<<< Knight Takes Pawn, [Silver Samurai]

[Tarot]

April 11th, Early Afternoon

---

She had been called to the training facilities via courier for whatever reason, though Marie-Ange lacked knowledge of the intentions behind the obscure request. Although the message was cryptic, simply saying that she was needed, the girl acquiesced and now found herself walking toward the double doors that lead to the Hellfire Club’s twisted version of a work-out room. As she entered the chamber strewn with a various array of equipment, its only occupant was entrenched in exercising his sword arm.

“M’sieur Harada,” she said to the raven-haired man, her arms crossed in a gesture of guarded reservation.

She had not spoken one word to the White Knight since his arrival from overseas less than a month prior, nor he to her. In truth, he intimidated her somewhat. His austere presence was often a source of unease for the young Frenchwoman and his sudden calling upon her was odd to say the least.

“I was informed you were in need of my services, M’sieur Knight?” she queried with a dainty curtsy in tow. “I would be glad to help in any way you would have need of me, of course.”

Marie was quite curious to discover his reasoning for specifically requesting her assistance when there were other Pawns about, though she did her best to hide that probing thought as he drew near.

[Keniuchio Harada]

Harada was well aware of presence of the woman entering the private gym of the court, clad in a traditional white silk kimono and accompanied with clay gray hakama, the choice of attire would be considered eccentric, but for Keniuchio it was the attire that he spent much of his early years in and it was what he felt most comfortable in when training.

He drew his fluid routine to a close, he slipped his arms into the sleeves of his kimono, giving himself a moment to regain his composure, up until this point he had refused to acknowledge the presence of the White Pawn, a tactic employed to keep the girl on guard within this room.

"White Pawn, I'm glad my messenger found you." The greeting intended more as a cool statement rather than a greeting. Harada began to walk towards the woman, each step perfectly calculated to be as intimidating as possible.

He circled the girl, taking in Marie-Ange's form, while many may consider pretty or even beautiful, Harada was not interested in such at this time. He was here to make sure that should trouble come to the club again, that the White court would be able to defend itself dutifully.

"Tell me Pawn, why do you think that I have summoned you here?"

[Tarot]

His words were ice to the young woman, every flick of the tongue sweeping over Marie in a flurry of cold indifference. This was certainly not a social call on Harada’s part. As he circled her with slow, purposeful steps, the Frenchwoman kept her back rigid and eyes front. Her timidity suppressing itself in the face of scrutiny, she would not disappoint the Knight. After all, she had seen it for herself.

Upon daybreak, Marie-Ange had consulted her tarot as she did every morning and seen the image of flourished swords within her vision. Although she hadn't put two and two together until just this moment, the Frenchwoman was assured of her own success in this task. Her divination would come to pass. Whatever it was that the White Knight had in store for her, she would do her absolute best to impress upon him her talents.

“I do have a guess as to why I’ve been called, M’sieur Knight,” she responded flatly. “In fact, I believe I know exactly why.”

Marie removed a single card from the deck tucked snuggly in her dress pocket.

“I hope you do not mind if I utilize a stand-in? I am not properly attired and it would be unladylike of me to engage in… strenuous physical activity where one might happen to sweat.”

[Keniuchio Harada]

"Very well Miss Colbert. Whatever weapon you prefer to use." Harada turned his back on her crossing the mats that signified the training area to where a small stand had been set up to hold his sword and its sheath. The Silver Samurai held the sheet in his left hand and drew the sword out with his right, he turned back to his opponent.

The Samurai returned to his stoic posture as he turned the sword's blade, so he could examine every inch of the swords intricately crafted steel, making sure that every section was still as was the day it was crafted.

"I want to see how well you can respond, if our family comes under threat again." Each word of Harada's instructions were devoid of emotion, giving the girl a moment to absorb what he had told her before he continued with his instructions. "Given I am using real steel I will not come straight for you. I want to see how you use your powers in a combat situation. Now prepare yourself." With the rules given, Keniuchio bowed out of formality to Marie-Ange, he then stepped back to give plenty of room between them.

Lifting his sword he turned the blade and adopted a ready stance.

"Come at me once you are ready."

[Tarot]

“As you wish, mon chevalier.”

Marie-Ange mirrored his bow with a curtsy of her own before brandishing the card she’d drawn a moment earlier – the Knight of Swords. With merely the smallest of efforts, she began to produce a perfect copy of the illustrated warrior. It only took a few seconds before the tarot knight materialized before them, towering a foot above Harada with silver-steel armor shining radiantly despite the dull-glowing lights. His features remained unseen beneath a plumed helmet, only a void of blackest ether visible within the grate of his visor. The astral blade he wielded was held before him like the harsh brush of an artist who paints only in blood.

"Come at me once you are ready."

“D’accord, M’sieur,” she said with a curt nod.

Marie stood away from the training mats, taking several steps back to assure she was well out of the reach of either Knight’s blade. A sense of anticipation hung heavy in the rigid air, the tarot knight mirroring the readied stance of his White counterpart. There was a flash when he bounded forward in a swift vault, a near-blinding reflection of light across his filigreed breastplate. Were the construct able to breathe, Harada would have felt the illustrated warrior’s breath upon him as he closed in and swung his blade low and hard at the raven-haired man.

[Keniuchio Harada]

"Then let us begin." Ken tried not to let the any emotion into his voice, but it had been a while since he had sparred with anyone of worth and so today would provide him with some enjoyment while he tested the pawns abilities.

Looking on the White Knight wasn't an expert on what cards were on the tarot deck, so he wasn't wholly expecting the Knight to appear out of the cards. As the knight leaped across the makeshift dojo to close the distance and deliver the first strike to Harada. Ken utilised his own martial arts training to perform a break roll away from where he was about to be struck.

The elder man hit the mats a thud filled the room as his body landed heavily on them, his own natural agility allowed him get back onto his feet before the knight could strike again. Harada then focused solely on his task at hand, he shut out many of the distractions within the room that would hinder his focus and began to generate his signature tachyon field around himself, that would give him possible glimpses into the future of his opponents next move.

Now to the right of the tarot knight, the white knight lifted his own sword above his head and struck down towards the knights right arm.

[Tarot]

The swordsman’s blow had hit its mark; a clean strike against the tarot knight. Still, there was no blood as the curved blade clashed against embossed silver-steel. The illustrated warrior felt no pain and so did not flinch. He did not bleed, nor feel much of anything really. He, or rather it, was simply an extension of Marie’s will. She’d held back the true power of her construct so as to test Harada’s strength against her own. With nothing to risk, there was only reward.

The knight took a step back in order to free itself from the blade embedded in its corporeal form. Though the Samurai’s strike had left a gash in its armor, it only took a moment for the gouge to close entirely. To anyone viewing it, the bloodless wound appeared as though it were being filled with liquid metal before it seemed to harden and seal the tarot knight’s shell. It was a seamless suture made in less than an instant.

It would have been crass to taunt the White Knight, but Marie was nevertheless unable to help the contented smirk that momentarily crossed her lips. The illustrated warrior readied its blade once more, newly strengthened and invigorated by Marie-Ange’s will. It attempted to strike once more at Harada with a sweeping blow, five tons of force replete behind its sword arm.

[Keniuchio Harada]

Harada's skill with the katana was second to none on it's own, but with the use of his powers, he was like a surgeon with his blade. With the constructs attention once again turned on him. For anyone that didn't have super strength their only option in this sort of fight would be to try and doge the attack, Ken however had no such intention. He extended his field over the blade of his sword and swung his katana towards the conjured knights sword.

The two swords clashed together and like a hot knife through butter Harada's sword easily cut through the constructs blade sending the severed energy back to whatever dimension it was conjured from. Taking the offensive before the construct could react the White Knight now he sliced the constructs knee.

With the construct with disabled for now Harada lowered the tip of his blade but kept his field up encase the construct recovered before he was finished. His attentions now turned towards the pawn "Your constructs are very impressive, Miss Colbert, but this situation highlights one very flaw in your strategy." A hint of being condescending crept into Keniuchio's voice now "What would you do if an enemy stormed the club right now, in greater numbers and your construct was kept busy leaving you exposed?" Harada now looked at the pawn directly as he awaited her answer

[Tarot]

The faintest trace of a headache permeated Marie’s temples as her construct was cut down, brought low by Harada’s sword strike. Rather than exert the effort to have the tarot knight reform his dispersed extremities, she allowed it to dissipate as she took in Harada’s words. The illustrated warrior appeared to fade away, its astral matter dissolving into the air. Meanwhile, as the White Knight criticized her technique, Marie became aware that the man had apparently not done his research on her.

“What would I do, M’sieur? Why I would not hold back the majority of my strength like I have been doing for the entirety of this petite échauffourée,” she replied.

Her words were factual and to the point. They were not meant to come across as taunting, but perhaps they were a bit cold, nearly devoid of Marie-Ange’s usual charm. She supposed he wouldn’t be content with such a fractional display of her abilities, but the young woman thought it better to begin with a taste.

“If I were to be involved in such a violent display, I’d be more than able to defend myself against even a multitude of opponents, I assure you.”

She returned the Knight of Swords to her deck and then drew two more cards, their faces hidden to the White Knight’s eyes.

“So should I assume you would care to see the proof?”

[Keniuchio Harada]

"I did not ask you to hold back though did I White Pawn?" The condescension now returned to his voice as, he glanced to where the construct was as it now disappeared from site. "If I am to get a true feeling for how well prepared the White Court is, I need to be able to see the full capabilities of those that fight."

The White Knight now returned his gaze to the Pawn. "Other than your powers what skills do you have that could help you in a fight?" The Samurai's way of teaching may have been harsh, but he was here for results and results were what he was going to be leaving with.

The Pawn then assured him that she was capable of defending herself in a situation with more than one opponent. "Well that is why we are here after all." Harada spoke as he tried to get a glimpse of the cards that she had drawn from the pack. Unable to however, he lowered his field and returned the blade to the sheath that it came from. The Silver Samurai then crossed the mats once again returning to the position that he had stood on at the start of this encounter.

"Whenever you are ready Miss Colbert you may begin." Harada kept his sword sheathed, this was a power play to unnerve his opponent, whatever came out of the cards Keniuchio believed that he could deal with as quickly as he had dealt with the tarot knight.

[Tarot]

Marie was beginning to find Harada’s severe disposition a bit disagreeable with her placidity. However, she fully understood the reasoning behind his flat, emotionless tone and demanding gaze. The White Knight had been charged with the protection of his Court and all its members. It was a difficult position to be in as the personal shield of vital individuals. Still, she couldn’t help but sense an underlying hostility within his words, a suspicion that she had unknowingly displeased him.

"Whenever you are ready, Miss Colbert, you may begin."

“Of course, M’sieur. As you say.”

The Frenchwoman held up her cards and two figures materialized before them exactly as the knight had done before. The Two of Swords appeared on the mats across from Harada, dual blades crossed in an ‘X’ formation as her gaze was hidden below a gossamer blindfold. Her ivory robe billowed in a non-existent wind whilst her features, smooth and almost inhumanly perfect, stayed stoic and unmoving.

The creature that emerged from the air before Marie-Ange was quite a different sight. It was Strength; power personified in the form a feline beast. The great cat, rippled with muscles and sporting a flitting tail, paced and circled between her and the Two of Swords. These constructs were not as well-armored as the tarot knight, but their speed was unmatched to almost any other card in her deck. 'T was a swiftness that was now on display as the swordswoman launched herself at Harada, a whirling dervish of steel and cloth. At the last second, she changed direction in an indiscernible instant and circled around the raven-haired man, blades aimed at his exposed back.

[Keniuchio Harada]

"Much better!" This was the response Harada had wanted to see. Assuming that he would instantly have the upper hand, Harada drew his sword once again and stepped forward to slice at the construct, this time however he'd over stepped his mark and the construct feinted. With the construct slicing at the Samurai's back, Harada had no choice but to throw himself forward into a role, the sword barely missing the small of his back as he rolled across the mat before returning to his feet in one swift movement.

"Very good." Harada was much more impressed by these constructs, which leaked into his voice as he addressed the White Pawn. "Clearly you are saving the best to last no?" He adjusted his grip of the sword, for now he stayed back assessing his target, like a predator assesses their prey. Then like a cobra, he pounced with a fluidity of an expert swordsman. Using his own blades sheath as an off-hand weapon, he struck out with his sheath attacking the two of swords off-hand while slashing with his sword at the constructs own sword to prevent it from taking the advantage from him.

Like before he was waiting for the right moment to extend his field over his blade and bring the round to an end.

[Tarot]

“Merci, M’sieur Knight.”

Marie was equally, if not more so, impressed by Harada’s battle prowess as he seemed to be by her own, and it was obvious to her that his dual monikers of Knight and Samurai were well-earned. Not many would’ve been able to dodge her construct's sword strikes. As far as she knew, startling agility was not in his repertoire of superhuman abilities. No, this was the result of staunch training and dedication to his blood-soaked skillset.

The use of his sheath as an off-hand was similarly notable in its resourcefulness, but the unconventional bludgeon was little more than a temporary deterrent against the Two of Sword’s razor-sharp blades. A pinpoint strike skewered the sheath and a flourish of the wrist ripped it out of Harada’s iron grip, tossing it aside like so much driftwood. It was a simple matter for this illustration brought to life.

The Lion of Strength let out a boisterous roar as the swordswoman crossed blades once more with the Silver Samurai, the edges of their swords pressed against one another as both struggled against each other’s strength. Their faces lay close enough to kiss, only inches away from their opponent’s as the constructs sightless gaze was poised straight ahead at the White Knight. The blank, lifeless expression on its face would have made Harada’s previous words, already nearly devoid of all emotion, seem like a wild and eccentric exclamation in comparison. Were the construct to have eyes, nothing could've been gleaned from their deadened stare.

[Keniuchio Harada]

The Silver Samurai kept his weight pushed against his blade as he tried to gain ground against the construct, the only thing he gained however was a lesson in futility as both opponents squared off against the other neither gaining ground. Harada waited for the right moment to break the impasse in the combat,

Having spotted his opportunity, with graceful elegance Harada span away from the construct, giving himself the space he needed to be outside of the constructs sword reach. The White Knight was now showing signs of breaking a sweat, the two of swords was stronger construct than he could have imagined, but he had seen what he had come here to see. The White Pawn was more than capable of defending herself should the need arise to.

"That is enough White Pawn, you have acquitted yourself with honor." Keniuchio took several deep breaths allowing himself to find his center, once again. "I believe you are capable enough of defending yourself should the club come under assault." He crossed the mats to where his damaged sheath had fallen away from the two of swords, having picked it up he examined the damage, he was going to have to see about getting himself a new one made.

"Although I am impressed with how you use your powers, remember that not all enemies are obvious. Especially with the company that you keep here in the club." Harada's tone had returned to its passive tone.

[Tarot]

At his word, the Frenchwoman dismissed her constructs one by one, each dissipating into the air in a matter moments. The Two of Swords evaporated in silence, swords limp at her sides, but the Lion of Strength let out a final roar that echoed throughout the room for a few seconds after it had gone. Marie tucked the cards back into her dress pocket and turned to face Harada as he moved to collect his scabbard, hoping that the White Knight would not resent her for damaging it.

His tone eased now that their skirmish had concluded, although she was a bit surprised to see it end in a stalemate, but perhaps the cards’ divination meant a triumph of ego rather than a physical victory. Either way, she was successful in earning the apparent acceptance of the White Knight and was quite grateful for it. The subtle dig at the company she kept triggered a moment of confusion for the young Frenchwoman however. She was not entirely sure who he was referring to, though she thought it best not to acknowledge the slight.

“I wish you well then, M’sieur Knight. I do hope you will call on me again if you have need of me,” she said simply.

And with that, she exited the training room to leave Harada with his thoughts.

END.