Ice Fangs, Hot Blood! (Private)

Sugary was surprised that Odette willingly hugged him given her usual nature, especially when she now wore very little over her tempered body which he could feel up close against his. The ear whisper being both shy sounding yet temptingly wanting more of it. In response, he hugged her back gently as well, speaking softly in return. "... I don't know. Isabelle is resting upstairs, and Venus seemed content just staying out to read... I have no orders for you either, but there's not a whole lot I've got planned for today for myself..." He then thought to himself "Aside from spending time with just Venus... ... ... Would Odette want...? Can't assume with just a hug..." and then he spoke. "... Really, it's up to you. I'm still up for requests of course."

Odette sighed as she was hugged back, maintaining her relatively tight grip around his body. "Requests? How about a challenge?" She asked, looking into his eyes. "We fight a little duel, and whoever wins determines what we do next?"

He perked up in place, looking right back at her with interest. "A duel, huh? You could've just made the request, but still you wanna fight me over it?" He smiled and chuckled, before grinning gingerly. "You're on! Name your terms."

"Winner takes all. Swords and armour only." She giggled and grinned back. "That is to say Milord, that the winner has control over the loser for... one day."

His expression almost instantly turned plain as he recalled being in a similar situation with Isabelle before. He was beginning to expect a similar outcome already as he slowly pulled away from the embrace. "... You really are Isabelle's friend. Made the similar kind of bet with me when we met..." Soon the grin returned. "Choose the battleground. I'll get my gear then."

"Of course I am... and I love a good challenge," she smirked as he pulled away. "Oh, well, how about the street outside? It's nice and close. I'll be waiting, don't be too long, ok?"

"... Right up front? We might get unwanted attention, but so be it." He bowed lightly to her, and made his preparations as needed, going back to his room to go get the Inventory Bag and equip his gear as needed elsewhere... assuming Isabelle didn't wake up just yet...

"Eh, I think it would be a good show for anyone watching." She bowed back and walked off, summoning her armour and her sword. She stood in the street, sword drawn and waiting.

Isabelle watched him from the bed, smiling drowsily at him.

Sugary looked towards Isabelle as he was about to leave, and saw her staring. He smiled and chuckled as he moved closer to her and kissed her lips while stroking her mane gently. "Hey there~... Garuda challenged me to another match. Waiting outside. Loser gets told what to do for a day... Bet it sounds familiar to you, don't it~?" Another kiss, a stroke to her cheek, and he left the room, changing himself to his crimson armor but wielding no weapon yet.

As he appeared before Odette from his opposing side however, he extended his arm, and with a bit of magic, conjured a blunt blade of ice with a guard pommel that he then posed with as he placed the blade close to his chest and between his eyes. "... Ready..."

Isabelle kissed back sleepily and smirked. "You better be careful, Odette will play to win... and yes, yes it does, though I just can't place where..." she giggled and curled up, waving goodbye.

Odette faced off against him, sword moving to guard position. "After you Milord," she purred, blade flashing in the sun.

He waited... and felt the moment to move was when the moonlight reflected off her blade towards him. He advanced, one hand placed below the blade as he angled it downwards, intending to go for a jab hit at her leg armor with accuracy, while preparing for a likely counter.

Odette caught his blade with hers, moving so fast it was not clear what had happened for a moment. Without wasting motion, she reversed her blade and sliced upwards towards his arm.

"So fast...!" he thought, barely having any time to react at what was now a more serious attempt on her part compared to their first fight. However, there was a purpose for the angle, and it was to prevent the weapon from being deflected upwards easily. Though he staggered, he'd try to deflect her upwards strike with the pommel guard and try to exploit an opening... if he was fast enough...

Odette darted backwards, her speed meaning that his retaliatory strike missed her entirely. Almost instantly, she leaped forward again, sword aimed for his same arm. If that attack was deflected, she would spin and strike at his chest.

He missed! And once again he barely had any time to keep up, deflecting her blade just barely, followed by a more sluggish effort to counter the chest strike... But with her speed, the only apparent choice he had was to go head to head, and strike for her own chest as well to try for a draw, or getting her to hesitate...

He managed to deflect her blade, and for a moment, his strike almost struck her chest before she recovered, spinning out of the way of his sword. Launching a fresh attack, she moved slower this time, though the blow aimed at his side would have a decent amount of strength behind it.

As the battle went on, he realized just how much of a disadvantage he was at without further relying on magic and other items. He was already stretching it with a magical sword, but he refused to go beyond the conditions of only swords and armor. Getting her to drop her guard was a chore, however.

This time, instead of trying to just parry, he rolled downwards along with the direction of the incoming strike with the extra force behind it, using the blade to take the blow instead of his arm as he moved to get a bit of distance from her as he tried to use the momentum to get back up.

Odette snorted as he blade was deflected, leaping over him and landing behind him as he rose, blade darting out towards his chest. It would, however, seem slower than her previous strikes.

Had the attack not have been slower, he'd likely have been hit this time. Instead, he very barely managed to parry as he turned and pushed against her blade. "That was too close...! Did she hesitate?"

Odette took in a deep breath and lunged again, spiralling passed him if her attacke missed. Almost immediately, she would lunge at him, repeating this process again and again.

A storm was forming around Sugary, and he was right in the eye of the storm as Odette danced around him. However, he was an adaptive sort in battle, and with each lunge, he parried and let the speed and force of her blows move him as he blocked time and again, keeping his balance well.

The problem was getting a good counter-chance, and so he took a gamble by trying to throw her off with her own momentum, at the possible loss of his own. With another strike his way, he spread his legs, lowered his height a bit, and held the blade firmly with both arms, trying to force her next blow straight downwards as he used his weight and blade to do so from above.

Odette growled as he continued to catch and deflect her blade. She squeaked as he set himself, his tactic working and throwing her off balance. She stumbled and spun, panting heavily as she faced him.

He had only one chance as he almost lost grip of his blade after the fast blow with one hand barely holding the pommel still, nearly stumbling down himself. Or rather, he was about to stumble down, and tried to make the most of it by extending and swinging his arm towards her to get a strike upon her as he fell on his face.

Odette tried to dodge, but her speed was drained and his blade barely scraped her helm, an almost bell like ring echoing from it, before he struck the ground. "Most impressive," she said, kneeling down in front of him.

Sugary saw a weak hit, and felt a weak hit, but whether it was really decisive for Odette or not was another matter as he hurried back onto his knee, only to find her kneeling instead. He watched her cautiously from beneath the helmet, gripping the weapon fully again. "Impressive...? So you count that as a point then? Does this mean there's more, or...?"