Description: Shady fight promotion on The Illustrious has led to Sol Badguy attempting to earn his pleasure cruise and Ryu Hayabusa believing that he must battle the mercenary to prevent him from sinking the vessel and all its passengers. This brutal and explosive battle between two scantily clad men may just put the cruise ship back in drydock. [Super Interrupts: 2 (x2 Beefcake Modifier)]
Sol hates boats.
Over the course of the last hundred years, give or take a decade, there are quite a few items that have made their way onto the ever expanding list of things that the gruff scientist-cum-mercenary doesn't like: children, cheap booze, anti-smoking laws, political correctness, hipsters, eSports, social media, Star Bucks, public transportation, businessmen, lawyers, accountants, bankers, basically anyone who wears a suit, and young punk wanna be heroes who still believe that justice is a universal force that can be invoked to overcome all the horrible shit that goes down in the world. There's more but that about covers the basics.
Boats, however, are pretty high at the top of his shitlist for the simple reason that when things go wrong, and they always do, there isn't really anywhere to fall back to. He doesn't have much choice in the matter though. If he's going to use this cruise liner for cover, he needs to give people a reason to justify his presence, and a public exhibition match is the kind of things the authorities might buy. Today's match isn't the sort of bloody thrown down that he's used to engaging but the sweeping view of naught but shimmering ocean on all sides of the massive cruise ship still have him a little on edge.
Not that you could tell from his demeanor. Sol meanders aimlessly through the massive array of attractions that have been laid out upon the upper promenade deck weaving through the thick throngs of people that have gathered to enjoy the warm sunlight and take in the scenic views. Almost everyone is dressed apropos of the Trouble in Paradise theme with swimsuits, bikinis, and island themed outfits as far as the eye can see.
Despite there being more attractive flesh on display here than a Vietnamese whorehouse, Sol's eyes remain listlessly aimed at the path ahead of him as he circles towards the designated cleared at the rear of the ship where his match is scheduled to go down. Like everyone else, the merc has come dressed for the occasion, his chiseled muscular body clad only in a pair of men's speedo bottoms that leave very little to the imagination and the heavy belt that he usually wears which hangs loosely around his waist at an angle. The word FREE is scratched into the thick metal buckle as if by a blade rather than a professional tool, obviously some sort of personalized modification, though it's meaning isn't terribly clear at a glance.
The arena, if it can be called that, turns out to be little more than a section of the aft deck that has been cordoned off by ropes. The area that it provides is less than adequate for the kind of drag-out fights he's used to. Sighing out loud, Sol digs a cigarette out of a small holster on the inside of his belt and lights it up with a burst of flame that springs to life at the tip of the slender stick as if by magic before stepping out into the open circle.
"Alright, let's get this over with. I have a bottle of scotch and a cute masseuse waitin' in my room."
Professional fighting isn't exactly a hobby for Ryu Hayabusa. The ninja master has trained his entire life in the ways of ninjutsu not in an effort to make his presence known in the world of fighting but to act as the barrier between supernatural threats to the world and those who do not hold would hold no hope against such fiends. Personal power means absolutely nothing to Ryu Hayabusa, a man who would otherwise prefer to simply live a simple life of peace running his curio shop in the quiet forests at the base of Mt Fuji.
So what is it that has brought Hayabusa out this far on a trip to a tropical restort island where a silly tournament will be fought to be part of a reality television program?
Strange though it may seem, Ryu has managed to strike up a certain level of friendship with one of the hosts of the event, the man that has taken to naming an entire island after himself: Zack. The two met during the Dead or Alive tournament, and somehow Zack's whims took a fancy with the Ultimate Ninja, whose shop he has repeatedly patronised in the last few months. This has lead to an unusual request for Hayabusa to bring some of his wares out to Zack Island to help run the shop.
This boat also continues an odd series of misunderstandings that will lead to Ryu actually participating in the tournament, but for the time being another situation has arisen that has a bit more direct manipulation involved. Hayabusa has had no intention to taking part in any public fighting during his trip or his stay, but having participated in a major tournament, he's not exactly an entirely unknown entity. One of the organizers for Professional Fighting Worldwide recognized the shinobi and decided to weave together an ultimate battle. Having already managed to convince Sol to participate in a fight as part of his cover, the organizer then went to the ninja with extremely well-acted desperation with a simple, but effective story: there was a violent fighter that may well be an international criminal aboard the vessel, and once the ship left port he placed a demand that he be given a proper opponent to fight or he would destroy the vessel! After an initial suggestion from Hayabusa that he assassinate this terrorist (which lead to a bit more panicked planning), the coordinator said that he didn't want any loss of life aboard the ship and that nobody would be put at risk... provided the Ultimate Ninja was willing to step in challenge Sol. The ship would be safe regardless of the outcome.
And so an agreement was made, which also lead to quite a bit of costume work as more lies were laid on top of each other (Hayabusa becoming increasingly suspicious about how many of the demands were actually from his opponent) until a properly photogenic look had been prepared. Dressed now with a small black mask pulled up over his lower face, a pair of black, fingerless fighters gloves on his hands, and a curve hugging, spandex athletic shorts as his only covering, the ninja master slips the sheath containing the Dragon Sword on, held in place with a pair of shoulder straps (that someone in wardrobe designed to avoid covering his chest or abs) and is ready to fight.
...But wait, where is he? He's not on deck?
As Sol steps into the arranged arena, one of the cameras (having received word in advance) suddenly turns up toward the tower atop the cruise ship's bridge and zooms in on Ryu Hayabusa standing at the peak of an antennae, arms folded over his chest, eyes closed. Suddenly they fly open and the Dragon Ninja goes flying down toward the deck, gliding with no concern for the distance that lies between them. His feet hit the deck with surprisingly little noise as he falls down into a crouch from the force of the drop, his eyes aimed down, his right hand extended out toward the side.
In one fluid motion, he looks up to lock eyes with his opponent, his right hand takes hold of the hilt of his blade, and then he rises up in a smooth motion as he draws his sword out, taking an unusual stance with the sword held beside his head, the blade facing the sky.
"Prepare!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa has started a fight here.
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Ryu Hayabusa 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy has joined the fight here.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
As relaxed and carefree as he might seem to the casual observer, Sol is actually quite skilled at remaining aware of his surroundings at all times. It doesn't actually take a great deal of effort to do this. One need not watch every single location at every single second for even with his incredibly enhanced physiology that would be nigh impossible to accomplish. Rather, it is the art of noticing the little things that allows a man to stay alert, picking out what should and should not be present from the surroundings with a glance.
It isn't that hard to see that his opponent is not present. While there are plenty of bare-chested and well built men in the audience who could easily be fighters of some reknown, none of them look prepared to fight. As such, when the camera tilts at an odd angle off to his side, Sol picks up on it rather quickly and his own head tilts back until the stoic figure resting atop the towering comm array comes into view.
"You gotta be joking."
Hayabusa's grand entrance earns a chorus of gasps and squeals, both of the delighted and shocked variety. The mercenary 'terrorist', however, merely follows his descent with pinpoint accuracy, budging not an inch in the face of the graceful and deadly assassin's cold resolve. Sol's jaw works back and forth, chewing on his cigarette for several seconds of silence in response to the threat of pointed steel, meeting the ninja's stare with an unconcerned tilt of his head.
Eventually, he sighs again, and draws his own blade. Fireseal looks more like several slabs of metal hammered together than a proper sword. Rectangular in shape and sturdy enough to carve through a car without so much as a dent, it is a weapon of raw brute strength and explosive power as opposed to the tool of deadly evisceration that his opponent wields.
Sol's brow furrows a little as he looks over Hayabusa's attire, eyebrow quirking at the addition of the mask. Ninjas and their secret identities. Buncha weirdoes.
"Well," he says, his voice a low manly grumble that suits his gruff appearance. "Unless you want to exchange names and business cards, I'd say we're both about as prepared as we're gonna get. So what say we skip right to the part where I put some ninja-shaped holes in this pretty boat and then we both go about our day?"
It's a rhetorical question, one laden with obvious sarcasm to boot. Sol's never been much of a people person. He does, however, know how to kick things off with a bang. Fireseal sweeps upwards in the mercenary's reverse-handed grip, carving a thin gouge into the wooden deck at his side. Fire explodes to life around the blade and then leaps forward with burning zeal, ripping a rapid chain of intense explosions across the floor in a hurry to reach Hayabusa.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy successfully hit Ryu Hayabusa with Gun Flame.
- Power hit! -
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
To many who watch the fighting world quite casually, there's a clear and immediate connection between Hayabusa and Badguy: Both of them fight with swords. This is as far as people of that nature will ever be able to factor into fighting styles where the battles they are used to involved unarmed individuals. That ignores all the subtlety about two weapons that are handled completely different from each other. It does ignore the greater connection between the two styles, though: they are both tools of incredible violence.
This truth becomes immediately apparent as Sol leaps right into it with his blade shearing a gouge in the deck. Perhaps he is used to more sturdy flooring, because not only does his attack launch a surge of flame at Hayabusa, but it manages to send with it a monsterous scattershot of torn wood pieces, all now encased in flame, along with it.
Hayabusa is not a slow man, and in the face of this onslaught, he seems prepared to try to leap over it, but the flame manages to fall just behind the pieces of debris that seem to fly out from behind it in a moment, leaving the ninja no time to react. He's first knocked back by the debris, hitting the wall behind him, but then the explosion follows with, it, dragging still more material with it that slams right into Hayabusa and plows him through the wall.
It would seem that Sol's statement wasn't a distant prediction so much as an immediate promise.
And for a time, there is nothing. No sign of the ninja through the hole in the wall. The fight coordinator seems to immediately begin to worry that he'd put all of this work into arranging a fight that's over before it began. None of this matched the rumors of Ryu's prowess in battle!
It's then, without warning, that the ninja comes crashing out from a window on the next floor open, glass flying everywhere as he once again comes gliding down toward his opponent. His speed seems aimed to send him flying right past the monsterous mercenary, but his hand sweeps down at the last moment as he aims to catch Sol by the top of the head, whip in behind him, and thrust the Dragon Sword practically straight through Sol in one smooth motion.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy fails to interrupt Falling Falcon from Ryu Hayabusa with Volcanic Viper.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
Sol snorts openly as his attack blasts the masked man straight through the deck wall but his tone is impressed when he runs the short sequence of events back through his head, glancing down at the still flaming bits of deck scattered around.
"Damn, I gotta remember that one."
The mercenary waits patiently for his opponent to reappear, one hand resting on his hip while the other taps Fireseal rythmically against his shoulder. He even starts to hum a little; no particular tune, just an 'I'm waiting' sound.
His eyebrow quirks up again when no retaliation is forthcoming but just as he is about to shrug and turn to leave the window explodes and shards of glass come raining down on the crowd. Sol whips around with a lot more speed than his size would imply him capable of doing, fire already beginning to blaze around the fat blade of his weapon as he shifts into a defensive posture.
The ninja proves to be too fast for him this time. Even as the merc swings his arm to drive the flaming hot metal up at Hayabusa, the smaller man swings around the edge of his attack and latches onto the thick mop of hair protruding from his headband.
"What the-?! Urgh!!"
Several inches of ancient folded steel burst through the thick corded muscle of Sol's midsection at the Dragon Sword pierces his body in a single sharp thrust. The mercenary staggers from the sudden intense pain but his senses quickly adjust to compensate. He grunts, taking a step forward, and simply walking off the sword on his own.
Blood trickles openly down the neat incisions on his bare skin but there is surprisingly little for such a penetrating wound and even now the flow is already beginning to stem itself.
Against most opponents, Hayabusa would have never even considered putting that move through its most brutal form, but word travels about the strength of an opponent such as Sol. There are few in the world who can withstand the true extend of Hayabusa's ninjutsu and hope to survive at the end of the fight.
Sol Badguy is certainly on the list of those that the shinobi doesn't need to hold back against.
Once Sol has starts to move off of his blade, Hayabusa makes no attempt to hold it further and instead assists his withdrawl, dragging the sword straight back, and then whipping it off to the side once it is finally clear, sending what blood coats the blade splattering on the deck. If somebody assumed that a battle between two muscular, nearly naked men on a cruise ship would prove to be something more than a brutal match, they severely underestimated the violence of warriors that fight not for bragging rights or entertainment, but instead to dispatch their foe.
However, despite it all, Hayabusa's main sword hand draws upward and cleanly glides the blade back into the sheath across his back as Ryu begins to move in for a more personal level of combat with his bare hands. Even as well-trained and masterful as he is with his weaponry, moving unarmed seems to assist the ninja's movements all the more as he lunges toward his opponent, thrusting one forearm forward as his leg moves to hook in behind Sol's and he applies pressure to man's torso while knocking his feet out from beneath him in an effort to put him to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy blocks Ryu Hayabusa's Power Throw.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
Sol doesn't even bother to check the wounds that have been inflicted upon him as he turns to face the nimble ninja once more. An injury like that was like cutting himself shaving; annoying but hardly life-threatening. The merc takes a moment to assess the shift in tactics as Hayabusa sheathes his weapon and when the lunge comes he's ready for it.
The heavy-set swordsman catches the flying tackle on the front of his free arm preventing the ninja from getting a good grip as he hooks the leg in for the take-down. Sol rolls backwards with the force of the sweep and hits the deck on his shoulders whereup he continues the motion and rocks back, his legs lifting up into the air to absorb the momentum, while his hands slap down to arrest it.
A sharp kick of his feet reverses the energy and Sol rocks back onto his feet, already moving forward with a decent bit of speed behind him when he pops back up. Unlike his opponent, he does not sheath his weapon, but brings it up in a broad sweeping slash that should give him some room whether the little bastard takes it on the chin or moves to avoid.
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa blocks Sol Badguy's Medium Strike.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
The moment that Hayabusa notices that he hasn't actually managed to put Sol to the floor, the ninja draws back and reaches for his blade again, drawing it up from its sheath and in a smooth motion that whips around at break neck speed to catch the incoming blade. He does his absolute best to hold back the long sweep, including bracing the actual blade by placing his left hand against the backblade halfway up.
No clean slash manages to get through, but it's more than enough to provide Sol with the room he desired as Ryu is forced to clear a bit more room in an effort to not have his sword knocked clear from his hands. While it isn't essential for the Master Ninja's ninjutsu style that he be armed, it certainly helps even the contest against the mercenary.
It's quite clear at this point that it will take more than simple sword tricks and acrobatics to take a firm footing against a combatant such as Sol. The shinobi's eyes drop closed momentarily as he concentrates on the blade in his hands, mysterious words muffled entirely by the mask covering the lower portion of his face into little more than a faint hum. As his eyes fly open, his fingers clench around the grip of his blade and crackling electricity begins to emanate from it, little surges flying off in every direction. In a flash he goes flying toward his opponent in the moment, drawing the charged blade upward at both diagonals, creating a cross pattern that seems intent on drawing through the larger man's chest.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy blocks Ryu Hayabusa's Lotus Slash.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
Sol grunts in what might either be annoyance or a begrudging respect as the smaller blade manages to withstand the heavy weight of Fireseal. It takes someone who knows what they're doing to stop a broadsword with a katana and not shatter the thing in half. No matter how cool they might look, the Japanese blade just isn't designed for going toe-to-toe with its Western counterparts, and the magical sword that the mercenary wields is massively heavy even by those standards.
Ryu's momentary pause to gather his will gives the merc all the warning he needs to prepare for the chi-infused strike. He lowers himself into a defensive posture, Fireseal held lengthwise across his forearm, and prepares to deal with whatever this ninja can cook up.
Again, Hayabusa's speed proves to be surprising. Sol's dealt with ninja plenty of times in the past - they're like cockroaches really, always popping up somewhere and annoyingly hard to kill - but the man he faces now is much better than any of those had ever been. The two blades clash in a brilliant burst of sparks as the merc barely manages to bring his weapon up in time to catch the criss-crossing slashes against the flat of his weapon.
"Hrmmmn... you're not too shabby," he growls, grinning up at the masked face of his opponent past the shimmering edge of the Dragon Sword that hovers not but a few inches from his face. "But you've got a lot more work to do before I'm gonna go down. Hragh!"
Sol pushes the lighter man away with a sudden heave and follows through immediately, bringing his sword around in a massive sweeping strike overhead strike. Brute force isn't the best tool to use against slippery buggers like Ryu - but it's certainly the most fun.
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa dodges Sol Badguy's Power Strike.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
The enemies that Ryu has faced in the past are have often been of an obscene scope, many times the shinobi's size and filled with all the power that fiendish blood can summon. Battles upon which the very fate of the world would hang in the balance. Of course, in some of these battles Ryu had the advantage of having the true power of the Dragon Sword unleashed.
What is important through all of this is that despite facing foes of such obscene scope, this battle is proving to be a real challenge for Hayabusa. Despite managing thus far to avoid taking any clean hits aside from the first, he still can't manage to get any real foothold against Sol. Forced to fight somewhat defensively, the Ultimate Ninja also finds himself unable to break clean through his opponent's guard.
As this next brutal strike comes in, Hayabusa is forced to launch himself off to the side with all the haste he can manage, narrowly avoiding being at the point on the deck that ceases to exist as the dense, oversized sword comes smashing through it leaving yet another giant gash in the battlefield.
Having already managed to pull a small amount of breathing room, Hayabusa endeavours to continue his attempt to advance through the battle by turning the launch into a flip as his hands meet the deck. On the way back up into the air, his eyes lock in on Sol's figure as his left hand is suddenly occupied by a set of six shuriken. His hand whips back and forth in front of him, moving so fast as to be invisible as each of the bladed discs is launched in turn, attempting to imbed themselves in key portions Badguy's body.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy barely endures Ryu Hayabusa's Four Rings.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
Fireseal bites into the deck with an explosive thump that shatters wood into mush and sends several of the nearby onlookers staggering backwards to avoid the flying shrapnel. Sol grunts and heaves his weapon out of the ground, turning to find several knives flying in his direction almost faster than even his eyes can see. Gritting his teeth, the large man hurls his arm up to intercept the projectiles even as he takes off at a run towards the ninja.
One or two of the deadly shurikens ping harmlessly off the surface of Fireseal's broad blade but the rest bury themselves deep into the thick corded muscle of Sol's body, one in each leg and another two in his torso. The mercenary bellows, partially in pain, but mostly in defiance as he barrels across the deck intent on catching the ninja before he can recover.
About halfway across the distant between them, Sol leaps into the air, arcing through the empty space in a curving parabollic arc. Flames erupt around his foot as he swings a big meaty leg up and over in an impressive display of flexibility to drive his burning heel down onto Hayabusa.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy successfully hit Ryu Hayabusa with Bandit Revolver.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Ryu Hayabusa
Continuing the trajectory of his last handstand flip, Hayabusa's finds its way back into its sheath before he hits the ground. Despite the intense look in his eyes, its clear that the fight is beginning to drag out for the ninja, leaving him at less than optimal condition. Even as he sees Sol come barreling down at him, it's clear that he hasn't been able to buy himself any breathing room in this battle.
Attempting to maintain the spacing for at least a moment, Hayabusa starts to leap off toward the side again, but he doesn't quite manage to pull himself together in time and catches Sol's heel down on his back. His eyes bulge above his mask as he lets out a strained grunt of pain, muffled faintly by his mask. The downward blow crushes him into the deck and the sound of boards creaking as they near the breaking point is plainly audible, but with all the force spread out over Hayabusa's body, it's not enough for them to do more than simple bow downward.
It's in this moment, that Hayabusa suddenly whips a smokebomb down at the ground, the haze billowing outward and leaving the area concealled just long enough for him to no longer be waiting there as the haze clears.
In a flash of movement that leaves even the camera operator searching for him for a good while, the ninja has managed to make his way up to the railing of the next deck up, holding his right hand in front of his face with his eyes closed and his index and middle finger extended as he attempts to recollect himself.
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa gains composure.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Ryu Hayabusa
Smoke is not an unusual occurance where fire is involved; most of the time atleast. However, Sol's flames are not the usual sort. Magic has its own set of rules and while heat most certainly is involved it is not actual fire that springs forth when he calls on the dark power sleeping inside of him for aid.
Needless to say, Sol is taken a little offguard when the giant cloud of fumes explodes around him. A hand flies to his face on instinct as he coughs a few times but, being what he is - and the fact that he's still got a cigarette in his mouth -, smoke isn't really that big a deal. The short-lived distraction fades away pretty quickly in the sea breeze leaving the mercenary by himself.
"This feels awfully familiar," he mutters.
The shurikens in his body are gripped and cast to the deck, one by one, clattering to the wooden floor with tiny smears of red on their steel blades. Each yank earns a short grimace from the muscular warrior but otherwise he doesn't seem terribly set back by yet more viscious injuries.
"Stop playin around and get out here."
Sol sweeps his gaze around the deck, searching for his opponent, but it doesn't take much thought for him to look up this time. Ninja are always above you, it's some kind of universal law. Finding Ryu perched on the railing, he frowns and twirls the heavy sword in his hand.
"You need a break, cupcake?"
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy focuses on his next action.
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Ryu Hayabusa
It would seem that Sol has learned an important rule about ninjas; however those that only learn that rule are often likely to find themselves in horrible trouble in the future as there is a caveat to that rule: Sometimes they are below you. But it takes having an opponent come at you through the floor or the water to really learn that lesson. For now the advantage of height is enough.
As for all of the shouting, none of that bothered Ryu Hayabusa. There is little need to converse during a straight forward battle. There are a great many more useful things one can do with their breath than waste it on words. Breath keeps your body moving in ways that moving your lips can't manage.
There is one other use for breath... and perhaps soon enough it will reveal itself. For the time being, Hayabusa begins to reenter the fray, standing up from his crouched position and drawing his blade in a prepared manner. He adjusts his grip to place both hands on the hilt and prepares himself before suddenly letting himself drop forward, twisting in the air until his blade is aimed downward, right for the top of Sol's head. It would seem a simple enough maneuver, easy to predict just when it's approaching, but the sword and his arms have the blade held at shoulder height, and at the very last moment before he connects, Hayabusa suddenly thrusts the sword down with all the strength his hands can muster.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy interrupts Intercepting Strike from Ryu Hayabusa with Fireseal.
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Sol Badguy 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Ryu Hayabusa
Sol grins as the silent assassin prepares to throw himself back into the fray. It was the obvious choice but ninja can be trick bastards sometimes. Fortunately, none of them has managed to pull a trick good enough to overcome the raw power that the proto-type Gear grants to him.
Hayabusa might as well be falling in slow motion when he drops, blade leading the way. The mercenary's eyes narrow ever so slightly on the movement of the muscles in his body, particularly those of his arms, and when the thrust comes down, Sol is already moving.
"Not this time, shrimp!"
Twisting to the side with a lazy step, the large swordsman evades the deadly leading edge of the strike. Instead of flesh, the Dragon Sword meets Fireseal once more and the two clash for supremacy in a brief instant of squealing metal. In the end, the larger blade's sheer weight and momentum makes it little contest. Sol smashes the katana aside with a brutal technical flick of his wrist, one more displaying skills and talent that don't match his lazy attitude, and continues the motion which drives the blunt tip into Hayabusa's exposed chest like a battering ram.
This is not a good position for Hayabusa to be in...
As the clash of swords leaves him in the worse position, he takes that massive blade across his chest and goes flying. Much of this fight had been occuring near the wall that leads to the upper deck, but at this moment, the Dragon Ninja is sent flying toward the bow, crashing into the floor a few times and leaving nasty divots in the wood, splitters flying up everywhere. Somehow, he's able to right himself near the end and stabs the Dragon Sword into the deck as his feet slip into position beneath him. He manages to use the friction to pull to a halt, but not after leaving pure chaos on the floor before him. Even using the back of his blade to help slow himself down, there's a clear line in front of him. Surprisingly the katana doesn't seem to have taken any damage from the encounter.
What may seem even more surprising is the way that he whips the blade up out of the deck, leaving another slide through the floor, but somehow not disturbing any of the other boards around it. The ones cut through by the blade itself seem unaffected aside from the missing material, as if there was no resistance at all to the artifact weapon.
I the requirement of the terms to keep this terrorist from attempting to destroy the boat were anything more than putting up a fight, then there would be trouble. Of course, Hayabusa has been given no new reasons to suspect that the organizer has misled him. While the ninja would have no desire to retalliate against the misinformation, simply using it as an experience to learn from, there's a decent chance that Sol himself may not enjoy having people spread rumors about him.
With the Dragon Sword once more in hand, Hayabusa draws it to vertical, holding it perfectly positioned so that it from Sol's perspective its held down the exact center of his face. With his left hand, the shinobi draws his index and middle fingers down along the spine of the blade, concentrating deeply on the spirit of the sword in his hands. His eyes drift closed momentarily, but as his fingers reach the guard of his blade, they fly open. The sword momentarily seems to blur, as wind begins to flow around it, leaving slashes in the very air itself.
"...Nin."
And with that, Hayabusa blazes across the deck with his sword drawn down to his side, gliding just above the surface of the deck, allowing only the violent wind itself to leave paper thin slices through the wood. He manages to cross the entire deck in the blink of an eye, drawing the sword in an upward slash before he even manages to reach Sol so that he doesn't even need to slow for the blade to meet him as he's in position. If his aim remains true, the force of the blade does not cleave, but instead launches the fiery man high above the ship... Absurdly high.
From there, the shinobi vanishes and instantly appears by Sol, his right hand spearing the Dragon Sword through the powerful mercenary, still wrapped in its fiersome wind, as his other arm slips around the man... and he begins to spin both of them, twirling in a downward spiral that is arced perfectly to put the two of them through the damaged deck, with Sol's head leading the way.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy fails to interrupt Divine Swallow Izuna EX from Ryu Hayabusa with Dragon Install.
-* CRITICAL FAIL! *-
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Sol Badguy 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
Riding high from the knowledge that he's got this this karate-man's number punched, Sol isn't terribly worried when the ninja prepares to unleash one of his most powerful attacks. Infact, he goes so far as to taunt him, lifting his arm up into the and then flipping his thumb down like he is a godamn Roman emperor or something.
"Sorry, pal, but it looks like you just aren't up to the task." He falls into a battle ready position, sword lazily held at his side and grins. "Why don't you go back to your sushi and-"
Sol doesn't have much time to be surprised when the furious winds launch the ninja at him like a bat out of hell. Gritting his teeth, the mercenary hurried focuses his mind, drawing on the hidden reserves deep inside of himself to grant him more speed and power to deal with this new threat.
It isn't enough - or rather - it isn't quick enough to save him. The howling gale of steel and chi erupts into his body like a volcano. One moment Sol is on the deck and the next he finds himself hanging in midair some twenty or thirty feet above the ship.
"...shit."
The Dragon Sword pierces his flesh yet again with the easy of parting a curtain and fresh hot agony tears at Sol's insides as the ripping winds go to work on his organs. The spiralling drop doesn't help things much and even if he wanted to do something to try and free himself, the merc can't get any bearings as he is ridden into the boat like a cruise missile.
The deck pretty much explodes on impact. Countless pieces of shattered wood erupt into a fountain of debris as both men punch through the floor and crash into the level below. Still on the promenade, but not in their designated area any more, quite a few people are taken off guard by the sudden relocation of the fight - and the ceiling.
Despite all of the destruction caused by the incredible fall, it would seem that as the dust settles, Ryu Hayabusa has come out of it completely unharmed. Not even his ponytail has seemed to suffer any damage or managed to get turned into any real mess. The true falcon is never injured by his dive, and the dragon is never burned by his own flames, and the Master Ninja embodies the spirit of one while the blood of the other flows through his lineage, undiluted through the flow of time.
Not a word is said as the chaos begins to flow back into order. This match has not been won yet, not until either he or his opponent is unable to continue moving. His only required objective in this battles is to put up a good fight, and he has clearly achieved that goal, but he is not one to allow any man's whims rule the world. Power wielded by the callous is a danger to the world.
And so it is that as Hayabusa steps clear of the rumble, his sword has already been sheathed, and he does not give Sol the time he may need to collect himself as he draws back his hand, palm open, the tips of his fingers curled over into a bear claw, and thrusts it forward in an effort to put the blow directly against Badguy's ear before he can get back to his feet.
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy blocks Ryu Hayabusa's Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////// ]
Sol Badguy 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
Practically buried face-first into the deck below, Sol flops weakly to the floor when the sword is finally withdrawn and the impacts finally stop, leaving his firmly toned ass sticking straight up in the air. Groaning in pain and annoyance, the muscular merc slowly begins to rise, but it seems as if he's not going to get any breaks from the silent and serious ninja.
"Shit!" Sol, still burning from within with impossible power, snaps his hand up in a flash to catch the palm strike against the bulk of his arm rather than taking another shot to the head. The impact actually lifts him up from the floor partially and he sweeps his feet around to get them underneath his body and rise before Ryu can take another shot.
"...you're not bad about the sushi thing, right?"
Dozens of fresh cuts liter the surface of Sol's body practically staining him various shades of red from the flow of new and drying blood and bruises. That he is able to stand at all after a hit like that is remarkable but it doesn't seem to have slowed him down all that much either. Infact, the wounds seem to be closing right before everyone's eyes. Little bits of wood and metal rattle to the floor as the flesh they had pierce squeezes together forcing them out of the wounds of their own accord.
Sol grins, his eyes narrowing underneath the heavy headband wrapped about his temples. "Don't count me out just yet, sport. There's more to come!"
Fireseal seems to have been lost somewhere in the impact, likely buried underneath the mountain of smashed wooden planks and bent metal beams. Sol improvises instead, turning to grab the nearest chunk of rubble, which turns out to be a steel I-beam that snapped in half, and swings it at the ninja like a giant bat!
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa counters Crushing Strike from Sol Badguy with Mekkyaku - Koryu EX.
[ \\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Sol Badguy 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
For the first time in the fight, Hayabusa has managed to gain some ground against his opponent. Having to put him through the deck of a cruise ship is certainly not often the ideal way to put your foe at a disadvantage, and in most cases the match would probably be over. The fact that Sol's body seems to be actively rejecting all of the debris that marks it makes it all the more clear that this is not an opponent who will be put down with ease.
Under these piles of broken boards and supports is the boat proper. This section of the boat is lined with rooms for various activities. It's far more closed in compared to the open space of the deck, and so it's hardly the ideal place to be swinging I-Beams.
It helps that Hayabusa is particularly maneuverable compared to many opponents that the fiery mercenary has already faced. As soon as the beam starts to move, the shinobi has managed to thrust himself in forward, take advantage of the wide swing to slam a palm against Sol's wrist, completely knocking back the momentum he'd built up with surprising strength... in fact the force of the blow is enough to spin the larger man around completely to face away from the ninja. Having positioned himself in a strong spot, he throws another hit to Sol's back and thrusts him completely through one of the nearby doors into a room that seems designed to host small productions (probably for the younger passengers), with a stage at the very front of the room and folded chairs off in one corner.
"What the - ow!"
Sol grunts in pain as the hard strike smacks his wrist leaving the nerves insensate for several seconds and disloding his grip on the massive bludgeon. The mercenary finds himself spun around by this combination of events and Ryu gets a clear shot at his back that sends the massive American tumbling heavily through the door and into the production room, riding the massive wooden slab to the floor and scattering chairs everywhere.
"Oogh. Damn ninja tricks."
A series of muttered grumbles spill back into the main room as Sol gets back to his feet, dusting himself off even as yet more painful looking bits of flotsam fall from his flesh as the wounds seal over. He stalks to the entrance of the side room and smirks at Hayabusa, somehow finding the situation amusing.
Without his sword, Sol's options are limited but he's not completely defenseless. Drawing his fist back, the mercenary summons up the fires lying dormant within and rushes forward throwing a punch at the air infront of him. Brilliant red flame explodes into a veritable fireball around the extended fist and fresh new momentum carries Sol forward like a rocket as if riding the energy of the blast.
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa blocks Sol Badguy's Fafnir.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Sol Badguy 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
This battle is nearing the point of no return. An unrelenting monster against one of the world's most highly skilled killers. This is not a battle that one would truly expect to occur simply for the amusement of some broadcasters hoping to gain ratings. This is a moment that one would expect after the two had been set at odds and wished to end the other. Given the incredible brutality of the match thus far, it's fairly accurate to suggest that perhaps the man who had schemed to get two forces to battle may have not really expected this.
Despite the fact that the fight has moved downward from the intended area, it's still managed to be caught on film, even if it is hardly at the best angles. Some of the cameras are stationed at the top of the giant hole in the deck, and other camera operators have been sent down to that level in an effort to get a better picture.
None of that matters to Ryu Hayabusa. The Ultimate Ninja is simply focused on the challenge in front of him. As Sol comes rocketing toward him as a human missile, the ninja whips out his sword and catches the blow on his blade. The Dragon Sword doesn't even bend under the force, showing no sign that it could break regardless of how much effort Sol put into the task. It is enough, however, the send the ninja flying backward, struggling to keep himself righted as he's knocked back out of the room by his opponent and onto the rubble.
Once he's come to a halt, he centers himself again, focusing on the inner strength that guides him. All the while the air seems to ripple around him for a moment as he summons restrained power. There's a surge of clear strength in that moment. And all of that strength is suddenly channelled into his sword. Ryu wastes no time as he begins to fill the air in front of him, most likely still occupied by Sol, with a flurry of sword slashes, each slash feeling like three as it drags behind it two blades of pure focused air. It is unceasing, unyield, a clear attempt to finalize this battle, and it's a good thing that none of the camera operators had managed to get in this close, because everything around the two is destroyed, the rubble, no matter what its size or material, is pulled into splinters and the walls and doors behind Sol are shredded.
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa successfully hit Sol Badguy with Annihilating Demon.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
[ \ < > ////////// ]
Sol Badguy 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Ryu Hayabusa
Almost as soon as he feels the ninja go flying from the force of his flaming punch, Sol collapses to one knee, power draining out of his body. The failsafe in his headband does what it is intended to do, cutting off the flow of energy before the Gear can gain a foothold in his mind. It's not the best solution by far but it does allow him to grow slowly more accustomed to its power and draw on that little bit more when necessary. That he needed to use it at all is a testment to the skill with which Hayabusa fights.
"Shit... looks like I'm running outta gas."
Despite the sudden moment of fatigue, Sol's wounds continue to heal at record speed and at this point the only evidence left of his fall through the decks is a few bloody lines and smears on his taut muscles. Still, that doesn't do much to protect him against the wrath of the ninja.
Countless blades of steel and wind literally carve the room to pieces around the two combatants, pureeing every bit of wood, metal, and cloth that happens to be in range. All of the debris around them evaporates and Sol finds himself on the wrong end of a blender. Thin sheets of blood erupt all over his body even as he crosses his arms over his head to ward off the worst of it. Tiny cuts so sharp and precise that they hardly even leave wounds assail his flesh and the walls all around the mercenary begin to grow red with his blood.
And yet, impossibly, he endures, standing firm until the tempest is finally spent. Sol crashes to one knee with a groan, bleeding and breathing heavily. That wasn't the kind of attack someone casually throws around in an exhibition match - this guy was trying to kill him!
Sol's fists tighten in anger as he levels his gaze on Hayabusa but something else catches his eye as he does so. Fireseal sits not but a few feet away, its hiding place revealed by the storm of destruction.
"So... you wanna play hardball, tough guy?"
Sol rises to his feet with agony burning in every muscle. It isn't a fatal wound, not by a long shot, but it's going to take him some serious R&R to recover from an attack like that in any reasonable amount of time. Good thing he's on a cruise ship. First order of business though is to set this little bastard's pants on fire.
"Let's play hardball!"
Sol leaps at the fallen blade and scoops it up in one swift motion, falling into a low crouch as he does some. He focuses for a short moment, gathering intense amounts of magic into his body and the air literally combusts around him, swirling into jagged lances of pure white fire that trail after him as the mercenary delivers a final leaping slash directly into the ninja.
"Catch!"
COMBATSYS: Sol Badguy can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ <
Ryu Hayabusa 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa interrupts Napalm Death from Sol Badguy with Fudo Kaganui.
COMBATSYS: Ryu Hayabusa can no longer fight.
This is a serious threat... given what he'd seen of his opponent's ability to regenerate damage, Hayabusa had been certain that he wouldn't actually kill the fiery mercenary, he'd held just enough back to be absolutely positive. Now it's appearing that he may have held back too much. Maybe Sol could have survived without his arms and legs... possibly grown them back.
Instead, because of the request by the man who'd brought this maniac to his attention and setup the battle, he had done everything in his power not to have unneccessary final blood shed (what remains of the walls show that there has certainly been a lot of bloodshed), and now /something big/ was coming.
As Sol's presence begins to build, the shinobi master gives a quick shake to his blade, splattering his opponent's blood over the floor and leaving it clean before its returned to his sheath. He draws back, centering himself as he focuses on his opponent, pulling into a low crouch as he pulls his right hand in front of his face, two fingers extended upward.
"Nin..."
And then as Sol comes flying down at him, Hayabusa suddenly launches himself forward, arms extended as he plows into the mercenary's chest like a human torpedo. He goes flying through the burning debris, ignoring the pain as he puts Badguy through the giant hole in the wall, and flying into the stacked pile of folding chairs in the corner.
The ninja lands back on his feet, bared skin covered in cuts and burns, but he's always been good at recovering from his wounds. He holds position as he watches to make certain that Sol's knitting flesh won't be enough to drag him back into the land of the living. Once he seems satisfied, he speaks:
"Justice wins."
And then he falls forward, collapsing as he can no longer hold himself in the conscious realm.
Log created on 18:31:06 01/31/2015 by Ryu Hayabusa, and last modified on 04:26:40 02/01/2015.