[LOG] A Sanctioned Beatdown

[shizukun]

WHO: Christoph Schmidt, Fate Harlaown, Meliadoul Tengille, Vita, Signum
WHAT: A duel to prove the worthiness of the newly appointed IPA SWAT leader.
WHEN: June 30th, 2008
WHERE: The Prime Dimensions, TSAB HQ, training ground B-2
WATCH FOR: Just a bit of overkill.



It's been a somewhat sleepless night for Christoph. Now, he's faced Signum in mock combat before, but that was more off-the-cuff, practice sparring sort of thing. This, well, this was as formal a duel as can be issued legally under Midchildan law, and one with...well, potential professional consequence, at least in his mind. A bit of him really hopes that Fate was not that serious about testing him to see if he deserved her respect as leader of the IPA SWAT group...but well, he can't discount that possibility entirely.

Word of such a thing leaks out quickly; when one of the three Aces has taken it upon herself to put someone through the paces, it draws interest quickly. Thus once the request to reserve outdoor training area B-2 on the outskirts of the TSAB HQ complex was recorded, a couple of administrative types also made sure there was an observation area set up, because there's going to be an audience. Said observation deck sits near the entrance of the practice field, along with the controls that create the field's environment.

Currently, a number of people are already milling around there. Christoph himself? He's standing over the control, intently studying them, making sure everything's ready. The zone itself appears to be in full Urban Combat mode, with densely packed buildings, both intact and ruined, single story and high rises, lining narrow streets. He has one thing going for him: as the challenged party, he gets to select the location, within reason, and thus he has chosen an environment favoring closer combat. He's going to need every little advantage he can get his metallic hand on.

And he's still convinced he's a dead man.

He sighs, finally giving up on tweaking the settings any further (which do include some measure of energy dampening so things don't get too out of hand), and looks warily over the gathering crowd. He almost cringes--almost, but manages to keep his composure. "Ach, Gott," he mumbles.

Vita is here! She wouldn't miss this. Not because she doesn't like Christoph. It's more that she loves to see explosions and stuff. She's a mean little girl. She's dressed in her uniform, because she's on base, and stands at the railing of the deck, looking out into the soon to be war-zone. This is gonna be /awesome/.

Suddenly, Signum's voice--practically out of nowhere. Well, from the crowd? Well, actually not. She practically just materializes out of nowhere, not too far from Christoph.

"I wouldn't smell of fear around Testarossa," she says, totally deadpan. "She feeds on it... something her mother taught her..." With just the faintest smile, she turns as if to walk away. Then turns right back.

"Master Sgt. Schmidt, you've already faced off against me. Facing off against Testarossa shouldn't be too much scarier. True, she is one of the Aces..." Signum holds up a hand, flicking up her index finger.

"And she is one of the three most powerful mages the TSAB can field..." Middle finger goes up, then.

"And of course she's amongst the most experienced field units in the TSAB..." Ring finger goes up... and then Signum favors Christoph with a brief smile, with a good-natured mocking to it. "But she won't kill you..." And then she does walk away, towards the crowd.

"... Probably." At least he's not facing off against Nanoha the White Devil, right?

Meliadoul has arrived in the TSAB and she stares at the sheer number of people who have arrived to watch this fight. It is a little overwhelming. Is this such a big deal? She makes her way through the crowd to get into the observation deck. Fate HAD invited her after all.

Looking back last night, Fate hadn't realized that her challenge could have been seen as anything intimidating. After all, the Forwards in Section Six always looked forward to their battles with Nanoha! This shouldn't be any different, right? It wasn't until after she had told Nanoha of the duel that it was brought to her attention how nervous Christoph might be.
Oh well. Nothing she can really do about that, is there? Ehehe...

So, on the day of the battle, Fate arrives, already in her Barrier Jacket, Bardiche held casually in one hand in Assault Form. While she doesn't overhear the conversation between her opponent and her lieutenant, she does arrive soon after. "Hello, Signum." The blonde pauses, glancing around briefly. "I hadn't expected so many to come watch." Another look around, and she spots her victi--opponent. "Christoph." Fate's smile is warm and friendly as she approaches. "I hope you're looking forward to this as much as I am."

Vita has already been noted; it is difficult to miss an energetic apparently-ten-years-old mage clad in red with rabbits on her hat. Signum, on the other hand, does draw a reaction from Christoph as she arrives suddenly. He straightens up, then turns to face Signum. He gives a wordless salute, crisp and sharp, and simply nods as she advises him.

He's not afraid. Really! Only anxious. And you'd be a fool not to feel anxious about facing down an Ace in a formal setting like this. "Jawohl, Leutnant Signum," he answers stolidly, not rising to the bait of the teasing nature of her words. "Thank you for the advice." Inside, he is probably muttering darkly about his chances, but no one can tell that. Right? Right?

As Signum retreats into the crowd, he looks over the gathered people--and relaxes slightly. Meliadoul made it; good. He's not exactly a no-name here in the TSAB, but far, far, far outshadowed by the likes of Fate, so he's glad to see someone who'll be in his corner. Or...so he hopes.

"Melia--" He begins to say her name, is about to walk over and approach his friend, when someone else appears. "Hauptmann Harlaown," he says, saluting the blonde Enforcer. There's a difference between training sessions and this sort of thing! He then stands at ease, chooses his words carefully, and says, "Looking forward to...testing my strength," he says. No nervousness, not at all! Disregard that momentary tightening of his jaw. Well, what's the worst that can happen?

Don't answer that.

He now turns slightly and gestures toward the field. "Urban combat zone. Meets your approval, Hauptmann?" Unless she insists, he's going to be sticking with more formal terms of address, at least until after the match is over.

Nanoha has heard of this challenge, so she has made some arrangements to arrive and watch it. Unfortunately, being stuck on a conference call had kept her a bit later than she was intending, and the Stars Captain arrives a short time after everyone else, brushing off her uniform and looking around for a moment. She strides into the observation area, looking around for a moment and smiling at those who have arrived to observe the mock duel.

She's not sure if Christoph is ready for this sort of a battle, but if he wasn't, what else wasn't he ready for? Better to let Fate run him through his paces, and make sure everything was OK.

She waves to the two out in the fighting area, and calls out, "Good luck, Fate-chan! Christoph-san!"

The salute is returned quickly. "Of course, Master Sergeant. A varied terrain is much more interesting than an empty training room." And the size means it's less likely to be -completely- totalled by collateral damage. Indeed, what -is- the worst that can happen?
"Shall we?" With a nod toward Christoph, Fate takes to the air and flies toward the fighting ground. She'll let him pick the starting area and land once he's in place.
After the two are set, Fate glances up. A smile comes to her face as she hears the voice of her friend. "Nanoha!" The blonde lifts an arm to wave for a moment before she returns to face Christoph, expression becoming serious again. It's time to get down to business.

Vita ...looks kind of bloodthirsty. She can't help it. Usually, when Fate's going all out it's a life or death situation. This isn't, so the littlest Knight is eager to see what her friend can do. Hayate would chide her for this...but she's not here.

She'll probably know anyway, with that super Mom Sense.

There is a quiet, knowing murmur from some in the crowd as Nanoha shows up. It would have been strange if she hadn't come to watch a fellow Ace and one of her best friends in this duel. Christoph is thinking the same, though in a vaguely detached way; he looks over toward the young Captain and gives her a crisp salute as well.

"After you," he now offers to Fate, and watches as she takes to the skies, then soars toward the faux cityscape. He looks back at the audience--gives Meliadoul a quiet wave and small, grateful smile--then faces the entrance once more. Balmung, hung at his side as a sword, glimmers in the afternoon sunlight. He draws the weapon sword, holding blade in his right, sheath in his left, and then walks in through the gateway that marks the entrance to the field.

A voice speaks in Midchildan, emanating from various speakers placed around the field--it is the computer controlling this space. "Enforcer Fate Harlaown, Master Sergeant Christoph Schmidt. Match begins in five, four, three, two, one." Beeeeeeeeeeeeep.

And Christoph vanishes in a spray of lights. The various cameras viewing strategic points around the battleground switch on, and monitors inside the observation deck show what they see. And those with magical senses can note a rapid-fire series of teleports as Christoph inserts himself far into cityscape, finally pausing for a moment in an upper floor of the high rise, heavily charged with energy.

Meliadoul hears Nanoha's familiar voice and turns to give the younger woman a sharp salute, "Captain Takamachi." She then turns her gaze back to out Fate and Christoph as they begin their fight. "This will be an interesting fight. I have heard a lot of your abilities and Captain Harloawn's as well."

Although her stance is fairly calm as she lands, Fate's entire demeanor changes as soon as the countdown begins. She shifts her grip on Bardiche, holding it on both hands, and falls into a combat-ready stance. That teleportation ability should make this interesting.
The instant the signal sounds, the Enforcer leaps forward. "Bardiche!"
~Plasma Lancer, Get Set~
Half a dozen balls of crackling yellow energy form around her body, circling several times. "Fire!" The gem on Bardiche chimes softly and the lightning balls dart forward, forming into an arrowhead shape, and converge in toward Christoph's location. Looks like she's wasting no time!

One camera set high up on a flagpole swivels around; it then locks onto a window of a building across the street and zooms in. Christoph's form is unmistakeable within. He is 'looking' through the wall over right at Fate's position, brandishing his weapons and crouching slightly. He visibly tenses as Fate unleashes her attack, but does not move away just yet....

The yellow bolts converge on his position, and he drops back slightly and appears to stab downward with his blade. Then the mass of energy explodes, obscuring the view of the camera in a cloud of dust and shrapnel. From outside, easily visible to the onlookers without the aid of telescopic lenses, a large, jaggedly cut block of concrete suddenly shoots out through the explosion back at Fate. It moves at high speed, but--it is just a big chunk of artifical rock, likely nothing too much for Fate to deal with.

There are more rapid teleportation signatures, and suddenly, Christoph bursts out of a doorway on ground level, sprinting through a narrow alleyway. He looks a bit scratched up and bloodied from the initial assault, but only barely.

Red eyes widen as a piece of building is suddenly sent flying in her direction. That was definitely unexpected, but Fate is nothing if not adaptable.
~Haken Form~
The Enforcer continues to fly straight toward the block as her Device changes, the axehead swiveling back and forming a crackling scythe blade. "Yaaa!" One quick swing and the piece of building is neatly cut into two pieces, which crash against another building behind Fate.
Shifting her grip slightly, the blonde goes into a dive, holding Bardiche off to the side. As she finally approaches ground level, she makes a sharp turn and darts into the alleyway, swinging her scythe upward once she's close enough. It's a tight fit for a polearm in this alley, but she manages with a slight alteration of strikes.

Ahh, she does close in. That's better. Christoph does have some ways of countering a flying enemy, but continuing to hurl nonmagical projectiles is not particularly effective, and the other way...well, it does rather carry some significant risks for him to try. Even as she appears before him, and his eyes widen, he allows himself a quick, small nod of acknowledgment.

The scythe flashes toward him; he twists, leaps to the side, plants his feet on the wall for a brief moment as the beam-blade crashes against the glowing metal blade of his sword--leaving him hovering over the ground, horizontally, like a structural beam jutting out of the building. There is a shock of energy as the spells crash against each other; it is enough to arrest his forward motion and actually nudge him backward a bit with a jolt.

He twists again, borrows the momentum from Fate's strike to spring upward, somersaulting once, then diving back down at his opponent point-first.

It was an interesting battle - Nanoha didn't believe that she had ever seen Christoph and Fate matched up before, so they were probably relatively unfamiliar with actually fighting against the tactics that the other could use. At the same time, Christoph was probably going to have to try more of a keep away game - if he wanted to stand up and fight, Fate would probably have the upper hand. It would be interesting to see what tactics that he was going to use at this point.

She does nod and smile at Meliadoul. "Well, 'interesting' is always an interesting word for it," Nanoha says, laughing nervously. "People over here... they tend to have a certain enthusiasm that only comes out in the middle of a practice match like that. I'll say it's about sixty percent likely that at least one of them is going to go a little overboard..."

It wouldn't be sporting of Fate to stay back and rain destruction down, now would it? Besides, that wouldn't be a good measure of Christoph's abilities.Sparks fly as the two blades meet... literally, as electricity runs along the scythe blade. Fate nods once, noting the block, and quickly hops back. "Interesting as it is to fight in such cramped quarters... I think it's a bit limiting." The blonde holds her hand out as Christoph dives in, forming a circular shield to absorb the attack for just long enough for her to leap back again, and out of the alley.
Hovering just at rooftop level, Fate brings her hand back "Trident...." A magic circle appears in the air just in front of the Enforcer, and a small ball of crackling energy forms in her hand. In a quick motion, she slams her hand forward, pressing the ball into the circle, where it becomes a trio of yellow energy beams that fly out to demolish the buildings. "Smasher!" Hope he wasn't still hiding in the alley!

Meliadoul is used to watching practice fights, both with inferior and superior knights. Her eyes are watching, tracking the fighters the best she can but they're teleporting and dashing far faster than she's used to. It's going to take her a bit more to get used to the sheer speed of everything.

Most of her eyes are on Fate right now. She's seen Christoph Fight. She knows what he's capable of.

"They get too into it? I can understand that. Sometimes your spirit gets riled up." She smiles a little, "It is not so bad to go a little overboard. Even in a mock fight." LIttle does Meliadoul know just what 'overboard' means when it comes to Fate and Nanoha. c.c Well, she's about to get her first taste when she sees Fate cast Trident Smasher. Her eyes open wide, "Is that -allowed-?!"

Nanoha Takamachi mmms quietly, and shrugs. "The barrier is still intact, so she's not gotten really riled up yet."

"..." Meliadoul just stares at Nanoha.

Nanoha Takamachi laughs, and shakes her head. "Really, you don't need to worry all that much - Fate's not blown up the entire training room in at least seven months! I'm sure the room will be fine." She doesn't mention about Christoph - of course he'll be fine. He'd not be working with them if he were that fragile.

"It's not the room I'm worried about," Meliadioul murmurs as she watches the fight. Blow up the room in -seven months-?! What kind of assurance is that Nanoha?!

Actually, given Christoph's limitations, he has much more of a chance in a straight-up, close-in, knock-down fight. Which goes to show that he has pretty much zero chance at range. This is not looking too good for his odds of survival--but he isn't going to shy away from this. If he did, he'd never have accepted the challenge in the first place.

He bounces off the shield, doing damage to it but likely nothing to Fate, behind it. Again, he bounces away, flipping to his feet and hitting the ground in a low crouch, eyes narrowed and watching Fate closely. "Ist meine Spezialität," he says of fighting in close quarters. His speciality indeed. And then he frowns as she takes back up to the sky. "Ach, Scheiße," he mutters as he sees her fire another volley of energy blasts.

Once more, his position is obscured by explosions, shrapnel, and dust. There is a brief moment of silence as the smoke clears out, to reveal an empty crater. He isn't there, at least not now....

No, he's now bursting out of another building, like before--only instead of out of the door at ground level, he's erupting from the corner of the rooftop, sending masonry and brick flying everywhere. He looks a bit more battered, scratches now becoming shallow gashes on his torso and arms. He arcs through the air, blade and sheath flashing as he attempts to collide with Fate in midair. His trajectory should, hopefully, carry him past her if he misses onto the rooftop of another building--provided nothing alters that trajectory.

Which, unfortunately, is likely to happen one way or another.

"I wouldn't be worried about Christoph - he's tough enough to take the sort of punishment Fate can dish out," Nanoha replies, trying to be reassuring. "Our training program is very strict - most of our cadets can clear this sort of exercise without suffering too much damage, or getting too tired." She thinks, and then adds, "And I doubt Christoph would have gone soft. ...there's not any reason he would have, would he, Lady Meliadoul?" She asks, a little mischeviously.

"But he is still recovering from the attack at Gem." Meliadoul remembers quite clearly when that blade nearly sliced Christoph in half. She shakes her head then with a sigh, "I suppose I will just have to trust your word Captain Takamachi." But then Nanoha looks at her and she blinks. "Gone soft? Why would he go soft?" Fortunately for Meliadoul's own sensibilities, she is something of a prude and didn't get the mischievous connotation.

Close-in fighting is just fine. However, that alley wasn't a nice place for continued melee! No room to properly swing a weapon.
As the buildings crumble, Fate looks carefully down at the wreckage, trying to find signs of Christoph. She's very certain that he survived that attack, so there's no worry on that front. Fate was not, however, expecting him to attack from such a height, and from behind.
All the warning she gets is a light chime from her Device, only enough time to spin around in place, before the swordsman collides with her. While she's able to block his weapon with the shaft of Bardiche, his momentum is enough to send her crashing into--and through--a wall. Of course, something like that isn't enough to keep her down.
~Sonic Move~
Suddenly, the Enforcer is back in the air, very close to Christoph. Those with very keen eyesight might notice that it wasn't teleporting... Fate merely moved too fast to be easily seen in motion. Bringing back her scythe, she once more swings it horizontally at Christoph. "Yaa!"

Okay, that worked. Christoph is actually slightly surprised that it managed to go so well--giving her a good hard knock, right into another wall, and managing to carry him over to the rooftop like he'd intended. He straightens up, looks toward the hold through which she crashed--

His magical senses, enhanced by Balmung's processor, in turn alerts him to her sudden approach. And like her, it is just a tad bit too late for him to react properly. He swings almost wildly, but her speed is too much: his strike goes wide, hers does not. He shouts with pain as a wide gash now appears on his midsection, drawing blood--fortunately, his Barrier Jacket along with the mild dampening spells ensure that he is not actually cut in half, like that slice may have done.

Instead he gets knocked back and off the roof, tumbling as he goes. But he is indeed made of hardy stuff, and with what looks like a mad flail, manages to shove his sword into the side of the building, slowing his descent as it slices into the concrete. Jagged pieces of shrapnel go flying, a few adding scratches to his face.

He does not wait long enough for this to bring him to a complete stop, however: while still grinding downward, he then kicks off the building--then flashes across the street to kick off the structure there, demonstrating that momentum is conserved between his teleports. He proceeds to rebound off the walls in a strange series of teleporting triangle jumps to make his way back toward where Fate stands.

The last teleport brings him just to the ledge beneath the roof; a spell leaves him clinging precariously to the masonry like an insect. He whips out Balmung, slices off another chunk of building, and kicks it at Fate, then leaps toward her with another wide swing, this time with his scabbard, which crackles with lightning.

He is moving slightly slower than when he started out--which is still pretty fast, but the difference is noticeable. And, of course, even further from Fate's maximum speed output.

While it may be sporting to wait for Christoph to make his way back up to the rooftop... this is no sport. It's a mock battle, not a game, so Fate has no problems with sending several Plasma Lancers in his direction as he hops up.When the chunk of building flies toward her this time, Fate switches her grip to hold Bardiche with just one hand. Her left arm, the one with an armored gauntlet, pulls back slightly.
~Thunder Arm~
Electricity crackles along the blonde's arm and she thrusts it forward quickly, punching the debris into powder. "Bardiche!" The scythe blade flickers and disappears... and the central head splits and separates, forming a wide hilt. A glowing yellow blade extends from the end, forming a very large sword.
~Zanber Form~
Christoph's leaping attack is met head-on, with Bardiche going to block his blade. The scabbard, if it's swung separately, is left to strike her side. She might not be the tank he is, but she can definitely take an electrical attack.
Fate Harlaown switches armor modes to Zanber Form.

Christoph slices through most of the Plasma Lancers as he makes his way up, but some get through, scoring more damage on him--not enough to knock him off his course and back to the ground below, fortunately, but it is certainly taxing. He's doing well, but the human body has its limits....

As before the flung concrete is really just a distraction, something to force an expenditure of energy or movement while the real intent is elsewhere: this time, his followup attack. His lip quirks upward at the right corner when the electrified sheath connects; Fate will feel a jolt weakening her muscles for just a moment, though the full effects are of course muffled by various factors. Certainly not enough to enable him to break through her parry.

He strains slightly, pushing against the giant blade with his shorter, narrower sword. Sweat is streaming freely down his face now, with all the exertion he has put out at this time.

In fact...the rooftop is taking quite a bit of abuse from the overflow of magical energy pouring from the two mages and their devices. Christoph glances downward--a moment for Fate to take advantage of if she can. Whatever happens, however, he stomps one booted foot heavily, causing the stressed tiles below the both of them to shatter and give way under physical and magical assault, creating a large hole in the roof. His opponent can of course fly, and this will probably not do much if anything to her. But it may cause a distraction and shift the battle away from this momentary stalemate--depending on what he's able to do afterward.

There is a slight wince as the scabbard connects and discharges its electricity into Fate's side. Only slight, though. She is used to lightning, after all.
A soft chime sounds from Bardiche as the roof begins to crumble. Red eyes glance up briefly, before Fate makes her move. She plants her feet and takes a single step back, while shifting her grip on her Device. With a slight pivot, the Enforcer swings, bringing the flat of her blade toward Christoph.
It might not be the most effective attack, but if it strikes it -would- be good for launching him off the crumbling building. Seems that she still is soft-hearted, even in the middle of a battle.
Of course, she follows up immediately, charging through the air toward Christoph to strike with the pointy end of the sword this time.

Christoph twists again slightly, this time a little late: the flat of the blade glances off his shoulder and instead of knocking him clear of the crumbling roof, it instead adds a little bit of downward force to him and thus propels him through the crumbling material to the floor below, beyond the draw of gravity pulling him down.

Through the rain of debris, Christoph flings his arms upward in what appears to be an attempt to block the followup strike. But his right arm is not moving quite right; his sword swings wide, and it would take the dumbest of luck for that to do anything effectively. Fortunately, his left is able to intercept Fate's stab with the sheath. It does not catch well, however, and Bardiche's blade slides along the scabbard's skin, throwing off sparks, and strikes his metal hand.

Again, the Barrier Jacket dampens the effect, so that the artificial limb isn't simply sliced cleanly off, but the sword does bite through the skin, sinking into it slowly. Greenish hydraulic fluid starts to ooze out, as the force of the blow now makes his stagger backward, trying to hold off the pressure of the attack.

Very quickly, he is slammed against the wall behind him and he grunts in pain. His left arm is bent, still managing to hold off Bardiche for now, though his prosthetic is getting steadily damaged. And his right arm? It dangles uselessly at his side, still gripping Balmung tightly but unable to raise it. Apparently his shoulder was dislocated by the earlier blow. He grimaces, looking stuck. But he stares over the weapons, looking defiant, and with a mighty heave, tries to throw Fate backward, off of himself.

Well, Fate was -trying- to be nice. She would have preferred to fight out in the open, not in a crumbling building. She definitely didn't want the building to fall in on Christoph. However, since he's fallen in, she must follow!
Her initial attack is parried, but Fate doesn't let up. She swings Bardiche again, focusing more heavily on the arm that can move. Several more attacks are diverted before she brings in another blow... which is met, and returned with enough force to toss her back. Even though she lands on her feet, the blonde still skids back a short distance before coming to a stop. "Bardiche!"
~Load Cartridge~
A panel in the side of the hilt slides back, revealing a revolver mechanism. It spins once, loading a cartridge in. KACHUNK. It spins again. KACHUNK. The panel slides closed and Fate grips the sword in front of her. "Hurricane Thunderclap!"
Fate takes a single swing, releasing a massive shockwave. Er. What was that about a sixty percent chance of going overboard? Because the sonic boom is enough to shake the foundations of the building and make the walls begin to crumble and collapse.

She's going to--well, Fate did say that she wasn't going to hold back. Still, Christoph had been hoping to avoid having to deal with cartridge-backed power here. Damnation. He whirls away desperately, his abused artificial hand getting torn up a little more in the process. But before he can get away, he is caught in the sonic boom, just as he gathers energy for an escape teleport.

Before he goes, though, he gets tossed into the wall that he'd tried to push off...spinning himself oddly around as he does so. He impacts briefly, begins to break through the wall, arms flailing about slightly, then finally vanishes in a spray of lights again.

He now reappears on another rooftop some distance away--and in the opposite direction of the blast; when Fate emerges from the building she's just destroyed, she will find him in a hunched over crouch. But he quickly pulls himself upward to reveal....

His right arm is apparently functional again: he'd managed to smash his shoulder into the wall just so and shove the joint back into place. Unfortunately, his left hand got badly shredded in the combined shockwave and storm of rubble; a couple fingers are missing, it's oozing green oily stuff, and he is actually holding the sheath in his teeth now, by a small strap hear the middle.

He looks a little bit cranky, and with a careful twist of his head, painfully swings the sword up to slide into the sheath. As his mouth is freed, he takes a few panting breaths and says, "Really, really wish I could do something like that." His stance shows that he is still prepared to fight on, using his scabbarded sword in one hand. But he's nearing the end of his rope, for sure.

How could Fate be involved in a serious fight and not use cartridges? It would be insulting to Christoph! She did, after all, promise not to hold back. Which she... mostly isn't. Some of the heavier artillery she usually saves only for when she needs it.
Of course, Fate realizes a moment too late that her own attack is going to bring down the house, so to speak. As the walls begin to tumble down, she darts upward into the sky, slicing through or dodging around the falling debris, until she's clear. Good thing this isn't a real city, with all this property damage she's doing!
It takes a moment for the blonde to locate Christoph, but once she does, it's a quick flight that lands her on the roof nearby. The look on her face... it's a bit enthusiastic. While it isn't the same expression she has when sparring with Signum, it is getting a bit close. "Prepare yourself, Master Sergeant."
That's all the warning she gives before she once more charges in, clashing blades loudly. A quick hop back, and she swings Bardiche once, twice, three times at Christoph.

"Jawohl, Hauptmann," Christoph grunts at Fate, bringing his sword up to a ready position. This is going to hurt, but he'll see it through to the end. He reaches over, and with his left thumb, a mechanical digit that is still working, plucks the tine extending from Balmung's crosspiece. It hums like a tuning fork, and the sound in fact grows more intense. Fate will probably sense the level of magic in the weapon increasing. It's not quite like a cartridge, but it is growing in power.

The red glow surrounding his Device brightens as he leaps forward to meet Fate's attack one-handed; there is an explosion of energy that nearly blows him off his feet as their weapons lock. He grits his teeth, and the third strike manages to break through his guard, cutting him once more and sending him flying. But he doesn't even shout out.

Instead he once again teleports, this time to the opposite side of Fate, using the momentum of her blow to drive his attack again, attempting to shove the jeweled pommel of the sword into her torso and knock her away. One more time. Once more into the breach.

He dimly wonders if he's going to finish this fight conscious or not.

While she manages to keep her footing through the discharge of energy, it does affect her. Small holes and tears form along the torso of her Barrier Jacket, along with shallow cuts on the exposed skin of her cheek and thighs. While she may have the advantage here, Christoph's own power isn't ineffective by any means.
Right before he teleports, Fate charges in once again, though Christoph's sudden disappearance causes her to stop and turn... right into the blow from Balmung. The blonde bends slightly as the wind is knocked out of her, but she likewise doesn't make a sound. Fate swings her blade again, and that side panel slides open for a moment. KACHUNK. Bringing Bardiche back to a ready position, the Enforcer calls out, "Sprite Zanber!" A resounding CRACK, not dissimilar from nearby thunder, sounds as she charges in, electricity crackling along the length of her blade.

Vision is growing a bit fuzzy. It hurts all over. And now, though Christoph manages to tag her good right there, he knows it's not that solid a blow, and she's still in much better shape than he is. He again attempts to shove off her, and is almost able to get away when a huge gout of electrical energy sears through Bardiche, into Balmung, and into his body. With a surprised yell, he goes flying through a weakened wall, crashing into a pile of rubble.

There is silence for a few moments, the only sound the gentle settling of rock. His magical signature is still there, though weak. A muttered curseword in Belkan reveals that he is still conscious, though very, very pained....

And once again: a teleport. A flash of light from within the pile announces his leaving that place; a flash of light a short distance away from Fate announces his arrival. But he is in a kneeling position, leaning against Balmung gripped tightly in his right hand near the middle of the sheath. His left arm is basically a ground-up mechanical stump, sparking and sputtering. "Ich...I yield," he says, sounding a bit reluctant, but more tired than anything else. "Running the risk of damaging implants at this rate. Much more difficult to replace than the hand."

He sighs, and looks up at Fate wearily. "Ich hoffe...I hope I am worthy of your respect."

As soon as Christoph appears again, Fate is in a ready stance. She even shifts her weight to move forward again when his words register. Red eyes blink several times, and the Enforcer lowers her Device, gripping it loosely in one hand. "Ah... Master Sergeant... I didn't mean to..."
But no. He probably would not appreciate pity or mothering right now, especially when there are others watching. Instead, she smiles and lifts her arm to salute. "You fought well, Master Sergeant Schmidt. I would be honored to take your command in the field." The Zanber blade flickers and fades out, and the hilt collapses in on itself, forming back into an axehead shape with a soft clunk and a release of steam.
~Assault Form~
"Now..." Stepping toward the swordsman, she offers a hand. "Let's let Shamal and Mari look you over. I'm sure they'll have you back in top condition in no time."

It is with a heavy sigh that Christoph nods. He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, trying to make sure that his brains aren't about to start leaking out of them. Balmung twists and warps down into pocketwatch form, which he fumbles with a moment before managing to slip into his, well, pocket. That done, he is able to accept her hand and stand up.

Wearily, he takes a few moments to stabilize his footing, and indeed, his pride demands that he lets go of Fate's hand and slowly walks with her back toward the sidelines. "Ach, Doktor Shamal will not be pleased," he mutters. Mari, on the other hand, will probably be happy to examine his arm and get the next prosthetic ready for him. "Danke sehr," he then says. "Am glad to have your approval."

He's too tired to be sardonic. And while he must acknowledge an occasional inferiority complex when it comes to being confronted with a slip of a girl nearly a decade his junior able to whip him--and indeed, she just did--he is glad to have her respect, especially after an experience as trying as this was.

And of course, Fate won't step on that pride. He did fight well, and she's glad to admit it. The cuts and damage to her Barrier Jacket show that. "Don't worry. I won't let Shamal lecture you." The blonde pauses, thinking over this statement. "Too much." She probably couldn't stop -all- of Shamal's reaction.
Fate keeps pace with Christoph the entire way back to the stands. He really shouldn't feel too bad. This 'slip of a girl' also has over ten years of front line experience and most in the TSAB would have been too scared to even accept her challenge.
He should also try not to picture Mari's maniacal giggle when she learns that she'll get to work on his new arm.

Yeah, probably only Hayate would be able to dissuade Shamal from something like that...and even that is somewhat questionable. Christoph gives Fate an odd look, and then nods slowly as she admits to being able to diminish the lectures, not stop them completely. "Would imagine so."

And, well, he may not have a decade of experience, but he has been using magic longer than Fate's been alive. But...oh well. Anyway. This week should prove to be an interesting one. And he can only wonder how Meliadoul is going to react when he reaches the stands.

(Vita still needs a tag, please!)