Description: The Vegas Strip is the home of this exciting Neo League battle, but it's not in the night lights for which Vegas is known, but in the fiery daylight. Arrows versus volleyballs! [Winner: Natsu]
The Strip was packed with tourists and locals alike. The traffic was rerouted for a limited time to facilitate this fight. The sun was shining brightly, and the asphalt was hot. Many would not bear the heat for a common street side show.
But this was special.
The famed Eagle Scout Aaron Fang had arrived to the scene holding his heavy and ornate bow, with strip on his nose. He hoped it would not get hit again. Aaron gazed in wonder at the wonders of Vegas, but was surprised by the lack of a giant tower due to habit. He walked into the clearing that had been set, looking for his opponent.
With regards to fighting professionally, Natsu Ayuhara is a bit out of practice. Her last Neo League battle against Sie Kensou had earned her a trip to the hospital and a couple weeks away from the volleyball courts -- and she's more than willing to pay him back for that at some time.
Later, though. Right now, she's looking for something with a bit lower stakes. She's not... exactly the gambling type.
One would wonder why she's here in Las Vegas of all places, but the short answer is: the Neo League provided transportation, and the 6' tall volleybrawler didn't want to pass up a trip to the States. She regrets the choice once she sees the air rippling from the blistering hot asphalt. A jacketed arm is raised to her forehead -- and she realizes that it's just not going to fly for this fight.
The Japanese teenager peels her volleyball jacket off, leaving it with one of the Neo League staff. Wearing a crisp Gorin High t-shirt, she strides out into the asphalt with one volleyball tucked under her arm, forging a smile despite the remarkably inhospitable heat.
She's representing her high school, after all. She -has- to play the ambassadorial role.
"Hello!" she cries out, once in range. Her voice, loud and deep, has no problems clearing the distance to her Neo League opponent. She bows humbly, at the waist, before cradling the volleyball at her hip. "Natsu Ayuhara, of Gorin High School -- It's a pleasure to meet you!"
The officials begin to move into position for the commencement of the fight...
COMBATSYS: Natsu has started a fight here.
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Natsu 0/-------/-------|
Aaron always wondered if people were just whiny, or if he was just not bothered by temperature as much. The scout greets the tall student with "Greetings Natsu Ayuhara, I am Aaron Fang, Eagle Scout." in a most polite tone. The referees get into position, quickly noted by Aaron. Calling out from across the opening he says. "I hope you enjoy your stay here, but it is best he start this quickly to avoid risks of sun burns. Shall we begin?"
Aaron puts his bow forward and raises his hand to the sky. He lowers it to the string and pulls it back. There is a bud of light slightly visible on his finger tips. He takes aim, and shouts.
"Ready?"
COMBATSYS: Aaron has joined the fight here.
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Natsu 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Aaron
COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Natsu with Arrow of Light.
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Natsu 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Aaron
Most of her games are played indoors; even when she plays beach volleyball, it's in a place where there's a good breeze, not like this urban jungle with all its buildings blocking the wind. But Natsu's not going to complain about it -- even amongst friends she tends to hold her tongue.
Things could always be worse, after all.
"Okay," she assents. Can she even speak English? It's hard to tell from how little she's actually saying. Setting her jaw, she drops the volleyball, letting it roll a little to the side. Her two hands raise up, fingers lightly spread. It's a volleyball stance, but it's also the young woman's preferred fighting posture.
She stares back at the bow. And squints -- there's no arrow there. Clenching her fingers tightly, she answers, "I'm ready."
It becomes clear that she could be -more- ready though. She twists sharply to the side once the ray of light races out towards her, but its path confuses her -- it's not -exactly- like an arrow. Air hisses out from her clenched teeth as the energy lances through her side, upraised arms being in the wrong position to defend against the attack -- she's not used to fighting outdoors against someone who shoots light, after all. She staggers backwards, pressing her hand to the wound...
And she smiles, one eye screwing shut from the pain. "... Handy talent to have," she comments, forcing herself to ignore the pain. She suddenly lurches forwards, tossing herself into a roll on the asphalt. The black pavement hisses against her, but it seems she -wanted- the exposure for a moment -- her skin is a fiery red as she rolls upright again.
Forcing herself to get used to the pain, the volleybrawler doesn't stop there: having closed the distance, she takes full advantage of her long reach, lashing out with a backhand intended to clear the Eagle Scout off his feet. "Hrraaaa!"
COMBATSYS: Natsu successfully hits Aaron with Rolling Receive.
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Natsu 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Aaron
Aaron noticed how really surprised she looked when his arrow hit her. Aaron was even more surprised when she rolled across the blazing hot asphalt. The last surprise came with a mighty backhand that lifted the scout off the ground and had him land on the asphalt. Turns out, it was hot out side.
Aaron stood up off the blazing tar and gazed. He felt the all the power and raw energy the sun was releasing with each fusion of hydrogen. He saw all the light that the human eye cannot perceive, from the infrared to ultraviolet. After trying forget what he saw in ultraviolet. He raised his arms with the sun at his back, and faced Natsu.
COMBATSYS: Aaron gathers his will.
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Natsu 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Aaron
Natsu follows through with the motion, rising to her full height. Her eyes remain affixed on Aaron as he hits the deck, then rises back to his feet as well. She knew she'd hit him hard, but his quick recovery time is a good sign that she shouldn't stop the fight!
Still -- as he rises to his feet, the young man's gaze seems affixed onto... her? Or something else? She's not terribly sure, as the sun is practically right at the young man's back, washing him out into a silhouette. She raises one arm to block the sunlight, pivoting off to one side so that the sun isn't glaring in her eyes.
And once she makes that quick adjustment, she realizes that she needs to keep pressuring him, to interrupt the Eagle Scout's contemplation. Wary of the young man's fearsome bow, she plows her right foot towards his midsection, hoping to buckle him over and keep him from launching another arrow at her!
COMBATSYS: Aaron blocks Natsu's Strong Kick.
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Natsu 0/-------/-----==|=======\======-\1 Aaron
Aaron feels Scout Spirit in him nearly bursting. With the volleyball player coming in kicking blindly, Aaron brings his sturdy bow in front of the blow letting a greatly weakened strike hit his side.
With one hand the Eagle Scout held his bow, and swung it a great arch ahead of him like a club. The strong and mighty bow was tipped with an ornate Eagle head that made the bow ever better for bludgeoning. With the opening the swing will create, he prepares 3 arrows to throw at point blank range to take advantage of it.
COMBATSYS: Natsu interrupts Scout Salute from Aaron with Knock It Off!.
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Natsu 0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Aaron
Natsu frowns; instead of slamming the sole of her shoe into the Eagle Scout, it's her shin that cracks against Aaron's bow instead. With a hiss of air, she draws in her breath and steps back to recover. She doesn't want to yield too much ground, but when Aaron brings his bow high again, she realizes that she -really- doesn't want to give him too much leverage. Drawing back a step, she raises her hands defensively.
When the bow arcs downward at her, Natsu closes in, dropping to one knee. Both hands spring up to defend her head: she catches the eagle head upon the bones of both her palms! The projections are sharp enough to break the skin, sending up a small spray of blood, but Natsu has deflected volleyballs spiked at her in similar fashion before...
With a firm shove, she slings the bow sharply to her left with one hand. In the same fluid motion she slings her right hand forward, smacking him in the face with an open-handed slap. She advances further, rapidly reversing her strike to deliver a backhand, and then switching directions again to give him an even fiercer smack!
Ayuhara pulls her hands back, wincing at the numbness going through her hands at such a series of attacks -- both from her slaps and from the eagle head. "You pack quite a punch with that thing..." she mentions with the hint of a smile on her lips. It's a friendly battle so far, at least in her mind!
Aaron tried to attack, and had to FACE the consequences. Aaron felt the assault on his face. His nose was already starting to bleed again.
Thing were looking bleak. He was an Eagle scout trying to make a difference in Sin City, what could he do. Then it struck the scout like the hand of a volleyball player. The primordial force of the sun’s ray had drastic effects of the city’s roads and cement buildings. If so, even a fraction of the same blinding force could pull through. He went over in his mind the 12 points, each one burning with plasma. He would do this, he would dare to do!
COMBATSYS: Aaron charges his next attack!
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Natsu 0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Aaron
Miss Ayuhara's smile falters somewhat a she sees the Eagle Scout hold his ground, practically basking in the sun. The volleybrawler's skin is still hot, but she feels the ebb and tide of chi roiling around in an altogether different pattern to that of the heat -- is he... getting -stronger- in the bright rays of sunlight?
The Gorin student paces backwards, not wanting to tear her eyes away from her opponent. He's holding his ground for some reason, and she's not entirely sure what. With her toe, she kicks the volleyball into the air, catching it upon the tips of her fingers.
"Well, you've shown me how your sport works... it's only fair I demonstrate how mine works, I guess...?" The most words she's said all fight -- but it's out of kindness, not cruelty that she lobs the ball into the air.
A moment later, she leaps into the air, her bloody hand reaching up to meet the ball, sending it on a rapid descent towards Aaron the Radiant.
COMBATSYS: Aaron blocks Natsu's Jikkon Serve.
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Natsu 0/-------/----===|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Aaron
The blood stained ball hurtled toward Aaron with astonishing speed. The scout merely deflected the ballistic ball's volley with his elbow. With a shout he cried. "You play volleyball yes? Here, please enjoy a real volley!"
Aaron held an arrow up to the spy as he drew it. As it was in the air, it caught a bring red burning. He pulled the sting back to his should and fired!
...the first arrow.
The Eagle scout did the same eleven time more, drawing the arrows with unbelievable speed and precision. Aaron was the center of the swirling sea of Scout Spirit being unleashed. It was so powerful, the nearest casino recorded a 2% decrease in gambling for that hour block.
COMBATSYS: Natsu blocks Aaron's Empowered Scout’s Law.
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Natsu 0/-------/--=====|>>>>---\-------\0 Aaron
Natsu's volleyball is knocked aside by the archer's elbow. In one sense, she hoped for a clean hit, but her secondary objective of shaking up the archer's aim seems to be intact.
At least, that's what Natsu thinks, until she feels the waves of chi swirling around her in marked contrast to the heat waves below. A... real volley?
Grimacing, Natsu takes a step back, raising her arms. The stubborn Gorin student could have turned away, but she's determined to see this volley through. She nods quietly to the scout, dropping to one knee as she brings both arms high. Arrow after arrow rockets towards her, the crouch serving to make some of them miss their mark, while a handful embed themselves in her forearms and shoulders with a thud.
When Natsu rises again, she frowns at the small spurts of blood from her arms, and takes notes of the arrows that had torn through her t-shirt, baring a few crimson-tinged lines of flesh to the scout's view. Her juniors might be bothered by the stinging sensation -- and indeed, if Natsu's jaw weren't set firmly, she might be giving voice to the pain as well. But no, her lips are pressed in a thin line as she stares back at Aaron.
"Some people say I'm cheating, 'cause I use volleyballs," she admits, the arrows shuddering as she lowers her arms. She could pull them out, but that'd probably hurt too much. Instead... she breaks into a light jog.
"I'd say it all averages out," she comments, as she launches herself into an aerial kick aimed at the sun-loving scout's solar plexus.
COMBATSYS: Natsu successfully hits Aaron with Medium Kick.
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Natsu 0/-------/-======|>>>>>>>\>------\1 Aaron
The student impacts Aaron with full force. In pain he screams. "My plexus!" He withers in pain. It looked like it was over, but it could not be over. HE would not LET it be over!
Aaron released a cloud of Mohave dust, obscuring sight. Before the dust could settle, Aaron dashed from his previous location. Under a veil of dust, the scout crouched down. In perfect silence, his plucks a single arrow of bamboo and bird feathers. With careful aim, he unleashes the bolt though the settling dust.
COMBATSYS: Aaron keeps on fighting!
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Natsu 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Aaron
COMBATSYS: Aaron successfully hits Natsu with Leave No Trace.
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Natsu 1/------=/=======|=------\-------\0 Aaron
As Natsu's foot lands, the volleybrawler winces -- the arrows are still attached, and they each give their own distinctive sting. She pulls away from the kick, landing in a crouch and staring back at Aaron; even through the onslaught of arrows, Gorin student can still find reason to smile back at the young man's tenacity.
It seems like such a long time ago that she was facing down Daigo for the honor of her team captain. She didn't back down against the Gedo mountain -- and it's now that she recognizes that steadfast determination in her opponent.
And now... she finds herself blinking. Presumably it's from the dust -- but it might be because she's seeing the parallels.
But whatever the cause, Natsu takes a step backwards. She didn't just break that open, did she...?
Ayuhara finds the truth emerging, in the form of a unique and singular arrow, which pierces the heart of the dustcloud, leaving a cone of evacuated air in its wake.
Natsu finds herself flung backward from the concussive impact of the arrow as it strikes her full upon her left clavicle. The shockwave brings her down to the hot asphalt.
And Natsu actually -laughs- as she pushes herself back to her feet. She's shuddering from the pain, that's not why she's laughing -- it's from having left her guard down. "Down but not out..." she chuckles, as she breaks off the shafts of the weaker arrows -- she'll deal with removing the points later. Or, heck, let the medics handle it.
"You got spirit -- I like that!"
Right now though? She'll be charging forward at Aaron -- swinging first with two hands balled into an axehandle to send him flying into the air. And then if that connects, she'll leap afterwards, delivering an aerial kick before flipping around to spike him right back down to the asphalt.
COMBATSYS: Natsu successfully hits Aaron with Rival Launcher.
Glancing Blow
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Natsu 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Aaron
In the clearing dust Aaron spies Natsu foolishly pulling out his arrow. While he is think about how bad an idea that is she starts changing toward him. By reflex, he leans back from the axhandle hands. The blow cuts across his chest and stopping at his chin.
Now he could feel his strength falter. But when a star dies, it dies in a Super Nova!
Assuming it has the needed mass. Aaron Fang pulled out his last 3 arrows. He pulled back to bow, taking one last shot. The arrows would separate as they flew, forming the shape of a Fleur De Lis. As his arrow left his, bow, the brave scout doubled down on one knee and said. In a weak voice, "It has be an honor ma’am". He then falls to the ground, on a bed of cool dust.
COMBATSYS: Aaron can no longer fight.
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Natsu 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Natsu just-defends Aaron's Fleur De Lis!
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Natsu 0/-------/------=|
Seeing that her axehandle doesn't do the job of catapulting Aaron into the air, the young Amazonesque woman withdraws several steps, raising her hands to guard against a counterattack. Aaron still has his bow, and she can attest to how fearsome the scout is with it -- which is why she gives him plenty of space.
She sees three arrows nocked, knowing full well how dangerous they could be. Arrows aren't like volleyballs -- one in the wrong place could actually -kill- her. And yet, the past few months staying out of the pro fighting world have given her a sort of calm outlook upon such fatal possibilities.
Death is around the corner -every day-, after all.
Natsu takes a quick survey of her surroundings. The volleyball had fallen on the ground after its last attack -- it's still handy. A quick kick from her toe nudges it into the air. And in the same fluid grace, Natsu slams her palm forward, slapping the ball into the center of the fleur-de-lis.
With an explosive *POP*, the volleyball explodes in an outpouring of air. Two arrows clatter to the asphalt a moment later, while the central arrow carries itself and the volleyball in a drooping arc towards Natsu.
Coursing with adrenaline, Natsu stares back at the ball. Her heart is beating fast -- time slows down. And the ruptured ball practically seems to be floating towards her, its momentum sacrificed in the wake of the rocketing arrow.
Natsu steps forward, and with both hands curled together, bumps the shredded volleyball into the air once more, carrying the arrow out of harm's way. As the deflated volleyball lands upon the hot asphalt, referees and medical staff rush forward to earn their pay -- plenty of arrow wounds and bruises to tend to, after all!.
The adrenaline begins to fade away. Natsu leans on her right knee, wearily.
"The honor was all mine," answers Natsu with a pleased smile.
COMBATSYS: Natsu takes no action.
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Natsu 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Natsu has ended the fight here.
Log created on 15:23:16 06/01/2016 by Natsu, and last modified on 22:52:24 06/01/2016.