EXCHANGING PLEASANTRIES.
***In the Continent 'Eclipse of the Oceans'..
***Inner Outskirts..
***Clingford's Martial Academy Duelling Arena..
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***{!!¡17:06pm¡!!}***
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Navi is here!.
Standing calmly at the top edge of the Arena's bright side, Navi calmly cast a glance through the spaced spectators then his eyes settles on the small gathering of masters that are at the center of the Duelling circle.
The few present disciples as well as those people present within the Dueling circle inturn turns their attention towards Navi.
Standing in the bright side, in his white suit Navi seems to be bathed by the orange sunlight as he is surrounded by the halo of the sunset in such a way that most cannot fully make out his features.
His visuals in this light is truly attention grabbing though something is out of place with this very bright visuals.
Despite the warm tones, Navi's still figure does nothing but send a chill down most people's spine as few seconds of cold silence suddenly desends upon the arena with multiple eyes on Navi.
Uncaring as always, Navi gives one final slow glance around and then he places a step forward.
Using the stairs, Navi calmly desends to the ground with each step down bringing him out of the blinding light then under the full examining gazes of all that are present.
*!!STEP!!*..
*!!STEP!!*..
*!!STEP!!*..
Every calmly placed step draws Navi closer to his destination and soon, a guard moves to open the barricage that seperates the area of the spectators from the genuine duelling circle.
Navi calmly crosses this barricage without interruptions and then using a short set of stairs, Navi soon finds his foot stepping upon the dense brown sand that makes the floor of the duelling circle.
"Quite the eye-cacther is he not?.", Sword's-Master Grifen Chen says to Master Bia Chen as they look towards the calmly approaching Navi examiningly.
"A smart one too.", Master Bia Chen comments while suddenly remembering Navi as the kid who had asked him an impossible question the previous semester.
'What truly is balance?.'
Till today, Master Bia Chen cannot make sense of what could have spurred such desperate curiosity from such a young mind on such a topic.
With his gaze scanning Navi deeply, Bia Chen finds nothing extraordinary once more as Navi stops his steps a few feet away from the gathering in the Duelling circle. With a cold glance, Navi visually observes his death opponent: Marien Lee.
Marien Lee is currently doning on a metallic bronze armour that covers his chest, torso and back like a sleeveless iron singlet.
Sharp v-lines travel through the body of the deep-hue metallic-vest with these layered lines of metal giving the stiff armour some flexibility and sharpness.
On Marien Lee's fore-arms are two streamlined shaped metallic pads with the same shade as his armour.
These arm-pads cover through then past Marien Lee's wrists before coming to a pointed-end past his kuckles. The arm-pads are designed in such a way that if Marien Lee clenches his fist for a punch, the tips of the pads would seem like blunt small daggers over his knuckles.
On his bottom parts, Marien Lee is doning-on a fitted flexible scaly black-metallic trouser. Over this soft flexible scaly material is a pair of heavy knee-pads that rest over Marien's knees as well as a set of bronze-metal pads that encloses the lower half of his legs.
A kick or a kneeling from these attachments would definitely hurt or break a bone.
Marien Lee's armour is definitely not the definition of one pieces as they are all seperate metal pieces scattered over his frame with Marien Lee's most unprotected parts being his broad biceps(Which holds no protection) and his thighs(which are only protected by the black scaly material).
Marien Lees head is also currently unprotected though Navi deeply doubts that Marien Lee does not have an helmet somewhere.
Finally, to complete Marien Lee's protected yet destructive look.. a metallic bronze shoe rests on Marien Lee's foot and a deep look of cold rage sits squarely on his sharp face.
Marien Lee's brown eyes locks onto Navi's indifferent orange eyes with calm anger. For once Marien does not seem too impatient to tear Navi apart physically instead,.. Marien Lee seems more interested in letting his visuals tear Navi apart mentally because compared to what Marien Lee has on, Navi's strap suit armour can only be called Light work.
And that's being polite.
Internally, Navi admits that tearing Marien Lee's metal skin apart would be quite the step-up in difficultly but he considers it as nothing more than that.. a step up in difficultly.
Taking his gaze off Marien Lee, Navi turns to the masters that are present as he gives a slow polite nod.
"Good evening masters.", Navi calmly greets though for the next few seconds, he gets silence as response.
"You're late disciple.", Master Grifen Chen finally responds in his usual gruff and cold tone.
"I am here.", Navi calmly responds to Master Grifen Chen who nods his head twice in slight understanding and acceptance.
The kid in question would most likely be dead soon. It is already brave he has shown up, what is the point with haggling over lateness?.
"Have you reconsidered the second option?.", Master Grifen Chen asks Navi as in his opinion, this is Navi's only lifeline in this deathtrap for a death-duel.
A few tense seconds passes with everyone paying attention to Navi's answers and then, Navi coldly responds.
"I'm here.", Navi repeats with his deeply rooted will in his tone.
His simple words earn a bit of respect from the masters present though at the same time, they all see Navi in a deeper light of stupidity.
The line between bravery and stupidity is not too blurred in this situation but it seems that Navi is way too deep in the wrong side to see a glimpse of the light.
Giving out a light sigh from his nose, Master Grifen Chen thinks something about wasted talent and then he calmly says..
"So be it.".
"In my last letter I have already made both of you aware of rules of this duel..", Master Grifen Chen says while casting a glance at both Marien Lee and Navi.
Navi lightly nods while using a second to remember the content of that letter.
As it is, in a death duel of their level there is actually not much rules with the only ones being..
..
*No other forms of support(Poison, bombs, spray..e.t.c) are allowed exept legal martial weapons!.
*Once the bell of the death duel is rung, the fight must go on until one of the persons involved is dead else both persons involved would earn themselves a dishonorable exection.
*Finally, if necessary.. one can take a free choice of one weapon from a presented counter for use in the death duel.
..
"..since you both know the rules there's nothing more to say now other than win or lose, defend your martial honours.", Master Grifen Chen says though Navi and Marien Lee do no look to care much for his fragile words about honour.
"Are you prepared to die?.", Marien Lee asks Navi with a slow and cold voice as he steps forward and towers over Navi with almost a feet in height.
Meeting Marien Lee's cold gaze, Navi feels.. nothing.
"Three hits.", Navi calmly says with the people who hear his calm voice confused about his words.
"I would allow you three powerful hits before giving out my first.", Navi calmly says with his low voice being the focus of the small gathering.
It takes two seconds for Marien Lee to understand Navi's words and immediately after, his eyes widens almost with madness. He looks like he might devour Navi by the next second so Martial Core Master Bia Chen quickly interrupts.
"Now that we are done with the exchange of pleasantries, it's time to get you both locked up in your independent chambers.", Master Bia Chen says while softly pointing his gaze to two opposite open doors out of the four doors in the walls of the duelling circle.
Looking down and almost breathing fumes, Marien Lee looks to not have heard master Bia Chen words as he keeps staring down with slightly twicthing face at Navi who unmovingly meets his madened gaze without fear.
Navi is quick to lose interest in the brown color of Marien Lee's eyes so he coldly breaks the stare contest.
Calmly turning his back to the still staring Marien Lee, Navi walks towards one of the open doors of the arena with one of the two other Martial Masters present following behind him.
Soon, Navi and the escorting Martial Master steps through the entrance as the door slowly lowers to the floor to seal both of them within its space.
Wacthing the door close, Marien Lee whisper with venom.
"Vengeance apart, Good goddess.. I will so enjoy killing him¡.", Marien Lee says slowly with his eyes on the door until it completely closes.
Turning his gaze, Marien Lee looks to a part of the Crowd where the last piece of his armour as well as his weapons are being kept in the hands of a laid back Cohiem.
The disciples are already filling the arena and although they cannot hear the conversation that has just taken place, those present can almost taste the tension diffusing through the air.
Marien Lee truly want to tear Navi apart!.
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