The Matter of Honour (MT/INVITE ONLY)

by **New Aeyariss** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:47 am

OOC: This thread will serve as duel thread from events from here, where Nihonese General, Fujikawa Jin, led by Bushido, challenged the Brytenian Queen for a sword duel after she insulted his shogun. The duel and all the coverage will take place here. All who posted in that thread are allowed here, invited people also. At this point I am not going to accept the war declarations without further consultations. Also keep FanT beings off this thread

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BROADCAST ON BEHALF OF GEN. FUJIKAWA JIN, CHIEF OF GENERAL HQ

I address now her whoreness, Aoife of Dyflin

Thank you. It surprises me that honourless gaijin whore like you accepts the duel. Meet me in two days at Shimazu, Yamakusa prefecture in Nihon. I give you honour's word, if you win you will go unharmed and not even hair will fall from your head from my nationals. Don't worry about my burial, my brothers will take care of this; I wait for you at Shimazu in two days.

And let Heavenly Father decide which of us is right.

by **Brytene** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:00 am

Two days later, Shimazu, Yamasuka province

arrived at the appointed location with a squad of hand-picked huscarls, house-warriors armed and armoured to the teeth, as well as a gaggle of reporters and press.

She made a striking figure, almost six feet tall, lithe and strong with limbs hardened by constant use and a flat belly where exercise had worn away all weakness. She was wearing grey mail over brown leather armour, an oaken shield at her back and two swords at her hip, whilst her retinue were dressed in more modern battle gear. She was young, in her late twenties, but since the monarchy of Dyflin and Brytene was a largely ceremonial post this did not matter. She stepped lightly, her footfall sure and easy, as she took in the surroundings and the group that had assembled to meet her.

One of her guards spoke up, his voice resonant and accent thick.
"Queen Aoife of Dyflin, of the House Lodbrok, is here in answer to the challenge made by the worm General Fujikawa Jin."

by **New Aeyariss** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:30 am

*** Shimazu, Nihon

The red sun was shining when it was slowly ascending into the horizon, as the wind was slowly teasing the grass on this plains. The nature seemed calm, totally ignoring what was coming. Animals, trees were waking up into their life from winter into coming spring. They were not concerned now with pair of influential people who offended each other's honour. The weather seemed calm also, it was pretty mild temperature, with no indication of rain or even a slightest cloud in the air. But that calmness was about to be broken.

The woman, coming from undeniably Celtic origin was now standing in the middle of the field, looking at the plains in front of her. Nihon was beautiful country. Maki Kojiro protected the landscape as much as he could. This landscape was his treasure, and even growing enormous population and industrialisation did not stopped this. This landscape gave birth to one of braves warriors in the world; Nihonese were well known to be warrior culture, build around Bushido and military values. None of them was going to deny standing in battle when honour called. If he did, that would be dishonour for him and his entire family - something that no Nihonese wanted, considering strong family ties of this society. Far away the horizon was dominated by the Fujikawa castle, where the ancestors of the general resided; he came from noble family. Fujikawas were the ones who always were known for extreme proficiency in sword, and ran one of most prestige samurai schools in Medieval Nihon. Even now, when the samurai were long gone, their memory survived - Nihonese military was direct continuation of their tradition. The woman seemed to defy the Nihonese however; and if she was able to offend anybody directly, she should be aware not to offend the superiors. Nihonese could bear any offence, but the code of honour ordered the subordinates to seek justice for offences against their superiors. Even now, the memory of social castes survived - Nihonese were known for extreme, almost fanatical, loyalty. For them to die on superior's order, as long as he had not deified God, was not a problem - it was an honour. And even if Fujikawa was going to loose this duel, he was not afraid.

The woman could see slowly coming towards her column of military vehicles; first came two IFVs, ensuring the security of a jeep riding between them. It was only because security had to be maintained for occasional assassin - Brytenian queen should know that if she broken laws of Nihon she will die, especially considering size of Nihon and size of Brytene. But Fujikawa was not going to do her harm outside duel - he gave his word. Nihonese had a tradition disliking every written treaty - they considered word to be enough. While in modern world it often happened that such contracts were needed, it was very famous even in Nihonese business that even CEOs considered the word of other to be like written contract. And if somebody broken it - well he should be sure that nobody will do business with him, and his company will collapse very soon.

The column had stopped and armed men left, securing every direction. They wore masks on their faces contrasting hidden under modern digital camouflaged pattern uniform and similar to MICH-2000 tactical helmet. After signal was given by the advance team, personal security detail led the Fujikawa himself out.

Fujikawa was intimidating. He was over two meters tall, his muscles looking menacing from hours of training in dojo; there was not even a grain of fat on him. His noose was flat after contact with fist during his training. He once fought three Kempo masters at once and won. His face was full of scars, remnants of countless conflicts this military man fought in. Before the battle, he spent two hours at church, mediating upon the Holy Scripture. When he rose up, he knew what to do. He was the one who practised the warrior's way, bushi do - and he will not let his superior to be offended. On his back was enormous no dachi - well decorated, sharp blade which could slice armoured man in half with a single swing. This was his family sword, given from father to son as old as Fujikawa clan lived. Their legendary founder wielded it in battle of Shinobue (1158) when he was given land after his bravery in battle. He will not fail his ancestors. This woman will know her place soon.

The general stoop in front of her, and looked at her with his eyes. They were so cold, almost lifeless - the eyes of man who slew countless people. Not even a muscle moved on his face, not even emotion showed on it - he was cold like a stone, like an enormous mountain which shadowed the queen.

"General Fujikawa is here!" he shouted "I dare her to step in front of me if she is not afraid!"

by **Brytene** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 3:40 am

Aoife smiled brightly at the man, no flicker of fear on her face as she stepped forwards.
"Queen Aoife is here, though it seems General Fujikawa has difficulty seeing her. Is that your sword? It is very big. It looks painful to be on the receiving end of, in fact! Positively terrifying. I'm afraid my swords are very short by comparison, but exanguination is exanguination however it happens."
She began tugging at the straps of her mail coat.
"Tell me," she said conversationally, "on a scale of one to ten how much shame will you suffer if you are beaten by a woman?"

Aoife's culture was very different to these Nihonese. Her ancestors had been Vikings, and in the earliest Viking settlements women had been just as tough as men - every sword and axe was needed to keep hold of the territory they had won from the native Celts.
The Saxons of the mainland were similar enough, though a little less wild than their Irisher cousins, and now after King Cenwulf of Brytene, Aoife was the most respected person in the Kingdom. She had fought on the battlefield a handful of times, as a mechanized infantry officer, but her fighting experience came from regular training and tournaments, alongside the wild brawls and bar-room fights for which her people were famous.

by **New Aeyariss** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:36 am

*** Shimazu, Nihon

The Nihonese officer looked into the eyes of the Queen. His own, lifeless eyes gazed into her like he wanted to pierce her soul. This man was product of military tradition created by thousands of years of civil strife and later Nihonese expansion; Nihonese after all dominated whole Furukuran sea. That woman looked into yes of serial killer who believed that he would give her mercy by killing her quickly without causing her needless suffering from wounds. Strange was indeed Nihonese culture to foreigners, but Nihonese themselves..... did not care.

He only looked at her again, and temporarily moved the sight out when he took the enormous no-dachi from his back. This sword had over 170cm of length, and when he brought it from his back, it looked even more terrifying. It's ornaments in shapes of tigers placed on the tsuba, it's ornamented saya covered in gold - this sword was intimidating.

"Thank you, Aoife-kun" the general especially used "-kun" as a way to insult her "I am glad you admire that sword. It used to be part of my family for ages, and will be long, God allows, after I die...."

He smiled at her

"But God allows, this day is not today. There is no dishonour in death defending your superior's honour." his eyes looked at her when he put his enormous sword resting partially on the ground, but with the tsuba near his hand "I think that I will grant you a quick death for having enough honour to challenge me. Quite brave for a woman, indeed."

He smiled again.

"You know why I brought you here? This, Aiofe-kun, was where modern Nihon begun. Here Chosokame no Morimoto fought with 3 700 men against 20 000 pagans and he won. This place was where we were born in the flames of war. Here my clan fought alongside Chosokames..."

He took a quick gaze on the lovely fields right to him.

"This place was a grave to one pagans long ago - it will be grave to another pagan monarch!"

by **Brytene** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 4:52 am

Aoife listened to this speech with one ear as she tugged the mail over her head, dumping it onto the soft grass with a soft shinking sound.

She nodded as he spoke of the mercy he planned to show her, unbuckling her leather straps with a practised efficiency. Her eyes widened with feigned interest as he spoke of the pagans his forefathers had killed.

Dumping the last parts of her leather armour on the ground with a clatter, she stretched gratefully. She was wearing nothing more than a thin tunic and cloth trews. Tugged off her boots, sitting down in the grass, she swapped them for lighter leather hobnails, speaking as she did so.

"It's a shame for such a long tradition to end here, but since your sad old Shogun thinks women are weak and pitiful then I have to spill your guts, just like my ancestors did to the Christians who inhabited our homeland before we came to wipe them out and pillage their treasures. We toppled their crosses and put up shrines to Woden, and now I will topple you and take your sword to offer to Donar. I will melt it down and pour it into a lake for him to enjoy in the Otherworld."

Behind her, a young female Brytisc news reporter from the Brytscop, a left-wing tabloid, spoke excitedly into a camera.

"Yes indeed, thank you! I am Sara Teotenhalle, reporting live from Shimazu in Nihon, where Queen Aoife of Dyflin is about to engage General Fujikawa in personal combat!
The given cause for offense is apparently an online spat between Queen Aoife and the Nihonese Shogun, during which Queen Aoife objected to markedly sexist comments made by Nadia Khoudry of Lebanon and the Shogun himself.

The Nihonese have a strict code of honour and so it seems that General Fujikawa challenged Her Majesty to a duel to protect the pride of his master. Now here we are in Shimazu as the two square off!

Queen Aoife, amazingly, seems to have removed all of her armour! Though we all know the Queen as a sports lover and as a tough woman, her opponent is more than two metres tall and looks like some kind of ogre, so this move is incredibly bold! Some would say risky, even, but Brytisc bookmakers still have 1:15 odds in favour of the Queen!

Stay tuned for live coverage!

Throughout Brytene, TVs were tuned for this remarkable event, bars and living rooms throughout the nation going quiet. In Lundene, the King was furious, appalled that the subordinate Queen of Dyflin would accept such a rash challenge, but he settled down with a horn of ale as his advisors persuaded him to watch and see what happened.

"Be something to see a brute like that gutted by our Aoife, eh?" he grunted, quaffing his drink, mostly into his beard.

by **Allied Connurist States** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 5:34 am

Down with the patriarchy!?

^{SHARE THIS:}

Jane Gennery (@JaneGennery)
^{Friday April 10 2015, 13:00 | Pearsonville, The Connurist Empire}

Duel in Nihon today!

Today, we live in a world where most of the world has wised up to the fact that women are truly no less than men and the ideals of patriarchal society are being filtered out of society, like the cancer on progress that they are. And today, the honourable and noble Queen Aoife of Dyflin, hailing from the Kingdom of Brytene, faces off in a duel against General Fukijawa of Nihon, who personally challenged the young Brytisc woman to mêlée combat, in order to 'protect the pride of his master', like the slave he is to the contemptible Nihonese shogun, because how dare a woman defend her own rights in todays day and age.

No doubt, this will not be the first time you will have heard of Nihon. The nation is infamous for its honour code, ironic, seeing that the Nihonese are some of the most dishonourable people to ever disgrace our planet. The extremely right wing country is a major part of the Santiago Anti Communist Treaty Organisation, which has a questionable record and reputation on the international stage, and tensions with the International Freedom Coalition have risen steadily in past weeks.

The event will be broadcast live on our website here as it cannot be shown on television in the Allied Connurist States because it falls before the watershed. Connurist bookmakers are offering odds on the outcome of the event, with average odds coming out at 3:5 for the Brytisc queen, and 2:1 for the Nihonese general. I, as well as any civilised and respectable person would in the 21st century, wishes the best of luck to Aoife, though I'm sure she won't need it. Here's hoping that today, one more step will be taken towards greater equality for women worldwide. General Fukijawa will today find out if there really is a God, as he reportedly believes.

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By The Real Stephen Colbert - 8 mins Ago

You haven't even seen Fujikawa's Final Form
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By Frolicking Snuw Camul 924 - 10 mins Ago

*gets popcorn* A live action Game of Thrones....

But we all hope Aoife wins this one.
430 Likes | 340 Dislikes
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By Totallynotagovernmentclone - 16 min Ago

My name is Inigo Monotya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
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by **Ardoki** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 5:02 pm

Point of View: The Progressive Empire

Shimazu, Yamasuka Province
Empire of Nihon

Nihonese Time

"Hello Comrades! I'm Nóra Durnin, your favourite celebrity reporter from the Ardokian Broadcasting Corporation." said a small lady with pink and blonde hair, holding a microphone and looking straight into a camera. "This is a fight! A fight between feminism and patriarchy, between equality and inequality, freedom and oppression. Only who will win?" she said as she started making odd hand gestures, she was trying to be dramatic. "Fujikawa Jin, a Nihonese military oligarch. Hates females, and other non males. A direct attack upon the Progressive Empire's progressive principles. While the beautiful and courageous woman, Aoife of Dyflin stands against Jin's misogyny in defence of women everywhere. She is a beautiful and strong woman, a female leader and role model. She is the favourite, she can advance the position of the oppressed women of Nihon." "Now, I brought some pom poms to cheer her on. I suggest all those watching at home, cheer her on as well. May the universe support her!" she said as she started dancing and shouting support for Aoife.

This was being broadcast live all across the Progressive Empire; the elderly, children, workers, they were all watching and waiting to see if feminism would prevail over the forces of misogyny. To see if progressive principles could change an entire nation in such a short amount of time.

"This is Nóra Durnin, at Feminist Supremacy Battle 2015."

by **Republic of Libanon** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 10:40 pm

"This is a truly noble day, pagan whore will be slain, she tried to mock Shoguns honor but all in vain. As the father of my brave little princess Nadia Khoury I am truly supportive of Mr.Fujikawa in this duel I hope he wins this fight and slays this devil worshipper, my daughter Nadia will be giving speeches in many countries exposing the Marxist lie of feminism, so she is very busy, I must say regarding this current duel I hope that the pagan monarch is utterly destroyed by the Nihomese warrior officer Fujikawa a true man of honor. I hope he utterly brings this devil worshipper to total destruction and gives her swift death. Slay her like Joshua slew the Rephaim and Anakim as well as the idolatrous devil worshippers of the Amorites. Defend your Shogun's honor and crush this Aoife."-Colonel Samir Khoury of the Aram Brigades

by **New Aeyariss** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 10:32 pm

OOC: I hope you do not mind me adding some drama

.

Fujikawa looked at her with cold gaze. Not even a single muscle moved on his face. He smiled to her, then took off his tie. Then he unzipped the buttons of his uniform, revealing bare chest with enormous muscles beneath. He was standing now in his trousers alone, imposing colossus which was ready to defend honour of his shogun. He was not only one; whole Nihonese military wanted to do this. To cross the sword with that queen and show her that God reigns supreme.

Then the Nihonese general took the enormous sword out of his saya. The blade shined in sun, striking the queen a bit into her eyes with shining light. But then the Nihonese turned back and noticed dark cloud coming far away on horizon. The storm was closing in, and he knew he had to end that fast. Fujikawa turned back and walked to place where the duel had to take place; enormous flat area. His soldiers left him, observing on what was happening, as the giant walked with his enormous sword and stood there. The duel had not yet begun; but the tensions could be felt in the air. General Jin then spoke:

"I TAKE YOU ALL HERE ALONGSIDE ALMIGHTY HEAVENLY FATHER AS WITNESSES!" he shouted "THAT I CHALLENGED QUEEN AIOFE ON HONOURABLE FIGHT, AND THAT FIGHT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN NOW! TODAY GOD WILL JUDGE WHO OF US IS RIGHT!"

He then shouted on his whole throat:

"ZEN`NO!" the Nihonese name for God of Christians. At the same time powerful thunder cut through horizon, striking somewhere far away. Fujikawa was in his element;

"Let us begin!" he said, standing in chudan no kamae, with tip of his enormous sword towards Aiofe. He then took a little step to the side and switched to Jodan no kamae, with his sword risen high above his head. He was observing her, waiting for her movement, looking in her eyes, and she knew, she fought an experienced foe.....

by **Brytene** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:25 am

OOC - drama is good!

Aoife glanced at the storm brewing on the horizon, and saw the faintest flicker of light. Thor, he the Saxons named Donar, was roaring his approval. The God of Thunder, whose hammer hung around Aoife's neck, was present, he was watching, and the storm was a sign that the Nailed God was not going to save this lumbering ox from the consequences of his rash stupidity. He had stripped off his armour, which would make him a little quicker, but no matter how strong or fast he was, he was carrying what amounted to a polearm instead of a blade, and simple physics made his movements laughably ponderous to her feral eyes.

Aoife watched with a faint grin as the man switched from the Plough to the Thunder stance. His unwieldy weapon glinted briefly before the sun was obscured by cloud. She rubbed some dirt on her palms and then unslung her shield and drew her longsword, leaving her seax at her belt. Jigging on the balls of her feet, she glanced up at the sky one last time, before stepping forwards, sword held low and shield close to her left flank.

Behind her, her troops began cheering, low throaty voices roaring across the open expanse as they clattered their sword-bayonets against their helmets, producing a riotous din of metal and fury.

Aoife edged towards Fujikawa's left side, keeping her shield tight to her body and her footsteps light. She was within his sword range now, and was almost close enough to hit him with a simple swing of her own blade, a folded steel two-edged blade with a rounded hilt, leather grip, and steel pommel in the form of a sharp raven's beak.

by **Krjder** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 8:04 am

Imperial Krïdan Broadcasting
News Coverage of the General Fujikawa-Princess Aoifie Duel

"Good Evening, this is Florin Hochkburg with the KKUV Coverage of the Duel between General Fujikawa of Nihon and Princess Aoifie of Brytene. As you know, the duel was instigated by General Fujikawa in defence of the Nihonese Shogun who was insulted by Princess Aoifie after he made a statement regarding an anti-feminazi speech. In Nihonese culture, subordinates should protect the honour of the master.

Both are giants, standing well above average height and both are skilled in swordsmanship. This will be an interesting duel, laced with honour most characteristic of the Nihonese, who remain endeared to the Būshidō Code, a code of honour mostly relevant to those in a warrior profession or class, not dissimilar to our Waiākūrān code of Ségō-Sé.

Public opinion within the empire has almost unanimously leaned in support of General Fujikawa. This support is embedded in him for several reasons. Waiākūrāns are naturally endeared to their Jomon Brothers, save for the Kekëtaari. In a political viewpoint, many agree with the Shogun's comments on feminism and gender in general and thus do not support the Brytenian views which insulted the Shogun. Thirdly, our empire, being mostly Christian, supports our fellow Christian in his battle against the Pagan.

May God Protect Fujikawa, watch his actions and guide his katana."

by **Sacheyenya** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 8:20 am

The coliseum erupted in cheers, chants and prayers as the duel began. A popular metal song by the band Wizard, 'I am Thor', began blasting on the loudspeakers as the people stood to dance and celebrate. "Aoife! Aoife! Aoife!" The people chanted and cheered in rhythm as the excitement exploded. Nevertheless, there were those that cheered on Fujikawa, and at the coliseum their definitely was a sizable support for him as well, though they were drowned out by the support for Aoife. The big screen almost shook with the sheer volume of the crowd. A scene like this was unfolding all over the Empire, as it was broadcast to both, home and stadium.

The king watched the event from his special seat, at the Grande Kolisaom, along with his citizens. The queen-acting, his sister, to his right and both princes to his left, the King smiled as it got underway. It had been forever since he got to see two world leaders duke it out, and he thumbed his prayer beads (each one inscribed with a different rune) as he kept his eyes on the screen. He was greatly pleased with what he was watching. He was sure that his champion was going to triumph, and that he was in for a good show.

by **New Aeyariss** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 8:03 am

OOC: Reference.

The queen seen her opponent controlling the distance perfectly. There was no error in his footwork. Even if she gotten close for a second, Fujikawa was never letting her get close; he used his own footwork trained during countless hours in dojo to keep her in distance beneficial for him rather than her. He was well aware that he has advantage in distance and strength but not in defence, as his opponent possessed the shield. Whenever she moved forward, he moved backwards, controlling the distance. If she moved left, he moved right - it seemed like he was mirroring her, waiting for occasion to strike.

The true phase of duel was about to begin. The battle of man and woman.... had just begun.

She might have expected the blow. It came with no warning from over his head. Or it looked like that. That enormous man, giant who was wearing no armour except for bamboo-made hand guards protecting his hands from eventual cuts, seemed to strike her with no warning. Loud kiai echoed in the air as sword begun to fall on her head, with speed and force surprising for such big blade. Was it so fast that she could not deal with it? No, but this man was able to cut a watermelon in half with a bamboo stick, such strong he was. It seemed that the enormous blade would fall straight on her head from distance that she was unable to reach.... yet.

But, as whole Nihonese art of war, it was only a ruse.

He never intended to strike from "men" against her head, but was perfectly trained in making it seem real. Not even a single muscle moved on his head in that nanoseconds. The moment when she would prepare herself to defend against the downward cut, he quickly switched to "kesa giri", which would fall on hear when she was prepared to defend against "men", and it would fall on her from the side she was not possessing the shield. Enormous sword should come through her like a knife through butter, as it was more capable of cutting through armoured samurai on horse at the same time. Her shoulders and body was in danger of being cut through by enormous blade of Nihonese giant.

Regardless of outcome, the Nihonese warrior would instantly assume "waki gamae" on either side, all the time controlling the distance and using footwork to keep himself in distance favourable for him.

by **Brytene** » Thu Apr 16, 2015 5:46 am

Aoife was hardly surprised that the man kept backing off, since his advantage lay in the insane length of his sword, which was practically the size of a grown man. She kept moving, keeping him on his toes, placing her feet carefully on the dry grass as the two of them engaged in an intricate slow-dance across the field, until suddenly he attacked. His right foot was forwards at the time, suggesting the strike would come from above or from his left, Aoife's right, and so she darted to her left, light as a feather and quick as a polecat. She had been right, and the enemy's giant muscles twisted to swing the sword in an angled cut towards her right shoulder, but she was already gone, slashing past Fujikawa's right-hand-side.

His sword was out and up to the left, coming down fast but not fast enough. The weight of such a ponderous sword, even when wielded by a powerful giant, made it slow. His arms were both invested in the sword, on the wrong side of his body, and his feet were positioned wrongly to move away, his left foot coming forwards to support the massive left-to-right kesa giri whilst his right was planted like an anchor around which the massive blow would pivot.

With all this in mind, she shoved her sword like a lance towards Fujikawa's waist, just above the hip-bone, in a blow which should disembowel him completely. Her blade was not as long or heavy as his, but it was still almost three feet of tempered steel, blessed by blood rites and sharpened to a killing point. Unless her blade became trapped somehow, she then flicked her wrist back as she continued moving past, lashing the back of her blade across his hamstring as she fluttered away.

Once her two attacks were complete, she carried on moving around and behind him. In the distance, the sky lit with a blaze of white lightning yet again.

BREAKING NEWS FROM BRYTSCOP

A DUEL TO SHAKE THE HEAVENS
Report compiled by Annie Pepper

Today, under a sunny sky in Nihon, a duel of fates between two champions - nay, two ideologies, has begun! On the one hand stands the Queen of Dyflin, Aoife of House Lodbrok. On the other stands General Fujikawa of Nihon. The reason for their duel? Barbarity! The Shogun of Nihon espoused some frankly medieval worldviews, spurring a rightfully contemptuous tirade from fair Aoife, and in response Fujikawa demanded a duel. Now as much as some of you may be quaking in fear at the sight of his chubby little face, our money is on Aoife - she is fast, agile, and smart, and reports from the scene suggest that even the weather is on her side - it is thundering there, so good old Donar is obviously keeping an eye on proceedings. Current odds are 1:3 in favour of Aoife across the Kingdom, and you can follow the action via our livestream at http://www.hackandhue@brytscop.br

by **Inyourfaceistan** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 10:34 am

Augillo Un Informacio Chenné!

Two World Leaders Duel for Honor!

In a stunning turn of events that hearkens back to tribal Europe and feudal Asia, we are now witnessing a duel between General Fujikawa-Jin and Empress Aoife of Dyflin in the ancient battlefield of Nihon. The battle was spurred on when the pagan gringa Aoife apparently insulted the General's nation and religion; where in Fujikawa was then obliged to follow the ancient principles of Bushido and challenge his foe to a duel.

This act has of course attracted a lot of attention, when two individuals of such prominent status decide to settle their disputes in such an old-fashioned manner. To help us break down the exact advantages in the fight, and maybe give us a better insight as to who could win the fight and how they would do so; we have brought our own hero duelist - a two-time Olympic Gold medalist in sabre fencing who also teaches at L'Université de Sant Vicenté (Univeristy of Sant Vicenté); the lovely Loiselle Marcella Reyão!

Interviewer: "So Ls. Reyão, what advantages and disadvantages are we looking at here?"
Reyão: "Well, first off we notice that Gen. Fujikawa uses a Japonic no dachi sword. This gives Fujikawa three distinct advantages: distance, speed of attack, and power of attack - at the cost of weight and speed to attack. La Gringa-Perra, on the other hand is using both a Nordic long-sword and shield, this gives her the advantages of simultaneous blocking, and in this case her sword has a faster speed to attack and a lower weight. Her disadvantages are her weaker power of attack and slower speed of attack."
Interviewer: "You mention both Speed of Attack and Speed to Attack, what is the difference?"
Reyão: "Speed to Attack is the motion of performing and executing the strike, while Speed of Attack is the actual velocity of the blade as it moves towards the target. Fujikawa has a heavier blade, which takes more energy to move into position, but once velocity and force of motion take over, translates into a faster strike that is harder to stop. Aoife, on the other hand, has a blade which is easier to move around, but doesn't take advantage of gravity and velocity like her opponent's does."
Interviewer: "Thank you. Now who do you think will win this?"
Reyão: "It's anyone's game at this point. Usually I would expect La Putè-Royez to be taking advantage of her ability to block with ease and her lighter weapon to wear down her opponent, however she seems to be doing the opposite and negating two of her key advantages. If this continues we can expect Fujikawa to eventually get the drop on her and perform a powerful attack which she will be unable to block."
Interviewer: "Merças, Thank you very much! Marcella Reyão everybody!"

So far, public opinion in Inyursta seems to be entirely in support of General Fujikawa, or else not caring otherwise. However, considering Nihon is a fellow SACTO ally and Queen Aoife is a slutty pagan gringa monarch absolutely nobody will will find this surprising she is obviously not the favorite here in America Libré.

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by **New Aeyariss** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:59 am

As for Nihonese martial arts, when one studies them - it is all about counter - attack. Every person learns this at some point in Nihonese swordsmanship that counter-attack is everything here. Fujikawa knew this, and Aiofe fell perfectly into his trap. She might have been faster than him, but she had no idea about distance control. Coming to her left, even when he missed, she still had some distance to cross in order to reach him - and even in such events his hand guards were enough to stop such sword, but that was not the case. Fujikawa was not interested in so close range fighting, he had a pagan to kill, and he was going to defend his shogun's honour. He seen perfectly what she was doing when she moved to go after his waist. The distance gave him enough time to retract the sword. And here was what he was going to do.

He used very common technique in all Nihonese martial arts - Tenkan. Ancient samurai battle methods called for using the opponent's energy against him, and this was what Fujikawa planned the same moment she leaped into the strike he instantly moved out of her way to Tenkan Omote which allowed him to go out of her way. His frontal foot turned, allowing him to quickly to out of her way. No blade ever touched him. This method of leaving the fire line was commonly used, and he - who had black belt 5th degree in Fujikawa - Ryu Ju Jitsu, martial art famous for this move, did it in parts of second. Aiofe seriously underestimated how well trained this man was.

When twisting he quickly brought his sword upwards. He did it instantly with the tenkan movement, and was in Jodan no Kamae when she was going forward. Soon the heavy strike from men fell straight on her head, going with loud kiai and using whole strength Fujikawa had. God allows, it should split her in half.

by **Brytene** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:38 am

Aoife felt rather than saw her opponent pivot on his left foot, moving from it the moment it landed. The man was quick, but she was quicker, much lighter than him and without the heavy sword to deal with. By the time his sword was up in the air, she had completed her spin and was facing him again, only this time much closer, within range for both of them.

For a split second, the massive japonic sword glinted in the sunlight before, like an executioner's axe, it fell towards her. At the last possible second, far too late for any changes of direction, Aoife took a half-step to the side and flung up her shield, placing the oak boards at a slight slant beneath the blade. It fell with a resounding thud, numbing her arm with the terrible violence of its impact as the sword cut clean through several boards before wedging to a halt in the solid steel boss of the shield. It stuck there. She tugged at the shield and then, with a grin, twisted. Fujikawa's sword was trapped in the shield it had destroyed, several inches of tip protruding past the metallic boss of the shield, and so all Aoife had to do was turn her arm and the principles of leverage meant that, despite Fujikawa's great strength, his sword turned too.

She stalked forwards, quick as a panther, her left arm extending and twisting to keep the sword pinned in the ruins of the great shield, and lunged her longsword again. She was wary of his fists and feet, because even without a weapon this man's arms and legs were no doubt incredibly dangerous, but her blade sang as it lunged. She was well within range, her opponent's blade was trapped and useless by her side, and the cold steel of her smoke-bladed sword was reaching for Fujikawa's very life essence.

by **New Aeyariss** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:50 am

Fujikawa felt sensation as the enormous sword was locked straight between wooden desks of the blade. He was - to be frank - a bit annoyed by it, but there was no chance for annoyance. He seen the sword coming at him, and in the same second he sopped holding the sword with his left hand. In Nihon, samurai was expected to fight against sword by both his own sword and his hands; and if he did not had sword, he had to use his hands.

This was mere second. Hours of training in dojo made this move done without even thinking, in such speed that she won't realize what is happening. Unlike with the sword, he had this time much greater speed. The wood of his hand - guards slammed against flat part of her blade when he performed Uchi Uke before entangling her arm at under his armpit at her wrist level, blocking her any chance of movement and release of this hand. The same second his second hand released the sword, using his enormous strength to throw it as much away as he could, trying to move her shield at least a bit into the side. He had good control of her hand, and could perform what he wanted now. Even if he could get minor cuts, it would be a good price.

She was facing a 5th degree blackbelt, so she stood no chance. This man was here fast as a horse here, and with seconds after that he will be entangling his second arm under the same arm. It were mere seconds, she would not realize even what was coming. What would be next will be massive and quick as lightning Ippon Seoi Nage or shoulder throw in English; he did it so many times that he did it without even thinking, with speed that would not let some people even gasp what is happening. He would spring up in the air, throwing her upon his shoulder with enormous force, which for sure will end this fight; at worst it will knock her unconscious. At worst, if her break falls were weak - and this was extremely possible considering mastery that this man possessed - her spine would be broken. In addition he was using her own momentum to drive her forward.

Even if she will somehow survive this, seconds after she will reach the earth Fujikawa will break her armpit with armbar and then strike with hammer first straight at her head, aiming at spot between eyes. If she survives this, she would gain respect of every Nihonese military man.

by **Brytene** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:00 am

Aoife's response was just as quick. Her right arm was trapped, and his left hand was coming for her, but as he had thrown away his sword so she had let go of the ruined shield, letting blade and barrier both fall together to the ground as Fujikawa threw them far away.

He had been clever, and made a brave move by throwing away his own blade whilst managing to trap her own, but whilst he was still reaching, her free left hand moved snake-fast. He had forgotten something vital.

She had entered the fight carrying two swords at her hip.

Her seax, the deadly shortsword for which the Saxons were named, lashed out like the tongue of a dragon. It was not sheathed like a regular sword, but hung like an axe from the belt, meaning that in the blink of an eye it was already out and glinting for his blood. No quick reactions could stop such a sting.

Instead of tugging away from his grip, she flung herself into it like a lover, loosening his hold in the same way a sailor would undo a knot - by pushing instead of pulling. She was inside both of his arms, and now he had nothing to protect himself with as she stabbed the quick, short blade at his torso, using her wiry strength to drive it at his very heart. She did not try to give him minor cuts, she stabbed over and over, at muscle and tendon and flesh, his torso and his arms and his neck, writhing like a wyvern.

by **Brytene** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:56 am

Aoife felt the tug as Fujikawa landed his grip, and her feet were already leaving the ground as her seax slid into his ribs. The giant, despite the sudden furnace of pain in his chest, managed to throw her over his shoulder, leaving her sword stuck in his torso like the stump of a lightning-blasted tree.

Aoife crashed with a curse to the grass behind Fujikawa, and scrambled to her feet, her longsword clutched now in both hands, but her enemy had not moved. He simply stood, blood pouring down his torso from the fatal wound, before collapsing to his knees. Thunder rolled in the distance as his huge form went still, and Aoife relaxed her stance.

Glancing up at the roaring sky, she felt a light rain begin to fall on her face, and breathed a word of thanks to Thor before jauntily stepping forwards and sheathing her sword. She used one hand to tear away the Christian cross at Fujikawa's neck, pocketing it, then tugged out her seax and turned away as his body toppled into the grass with a resounding thud. Even in death the man was impressive.

She crossed to pick up his massive sword and, for a second, considered keeping it, but then with a grunt she crossed over to a nearby Commodore, who now seemed to have all the attention of the nearby soldiers, as though they were waiting for orders.

She handed him the massive blade with a nod and a wink, turning away and spinning her finger in the air. Her helicopter pilot got the message and began to power up, blasting a song from the speakers as Aoife strode towards her waiting guards with a confident step, her hips swaying as she hid the pain from her bruised side and wrenched arm.

by **New Aeyariss** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:19 am

Commodore Ibuki Ryuta looked from distance as seax pierced chest of his long time friend. They met each other long ago, during service in An` nam, when Fujikawa saved life of then young commodore. They also different a lot in their views on life. While Fujikawa was usually a open warrior, Ryuta was more subtle. That is why they both were opposites who liked each other. In fact, Ryuta was much more brutal than Fujikawa - but they were like brothers, and when that man seen Fujikawa die, he only closed his fist in anger. There was nothing he could have done - all was according to sacred Nihonese laws, nobody could break. She won with honour. But not like it was going to save her...

Ryuta accepted the sword, and watched her leave. Before she gave it to him, a single man did her a photo with hidden camera. Ryuta was commander of Tokkutai, feared Nihonese naval intelligence. He watched her leave. He desired no vengeance - but he promised her they will meet again....

*** The Red Cliffs, six hours later.

The water clashed slowly against the red cliffs, as the moon illuminated the whole area. Commodore Ibuki was standing on the edge of a cliff, holding his arm on the sword of Fujikawa. He looked at the sea - it seemed so calm, so peaceful. Ryuta was not a person to mourn - he would never do this, but he felt pain after loss of friend.

"Fujikawa Jin was my personal friend" he begun "And we should all know that he did great deeds for our nation. He took the fight for our shogun, and was killed. For that he deserves hero's remembrance. We are not people who seek vengeance. Vengeance is for the weak. However this woman had dishonoured Nihon. We will not allow her to go unpunished."

He took a tabled and displayed photo that one of tokkutai officers did to her:

"This is how she looks like." he said, turning around.

The light from tablet slowly illuminated row of men in black uniforms standing in front of him. It should be noted that Ryuta was also master of Ninjutsu and descendant of long known Ibuki clan - one of most feared Ninja clans in Nihon. Ninjas were different from how Hollywood portrayed them. His ones operated rifles, guns and explosives as well as they threw shuriken and fought hand - to - hand, and nobody could tell who they really were until they struck. Most of them were trained since they were children. Ninjutsu was not about hand to hand combat, even if it included it. It was a way of assassination, and the men standing in front of him were the Kitsune Force, unit created by the intelligence for assassination of people did not liked by Nihonese government. It were biggest veterans, men who killed dozens of people.

"You reached your senior rank and went so far, passing through six halls of death. Now the time had come to enter the seventh, final one. Mission you are about to embark on will be your final test. We all know that this woman must die. You will act on your own. In case you are captured you have to kill yourselves not to reveal who you are. If you pass this the rank of officer is yours; but failure means certain death. But we know we have to sacrifice for Nihon. Your officers will formulate plans of individual insertion into Brytene. Now go!"

Many of them were not Ethnic Nihonese, but grew up in Nihon and considered themselves Nihonese. Ryuta laughed as he seen his assassins vanish into the shadows of Koga forests. And then he looked on Aiofe's portrait on the tablet.

"I promised we will see each other... again!"

THE END!

by **Sacheyenya** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:21 pm

The sounds in Du Grande Kolisaum were deafening, between the chants of 'Aoife', 'Fujikawa', and 'fight', mixed with the sounds of music low in the background, and vendors selling goods. Even the king himself, who sat in the great arena with his sister and brother, clapped and cheered as the two warriors fought. All the while, however, he had said silent prayers for Aoife. It was then that the colisseum went dead quiet.

The cause of the silence was the blade piercing the 'Christian Dragon's, as he had been called, chest, and it was interrupted with a gasp when Aoife removed his cross. When Fujikawa hit the ground, the chorus to 'I am Thor' rang out loud and clear, nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd, the king himself rising, arms outstretched with a roar of triumph as his brother and sister stood to applaud. After a decent moment, the king approached the podium, as if to speak.

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Back in Nihon, a man approached Aoife, bowing deeply as he asked her to halt a moment. "It is on behalf of his Majesty, Lord Dyanu of Sacheyenya, we congratulate you with this gift. Bravado, on the well-fought fight, my queen." On the top of the small wooden box he held out to her was a woodcut of a dragon. Etched into two of the sides were Huginn and Muninn, on a third side was Mjollnir, and on the fourth side was a blank rune-stone. Inside the wooden box, made of fine linen and wool, was a bag, containing a set of Elder Futhark rune-stones crafted from silver, the runes themselves painted in gold.

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"Today, my comrades, is a glorious day in world history." King Tal'eu smiled as he quieted the stadium, speaking into a camera. "All the forums on all the sites were speaking of how the great Christian man, Fujikawa, would best the 'Pagan whore', dearest Queen Aoife." Low jeers resonated in the mighty arena, which were quickly hushed by the king with a smile. "I have naught but respect for the Christians. But for those who don't have respect for us Pagans, I ask you kindly to remember the day that the great Christian general Fujikawa was slayed by the blade of a child of the gods. We are not a weak people; we are not a people that it is wise to mock and challenge. May the gods ever bless thy path, and let it be known that Queen Aoife of Dyflin is welcome in Sacheyenya at any time she should wish to visit. Thank you all. Have a wonderful day."

The Matter of Honour (MT/INVITE ONLY)

The Matter of Honour (MT/INVITE ONLY)

The duelist arrives

Ippon Seoi Nage.

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