Gracie and Hake Meet

Gracie grinned at him as she looked up to face him, and said "Man, you can be really stupid sometimes, you know that?" As she then leapt up, placing a hand around the back of his neck, and pressing a kiss to his lips! As soon as she did, however, hoping that he would be stunned, she retrieved her knife, and attempted once again to slash his gut!

His expression turns serious when she leaps, preparing a counter attack but that's quickly interrupted when she presses her lips against his, his eyes comedically swirling, he expected a surprise but not to this extent. "?!" He blushes wildly but that doesn't last as his gut gets slashed critically, causing him to stumble back a bit with a loud grunt. However... he still stands and regains his light smile, gazing back at her with a look of resolution, his stomach, flank, and hand bleeding. Hake closes his eyes. "I'm not the fool you think I am, in fact I welcomed to see what you had under your sleeve for the final time. I admit it exceeded my expectations, but the scheming ends here."

His face turns grimace after that last statement, his hair flowing a bit, static electricity sparking around his body. He extends his right hand out with his palm opened, a ball of electricity growing on it.

"I'll heed your request and not hold back any longer. Now, prepare for judgement!"

With that statement, he closes his hand tightly and crushes the ball, an overcharged bolt of lightning strikes Gracie. Dealing Heavy Damage, the electricity seeps all throughout her body which causes her to suffer paralysis.

Soon as Gracie dropped to all fours, he begins to rapid fire Light sparks of electricity onto her with the same palm. Continuously doing this until she either goes unconscious or does an action.

Gracie began to struggle beneath his constant barrage of lightning bolts, however, she was not out of it just yet, growling lowly as she took each strike, smirking to herself as she muttered "Thank you.... You're really helping me out here~ Keep it going!"

"You still stand...?" Hake says with a puzzled expression, he lowers his eyelids at what she said, it could mean several things but he takes no chances. He squats and bends forward slightly, grabbing onto the hilt of his katana with his right hand before he immediately slashes forward with it. Standing behind her with the katana in his hand, still in the posture that he just sliced something.

Gracie laughed at Hake's surprised reaction to her durability, and when he tries to slash her with his katana, she rolls out of the way, and lunges back at him far faster than she had at any point in the fight prior to this, getting in behind him, as she covered his mouth with her free hand, and drove her knife into the small of his back with her other hand! "Just go down... It's best for both of us darling~"

Hake's eyes widen, someone faster than him?! That thought rang loudly in his mind. He exclaims: "What?!" He attempts to turn around but even he doesn't have the time for that as Gracie has begun digging her knife into his back with her hand over his mouth. He quickly shakes off the feeling of surprise and whacks her with his elbow heavily, attempting to get her grip off him.

Gracie let out a sharp grunt as he elbowed her in the ribcage, sucking in a deep breath of air as she grinned "Come on... I thought you were meant to be stronger than this!" She taunted, twisting the knife in his back, as she delivered a hard kick to the back of his knees, forcing him to drop to the floor

Gracie grinned down at him as she watched his reaction to the sudden change in pace, as she pulled her knife from the wound, allowing his blood to spill, before delivering a hard kick to the back of his head, and following through with it, forcing his face into the ground! However, she could feel her body start to reach its limit, and, with a renewed sense of urgency, she dropped down beside Hake, wearing a disarming smile as she said "Don't make me hurt you anymore... I can't bear to see a pretty face like yours in pain~"

Hake stops immediately after the first slash, all three images looking down at her while panting in sync. The three images start to whir and they combine back into one complete Hakesura. He takes a step back as his green aura etches off him like burning paper, digging his katana into the ground to regain his footing. After resting he shakes his head and sighs, sheathing his blade before he slams it down to his side before sitting beside Gracie's unconscious body with crossed legs, his hands on his knees.

"Gracie, you are the most unique opponent--No... individual I have encountered. You have shown I still have much to learn, and for that I thank you."

Hake places his hand on her head for a bit before he puts it back on his knee, closing his eyes before meditating; attempting to bring his aura back as soon as he can. He expects Maxwell and Blaze to come back quickly and treat Gracie.

"Is unique all that I get?" Gracie mumbled, rolling onto her back with a grin "You're not half bad yourself." She said, making a concerted effort to make her way back up to her feet, swaying a little as she did, but standing all the same. "I have a break now anyway. You're the one that I'm more worried about." She said, as she began to make her way out of the arena "Coming?"

Hake's eyes immediately open when she speaks, confusion smeared on his eyes with one brow raised up. He watches her get back on her feet, looking up at her with a concerned expression before closing his eyes with a light smile. Standing up shortly after with his katana before following along. "No need to worry, these wounds are light work for the medics here."

Gracie grinned at Hake as he spoke, shaking her head a little as she said "We'll see about that... Now we just need to find Blaze." After which, she walked in silence, each word causing her to wince in pain, until she found Blaze, at which point, she said "He won.... But I almost had him." Before once again dropping down to one knee, chuckling to herself as she said "Whew.... Good thing I have a break. I'll be fine, just exhausted..."

As Gracie and Hake stepped through the vomitorium into the first room that was there, they would find Blaze and a heavily suppressed Nikhil, looking up at the a screen displaying what was happening in the arena. When Nikhil saw Hake, he rushed up to him, preparing a bed as he said "Lay down on your stomach. You will be back to normal in no time." Of course, Nikhil was currently wearing a doctor's labcoat, a facemask, as well as his eye mask, in order to completely hide his identity, as he got to work on Hake's stab wound, holding his hand over the wound, and closing his eyes, letting his aura surge towards the wound and assist in accelerating the healing process, beginning to close the wound up.

He does as the doc asks, laying on his front while he seals up his wounds. Hake staring at Blaze while the operation occurs. "Her mental gymnastics and sudden surge in power took me by surprise, but yes it was nonetheless a difficult battle."

Gracie meanwhile made her way into a seat, letting out a soft grunt with the effort as she did, chuckling to herself as she said "Mental gymnastics? I'd hardly call a bit of strategy mental gymnastics, but you do you."

Blaze grinned at Hake as he said so, shaking his head slightly as he said "Come on, old friend. You do know I saw everything that happened, right?" He said, gesturing to the screen once again "So when did this become a thing?" He said, as he sent a message to Maxwell's streamer, telling him to come and join them

Hake looks at where he gestured and looks taken aback, blushing lightly but he retains his serious demeanor. "Ah, you've... the wrong idea, it's not what you think."

Gracie laughed a little as she looked towards the screen, but it turned into a smirk at Hake's answer, and she raised an eyebrow as she turned to face him "Is that so? Then, what is the right idea?"

Hake looks over at Gracie, taking a bit to reply. After a few seconds he speaks: "We--" But then something interrupts him.

The double doors to the room slam opened, a Maxwell with his arms spread out can be seen, grinning widely, staring forward ahead at the four in the room. Shouting: "Goooooooooooood morning, SCOA!"