Welcome, folks, to a new duel! This time, [b]Novice Texas Jedi, the Nine-Banded Armadillo[/b] has challenged [b]Novice Bopsheezi, the Iberian Lynx[/b] to a duel at [b]Ender’s Sparring Grounds[/b]! Texas Jedi’s loadout: [spoiler]https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/251581665?sort=0&page=0&path=1[/spoiler] Bopsheezi’s loadout: [spoiler]https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/251579863?sort=0&page=0&path=1[/spoiler] As the sun beings to peek out from behind the planet of OffTopic below, our arena for today floats in orbit as silent as the grave. The glass shines as the sun’s rays reflect off of it, and the carbon-fiber obstacles inside the station float aimlessly, periodically bumping into each other or the walls of the arena. The arena shines in the OffTopic sky like a star as the stadium-sized station comes into full view of the sun. Through a door in the side of the arena, Texas Jedi floats into view, igniting his sabers as he does. Over the speakers of the arena, [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE5WclWqafw&feature=youtu.be]this[/url] begins playing. His cloak around his armor flows smoothly as he pauses before the field of carbon-fiber diamonds. He readies his sabers as he looks around for Bopsheezi. A dark portal opens up on the opposite side of the arena, and as it does, [url=https://youtu.be/9B_6Tt8uN8E]this[/url] begins playing over the speakers in the arena. Bopsheezi walks through and swings his sword around, seeming to test its weight. He’s dressed in full black with gold accenting, the gold standing out among the black of the arena. His blade glows blue, and small particles looking like butterflies fly off of it as he swings it around. [i]DUEL START![/i] The two competitors seem not to notice each other as they push off the walls behind them and enter the field of diamonds. Only after a few moments does Texas Jedi spot Bopsheezi below him, and Bopsheezi notices him at the same time. Texas Jedi waves at Bopsheezi, and one of the diamonds slams Bopsheezi into another diamond, sandwiching him between the two! Bopsheezi frees his sword and pries the diamonds apart, using it as a lever, and pushes off the diamonds towards Texas Jedi. Texas Jedi smiles once more, and another diamond begins flying towards Bopsheezi! However, Bopsheezi uses his sword to block the diamond and take some of the momentum, spinning himself out of harm’s way and behind a nearby diamond. In response, Texas Jedi pushes off a nearby diamond towards the ceiling, but catches another diamond and swings around behind it after a few seconds. The arena stands still for a moment. Bopsheezi investigates around where Texas Jedi was last, and Texas Jedi peeks around his diamond, but neither seem to notice each other. Bopsheezi, after not noticing Texas Jedi, begins pushing diamonds around! The arena is now constantly changing! As he stops pushing diamonds around, the diamonds continue their uncaring rampage as they collide with each other over and over again. Texas Jedi, seeing the effects of Bopsheezi’s meddling, reaches out with the Force and interrupts two diamonds near where he originally left Bopsheezi and begins to bang them against each other repeatedly. Bopsheezi ignores the banging diamonds and glides up, searching for Texas Jedi. Bopsheezi’s eyes widen as he notices Texas Jedi and realizes that Texas Jedi, too focused on his diamonds, does not notice him! He lowers his left shoulder, covered with an enormous pauldron, and attempts to charge Texas Jedi! However, Texas Jedi seems to notice Bopsheezi at the last second and lowers his sabers in between Bopsheezi and himself! Bopsheezi’s charge connects with Texas Jedi, but in doing so, he impales himself on Texas Jedi’s sabers! Bopsheezi swings his giant sword around with a single hand and sinks it into Texas Jedi’s side! He took some significant damage from that one! Texas Jedi pushes away from Bopsheezi, yanking his sabers up through Bopsheezi as he jumps away. But what’s this? Bopsheezi grabs the two sabers as they come out of him and grins maniacally! He charges Texas Jedi with the sabers, looking to make Texas Jedi take some of his own medicine! Texas Jedi pulls Bopsheezi’s sword out of his side and tosses it away behind him, looking to take it out of the fight. As he turns around, Bopsheezi collides with him and stabs him with the two sabers! After the charge, Bopsheezi stabs one of Texas Jedi’s sabers into Texas Jedi’s side, but Texas Jedi yanks his saber out of Bopsheezi’s hand and slashes at Bopsheezi! Bopsheezi, with a mere moment to react, pushes off Texas Jedi and makes his way towards where his sword floated off. Teas Jedi follows close behind Bopsheezi as the both of them search for Bopsheezi’s sword. They notice the sword floating aimlessly a ways away from them at the same time, and Bopsheezi pushes toward it excitedly. However, Texas Jedi smiles once more and Bopsheezi’s sword flies into Bopsheezi, slamming into him and impaling him! Bopsheezi draws his sword out of his own chest, tosses Texas Jedi’s sword away, and begins to float back toward Texas Jedi. In response, Texas Jedi pushes off towards his sword, out of reach of Bopsheezi’s sword, and retrieves it with Bopsheezi barely behind him! It’s a game of chase! After a moment of building up momentum by continuously pushing off diamonds, Texas Jedi retrieves his saber, catches a nearby diamond, and pushes it in Bopsheezi’s direction! Bopsheezi turns slightly and manages to glance the diamond off his shoulder instead of colliding directly with it. Bopsheezi catches up to Texas Jedi and swings his mighty sword with all his strength, but Texas Jedi manages to stop the swing just barely with a saber as the saber he used to block Bopsheezi’s strike slowly fries his own shoulder, dealing some minor damage. Texas Jedi swings his other saber and Bopsheezi catches it by angling his blade to partially block it! Bopsheezi breaks out of the sword lock with Texas Jedi’s saber and slashes at Texas Jedi! Texas Jedi takes the hit and stabs Bopsheezi with both sabers, holding them there with all his strength! Bopsheezi groans, draws back his sword, and rams it into Texas Jedi, serving him back in kind! Texas Jedi pulls back from Bopsheezi and slashes at Bopsheezi’s head with each saber, connecting with each! Both fighters are panting hard at this point! Bopsheezi swings overhead at Texas Jedi, and Texas Jedi uses both of his sabers to stop Bopsheezi’s strike cold, but both fighters are now locked together once more! Bopsheezi pushes off a diamond behind him and knees Texas Jedi in the chest! Texas Jedi floats backward somewhat, and he throws a saber a Bopsheezi! It slashes Bopsheezi and go careening off to the side. Bopsheezi floats back away from Texas Jedi and behind another diamond, while Texas Jedi retrieves his saber and waits patiently for Bopsheezi to show himself. Bopsheezi peeks around the diamond, spies Texas Jedi, and starts pushing away from him as fast as possible. Texas Jedi uses the nearby diamonds to push up towards the ceiling, floating upwards in an attempt to keep Bopsheezi in his sight. Bopsheezi continues to pick up speed as he tries to get away from Texas Jedi, but Texas Jedi is able to keep up, but as Texas Jedi dives down to follow Bopsheezi, he loses sight of Bopsheezi. Bopsheezi grabs onto a nearby diamond and catches his breath while Texas Jedi makes his way to the nearby border of the arena. Texas Jedi climbs the wall and looks around for Bopsheezi. Bopsheezi, after resting, notices Texas Jedi and speeds off towards him, this time ready for another engagement. Texas Jedi sees Bopsheezi and jumps over him and back into the maze of diamonds. Upon reaching the wall, Bopsheezi turns and once more begins pushing diamonds, causing even more chaos around Texas Jedi! The diamond Texas Jedi was hiding behind is slammed into by another diamond, knocking him free and sending him spinning! He spies Bopsheezi and hides behind another diamond, looking to catch his own breath. Bopsheezi slowly explores the remains of the arena, looking for Texas Jedi, as Texas Jedi drops to the bottom of the arena and looks for Bopsheezi that way. Texas Jedi picks his way along the bottom of the arena and squints as he momentarily spies Bopsheezi several hundred feet above him before Bopsheezi disappears behind another diamond. Texas Jedi climbs the wall next to him and pushes off, chasing after Bopsheezi, who is slowly making his way towards the ceiling. Before he can get too close, though, Bopsheezi notices the moving diamonds and spins around, back straight against the ceiling and eyes peeled for any sign of Texas Jedi. Time seems to slow to a crawl for a moment as nobody dares to even breathe… All of a sudden, Bopsheezi jumps forward and pushes a diamond in front of him, looking to force Texas Jedi out of hiding! One of the diamonds that were launched as a result of Bopsheezi’s interference glances off Texas Jedi, and in response, Texas Jedi pushes the diamonds back towards Bopsheezi! Bopsheezi manages to stop the diamond somewhat before it hits him by blocking with his sword. Bopsheezi slides “down” the ceiling coming out from underneath the diamond that came flying at him, and Texas Jedi launches himself over the diamond, brandishing his sabers! In response, Bopsheezi holds his sword out in front of him and pushes off the ceiling, slamming into Texas Jedi and sending them into a close-quarters grapple! [i]Continued below...[/i]