Season 23, Week 3
Judecca
(Wild Arms 2)
 
It's the ultimate example of gun vs. sword this week in Middle, as our favorite bespectacled, gun-wielding maniac has moved on to the quarterfinals. After taking down fellow maniac Joachim (this one in masked vigilante form), he faces now faces the famed mercenary Gerik. His opponent is a bit more down to earth, but that might not really matter. Gerik will have to hack, hack, hack away at Judecca's impressive health reserves while the Cocytus member gunslings in return with Sidewinder and Miriam, along with other shiny firearms. All Judecca has to do is ask himself "What Would Indiana Do?" and victory will be his.

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Though beating up fair lady L'Arachel wasn't a pleasing task forbrave hero Gerik, it's all behind him as he focuses on the next task at hand. With sword and axe in hand, Gerik now faces Judecca, a sly member of Cocytus with a penchant for trickery and deceit. But evil and dark intentions can not take down a true hero! Judecca's gunnery is lacking in finesse, meaning that our agile and cunning hero will be able to easily dodge and outmaneuver the slow, clunky Cocytus member. With a few skillful swordstrokes, the legendary hero Gerik will prove once more the superiority of justice and truth against the forces of evil!


SageAcrin
"Ugh!" Gerik cried, as a blast from Judecca's Miriam caught him in the shoulder.

"You know, it really is a bit of a pity." Judecca said, grinning.

"Your range with those silly primitive weapons is so...much less than mine with guns. I suppose I should have taken pity on you, really, but why? It's much more fun this way." Judecca said, laughing.

"I won't give up!" Gerik yelled, slashing at Judecca. The hit was relatively minor, though, and, worse, the swing left Gerik offbalance.

"Haaahahahahaa, you shall die now, f-..." Judecca said, trailing off as a bright light shone from one side of the arena.

And sliced through the wall, as a screaming Zidane rode a massive wave of energy, smashing down Judecca where he stood, and blasted clean up into the nearby stands.

"..." Gerik said, his jaw droping and his hair smouldering from the close shave with the Megaflare.

---

"Hmph, less than that fool deserved." Auron said, watching the light dwindle.

"Hey, Yuna, what...what happened to your dress!?" Tidus half-yelled, as he walked into the arena. "And why is Bahamut here? Did something happen?"

"No, I'm fine, just a little problem with...um..." "A little problem with Zidane." Auron said.

"...Zidane!? He came after you? That's it, I'm going to beat him to a pulp!" Tidus said, vaulting over the arena edge and running towards the hole, Caladbolg in hand.

"...Why'd you go and tell him that?" Yuna said, sighing. "Because the fool deserved more. Like I said." Auron said, taking a swig from the jug on his belt.

---

"Mmmm...steal...shiny weapons...ummm...mmmm, shiny women..." Zidane mumbled in his sleep, drooling.

"Get off me you idiot!" Judecca said, kicking Zidane off of him.

"It's bad enough that you're responsible for me getting hurt this badly and losing that match, but I'll be damned if I let you sleep on me! Or sleep at all!" Judecca finished, shooting Zidane in the face despite his heavy injuries.

"Augh! What...what's going..." Zidane screamed, his voice by-now hoarse, but...amazingly, still able to become concious.

"Save your strength." Caina said, staring down at Zidane.

"We'll deal with him." Ptolomea said, kicking him hard in the ribs.

"You will wish you had never incurred the wrath of Cocytus, you fool!" Vinsfeld said grimly, as he walked up to the scene.

"...eep." Zidane said in a fetching soprano, backing up against a nearby seat and cringing.

"Wait." A feminine voice said.

"Here." Garnet leaned over Zidane, smiling softly and healing his wounds.

"Thank you, Dagger." Zidane said, feeling hope for the first time since Edge had grabbed him.

"Oh, don't thank me yet." She said, still smiling, as she turned and walked off. "Between you nearly killing me-I was sitting in the middle of this blast pattern you're laying in- and what you did to Yuna's dress, I don't really think you should thank me. I just healed you so they could make you suffer longer."

"You better save some for me, you four!" Tidus yelled, running up with his blade in hand.

"...I...should have stayed in be-ugh!" He managed to say, before the 4D Hypno Blast, Ptolomea Dynomite, Incur My Wrath and Miriam blasted him skywards.

A blast that was helped by Tidus performing a midair Blitz Ace upon him, and finishing by spiking him up into an upper arena at an angle, to shear through to yet another in-progress battle...

Judecca: 15
Gerik: 25