Tetsuya Gotō vs. Mōri Takamoto

Sporting Event / Competition

The first battle of the day was also the first in the Independent Bracket. Two brave souls who had survived battle with Asteria Talos would fight for the privelege to advance. On the left side, Tetsuya Gotō, a wandering martial artist without known allegiance to any clan. On the right, Mōri Takamoto, the eldest daughter of Mōri Motonari herself. Despite the relation, Motonari made it clear that Takamoto would receive no special treatment.

As the match officially began, Mōri Takamoto seized the initiative, and moved forward to the dirt bridge that spanned the canal at the arena's center. Despite acting first, she remained there and awaited her opponent's move. In turn, Gotō moved into the same position and engaged the oni girl in melee.   While obviously skilled in his own right, it seemed that Tetsuya Gotō had misjudged the speed of his opponent. He threw a punch, which Takamoto primly dodged and countered with a slap from the flat of her blade. This obviously left a bruise, but wasn't enough to stop Gotō's next attack. This, too, Takamoto sidestepped. Igniting her flame with innate ki, she countered with a flaming strike. Her martial artist opponent received another flesh wound, but more pressingly, his garb of fur and cloth readily caught fire.   Pulling the garments from his body, Gotō threw them into the canal while, at the same time, shouting that he yielded the match. From beginning to end, the battle had lasted only a few seconds.