Everyone by now knows Yuri and Edge and the antics they can cause. Outfighting them is possible, outsmarting them is possible, but doing both and winning your fight is nearly impossible.
Like any problem, it can be beaten if you break it down into pieces.
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Edge was easily handled. "Easily." It's amazing what having a small army of loyal knights can do. Borus walks up to Edge a day before the fight and insults Rydia, the claws come out (literally), Roland, Leo, and Percival jump in. Edge is good, but battling four of the Zexen Knights is insanely tough for him. A hail of Fumas and a barrage of catclaw physicals don't do more than keep him alive against the pressing attack. The knights had picked the fight in a narrow, poorly lit hallway near the back of the arena. The perfect place for one man to fight off several at one time.
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Many theories about why Edge has been so successful in general troublemaking in the DL have been proposed. Everything from a burning desire to win to hormones to a complete disregard for conquences have all been proposed. Is it that? Some of it. The real reason?
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Sure, it took the use of some highly illegal hidden weapondry, including blowing a TimeEclipse scroll to finally freaking kill Percival, but Edge had managed to at least fight the four Zexen Knights to a bloody draw.
Chris stepped out from the shadows in the back of the hallway where the fight had taken place. She looked suitably impressed- a single man had managed to avoid getting killed by four of her best troops. She walked up to Edge and stuck out her hand. "Congratulations on a good fight; not many men can claim to have fought some of the Zexen Knights to a draw. That was a most enjoyable display of martial skills."
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All of the above reasons were true, but one truth overshadows all that. In the DL, Edge is immortal. The man who attacked the elemental fiend of fire (With fire), hit on women who had tactical nuclear grade attack magic when he feared getting looked at sideways by a magic spell, and who had the time of his life in a ninja castle in the ruins of second moon that had literally thousands of traps.. this man had been placed in an environment where he couldn't be permanently killed and had literally all the time in the world to do what he wanted. An environment where you were rewarded for beating your foes in the most traumatic way possible, a world decidated to countless fighters battling for glory nonstop?
Is it at all surprising- that he would try to have as much 'fun' as possible? Where else could he align himself with a lord of time, a demonic godslayer -and- a perverted band of misfits who's idea of a good time was to beat the living hell out of Zidane?
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Edge was stunned by Chris's words. No, the fight had no subtle context or meaning. She had been watching her men while doing some mental preparations for her fight with Yuri, and decided to not step in. It was just a fight, nothing more. What was this woman on? She watched several of her allies jump him, and then congratulated him on a good fight after he fought them to a draw?!?!?! No hard feelings? NOTHING ELSE, JUST THAT?!!?!?!?!
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What would be more effective against such a man than a simple olive branch and boring, peaceful words? No drama, no endless fighting and drama stretched out over the seasons.
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He didn't even look twice at Chris or her outstretched hand. Edge left in the opposite direction of the arena, muttering about going to go take a nap and having a headache.
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Once Edge had wandered off, Chris waved her hand towards the shadow- where Yuri Volte Hyuga, Godslayer and master of the Seraphic Radiance had stood watching silently. Chris's words got to the heart of the matter with the same directness that had served her so well in her military career.
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"If I can stop Edge outside of the arena without drawing a weapon or pissing him off beyond belief, what can I do to you in the arena under SL? Mmm, options."
Yuri's forfeit followed shortly after.
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Breaking down large problems into small ones is the job of a good stratgiest. Roland's all expenses paid trip to Ivoire for solving the Edge/Yuri problem had been well earned.
