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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lichtenhart" data-source="post: 622174" data-attributes="member: 761">The last duel. The last fight. And now she has the burden to defend the honor of two clans, rather than one.Kaiten is a good man. He will be a good husband. It could have been worse.Nonetheless, even while she says this to herself, she thinks with horror at the day she'll have to leave the leather of her armor for the silk of a noble kimono, the steel of her sword for for the painted wood of a precious fan, the freedom with her horse for a prison in a castle...Xieng-chi, you're stronger than this. Kamoko accepted the horrors of the shadowlands to save our honor. You can accept this. You will accept this. No need for words, in the way of the Utaku.She steps on the battlefield, savouring the wind that makes the banners of the Clan and the Empire wave proudly in the wind.Tsukune is already there, ready as always. She bows deeply to her opponent, then answer her salute."Tsukune-sama, I'm sure your salute will warm my heart in the years to come. To hear such words from a bushi whose wisdom is revered even in Tengoku honors me greatly. I hope to prove myself worth of such a salute, cause you surely will. I also hope that , no matter the result of this duel, we'll have the chance to fight together for the Empire's glory. May the blessings of the Kami always accompany you."Xieng Chi tries now to recollect all that Kaiten taught her last night. The style of the Kakita duelists can only be mastered with years of practice, but Kaiten gave her many precious little pieces of advice.Look carefully at how your enemy carries his sword, and you'll know his prefered direction to attack.Look also at the shadows on the battlefield, if your strike comes from the direction of the sun, he won't be able to see it.Don't look too much at the target of your strike, or he'll be able to read it in your eyes.Remember who you're fighting: everything you know about your enemy works at your advantage.She carefully considers these things and many others, without letting her thoughts reach her face. Tsukune won the other duels thank to her concentration, thank to a single perfect strike. Will she be able to recollect her concentration for a second one? Xieng Chi wanted to discover it.She prepares to use every features of the field, every technique she knows to deflect Tsukune's first strike. Then the real duel will begin. She prepares to dance with her blade, dance with the Fortunes, dance through fate itself.Will the grace of the wind prevail against the calm of the void? Xieng Chi doesn't know. But she fights for her honor, and this never needed any more words.</blockquote>

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