As Roland dodged around the beast, he felt that rush of battle. That heartbeat pounding in his chest as he watched it fall. Until, he glanced to his side and had to laugh. It seemed for a moment that he hadn't had the perfect attack after all. Trieu's sword swing had actually managed to strike his pauldron, denting the armor till it was creaking loudly as he moved. While Trieu and Nanyue recovered, Roland ripped the pauldron off, and threw it to the side, where it clattered against the ground. At this rate, he'd probably be fighting the end of the war completely naked. Not that he hadn't fought completely naked before.
He waited for the elephant to make a full turn, his sword slicing at the ground, as if he was challenging them to continue this duel. Roland hadn't had a fight like this yet in the war, where both fighters came out in full force. No trickery, just their skills and blades.
"Trieu, I want you to know, this duel is the most exciting I have had yet! Consider yourself worthy of your legend." The paladin smiled, and raising his sword again he was ready for the second clash of their blades and beasts. "I hope you are willing to forgive me, as I am using this duel to help me master my new limb." The shroud came loose, and that new horrifying limb could be seen once more. The bandages pulled back to the elbow, with the loose ends fluttering behind Roland in the breeze. He looked every bit as heroic as he did horrifying. That limb, bristling with fur and visible veins, claws that could rip a man apart. It all seemed to be closer to a nightmarish monster than something that could ever be called a limb. At least for now, it wasn't fully awake, and Roland had some degree of control over it.
Maybe that was why he wanted this fight? To test that. To practice control over his newfound limb.
He charged when Trieu and Nanyue did, his feet pounding against the ground. But when the beast turned, Roland leapt. He leapt into the air, striking out with Durandal in one hand, and his demonic arm free. Durandal struck with both of Trieu's blades, defending him from that strike, and as Trieu pulled back, Roland's demonic hand latched onto the side of Nanyue, ripping into the armor, and holding on tight. The defense cut through like paper as that demonic hand began to feed on the magical energy used to maintain Nanyue's defenses.
Trieu laughed as she clashed against the blade, his words spurring her on to deliver this valiant knight a challenge he deserved. Yet Trieu had been yearning for such a fight also, glad he could deliver just as he had promised.
As his mighty blade clashed against her shining red one, she knew it was all too late. Yes she managed a blow on him but it seemed yet again he had pierced her defense. That awful demonic arm twisting and contorting and possessing almost no characteristics that she would call that of an arm. Yet it remained.
She bit down hard, her teeth clenching as she watched the arm pierce into Nanyue, drawing blood as Nanyue trumpeted in pain. She couldn't stand by this and yelled, "Ha! Roland the mighty knight, I admire your audacity!!"
She smirked as she withdrew one sword from her swipe and went to slash down at the area where flesh met demonic tissue as Nanyue kicked at Roland, sending dust and force at him.
If he could be removed, she made a quick gallop before turning to face him once more, the elephant bloody and damaged but it wasn't over yet. Trieu panted and looked to where she had dropped her other sword during that collision.
"I'm impressed!! A very impressive arm might I say, much more vicious than your other"
Roland's response was to pull his legs in closer, and kick off as Trieu pulled back to strike his demonic arm. Roland's sword sweeping about and striking the red blade as it swung in again, deflecting the blow as he felt the buffering force of the elephant's roar.
Dust clung to his eyes, and he wiped it away, but he didn't seem bothered much more. Except for maybe looking rather miffed from the clash of blades. "I'm a Paladin. Far different from a knight. Knights are a fickle lot who sit in a castle. I am part of my uncle's court. A paladin who seeks the conquest of the holy city and to return it to the hands of the Holy Roman Empire!" He let out a laugh, and raised both his arms as if to invite more challenges from Trieu.
Taking his time, Roland flashed a grin. "As for my arm. I should make it clear that Olivier has seen my third arm, and she found it rather impressive! You should see me as a Berserker, I can hardly keep my clothing on."
He charged, aiming to leap right up onto the back of the mighty Nanyue, to face Trieu right there on even ground.
Trieu's eyes flashed yet again, the clash of blades bringing her back to the time of the battlefields of Vietnam and China. Wu warriors trying their hardest to deflect her blows, yet none of them, not even one warrior, stood out as a challenge for her. That was her deepest regret. She brought the rebellion to life and ignited the fires of Vietnam once more, yet she never got what she had desired.
Yet here it was.
"Apologies paladin, in my life I encountered neither, just bandits and lowlifes on horse back, yet I can see the difference is that Paladins are much more concerned about their endowments."
She grinned, allowing him to leap up and turned to him, Nanyue moving slower now. Glowing deadly red, she made a slash hoping to be deflected and with a spare hand threw another dagger towards his abdomen. "But I am neither a knight or a paladin, I am a warrior, the warrior of Vietnam who ensured the survival of the country, and might I say, this is rather the spectacle I was hoping for in this war"
Roland reacted as expected. His sword striking her own, and with force, he pushed her blade to the side. Only to hear the THUNK of a knife entering his side. His combination of Guardian Knight, combined with battle continuation made the knife sticking out of his lower half rather... Forgettable. With one hand he pulled the knife free, and threw it to the side. A trickle of blood seen from the wound, but it would seal up in time.
Roland had expected more paladins, or knights in this war. But to fight something like a warrior goddess from Vietnam? This was the reason the war existed. To have two mighty forces from around the world clash.
Roland's riding allowed him to stand effortlessly on top of Nanyue, and he was all a grin as he took a step closer, his blade raised. And then, he struck. Fast as lightning, he struck, a flurry of blows each with staggering strength behind it. Approaching more and more, Roland seemed to seek to pressure Trieu into making an offensive strike. As if pressuring her to make a mistake.
"Maybe I should visit your country when this war is over. Though lady Trieu, I have heard stories that you possessed three breasts. Maybe your endowments are worthy of bragging about too."
Trieu saw how unaffected the knife had left him and her grin reached from ear to ear. This was it, as blades clashed and she stepped back, she felt her heart racing and her wind swept hair cascading around her.
"Ha! Survive this and I might allow you to behold them Roland!" She mocked before bracing herself as the strikes came in, defending each blow with her sword, except two blows. One cracking through her shoulder armour and another catching her side.
She felt the stinging pain through her angelic guise and smirked. "However I have no need to brag, as you can see you know all I want you to know" and then she unleashed the red shock wave again.
As it went for him she called put a mighty roar. "NANYUE!" and with that a glow enveloped all of them, Nanyues armour becoming spiked and flimsier and his tusks deadlier and larger. She smirked as he bucked and violently threw Roland off.
With that she took off, aiming for him to hit him with a charge.
Roland struck with lethal accuracy, laughing at their clash. His demonic arm twisting, and his breath heavy at the rush of excitement. He could tell what was coming next. All that damage building up. He had seen it before when the lady of Vietnam had saved his life. His sword raised up, taking the impact of her grudges, and he leapt backwards. Landing on solid ground as Nanyue eyed him from that distance.
"You are the worthy foe I came to this war to fight!" Roland laughed, raising his demonic arm. With a swish of his hand, needles, quills, the fur that attached to his limb fired off like darts. Showering Nanyue as the beast began to charge. Aiming for the eyes, vulnerable and blinding just for a moment as Roland kicked the ground hard.
IMPALED! Roland felt the tug of the mighty beasts tusk as they tore and slashed, and his cape, fluttering behind him, was lost. Torn away by Nanyue's charge and leaving Roland to land on the ground, watching with surprise at his lost garment. "Well, that was indeed impressive." Roland said, tossing aside the remains of his cloak. "I will have to get another... That is two of these I have lost." Roland said, materializing another cape.
Trieu laughed at his valour, still declaring her ferociousness as she charged. She was glad that she could have this chance. A great palladin fighting a woman who believed in quite another god yet conquered and fought back hordes of unrighteous men.
She laughed as her charge accomplished nothing but removing his cape and looked back at him and down to Nanyue's bloodied visage. "My companion....we shall have you repaired after this has come to an ednd"
She turned to him and smirked. "Impressive..." She was uinterrupted and nodded. Shame...she was really getting into this. "I'll have to end this duel here Roland of Charlemagne, it certainly was not forgettable, I hope to see you at the meeting I've been ordered to attend, I'm too return to my master, I shall see you when destiny next wills us to meet" She nodded and Nanyue's glow returned to that of his defensive form, returning Trieu to her normal self, giving him a nod as she rode off back to the Moors.
Roland though watched as Nanyue and Trieu retreated, and so did he. Walking away, he returned to the spot where he had placed the blade from the Einzbern's servant. That blade, still untouched and standing strong despite the battle that had raged before it. Picking it up, Roland carried it with him. He had to return it to it's owner still. Something he would do at the meeting of masters.
