(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 8)

[Oldmansour]

>We ain't in a "I'm taking you with me" situation yet.
>Execute another dodge roll towards the right side of the corridor, angling to the left slightly slightly to keep them in our peripheral vision when we stop. Slash out at this tengu's legs as we go past.
>Max out Tumble skill at next level if not there at present.

[DracoOmega]

>We ain't in a "I'm taking you with me" situation yet.
>Execute another dodge roll towards the right side of the corridor, angling to the left slightly slightly to keep them in our peripheral vision when we stop. Slash out at this tengu's legs as we go past.
>Max out Tumble skill at next level if not there at present.

>You're not about to toss your own safety entirely aside just yet.
>You roll to the side, trying to move past the tengu's attack while keeping both of them in view. Unfortunately, your crouching position gives you little momentum and the corridor simply isn't wide enough to allow you a safe distance. You feel a blade catch you as you tumble past, digging into your back for a moment before you roll past the point of contact; you think your maneuver lessened the blow, but it still stings sharply. Gimacing, you attempt to slash at your assailant's legs and succeed in catching her behind her right knee. You feel the edge of your kunai dig firmly into flesh before twisting aside; you think it's a more substancial cut than the one you landed on the first tengu. You hear her draw in a sharp breath.
>Sounds of fighting are coming from the direction of the stairway. You hear someone grunt in surprise or pain and there are heavy footfalls. Something connects solidly against flesh. Then you hear a familiar whistling sound as the other tengu cuts air once more.
>Unfortunately 'Tumble Through Walls' is an oni-restricted feat

[Kilgamayan]

> Did we feel the kunai dislodge from the leg, then?

[DracoOmega]

> Did we feel the kunai dislodge from the leg, then?

>You only slashed her. Your weapon is still firmly in your hands, and not in contact with anyone else's flesh at the moment.

[Oldmansour]

>Can we see the incoming slash, or is our back completely to the tengu with the magic sword?
>Is there a door in front of us? If so, does it look open?

[DracoOmega]

>Can we see the incoming slash, or is our back completely to the tengu with the magic sword?
>Is there a door in front of us? If so, does it look open?

>You glance up and to your left, towards the direction of the sound, and she a blade of air only a foot or two from your face! It is coming in at a low angle, towards your shoulder; you don't think you have time to get out of the way. Oddly, the tengu who fired it appears to be glancing away from you, back towards the stairway.
>There is a door a couple of feet ahead of you, but it is closed. You believe it leads to someone's quarters, though you don't know whose.

[Oldmansour]

>If we fell over straight backwards, would the blade go over our shoulder, or is it angled in such a way that it would cut us anyway?

[DracoOmega]

>If we fell over straight backwards, would the blade go over our shoulder, or is it angled in such a way that it would cut us anyway?

>It is largely vertically-oriented and its height gives it a decent bit of coverage near the ground. If you fell over backwards, you would certainly avoid some of it, but the edge of it would likely strike you anyway.

[Oldmansour]

>Vertical, eh.
>What if we were to fall over to the left or right? Would that afford us better clearance from the thing?

[DracoOmega]

>Vertical, eh.
>What if we were to fall over to the left or right? Would that afford us better clearance from the thing?

>You could try to twist your body aside, but you're not really well-positioned at the moment. You suspect the best you may be able to do is minimize the impact.

[Oldmansour]

>Did we see either of the first two waves strike anything to let us determine of they are blunt, or sharp?

[DracoOmega]

>Did we see either of the first two waves strike anything to let us determine of they are blunt, or sharp?

>No. They would have impacted something behind you, and you haven't taken the time to look.

[Oldmansour]

>Current positions of the two tengu that have attacked us.

[DracoOmega]

>Current positions of the two tengu that have attacked us.

>The wind-cutting tengu is to your left and slightly ahead of you, while the second tengu is far enough to your left so as to be nearly behind you now. Both are quite close to you, though the first tengu is still somewhat more distant.

[Oldmansour]

This won't end well....

>Fall over backwards to try and absorb as little of that blast as we can, then maintain as much momentum as we can to roll over and get back our feet.
>Once we're back on our feet, ready the kunai to defend against sword thrusts, but do not attack.
>Take stock of where the tengu are, and what the devil's going on by the stairs.

[DracoOmega]

>Fall over backwards to try and absorb as little of that blast as we can, then maintain as much momentum as we can to roll over and get back our feet.
>Once we're back on our feet, ready the kunai to defend against sword thrusts, but do not attack.
>Take stock of where the tengu are, and what the devil's going on by the stairs.

>You fall backwards as quickly as you can, trying to twist yourself away from the blade of wind, but there's simply too little time to react. The crescent of distorted air is upon you before you can fully press yourself to the ground and you feel a sudden sharp pain as its bottom edge slices into your shoulder. Wincing inwardly, you roll to the side and spring to your feet, readying your kunai to deflect another attack. And almost before you're upright again, the closer tengu has rounded on you with another slash from close range!
>The attacking tengu is to your left, and nearly on top of you. The lead tengu is a few feet ahead of you, her head turning back in your direction. And you think you have more immediate problems than what's going on in the opposite direction of that sword right now!

[Oldmansour]

>How well to kunai hold up when used to block a sword?
>From which direction is her sword coming at us from?

[DracoOmega]

>How well to kunai hold up when used to block a sword?
>From which direction is her sword coming at us from?

>In terms of durability, they should be sufficiently sturdy to parry sword blows, barring something unusual about the sword or its wielder. The materials and forging techniques in the kunai you're using are not dissimilar to a common sword, as best you know. Their limited reach can be a disadvantage in this situation, and forces your hands into close proximity of the enemy blade, but you've dueled sword-wielders before and are comfortable in the generalities.
>It is a largely horizontal slash, leveled at your midsection. For your perspective, the blade is sweeping from right to left; or at least it would be if you were facing it directly.

[Oldmansour]

>When we've dueled sword wielders in the past, have we needed both hands on the kunai to deflect slashes, or does one suffice?

[DracoOmega]

>When we've dueled sword wielders in the past, have we needed both hands on the kunai to deflect slashes, or does one suffice?

>Parrying is less a contest of brute strength than of technique, and kunai aren't really meant to be wielded with both hands, in any case. To be fair, the people you practiced against were more likely to be human than not, which would have given you a strength advantage, but while this tengu is probably stronger than you are, you don't imagine they're monstrously so.

[Oldmansour]

>Is there enough distance between us to allow us to give her a solid boot to the gut, or are we more in kneeing range?
>Failing that, are we close enough to gouge her eyes with our free hand?

[DracoOmega]

>Is there enough distance between us to allow us to give her a solid boot to the gut, or are we more in kneeing range?
>Failing that, are we close enough to gouge her eyes with our free hand?

>You could attempt any of these maneuvers, with a slight shifting of position as dictated by the choice in question.

[Oldmansour]

>Deftly bring up our kunai to parry the tengu's sword.
>Give her a swift knee to the gut, then gouge her eyes with our free hand.
>Assuming that diverts her for a second, check on the wind-sword tengu.

[DracoOmega]

>Deftly bring up our kunai to parry the tengu's sword.
>Give her a swift knee to the gut, then gouge her eyes with our free hand.
>Assuming that diverts her for a second, check on the wind-sword tengu.

>You bring your kunai around and catch the tengu's blade a moment before it reaches you, then shift and launch a swift knee at her gut. Your adversary immediately starts to twist that side of her body smoothly away from the attack, and though you feel your knee connect her, the motion softens its impact considerably.
>Before you can even bring your other hand close enough to gouge, she follows through on her evasive maneuver, shifting the right side of her body into the air with a grace that seems only slightly constrained by gravity. Using the point of contact between your weapons as a sort of pivot, she launches a sharp kick at the side of your head from nearly level with it.
>You glance briefly in the other tengu's direction in time to see her finish another slice across the air, sending a crescent blade of wind towards your weapon arm. She seems to be turning her body away from you even as her blade traces the last of its arc. You can still hear fighting from behind you.

[Oldmansour]

I'm starting to wonder if this fight was such a hot idea...

>Another vertical or horizontal slash?

[DracoOmega]

>Another vertical or horizontal slash?

>It is positioned at a diagonal, though slightly more vertical than horizontal.

[Oldmansour]

>What is behind us?
>Assuming our back is not up against a wall, is there enough room behind us to let us spring backwards and avoid both shots?

[DracoOmega]

>What is behind us?
>Assuming our back is not up against a wall, is there enough room behind us to let us spring backwards and avoid both shots?

>The wall of the corridor, more or less. You are standing at an angle to it, but it is still the thing most directly behind you, about a foot or so distant.
>You could shift slightly and spring backwards down the corridor itself, bringing you closer to the leader tengu. You think there's a decent chance you could avoid both attacks by doing so.

[Oldmansour]

>About how far behind us is she now?

[DracoOmega]

>About how far behind us is she now?

>Several feet, and off to the side. A spring backwards would probably put you level with her, or near to it.