He takes the bait, setting up to parry.

- And her chain snaps out, her feinting arm becoming a support for it, directing and controlling it as it ensnares his main hand and weapon -

The dull thud of the weight hitting his forearm is probably second in importance to the leverage this gives her, though it might make him drop his sword even before she can knock him all the way off balance. 

He fumbles, but makes an admirable attempt to recover, bringing his offhand up while trying to untwist the chain.

Yeah, not gonna work. 

She uses the leverage she has to pull him - and steps in, lashes out with her rapier with the same motion. Either he'll end up on the floor (the usual outcome when Aiglamene makes Ortus spar with her) or her rapier is going to dart into the nice opening she's creating. 

It hits-

"-Victory to the Ninth!" Phoe calls, only slightly belated.

God damn she's fast.

She'll help Magnus untangle her chain. 

He takes his defeat in good humor. "That was quite a show," he compliments her.

"Thanks."

"You've got better balance than my usual opponents, honestly." (Her usual opponents being skeletons, a one-legged octogenarian, an anemic nerd, and Ortus.)

"I'll take my victories where I can get them," he chuckles. "I'm only sorry I couldn't let you show off longer."

She laughs, too. "Probably best you didn't. If our guard captain heard I'd been showing off instead of fighting, she wouldn't let me leave the training ground for a week."

"Sounds like quite a fierce character, this guard captain of yours."

That gets him another small laugh. "She was a Cohort drill instructor for a bit - got to Captain before she retired, but honestly I think she liked yelling at recruits best."

"Impressive. None of my teachers were ever quite so decorated. But then, I was never training seriously to become a cavalier."

" - Why not??"

"I didn't have much talent as a boy. Better at administrative tasks, so that's where I made my career. I married Abigail, and eventually she ascended and took me with her. So I guess you could say I cavalier pri-married."

Blink blink, then snort. "Well, if you want more practice, while you're here's a good time."

He smiles. "So it is, so it is."

Meanwhile, off to the sidelines:

"The rapier's just for show, she's not a duelist," Naberia quietly comments to Phaedelia. "The chain's her main weapon here. Uses that two-hander when she really needs a sword, I'd say."

"Values practicality over appearances, too - that two-hander's a Cohort weapon, not something most'd think proper for a cavalier. But this is the first time she's brought her rapier out." Thoughtful frown.

"Hasn't been saddled down with bags of bone, either. Reverend Daughter's turning over a new leaf for the Ninth, maybe."

"Or digging up a very old leaf." 

"Either way."

"I could take her."

"Set up more serious matches after this one?"

She hums. "Clav to sac, four of five in my favor, easy. Chain's as hard to use as it is to defend against, which is why you don't see it. She'll have set patterns for her attacks. Bait those out and it's just attrition from there. Or sacrifice an arm or offhand to pin the chain and beat her blade to blade. With more open rules... I'd want the breaker, I think. Or the net. And it'd be closer to an even chance."