My Name Is _______, Prepare to Die!

Cyrano De Bergerac stood there, like a testosterone inflamed tyranossaurus, preparing for what he was hoping to be a truly legendary duel. The Tengu's red nose bobbed up and down as he mentally prepared himself, standing at the end of the dock on the Academy lake where he had been instructed to show up. He had received a mysterious summons, an unknown figure who wished to fight him. Never one to shy away from such a direct and abraisive challenge, the red nosed swordsman had obviously accepted the duel. The first to draw blood or be knocked into the water would be considered the winner here. It wasn't exactly a type of battle that he favored- 1000 years of nothing but duels to the death makes some habits hard to break- but he was here on this island to turn over a new leaf, and that meant learning how to fight against opponents with honor and humility, as well as a healthy portion of mercy.

The rising senior looked up at the sun briefly, he noted how it was now setting somewhat. He hadn't checked the time, only that he was meant to arrive here at this dock at approximately 5pm. Being the rather conservative and stringent fellow when it came to these things, Cy naturally showed up three hours early- just in case he got lost, one was either early or late after all, there was no such thing as 'on time'. With some time to kill, the tengu sat down at the edge of the pier, taking off his shoes and dipping his feet into the water. The swordsman inhaled a deep breath of pine and the warm summer air, he let it fill his lungs. This scenery reminded him of summers long ago, back when the world was a much smaller place than it was now.

Still, some things never got old, like being challenged to a fight out of the blue. At least there were some positives in this case, he didn't have to walke away from this fight with a dead soul haunting him forever, that was always a mood killer. His feet still in the water, Cy laid down on his back and looked behind him towards the end of the pier anchored to the shore by a few old lines of rope. Fighting on water was never quite his forte, he avoided the ocean and saltwater like the plague after all, perhaps that alone nullified his years of experience right then and there. Only time would tell.

For now, Cy silently waited, whistling a little tune to himself that he recalled the peasants humming when he was a young spirit.

@King

Cyrano kept his eyes closed as he waited in silence, his mind becoming in one with nature. He could feel the breeze gently rustling against his skin, he could hear every blade of grass rustling in unison, he could smell even the faintest scents of sap from the nearby trees. He hadn't meditated this thoughtfully in quite some time, it was refreshing to be able to achieve zen like this. The tengu gave a small smile, recalling a much older time, one from when the world was much smaller and simpler. This smile was lost however as Cy heard footsteps behind him.

Opening his eyes, the red skinned man stood up and turned around, his red nose pointing like an arrow at the strange woman and her (bear?) who had arrived at the other side of the dock. Naturally, being a rather headstrong and honor-driven creature, the swordsman bellowed out, "So, at last you appear! Consider your challenge accepted!" the humanoid said before drawing his sword in a blur so fast that one would miss it if they blinked. Now standing in a powerful stance, his gaze trained on the stranger with the calrity and focus of a millenium-honed warrior, Cy spoke again. "Come knave, you know the rules. The first to draw blood or fall into the water is the loser" the tengu said, waiting expectantly for their duel to begin in earnest.

"Don't try anything sneaky! I will not fall for your impressive physique or your perfectly round and supple milk chocolate breasts!" the warrior yelled with no reservation whatsoever. Kibou hadn't failed him yet, and it wouldn't fail him now.

Cy stood proud at the end of the dock, his body as hard and tense as stone, yet ready to move like a streak through the air the moment the woman made a move against him. Still, he would not attack her until she stepped onto the pier as per their agreement for the duel. He had learned long ago that a warrior without honor was nothing better than a snarling wild animal, lame and always in a rabid hunger for flesh and blood. Having lived for a millennia, Cy had seen his fair share of the evils men did when they forgot what separated them from the beasts. He would not emulate their mistakes, not then nor now.

Thus, the red skinned yokai waited calmly for the woman to approach him. The way she manipulated her bones into a full set of armor was slightly surprising, causing the red skinned swordsman's eyebrows to perk up. His enhanced vision watched closely as the bones created a formidable defense, one that could ignore the attacks of his sword if he attempted a head on assault. Still, the woman refused to get onto the dock, instead waiting on the shore expectantly. Was this meant to be some trick? Did she mean to goad him into attacking her and slandering his honor? The nerve of such a wench!

"Come you! Did you not challenge me to a duel last night? The first to draw blood or knock the other into the water is the winner, were those not your terms?" the tengu yelled, wondering what was going through the other woman's mind as he resolved to not attack her until she stepped out onto the dock where the duel was meant to take place. "What is your name?" he asked his yellow eyes burling into the literal skull of his opponent. "I will not be intimidated by your threats, nor your slanderous words about demonkind!" he stated firmly.