on her lower lip and suddenly the wind around her whips up.
The focal point of the wind seems to be the blade held between her fists. The wind swirls around it rapidly and if Vader wasn't a level or two above her, he would feel the near hurricane force as the tightly compressed air struggles to escape their mystical bonds. Saber holds this for a moment or two longer before letting out a loud shout and suddenly the wind is loose and a whirlwind fills the pit, spinning up and out taking up everything that's light enough and blowing over that which is not firmly anchored.
Saber hits Darth Vader with her Winds over paradise attack.
You take 22 damage.
Hmph. He had hoped to throw her through it, but no matter. Darth Vader walks over to the edge to observe his handiwork, catching sight of the blood-lined blade...and silently impressed. Both by it...and its wielder. A lesser (wo)man would have been dead by now.
The wind prevents him from immediatly following and finishing her off. Though the Force would guide him true, the sudden speed and power which it posesses is enough to make him take a step back...not needing the Force to know something ad is about to happen. He reaches down to try and ground himself, but is unable to grab hold of the partially-destroyed bridge before he's caught, and sent flying off the bridge...and onto a lower one. He lands with a loud 'whud'. After checking over his systems, he speaks, voice carried throughout the battleround despite the distance between him and Saber:
"Impressive." Slowly, he gets to his feet. "But it is not enough." He holds a hand upwards, summoning his lightsaber which he had dropped during his brief flight, at the same time causing the Force to surround the bridge Saber is standing on. The very stone trembles...then abruptly explodes upwards, as if struck from below by a powerful...well, force.
You critically strike Saber with your Your Bridge Asplode! attack.
Saber's lips are set into a grim smile as the wind and the debris dies down to reveal gleaming sword a hand's width apart. Despite the fact that there's a full moon, the sword reflect a light that is almost -too- bright to be the moon's reflection. Shifting her hands a bit, Saber nods towards Vader and opens her mouth to respond when the Force cracks the ground beneath her, sending her up in the air with the shattered stone.
Sharp edges slice open skin and muscle, leaving trails of blood in their wake. She yelps in pain but the pain also helps her keep her focus. In mid-air, her feet seem to suddenly find purchase on something in the air as she launches upwards and flips forward. It's almost like she'd dancing as she uses larger chunks of rock that returning to earth to move towards Vader. Some of the larger ones she kicks towards him before landing behind.
"Then let us see if this is enough then." Saber sweeps out, the sword leaving a trail of light in it's wake as it slashes first upwards and then to the left followed by several more sword strokes. With each stroke, she presses forward.
Saber juggles Darth Vader with her Dance the sword waltz with me? combo.
You take 30 damage.
Saber juggles Darth Vader with her Dance the sword waltz with me? combo.
You take 28 damage.
Saber juggles Darth Vader with her Dance the sword waltz with me? combo.
You take 25 damage.
Darth Vader breaks Saber's combo.
There are very, very few Jedi who have ever bested Darth Vader. The power of the Dark Side is strong in him, and his very suit has been designed with Sith Alchemy to withstand assaults that would kill lesser men many times over. But it was not designed with the Multiverse in mind, and though he tries, it doesn't allow him to move fast enough to parry Saber's sudden offense...at least, until her final strike seems about to defeat him. Then, perhaps by luck, perhaps by the will of the Force, the red beam of the lightsaber blocks what would be her final stroke.
And the anger is practically bleeding off Darth Vader, moreso then the fluid from his open wounds. It's not blood, and the wounds do spark...it's something else. What reveals him to be more man then machine. But he is still enough of a man to summon, bend the Force to his will, and even the Force-dumb could feel that /something's/ about to happen.
Because in the hands of a Sith lord, anger is a very powerful weapon. Like now. He pushes backwards, giving himself distance, for a moment doing nothing but collecting the Force about him...then lunging forwards, bringing his lightsaber downwards with enough power to cleave the bridge in two...regardless if Saber dodges, or blocks the blow.
He /will not/ go down so soon.
You hit Saber with your Great Cleave super.
Saber is perhaps closer to being a Jedi than Vader had ever originally imagined. She feels a small amount of satisfaction in the fact that she is able to not only push him back but the might of her Noble Phantasm is able to bring him so close to defeat, that is until he blocks her sword. Light Saber and Holy Sword meet and spark as the two struggle, but Vader being at least a good foot taller than Saber is able to use his weight and his height as leverage and Saber is forced to break away. Panting, "You are..." Her voice trails off as blood trickles down her forehead and there is a prickling sensation in the back of her neck.
As Vader gathers the Force, Saber is already leaping backwards. Unfortunately in the short distances, Lancer is a quicker Servant (damn dog). Vader's lunge catches her off guard and burns through layers of leather and cotton and into the soft flesh of her unprotected shoulder and it doesn't stop there. When the sword comes down and just sheers the bridge they were standing on in two, Saber is a bit -too- surprised by both the action and the pain to do anything and when she realizes she needs to, she's already slipping, tumbling down with the falling bridge towards the spikes.
She manges to -not- get herself impaled on the spikes by angling herself so that she is able to bounce off the side walls of a particuarly large spike and using that moment to play a small game of human pinball as she ricochets upwards back towards Vader. It's now or never. With an impressive battle yell, the King of Knights launches one last time off the final platform, sword held close to her side as she intends to impale the mechanical man upon her blade.
Saber misses Darth Vader with her For Shirou! Yeah. You heard me. attack.
It's not enough. But the anger, the fire still burns in Vader. He expects Saber to still be alive, to return to try and finish this - and she is, her yell heralding her strike, giving him more then enough time needed to make a half-step to the side. That's not all he does - he thrusts with his own lightsaber, aiming to use her own momentum against her, to skewer her through the stomach - that, surely, will end this.
For it will not last much longer. This, he is as certain of as he has been of anything. One way or another, these next few strikes will decide the winner.
You critically strike Saber with your Shishkabob attack.
Saber has been knocked out!
"URT!" One moment Saber is sure she's going to win and the next well... she's got at least a foot of condensed light and energy sticking out her back, a man barely being held together by a bunch of machines in front and a very painful burning sensation in her bowels as the light saber slowly begins to slowly cook and then burn the flesh around it. In all of the battles she's faught, this is by fair the most physically painful.
She struggles against the light saber for a moment, one hand grasping at Vader's arm as she attempts to pull herself -off- the Light Saber. "I will not die here," she hisses through clenched teeth.
"..."
For all that she was able to do, for all that she was, she still appears to be human, mortal - able to be killed. Darth Vader can sense her pain, her suffering, but it gives him no pleasure as he watches her all but squirm. He still isn't certain what she is...or who she is...only that she was chosen to fight against him. She fought well, and he respects that.
He deactivates the lightsaber. "No," he relents. "Perhaps not." Then he takes a step back, allowing her to fall if she cannot support herself.
No longer "supported" by the light saber, the knight crumbles to the ground as blood pours from numerous wounds. She is only kept upright by the fact that Excalibur's blade is sunk deep into the ground and she's clutching it like it's her last remaining life line and it most likely is. She -could- use the last of her mana and unleash Excalibur's full power thusly effectively eliminating both herself and Vader but he is letting her live. It was a good fight and despite some of the "tricks" used, it was an honorable one.
"You..." She pants in short breathes, "Watch yourself Darth Vader. It will be more difficult from here on out." This is going to take a -long- time to heal. Hopefully there's at least a bit of mana left in this area that will at least allow her to get -out- of here.
The lightsaber is clipped onto Darth Vader's belt as he watches Saber suffer. He /could/ provide assistance to her - either end her suffering, or ensure that she makes it to the gate. But he doesn't. Now that the battle is over, he finds no reason for him to remain here any longer. He has his own wounds to attend to, and knows that his Master will not be pleased with how much damage he has 'allowed' to be inflicted upon him.
There is no response offered to Saber - just a turn of the back, and a somewhat labored walk towards the Gate.