Description: Getting by on the slim payouts from fight appearances has been rough. A problem exacerbated by the destruction of the ruins she was holding up in, forcing the young Exile to start over again with almost no resources. A tempting offer is made that she cannot help but pursue... while it might solve her financial woes for now, it seems that it has some dangerous strings attached.
Kasumi would receive an incredibly crisp and well-to-do looking envelope within her PO Box; written in a flourishing hand and sealed with wax, cursive writing indicates she's being considered for a high yield job within Southtown. One thousand dollars in crisp, uncirculated hundred dollar bills accompanies it, with the simple statement that such is 'only a taste'. The client is unnamed, but a location in a clearing on the outskirts of town at a particular time seems to be where such an audition would take place.
If the area in question were to be scouted out beforehand, a massive stretch limousine is present, seeming to have driven offroad some distance to reach a moonlit space between the looming trees. The headlights are on, casting the area before it into bright light, and the engine continues to thrum and idle. It is chrome lined and obviously heavily armored, the sort the president of a company with reason to believe he is being targeted might bother with; whoever the prospective employer might be, it's apparent they are incredibly well to do... if throwing money at her for doing naught but reading a note was any indication!
Public transportation was taken to within a few kilometers of the indicated location. The rest was travelled on foot. The mind of the young nukenin raced the entire time since she had received the note and the promise of more money than she had seen in months of being on the run. Her public fight record consisted of her Neo League and SNF appearances, but her most noteable acccomplishment was winning the peculiar Dead or Alive tournament six months ago. Anyone who had cursory understanding of such things would have identified that she was exceptionally skilled in some varient of ninjutsu.
What would have been less obvious would have been the number of people who wanted her dead. From the megacorp, DOATEC, who she crossed in her vengence-fueled rampage through the tournament, to her own clan and family, the Mugen Tenshin, she lived a life of constant paranoia and, given her lack of job skills outside of what she had trained for all her life, deprivation of much in the way of material comforts. Even the teaser money was more than enough to get her to take the chance.
She traveled on foot to the intended destination, arriving roughly thirty minutes prior to observe it from the treeline. This kind of bait and trap was not the sort of tactics her own half-sister and hunter would pursue. But DOATEC? It took effort to remind herself that they were not the only people with money to burn and need for people with her particular set of skills.
She won't be late. Moving out of the trees into the clearing, stepping forward from the fading shadows of the forest surrounding the large open area, she strides forward. She's wary, holding her breath without realizing it, senses on full alert. With the sun low in the horizon, the glade has a certain mystical atmosphere to it - that magical hour just before dusk, where shadows are almost non-existant yet visibility is still strong.
The Exile had chosen to wear her training attire from her life among the Mugen Tenshin - a short-sleeved azure wrap dress with a sideless skirt covers her body to some degree. It is clothing she would use for operations, but for now, she wanted to match the only image she had shown publically. The borders of her dress are white as is the thick obi around her waist, and there is an instricate swan pattern embroidered into the expensive looking fabric. For as improvished as she has been, she could never bring herself to part with the heirloom of her previous life. Matching blue arm guards and shin guards are fitted to her wrists and lower legs, along with white stockings up to her thighs and sandals on her feet.
Seeing her in person is enough to prove that 'Kaede's', as her fight persona had been called, reputation for phenominal beauty is not just media hype. Her figure is curved in the right places and what is visible of her forearms and legs suggests nothing shy of peak physical fitness. Her strawberry blonde hair is closer to brown in the evening light, tied off into a pony tail worn high by a matching blue ribbon. Her eyes are a soft, copper brown, her mouth pressed into a thin line of concentration, the girl frequently glancing toward the trees and then back to the waiting car itself.
Apparently the limousine has been here for awhile, as thirty minutes early doesn't change the fact it's simply idling along in the middle of a forest. Scratches and debris on the window, along with less than subtle rivets into the soil behind from the heavy vehicle thrumming along, confirms it detoured from some manner of beaten path an unknown distance behind. It's easy to confirm that there's no ninjas or assassins within the clearing; all line of sight to it that a sniper might use are unused, and there's further no sign that any are ready to move in. It just might be legitimate.
Of course, when it comes to finding someone, Kasumi was confronted with the weight of the Illuminati itself. If someone exists anywhere within the system, then it is a matter of time and nothing more. In this case, being both a student and possessing a PO Box, on top of league registrations, it was not hard to utilize the resources of governments themselves to do what black operations and underworlds cannot with nearly so much ease.
Once Kasumi exposes herself, the side door near the back pushes open. Slowly an absolutely huge individual rises, hair blonde and skin the light color of a Greek. A tan business suit with blue tie and black loafers is worn, custom tailored like a glove with expensive cufflinks and jewelry. Yet the grin upon his face is like that of a savage ape, clad in some mocking finery.
Dangerous, to say the very least. A briefcase is held in his left hand, two locks built into it. It seems armored. "Hah. Damn. You look even better in person." Urien states in a growling voice, overlarge tongue lolling out to draw across his lips as a look not even the most homely of girls might care for is leveraged at the ninja. "Scratch the original idea. Ten thousand a night with me. How's that sound?" There might be an awkward period of time before Kasumi realizes he doesn't appear to be joking. But after a slow crack of the neck, he opts to continue on with business matters, either way.
"You're the rogue Mugen Tenshin. A tournament winning prodigy, at your nubile little age. Hah. But to be honest, I couldn't give a shit about your history. It's your... 'skills' I'm interested in. Not many people with that style and that hair. DOATEC wants your head. Ain't that a bitch? But guess what..."
Urien leans forward, grinning wider. "I could make it all go away. I could make you rich. I could make you employed. And I could even give you revenge. For every dirty little thing they did to you... heh!"
The man that exits the vehicle is the tallest individual she has ever seen in person. She had seen others of incredible stature in the media, but it's a different thing to to stand near one in the flesh. At average height for a young Asian female, the executive stepping into the clearing completely towers over the girl. That he is not simply tall but built as if someone set out to sculpt the perfect man and produced him is also immediately clear. He radiates danger and power and it takes a conscious effort to remind herself to start breathing again once the fear of long distance snipe has been reduced in urgency.
His opening remark provokes a subtle reaction from the shinobi in blue, a slight turn of her head, a quick visible reassessment of his posture and distance. And then when the offer is thrown into the open air of the clearning, easy to hear over the thrum of the idling limo engine, she simply blinks once but otherwise doesn't move, her hands at her sides, her stance neutral. Kasumi isn't easily riled by words alone. If anything, the slight lean of her head to the side that follows suggests that she's content to patiently wait for him to move on past the offer and get back to whatever that 'original idea' might be.
But it's his next course of words that spark a more visible response. That slight widening of the eyes in surprise before she suppresses the look lest it betray something she doesn't want to confirm; the adjustment of her feet in the dirt, securing, perhaps, better traction. Right until he says her history doesn't matter one iota to him. It's her talents. So it is a job offer.
He offers riches and employment. The first is beyond her expectations given the course her life has been on. The latter is something she is desperately interested in. The mundane job market has not been an easy one for her to break into, what with her life consisting of eighteen years in a remote clan village. But it's the last thing that surprises her the most.
"If I work for you... I would be able to fight back against DOATEC?" she asks. It had been their machinations that twisted her life into turmoil. They had manipulated her uncle, Raidou, along a path of destruction that only came to an end when the delicate looking girl before Urien killed him in revenge. She doesn't have the slightest idea what the megacorp has against the Mugen Tenshin... all she knows is that if it were not for them, she would still be living at home and that her own father would not have signed her execution order.
Her right hand clenches. She has so little to lose at this point in her life. And everything to gain. He would easily see the wheels turning in her head. It seems too good to be true, but... she can't possibly walk away from this!
"I am interested in what you have to offer."
She is definitely hooked.
"Sure. If you want. I don't care what those who work for me do in their off hours. I have my preferences... but you're one of /those/ types. That's fine. I guess. For now." Urien does look genuinely displeased by such, and with the obvious air of someone bitterly vindictive. Narrowed eyes watch Kasumi as she muses the offer, before a slow grin spreads on his lips once more.
"Good. You're interested. Now step two: Make ME interested." A closed fist thumps upon Urien's chest, the dull sound echoing remarkably loud into the surroundings. His hand grips the handle of the briefcase tighter, veins and tendons superimposing upon his flesh as his wild eyes burn. "If you aren't interested in satiating my lust... the easy road... you'll have to do it the hard way. Show me the skills of the girl marked for death, and still alive."
A slow, almost shuddering exhale leaves Urien as his stance shifts, reaching up to loosen his tie with a roll of the neck. "C'mon... don't be gentle... because I sure as hell won't...!!"
Her right hand, still clenched, lifts up to rest at the base of her neck as the man continues. And then the challenge is issued. An evaluation... against him? The executives, the men behind the name of DOATEC, were always content to let others fight their battles for them. Powerful men, wealthy men to be certain, capable of ruining and making lives according to their whims and ambitions. But not fighters, as if the act of engaging in such things was beneath them. This one is different though. Whoever he represents, wherever his power stems from, the was never a moment's doubt that he is more than combat capable.
There is a slight nod of her head in acknowledgement. His voice emanates throughout the clearing. This is a man who knows there is a time for secrets, and a time when covertness matters not. She has every confidence that if he is desirous that they not be interrupted out here, they won't be. As he prepares, she does likewise, her left foot sliding forward long the surface of the dirt, her right foot held back. Her left shoulder and arm are forward, her arm raised at the elbow, ready to snap left or right for the sake of defense as needed. Her right arm is cocked low, bicep along her side, forearm held outward at a ninety degree angle. Her hands are unclenched now as she takes in a breath and exhales softly.
She had fought the sennin, had struck muscle as hard as steel, been targeted by telekinetic forces years beyond her comprehension. But in the ancient one there had been no malice, merely curiosity and instruction. This situation is nothing like the encounter with Oro.
"I understand."
Her clan arts were not gentle: designed to find weaknesses and exploit them - or, where weaknesses did not exist, create them. Her right foot digs against the dirt a little. Her expression is focused - there is intensity there, but no sense of animosity on her part. She accepts his challenge and will execute it swiftly.
She moves the instant his hand grips the knot of the tie at his throat. If he is not prepared, if his arm is out of position, it is not her problem. Her launching speed is remarkable for one her age, from standing still to rushing forward into a sprint, a blue of blue and white cloth and healthy skin as she charges straight for the towering Greek. She's wary of counter attacks, weaving left and right from mere meters out, not so easy to counter strike as one might expect, before both hands snap out for his arm - the one that had been reaching for his tie.
Against an opponent more her side, the intent would be simple - a hard pull, a swift yank and twist to pull off balance and leave them open to a potentially finishing blow... But she has no delusions of dislodging him from his stance. At least... not yet. Instead, should she get a hold of his arm, it would be used as a fulcrom for her own swift forward moment, yanking on it to pull her up into the air just behind his back. Her own body would twist, her right hand chopping backward, aiming to drive a knife-handed strike to the base of Urien's neck. Should the strike connect cleanly or not, she would intend to continue with her own momentum to land a few meters behind Urien... depending on the man's own speed, this might even put her in an ideal position for another attack to his back!
Targeting the cervical vertebrae with her very first strike might seem to be going above and beyond, but she executes the complex manuever as if she hasn't given the concern a second thought.
COMBATSYS: Kasumi has started a fight here.
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COMBATSYS: Urien has joined the fight here as a boss!
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COMBATSYS: Urien blocks Kasumi's Kasumi Kyoka.
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There's a mild look of surprise when Kasumi leaps forward without any goading. The look in her eye... he likes it. It's that of a hunter, a predator. Not prey, despite how she might look. Small, colorful, and deadly, like some exotic snake. The way she strikes certainly gives credence to the thought, as his wrist is grasped and she twists behind. But it seems all that Urien does is explosively tense his muscles, breath sucking in sharply. The blow hits true, but more than just his flesh... it's as if the skin of this man were something else, and the reverberating blow gives a sense to something even more buried beneath.
"Ahh... just like that!! I think I'm in LOVE!!" Twisting upwards, Urien attempts to grasp the front of Kasumi's clothing before she fully retreats from the assault, aiming to twist downwards in a violent motion. There's little to it but raw force, like a child unaware of just how strong they are, with the intention of hurling her into the ground at Urien's feet as he lets out a loud, cackling snarl.
Behind, the limousine continues to idle, the headlights illuminating the battle fully. Still, there's no sense either direct or sixth that this is anything but it is -- not that a direct onslaught by this unnamed man is anything but terrifying to endure.
COMBATSYS: Kasumi blocks Urien's Power Throw.
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The base of the neck - for most people, a vulnerable point. It's no wonder she tested it first. She had to understand more about what she was up against. As the side of her chop rebounds off, the girl still airborn, mid-twirl so that she can land facing his back as planned, Kasumi makes a mental note that the lack of yielding in his flesh is not unlike that of the Venerable Ancient she encountered by happenchance. But for as hard as the sennin's muscles beneath his aged skin felt, it was still the touch of flesh. The back of his neck felt like neither skin... it felt almost more like hidden armor!
Her plans of landing behind him, in prime position to strike while he was hopefully at least stunned, are dashed when he twists with speed born of incredible musculature, his hand rushing outword, vise-like fingers securing a hold of the front of her blue attire. Her already riskily V-shaped neckline plunges a little further as she is physically pulled out of the air with impeccable timing. That she ends up not suffering the full brunt of the attack has nothing to do with Urien's execution and everything to do with her own reaction-
With no feet on the ground, there is no way to defend against him but to reach out and grip his forearm with her own hands, fingers clasping tightly against the unyielding muscle beneath his fitted sleeve. Physically pulling against him by arm strength alone, she is able to twist herself a little while he pivots, her own legs slamming down, hitting the dirt an instant before her upper back does, cushioning the landing by no small amount. A plume of dirt explodes up around the point of impact, illuminated by the headlights. "This is just the beginning," she whispers. She hasn't even built her momentum yet.
Her entire body was rattled by the impact, but the tenacious kunoichi has kept her grip on the arm of the immaculate fighting machine. Before the dust has even settled, she kicks up with her feet from her nearly prone position, aiming to wrap even more tightly around his limb. Her legs would sweep up as Kasumi risks twisting upside down, using her arm and torso strength as a lever. The intricate technique, if secured, would end up with the girl wrapped around Urien's arm, his hand gripped by her hands near the level of her chest, her legs attempting to wrap around the man's nec from both sides of his bicep.
Once in place with the standing armbar, should she connect, she would use her legs against his neck and shoulder, and all her arm and torso strength to try and pull Urien's arm back painfully harm. It would be her whole body in a contest against his one limb... but if she succeeds, there's no telling how far she would go to inflict damage on the joints - possibly to the point of dislocating her potential employer's shoulder!
This is definitely not your standard work interview process.
COMBATSYS: Urien interrupts Medium Throw from Kasumi with Intercepting Metallic Sphere.
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Oh? Kasumi's a remarkably acrobatic individual, to say the least. Seamlessly controlling her own flow even as Urien throws her into the storm of his sheer strength, and then managing to land upright and mostly dissipate the impact... this can all be appreciated, somewhere within the growing berserker's rush of adrenaline. She's managing pretty well so far, all things considered. The minority are those who do not crumple beneath his touch, fragile as tissue...
And then she once more decides to approach him like a serpent. Rather than fight back in a reckless way, Urien shifts. Yanking inwards, his vice-like fingers move to grasp Kasumi by the face, even as she rears against him. Breaking the flow of her joint lock, much of the strength is lost as a result. Although what comes next is rather more painful...
The briefcase is hucked aside, before Urien's legs swivel outwards and he squats slightly. His newly freed hand then thumps into his bicep, laughing breathlessly at the kunoichi. "Yeah... I think I like this... you aren't--grrk--half as shy as you like to think! Just think of me as a battle of a DIFFERENT sort, and we'd get along even BETTER!!"
And then his sleeve suddenly explodes; a great eruption of sheer force sending fragments of clothing in all directions, exposing his corded muscle up to the shoulder. A ripple of lightning crackles up, before a dense ball of chi swirls into being between his grasping fingers to engulf Kasumi's head...
Before Urien pivots his entire body, dislodging the ninja while at the same time hurtling the sphere into the ground point-blank at his feet, a great CRACK of magnetic force accelerating the missing-nin, into a high speed impact that sends dirt, grass, and debris flying in all directions!!
"Hahahaha!!!"
Her view of what is happening is thoroughly obscured by the hand that clamps over her face, leaving Kasumi caught completely by surprise. She's already reacting to the unpleasant shift in control - or has it ever really been hers to claim in the first place? Her fingers slide down his arm, seeking to press into the flesh of his wrists - with the right pressure against his tendons, she might be able to rob the face-gribbing hand an ounce of its strength, giving her the window to pry free.
"Nn-!" Her fingers probe quickly, attempting to find any place in his wrist with the right level of give. She never really gets a chance to try when the eruption of energy surges along his arm, ripping free the sleeve of the multi-thousand dollar suit like so much paper. All she can do is shut her eyes to spare them some harm as chi unlike any other she has ever been subjected to knocks her senseless.
Her back rebounds off the ground amid the cratered earth, the girl bouncing limply up once off the ground before landing again, sprawled, spread eagle, arms at her sides as the dislodged earth comes raining back down around her. It's the first time she's stopped moving since engaging the unnamed adonis. She has not bothered asking his identity or who he represents. There is no point in inquiring after that which must be earned.
Earned. That's right. The stakes on the line are significant. An income, first and foremost. And from there... resources. Her eyes snap open, already starting to sit up. He does not strike her as a man who is going to give her all the time in the world to get to her feet. Were their situations reversed... she certainly wouldn't. Blood trickles down from her nose and her lip is bleeding in the corner. Her bangs are askew A wipe of the back of her arm accompanies her kicking off with her feet and other arm to escape the small crator her impact had left before she can become a target again.
"I feel we can get along just fine as-is," she murmurs in the middle of relocating.
Dust spills off her clothing and hair as she lands. But then she's only there for an instant. He may have had time to prepare - but if aggression got the better of him, it is possible the Tyrant of Battle will be caught open as the girl suddenly lunges with speed far beyond her opening charge. She dashes fast enough that a casual observer might almost mistake it as a teleport of sorts, the girl launching forward, passing so close to Urien that it almost seems like she must have gone /through/ him.
Of course he would know differently. The attempted reach for his right arm, the twist to pivot it out of the way of his ribcage... and the crushing precision elbow strike delivered into what is hopefully a more vulnerable part of the goliath of a fighter, just below the tenth rib, where, at least for most human beings, the floating ribs begin, no longer fixed to the spine by bone or cartilage - here it is possible to crush undefended organs or force the free-floating bone fragments inward to do the damage for you.
Unless prevented, Kasumi would continue past another few meters before finally sliding to a stop, a wake of dust catching up with her, the girl pausing in a forward crouch, arms out at her sides, her hair coming to rest as she recovers from the intensity of her attempted Signature Technique - the Oboro Gake. To date, only the sennin has managed to stop this dangerously fast combination.
COMBATSYS: Kasumi successfully hits Urien with Oboro Gake EX.
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"Tch... for someone with a chest like yours, you don't bounce very well." Urien comments idly, flexing his newly bared arm. There's a crackle of chi upon it once more, a scent of ozone in the air. While Gill inherited water and fire, he is the wielder of storms and earth. Although right now he still keeps the majority of his power sealed away...
When she remains upon the ground, Urien lets out a dissatisfied sigh, marching over with dull thumps felt in the ground. Just how much does this man weigh? "Sorry. Not good enough..." He then hefts up the heel of a loafered foot, only to slam it down as Kasumi slithers back to her feet. Believing her to still be dazed, he twists into an aggressive punch... only to vaguely see her onslaught.
"...Oh!!" The twist to his shoulder manages, but there's a great burst of energy just prior to her elbow colliding with... dark bronze skin? Darker lines of power are visible, shredded fabric where his energy seethed out right upon the side of his ribs. "Hahahaha... Good! Good!! I might even be SATISFIED this time!!"
Shifting back towards Kasumi, Urien suddenly hefts his leg nearly vertical, before lashing down with a brutal axekick led by the heel of his foot. The aim is to absolutely pulverize her if it manages to hit, as the true intention is simply to make her back off. "Alright... let's play for real..."
Suddenly Urien's eyes snap open, and his arms heft upwards while his stance slides. His clothing wildly billows as if some great wind were coming from inside, before shredding head to toe; everything gone, even the leather of his shoes. Only a dark thong remains, the single spot on his side where Kasumi had struck suddenly starting to spread. His heels sink into the ground an inch, then another, as muscles seem to grow iron hard. A sudden, immense feel of energy begins thrumming out of him, before his grinning visage ripples, blond hair turning a stark platinum.
Gazing at his fingers a moment, Urien then glances back towards Kasumi. "C'mon... I'm gonna satiate myself with your body one way or another... even if it's just by breaking every bone in your body!!"
COMBATSYS: Kasumi full-parries Urien's Strong Kick!!
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The attack happened almost faster than nerves could even register. Only as she slides to a stop in a plume of dust, feet leaving furrowed trails in the battle worn dirt, does the young shinobi realize it felt like her elbow was striking solid stone. Training boards shattered by her elbow have yielded more easily than the skin of this mysterious magnate. Still recovering from her attack, her head snaps to the side, the girl looking behind her toward the Olympian Wonder she fights, catching brief sight of the torn cloth over the point she had struck out in her moment of nigh instant passing.
Finding him repositioning quickly with another tremendously powerful strike, the smaller fighter kicks out of her crouch into a short hopping twirl meant to let her land facing him an instant later. Only his reach is even further than she escaped, forcing her to escape from the crashing heel descending from the sky above by kicking off the ground backward and landing two meters further beyond, the ground shaking as her feet touch down from the powerful if telegraphed kick.
Only then does she finally stop moving again, copper-brown eyes focused on the dark-skinned Executive. He says it's time to play for real and a flicker of a frown traces its away across her features. Like the sennin who had never shown his true abilities against her, had this man been just toying with her with those powerful attacks, that violent chi that still leaves the air around her feeling charged with static? Or is it just words?
His suit explodes, at last giving her a view of the perfect physique that was only partially shrouded beneath it all this time. A fighter all her life, a competator in a tournament of some renown... and she has never faced anyone with such immaculate musculature in all her life. He can't possibly be the byproduct of nature alone. No training regimen known to man would yield such a body as this, especially on a man so tall where such fitness can be even more challenging to maintain!
The hesitation lasts a moment, a chance to rethink how to deal with what she sees before her. The aura radiating off the statuesque man is palpable even from a distance. She will need to take another tact with this one. His words are heard and seem to provoke a shift in the young woman's demeanor, eyes narrowing slightly. He has not struck her as a man who bluffs. The threat here is dangerously real. She prepares herself for what must be done next.
Controlling her breathing, having had a moment to think and evaluate, the Mugen Tenshin Exile finally acts. "For that to happen..."
She's rushing in again. Does she think just simply trying to overwhelm him with speed will be enough? He's seen the fastest attack she can perform with instantaneous movement already. "- you would have to -"
She's in melee range. But this time he can see her coming, the girl weaving low, leaning to the left, her right foot slamming down against the dirt - there would be a window there between steps where she could be unable to move. It is the perfect chance for him to strike, his fist smashing down with piston-like force.
It passes through a swirl of cherry blossoms left where Kasumi vanishes before his eyes, the pink featherly petals blown away by the displaced air of his avoided punch. Amid another vortex of scattered pink blossoms, she is behind him now, already facing his back, still moving with the incredible forward momentum she had charged him with even though it is now going in the opposite direction. "- catch me!"
With all that force, she strikes with with her hands - left, right, left, each strike becoming a palm slam into Urien's back should she manage to catch him open enough to hit. Her palm slams are aiming low, for point where the kidneys of most human beings are just barely peeking out from the coverage of their rib cage. "HA, HA, HA!" Still moving with that momentum, she kicks off with her left foot to drive her lower knee into the base of the man's spine with could be a crippling blow against a weaker target, before her leg continues upward into a dropping axe kick, her heel descending for his upper back for the final blow before finally landing on her feet again. "KYA!"
The combination is executed in an instant, the charged air around them smelling faintly of distant cherry trees.
COMBATSYS: Kasumi successfully hits Urien with Renko Kaiten So EX.
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"I have the ultimate Iron Body... your attacks cannot even reach me, woman!! I'm the True Emperor... and if you know what is good for you, you shall KNEEL!!" Of course, at this point Urien made a terrible mistake; he decided to continue taunting Kasumi instead of do something more responsible, such as move to a defensive stance. Perhaps he truly is just that complacent; after all, he is someone who enjoys crushing his lessers, an inferiority complex doing little for true attempts to reach his limits or fight those above. He saw Kasumi fight, and was sure he would be able to win. There may be little more to his desires here than that, as far as the 'assessment' is concerned.
Easily goaded into her trap, Urien strikes her with sheer force. The compact motion is still well honed, and had he done more to care for actually hitting, it might have been dangerous. As it lies, such is not the case. He only makes himself open. Indeed, a man such as him likely does not generally have to worry about such mundane things.
"Fool!! I'll do more than catch-- ?!" Petals? Seeing her videos was one thing. This is another. Of course Kasumi would not go all out, knowing that a ton of cameras are upon her. Eyes widen in earnest, far too late attempting to bring his arms in defensively. But she's behind, and a rain of blows that likely leaves both fists ripped and aching bears down upon him. Like the mountain against the waves of the sea, sheer attrition does a lot, and he can feel the burning pain. Underneath that hardened skin, he still has the nerves and flesh of a human, her biology not completely useless. The blow to his back causes Urien to stagger forward, before the final axekick drives him down to hands and knees, a great plume of dust and debris launched up as his great weight is forced to bear upon the ground.
"...Hahaha... HAHAHA..." Bruises have welled up, black as oil, while Urien twists to his feet. Fingers crack and flex, lolling his head to stare at Kasumi intensely. "You... you little BITCH... are you getting cocky around me? I don't hate ANYTHING... more than someone COCKY..." Energy begins to well within him, before he suddenly lifts both hands and presses the back of one into the palm of the other, aiming it towards the girl. A loud, violent crackle begins to build up, singing the nearby grass that survived the fight thus far. "Fine. I'll catch you. And once I do... you're mine!!"
COMBATSYS: Urien focuses on his next action.
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Landing from her hopping axe kick, Kasumi wasted no time in darting back again. Every iota of time spent in close proximity to the Spartan Marvel is conducted at only the greatest of risks. She has to fly in, strike, and escape, all of her years of training in the secretive ninjutsu of the Mugen Tenshin being put to use here. As his laugh thunders over the clearing, the Azure Shinobi chances a moment to glance a her hands. The flesh at the base of her palms is torn and bleeding but her adrenaline is rushing far too fast for her to feel the pain that will register later.
Slammed to the ground by his power before, and kicking up so much dust in her own movements, her thigh high white stockings and the fringe of white bordering her dress have become a shade of dirty brown. Pespiration rolls down her cheeks, her hair matted at her temples from dampness while strands of hair along the top of her head stray upward, still statically charged from her earlier brush with his chi.
Having a moment, the girl wipes her armguard across her face again, streaking away the rest of the blood at her lip and the base of her nose. Getting a foe riled up is a dangerous game. She is by no means a master manipulator - her mindgames are in her actions, her movements, the versatility and speed of her ninjutsu. Given the reaction she gets, agitating him with her words may not have been the best choice. Her heart races at his words, mouth pressed into a thin line. Maybe it's better she says nothing at all. "My apologies," she offers with a soft, reticent tone, albeit rushed to be timed between her pants for breath.
The onus might be on her to act once more, she muses, releasing a soft exhale... then a sharp inhale. Once again she is on the offense, feet pressing against the ground with a light step as to be almost unheard compared to the footsteps of the wall of Grecian muscle she faces. Her steps follow a similiar pattern as her last charge. In fact, when she has gotten close, she leans forward and down, her right foot slamming against the dirt in the exact same way as right before she had vanished from before Urien's fist.
It would be easy to assume she was about to repeat the technique that seemed at least mildly effective.
That assumption would be wrong.
As her hits the ground she kicks off, contiuing to lean forward, twisting her entire body into the movement as her feet sweep up behind her, the young kunoichi executing a forward whirling hands-less cartwheel kick through the air, aiming to drive the sides of her feet against Urien's face. The hard kicking, flashy technique has her airborn and upside for an instant, her skirt yielding to gravity to reveal her white string bikini cut panties for a flash. Unless prevented, she would kick off into a second such attack without hesitation, legs coming up from behind and overhead to slam her feet into his impressive visage. Maybe she was just hoping for a chance to kick that grin off his face!
COMBATSYS: Urien interrupts Tenshu Kaiten So from Kasumi with #Aegis Onslaught#.
URIEN
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Kasumi 1/-----==/======|
Urien carefully focuses himself. It's rare for him to do that. But it's also easy to forget that the raging berserker happens to be a genuine genius as well, when he has a particular drive behind it. Even the greatly enhanced senses born from the genetic projects of the Illuminati have trouble following Kasumi when she has a mind to go as fast as she can, but... well. Everyone is vulnerable at the same moment. One he's about to demonstrate to her in the near future. Following Kasumi when she slithers to and fro, as she suddenly stops and crouches down, Urien moves. He fell for the bait, it would seem.
"AEGIS REFLECTOR!!"
Suddenly a great, shimmering purple wall of raw electricity and magnetic energy surges into being, flashing forward with surprising speed. However, Kasumi has already leapt away from it, leaving it to come to a stop, crackling and humming in place.
And then both feet find his face. His nose is bloodied as a result, even the droplets appearing heavy and lethargic to rise. But... this. This was the moment he had been waiting for! Eyes slit... white panties! No. Not that. Both of his arms surge, clamping down upon both of her ankles at once. His grasp hard enough to creak the bone beneath her lithe body, as he grins wildly.
"Caught you."
Suddenly he twists, swinging Kasumi like a ragdoll. Slamming her into the ground opposite him with full force, leaving her no ability to utilize fancy kunoichi techniques; they probably don't involve a monstrously strong superhuman behaving like a gorilla. He then twists...
And hurls Kasumi straight into the still-active Aegis. She'd strike it back first, before being horribly electrocuted head to toe, suspended in air. And then Urien violently leans backwards, before rocketing forward. His shoulder slams into her midsection, but the wall of force holds up, crushing her against it. A series of blows and strikes follow, as Urien cackles madly. Before he grasps Kasumi by the midsection, just as the wall finally whisks out of being.
And then he hefts up the ninja violently, inverting her upside-down before falling into a sit, legs parting to slam her face down upon the dirt with all his might!!
It worked - that gambit made, one of hundreds of micro-chances executed in the course of any high tier combat. It fooled him into flinching, perhaps expecting another coniving teleport. Or so she thought. He shouts something and energy burst forward. Too far. She's safe, she thinks, already airborn and upside down, the sides of her feet colliding with his undefended face. Compared to many of her more damaging attacks, it is clear this combination is meant merely to stagger, to render an opponent softer for subsequent skills.
Urien's face refuses to be tenderized, willing to endure the first two hits of her cartwheeling kick to counter in that briefest of windows before her second set of blows would have immediately followed.
Caught! Dangling in his grip, her ponytail trailing in the dirt, the hunted nukenin grits her teeth, eyes watering at the crushing force applied to her ankles. Still, she isn't idle. Like the last time she was caught in his grip, she moves like a snake, her nimble body put to use in attempting to improve or mitigate her circumstances. Cocking her arm back, bent at the elbow, she swings out hard, knuckles leading the way, targeting the man's groin in hopes that the low blow might stun him enough to break free.
The shinobi never gets to find out the extent to which his unyielding iron flesh covers his /entire/ body as before her hand can reach, she finds herself whipped around like a toy. The crushing slam against her side rocks the young fighter's body as she once again bounces off the dirt, a helpless rebound before being whipped back the other way. The struggle and kick of her legs in his iron grip is the last time she is able to fight back before she is slammed against the unbreakable Aegis itself.
A cry of pain escapes her lips as she is paralyzed by the tremendous shock coursing through her body, limbs trembling as she hangs there long enough for the entire might of the Spartan to crash into her shoulder first, forcing what air was left in her lungs out completely. The pressure must have cracked something, the fleeting thought goes through her mind, before all capacity for understanding is robbed from her by the powerful blows that land while she is unable to defend herself in the slightest.
She's silent when he all but peels her off the wall with his grip. Deprived of air and struck hard enough, she's likely blacked out briefly, a short moment's reprieve as the man lifts her featherweight form with ease and lifts her overhead, her body limp in his hold. Her hair drapes freely from her head while held upside down, the ribbon keeping the high ponytail in place long since lost in the maelstrom of blows.
She has the misfortune of coming to while the Tyrant of Battle is airborn, completely oblivious to her circumstances until the painful smash into the soil whereupon she crumples face down against the ground. None of her endurance training had prepared her for a combation that brutal. A pained gasp escapes her lips though she has yet to begin breathing properly again as fingers claw the turf, arms shaking at the pain wracking her body and the lingering nerve disruption of the horrific wall of lightning she was slammed against.
Finally a coughing breath as she starts to crawl through the dirt, knees slipping under her, the Exile pushing herself up slightly with trembling arms, head bowed. She ends up in a kneeled position, slightly slouched to the right, gasping for breath, her now dusty hair draped over her shoulders.
"I-" she wheezes, lungs just barely starting to remember how to function again.
"- hope that my skills -"
She shifts again. She can still move. It's likely she will be able to stand but surely her incredible speed has been robbed of her by the injuries inflicted.
"- proved satisfactory." Kasumi ends in a full kneel at last, hands on her thighs, head still bowed.
Slowly Urien begins to pick himself up, breath coming in slow, measured breaths. He raises to his full height without haste, blood coursing across his lips and chin in a dense crimson spatter. His tongue slithers out to draw it in, and the distant look within his eyes assuredly seems that of a man satisfied. "...Haha. You're still conscious after that...? And prostrate before your new Emperor. As it should be...!!" Urien's fist clenches, before he twists and strikes down. When it impacts the ground, the channels of chi roar open. All of it that had been conduited into his form erupts in a great pillar that funnels what seems to be a few dozen meters into the air, concealing him beyond a dark silhouette within the furious pulses of energy. The heat is very real within such close proximity. It lasts for a good six seconds before Urien strides out and it ripples away like plasma into the air. His flesh and hair have returned to normal.
A small device is pulled out. Something like a ribbon is drawn from it, before he puts it around his neck. Adjusting it beneath like a bowtie, it becomes apparent in short order... as cloth slowly manifests, drawing across him as if by invisible strings. He lifts his arms as new sleeves come into being, tailored pants, lifting each foot as his shoes at last return to being. His jewellery remains gone, however -- the advanced technology of instant suits doesn't include forming metals, only fabrics.
Grasping the briefcase he discarded earlier, the huge Urien returns to Kasumi. Rather than bother with the locks, both hands dig into the metal, before an explosive grip literally tears it open. Large wads of bills rain down upon Kasumi; twenty-five thousand in used twenties, circulated and not traceable. "A retainer. You're mine now, woman. I am Urien. The future Emperor of this world."
He tosses the husk of the briefcase aside casually afterwards. "Your first mission is to infiltrate Taiyo. Find out who the Principal really is. Tail him. Discover where he goes. Who he reports to. I want to know who's pulling his strings. If my sources are telling the truth..." NESTS is -- well. A wild card. What they used to be wasn't an issue, but in the last few years...
"Whew. That was good." Urien allows, despite seeming to be relatively unhurt in terms of serious wounds. He simply leaves Kasumi behind, heading back to the limousine before slipping in the still-open door. It's slammed shut, mighty engine revving before it whirls forward, barrelling through bushes and underbrush as if it were nothing back in the direction of civilization.
It takes sheer will to not press her hand against her sternum and side, trying to feel through the tender spots where an injury more grevious might hide beneath the surface. The duty of the shinobi was always to serve so the thought of answering to another is not inherently unpleasant to her. But she had been raised, cultured, and prepared to serve as a princess of the Mugen Tenshin. When her brother was healthy, it would have never been her burden to lead, yet as second in line, she had enjoyed nearly all the same privileges of such responsbility. To serve the leadership of the Mugen Tenshin was where all honor lie for her back then.
Hearing the man lord of her now, however, she can't feel the same confidence that she has made the right choice. She glances up as he cleans himself up from the fight, a suit produced from what seemed to be no more than a piece of decorative cloth forming over his body using science and principles she can't even begin to comprehend. Eyes follow the heft of the briefcase as he ripes open the secure frame with his bear hands. The girl looks down as money showers over her, landing in the dirt, against her shoulders, and in her lap. She doesn't move to retrieve it, head lowered once again, cheeks burning pink beneath her dusty hair now framing her bruised face. The money was more than she had ever actually seen physically and a far cry from the small payouts from her competative fights. But having it thrown at her like this... along with the Exeuctive's tone and mannerisms... Her choice is to accept the shame and improve her life or go back to trying to avoid starving in squalor as she had been for months.
Gritting her teeth, she choses to survive, hands clenching tightly against her thighs.
The young ninja listens to her instructions. Taiyo, is it. She had suspected something was off... but her eyes had been toward the other schools all together. Not her own! Suddenly her interest in this mission redoubles. In her eyes, the student body of Taiyo is the closest thing she has to a clan now. And now one messes with the shinobi's clan.
"It will be done."
She doesn't move until the car has left, leaving her in the dark. It is by moonlight that she finally moves, gingerly, careful not to exacerbate her injuries as possible. The money is gathered beneath the silver glow, stuffed into the broken briefcase. It will do for now. Rising out of the dirt, she begins the long journey back to Southtown, returning far slower than she had come.
Log created on 23:42:20 12/07/2014 by Kasumi, and last modified on 04:24:03 12/09/2014.