Description: The HUMAN RESISTANCE, holed up in the IL PARADISO opera house, is really, really paranoid about darkstalker attacks. Strike first, ask questions later seems to be their motto -- the darkstalkers aren't even speaking English! Never mind that the humans are effectively invading THEIR turf now... Word has it that a horde of "newborn" darkstalkers is lurking about the Metro City Park. These disoriented and confused darkstalkers are weak, and unfamiliar with their powers -- and the human resistance has started a lynch mob, empowered by their new ally ARGO the demon hunter, with the aim of destroying the fledgling monsters before they can take up arms. However, Darkstalker Rights activist KIYOMI MIYAMOTO might have something to say about that; she's here courtesy of Jedah, and she's not the least bit pleased at the unwelcome visitors. [WINNER : ARGO]
The new utopia created by lord Dohma, the dark messiah, has been expanding further and further within Metro City. The human's city is slowly engulfed by Majigen, a realm created by Jedah with his incredible power.
From this realm many darkstalkers are born, corrupted beings with horrific beetle and demonic appearance that are spawned by his will and energy, it would seem.
Some of those newly grown creatures have manifested and gathered within Metro City park : amongst the most recent annexation to Majigen. Those youngful creatures, despite their bulky and imposing frames, are still infants -- weak and immature still.
Heeding the call of those Children of the Night, Kiyomi has come to the park to try and soothe the confused creatures and to provide them with guidance. In spite of their horrific appearance, she did not fear them, even if they lacked a proper way to communicate between each other, the kitsune's empathy allowed to feel for them and to find the proper gestures to calm them.
There were so many of them, Kiyomi thinks. They would definately make a nice addition to their pack, to those fighting against humans in due time.
Argo is not used to being a leader. Not... anymore. In truth, he tried to refuse the 'position'. He's a loner, by trade and by choice, for several reasons. But despite that, he found himself leading, as it were, this ragtag group of scared humans. He remembers what that was like--being a scared human--and...
And, truth be told, he's never been able to turn away from people in need. Especially now. He knew the forces at play, here, and he would've been in the area anyways. The grizzled man is at the head of the marching mob, who have roused themselves to fight for their world, to take back what's theirs, and that kind of courage makes hunters of them all.
They're all carrying makeshift weapons--clubs, tire irons, sharpened broomhandles, knives, knives lashed to broomhandles... and as they enter the park, Argo raises a hand. "Stop," he growls, sniffing the air.
And looking around. He smells it--that unique scent of Darkstalker... of course none of these humans know what lies beneath Argo's skin, metaphorically, but he's got it under control... for now. Of course he spots Kiyomi, both visually and with his sense that she is truly dangerous, not just to these people, but to him as well. A true fighter.
"That one," he says, pointing at the kitsune, warning the mob.
"That one's mine. You go near her," he grunts, smiling wryly and without any humor at all, "you'll go home in a box. Now--let's get this done."
COMBATSYS: Argo has started a fight here.
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Argo 0/-------/-------|
The stench of their musk in the park was strong, something Argo might be able to tell. There was a vast gathering of darkstalkers within the park and his senses could easily guide him to them. Once they venture further into the park, it's hard to miss the dozens of fiendish creatures. None of them were totally alike, yet for the mobs, they might all appear to be the same.
Their appearances were frightening. They didn't need any weapon to fight, most had deadly claws or talons, sharp like fangs or insect-like mandibles. Some of them had a built that towered over the tallest humans and were quite intimidating looking, however their postures were far from predatorial and confident.
In the midst of all those beasts, Kiyomi easily stood out. The woman with her crimson kimono appeared to be the lesser threat : no claws, a slender and curvy frame. Her only monstruous feature were the myriad of tails that idly swayed behind her.
Kiyomi had managed to calm down the beasts somewhat and they were listening to her to some extent. However, the arrival of the humans brought quite the turmoil amongst them. Growls and jingles of anxiety as the humans approach them. Kioymi stood up and made her way to stand in front of the beasts.
While she appeared less intimidating, it was all in her expression. The confident posture, her cold and stern assessing eyes in front of the gathered bunch of humans. One of her hand reaches out for the handle of her sheathed katana.
"Leave this place, humans," She calls out loud to them, her voice filled with threats. She doubts she'll change their minds but still... She narrows her eyes a bit and adds, "I will not let any of you harm my children..."
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi has joined the fight here.
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Kiyomi 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Argo
She's scary, for sure. Some of the human mob shrinks back. But then Argo steps forward. And the qualities that once made him the leader of a band of hunters spill out. And, it must be said, just a bit of the hatred Argo has for these darkstalkers. "You walk away now," he says, in an authoritative, commanding voice, "you'll never be rid of them. Of these things. They look dormant now... but their nature will show. They're _monsters_." The word drips with scorn. And Argo? He's a monster, too.
"If you don't fight back now you'll never be able to." He begins advancing on Kiyomi, shoving his sleeves up to his elbows, exposing thickly muscled forearms and gloved hands which clench into tight fists. The mob moves behind him, slowly at first, but with increasing confidence, spreading out from their entry point into the park. He sneers at Kiyomi, and, as he picks up speed, so does the mob, their voices raised into a ragged yell. Some may die this day, it's unavoidable. But their blood will not have been spilled in vain.
"RRRRRRRRAGH!!" shouts Argo as he plunges straight for Kiyomi, his right fist drawn back, heavy pendant glittering and bouncing as he throws himself into a lunging wide right hook for her temple. A true bell-ringer of a punch, to be sure.
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi blocks Argo's Aggressive Strike.
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Kiyomi 0/-------/-======|-------\-------\0 Argo
The only reason why the dozens of darkstalkers did not run away before the mass of humans was Kiyomi's presence. Her soothing had been enough to prevent them from letting their primal urges to flee get over them yet they were obviously anxious about the outcome of this encounter. Some had grown attached enough to the maternal woman to try and defend her from the hostile humans, yet they all waited and some cowered behind her.
Argo's aggressive charge and shout is enough to cause some of the more ferocious and wild darkstalker to roar loudly back at Argo : instinct driving them to try and intimidate their opponent to avoid confrontation. They open their arms, as if taunting the humans to attack them, their sharp fangs and deadly claws perhaps enough to disuade them but it seems like the fight was inevitable.
Kiyomi stood her ground as Argo charged him. She swiftly moves her forearms up to block the powerful strike, shifting her legs to brace herself from his attack. Even so, the strength in his fist is enough to make her slide a few inches backward. Kiyomi grits her teeth a bit in pain and she growls back at the man, "Monsters you say...! You, humans, are all the same! So eager to destroy what you fear and do not understand!" Her free hand reaches out for her katana, drawing the blade to retaliate from Argo's attack with a horizontal slash to midsection.
Obviously, her kimono was designed for battle -- cut somewhat beside her thighs to allow fast movements. Her tails sway more rapidly behind her, as if excited by the fight.
COMBATSYS: Argo just-defends Kiyomi's Medium Strike!
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Kiyomi 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Argo
In truth, as the battle begins in earnest, it's... all but inevitable. It could only have been avoided had Argo not been with the humans; Kiyomi's presence alone would have been enough to scare them off. But with their leader now locked in battle, the mob breaks and charges and soon individual dramas are being played out across the battlefield.
Of course, Argo knows that some of these darkstalkers would likely never hurt a human--would be more scared than anything else. Just like animals. But he can't help the anger that boils in him anymore than he can help being what he is. He hunts their kind. It isn't for money. It isn't for sport. It isn't for a job. It's his vocation. His calling.
The kitsune draws a blade, and that is slightly unusual--not many darkstalkers utilize more than their supernatural gifts. But...
He's ready for it. The blade slashes through a space that he no longer occupies, Argo having dug his heels into the ground and thrown himself backwards. That would seem to have put him out of position for an attack, but it isn't true--because instantly, Argo converts his momentum into a forward leap that lets him draw his legs in and throw a side-on flying kick straight for Kiyomi's head, the rough sole of his combat-booted foot looking to make an imprint on her face.
COMBATSYS: Argo successfully hits Kiyomi with Medium Kick.
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Kiyomi 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Argo
Some of the darkstalkers fight back, while other cower in fear and tries to escape the humans who assaults them and smash them with their improvised weapons. The humans were probably more clever when it came to fighting them, and despite their monstruous and bulky appearance, their hardened shells and deadly claws, those darkstalkers were weaker than one would expect. Still immature and not fully grown, which gave the humans a chance to stand against them.
The moment Argo pushes away to avoid Kiyomi's attack, the kitsune's second hand moves to the handle of her katana to hold it with both of her hands, ready to follow-up with a mighty strike from her katana, hoping to use the superior reach of her weapon against him...
However she did not expect him to be able to react with such agility to her first strike. Her eyes widen in surprise when Argo is already leaping back at her before she even had a chance to approach him. The woman attempts to move out of the way, but his hasty counter attack allows him to break through her guard and hit her right in the face.
A high pitched and surprised groan of pain escapes the woman's throat as the kick knocks her back. She staggers back a couple of feet in an attempt not to lose her balance but ends up falling to one knee and planting her blade into the ground to hold herself from falling totally.
A shiver causes her body to tremble as she slowly straightens herself up, spitting blood out of her mouth. She lifts her gaze up and glares at Argo, her features partially hidden by a few straight locks of hair that were knocked out of place thanks to the impact on her face. A bit of dirt covers her left cheek, as well as a nasty red welt where he managed to hit her face.
"You are the real monsters," She replies, her voice filled with venom toward Argo. She manages to rise back to her feet and she lifts her katana up in the air, her hand sliding on the flat side of the blade, causing it to glow with a pink hue of energy, "... I will take great pleasure and killing every single ones of you. To pay back in blood for all the loss of lives you've done to my kin," Kiyomi says before she swings the blade in Argo's direction, unleashing a wave of energy in his direction.
COMBATSYS: Argo overcomes Lame Spirituelle from Kiyomi with Demon Bullet.
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Kiyomi 1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0 Argo
These humans are -scared-. And the appearance of the darkstalkers--physically--doesn't alleviate any of those fears. They're taken by a kind of mob bloodlust, which... really just about evens out the playing field. Improvised weapons vs. natural weapons. Anger and fear and the unknown. The clash is epic, voices of all sorts raised in conflict. And, playing out in the middle of it all, the clash between Kiyomi and Argo.
The lash of energy puts Argo in a bit of a dilemma--so far, he hasn't revealed anything he hasn't had to--but he makes a decision a moment later, and a blue-purple-red flame races up his right arm as he hurls it forward.
Just as he presents the open palm of his hand, the fire bursts out into a coherent ball of energy--one that cuts through Kiyomi's, and, diminished and flickering, continues on.
All around him, Argo's people are winning--and losing--fights. It's hard to say which side will win... although truly, as long as Majigen remains, -neither- side will win. Argo didn't really want to reveal his own supernatural abilities, but he can't afford to lose this fight. He winces, however, as the fire rushes up his arm, clenching the open hand into a fist afterwards as if to snuff it.
COMBATSYS: Argo dazes Kiyomi with Demon Bullet!
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Kiyomi 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Argo
The Kitsune had hoped this would buy her some time and allow her to recover from the demon hunter's nasty kick. Her spiritual energy is dismissed by Argo's fire, his own burst powerful enough to overcome her energy wave and continue its path in her direction.
The woman attempts to react but she lacks the reflexes to move out of the way of the fireball, ending up wrapped into the flames. The rush of energy is enough to finish off stunning her, another shout of pain escaping her throat as Kiyomi is stripped of her senses for a moment, her fluffy tails going flat as she loses her balance.
Everything around her spins, dazed and dizzy from the hit. One arm is held up, as if to try to keep him away from her as she attempts to recover her senses. Her breathing is heavy, as if a bit panicked by the sudden loss of her senses. Fortunately, she's able to regain her composure quickly enough, but it leaves her vulnerable... Or is this broken wing gambit just a cunning trick?
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi takes no action.
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Kiyomi 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Argo
Argo doesn't let up. He might have--but right as he was considering whether to leave the wounded kitsune alone, there was a horrific scream--the heart-rending sound of a woman losing a loved one. And that galvanizes Argo to action. Kiyomi is the strongest of the Darkstalkers here--he can't turn his back on her. He's not so powerful, yet, as to be able to ignore her.
Gritting his teeth he lunges again, leaping in with his right fist drawn back again--this time for a quick jab, a teaser to the real attack, the one with the follow-through and the real power behind it, a slamming left body blow straight for Kiyomi's gut. Some of the humans are inspired by Argo--fighting barehanded against a weapon-wielding monster is certainly visually appealing, though he's not thinking about that.
He'll drive this Darkstalker out and then he'll help clear out this park. Reclaim this territory for the humans who were here first.
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi blocks Argo's Medium Punch.
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Kiyomi 1/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Argo
Kiyomi's blurry vision and dizziness fades away just in time for her to react to Argo's jab : her left arm rises up to deflect the blow. She leans back to absorb the impact of his body slam against her, her tails acting as a counter-balance to allow her to be in a less than easy posture to balance.
A grunt escapes her throat though as she manages to absorb a part of his physical slam though it's still enough to push her backward. This time though, she manages to keep her balance with grace and poise, stepping back after the blow. Her tails spread out behind her like a peacock, offering a distracting and magnificent display to Argo. She shifts her weight, the struggle has caused her kimono to loosen up, enough to expose her thighs some more, as well as a bit of her cleavage.
The woman sheathes her blade and leans down before she bursts into a quick dash in Argo's direction. She draws her katana as soon as she gets within reach, attempting to perform a quick vertical slice straight for Argo's midsection.
However, that vision of the Kitsune quickly fades away, revealing the real Kitsune who's dashing at Argo to perform the exact same attack, except only a second later after the phantasmal copy of herself has attacked him.
If her mind fails to see the trickery, he might feel pain from the first illusion as much as from the first real one.
COMBATSYS: Argo blocks Kiyomi's Estoc Chimerique.
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Kiyomi 1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0 Argo
Tricky. Kitsunes are well-known for being tricksters and this one is no different. Argo's almost taken in by the illusion--no, it's not an illusion. It's something more, yet not entirely real. He evades at the last moment--but doesn't get away clean, as that katana slices through the sleeve of his jacket and leaves a sharp cut line along his left forearm, blood seeping out. A shallow cut, but the shallowest cuts often sting the most.
Argo glances at the wound, then shoves the sleeves of his jacket back again--as if displaying the cut, the blood rilling down his forearm.
All around him the battle still rages, neither side really gaining a foothold one way or the other. Argo narrows his eyes at the kitsune, clenching that left fist, darting forward fearlessly, dragging his right leg slightly as he plants his left--and then snapping his right foot around in a wide, arcing mid-level roundhouse kick, throwing his whole body into the attack.
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi fails to interrupt Strong Kick from Argo with Riposte de la Lune.
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Kiyomi 1/-----==/=======|===----\-------\0 Argo
The Kitsune quickly recovers from her attack, her eyes narrowing a bit as she notices her illusions were not enough to catch him off guard, neither any of her other tricks. Her fighting prowess are definately remarkable even without her illusions and tricks, but they're definately what gives her the extra edge and advantage.
As her trickery and deceptions have proven ineffective against him, Kiyomi attemps to rely on a more aggressive approach using her Iaijutsu. The moment Argo's lunging at her, the darkstalkers is already charging right back. She moves her free arm up to try and intercept his round-house kick while her blade is diving straight for Argo's exposed flank.
Alas, the woman fails her riposte, Argo's agility in this brief moment being superior to Kiyomi's own, but also his sheer physical strength. The woman's arm connects with his leg, though she's unable to correctly intercept his kick and he ends up breaking through her riposte.
The round-house kick smashes the kitsune aside, litterally sweeping her away, sending her slender frame and swarm of tails flying over some distance. A screech of pain escape her throat, followed by other groans and complaints as she falls roughly on her left arm, rolling a few feet in the grass and dirt.
Her body still moves though as she slowly rises back to her feet, her left arm that hit the ground first seems a bit limp, but Kiyomi attemps to recover as fast as possible to prevent the demon hunter from hitting her while she's down. The woman is panting loudly, her adversary definately giving her quite a hard time, still her resolve and desire to fight still burns in her eyes.
There is no pity in Argo's eyes. You put yourself on the battlefield, you accept the consequences. Someday he himself will die on the battlefield. And he wouldn't have it any other way at all. Argo's fight seems to be somewhat mirrored in the humans' fight; the tide is turning, slowly, as those individual dramas play out here and there amongst the warring factions.
"Back on your feet again? You should have stayed down," he advises, stalking forward. A zombie lunges at him; he turns and smashes it down with a single punch; it barely slows him down.
"I should put you out of your misery," he finishes... and then he's rushing forward again.
Closing the distance, he throws a combination of attacks--right hook, left hook, left uppercut--and then an attempt to grab Kiyomi by the throat, lift her up, and then turn and slam her into the ground.
COMBATSYS: Argo dazes Kiyomi with Fury Combination!
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Kiyomi 1/---====/=======|====---\-------\0 Argo
The rest of the battle waging on seems to be a reflexion of Kiyomi and Argo's fight : the demon hunter's domination over the darkstalker has given the mobs bravery and resolve, while Kiyomi's rather poor performance has sapped the morale of her brethren. Some darkstalkers have been routed, while others are being slain and dealt with by groups of mobs.
It is hardly Kiyomi's concern now though, as she barely has the time to get back on her feet when Argo closes her in : it's all thanks to that zombie who sacrified himself to give her some time. Unfortunately, her reflexes have been dulled by her pain and Argo's quick flurry of blows manages to break through Kiyomi's guard. She tries to lift her left arm up to deflect the blows, intercept the others with her other arm and her katana but alas, her movements grow more sluggish with every hooks and lefts, the uppercut sealing her fate as she drops her katana to the ground. Instinctively, the woman's hands reach out for Argo's arm as he grabs her throat and she squirms in his grasp, bucking a bit as she claws his forearm to free herself. Fortunately he quickly breaks the hold as he slams her against the ground.
Stunned by the series of powerful blows, Kiyomi writhes painfully on the ground, her head spinning, her limbs paralyzed with pain. Her face is swollen from the hits she took, her lips dripping some blood. She grunts as she tries to get some leverage.
She arches her back and lets a loud howl escape her throat : like a wounded wolf. She unleashes a desperate wave of psychic energy around of her, a swirling blast of psychic energy to rebuke Argo from her. A vain attempt as she uses her last strength to this before slumbing into unconsciousness.
It was either a cry for help or an howl meant for the other darkstalkers to try and run for their lives, hard to tell.
COMBATSYS: Kiyomi can no longer fight.
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Argo 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Argo just-defends Kiyomi's Enfants de la Nuit!
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Argo 0/-------/---====|
Argo is actually particularly weak to psychic-fueled powers. It's a curse of being possessed; he's already fighting the demon for control, and that saps his ability to resist the psychic talents of others. But sometimes the demon in him is kinder than other times. There's nowhere for Argo to -go-, the pulse of psychic energy can't be avoided, but in this case, the demon protects his mind for him.
<<You're -welcome->>, purrs the demon's voice, silky smooth and velvety in Argo's mind, and he turns his attention inwards for a moment to growl in his own head.
<<Watch it. I don't need you thinking I need you that much.>> Around him, that scream echoes out, and the darkstalkers break like a wave, screaming and fleeing. The humans move to pursue, but Argo holds up a hand to stop them.
"No, we're done here. We've accomplished what we meant to..." Turning, he surveys his crew, diminished, ragged, but victorious.
"... and you guys need to nurse your wounds. C'mon."
"Let's get you guys home."
COMBATSYS: Argo has ended the fight here.
Most of the weak, newly born darkstalkers have been slain : few of those who cowered and ran away had been left to flee, and Kiyomi's fallen cry had been enough to persuade the few still alive to escape.
The human's victory over the darkstalker was obvious : a crushing defeat over those monsters, even if they were able to injure many humans, the loss were higher on the darkstalker's side.
As for the Kitsune -- the distraction given by the fleeing darkstalker had been enough for her to escape, using her illusions to veil her presence momentarily, at least enough for the wounded beast to crawl away once she has regained her senses.
Log created on 15:15:37 04/15/2015 by Kiyomi, and last modified on 22:29:06 04/15/2015.