The fighting was exciting, there was no denying that. One slip up meant death and with that on the line... ah, the blood was singing in her ears. Every step made deliberately to a tempo driven by the beating of her heart, every cut one with her breath. Despite her best intent, Ryuuko couldn't avoid cracking a grin as the old man produced another one of those tricks, making the other arm every bit as deadly--well, two could play at that game, and the knife took pride of place in her left hand.

She toyed for an instant with sacrificing the tantō, it wasn't anything more than a traditionally forged blade. Force one arm out of position, lunge in for the killing blow... but it was too risky and from the corner of her eye, she took in her mentor arriving on the scene, cigarette lit. Step by step as she continued the dance, angling the fight back and away from the door. Was he not attuned to the battlefield? Was he so single-minded in his offence that the smoke was beyond him?

He was. A shame, a series of feints would have been able to open him right up.

"Some day soon, I will have to learn something more akin to that. A fight where I cannot get within striking distance of my foe is exciting but I wish for alternatives all the same," the heiress said, sheathing her blades, "I take it we return the urn, now?"