A Weapon Stronger Than a Death Scythe?: Eibon's Institute for Witches and Grimoires!

Emalia gave a the boy smile, the gem on her bracelet giving off a light golden-orange glow. "I am well aware. However, if you want my soul, I will not show restraint." She replied, placing her palms forward as a heavy gust of wind swept the platform, threatening to push Ace away. "However, I recommend that we fight in the area surrounding, rather than on the platform. Wouldn't want to break Lord Death's things, hm?" The girl suggested, the wind refusing to die down. She wanted to win this fight, but if they broke the Death Room and the Shinigami killed them, that would be pointless.

Ace prepared to engage the Witch, but the winds halted him immediately. He realized quickly that he had no prior knowledge of his opponent. The Kirin, huh? Asian mythology. Or I guess in this case, history. A good omen thought to bring about prosperity or serenity. He contemplated this for a moment, trying to determine what this meant. A being meant to bring prosperity or serenity doesn't necessarily mean weak or even humble. Wars often bring about peace in the end as well.... after utter destruction.

The two moved to a more favorable location, after Ace nodded his head in compliance with the Witch's request. Ace had never fought in the Death Room before, but he could see ways to pull the surroundings to his advantage. "So, They call you the Kirin. The magical creature in Asian mythology that defends those of pure will. No two stories depict a Kirin with the same appearance and abilities. Taoism states that you only punish the wicked, right?" His eyes narrowed, chains still squirming in anticipation.

Emalia gave a light nod as she followed. "Every culture depicts us slightly different. Taoism is correct in their assumption, however. My family has refused to kill those that don't deserve it for a very long time. We share a close relation to our mythological counterpart, however I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that have remained undocumented throughout the years." She answered, taking up a real fighting pose now as the wind seemed to fall still throughout the room. Unlike Ace, she had information on her opponent. It would prove pretty beneficial...

"Well then, Kirin. Let's see what a legend can do!" Ace sprinted forward in a blur of purple and white, steel chains trailing behind him. I'll go in for a shot to the legs, then try to restrain her hands with my chain. If she dodges to the side, my other chains will catch her, if she dodges into the air, I can take advantage of her lack of mobility. He thought to himself, as he neared her.

Emalia gave a slight smirk, the air in the room dropping directly down and slightly away from her, making it a lot harder to move up or in on her. It was as though she was forcing the air around her to do as she pleased. "I'm counting on a good show from you too." She said, waiting contently in fighting stance for the boy to approach. She had seen a lot of what he could do... She knew his speed was his real power, and using it against him would prove pretty effective in combat, should she do it correctly. She also knew that Ace wasn't stupid, and that he'd take advantage of any loophole he found... This could prove useful as well...

The wind pressure forced Ace to a halt immediately. Not because it was so strong that he couldn't resist the draft, but because it caused so many complications that even an opponent with minimal martial prowess would be able to take advantage of how slow he was moving. "You control the wind. Impressive I guess, but that doesn't exactly give you many offensive options, does it?" Ace took off again, moving at a higher speed than before, however this time he was strafing, sprinting in a wide circle around the Witch, trying to use his own speed to interfere with the air currents that she was using, he knew he wasn't fast enough to make a vacuum; no, he'd tried that before, but he was definitely drawing the air to an outer ring. All he had to do was break through the gales once they weakened, and start going on the offensive.

Emalia gave a slight grin as the boy tried to interfere with her winds. If the air was his game, she'd have to play with something else. "Not really, but I have more tricks. There's a reason that I haven't become weapon food yet, you know." She brought the wind to an abrupt halt with the lowering of her hands, the gem on her arm becoming dull as she thrust a hand slightly in front of the boy's path to fire a quick bolt of electrical energy. She hoped that with it's speed he wouldn't have time to react to the change in magic. It wasn't just the type of magic she used that had changed though, it was her whole aura. It had become disrupted and unpredictable now, unlike the calm collect of her wind magic.

The direct attack came as a surprise, arcing out in Ace's next point of contact. Ace's insane speed didn't work in a very practical way, when you broke it down to a science. His wavelength allowed him to lighten the weight of his own body for brief moments, in such a way that he could propel himself at remarkable speeds by essentially throwing himself with his legs. This was why it was difficult for him to go anywhere but in a straight line, and also why, in most situations, he preferred to pinball off of objects, such as walls or trees, rather than dash around in zig-zags. This was also why he was hit directly with a 10 billion Watt lightning bolt. His reaction time may have been enough to save him, had he been on the ground when predicted the point of impact, but even so, electricity was so unpredictable that he couldn't possibly determine the best way to angle his body to avoid the strike.

I thought Witches stuck to one form of magic! Also... how did she figure out where I was and where I'd be quick enough to hit me? Ace pondered the Witch's ability as he tumbled along the ground, ending in a flat position, face down. He certainly didn't shrug that hit off, and he definitely didn't want to try to again. Each of his chains had receded back into his body as he struggled to rise into a fighting stance again.

"Is this all that your beloved student has to offer, Shinigami? I have found nothing impressive thus far." Eibon, said rather pointedly.

"It seems Ace underestimated his opponent," Lord Death said, eyeing him curiously, seeming almost to grin behind the mask as he watched the encounter. "Watch how quickly he learns from it, however." The shinigami did not move, even while talking, the usual animation of his character subsiding in the presence of Eibon, as well as the fight itself.

Emalia held the finger towards the boy for a bit, still pointed at him from the lightning bolt she had fired. "Don't push yourself. If you cannot handle the fight, back down. I can't make use of a dead partner. I know enough about you to tell that in your current condition, you have little chance at winning." She replied, guessing it would get under his skin. This was where it became serious. Ace may have been injured, but he knew about her main means of offense, lightning. This meant that she only had her two minor offensive magics to surprise him with, and he may have even anticipated her having more than just two types. His feet were certainly fast, but his brain was where his true speed was. She had learned at least that from watching him. She'd have to be careful, and save her fire for a better situation.

For now, she had to keep him moving. Ema needed to wear him down before she would need to start moving herself. When he managed to get in close is when she'd be in real danger, especially if she didn't tire him out at least a little first. Her finger flashed, firing another strike of electricity at him. She didn't expect it to hit. If it did then he was up to something.

Shit! Ace's mind shouted at as he heard another crackle of electricity. She didn't fall for it! His body shot into the air again, avoiding the electricity this time. He skidded to a stop, moving sideways as his eyes locked onto hers. Slowly, Ace began to regulate his breathing. His eyes shut, his stance shifted, his breathing stopped. The entire moment froze for him, as his mind raced, seeking the answers he needed.

She outclasses me offensively, and I can't rely on my speed to help me, since I can only move in straight lines. Furthermore, I'm not completely aware of what magic she can use. From what I know, it seems like her magic relates to storms, but.... it could be all kinds of natural phenomena. If that's the case, there may be no limits to her magic. Not to mention, she has no reason to even show me her other magic unless I find a way around these two, so I can't act offensively unless I get more information. She's got me in a stalemate, and she knows it.

"He isn't moving." Eibon mentioned. He didn't quite understand Ace's actions, and he certainly wanted to know what was going on. Eibon certainly wasn't stupid, but it seemed so foolish to stop and close your eyes in the middle of a fight, especially when you're on the losing side. "Perhaps you were wrong. He seems to be forfeiting."

There was a smirk behind the mask, assuredly, and it bled through the shinigami's voice like a crack in a dam. "Ace never forfeits." The words were an absolute, leaving no room for arguments. The Death God was more than well aware of how Ace worked, even if he didn't always quite understand him fully. Watching him only a moment, his eyes slid towards the young witch, watching her curiously, seeing if she would dare to strike him, in this moment. Undoubtedly, the rest of his senses were on high alert, keyed into any and everything she did, every movement, and every breath, wholly tuning out the Great Old Ones before them as though they were white noise in the background.

Emalia took this opportunity. Ace was anticipating. He had been bluffing, as she had predicted. With him uninjured, she couldn't keep up with him if this became a mobile fight. Even though she could follow and predict his movements, she couldn't act on them if it became a hand to hand fight... A Kirin might be able to though... She'd have to hold onto that fight. For now, she needed to keep Ace moving, something he currently was not. The boy was deep in thought, which would be bad for her.

With a near weightless and silent movement, Emalia made a graceful leap towards Ace, her body charging with sparks. If he wanted to stay still, that was his business. She'd just use the chance to get a little close. She pushed a mighty fist at Ace just as she landed, hoping to launch him directly backward. IF the attack connected and pushed the boy away even a little, she'd point out a finger and follow up with another lightning bolt. If not, she'd have to plan a new course of action.

She'll probably send another lightning bolt at me. I might be able to get in close if I move at a regular speed, but I'd have to re-position her into a location that I can take advantage of, which is going to be difficult in the Death Room. Wait... Ace, noticing a shift in the air current, opened his eyes. He was done thinking for the most part, but he wasn't completely ready to get back into the fight. The Weapon had hoped that the disturbance was simply Lord Death moving on the other side of the room, his eyes widened as a fist neared his face. She had made no sounds, no warning of any sort, yet she had reached him in such a short period of time. Teleportation? No... Something about that didn't really add up. Perhaps she was manipulating the air around her to muffle her movement. Either way, he was standing face to fist with his opponent, and couldn't afford to think too much about why has where he was.

Immediately, Ace ducked, placing himself low to the ground, the attack grazing his pony tail. His earlier charade forced him into his normal form, and his chains were no longer deployed. It would cost him a second longer to attack now than it would otherwise. A second he couldn't really afford. Either way, it was his best hope. Several chains launched out from Ace's back in a flurry, reaching for the Witch's arms, legs, and neck in hopes of detaining her.

Emalia saw the hesitation before the chains came out. He was having problems with the change in his weapon form? That was something that one could expect when a weapon took a drastic change in form. Rather than take the opportunity to move aside, Emalia allowed herself to be caught, though feigned otherwise. She took a quick step back, but not far enough to avoid the chains. When the chains bound her, Ema winced a bit. A smile crossed her face as the gem on her wrist faded to yellow, however, and a torrent of flames rapidly overtook the girl, expanding outwards across the ground from her feet and threatening to crawl across the chains to the boy as well. It was as if the young woman had just exploded from the inside. If this didn't catch him off guard, she didn't know what would.

Ace's eyes widened as large, destructive waves of red began to envelop his body. He thought about evading, but could he move quickly enough with them already so close? No, he'd have to think of something else, but what was there? He couldn't go underground, couldn't get to water, couldn't get away from the flames. That was unavoidable. Instead, Ace grew wild, reeling in Emalia, and the flames, as quickly as he could, and crashed his head straight into hers. She probably didn't feel the fire itself, but Ace outputting a flurry of strikes against her certainly wasn't something she could shirk off. Even so, the Weapon was going down after this. Being engulfed in a fire, he'd have to revert to his weapon form just to survive after a few moments. He'd have to take her out with him just to save himself from defeat.

Emalia was caught off guard as the weapon pulled her CLOSER and slammed his head into hers. Being chained, there wasn't much she could do but sit back and endure until the boy went down. This wasn't clever. This wasn't like him. He must have panicked. She wouldn't last long, but passing out in the Death Room wouldn't be good... She had to hold on, even if it meant serious damage... No... She wouldn't be able to. She wasn't used to taking a punch... Even if she could hold out longer than Ace, the young woman was going to fall. Perhaps dodging would have been a better option...

Ace rose a fist in that final moment, screaming out in pain as the flames took hold of his vision. His chains held fast, weathering the inferno. Just as it seemed as though the maniac had brought the fight to a draw, his eyes widened in sorrow, and an open palm lay upon the Witch's shoulder. Ace now found himself kneeling before the woman, ignoring the searing pain, eyes closed. It wasn't that he had given up, or that he didn't have the strength to finish the match. He simply couldn't bring himself to strike the girl again. Not with the force he'd intended, anyways. And if he couldn't knock her out, then anything less would just be disrespectful. The chains loosened and collapsed to the ground, laying in a pool of steel around the boy's body.

Emalia was in shock as the boy dropped in front of her but didn't go down. The flames that had consumed them dismissed themselves, as if never there. She breathed heavily, looking down to Ace, and giving a light smile. "I-It wasn't exactly a fair fight, so don't take it too hard..." She stated, sounding quite out of breath from the series of blows. Honestly, if that had gone on any longer, the woman would have dropped to the ground. Her body was telling her she needed to take a break, right now. "Shall we call that a match, then...?" She questioned, holding down a hand towards the weapon in a show of good will.

Ema's body ached. Perhaps here, of all places, was a bad place to spar.

Ace's charred body quivered a bit as the boy cracked an arrogant smile, and he looked up at the Witch. "Don't act so cocky." He coughed a bit, trying to expel some of the soot from his body. "The only reason I didn't finish you off back there was because I can't make use of a dead partner." Sure, he was being snide, and rather cocky himself, but his words were heartfelt. Or at least... they seemed like it. You never really could tell with Ace. Although it certainly appeared as though Ace had accepted Emalia as his partner.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Shinigami, but I believe that your student DID forfeit." Eibon chuckled, somewhat amused; not only at the fact that he had proven Lord Death wrong, but also at how such a calculated and decisive fight had turned vulgar right when it neared checkmate.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, old friend," The Death God said back, smiling happily, rather proud of the student that seemed to loathe him so much, "But if either of them had gone all-out, we would both be down a student, would we not?" He laughed, motioning for the two to try to come back to the main area. "They're both exceptionally powerful, and it's not so much a forfeit when it's settled on a draw, now, is it?"

Emalia's face turned to a frown for a mere moment as Ace began to speak. Did he intend to keep fighting? The next words out of his mouth remedied this, however, and she turned to a relieved smile. Her next move was to return to the main platform, though a lot less gracefully than before. The only matter to handle now was getting on the good sides of the two great old ones. Easier said than done, that much was certain, but something told her that they already had something in mind.

"The boy had the wit and tenacity to take on an opponent far superior to him, and ended the fight in a draw. I can hardly scold his efforts." Eibon looked on with intrigue as Ace followed Emalia back to the main platform. Of course, it seemed as though that battle had come at a cost though. Reaching the small steps up to the platform, the boy tripped, landing face first on the ground, and fell unconscious.

The Death God looked to the boy, shaking his head as he lifted him by the back of the shirt. When no protest followed, he was sure that the boy was out cold. "We'll have him taken to the infirmary." He waved with his free hand to the witch, still dangling the boy in the air. "Now that you've fought him, what is he worth to you?"

Emalia gave a deep sigh, knowing that she couldn't bluff in her current condition. "It has to be him... Whatever he's worth to you, I'll find a way to hand over double. Triple if I must." She answered, knowing very well that it wasn't the most intelligent move she could have made. It was, however, all that Ema had the energy to say. She wasn't going to spend all day here.