Description: A public appearance by Benimaru turns into one fight -- and then another, as a Shadaloo Doll seeks to build the notoriety of her class of super-soldier. But is she outmatched by the electrifying fighter in front of her...?
What's all this going on? Well, it seemed that Benimaru's little display at the mall got someone else's attention too! All that electricity! One of the local fighters called Benimaru out-- stage tricks, he claimed. Special effects and opponents who were paid to throw their matches. Of all of the accusations, what pissed him off the most? The accusation that he'd won under less than honorable means. So right there, right then, Benimaru challenged the guy to a fight.
It didn't go well for the accusatory blowhard. Benimaru was just too fast for the dude to keep up with. There's also the fact that he can control electricity! So yeah. They went a couple of rounds, Beni let him get in a few hits, pretended to to be hurt... and then sent the guy to the mat with a quick application of the Benimaru Collider.
Once it's over and the guy doesn't look like he's getting back up-- a glance proved that Mr. Accusatory Blowhard is indeed still breathing-- Benimaru pulls one of his trademark poses. "Don't hate me for my power," he drawls. "It's so hard to be so talented."
Unfortunately, Benimaru's little display has attracted the attention of those with some slightly darker designs. The low-grade exhibition matches don't draw quite the international attention that a Saturday Night Fight does, but they do build a smaller, darker legend -- one of hushed whispers about red gauntlets and blue bodysuits, one of fear and mystery alike.
The next one to stride up to the stage is young -- no older than sixteen -- and clad in the classic deep blue bodysuit of the Dolls. She wears a katana at her side, though it appears to be locked in its sheath... for the moment.
"Maneuvers... irregular, but powerful," she says, calmly -- perhaps more than calmly, /flatly/. "Requesting demonstration. Will provide adequate opposition." She punctuates that sentence with a quick glance toward the previous opponent. She knows what she's implying.
One hand rests neatly on the pommel of her blade; the other is already ready to drop into stance, as she watches Benimaru as carefully as she can.
Also unfortunate? Beni has no idea what that bodysuit means. He sees nothing more than an attractive female with a nice body in a very nice bodysuit. This is probably going to be a bad thing for him. However, he is oblivious to the real danger he's in.
As she speaks he turns in her direction and tilts his head. "Why hello there, 'hani'~." At the mention of his maneuvers being irregular, he gives one of those smirks and notes, "Oh, there's a certain rhythm to the way I move. It might be hard to pick up though." Nope. Bad Beni. Too young. Dammit, why are all the girls he's met in this town still in school? Aren't there any adults around? Geez!
Anyway.
He does note the mechanical tone to her voice. And also the sword at her side. Head still tilted, he sizes her up. If she's this serious, she probably takes her fighting serious too. So he should be careful, her age notwithstanding. As for the downed opponent? "Ah, he's all right. I'm just too much for him to handle, that's all. But if you're sure you can?" He makes a beckoning motion. "We can dance for a while. I don't want to keep you out after curfew though, hani~."
When Benimaru accepts the issued challenge, Satsuki gives him a small, firm nod, taking up a position neatly opposite Benimaru. Something in her gaze seems to become sharper, in a way that even an experienced fighter might have a hard time quantifying; her hand, formerly on the pommel of her blade, now moves to grasp the hilt.
"Assessing threat level..." she says, quietly. Her other hand comes up, gesturing for Benimaru to start the battle off; she has no intention of being the first to aggress. That last battle didn't exactly give her a whole lot of opportunity to assess her now-opponent's fighting style; she has a few hunches, but they're just that -- and hunches are not enough.
Once she's finished gesturing, she brings that gauntleted hand up into a defensive posture; she can't afford to leave herself unguarded against a man like Benimaru, not even for a moment. "Curfew will not be a problem," she adds, coolly; perhaps she's not from around here... or perhaps she's a delinquent?
COMBATSYS: Satsuki has started a fight here.
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Satsuki 0/-------/-------|
Indeed, Benimaru does have difficulty in figuring out what that sudden hardness in her gaze is. Like something snapping into focus, where it was blurred before? It's hard to tell. There's really only one thing he can tell from her readying.
Shit's about to get real, yo.
Especially when he notices that it looks like she's intending to use that sword. He raises his hands. "Whoa whoa, wait a minute. Let's not kill each other, ne? I'm good, but bleeding is still an inconvenient problem I haven't figured out how to fix."
Still Benimaru stances as well. It looks like a modified Muay Thai stance. "Want to start us off, hani~?" He makes that beckoning gesture again.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru has joined the fight here.
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Benimaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Satsuki
The stance is familiar to Satsuki; she knows the former Emperor of Muay Thai well enough, at this point, to know a Muay Thai posture when she sees it. She knows not to make /too/ many assumptions, though; after all, the Dolls' stances are all broadly similar, and they're likewise fairly diverse.
"... Requesting shift from designation 'hani~,'" Satsuki notes, before moving in toward Benimaru. Her approach is slow, deliberate -- not quite predatory, but firm. Her blade, for the moment, remains undrawn; her movements are neat and crisp, though, and she seems to size the flamboyant fighter up as she approaches.
Accepting his initial request for her not to attack him directly with her blade, Satsuki reaches for it and lets out a forceful slash before returning the blade to its sheath. The blade itself doesn't /quite/ reach a distance at which it could threaten Benimaru... but the force surrounding it -- bright, indigo energy, with the intensity of flames but not their heat -- sure might put a damper on his day.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru dodges Satsuki's Psycho Slash.
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Benimaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Satsuki
"Whoa!" The fire zooms at him and Benimaru jumps quickly to the side! He'd managed not to get hit, but damn if he didn't feel that going past. So! This isn't going to be a mundane fight! This is going to be something higher! Benimaru knows he's stepped into a hornet's nest now. Hopefully he won't get stung too bad.
However, her words get his attention. "Designation cha-- oh. Oh, of course. What's your name? I have to call you 'hani' if I don't know your name~." And despite the question, he goes in for the attack! Because as much as he likes girls, he's never let them distract him THAT much. And she DOES want to see what he can do.
He draws back a hand, and... did lightning just hit his hand? It did! And as he swings the hand forward in a chopping motion, the electricity follows it through the air. And a moment later, a residual 'pop' of electricity... well, POPS right in the arc his hand made through the air.
COMBATSYS: Satsuki dodges Benimaru's Raimei Tou.
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Benimaru 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Satsuki
Drawing back from Benimaru, Satsuki decides not to press the advantage she usually gains when throwing that immense projection of /his/ power; she's rewarded for her prudence as it gives her time to see that 'pop' of electricity, duck low, and maneuver under it. She needs to step pretty lively to avoid causing herself a serious problem -- but at the very least, she isn't /hurt/.
"Designation... Satsuki," she notes, tone as flat as ever, as she moves in much closer. Getting in close, though, prompts a decision: commit to total aggression, or just remain calm and keep doing what she tends to?
For now, she chooses to probe Benimaru's defenses. Ducking low, she plants her hand crisply on the ground and whips her leg out in a vicious sweeping kick; indigo energy wreaths her leg as she does so, though not quite with the crackling intensity it had with her blade moments ago.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru dodges Satsuki's Strong Kick.
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Benimaru 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Satsuki
"Satsuki? That's a beautiful name," Benimaru replies. Suddenly there's a low kick coming his way! Quickly he jumps over it! "You should smile more. It makes you look so severe." But instead of hopping back, he actually reaches forward, attempting to get his arm under hers. "Shall we dance?" he teases, as he tries to flip her over a shoulder.
COMBATSYS: Satsuki just-defends Benimaru's Quick Throw!
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Benimaru 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Satsuki
"There is no reason, in this moment, to smile," Satsuki replies calmly, as she extends a hand out into Benimaru's reaching arms. She lets him grab her, and even flip her; when she'd usually go into the ground, though, she plants that hand again, letting herself hit the ground neatly with a twirl that sends her right back up into an aggressive position.
It takes Satsuki a few moments to determine what, exactly, she should do here; she glances around the mall and its accoutrements, considering for a split second whether one of them might provide her with the tools she needs to succeed. Her gaze snaps back to Benimaru, however, before too long.
Stepping up to the most electrifying man in fighting, Satsuki ducks low again -- only this time, she propels herself forward forcefully. "Spiral Arrow!" she calls out, reinforcing the form of the attack to herself as she launches feet-first at Benimaru, whirling through the air just above the ground, wreathed in energy.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru dodges Satsuki's Spiral Arrow.
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Benimaru 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Satsuki
Spiral Arrow? Oh boy. A yelled attack name is usually an indicator of pain coming! Thankfully Benimaru is fast enough to jump up, flipping over the drilling kick. "Arrows now? That was a little too low to be aiming for my heart~." Yes, he is indeed going to keep antagonizing her. Because he's kind of a glutton for punishment!
And speaking of punishment, he goes on the offensive again! Now that he knows better that he's probably not going to hurt Satsuki unless he tries really hard, he's a bit more okay with this. So he lunges forward, makes a hard knee kick towards her middle. He follows it up with a roundhouse, and then a backflip kick.
Only, as his foot leaves the ground for the backflip, a burst of lightning explodes upwards from where his foot was just a moment ago!
COMBATSYS: Benimaru successfully hits Satsuki with Super Inazuma Kick.
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Benimaru 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Satsuki
The kick to Satsuki's middle -- especially when followed by the resultant chain of blows -- sends her spiraling up into the air, and she can't help but wince. Usually, when she makes a mistake, it's not quite so... immediate and punishing in its agony. Flying through the air, she lets herself fall back to the ground, struck by lightning.
Landing with a hard, forceful thud, Satsuki nevertheless kips back up in short order, eyes narrowed. She wobbles slightly, trying to find her balance after that nasty blow... but even so, she thinks she has a plan now.
No longer content to let Benimaru dictate the tempo of the fight with his earlier request, Satsuki steps up and slashes twice quickly with her blade, crackling with indigo energy, before returning it to its sheath. Like the earlier kick, this is about finding the extent of Benimaru's defenses -- and about seeing how he deals with a change in the situation.
COMBATSYS: Benimaru interrupts Quick Strike from Satsuki with Raijin Ken.
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Benimaru 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Satsuki
Benimaru notes a change in her tactics! He isn't sure what she's planning. But since she seems to be changing things up, so will he. He'd been trying to dodge for the whole fight. So when she starts swinging at him, he feigns to dodge away... and then goes forward. Fist-first! And when he's close enough he lets loose a burst of electricity, as close as he can get. And since she's yelling HER attacks--
"Raijin Ken!"
The quick attack catches Satsuki totally off guard; the explosion of electricity puts her down for the count... but the count doesn't quite have time to reach ten, as she pries herself back off the ground, screwing her eyes shut for a second. She draws up into a neutral stance, blade still out; her eyes rest neutrally on Benimaru, and for an instant, she considers giving up.
It doesn't take long for her to see something in Benimaru's stance, however, something in his position that makes her want to keep going -- and indeed to redouble her efforts, indigo energy rolling off of her in waves. Her blue eyes shade to pure, unearthly white.
Her blade comes up into a parrying stance for a moment; it looks like she's been totally convinced to back off. That look lasts only an instant, though; she seems to practically teleport forward a second afterward, driving her blade for Benimaru's arm. That single slash becomes a second, a third, a fourth -- then there's a momentary pause again...
...and then her series redoubles, with that indigo energy crackling through every fiber of her being. There's a fifth -- this one neatly vertical, and a sixth -- perfectly horizontal. The final strike she delivers is a crisp, vicious thrust that disgorges all of that amassed power forward, only barely touching Benimaru with the blade before pulling it back and sheathing it.
COMBATSYS: Satsuki successfully hits Benimaru with GW.
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Benimaru 1/------=/=======|-------\-------\0 Satsuki
Benimaru's eyes narrow, he waits for her to move...
Turns out he waited a split second too long.
Caught flat-footed, there's really nothing he can do but try to weather the assault as best as he can. What hurts worse than the slashes is that indigo energy. Whatever it is, it burns like hellfire in a way he can't really understand. The energy amassed with the final strike throws him back, and he bounces on the ground with a grunt of pain. /OW!/
However, Benimaru doesn't quite seem to be completely out. Down, yes, but not out. He gets a knee under him, pauses, wobbles. "Whoo. Good hit. All of them!" he teases. Standing, he smirks. "But let's see how you like this one." Drawing back, he gathers his own energy, which bursts around his hand. And then? He seems to just... strike a pose. Until...
Zoom. Five times. It looks like five blurry images of him tried to zoom past Satsuki, each one trying to hit her on the way past. Hit or miss, he'll be somewhere else completely different at the end of it.
COMBATSYS: Satsuki blocks Benimaru's Gen'ei Hurricane.
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Benimaru 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Satsuki
Benimaru's afterimages strike out at Satsuki... but she hangs in there to the greatest extent she can, each blow hammering into her but not /quite/ managing to put her off of her stance. Hanging in there every step of the way, Satsuki keeps her focus about her -- she knows that she can't take much more of this, but...
Still not smiling, Satsuki says, flatly, "Your techniques are impressive... adjusting approach." There's a sense of lingering dread that rolls off Satsuki -- a vague sensation that something very powerful and very old is watching, and displeased.
Stepping up, Satsuki crouches low for a moment, giving Benimaru a second to assume she's going to try to kneecap him... and then hops, oh-so-slightly, into the air. Her feet spike down and forward, hopefully piercing Benimaru's defenses and setting her up to come in for three more slashes. At the very least, Satsuki's doing a great job of keeping the pressure on!
COMBATSYS: Benimaru blocks Satsuki's Cannon Slasher.
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Benimaru 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Satsuki
Benimaru is noticeably fatigued, his breathing visibly quickened, a sheen of sweat visible on his mostly bare arms. He needs to give himself time to recover; between that rather hard hit he took and his own expenditure of energy, he's off-balance. He plays it defensive and raises his arms to block, though the impact causes him to wince.
He lets the momentum push him down and back, but redirects it, into a backwards roll, to give him some breathing room. And as he gets back to his feet he plants one foot down and uses the momentum from the roll to come back at Satsuki with a kick. The attack is ill-aimed and shaky.
Hey, on the bright side, he appears to be too out of breath to make any smartass comments!
COMBATSYS: Benimaru successfully hits Satsuki with Light Kick.
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Benimaru 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Satsuki
That crisp, neat roll does indeed carry Benimaru to Satsuki, and give him the chance to introduce her face to his foot; she staggers back, wincing. Her nose bleeds profusely, and she's busted open just above the orbital bone as well; at this point, her options have contracted to a fine point.
Strike -- strike -- strike. That's all she has left.
Even as blood streaks down her face, her expression remains calm and neutral, and she says nothing more. The time for words is over -- even the brief affirmations she usually gives herself seem too much, at this point.
Sword remaining clenched neatly in her hands, Satsuki launches herself forward and low; this time, though, it's not her feet that move ahead of her, but her blade, whirling through the air in broad strokes, indigo energy flying off with each whirl.
COMBATSYS: Satsuki successfully hits Benimaru with Spiral Slasher.
Glancing Blow
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Benimaru 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Satsuki
Benimaru actually stops when he sees Satsuki's nosebleed. He's about to call it when... HOLY CRAP she's aiming herself at him again! Trying to jump over it doesn't prove COMPLETELY futile, though. However her blade catches his leg and tears a gash in it. He hisses, and tries to move his momentum to the side, landing in a roll that he doesn't stand up immediately from.
"Ow. You got me!" he declares. "I think we got each other though." He stands finally, covering a wince, and pulls a handkerchief from his pocket. "Here. Want to call it a draw? We aren't trying to kill each other here." He smiles.
...Well, HE'S not trying to kill HER. Hopefully neither is she.
On the one hand, Satsuki can't very well build the legend of the Dolls by giving up... but on the other, she's started to piece together that Benimaru is more than a match for her. Fighting him to a standstill might actually be better for the reputation of the project -- which is, of course, her goal. After all... history will forget a loser.
Slowly drawing back up, Satsuki brings a sleeve up to her face, wiping herself off. "... Agreeable," she says, sheathing her weapon. "Target strength in excess of expected parameters. Command of chi... exceptional."
Her eyes are back to normal, at least; her expression loses its intensity, and becomes... /almost/ human, again. Perhaps even more relaxed than before the battle.
"There we go," Benimaru agrees. Though he winces a little when she uses her sleeve to wipe the blood from her face. "Ah... I'm sorry about your face," he offers. "I sort of lost control of that one out of the gate. I really shouldn't have done that if I wasn't in complete control over it." Here he smirks. "But you just got me so excited~."
Ah, and then she seems to be complimenting him, even if it's in that mechanical way of hers. "Sankyuu~. You're pretty strong yourself, I have to say. And skilled, too," he remarks. "It takes great skill to be able to use a sword against an opponent and not hurt them seriously. Or worse." And it's true, too. For someone her age to have that degree of control, she must have trained for much of her life.
Also, Benimaru is actually very pleased she accepted his terms for a draw. He'd never admit it, but he got the distinct feeling of dealing with a very dangerous animal when around her. Like poking an irate tiger or something of the sort. This could have been a lot worse, for both of them.
"It is all right. I will heal quickly," Satsuki says, totally uncaring; the flow of blood, at least, seems to have slowed, and she seems perfectly content with the situation as it unfolded. "I am pleased to have had the chance to test myself against you." She winces a little as she takes a half-step back from him, brows slightly furrowed.
"... I appear to have overextended myself," she notes, a frown on her face. "I will make note of you in the future. I hope to engage more fighters like you in the future." If only because she'll be able to defend herself much better.
"Do you have any questions to ask me...?" She studies Benimaru's face carefully, more than anything else, as she asks. "Though I cannot inform you where I have trained, or how," she adds. It is her understanding that this will cultivate mystery.
Benimaru doesn't look like he's quite reassured by the note of how quick she heals. But he does recognize that she doesn't want a big fuss made over it. So he nods, tucking his handkerchief back in his pocket. "Oh this was fun~," he agrees. A look then, to his leg. "...Though my agent is going to be a little upset I think." He shrugs. "I'll just buy him some antacids~."
As for a repeat performance? "Anytime." While he does wink, he doesn't give call her 'hani', like he had before. She made it known she didn't like it and he didn't feel inclined to aggravate her more than necessary. Though he does have a question. "What brings you out here this evening? Or was it just fate~?"
"Your agent..." Satsuki has a totally different picture of someone's 'agent' in her head than what Benimaru is actually talking about, and accordingly, does not press the issue further, simply making a note of it in her head for future reference. It would make sense, given his power, that he has others to work on his behalf...
Satsuki's speech patterns remain crisp and repetitive. "I was interested in seeking a powerful opponent this evening. I had intended no other activities this evening." She glances away for a moment, saying, "I had heard that there was someone engaging in exhibition bouts in the mall, and followed that activity here."
Turning slightly away, she finishes, "Opportunity... appreciated."
"Well. Less 'exhibition match' and more 'making someone eat his words'," Benimaru admits. "I don't like being accused of dishonesty; I don't need to cheat to win." There's a smile on his face, but there's an edge to it as he turns his gaze to where the other guy had been. By this point, though, either someone carried Mr. Accusatory Blowhard away, or the poor guy managed to get up and slink away, one of the two. Benimaru really doesn't care which.
As for the opportunity? "Anytime. Look me up if you want to dance again~." His name's like ALL OVER THE PLACE here, so she shouldn't have much trouble figuring it out. Also instances of the phrase 'The Shooting Star' seem to accompany it.
With the offer of future matches now firmly on the table, Satsuki gives Benimaru one last nod before turning the rest of the way and beginning to walk. She has nothing further to say to him, and suspects the inverse to be true as well.
Everything seems to have gone... about as well as could be expected, given the changes in uncontrollable variables in the situation. Satsuki has cause -- if not to smile, then at the very least, to let herself relax just slightly.
Log created on 00:20:06 11/19/2014 by Satsuki, and last modified on 10:06:01 11/19/2014.