Description: Taking over the popular tourist attraction, Freemont Street, Las Vegas, Ken Masters and King battle it out for the Worldwide Masters Tier belt. Given the young woman secured the belt only because Kanda would not fight a woman for it, her reign as champion has been shrouded in doubt by fans and fight analysts alike. This battle is more than just a Title Defense... it's a chance to prove that she even belongs here in the first place. And for Ken, rising up from his time as Regional Champion, it's his chance to secure that Worldwide Masters title that his name suggests already belongs to him!
Holding the Masters belt for the Western division of the Circuit of Challengers entitled Ken to challenge those at the very top - the Worldwide Belt holders for the Professional Fighting Worldwide group. The request was issued and accepted without the slightest delay. It seemed the young woman at the top of the circuit was eager to face Ken Masters in a bout for the belt and immediately word began to circulate about the big match coming up.
Many in the fighting world had questioned how King had even come to possess the belt in the first place. While she had held her own in various regional competitions, there were many who had doubts about her ability to fight at the worldwide level such a prestigious position represented. Had there been backroom favoritism? Had someone owed her a favor when they sorted out the preliminary belt standings? Fight fans and event commentators weren't entirely certain she had the chops or the kicks to rightfully claim the incredibly high honor of holding the Worldwide Masters belt.
Ken, being more of an insider in the Circuit of Champions might have heard more than the public knew. Rumors had it that King was given the belt because the opponent she was supposed to fight for it forfeited rather than fight a woman. Olan Kanda, the Iron Dragon of Muay Thai, declared he would rather peak at just holding the Eastern Masters belt rather than face a woman who preposterously claimed that she was one of the strongest practitioners of Muay Thai in all the world. The very idea of it offended his sensibilities and he would not deign to face her in the ring to prove otherwise...
Perhaps that was why the request to fight was so eagerly accepted. If there were doubts about King being qualified to hold this belt, a public bout against someone as well known as the American Martial Arts champion, Ken Masters, would be all she would need to prove her legitimacy!
Event organizers got to work immediately. The entire five block length of the world famous Fremont Street in Las Vegas was rented out for the venue. The time is well after nightfall and the street is as bright as day with neon signs, billboards, casino entryways, and of course the massive digital display that runs the course of the street. Currently the display is currently flipping through various images of the two fighters that would be putting on the remarkable show this night.
Access to the street was being strictly controlled with event staff monitoring all the casino entrances and ends of the street to make sure everyone who was piling into the spectacle were paying customers. Of course, many where finding their way in from other points of access all the same, which means the crowd packed in was far beyond the capacity even scheduled for the match but if the tightly crammed fight fanatics particularly cared at the over population, they certainly didn't seem to show it.
All eyes were on the huge stage built ten feet up into the air at the center of the festival. Cameras were positioned on stationary stands, moving cranes, and hanging down from the ceiling high above, all to record the best footage of the match as possible. Finally rising up the metal steps at one end of the stage steps the kick boxer from France, known publically only by her alias of 'King'. On the display overhead footage of the Eiffel Tower at various times of the day and with different weather conditions is played as the young blonde takes her place.
Her clothing is crisp, clean, stylish but not ornate - a dark maroon suit fits her slender form to perfection, white and maroon dress shoes on each foot. The gloves on her hands are as pristine white as the dress shirt worn beneath her maroon jacket, a matching maroon bowtie at her neck. The woman's hair is cropped short, styled with a part down one side and brushed behind her ears. Sharp, blue eyes look across the elevated platform toward the opposite stairs. A thin stemmed wine glass is in her right hand which she lifts to her lips, pausing to savor the scent as she takes a single sip of the succulent fluid before tossing the small glass over her shoulder to send it shattering on the concrete at the base of the stairs.
A mic is offered as the challenger is given his introduction and she takes it in stride, "Hey there everyone." She runs her other hand through her hair, brushing it back behind her ear. "I really hope this guy has practiced ducking or he's about to get his teeth kicked in." She lowers the mic for a moment after eliciting a cheering response, largely from people who couldn't care less what she says, they're just dying to see a fight.
"Do we have any dentists in the audience? Because you're about to have a patient." she glances toward the crowd as if scanning for responses before chuckling softly and then tossing the mic over her shoulder in the same trajectory as the wine glass. This time there is some sound of laughter over the already noisy cacophony of the overpacked crowd.
Ken Masters, in all of his legendary and overpriced glory, has taken to preparing a more charismatic and spectacular entrance than simply wandering up the stairs. No, the entire digital display gets taken over by the Masters Entertainment logo which looks a lot like Ken Masters kicking a Fireball. There's a moment of hesitation before whatever video has been cued up starts because it is giving the entirety of Fremont a chance to quiet down and pay attention.
As the video cues up, so does the totally awesome and totally American rock track that can be recognized as the Ken Masters theme with so much ease. As those guitar riffs rock out, the montage of Ken Masters vs Losers begins. There are shots of the illustrious Ken Masters taking on Names and No Names. And whooping them up something fierce. These clips are intermingled with shots of him doing great things for charities, posing for pictures with hot chicks and generally being completely and utterly awesome.
The video finally fades to what seems to be a ten second countdown. After every number, a picture of Ken in various Victory Poses flashes across the screen.
4...
4...
2...
1...
"SHORYUKEN!"
hese words cue the arrival of Ken Masters! As those words ring out across the stage and everywhere else, an explosion of red pyrotechnics explode all around the stage and the stairs. Ken Masters punches his way up from below, twirling and flanked by rising pyrotechnics on each side. His bare feet slamming down onto the stage shortly thereafter. A glance up from there will reveal that Ken is in his classic uniform of stylishness. The red gi and black belt making him look way more amazing that Ryu has ever looked. There's only a moment needed to adjust his sparring gloves before he's giving his head a toss and shaking his hair out of his eyes.
There's a moment here where the guys and girls watching can take a second to try and catch their breaths. There is only a moment. Because after that, Ken ignites his signature smirk and the screaming of fans erupts once more!
The arrival of the challenger is definitely a large scale affair. Someone spared no expense putting it together. Given the already lavish budgets involved with leasing out the entire length of the venue, one woudl have to expect as much though. This event marks the first Worldwide challenge since the Professional Fighting Worldwide group announced their new Circuit of Champions. Until this evening, the Regional belts had received the majority of the attention, with a few having already changed hands.
Of course, Ken Masters was in a unique position to go for a global title shot, establishing his already famous name as the greatest martial artist in his bracket. But fancy pyrotechniques, overblown cinematics, and a showy entrance aren't going to get him past the woman waiting for him, her white-gloved hands moving to rest her knuckles near her suit pants pockets. A bemused smile crosses her lips as she rolls her eyes a little at the pretentious arrival.
The world famous uppercut announcement was nice, however, and even she, with all her confidence in her own abilities, can't help feel a rush of excitement at hearing the legendary technique on display. For all her experience, this would mark the first time she had fought someone capable of executing it on this level. A shrug of her shoulders is followed by her tugging at the cuffs of her jacket each in turn before running her hands through her own blonde hair, cut shorter than the American martial artist's.
"That's quite a show you put on there," she voices in Ken's direction, hands back at her hips, head canting to the right slightly. "Too bad you're going to hit the wall here. Fancy tricks didn't work on that Urien fellow. And they don't work on me." She extends her right hand forward, palm up, gesturing toward Ken, daring him to, as they say, Bring It. "C'mon, baby." she grins before sliding one foot forward a little, keeping her back foot planted solidly. Raising her hands up in clenched fist, she adopts a bit of a boxer's posture with her upper body.
"Get on my level."
She shakes her head, chuckling softly.
"Or go home."
COMBATSYS: King has started a fight here.
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King 0/-------/-------|
Ken Masters is a man that has to make an entrance. The more the crowd is behind him, the better he'll likely perform. If there's nobody chanting or screaming his name, then he's not doing his job right. He's here for the people. Yeah, he wants to win that belt and become one of the Worldwide Champions. But if there's no fans to share the moment with then its worthless. Ken Masters is aiming to become the People's Champion, it looks like. Thus the playing to the crowd during the remaining moments of his arrival.
Ken doesn't miss a beat when the words start flowing from King's lips. He doesn't get upset at all. Instead, he just walks right into the taunting with a smile on his face. No, seriously, he takes a couple steps towards King. "That was nothin'. Wait 'til you see what happens when I'm wearin' your belt." Ken offers a wink and a tossing of his hair to accompany that quip back.
His own body moves fluidly from his normal stance to one that is a bit more focused and ready for action. His feet spread apart and he begins bouncing on the heels of his bare feet. He brings his hands up to chest level in a loose fitting boxing style, fingers clenched lightly for stylish purposes. All the while his eyes seek out King's. All he needs is a moment. A single moment to share with his opponent, silently, the intensity and intentions to put on one hell of a show. This isn't just some random street fight, after all. This is something that will be immortalized forever. This is something that will be talked about for ages. This is something that dozens of people have come out to witness live and in person. Even though they are on opposite sides of this thing, Ken is betting the other fighter is feeling exactly what he's feeling. If not from Ken, then from deafening crowd.
"I'm ready for ya'."
Ken raises a gloved hand to motion at King with a crooked finger.
"Bring it on!"
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters has joined the fight here.
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King 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Ken Masters
Master's confident words earn him a soft laugh from the woman he's up against tonight. In spite her being the defending champion, there's no denying that the American karateka is vastly more well known than she is. Outside of this venue, he would easily hog the spotlight and attention anywhere they showed up together. Only her de facto possession of the Worldwide Masters belt that he is here to claim as his surname suggests he should confers a competitive level of notoriety for the kickboxer he is up against.
But if it concerns her to be fighting someone so internationally famous as Ken Masters, it doesn't show. "When we're finished here, the only way you'll be seeing that belt on you is in your dreams." None of her remarks possess a vituperative edge, it's clearly that the French woman is just having fun with Ken and it seems like he's every bit capable of throwing it back at her which just makes it all the more entertaining.
Her eyes meet his. There is confidence to be found in her visage but also a hint of uncertainty. She knows she's good. But good enough to beat /him/? She blinks back at him slowly, maintaining her stance. Unlike many of the fine ladies of the fighting world, she is not going to fly around the air like she's mastered Wire Fu. Nor is she likely to zip around the stage like her legs are on fire. Her style is not a soft one - Muay Thai is known for its brutal strikes.
But blended with her techniques are some good old fashioned, simple down to earth combinations she picked up in her years as a bouncer. And it is one of these that she intends to demonstrate right up front to the Ansatsuken master.
"All right then. You asked for it!"
She's on the offense then, dress shows clacking against the stage as white gloved hadns snap out in an attempt to get a grip on Ken's famous red gi top and pull him in tight to a rising knee toward his stomach. Her left hand would retain its grip as she twists her torso to the right, right arm dropping, fist clenching... Only to follow into a punishing uppercut into his chest with an intention of knocking him away and making a strong impression right up front!
"Feel free to quit before you get too hurt!"
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters blocks King's Hook Buster.
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King 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Ken Masters
Ken is in the market for fighting someone with some actual style and flair. The last official match he had was featuring some jerk in thong underwear. That was not a good look. So when he gets to jump into a match with someone that's almost as pretty as he is and almost as witty, there's nothing really stopping him from having a good time.
It's already written all over his face. Ken Masters is loving this fight, already! And that is definitely going to show in the moments to come. This is going to be one of those fights that Ken Masters makes sure people remember. Win or Lose.
Ken almost seems to be counting the steps as those dress shoes clack across the stage. He digs his back heel into the floor and braces for the impact. He wasn't ready to leap or dodge, so he goes for the next best thing. His hands are brought up to provide an unwanted cushion for that rising knee, protecting his stomach. Although, the strength behind such rising power seems to have sent his own hands into his gut. Ken actually offers a slight wince for a brief moment, before he's having to push backwards and away from King, in an effort to get out from beneath that hooking arm of hers.
"Ehhhhhh!" Ken holds up a hand and makes a blatant so-so gesture. "Not bad, not bad. But you gotta' follow through more." And suddenly, Ken is rushing across the short distance he created and leaping up in an attempt to latch onto the sides of King's head and pull that short-blonde cut and slam her face into his own rising knee! One that's a bit more stylish and airborne.
"Kinda' like this!"
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters successfully hit King with Hiza Geri.
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King 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Ken Masters
Her gloved fist swishes past his face as Ken escapes the hold in time to avoid further punishment. King settles back into her ready stance quickly, however, her jacket adjusted back to its proper place about her torso. A single incomplete connection is hardly anything to get worried about. She was just getting warmed up afterall.
His evaluation gets him a smirk in response, "Let's see what you've got then. Your looks plus five euros would get you... well, no, that still isn't going to cover a cup of coffee these days, so you're going to need to have something more at this level!"
He takes to the air and she leans in, drawing her hands together, intending to brace against an anticipated strike. But the karateka reaches around her guard, getting a firm hold on the sides of her head. Even cut short, hair is always a liability in a fight. Even trying to pull back isn't enough and the next instant her face meets his knee, sending the kickboxer reeling a few steps.
"Ha!" she sounds more amused than harmed. Her nose isn't bleeding, and in fact, there isn't any immediate visible bruising. She's cut her mettle in the brutal arenas of Muay Thai whenever she could find those that would allow a woman to participate in their normally all-male battles. It will take more than a single knee to the face to mar this rose.
"I see you understand the importance of fundamentals as well... so few do these days."
He'd get his chance to land. She isn't so fast on her feet as to catch him before then. But she still charges him fearlessly and relentlessly, before introducing him to some potentially painful leg work. "My kicks are without peer!" Okay, maybe she hasn't fought Sagat yet.
She's on her right foot first, swinging high with her left, targeting his handsome face with her heel. She'd hop to her left foot next, right foot driving for Ken's shin, then his stomach, then snapping up one more time toward his face with enough force to jar any fighter if they're caught by it. "YA, YA, YA!"
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters full-parries King's Mirage Kick!!
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King 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Ken Masters
Feeling the fury of this fight is fueling Ken without fail. His bare feet hit the stage again and he's already falling back into his bouncing fighting stance. He could tell from the moment he locked eyes with King that she would be one of those fearless fighters that won't let up. So his defenses are already up the moment his feet touch the floor again.
And he's already smiling. He wouldn't have it any other way.
"Did you hear? Ken Masters puts the fun in fundamentals!" His third person usage is more on the fun and quipping side as opposed to the full on superiority complex or delusions side. It is easy to tell from his tone that he's rather enjoying everything that is happening so far. And the crowd must be loving it too because they haven't managed to quiet themselves down yet.
Ken's eyes pass over King the moment she makes that first step to kick at him and he smirks. Sliding forward and into the path of that rising foot, Ken waits for the extension and crosses over his chest with an open palm, slapping that foot down and away from him. His other hand crosses his chest and he uses that palm to slap that foot away from his shin. His hands simply alternate in their mission to keeping those feet away from his person.
As that final kick comes towards his face, Ken puts a little more on the thrust away, hopefully to lean King off balance. "Girl, you kick good. But I think you need to back that thing up." Ken's quip comes as he lifts himself off the ground and slinging his legs over and towards the skull and body of King, his own body primed to collide back-first with the floor as he performs this sudden and quick wheel kick to see if he can't get the upper-hand in this prestigious Title 'Bout!
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters successfully hit King with Ryusen Kyaku EX.
- Power hit! -
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King 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Ken Masters
Weaving and fending off her feet, Ken manages to escape four kicks executed in the space of less than a second. To say that it was an impressive display of timing and speed would be putting it mildly. There is no doubt she's getting a real challenge here, the woman snapping her foot back as he goes on the offense at the same time. Recovering her balance is not of particular concern as she recovers in an instant, hands going up again as he takes to the air in another display of aerial acrobatics.
Again her read on his trajectory is off, however, the whip of his foot slipping in and around her guard to crash a heel hard against her head before repositioning by way of a fancy roll. The force is enough to bow his opponent briefly in spite her training against such strong blows, body bending forward, hands clenching as her eyes close. Unlike his quick knee from before, she most definitely felt that one, hand going up to rest at her head as she takes a few steps back - following his advice perhaps, though definitely not consciously so!
"Whew," she finally allows, lowering her hand back into a more prepared posture. She needs to tighten up her guard, she thinks to herself. Any gap he will exploit, and his movements are harder to read than she had expected. It seems Ryu is the more straight forward one out there!
"All right, no more going easy on ya-"
She kicks into an airborn spin, whipping her right leg out and forward, driving a bullet-like shot of light chi straight toward him.
"Venom Strike!"
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters overcomes Venom Strike from King with Hadouken.
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King 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Ken Masters
Ken Masters is not on the floor for long. Almost the same moment that his back touches it, he's rolling to the side and away from King's location. He's popping back up to his feet and preparing for a defensive action as he watches her deal with the aftermath of his powerful feet. He can't help but to keep the smile on his face the entire time. He's having such a great time and he's also putting the business to this very worthy opponent.
The champion, even!
Ken's eyes narrow, though, as she seems to be preparing to mount some sort of offense. He tries to read her movements but he's no Ryu and it isn't until that leg starts to swing up does he notice the first flicker of chi that darts in his direction with the speed of a bullet. Ken has no time to quip or even think. His instincts kick in and a foot gets planted forward. His arms extend and his palms open up, creating a surging fireball of chi that gets sent sailing into and consuming the venomous chi headed in his direction. All of this cued by a single word:
"Hadouken!"
COMBATSYS: King just-defends Ken Masters' Hadouken!!
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King 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Ken Masters
She lands from her airborn spin kick with a squeak of leather against wood, completing the momentum to face the Ansatsuken fighter directly. He would see the vigor, the determination in her eyes. In challenging her, he was answering a quiet hope of hers - that someone worthy would really make her prove that she deserved this belt, or take it from her so that she could earn her way back to being worthy to reclaim it. And so far, he has not disappointed in the slightest.
His response is as classic as it is skilled, the chi hurtling toward him colliding with his own fireball of power as he announces the world famous projectile to the completely ecstatic audience.
"Heh!"
A second sweep of King's pants-clad leg has it swishing into the Hadouken, a small surge of that same chi that she had demonstrated with her previous attack smashing into it and scattering it asunder before it can actually strike her.
"I can see why you were the Western Master," she remarks back, "But what you've done so far isn't good enough to secure the world just yet!"
She leans forward into a sprint. She can be swift when she wants to, even if her speed doesn't rival Ken's own phenomenal mobility. "Let's see if I got this right-"
Another lunging grab is made for his gi. She just can't stop trying to get her hands on him, it seems. Her right knee would come up like before, attempting to hammer right through any defense, hardened as it is in the battlefields of Muay Thai. When she swings her right arm in for the uppercut, however, she puts her whole body into it, going for Ken's chin from below with her gloved fist with enough momentum to take her a little ways off her feet in the process. It seems to be an improvised technique, of course, and more just an attempt to rub his advice from earlier in. But that doesn't mean it isn't dangerous!
COMBATSYS: King successfully hits Ken Masters with Combo Grapple.
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King 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Ken Masters
Ken Masters has got to learn how to stop giving advice to his opponents. Sure, he wants the fight to be as awesome as possible. But he also wants to win. There's an Worldwide Title on the line right now and if he's not careful he's going to coach his opponent right to retaining that championship. That's not exactly something that Ken wants to happen right now. Or ever.
King's movements have Ken flinching for a second, which enables her the half-second needed to snatch up his gi. Yanked off balance for a second, Ken stumbles to get his feet under him but by then it is too late. He's taken for a ride on the King's Combo Express. That knee catches him full on at this point, knocking him backwards and creating more wincing. King's grip stops him from going too far, though, as he's caught by one serious uppercut. His head is rocked by the moment her fist connects with his chin and Ken goes up into the air. His body gi comes loose from her grip and he manages to somersault his way back down to the floor, though he lands crouched and on one knee. He's woozy. It's obvious.
"Geez. Take my head off, will ya'?" Ken's got a bit of blood coming from his mouth as he says that. He takes a moment to get back to his feet, before he takes a running stride in King's direction. He attempts to get in close enough that he can feint a kick for her side and take that foot down with a stomping motion towards the side of her knee. If he can slow her down, he can take the lead in this race to the winner's circle!
COMBATSYS: King blocks Ken Masters' Fumikomi Mae Geri.
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King 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Ken Masters
Landing on her feet, the suit-clad woman slips back, hands already raised in a defensive boxer's stance, hands slightly open, left hand forward, right hand further back to better snap into strong punches. She keeps her arms held high in order to leave the way clear for swift kicks to snap up into the space left open. The blonde kickboxer shakes her right hand a little as if to work a bit of the numbness out after having socked the American martial artist, but the gesture is brief enough that it doesn't leave her open. His protest at her blow to the head provokes a laugh as she clenches and unclenches her gloved fingers in anticipation.
"Hey now, anytime it gets too rough, you can just call it quits, all right?" she answers with a grin, body tensing as he moves in without wasting any time in an attempt to clobber her good. His attack vector is, as she's already seen, quite swift. She hadn't expected the karate user to be as skilled with kicks as he's proving to be - it's enough to make even the Muay Thai hardened kicker a touch uncertain. Fortunately for her, now that she's taking his kicks seriously, she's able to read the feint for what it is, bracing for the real danger that comes an instant later. A blow to the knee could hamper the rest of her kick-centric fighting style, for certain, but she manages to raise her leg into it, his foot glancing off her shin rather than landing a clean hit.
In this close, her response comes in an instant as King executes a sudden backflipping kick point blank next to Ken, a slicing trail of chi following in the path of her feet. "Trap Shot!"
If she manages to catch him in the sudden attack, she will follow it up with five extremely fast kicks all over his body with her left leg before planting it down and sweeping out with roundhouse right to the side of his head to try and knock him away!
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters dodges King's Trap Shot.
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King 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Ken Masters
Ken Masters, in all of his stylish and show-offy glory, wouldn't normally be paying this close of attention in this kind of fight. But there are factors and reasons as to why he's actually attempting to put this woman down. The first of which being that she hits hard as hell and he's not really looking forward to getting caught by her hands or feet ever again. The second reason being that there's a championship on the line and he's going to have to put a little extra into this fight to come out with the win.
Both of these are viable reasons for Ken Masters to be above his A Game.
This is why it may come as no surprise to the fans that are watching this from wherever they are that Ken's recovery from being slighted his full on ruination of her knee is as smooth as silk. He almost seems to flow like water as he steps backwards and into a defensive stance. He spins on that back heel, whirling to the side as King flows into that backflipping kick. He's only a screen door open long enough for her to land, before he's swinging back towards her and extending both hands to reach for her.
"Let's take a ride." Ken quips with a snarky wink. He immediately drops to the ground and rolls backwards, attempting to send his well dressed opponent on a first class trip to the other side of the stage.
COMBATSYS: King blocks Ken Masters' Jigoku Fuusha.
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King 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Ken Masters
The speed with which Masters slips out of her instant attack simply serves as a strong reminder of just how it was that he came to hold not just the Western Regional belt but also secure the U.S. Martial Arts championship at such a young age. Such successes combined with a charismatic personality that insists on being noticed have certainly vaulted him into worldwide fame as a professional fighter, and as King comes out of her backflipping kick, she can tell that the reputation is not fake.
He closes in right as she's standing and before she can completely fortify her defensive position against his aggression. "What-" the blonde's eyes widen, likely having expected another one of his deceptively effective kicks to come flying out when instead it's his arms as he goes to engage in another close quarters technical attack. She stomps her right foot forward which serves to brace herself briefly and slow down his grab, but it it doesn't keep her from ultimately getting pulled off her feet. Grapples like this aren't a core principle of Muay Thai, leaving the maroon-suit clad woman a bit less prepared to contend against the technique so she simply improvizes.
As he attempts to launch her into the air, her own hands grab out and take hold of his arms near the wirsts. The momentum ends up causing her to fly a little distance as her fingers slip free in the end, but as she lands in a roll and comes up to her feet swiftly, it's clear she wasn't as hurt by it as she could have been. That doesn't stop her from bushing at her suit jacket with her hands however, "Hm, hm," she inspects the damage before being satisfied that it didn't get too roughed up in the exchange before turning her attention back to Ken himself.
"I can see I'm going to have to kick it up a notch here. Your skill is no where near as phony as people say about you." She stands up straighter then, losing her ready stance, arms at her sides, elbows bent to hold her fists out from her body. Feet planted, the young woman grits her teeth. "NnnnnnnnNNNN!" as a swirl of that some sea-green chi builds up around her - preparation to unleash larger, potentially faster and more dangerous techniques than she has utilized thus far!
COMBATSYS: King gathers her will.
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King 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Ken Masters
Ken is already frowning when he feels the launching of his opponent not go the direction he wanted it to go in the first place. In fact, he's already trying to come up with a new plan of action before he's even gotten back to his feet. He switches directions and rolls back up to his shoeless feet, stepping back a couple of paces to keep his distance while he watches much go down in the land of the King and her wardrobe.
He's got a smirk on his face the entire time. "You gotta' give me /some/ credit, right? I haven't even hit on you." Ken tosses some of his sweaty hair from his eyes. "Yet." And there we have Ken Masters attempting to throw the Muay Thai Mistress off her game with a little sprinkle of that Masters Charm. It may or may not work. But whatever keeps him in this fight for the next few moments.
Even through all of Ken's mouthing off, though, it is somewhat easy to tell that he's a bit on the tired side. He's been moving at an extremely fast pace. His chatter is obviously some sort of ploy to attempt to get himself some time to breathe. Some time to feel a bit less fatigued, as it were. This why he's standing in such of a loose fighting stance.
It doesn't stay that way for long, though.
The moment he realizes that King is starting to charge up, very visibly, Ken's eyes are narrowing. His lips even curl up into a slightly excited smile as he watches that swirl of sea-green chi. His own eyes light up, just briefly, with what could pass for the sparking of flames, but nothing more. Nothing more than a simple and challenging smile and his loose stance straightens into something a bit more ready for action.
"Ready to take this to another level?"
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters gets fired up!
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King 1/-----==/=======|=======\====---\1 Ken Masters
"I'll give you the credit you deserve if you beat me," King retorts, her grin becoming a sporting smile as she channels that energy up around her. "Until that happens, you're just another challenger - dime a dozon in this world, you know!" Her jacket flutters in the current of chi she's called upon.
One thing one will easily pick out in observing her that for as long as they've traded attacks so far, aside from being a little scuffed up, she's looking like she's still going strong, showing almost no signs of fatigue. Her workout regimens are intense, running, kicking, punching with heavy weights afixed to her wrists and ankles. She knew if she wanted to fight as well dressed as she does all for the sake of keeping up appearances, she'd need to try even harder than those who fight in looser fitting clothing that affords them full freedom of movement... the byproduct of such intense training appears to be that she is incredibly hard to exhaust.
Her brown eyes flash, accompanying her grin as she looks back at Ken, recognizing the fire in his eyes as belonging to a man who is absolutely taking this seriously. There will be no easy out of this battle, no shortcuts. Only skill and unending endurance will decide the outcome! To his question, he gets a slight nod. "I that idea immensely. Your serious expression does you well, Masters."
She's bolting forward in an instant, the surge of energy left to collapse in her wake as the sound of her heels echo against the stage. She takes to the air with a short hop, sweeping her right leg up and then immediately back down as she aims for the top of Ken's head with an axe kick - the attack is surprisingly similiar to one he drove into the crown of her skull earlier on... it seems she likes going for these payback moves! Upon landing, she would sweep out with her left foot, but the attack seems more about creating space between them than trying to break anything.
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters blocks King's Trap Kick.
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King 1/------=/=======|=======\======-\1 Ken Masters
Maybe Ken played it a little too safe. Or a little to cautious. Because he was ready for something a bit more brutal. So he almost over plays his hand when he steps into the movements that are headed in his direction by the King. Her movements are so fast that Ken is caught almost completely off guard! He was not prepared for he to be headed for the air with such a short hop. As that one leg rises up to collide with a very familiar axe kick, Ken throws his arms up to brace for impact. The power of the kick strikes true, though his arms seem to be well placed for impact absorption.
"Gnnn." Ken utters through gritted teeth. He takes the painful kick in the arms and ends up dropping down to one knee. He lowers his head for just a moment, sweat dripping from his hair. But somehow, through the curtain of pain and fatigue, that fire is still ignited in his eyes. That smile of his hasn't shown any signs of disappearing, even following the painful wincing through a significantly well done axe kick. There's always something deep down inside of Ken that keeps him fueled for the fight. And it's usually the other fighter. His opponent.
Ken is only crouched for a split second, but it feels like so much longer. His sparring gloved right hand is clenched into a fist as he rises back up towards King. He aims that fist right for her gut, to drag it right up to underneath her chin, hoping to knock her clean into the air as he takes to the sky with this classic Dragon Punch scenario. During the dual descent, Ken spins in mid-air and aims an aerial back kick from the right leg at King, followed by another swift application of his right leg to King's side and then another collision to the side of her skull. If luck is on his side, Ken should have her knocking in one direction, so a swift movement of that same leg to the front of her should allow him to kick her head back the other way.
Hold That Thought. Because Here Comes The Words:
"SHINRYUUKEN!"
This exclamation seems to ignite that left fist as Ken brings it around towards King in the quickest of fashions. His body immediately goes into spiral mode as his fist is ignited with powerful flaming chi, all of which is significantly aimed and designed to set his opponent ablaze.
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters successfully hit King with Shinryuu Ken+.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
King 1/--=====/=======|=------\-------\0 Ken Masters
That he manages a successful defense is not incredibly surprising. If anything, from everything she has observed throughout this battle, his reflexes when it comes to dealing with incoming attacks are considerably superior to her own. But she has her tenacity, her stamina, and her ability to relentlessly fight back against anything thrown her way. In the long run, will it be enough? She lands, as she planned, expecting Masters to ward off the attack in her ongoing attempts to wear him down while staying as fresh and aggressive as possible.
But she also knows that in Ken is the heart of a champion. And champions don't put up with being chiseled away until they can't fight anymore. Eventually they're going to buckle down and bust out something that shows just why it is that they are a champion in the first place. And right this instant, the American Champ does just that. She had dreaded the legendary technique. She knew it would most likely make an appearance at some point.
But just knowing is hardly enough.
Her gloved hands slam down against his fist as he rises, but she may as well try to stop the ocean from crashing its waves against the shore for all the good it does in halting his undeniable ascent. The gut punch nearly bows her over before his fist crashes into her chin and launches the kickboxer airborn. Off her feet, she lacks the capacity to ward off the rest of his strikes. It's clear that fighting air battles is not her forte as he chases her into the sky to dish out a strong kick into her side, followed by a second, and a third jarring hit to the side of her head, only to send her hurtling back the other way with a dizzying reverse blow.
The burning fist finally sends the woman falling from the sky, a burning comet that crashes against the stage amid a plume of flame. "Ugh..." Her aura fights off the flames before they can burn her further, her bare hand - the glove burnt away already - plants against the stage floor to start rising up. The technique was as powerful as she had expected and her head is ringing from what felt like a hurricane of kicks leveled against it. But in the end, she must rise to her feet, even if it means risking being struck by another attack of that level of danger. Because that's what world class fighters do, and she'l be damned if anyone thinks she's not ready to stand among them.
Rising out of the lingering flames, the damage is obvious. Even the most sturdy of fighter would be reeling from that combination. Her gloves have been mostly burned off, leaving her hands bare. Her white dress shirt scorched black at an angle and her jacket is missing the lower half of the left sleeve to the flames. So much for being worried about wardrobe. But she doesn't pay it the slightest attention. An attack like what he just did must be returned with something rivaling it!
She bolts toward Ken, no banter, no words. Blood trickles down her right cheek from matted blonde hair and her eyes flash with unyielding resolve as she spins into a powerful, staggering kick aimed for the side of the Ansatsuken master's head. Her voice, replete with French accent, echoes out over the stage.
"Secret Mirage!"
Should she manage the stagger, the kickboxer would introduce Ken to a storm of kicks, each one laced with a burst of sea-green chi that ripples out, blasting into him. She would kick high and low, each swinging toward his body from left or right, she would alternate legs, insert axe kicks and roundhouses, snap kicks and heel kicks, one after another. The force would create a swath of damaged stage starting at where Ken was standing, a blastwave out behind him of scorched, damaged surface as the reigning champion pours her heart into the attempt at a decisive assault!
COMBATSYS: King successfully hits Ken Masters with Secret Mirage.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
King 0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1 Ken Masters
The superior reflexes of Ken Masters seem to suddenly be lacking considering the epicness of what comes in his direction from King. Perhaps Ken is too busy personally celebrating the striking of his opponent with one of his more stylish attacks. Because there's something to be said about him being in mid-smirk when he realizes that he's a little bit too slow on the response time.
Ken's eyes go nice and wide the moment he hears the French accent. That moment is a moment too late, though, as her kick rocks him in the side of the skull. Staggering to the side, Ken's head swims in pain as he's knocked into an unbalanced state. He doesn't even have time to recover before those kicks start slamming into him like there's some sort of finale around the corner. Each kick knocks him into the next kick, the chi adding even more power and pain to what is already coursing through Ken's body.
The final kick knocks blood clear out of his mouth as he's sent sailing through the air and across the stage. His body smacks into the stage and slides, skidding towards the edge. It takes him a few moments to realize he's not unconscious. He groans as he flips over onto his back. Bruises are already starting to show on his face and arms. He winces as he kip-ups back to his feet, shaking the hair from his face as he attempts to realign his body into a fighting stance.
"Thanks. I needed that." Ken quips, reaching up to wipe the blood away from his mouth in classic martial arts fighter fashion.
Ken takes off in a brisk run towards King, leaping up and somersaulting over her. The moment his feet hit the ground into that classic crouch of his, he's spinning to clench a fist. He doesn't even know if King has turned around to stay abreast of where he is. He doesn't care. All that matters is that he's rising up with a stylish Shoryuken aimed at her. Which, hopefully, will be followed up by another one, this time with extraordinary flames attached to his arm!
"Shouryuu Reppa!"
COMBATSYS: King blocks Ken Masters' Shouryuu Reppa EX.
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King 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Ken Masters
The fierce storm of chi-laced kicks is a feat beyond the capacity of all but the most dedicated of martial artists. Here, on the stage of Champions, before all the world, it is just another punishing technique amid many that the two combatants have challenged each other's speed and defenses with. But to the vast majority of the world, the destructive techniques being traded back and forth are nothing shy of legendary.
But even the dedicated kickboxer can only kick for so long before her strength is exhausted and she must bring it to an end, finishing with one final strike designed to send him flying. Against a lessor opponent, it would have been a fight deciding strike and there would be no need for her to defend herself. But Ken Masters did not step onto this platform a lessor opponent. That much is clear to her now. He has fought her every bit as a peer, matching his kicks against hers, his swift evasion against her hardened Muay Thai defenses, attack after attack.
She knows better than to let her guard down for even a moment. Panting for breath, she lifts her arms into a classic boxer's block, turning around to face Ken as he speaks up. For once, they seem equally wounded as she made up for a number of failed defenses with one catastrophically strong assault.
"For you," she replies with a grin from her lightly soot-dusted face, "Anytime."
There is no time left for further banter, however, as Ken's reprisal is without any hesitation. Given how fast he moves, it's a question as to whether he can even feel the impact of all those kicks! She is forced to spin to keep up with him, an act that is difficult given how tired she already is, but her guard is tighter than ever before, the woman turtling behind a raised knee and two tightly held arms. His first uppercut sends her sliding back. Had she been fresher, she might have lowered her defense in an attempt to attack back - the vulnerability of a wiffed Shoryuken is well known afterall.
But she's too tired, lingering in her challenged guard longer than she might normally have. And that ends up saving her from the real threat. The flaming uppercut obliterates what was left of her already tattered jacket sleeves and even sears clean through her white shirt sleeves, leaving her arms bare as he ascends into the world renown technique.
But now King sees her chance, taking a swift step forward, watching his fall and aiming to catch him with her now bare hands with a firm grip against his signature red gi. "Gotcha-" she declares with perhaps excessive confidence. If she gets a hold, she will flip backward, similiarly to how he had against her in the match, driving her foot into his stomach to help flip him up and over the top of her, only instead of falling onto her back in the process, she manages to land still standing. Her jacket may be destroyed, but she isn't about to wrestle in the dust like some kind of boor!
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters dodges King's Hold Rush.
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King 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Ken Masters
Ken isn't sure how he's going to get out of this. There's been a lot going on in this battle and it feels like they've been at this forever. The look on his face is one that is having a ball, though. It is very rare to find a fight that he's actually enjoying. And being able to go toe-to-toe with someone like King is definitely worth being mentioned as one of the key fights in the career of Ken Masters.
The crowd is completely on their feat and going completely bonkers at everything that is going on right now. In fact, there are probably a few people that will be losing their voice by the time this is all over. This is definitely a contender for Fight of the Year.
Ken steps towards King as she rushes for him. As she goes for the gi, Ken Masters doesn't seem to be doing anything. In fact, he only stands still for the moment. His breathing is heavy and ragged, but he's smiling. In the brief moment when King utters her own words, Ken just smiles back at her and offers a statement of his own.
"Do you?"
The reason for Ken's wink becomes clear as the moment King flips backwards, holding onto his gi, she'll get the chance to realize that his gi is all she has. That tattered fabric is ripped from his body, revealing that Legendary Ken Masters Physique. Which, of course, sends half the crowd into an even bigger frenzy.
Ken takes some steps backwards, putting some space between himself and King. He's still got this smile on his face, but he's not pressing his attack. Not yet. He's taking a moment to try and catch his breath. He's been going full tilt for quite a while and now is the time to make sure that he's not going to burn himself out. He's bleeding. He's missing his shirt. He's tired. But he's not out. Not yet. There's still some fight left in him.
"Come on. Let's see what else ya' got." Ken motions for King to come at him. Bring it, Kickboxer!
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters brushes his shoulders off!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
King 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Ken Masters
The actual outcome of the exchange requires a moment to register. Afterall, as she flips back, intending to launch the American martial artist, she knows full well that her fingers have closed over something. Yet there's no heft, no sense of hurling someone bodily that would be expected. It doesn't become clear until she lands on her feet a meter back, hands clenching the top of Ken's signature crimson gi between them. The look of surprise on his opponent's face as she glances at the rent garment and then back up at the now shirtless Ken Masters might be worth the distraction factor alone.
The cheers from the crowd are echoing against the domed roof, particularly loud from the ladies of the audience. After surprise passes, King's expression shifts to genuine amusement, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she twists to the left and hurls the gi to the masses, provoking a mad scramble of competing bodies all vying to secure their hold on it. No doubt it will end up in multiple pieces by the end of the scuffule that ensues... at least that means more souvenirs for the fans, right?
"Haha. All right then." she replies, lifting her hands to adjust her own tattered jacket as if attempting to maintain any semblence of gentility in her fashion at this point. "This isn't over yet!" She's on the offense once more. Ken might be trying to catch his breath. She has no interests in letting him do so. It's obvious they're both being pushed to their limits and quite possibly beyond. Neither is likely to be able to weather too many more hits...
The look of exuberance in the kickboxer's face suggests that she wouldn't have it any other way.
A forward sprint is her aggressive begining, before she drops into a slide from a meter out, jamming her right foot out, aiming for Ken's shins. Out of that kick, she'd be able to rise into a sweeping side kick, aiming to try and catch him no matter which way he moves, her foot a blur through the air, a swish of air displaced by the sheer velocity of the attack.
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters full-parries King's Medium Kick!!
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King 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Ken Masters
Ken Masters might actually be a bit smarter than he looks. Well, honestly, right now he's looking pretty hot. All the sweat and stuff glistening off his shirtless body. The crowd is going insane and Ken is loving every moment of it. He might even be mentally cheering on a couple of those women fighting over whatever piece of gi they can get their hands on.
Thus the smirk on his face.
He's got his feet planted as he keeps a close eye on King and her fixing of whats left of her own jacket. He's impressed, that's for sure. He wasn't expecting her to be able to hold her own this well. Could have something to do with his overconfidence fueling his potential in this championship match. There's so much on the line, right now, that he can barely understand and register the pain that his body is in. He's on full adrenaline at this point.
Her movements are quick and Ken is actually ready for them. The smiling is what makes this a known fact. King's slide brings that foot dangerously close to his shin, but there's some quick movements of his foot that knocks King's foot to the side. Her recovery and subsequent sweeping side kick also gets shoved away by a pair of swiftly moving gloved hands.
Ken doesn't waste a moment of hesitation as he hopes King is off-balance enough to not be ready for what comes next. "I hate to break it to ya', King. But your reign is over!" Ken turns just a bit, before swinging back towards King with a powerful roundhouse aimed for her head. His movements speed up and he attempts a second one. Flowing fluidly into another roundhouse kick, lower and towards her chest. After this, he continues with another pair aimed for her head.
Should those strike home, there's a half-second of a pause for Ken to smile as he swings another kick at her body to possibly double her over, as he rises into a vertical rendition of his classic Hurricane Kick, meant to take King on a one way trip towards the top of the dome!
COMBATSYS: King blocks Ken Masters' Shippuujinrai Kyaku EX.
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King 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Ken Masters
One again, Ken's reflexes prove to be formidable. Attempting to catch him off guard from multiple angles - starting low, then targeting a mid level strike, simply provides him another chance to demonstrate just why it is he deserves to be on this stage in the first place. Foot knocked aside, she rises up, having not relied on her leading foot to transition anyway - but the second deflection on his part really catches her off guard. Were her left foot not so well rooted, she might have been knocked into a complete stumble and potentially fallen over just by the precision of his defense.
As-is, she's forced to scramble. She can sense that adrenaline, that momentum that Ken is building. His retaliation will not be a small matter of minimal threat. No - not with the window of opportunity he has just created. She's still barely recovering when his first kick comes. Aiming high as he is, all she can do is bring her right arm up, bracing it with her left, protecting the side of her head as best she can from that first, decisive kick.
It's still enough to send her reeling, the woman barely bringing her knee up in time to absorb the impact of his next kick. The defense against the round houses after is barely a 'defense' and more of a stumble out of the way, the blonde falling backward into a one-handed crab position just in time to avoid what would have definitely been a fight-deciding variation of that legendary technique, making her escape a combination of sheer tenacty but also a bit of luck. Realizing just how close he came to securing the win ignites a renewed vigor in the kickboxer. Her pride in her own variant of Muay Thai is on the line!
"You'll have to get past me to earn the title of Master, Masters!" she exclaims, springing up out of her fall into an ascending leap. She won't even let him land before she attacks, taking to the air as if it was now the new battleground to be contested. A fierce twist to the right has her spinning upward at an angle, her legs kicking out with each spin as she aims to dirive them into Ken. The complete whirlwind of relentless strikes does have a name of course-
"Tornado Kick!"
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters blocks King's Tornado Kick.
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King 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Ken Masters
Ken's frowning in the middle of realizing that King has managed to block her way to not getting knocked the heck out. He's still in the air, though, when she decides she wants to put him down and out of this entire fight. This is something that he cannot allow to happen. While there is no room to dodge or attempt to just take it, because why do that when he's feeling as though those feet could knock him to Kingdom Come and back, Ken does the only thing he can think of to do while he's in the air like this.
Cover Up.
King's whirlwind of feet comes at a point in time that Ken is descending. He catches the first one to his guard, which still manages to put him higher in the air. He grunts against the repeated feet that slam into his arms as he tries to remain covered up, while he's being knocked higher into the air. If he weren't getting kicked he'd probably feel as though he were flying.
"Workin' on it." comes his quip back to her as he feels the last of those kicks collide with his arms. Considering the fact that gravity is kicking in and the both of them are going to be headed back down to the stage, well, that gives Ken an idea of sorts. HIs eyes embark on a chi-infused glowing journey for just a moment as he brings his arms to his side. His body angles downward and those arms are thrust outwards, his palms opening wide and the sudden explosion of fireball-shaped chi flow from between those palms, aiming the sudden explosion of speedy chi off in the direction of the descending King. Just in case she hasn't been paying attention, Ken decides it's time to reveal the name of this chi-tactic.
"HADOUKEN!"
COMBATSYS: King blocks Ken Masters' Hadouken EX.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
King 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Ken Masters
The airborn battle is a collision of feet and tight, unrelenting guard. The more Ken defends himself, the faster King strikes, as if driven to find the slightest gap in his reaction. But every angle seems covered and every kick only serves to force distance between them before their upward velocity has reached its limit. Dropping out of her airborn attack, the Muay Thai fighter stretches to an upright angle, ready to descend to a standing position on the stage, ready to resume the battle that refuses to end.
Arms over her head, eyes glancing down, there is that dangerous moment when she doesn't consider that Ken could formulate an attack on his way back /down/ as well. The realization comes just in time, head snapping up, eyes widening as the renown chi blast rockets down toward her at a time where she can do nothing to avoid it either. The only option - as Ken already demonstrated - is to brace for impact, bringing her arms into the path of the Hadouken, and allowing it to crash against her. Denied a clean hit, but still struck, she lands hard with a thud against the stage, forced downward by the projectile.
A gasp for breath escapes her lips. While she had been mastering the art of pacing herself throughout the match, that self control can only carry her so far. Eventually anyone would reach their limits. Perspiration rolls down her cheeks, her blonde hair, lightly singed and dusty, sticks to the sides of her face as she pants. She will have to dig deep, have to find the way to keep going in spite all the pain, all the exhaustion.
"So you like fireballs, do you-" she manages to wheeze out.
This is it - time to decide where things fall...
"Phantom-!"
The surge of energy seems almost impossible at this point, to draw so much power to the surface once more, but she forces herself to go on, no matter the cost. Spinning into a swift kick, she launches a shimmering sea-green projectile toward Ken.
"Strike!"
Only that's just the first of many. Another kick and another projectile goes flying. She spins the other way, sweeping low, channeling a surge of chi down her leg, sending a third off, then leaps into a spin kick to send a fourth. Finally, a backflip sends two more pulsing projectiles rocketing across the distance toward Ken.
Fortunately, the audience is low enough to avoid any stray projectiles hitting them. But any that don't reach Masters himself might crash into camera poles, signs, and other various objects in the near vicinity... that's why there's always big insurance policies on these fights!
COMBATSYS: King successfully hits Ken Masters with Phantom Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /// ]
King 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Ken Masters
Ken Masters probably should've eaten some more of the Wheaties that he routinely endorses. For all intents and purposes, he's simply just not ready for what comes back in his direction. He didn't mean to start a war of chi. That is usually the department of his ShotoBrother. No, he's more of a hands on type of fellow. And right now, he wishes he had some sort of defense against the Chi-Onslaught that comes in his direction.
The first blast of chi knocks Ken right out of his descent back to the stage. He's knocked backwards and can barely see the others coming at him. One by one they strike and sting into his body, burninating his flesh and putting what is left of his outfit on singe alert. He doesn't even have any witty banter to respond with as his body starts to crumple beneath the pain. Blood is oozing from his mouth and he drops.
Head lowered in some twisted version of pain and anguish, mixed with a fading need to somehow retain a hope of victory, Ken manages to drag one leg up to be on one knee. He's pulling out the last of his energy at this point, clearly attempting to mount some sort of final offense. He groans as he looks up towards King and forces a bloody toothed smile. "Well played." is all he has to say in response to such an onslaught of chi projectile fury.
His fist clenches and he dives into a last ditch effort towards King. His body lifts and his fist aims a series of small rising dragon uppercuts to be followed by a final flaming one! All of which are aimed to put a hurting on the King.
Ken Masters like will have nothing left in his body or soul after expounding such energy. Hit or miss, the Red Dragon (which is so much cooler than the Red Beast) will find himself sprawled against the stage in a fit of exhaustion and pain. His body simply can take no more punishment. He couldn't even find the energy to shout out the name of this furious final attempt at going out like a fighter and not a sucka.
COMBATSYS: Ken Masters can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\ <
King 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: King blocks Ken Masters' Shouryuu Reppa.
[ \\\\\\ <
King 0/-------/---====|
Landing from her backflip, King almost stumbles to a fallen position again. Her arms and legs are trembling. She's been pushed too far, really. But she's also managed to do the one thing that mattered more to her overall - she's proven that she has the right to fight at this level. Even if she obtained her title because Kanda refused to face her in the field of battle, even if there were doubts she deserved to be there at all, she had managed to show that yes, she could fight one of the greatest known fighters in the modern world - the U.S. Marital Arts champion himself, and put up a real fight. Even if she collapsed then and there, she would have no regrets.
So exhausted, she is barely cognizant of the fact that her attack struck home. Glancing up, she finally realizes that her final shot, her storm of every last drop of energy she had left in her, has struck home. "Hah," she gasps in the form of a short laugh. It isn't mocking or taunting, just an unbidden verbal response to just how incredibly fierce the battle was. "Hahaha."
Thinking it's over, she drags herself up, arms at her sides, torso hunched forward. "You are something else." But he's pulling himself up afterall. He can't possibly have the power to strike again, can he? But he does, and he can. There can be no clever defenses this time, no amazing deflections or fancy footwork. All she can do is bring her arms up, brace her legs, close her eyes, and hope for the best. In the end, it's just barely enough. Each rising uppercut hits like a battering arm against the walls of her rugged defense. But this defense was forged in the pits of Muay Thai - the same brutal, ruthless world that created monsters like Sagat.
"Guh-" The final legendary uppercut sends her sliding back, arms out at her sides, her guard finally broken, forearms laid bare as the last of her sleeves burn away into cinders. Stumbling several steps, she drops to one knee, planting her hand against the stage. Eyes closed, pain demanding its toll be paid at last, she looks about to collapse forward. The crowd is going insane at the final clash of the two Master tier brawlers. It looks dangeously like a pending draw as she starts to fall forward only to have her left hand slam down to meet her right.
The cheers are not even heard by now. All she can think of is the sounds of doubt about her being eligible to hold this belt, about her being qualified to fight the legends of the world. All the Muay Thai fighters who have claimed their own belts within the sport while refusing to let her participate simply because of her gender. Well, she's showed them. They can have their Muay Thai belts. She has earned her claim to the worldwide Masters belt, a prestige that will not be going away anytime soon!
The rush of excitement, the surge of adrenaline fueled by realization at her success, has her pushing up to her feet at last. Right arm raised, trembling but triumphant, she turns a full circle to look toward the packed crowd in all sides. And finally the spot lights and ambient glows go dark, stage hands rushing up to help the collapsing fighter off the platform with dignity before she would have faceplanted on her own. Ken Masters might have no idea what he has done for the young woman's self-esteem... but it's best if he doesn't, it might go to his head!
COMBATSYS: King has ended the fight here.
Log created on 23:46:41 01/14/2015 by King, and last modified on 14:37:53 02/08/2015.