The repairs didn't take long at all, and she'd gotten faster with the maintenance. Within around thirty minutes of her last match, Tomoe is back at the layers, looking for another opponent. Any opponent. Once more, Chimera is draped over her arm, wrist and hand, his chest resting on her open palm, his forelimbs dangling down on either side of her fingers. It's a bit obvious that she's looking for an opponent - maybe she'll have another quick turn of luck, and someone will approach and challenge her.

And approach someone does. Seishiro, dressed somewhat peculiarly, taps the underclassman on the shoulder and utters a polite "Pardon me." He'd gotten a call from the bakery he worked at over the summer asking him to come in and provide an extra pair of hands for a little while, and so had been late arriving at the tournament. He considered himself most fortunate that they had let him in at all. "Inugata-san. Are you looking for an opponent? If so, I'd be more than happy to fill that need."

Again, with the tapping on the shoulder. Tomoe jerks back slight, but manages to nod to Eisaku's friend. "Deal." His words were polite and flowing, hers were abrupt and cold. Ah, so it is. Regardless, she immediately turns to find an empty layer and, seeing one, makes her way over to it. Without looking back to Higashiyama-san, she takes a seat, then picks up a headset and quickly and carefully lowers it in place. She's obviously quite ready for the match.

Seishiro, having grown accustomed to Tomoe's antisocial manner, doesn't even bat an eyelash. Nor does he attempt to engage her in conversation as he would other opponents. He takes the empty seat across the Layer from her, puts on his own headset, and prepares his Angel for entry. "Good luck to us both," he says cheerfully. "I'm likely to need it."

Tomoe merely nods in response, her attention turned towards the layer. It takes a moment for a random scenery to settle in and, when it does, Tomoe's eye twitches a bit. It's . . . a pillow. A giant, pink, fluffy pillow. . . . Whatever, moving on. "A warrior's flesh tonight. Chimera, fall in." With that, Tomoe tosses Chimera towards the silly excuse for a layer. As he passes through the layer barrier, the beast goes a bit limp - it's not like he's going to land on anything hard, after all. And so, he collapses into the plushy fluff, his weight saving him from the silliness of a bounce. He has some trouble in standing on the too-soft surface, but does manage to find his feet, his claws and talons cutting into the fabric a little as he moves..

Seishiro responds to the Layer scenery with a little chuckle and a shake of his head. Quite an ironic setting for a clash between such severe Angels. But on to business. "Honor guide thy sword and thy spirit be indomitable," he intones melodramatically, holding Jou up before him. "Jou!" A flick of the wrist casts the Angel towards the Layer, rather more delicately than his opponent. As the Angel passes through the barrier he twists around to get his feet beneath him. Hitting the pillow bent-kneed, he flows with the bounce, putting a little more force into it and turns a somersault through the air before coming to rest a little nearer Chimera. The warrior drops into an offensive stance, modified somewhat from his usual to get better footing on the unstable surface. One hand takes hold of the bundle at his waist and the ribbon explodes away from the sword and flutters in an imaginary wind..

As soon as Jou enters the layer, Chimera begins to move. The beast is careful, attempting to adjust to the inbalance of the walking surface. On a reasonable ground, it would be a slow, stalking motion. On this ridiculousness, the beast moves with a wobbly stance, barely managing to avoid flumping down into the pillow. It's far from intimidating. It's actually rather pathetic. That single wing is held out, pulled back and forward on a few steps, helping the beast maintain his balance. Only two heads watch Jou . . . the serpent head is too busy watching Chimera's own footfalls. If the warrior can overcome the silly layer, he may just have an advantage.

Much like his foe, Jou is very careful about his footing, attempting to wind a loose spiral around Chimera, both drawing nearer to the center. Fortunately, the warrior Angel's lighter weight and preternatural grace afford him easier passage over the unstable surface. Adjusting quickly, he runs the last few steps to bring him within striking distance. The nodachi flashes out of its saya and towards one of Chimera's legs in attempt to stagger him further.

The attack lands rather well, the blade cutting into fur and flesh and causing Chimera to topple over a bit. His balance lost, the beast flaps his heavy wing harshly into the pillow, an attempt to pull himself to his feet. It works, but only barely - and every bit of Chimera's being is spent on regaining his footing. Lucky, lucky Jou.

Success. Jou does not wait for the beast to regain its footing before moving in for another attack, stronger this time since the first one seemed so effective. Both hands grip the hilt this time and the blade makes a full circle in the air before bearing down on Chimera. If he keeps the beast on the defensive, maybe thing will actually work out in his favor,

The slash cuts deep into Chimera's flesh, but it is met with a sudden jet of black, corrosive, sticky goo. The stuff hisses in the air and eats into whatever it touches. While the blow does push Chimera into the pillow by a little bit, this time, the beast manages to avoid loosing his footing. In fact, that single wing beats down, helping to push the beast upwards. The cervid head ducks and twists, swinging that massive rack of antlers towards Jou's face.

Having faced this particular foe before, Jou knows to avoid the corosive fluid that flows through its, for lack of a better term, veins. He ducks to one side, neatly evading the spray, but it does not carry him out of range of the headbutt. Unable to get his footing in time to dodge, he brings the nodachi up to block, bracing against the flat of the blade with the palm of his free hand. The ring of steel is followed by a sharp hiss as he pushes aside the antlers. Not wishing to lose momentum, or the opening presented him, he rushes back in to deliver a fierce upward slash to Chimera's side.

As soon as those antlers strike steel, Chimera's wing folds inward. He can't really get the footing neaded for a proper leaps, so his claws rip and tear at the fabric below, opening up a nice little down-filled gorge to duck into. The movement brings the beast well out of way of Jou's strike. However, no sooner as Chimera descended into the fluff, than he pushes through it again, right at the warrior's feet. Claws and talons rip through the pillow shell, aimed to strike Jou's legs.

Now that's a tactic Seishiro was not expecting, and it goes over quite well. Jou tries to leap aside at the last moment, but the pillow does not provide enough resistance for proper push. Claws shred the legs of his pants and bite into his calves before he manages to roll aside. Springing to his feet somewhat shakily, he backpedals away from Chimera, putting some distance between himself and the beast to allow himself a moment to analyze the situation.

Chimera bursts forth fully from the pillow, sending up a cloud of fluffy white feathers. Several are stuck in his own fur and feathers, as well. The wing gives a powerful beat, helping to send the beast a little further before setting foot on that treacherous surface again. It's enough - in three more lumbering, wobbly bounds, Chimera closes the distance to the warrior, drawing back that heavy forepaw for a powerful swipe.

This attack is easier to predict than the last one, and Jou intercepts it with the nodachi's saya, driving the blade home as he brings it up. The force pushes him back across the satin surface and he uses the momentum of the blow to back up even further. This is suddenly going very badly and he needs to come up with a plan.

As soon as the claw is blocked, the stag-like head swerves around, immediately sending those savage antlers towards Jou. Chimera's attack is relentless, pushing, refusing to let up - they may not be the most powerful moves in the beasts arsenal, but they're enough to harry the warrior, at least.

Dropping low, much like his typical attack stance, Jou gives himself a bit of added stability to aid in his defense. As the antlers careen towards him, he slides his rearmost foot backwards, his front leg extending out almost straight as he nears the ground. The attack passes over him, just barely clipping his shoulder, and the warrior responds instantly. The sword flashes out of its saya once more, both hands driving it towards the now exposed neck.

The strike lands well, cutting deeply into the cervid neck. Chimera doesn't miss a single step - even as the blade bites into the flesh of the stag-neck, the central and serpentine head open their mouths wide. A sudden blast of intense, quick-burning fire erupts from the central maw, and more of that black corrosive stuff is empties out of the serpentine jaws.

Even as the attack begins, Jou charges headlong into it. The fire scorches clothing and flesh alike, and the acid hisses and bubbles against his armor, and he just forces his way through it. His blade moves frightening fast, striking over and over. It's his one last chance and he throws his all into it, though Seishiro knows it's far from enough to win it at this point.

The strikes land, but Chimera seems to pay them little mind. He's more interested in finishing off his prety than protecting his own skin. And so, as Jou pushes in with the attack, Chimera lunges again, all three of those vicious maws opening wide, the plunging forward to bite.

Determined to keep going, Jou tries duck around the oncoming frenzy. And he might have made it too, but he's already pushed himself far beyond his limits. Before he can get out of the way it catches up to him and his body goes limp a second before all three mouths close around him. Seishiro winces and looks away as the life gage plummets and the match-end buzzer sounds. It's over.

Tomoe watches the layer for a moment, even after Jou has gone down. Over, indeed, and a bit too easily. There's a slight shake of her head, and she turns off the headset, then quickly slips it off. Without a word, she stands, then plucks Chimera up from the layer, looking him over. She nods in Seishiro's direction, then walks off, examining her little beastie. If nothing else, this constant fighting would help her maintenance time, and perhaps improve her own endurance.

Seishiro sighs, removing his headset slowly and shaking out his hair. That was unfortunately quick. Apparently he's just not at his best today. Whatever the reason, he lost, and he didn't even put up that great a fight. Oh well. Maybe by the time he's gotten Jou fixed and ready for another match he'll be ready himself on an emotional level. Sigh. Stand up, take his Angel from the Layer, pick up his bag and he leaves the Layer behind, empty for the next person that needs it.