Match of the Millennium

Description: "The Lin Kuei have proven themselves able representatives in this, the grandest tournament. Each warrior fit to gain a king's ransom in golden honors. The gods still find it fit to grace CYRAX with their favor, and in so doing, have found interest for him to match blades against KENSHI. This battle will be decisive in attaining the title of WASP, and so I will host the battle at the Arena in my Palace. Do not displease them, for the gods have the longest memories of all."

[KENSHI]
It is a popular trope for dramatic events to be underlined by the grumbling displeasure of a thunder storm. In such cases, each cutting twist of the narrative is punctuated by a jagged flash of lightning and a sharp bark of thunder. Rain falls like tears, and the air is grey, heavy with promise. But how often have kombatants actually met in the rain?
On this day, they will.
Fat droplets of rain glisten as they fall through the grey light, impacting the stones of the courtyard Arena. Slowly, each drop contributes to the gradual cleansing of the place, washing away the accumulated filth of kombats past.
In the center of the courtyard, flanked on three sides by barricaded stone benches full of silent robed figures, the raised stone arena stands. Though there are no ropes or bars, at each of the four corners stands a pillar of stone, and upon the flat expanse of its face, beneath a layer of rushing water, is a simple yin-yang symbol gouged shallowly into the rock.
Standing in the center of that symbol, head bowed and greying hair plastered to his skull, is Kenshi Takahashi. The aging swordsman's crimson coat his heavy with damp, and the tattered ends of his blindfold whip wildly about in the storm. But despite this, the ronin himself seems calm. His gloved hands are folded together against his stomach, lips pressed into a line as he waits for his opponent to appear.
Above, the thunder rolls.

[CYRAX]
The storm above is all too fitting for a tense battle, between two warriors fighting for the favor of the Gods themselves. With the sky already opened up and making the stone of the arena grounds wet, it's hard not to feel the power of the skies above them.

This is NOT the reason that Cyrax, in a stark contrast to his previous fights, has not been hiding all this time, in wait for Kenshi. In fact, he's only just arriving, stepping up slowly to the arena grounds. For one valuing stealth such as him, it seems odd...but Cyrax wouldn't do so without reason...and the man before him is that very reason. The Lin Kuei simply has too much awareness of what Kenshi's...er...awareness is capable of. Simply hiding would not do.

"Don't think that I'll go easy on you," the clansman says, a brief bow toward the knelt toward the swordsman. ALready, the Motswana is shifting into a fighting stance, not wanting to mince words.

[KENSHI]
"Do what you must," Kenshi replies, lips twitching into the ghost of a wry little grin. His words hold an odd mixture of weary roughness and serenity. An acceptance of the path before him. "Just know that what choices you make can not be undone. We are nearing the final trial. This is, it."
Unclasping his hands, the blind swordsman lifts his left palm toward Cyrax and levels his right fist back and up. Water sloshes as his booted feet slide into a relaxed stance, left foot forward and knees slightly bent. Turning his left ear toward the dark-skinned fighter he waits, the yin-yang symbol radiating out from him across the surface of the small platform.
Off in the master's pavilion, above the heads of the watching monks, a large gong sounds.
It is time to fight.

COMBATSYS: Kenshi has started a fight here.

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Kenshi           0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Kenshi equips a luminous Light Red Soul Shard.

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Kenshi [E]       0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Cyrax has joined the fight here.

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Cyrax            0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Cyrax equips a gleaming Aquamarine Soul Shard.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[CYRAX]
Cyrax finds himself scowling a lilttle. "What do you know of my choices?" he asks, uncharacteristically defensive for some reason. Reasons that even Cyrax isn't quite sure of himself. Regardless, he doesn't move from his stance or let his composure drop physically. His heart rate spikes, but not as much as one might think considering his response.

Narrowing his eyes, the LIn Kuei watches carefully, trying to keep his eyes on that sword, despite the rain pouring down all around them. The storm will make things more difficult, but hopefully that goes for both of them...

Once the gong goes off, Cyrax goes in...but not quite so aggressively, coming in low with the water sloshing around in his movements, before readusting toward his left, and trying to plant a palm heel strike to the swordsman's chest.

COMBATSYS: Kenshi blocks Cyrax's Front Punch.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[KENSHI]
"The Lin Kuei once had honor." Kenshi replies, shifting to keep Cyrax before him, tone calmly reflective as his words cut through the hissing patter of the storm. Behind his head, the hilt of his sword can be seen, crimson-wrapped brass gleaming in the dim light.
The ninja's open palm impacts Kenshi's with a meaty slap, the swordsman attempting to close his fingers around the assassin's hand and lock it in place. Water splashes across his shins as he steps aggressively forward, driving two brutal punches toward Cyrax's gut before twisting, his wet coat flapping as he attempts to twirl his shoulder in under the ninja's extended arm and slam his left kneepad against the ground. Then, slick as you please, he will wrench his dark-skinned opponent forward by the grip on his hand and flip him neatly over his shoulders and down to the sopping stones of the arena.
"What you have lost in spirit," The aging man states regretfully as he rises to his feet, stance firm, "You have made in gold. Does that satisfy you?"

COMBATSYS: Cyrax blocks Kenshi's Kombo.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[CYRAX]
The palm strike is caught, forcing Cyrax's hand as his is clasped around. Glowering, his other arm is quick to move, swifting swinging down to catch the two body shots with his gauntlet and deflect them as much as could. The leveraged toss afterward is a lot harder to handle, flinging Cyrax over and forcing the warrior to hastily tuck and roll with the throw as much as possible.

Narrowing his eyes as he tries to recover his base, he glowers at the blind swordsman. "What would you know about our honor?!" he shouts, unhooking a cask from his belt and readying it. "What would you, an outsider, ever know about our honor?" he adds, before a swift toss of that cask straight toward Kenshi's feet, shattering it. If the swordsman isn't careful, he'll find himself blown straight up as the volatile liquid explodes once exposed to the air.

COMBATSYS: Kenshi reflects Bomb from Cyrax with Instant Karma.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[KENSHI]
One moment, the psychic swordsman stands with his left palm forward, ear cocked and right fist couched at his side. In contrast to Cyrax's shouts, the aging man appears calm, centered.
The next, his right hand has snapped up to the sword hilt behind his head, and his katana is slicing up, then down in a blur of blazing purple light. But rather than slicing through the bomb that is about to land between his feet, he deftly sweeps the flat of his blade beneath the flask. In one fluid motion the bomb's momentum is reversed, and the ronin is flinging it back in an underhanded toss from the tip of his sword.
"During my travels," Kenshi states, feet sloshing through the water as he falls into a solid stance, feet spread just further than his shoulders and knees bent, "I met the vengeful shade of a man named Hanzo Hasashi." Whipping his blade up, he grips the hilt in both hands and holds it vertically before his face, the glowing blade dividing his visage vertically down the middle. Beneath the blindfold he does not appear angry, only stern. Hard as a master is to a student. "Tell me what you know of the fate of his village."
To one such as Cyrax, with the resources of an ancient clan at his disposal, the various deeds of Kenshi have likely not gone unnoticed. But nowhere was it ever documented that his sword had shattered. Now, however, the once beautiful dark metal of the blade is broken into jagged shards, held together by pulsing veins of red crystal. The power of this red crystal radiates anger and defiance, spreading out from the blade and mingling with the warrior's own power until the once blue glow of his psychic projections is a stormy purple.
Once more, thunder booms from high above.

COMBATSYS: Cyrax channels the fortress of the steel will.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Kenshi successfully hits Cyrax with Reflected Bomb.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[CYRAX]
Cyrax...probably didn't expect that. Which might be an understatement really, as Cyrax is still in his follow through when the cask is batted back, like a cricket ball. By the time he withdraws his hand, it's too late to get away from the blast. The gem upon his uniform glows a light green, as if to try and protect him a bit, but it's not enough to keep him from being blown back by his own device.

Gritting his teeth as he tried to pull himself back up, the Lin Kuei glowered toward Kenshi. "I know no man of that name. What concern does that have of me or the clan?" he asks, another glow along his chest as he shoots forward, trying hook his fist past Kenshi's sword, following with an attempted uppercut. The first hand reemerges with another bomb, but not to toss it. Rather, he'd try to crash it against the swordsman's chest and blast him back point-blank.

COMBATSYS: Cyrax channels the glare of the vicious eye.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Kenshi blocks Cyrax's Mustard.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[KENSHI]
>
"Hanzo Hasashi, of the Shirai Ryu." Kenshi replies calmly, holding his stance as the younger fighter flashes in with preternatural speed. Twisting his head away, the swordsman uses the flat of his blade as a wall, warding off the opening punch with minimal movement. As the second blow rises towards his chin he brings his sword flashing down in a horizontal parry, catching the assassins' fist with the vibrating hum of flesh on steel.
As the two warriors stand, momentarily locked sword to fist, Kenshi lifts his left hand from the hilt and darts it in beneath the weapon, slapping his leather-clad palm lightly against the rising bomb. Though there is nowhere near enough force in the blow to drive the weapon out of Cyrax's hand, a halo of purple energy transfers from the ronin's spread fingers to the explosive. Abruptly the bomb wrenches itself free from its master's grip, spinning away to detonate in a brilliant flash of flames some 15 feet outside of the platform.
"A clan," Kenshi states even as he is pulling back both sword and hand, bracing his left foot against the slick stone while his right is launched in a heavy kick toward Cyrax's gut, "That was slaughtered at the hands of the Lin Kuei."
Taking a single quick step back from his kick, the tall ronin whips his sword through the damp air, and two shapes form on either side of him. To his left looms a wraith of nearly six and a half feet tall, its form a smoky black mass of spectral samurai armor with two burning coals for eyes. In its hands it holds a scythe, the blade of which glows with infernal runes.
In sharp contrast, the figure that forms to Kenshi's right is made entirely of softly glowing blue energy, and shares none of the demonic traits of the other. it appears to be a man, roughly Kenshi's size, and with strikingly similar features. The figure is dressed in a loose-fitting robe, sleeves cut off at the forearms and a familiar-looking katana held in both hands. The strange ghost's sandaled feet are braced and ready, long hair held back in a single thick tail.
With a twitch of Kenshi's sword, both figures charge.
The shadowy wraith curves in from Cyrax's right, while the ghost approaches him head on. They both attack simultaneously, alternating low and high slashes of sword and scythe, intermingled with vicious empty-handed strikes. The barrage is quick and brutal, lasting an extended hand full of seconds before both figures seem to melt away, zipping as red and blue blurs back into the blind warrior's sword.
Kenshi, for his part, has not moved.

COMBATSYS: Kenshi blitzes into action and acts again!

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Cyrax dodges Kenshi's Front Kick.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Kenshi successfully hits Cyrax with Spirit Vengeance.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/-======|=====--\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[CYRAX]
The name 'Shirai Ryu' is enough to bring a deeper scowl on the Motswanan warrior's face, as he falls back from his attempted assault. His hand withdrawn again as if trying to ready another tool of his trade, he sneers toward the older swordsman.

"The Lin Kuei had no hand in wiping out that imitation clan. If it did, we'd have no reason to hide such a trophy," Cyrax snaps, knowing all too well of the rival clan, and the history with his own. The anger isn't enough to force him off his step too far though, able to backspring away from Kenshi's kick...but unfortunately, his backspring leaves him directly in the pincer of those two spectres.

And whatever motion he had to try and get out of their influence fails, the brutal barrages quickly whittling him down until Cyrax is at bent knee.

Hissing, he looks back up, eyes still lit up with anger and life. No more words are needed to defend the clan, he'll do that with his own fists and feet, starting with a lurching sweep of his leg toward Kenshi's knees, hoping to take out the older man's base.

COMBATSYS: Cyrax successfully hits Kenshi with Sweep.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[KENSHI]
"Pride is not honor." Kenshi murmurs down to the kneeling warrior, the aging swordsman continuing to stand firm and centered. As the younger man twists his body into the sweep, the ronin plants his left foot firmly and leans his weight forward, angling his leg just so. It is a simple maneuver, meant to catch the sweep on his armored kneepad rather than allowing the joint to be forced in any unnatural way. Unfortunately, as Cyrax's leg hammers into Kenshi's, the slick stones betray him, and the swordsman's legs slip write out from under him.
Hitting the stones in a spray of water, the ronin rolls in a clatter of reinforced leather and damp cloth, sword angled across his body so as not to impale himself. Smoothly he rises back to one knee in one corner of the platform, glowing sword sparking against the stones as he sweeps his right hand out for balance, while his left snaps straight toward Cyrax in a quick, open-palmed gesture.
Though it looks as if Kenshi is merely motioning 'stop' to the assassin, the sudden flare of purple energy around his outspread fingers marks the truth. And unless Cyrax can recognize the danger, a purple glow will flash on his chest, and a giant, invisible force will slam the Lin Kuei skidding backwards through the wet.

COMBATSYS: Cyrax channels the fortress of the steel will.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Kenshi successfully hits Cyrax with Off Balance.

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Cyrax [E]        1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1       [E] Kenshi

[CYRAX]
The sweep seems to do the trick as it cuts Kenshi's legs out from beneath him, but with the rain coming down as it is, and the stone so slick, his approach is still too precarious to just rush in, especially with how worn down and cut apart he's already been. It's that moment of hesitation that allows Kenshi the time to recouperate...

And when the hand is outstreched, Cyrax doesn't heed the warning, until it's too late. The gem on his chest responds to his panic, glowing slightly green, but even that's not enough to keep him from being thrown back by the psychic force, skidding along the stone with wet splashes.

THrowing his head up as he snapped back from his landing, he tried to train his eyes back on the swordsman. With an untapped anger, he flicked out one arm, the hidden saw in his gauntlet whirring to life from it as he charged in to attack again finally. His advance is low to keep whatever slips from stopping his forward momentum TOO much, and once in range, he snaps out, trying to use his saw to lock at Kenshi's sword long enough to leave him open for a good right hook, which in turn would hopefully lead to two sharp slices from that spinning blade across the older warrior's chest.

COMBATSYS: Cyrax successfully hits Kenshi with Saw Enough.

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Cyrax [E]        1/----===/=======|=======\=------\1       [E] Kenshi

[KENSHI]
Though he has no lack of skill, and his reflexes are sharp, it still remains that Cyrax is a young man full of fury, and Kenshi has begun to feel his age. So it is that the blind warrior has only just regained his feet by the time Cyrax is upon him. Twisting his jagged sword into the path of the saw, it requires both of his hands to keep the nimble fighter from using his charging momentum to drive the saw home. And, with both hands occupied, he can only jerk his head back in a failed attempt to avoid the punch to his face.
Letting out a quiet grunt, Kenshi slips backward on the wet ground, twisting his sword free of the screaming saw in an attempt to regain his defensive posture. He is not quite fast enough, however, and the first of the slashes carves into his right side, grinding through leather and metal before hitting flesh with a spray of blood.
Then, in a brilliant flash of purple, all that remains is a frozen image of the swordsman, caught in a pose of staggering unbalance.
A mirroring flash announces Kenshi's arrival directly behind the assassin, Sento's tip briefly throwing up sparks as it scrapes the ground on its way up, up, in a vicious two-handed slash meant to carve a violent swath up Cyrax's back.

COMBATSYS: Kenshi channels the beat of the tireless heart.

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Cyrax [E]        1/----===/=======|=======\=------\1       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Kenshi channels the glare of the vicious eye.

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Cyrax [E]        1/----===/=======|=======\=------\1       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Cyrax channels the spread of the lightning nerves.

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Cyrax [E]        1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Cyrax just-defends Kenshi's Rising Karma!

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Cyrax [E]        1/----===/=======|=======\-------\1       [E] Kenshi

[CYRAX]
The raging warrior tates blood once he manages to finally lock that damnable sword down enough to hit the older man in the face, and with that opening, he doesn't stop, slashing once, then again, trying to make them count...

The sudden flash is a warning, but something in him seems to snap to attention. Again, the gem glows, as if the souls within warning of the danger. Whatever it is, supernatural, instinct of years of training, or sheer luck, Cyrax's hand snaps back to meet the violent upward slash, knocking the attack away with his closed gauntlet. Retracting the saw in his other, a smooth pivot comes as Cyrax moves to face the swordsman who tried to claim his back. Eyes smoulder in the pouring rain, glowering...before another cask is unclasped from his belt. Slamming it down at his feet, the Lin Kuei seemingly disappears in the smoke...

Not that Kenshi would notice even if he could see, as if not careful, he'd be blown off his feet into the air...upon which he'd discover where Cyrax had 'disappeared' to, in order to intercept the possible flight.

COMBATSYS: Cyrax successfully hits Kenshi with Cyberdriver.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1       [E] Kenshi

The sudden appearance of the Motswana would see him grab an upended Kenshi around the waist, turning him completely end over end. As he falls with his prey, he'd go far enough to drive his heel into the underside of the swordsman's chin as he fell, directing him down straight onto the top of his head, foot and wet stone sandwiching the blind warrior's skull upon violent landing. Not lethal, but under normal conditions, incapacitating for any but the hardiest of fighters.

Gasping a little as he falls back, Cyrax drops to a knee, the earlier assault from Kenshi catching up with him, blood only barely washed away by the pouring rain. "My clan's pride is my honor. A ronin like you would never know that."

[KENSHI]
Kenshi's left hand begins to descend toward the bomb as it is tossed down between his feet, but having managed to deflect two of these so far, it seems that the third time is the charm. The blast sends him tumbling into the air, leaving him too stunned to defend himself as he is wrenched violently around. His sword goes flying away to clatter off the side of the platform, while the ronin himself is spiked head-first into the unforgiving stone.
Cyrax's gasping words gain no response, though, perhaps surprisingly, the blind man does roll away from his kneeling opponent, armor rattling as he braces his left hand against the ground. Blood gushes from his saw wound and mats his greying hair, his scalp clearly split somewhere even if his skull was not outright cracked.
A quiet chuckle escapes the old man as he clambers to hands and knees, seeming very wobbly as his left hand lifts, groping at the air. Swaying, he seems more rueful than anything, lips twisted into a wry grimace of pain as he replies with actions rather than words.
From out of the rain, the swordsman's lost weapon comes spinning through the air, the jagged blade attempting to cleave through Cyrax before the hilt slaps firmly home into Kenshi's outstretched hand. Only then does he begin to painfully clamber back to his feet.

COMBATSYS: Cyrax blocks Kenshi's Farsighted.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/---====|=======\=====--\1       [E] Kenshi

[CYRAX]
Cyrax dare not move, knowing he's still seriously wounded, and coming down from the spike of adrenaline his earlier anger had given him. With everything catching up, he needs just that small moment to regather himself.

Not that Kenshi seems to allow him that. As he kept his eye on the recovering Swordsman, he realizes something is missing....his sword. Eyes widen, turning sharply behind him just in time to bring his gauntlets back up. The spinning sword cuts across, sending sparks from metal-on-metal scattering on the wet stone, while the sword turns just enough to slice along his arm and draw at least a little blood to make it worth the blind warrior's while.

Hissing breath comes in as he watches Kenshi finally start to get up. Not wanting to give the older man time, he foregoes his own recovery to press the attack, a long stride in that nearly causes him to slip before trying to sweep his leg up and back with a winding roundhouse meant to knock Kenshi sky high and keep him from recovering his bearings.

COMBATSYS: Kenshi channels the glare of the vicious eye.

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Cyrax [E]        0/-------/----===|=======\=====--\1       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Kenshi interrupts Kombat Boots from Cyrax with Karma Eruption.

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Cyrax [E]        1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

[KENSHI]
Left boot braced against the ground, but right knee still firmly on stone, Kenshi grips his sword in both hands. he can feel Cyrax coming. Feel the younger man's desire to end this.
Very well.
The misty glow emanating from the ronin's sword explodes into a blinding nova of blazing violet, throwing long shadows dark and sharp through the rainy arena. Above, Cyrax's foot begins to descend toward the side of Kenshi's head, enough force gathered behind the strike to likely put him down for good.
Surging with speed far beyond anything he has shown thus far, the blind man hurls himself upward, shoulder smashing his dark-skinned opponent's foot to one side, and brings his sword up in a vicious two-handed blow. Light blazing from the weapon, he cleaves it straight up the center of Cyrax's chest, the strength of the blow lifting them both into the air. Then, looping his sword over his head in a blindingly quick motion, he sweeps it down and around once more, before cleaving a second near identical line up the chest of his opponent.
Hanging high in the air, sword alight like a miniature sun, Kenshi reaches out with his glowing left hand and encases the Lin Kuei in a fist of telekinetic energy. Then, wrenching his hand violently away, he slings the smaller man around in a half arc and releases him, sending him hurtling head-first toward one of the sturdy stone pillars at the corner of the ring.
Then, abruptly, the light dies, and Kenshi falls from the air, impacting the slippery stones on hands and knees. There he rests, shoulders heaving, as hooded figures stares silently from the benches.

[CYRAX]
The exchange is over in a literal flash it seems, but not in the way that Cyrax had hoped. Before his roundhouse can connect, the sudden flashes and glows from Sento seem to engulf Cyrax's very being, Kenshi flashing his blade across the Lin Kuei's center mass repeatedly, before flinging Cyrax down forcefully, a vicious collision wtih a pillar.

For a moment, it seems like the deed is done...but as Kenshi lands, Cyrax struggles, trying to pull himself up to his feet...something he only manages with more than a little help from the pillar. Propped up, a flare of defiance lights in both the warrior's eyes and the gem on his chest, green flare giving him enough life and speed to send a bomb from his belt rocketing toward Kenshi via a proppelled kunai. Slumping back down as the glow fades from his chest, the final bomb flies as a parting gift for the swordsman.

COMBATSYS: Cyrax channels the glare of the vicious eye.

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Cyrax [E]        1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0       [E] Kenshi

COMBATSYS: Cyrax can no longer fight.

[                       \\\\\\\  <
Kenshi [E]       0/-------/---====|

COMBATSYS: Cyrax successfully hits Kenshi with Short Circuit.

[                            \\  <
Kenshi [E]       0/-------/=======|

[KENSHI]
Battered and almost assuredly concussed, Kenshi labors to his feet, the glow having departed completely from his shattered sword. The weapon now a contrast in dark black and dull crimson, it hangs from his right hand, tip scraping the ground as water runs from the warrior's soaked clothes.
Swaying, Kenshi has just started to take his first step toward the edge of the platform when Cyrax struggles briefly to his feet, and a bomb is thrown at his back. There is a swirl of power, wispy and uncontrolled, as the warrior attempts to teleport out of the path of the bomb. But, tapped out as he is, there is only a shift of mist around his body before the explosive hammers him between the shoulderblades and he is launched forward by the explosion, tumbling over the edge of the arena to lie sprawled on the ground below.
Slowly, painfully, the ronin begins to clamber to his feet once more, groping blindly for his sword.
Honor, as has been said, is not the same as pride.

COMBATSYS: Kenshi takes no action.


COMBATSYS: Kenshi can no longer fight.

Log created on 18:51:40 12/20/2016 by Kenshi, and last modified on 13:42:49 12/22/2016.