Hachisuka Masakatsu vs. Randi Carter

Sporting Event / Competition

Those ephemeral white flowers dancing upon the floor of the arena had already been stained red by the violence of the previous match. Treading upon the illusory field now came Hachisuka Masakatsu of the Hashinara and Randi Carter from Celephaïs in the Dreamlands for the second independent match of the day. Randi had proven herself an able combatant with a few Dreamer-specific tricks up her sleeve. Masakatsu, however, was a veteran of many battles with a number of kills already under her belt and the advantage of a ranged weapon. The winner of this particular match would be difficult to judge. Kikkawa no Myōkyū, standing in for her ill wife, marked the beginning of the round.

Randi Carter always carried with her a large, two-handed sword strapped upon her back. Just now, she did not unsheathe it. Without the weight of that mighty weapon, she was able to dash across the arena before her opponent could react. Masakatsu wasn't quite caught by surprise by the little dreamer's speed, and was able to easily sidestep a clumsy attempt by Randi to grab her and hold her in place. Both had already realized what was obvious to the audience as well: Randi had the obvious advantage in melee, and the battle would be decided by whether Masakatsu was able to keep her range and mobility.   Fortunately for her, the former Oda danced out of Randi's grip and twisted acrobatically to disengage without giving the other any opportunity at reprisal. She ran, jumped, and landed atop one of the low pillars on the northern corner of the arena, giving her a good five feet of extra height. A pair of arrows, loosed from Masakatsu's bow, didn't manage to find their mark on Randi's body. They did, however, pave the way for her true attack moments later. Channeling fiery ki into her bow, Masakatsu unleashed her unique technique, Snake Eyes. Three uncannily-accurate arrows shot out to seek their target with burning vigor. Randi managed to dodge the first, grazed past the second, but the third stuck into her shoulder with a solid "thunk!" It was a definitive hit and, while Randi wasn't felled by it, she was clearly wounded. The little dreamer gathered her energy to cast a quick Heal, closing most of her wound. Then, she dashed forward to the base of Masakatsu's pillar and called down that curious ability shared by all Dreamers. A cube of thick, cloudy stained glass, twenty feet to a side, formed from nothing around the two combatants. The nearly-opaque material seemed a solid barrier to most of the crowd, and few were able to follow what was truly happening inside. By the dancing shadows and muffled crash of blades, it was obvious that the battle still raged on within.   After a short time more, the activity seemed to cease. A crack formed on the outside of the cube, then another, and finally Randi Carter chopped her way out of the crystal wall. She held her greatsword in one hand, dragging Masakatsu's unconscious body with the other. The unfortunate Empowered was clearly unconscious, a dark bruise coloring the skin on the side of her head, but alive. An unsheathed but bloodless katana left little mystery to what had happened. Although a samurai in her own right, Masakatsu was not able to contend in a cramped space with her overwhelming opponent. Randi waved to the cheering of the crowd, vocally admiring Masakatsu's stubbornness even as the other was carted off to the Mōri infirmary.